"…And that is your news tonight. I'm R.J. Coleman saying see you tomorrow night."

So they've taken over the Lunar Base. I wonder what will happen next, thought Katja Kizer as she gazed blindly at the rolling credits.

It was raining, again. And Katja as on a mission to find Trowa.

After hearing about the Veigh-8 exploding in space and escaping the revolt at the Lunar Base, Katja had spent a week looking for him. Bouncing from one colony to the next. Always coming up empty-handed.

Feeling discouraged and that hope was running out, she turned from the electronic store and started to walk down the sidewalk.

With her head lowered to block the rain Katja didn't see where she was going and ran into someone.

She looked up to apologize and saw one green eye and the other covered by his bangs.

"Oh! Sorry Trowa. I didn't see you," said Katja as calmly as she could. Striving to act like it always happened even though a great feeling of victory nearly forced her to hug him, but she controlled herself, and began to walk away. He turned to watch her go.

"Do I know you?" he asked through his chattering teeth.

Katja stopped and turned around.

"Yep. We worked together at the circus. I'm Katja Kizer," she said trying to convince him. He shook her hand absently.

Realizing that he wasn't going to talk much or even knew where to go, Katja jumped in.

"Let's go get out of the rain," she offered. And both of them started their way across the shopping center parking lot. They got just past the grocery store when a female voice stopped them.

"Trowa?" asked the girl.

He just looked up in response.

"Trowa, it's me Catherine. Don't you remember your own sister?" she asked again.

Trowa kept looking at her then plainly said "Cathy"

Just then Katja stepped in.

"Hey Catherine, how are you?" she said almost defensively.

"Katja!" said Catherine with a start. "What are you doing here?"

With her expression as stoic as Trowa's usually are, she replied.

"Going to the circus."

They both paused, glaring at each other.

"Oh! I'll give you two a ride then."

When they got to the circus Katja and Trowa helped Catherine take her groceries into the trailer they shared before he left.

While Catherine put away the groceries, Trowa sat down on the couch and Katja just stood near the door.

"Katja why don't you take off your jacket and relax?" asked Catherine as she walked from the kitchen to the living room.

"No, I'm fine," answered Katja absently.

As if she didn't hear, Catherine walked over and tried to remove the soaked black jacket from her shoulders. Instinctively Katja grasped Catherine's wrists as she reached for the jacket and squeezed very hard.

"I said I'm fine," hissed Katja through her teeth.

Catherine jerked her hands away rubbing her wrists.

"Why don't you go find Jamie?" she suggested in a snippy tone.

"Where is he?" asked Katja who had gone back to her absent-minded looking around the room.

"He's master of tents. Where do you think he is?" she snapped.

With this response Katja looked at Catherine, her face free of expression, but the distinct feeling of hatred and disgust made her sick. So she nodded and took her leave.

The room was dark. Only the faint light from the "North Pole", a 15-foot lamppost erected in the middle of camp, shone through the windows.

The flimsy trailer door came open and a large figure of a man blocked out the light. The figure flipped the light switch on, slowly illuminating the makeshift living room.

As the neon lights flickered, his eyes, not quiet adjusted to the light, caught a glimpse of a dark figure in the far corner of the room, lurking in the shadows.

Instantly Jamie Krieger, a 6': 3" lean 237 pound mass of muscle with jet black hair, deep brown eyes and golden tanned skin, went on the defensive, clutching his pocket knife.

"Who's there?" he demanded with eyes fixed on the figure.

With the sound of his voice, it's back straightened and then turned, slowly taking a step into the light.

She was dressed in a jet-black Oz uniform. A priest collar trimmed in a thin sliver, a silver braid encircled her left shoulder, and thin silver trim around the cuffs and in the swirling design of the cuff.

Her hair, although wet was neatly tied back in a small ponytail with only a few wisps hanging loose.

Jamie, whose eyes were still not accustomed to the light, sternly ordered again. "Who are you and what do you want?"

"Well it's nice to see you too Jamie," responded Katja with a slight air of humor.

With his eyes now adjusted his expression took on that of amazement.

"Katja?" he asked, his voice shaking with amazement.

At the speaking of her name she stepped further into the light. She smiled at him pleasantly, but Jamie just glared back.

"What's wrong, Jamie?" she asked innocently.

"You broke the promise," he answered coldly.

Katja lowered her gaze suddenly remembering a childhood promise.

Oz recruiters had come to the circus looking for some strong guys to join. They singled out Jamie and a few others but they all declined. One of the soldiers recognized her name and tried to get her to join. She avoided the trap for about half the day. During the afternoon show she was cornered by a group of them. Jamie had stepped in before they could force her to go. As soon as they got clear of the soldiers, Jamie made Katja promise him that no matter what happens, that she'd never join Oz.

Katja shook her head at the memory and looked up at him.

"I've broken a lot of promises stronger then the one I made you," she responded sorrowfully.

"Why Katja? Why would you become what you hated?" he paused, waving his hands about wildly in confusion. Apart of something that destroyed your life?"

"Save the speech Jamie!" she said calmly as if it happened all the time.

Stunned at her talking back, Jamie just shook his head, knowing what a futile attempt it would be to argue with her.

"Go get changed. I have too strong of an urge to hurt you with that uniform on."

Katja understood and went to her old room to change.

She walked out a few minuets later, wearing a pair of gray sweatpants and a navy blue T-shirt, and joined Jamie, who was making some beef stew in the kitchen.

She sat down at the table, and Jamie started up a conversation like she had never left.

"So where have you been?" asked Jamie as he served the stew.

"Space, Earth and everywhere in between," answered Katja jokingly.

Jamie chuckled at her response and began to eat his stew.

"I heard that you hurt Catherine's wrists," he inquired.

Katja just smiled and answered.

"If Trowa had seen me in the uniform I wasn't sure if he would attack me or not so I had to keep the jacket on," she replied.

"But you weren't afraid that I would hurt you?" asked Jamie.

"You're different," answered Katja with a smile.

They were like two different people, who joked together and caught up on lost years.

Finished with his dinner, Jamie got up and put his bowl in the sink and turned back to the table.

"Well we've better get to bed. Can I rely on your help tomorrow?" he asked after looking at the clock, which read ten o'clock.

"Sure. What are you doing?" asked Katja.

"Replacing the ropes in the tent." Said Jamie with a sly look.

Katja groaned at the thought of tomorrow's work as she got up, took her bowl to the sink and shuffled off to bed.

The next morning the work began.

The tent had already been pulled down. The Tent's men worked like an assembly line: one would cut loose the old rope, another replace it and the last would spray paint the eyelets so they knew they got that one.

By lunch time the tent had been re-risen and Jamie and Katja walked around giving the stake ropes a final inspection. While all of the performers were inside the tent because today was rehearsal day. That is when the show is run through to make sure that nothing will go wrong.

"…Now Trowa and Catherine will enter and go through their act… precede Catherine," instructed the ringmaster.

Catherine nodded in response and they began their act.

Trowa was already strapped to the wheel, awaiting the daggers.

While outside of the tent Jamie and Katja finished up inspecting all of the new stake ropes.

"These sure are better then the ones we had for the last show. I'm still surprised that they didn't break right in the middle of the show for how much they were stretching," cheerfully recalled Jamie.

"Well now we don't have to worry about them breaking during the trapeze act," laughed Katja.

Jamie and Katja were the acting masters of tents. While neither had very much talent except for moving trunks, they could raise a big top in less then an hour and still uphold an impeccable safety record.

"I really hate it when the ropes get old. It just makes this job more and more stressful." Pointed out Katja as she and Jamie walked into the tent to watch the acts.

Back inside the tent, Trowa and Catherine's act went flawlessly. More acts followed theirs. The rest of the show seemed to go by fine to the tent workers in the stands. Then the big-mouthed ringmaster screamed at the top of his lungs to stop and that they had to go through the entire thing again because an elephant's timing was off.

So with a sigh of despair all of the performers slowly dragged their feet, and walked behind the curtain.

The show began with the grand entrance of everyone performing in the show. The elephants and horses led the way. Even though not in their costumes it's still great.

About two acts into the show, at Tent's Men came up to Jamie and Katja.

"Jamie we need you outside. One of the stakes is coming loose," said the Tent's Men.

With that, Jamie got up and followed the Tent's Men out of to the loose stake.

As Katja looses sight of Jamie she hears her name called by one of the female performers.

Catherine was standing by one flap of the tent calling out to Katja.

"Katja!! Oh there you are," said Catherine in her usual cheery tone. "One of the Tent's Men must have missed a flap hole," she informed.

Katja reached into her utility pants pocket and pulled out a small stake and a piece of rope.

"I'll crawl under the flap and stake it on the other side. Just be ready to lift it a little when I call," ordered Katja in a friendly way.

So Katja did a military crawl under the flap to the other side. From that point on all you see are a pair of hands string the rope through the eyelet and then the flap tightens.

"Tink, Tink, Tink," the stake was driven into the ground.

"OK Catherine! Lift it up!" shouted Katja.

Up went an intentionally loose section of the tent and in rolled Katja in a tight summer salt. Then she stood up. Pretending to be a great acrobat, she presented herself with arms gracefully stretched to total wingspan and bowed to the applause of the performers who witnessed her ingenuity.

Once she stopped her act everyone went back to watching for their cue.

"Katja can you help me?" asked Trowa as he walked towards her holding his mask in his hands.

"I can't seem to get my mask to stay. I think the string is broken," he said as he put the mask on to show the problem.

Katja reached out and turned him around so she could see the back of his head.

"Well the sting isn't broken, your head just grew over night," joked Katja.

"No the string has just stretched. I can rig it so it will stay for tonight's performance, then I'll have to put a new one in for you."

"Ok," agreed Trowa.

Katja took the excess string and tied it in a knot on the back of Trowa's head.

"There we are. Hurry, you're up next," rushed Katja.

"Thanks!" called Trowa as he walked towards the curtain.

Katja walked behind him and then stopped at a barrel that the clowns use and intently watched Trowa's act.

"Ah isn't that cute, Joe?" said Janice Murphy in a slight southern twang.

"What's that, dear?" asked Joe Murphy, Janice's husband. Both of whom were dressed as clowns.

Janice reached up and lightly turned Joe's chin in Katja's direction.

"Oh!" he exclaimed.

"That poor girl. The way that Catherine is protecting Trowa, she'll never get to be with him again," said Janice in a mournful way.

Katja and Trowa signed up with the circus at about the same time and since then they had been the closest thing to best friends either of them had for along time. While they knew this the rest of the circus thought they were a couple.

"Well don't fret now honey. Katja is just as stubborn as Catherine and both her and Trowa will find a way to get together. Catherine or no," confidently stated Joe. They both walked out on to the ring and went through their act with no flaws.

The rest of the acts went perfectly. And nervously everyone started the finale, hoping that there are no mistakes, repeating the show isn't that fun.

Catherine and Trowa were the last performers in the second group to make their way across the ring to the exit on the other side of the center ring.

Trowa stepped into the light, waving his hand and smiling like was expected of him. Everything was going fine until Katja heard someone yelling on her radio.

"THE ROPES ARE BREAKING!!!"

"WHICH ONES?!"

"THE ONES FOR THE #2 SUPPORT COLUMN!"

"WHAT SHOULD WE DO?"

"GET EVERYONE OUT OF THE TENT. IF IT HITS THE MAIN POST THE WHOLE THING IS GOING DOWN!!!"

At that moment Katja looked up to see the top of the #2 support column begin to waver and start its plummet to the ground. She looked down and saw that Trowa was standing right under it.

It began to fall faster and Trowa hadn't moved because of a back up behind stage. None of the Tent's Men had reached then tent yet so no one knew the danger.

Instantly she screamed.

"TROWA, GET OUT OF THE WAY!"

Catherine instantly ran for the nearest exit. While Trowa, stunned by the sudden yelling, turned towards the sound instead of running.

Seeing that he didn't run, Katja instantly took off while the others reached in vain to take her to safety, only grasping air.

About five feet from Trowa, Katja leaped for him. Arms out-stretched in what looked like an imitation of superman.

About half way to him, she realized that she would miss him, and did a twist in mid air to change her direction.

Just as she regained sight of Trowa, her arms impacted his midsection and shoved him well away from danger.

A split second after they connected, the massive wooden column struck Katja's legs towing her down with it.

When it hit, the column pulled her entire body down so fast that it looked like the end of a whip when it's snapped in air. She hit the ground and bounced up again. When she hit the second time she let out a horrifyingly savage scream of pain.

The number two column landed two feet away from the main, and had wounded one who strives to keep it standing.

Katja was lying on her back, her legs pinned under the column, with her head rocking side to side as she tried to regain her bearings, while Trowa lie sprawled out on the ground, still stunned at what had just occurred.

Joe Murphy and Jamie were the first to her side.

"Hold your head still Katja. Helps on the way," Jamie said while taking hold of her head to steady it, and then reached for his radio.

"ALL TENTS MEN, ALL TENT'S MEN. REPORT TO THE BIG TOP TRIPPLE TIME. ONE OF OUR OWN IS UNDER #2. ALL TENT'S MEN, REPORT TO THE BIG TOP," bellowed Jamie.

Almost instantly forty burly men came running into the tent.

"Half of you get 1000 footers and tie them to the top of the column. The rest of you get ready to lift this log off the ground. Make sure you toss them over a strong beam for leverage!" ordered Jamie, still holding Katja's head between his massive hands.

While staring blindly at the top of the tent, Katja sensed the commotion.

"Jamie, what's going on…, what's all the yelling about?" weary and disoriented Katja began to speak brokenly.

Without Jamie noticing she lifted her head and looked down towards her feet. The only thing she saw was Joe standing by the giant wooden column.

Realizing she had moved, Jamie gently pushed her head down to rest on the cool damp sandy floor.

"Don't move, Katja. We're getting ready to move it off you," informed Jamie soothingly.

Trowa came to stand above her, looking down. Katja began to panic.

"My legs… I thought … I got through… I can't breath… my chest hurts," she said while painfully gasping for breath.

Trowa knelt down at her side gently placing his left hand on top of hers.

"Don't panic, it will only hurt worse. Try to lie still," he said in a low comforting tone.

Realizing that Trowa was at her side, Jamie violently grabbed the scuff of his shirt and brought Trowa's face with in inches of his own.

"You! Stay here! Don't let her fall asleep or panic. When you think you can pull her out, do it. You're strong enough."

Trowa just took in his orders with wide eyes and nodded. With that small response Jamie got up and left them to take charge of the rescue attempt.

When Jamie had focused his attention to the problem at hand, Trowa took hold of Katja's left hand. Then calmly stroking her hair out of her face, he softly spoke to her in a whisper, which forced her to concentrated to him instead of the pain of breathing and her legs.

His voice was so soothing and calming that Katja almost fell asleep.

By the time Jamie and the men had begun to lift the 2000-pound column, Katja was completely under Trowa's comforting spell.

"All right men… PULL!" bellowed Jamie.

With the sound of 80 men straining on the ropes to help two 4x4 trucks slowly towing the ropes, the column started to rise.

Jamie ran back toward us, shouting orders.

"TROWA REMEMBER! WHEN IT'S FAR ENOUGH OFF THE GROUND, I WANT YOU TO PULL HER OUT AS FAST AS YOU CAN!"

"All right!" Shouted Trowa in response.

Katja remained quite drowsy. Trowa laid her hand down on her slowly rising stomach. Then shifted from kneeling on the left side of her body to a squatting position above her head, and cupped his hands around her underarms, then waited with eyes focused on the column, waiting for the right moment. All the while his soothing words continued. It wasn't English but something different, she didn't know what, but it was like he was speaking a language that her body just responded to, a language that shut off her conscious mind and let the rhythm of the words steady the rhythm of her body.

Approximately five minuets later Trowa looked up and saw that the column was far enough to pull her out.

So getting a better footing, Trowa started to pull.

At first he was about to move her a few inches, then it was like she was stuck on something and he was getting tired.

Just as the fatigue was getting to him, another pair of hands grasped her and started to pull along with him.

"Pull!" shouted the person the hands belonged to.

They both heaved at once and then again. On the second try Katja was pulled free and they fell backwards on their rears.

"WE'RE CLEAR!!" Shouted Trowa to Jamie.

The column was then slowly dropped back to the ground.

Jamie ran over to survey the scene.

Katja was unconscious with her head resting in the crook of Trowa's elbow, and body between his legs. Trowa and his helper were sprawled behind her.

"I told you not to let her go out!" snapped Jamie.

Trowa just ignored him and continued his soothing whispering.

The circus physician ran over to check her out.

"She's stable. Jamie, could you carry her to your trailer?" asked the doctor.

Jamie nodded, bent down and picked her up. Cradling her like a newborn baby.

As they walked away, Trowa finally acknowledged the owner of his helping hands.

"Who are you?" he asked blankly.

"Well you're welcome for the help," said Duo cheerfully. Then after a double take, added a quick and stunned "What do you mean who am I?"

Trowa just stared at him blankly.

"Whoa! You really don't know me?" said Duo as he realized that Trowa had no clue who he was.

"Well thank you. You can clean up a bit in my trailer," offered Trowa.

"Thanks!" replied Duo as he jumped up and offered Trowa a hand.

They walked to Trowa's trailer and got cleaned up.

"All I've got to say, Jamie, is thank God you boys watered down the floor before the accident. It was the soft ground that kept her legs from breaking." Said the doctor as he walked out of Katja's room with Jamie and into the living room where Trowa and Duo were waiting to hear the verdict.

"She'll have some nasty bruises on her shins, but will be okay. I've given her a shot of morphine to ease the pain for the night. Give her aspirin for the pain from now on and keep her in bed for a while." He finished as he gathered up his hat and medicine bag.

"Thank you doctor." Said Jamie as he showed him to the door.

Jamie turned around; his head hung low as he took the nearest chair, sat down and placed his head in his hands.

Trowa and Duo didn't say anything, just got up and walked to Katja's room.

The room was dark, only a dull light from the North Pole shone through the window.

Katja was lying on the bed, her legs propped up on pillows, still in her work cloths and dirty from lying on the dirt floor.

Trowa sat down in a chair placed at the side of her bed, and just looked at her for a long time.

"It's all my fault. If I would have moved she wouldn't be hurt." Said Trowa absently.

Duo was standing behind him, gazing at Katja but replied. "You didn't know there was danger Trowa. Don't blame yourself."

They both paused for a moment making silent wishes.

"I'm sorry Katja." Trowa mumbled quietly, got up and left the room.

When Trowa had left, Duo took his place in the chair.

He gazed at her face. Watching her smile and winkle her nose in her sleep. His eyes traveled down her frame then stopped on the way back up to her face, on her left hand, which was resting at her side.

He looked at it for a bit. Then carefully picked up her hand and held it gently in his. He smiled as he noticed the different spots where they had been worked to calluses and red sores, where the back of her hand had been used as a note pad. The tan line from her watch, and the small faint childhood scars, he could trace and remember what caused them. A piece of glass, first experiment with flairs and thermal beams, knife. Her hands were always smaller than his, and very delicate, but knew the meaning of hard work.

He closed his hand around hers and held it firmly, not wanting to let her go. He just held her hand in his, just to hold her.

Feeling someone touch her, Katja's eyes begin to open and, drowsily, she turned her head to see who it was, but her eyes wouldn't focus on the person.

"Do you just look for ways to hurt yourself?" softly joked Duo.

The sound of his voice brought a flood of memories of him to her disposal, but her eyes had focused enough to see his features in the dim light.

She smiled weakly and replied even weaker.

"Duo… What are you doing here?"

"Well I was passing by and heard the commotion. Thought I'd check it out." He replied.

"How bad is it?" She asked, drowsily.

"Not bad. You've some broken ribs but your legs only have some bad bruises." He answered.

Katja just nodded slowly and began to doze off again.

Duo smiled, brushed her bangs back.

"You just get some rest. You'll need it." He said softly.

Duo laid her hand back on the bed. Stood up and left the room.

"BANG!!" the door to Jamie's trailer burst open and Jamie ran out.

"Katja!" he yelled. "Katja, where are you?"

At 8:00 am in the morning Jamie was out side of his trailer in a pair of boxers, searching for Katja.

She just had a 2000lb column fall on her legs, she couldn't have gotten far, he thought as he ran through the camp.

As he ran by Trowa's trailer shouting, Duo poked his head out of the door.

"What's wrong?" he asked as Jamie jogged by.

He came to a skidding stop and went back to talk to Duo.

"Katja. Do you know where she is?" he asked while catching his breath.

Duo didn't answer immediately but looked at the camp silently taking a visual inventory of the area for possible modes of transportation.

"Are there any trucks missing?" he asked still looking off in the distance.

"I don't know. Could you check? I'm, heading over to the horse tent." And with that Jamie took off running.

Duo, always ready, had his boots on and took off to check the trailer because if he knew Katja like he did, she left some clue as to where she had went.

The door was still open. Duo walked in and directly to her room.

Her bed looked slept in, none of her cloths had been removed from the closet except her uniform.

She must have left in the cloths she slept in, he thought as he continued to investigate.

Duo searched the rest of the trailer but found no hint.

He was fumbling through some mail on the kitchen table when it came to him.

Last night there wasn't anything on the nightstand. This morning there was a journal and a picture, he thought to himself. Feeling that he was on to something, Duo quickly went back to her room.

And there on the nightstand was a picture of Katja and himself when they were kids and a journal.

He picked up the journal and underneath was an envelope with his name written on it. He sat down on the floor, tore it open and began to read.

Dear Duo,

"Guardian Angel"

He clenched his fist around the note and held it to his chest.

Why do you keep running from me? he thought with is head bent down, teeth grinding and eyes clenched shut, fighting his emotions.

"I thought you were checking the trucks." Snapped a hoarse voice behind him.

Duo straitened up and turned to look.

Jamie was standing in the doorway waiting for an answer.

Duo shook his head from side to side.

"No. She didn't take a truck. She's on foot." He answered as he began to straighten and refold he letter.

"Well let's go find her." Said Jamie getting a little anxious.

"No, let her go." Ordered Duo in a stern whisper.

"What do you mean 'no'? She's in no shape to travel on foot especially alone!" exclaimed Jamie.

Duo looked up at Jamie with the look of a devoted and imminently faithful priest, for which the cloths didn't help, who was counseling someone on the death of a loved one, and said calmly. "It was time for her to go."

Jamie stood there silently, stunned, while Duo stood up, picked up the picture and journal and walked past him and out the door. Leaving Jamie in the room, staring off into oblivion.

Later that day Duo bid farewell to Trowa, who still didn't remember him. And Headed off on his separate road.

He reached about a mile outside of the circus grounds and looked back.

He had a glimpse into her past. She could have been happy here, but duty called for her, as it did now for him, and she left a potentially happy life for that of a soldier and pilot.

Chapter 2

Chapter 4

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