Disclaimer: I still don't own Gundam Wing [sigh].

This should have been a part of chapter 8 but it got too long so I cut it. Oh, and sorry if not all the characters have speaking lines. For comments, suggestions, flames or reviews, you can email me at raizenheero@aol.com

It was a bright and beautiful day, perfect for doing something outdoors, like a barbecue. Which was exactly what the whole gang was currently doing in the Peacecraft Palace Garden. Wufei and Quatre were done barbecuing so all the food was placed on the buffet table, ready to be eaten. They arranged all the small, square tables to make two long tables that could seat 20 persons each. One table was occupied by all the adults while the other was occupied by all the kids. Everyone was seated and chatting happily among themselves as they ate, except for Heero who excused himself a few minutes ago to answer a phone call. At first, the other kids were a little wary of Dean, Miles, Sean, Colin and Ren when they arrived with Lady Une, Marimeia and Toby. No one could blame them though. They were kept as prisoners by those soldiers for almost a month, and now they were going to eat with them? But being kids, they all got along soon enough. Carrie even started blushing whenever Dean talked to her and vice versa, which didn't go unnoticed by everyone. Trion shook his head at this small development, amused. His cousin and bestfriend hooking up? Not a bad idea, though it kind of reminded him how Jiiro must have felt like knowing that his sister and bestfriend might have hooked up. Unfortunately, everyone in their table also started thinking of the same thing, dampening the happy occasion. But only for a moment. Wanting to lighten up the mood, Sean stole a big piece of barbecue from Deity's plate. Deity tried to take it back but Sean already swalloed the whole thing. Unluckily for him, he choked, making everyone laugh so hard they almost fell off the benches which had a not-so-good side effect of Sean almost dying coz everyone was laughing their heads off, they forgot to help him out.

From inside the Palace, Qintaro shook his head, smiling, as he watched Miles administering the Heimilch procedure on his cousin. "Aren't you going to join them? They seem to be having fun," Athena said from beside him, also smiling at the spectacle.

"I could say the same to you, you know," Qintaro replied.

Athena grinned sheepishly. "Well, I'm planning on joining them, that's why I accepted Heero's invitation. I'm just gathering the guts to walk over there."

Qintaro remained quiet for a while, his eyes focused on the group outside. "Unlike you, I'm not planning on facing them anytime soon and I specifically remember telling you that. That's why I'm wondering how I let you drag me here."

Athena grinned again. "I could be very persuasive if I needed to. Besides, I honestly think that you want to see them too."

Qintaro sighed as he continued watching his friends. She was right but still "Now that I've seen them, can't I just go back to Brussels? They're not really expecting me, you're the one whom they invited. Please, Athena, let me go back," he pleaded.

Athena looked him in the eye. "What did I tell you before? You couldn't run and hide forever. You have to face them eventually and the sooner you do, the better it will be for you and for everyone. Those people are the most forgiving and the most understanding of all the people I met my entire life. It'll be ok. Don't be like me. Don't spend half of your life running away from the only family you'll ever have," Athena pleaded back. "As for our invitation, Relena asked Heero to invite me in her behalf and Heero said that I could bring a friend if I wanted to. Actually, he insisted on it. So technically speaking, you're invited too."

Qintaro looked at her questioningly. "Does he know? About me, I mean."

"Well, the 6 of them suspects that I'm hiding something. But Heero being Heero, I'm certain that he had a good guess what that something is. He was the one whom I talked with the most for the past few days, being my liaison with Lady Une and the rest of the outside world. Besides, I know for a fact that he knew that Jiiro didn't intend to kill you so you shouldn't be dead. That's why he told me to bring a friend. He knew that there's a big probability that I might have taken you in from the last battle and that I would be bringing you here. Right, Heero?"

"Hn."

Surprised, Qintaro looked back and saw Heero standing behind them. "Still sneaking behind people, I see," Athena remarked, also turning to look back. Smiling at him, she added, "I really couldn't hide anything from you, huh?"

Heero shrugged. "I have good deductive skills," he replied lightly. "Let's go. Relena is expecting you. As do the others."

Athena nodded. Relena had been very considerate, even after discovering that she asked the guys to keep her being alive a secret and even after finding out that she was still on Earth from Heero when she just disappeared after the battle. She knew that Relena wanted to talk her, but knowing that she might not still be ready, Relena asked Heero to call her on her behalf instead of inviting her personally. And now, it was high time she returned all of Relena's kindness to her. When she accepted the invitation, it was an indication that she was ready, that was why Relena was expecting her. It was time for an overdued girltalk.

Athena turned her head to regard her companion. "What about you, Qintaro?"

Qintaro didn't answer. Seeing this, Heero said, "Go ahead, Athena. We'll follow you."

Understanding what he meant, Athena winked at Qintaro. "Don't worry. Heero doesn't bite. Sometimes." Satisfied that she made Qintaro stiffen a little, she took a deep breath then went out of the door, walking over to the group. Qintaro and Heero watched as exclaims of hi's and hello's were heard when the group saw her.

"So you're Qintaro. I've heard a lot about you from Jiiro, Reina and the other kids. And as I gather, Athena is also quite fond of you, as do my wife," Heero stated.

Qintaro tried to suppress the nervousness he was feeling as he looked right into Heero's eyes. Heero always had that effect on people. Actually, Qintaro shouldn't be afraid, seeing that the man dubbed as the most dangerous in the whole ESUN looked just like an older version of his bestfriend but unlike Jiiro, Heero exuded an aura of death and danger, just like Athena. Aside from that, the knowledge that he was Reina's Dad was enough to make him sweat. "I uhh" He trailed off, feeling like an idiot. He wanted to say a lot of things, but that was all that came out of his mouth. Maybe it was because he didn't know where to start. He wanted to say sorry for all that he did and for all that his father had done. He wanted to say that he was also fond of Athena and Miss Relena, that Athena had told him a lot about Heero too. But at that particular moment, he couldn't seem to find the right words to say. Before he could form any coherent thought, he heard Heero speak.

"I know what you want to say. And I understand. But I know as well as you do that there are other people whom you should be talking to right now."

Finally, Qintaro found his voice. "But I don't know if I can."

As a reply, Heero turned around and started walking towards the door leading outside. "Remember that the longer you hide, the longer Jiiro would continue on blaming himself for killing his bestfriend, even if he didn't actually do." With that, Heero went out to join his family and friends.

"Hey. Athena's here!" Reina commented as they saw Athena walking towards them.

"Hi, Athena!" Deity, Jiiro, Trion, Kai, Rhys, Lee, Miles, Ren, Colin, Dean and Sean chorused while the other kids just smiled at her tentatively. Zeke, Deirdre, Dylan, Haley, Mitzi and Carrie knew her from stories and they saw her when she helped them get out of Buena Park but they didn't really know her personally. Hilde, Dorothy, Noin, Sally, Catherine, Lady Une, Midii, Marimeia, Toby, Ardy, Quatre and Duo smiled and said their hello's too as Zechs, Trowa and Wufei nodded at her. Athena said hi back and went straight to Relena's side.

"Hi, Athena. Long time no see," Relena remarked, smiling brightly.

"Yeah. It's been too long." Relena stood up and the two friends hugged.

"I'm glad that you came."

"So am I. I think this is the smartest thing I've ever done for a long time."

When they pulled apart, Athena said, "I'm so sorry for not telling you the truth sooner, Relena. And don't get mad at Heero and the other guys. I'm the one who asked them not to tell anyone."

"I know you and the guys well enough to figure that out for myself. Besides, you Gundam Pilots stick together no matter what, like an exclusive club, a fraternity or something of the sorts."

Deity, Reina, Jiiro, Trion, Kai, Rhys, Lee, Miles, Ren, Colin, Dean and Sean looked at each other then smiled. They knew what Relena meant. The other kids also agreed with Relena's statement. It wasn't that Deity and the others were treating them differently now nor were they excluding them or anything, especially with Sean and the others now included in the picture. It was just that, whether they liked to or not, whether they acknowledged it or not, something was setting them apart from those who fought during the last war. Those 12 had shared a profound experience together, something that they would carry with them for the rest of their lives. And that was one part of their lives the younger kids couldn't partake of, one that they would never come to fathom. Which was both a blessing and a curse if one would stop to think about it.

Noin handed Athena a plate. "Get yourself some food, Athena. There's plenty for everyone."

Athena smiled as she took the plate. "Thanks, Noin. But" She looked back, just in time to see Heero walking towards them. She looked quizzically at him. "Heero, where's?"

"He'll be out," Heero assured her as he took a seat beside his wife.

Duo grinned slyly at her. "Ooohhh. A guy, e? It's high time you bring a boyfriend to introduce to us. I'm just telling Quatre earlier that I'm planning on fixing you up with one of my bachelor friends."

"He's not my boyfriend, Duo. And don't think of setting me up with anyone. Thanks for the thought, but I have other things to take care of right now." Looking at Reina, Athena smiled as she added, "As for the 'guy' that I brought with me, he's young enough to be my son. Besides, he already likes somebody else."

Before anyone could ask her who it was, gasps of shock, then of joy were heard as everyone saw a familiar looking guy with dirty blonde hair in a ponytail emerged from the Palace. Deity jumped on her feet and ran towards him, followed by Sean, Miles, Ren, Colin, Dean, Trion, Kai, Rhys and Lee.

"QINTARO!" They chorused, Deity enveloping him in a tight hug.

"Is that really you? Are you really alive?"

"Man! We thought you're dead!"

"Or are you a zombie? A ghost perhaps?"

"What happened? How did you survive the explosion?"

"Now I know that Gundam Pilots are really hard to kill."

"You mean you've been with Athena all this time?"

Qintaro looked at the happy faces of his friends. He couldn't see any rejection, anger or accusation in them, just joy. "Sorry, guys. For everything."

"Forget about it. What's important is that you're alive."

"And that you're with us again."

"So, care to tell us what you've been up to these past few days?"

"Do you know that we're Preventers now?"

"Come on, kids. Ask your questions later. Qintaro needs to eat too," Sally called out.

The kids complied and went back to their table, dragging Qintaro with them. Jiiro and Reina stood rooted on their respective spots, silent. Qintaro could feel 2 pairs of Prussian blue eyes boring through him as he approached Jiiro first.

As their eyes locked, understanding instantly passed between them. All the apologies, all the regrets, they all quickly disappeared. Everything was forgotten and forgiven. It was how bestfriends were. "So you're alive. Good to see you again, Qin."

"Same here. I've been an ass, haven't I?"

Jiiro gave him a small smile. "You sure did."

Qintaro smiled back then turned to regard Reina. She and Jiiro might be twins, but dealing with Reina would be a lot harder. Taking a deep breath, he said, "Reina, I'm so sorry. Remember when I told you before that I would make it up to you somehow? I intend to keep that promise. Just tell me how."

Everyone watched with bated breath as they waited for Reina's response. Finally, Reina asked, "Do you remember what reply I gave you when you told me that?"

"That we'll talk about it when I come back."

"So we'll talk about it after you're done eating," Reina added with a smile as she handed him a plate. "And when they're not listening."

"Goodluck," Everyone told him. Then they all laughed.

"Come on, kiddo. Let's get some food. I'm starving," Athena called out. Qintaro turned to look at her and saw that she was standing next to Relena. As he walked over to them, he saw Relena smile, opening her arms to him. Smiling back, Qintaro accepted her gesture, hugging her warmly.

"I'm glad you're alright, Qintaro."

"I'm glad that you're fine too, Miss Relena. And I want to apologize for my behavior before."

Relena pulled back and waved a hand. "That's over and done with. Don't worry about it. Oh, and drop the 'Miss'. Just call me Relena, Aunt or if you want, Mom," she said, giving Reina a grin.

Reina turned beet red. "Kaasan!" Everyone laughed again.

Also blushing, Qintaro murmured, "Umm, Aunt will be fine. Thanks."

"Now that everything's settled, I say we go get some food," Athena suggested as she and Qintaro went straight to the buffet table.

A while later

"So that's what happened," Hilde commented after Athena and Qintaro told them their story.

"You really are one lucky kid," Midii stated.

"Yeah. I'm really lucky that Athena was there to save me," Qintaro replied, smiling at Athena. "And she's kind enough to ask me to stay with her."

Catherine turned inquisitively at Lady Une. "I don't mean to rain on anyone's parade, but is that ok? I mean aren't you the one who is supposed to decide who'll be the kids' legal guardians?"

"Speaking of which, when can we know your decision, Lady Une?" Quatre asked.

"You know that all of us are willing to take Miles, Ren, Sean, Dean, Colin and Qintaro as one group," Zechs reminded.

"And if not as a group, we can take them in separately," Wufei added.

"Hn. Dean can stay with us, Miles can stay with Zechs and Noin, Ren with Quatre and Dorothy, Sean with Duo and Hilde, Dean with Wufei and Sally, and Qintaro with Heero and Relena," Trowa said. Trion smiled at his father gratefully.

"Wait a sec. If we're going to do it that way, I need to swap with Heero," Duo voiced out. He then looked at Sean. "Don't get me wrong, kid. I really like you. And you piloted Deathscythe well too. But teenaged boys are every father's worst nightmare. Let's just say that I don't want to be a granddaddy yet."

Both Sean and Deity reddened. "Dad!"

"Hey, Angel. I'm just being cautious." Heero looked at Qintaro, then at Reina, then at Qintaro again. Qintaro gulped as Heero leveled him with his stare. "We have a deal, Duo."

"Tousan! Not you too!" Reina whined.

"Hold your horses, folks," Lady Une intervened, smiling at the recent turn of events. "To answer your question, Quatre, I already made my decision. After careful deliberation, I thought it best for the kids to stay together as one family. I know you all meant well but you're all already busy with the current happenings in your life and to add raising 6 more kids will be very difficult. But I couldn't just let other people look after them. They need someone who understands what they've been through and help them deal with it. That's why I chose Athena to be their legal guardian."

As everyone looked at Athena they completely understood why Lady Une chose her. Those kids needed someone who experienced the same thing, and though living with the Peacecrafts, the Yuys, the Maxwells, the Bartons, the Changs and the Winners would be perfect, the only way it would work was to separate the 6 kids, which she didn't want to do. Athena could also provide the guidance they needed and those six wouldn't have to get separated. "Hey kids, hope you don't mind being stuck with me," Athena told them.

Miles, Ren, Colin, Dean and Sean smiled. So that was why Athena had been talking to them these past few days. And the funny thing was, it felt like they had known each other forever. Even from the first time they talked to her, they genuinely liked her. "We're the ones who should be saying that," Miles told her.

"Yeah. Raising six teenaged boys? We could be a handful sometimes," Ren added.

"Nah. I think it'll be a blast," Athena assured them.

"I'm sure it will," Qintaro remarked., knowing that a bright future awaited them. And it all started here, today.

Nope, it's not goodbye yet. One last chapter to go...