Disclaimer: I do not own the Stand Alone Complex opening theme, nor do I own Lola by the Kinks.

Warning: Not beta-ed.

Angels and demons were circling above me

Breaking the hardships and milky ways

The only one who doesn't know happiness

Is the one who doesn't understand it's call

Leaning for my helmet, I slip it over my head and flip on the filter. Kicking off, I merge onto one of the major water highways in Holland, heading to Northern Lichtenstein. This highway did not house any ice routes so I am able to make it in a little less than six hours. About four hours away, however, I get within range, as a lovingly familiar voice in my head speaks to me, "Don't be late."

"Yes," I answer, though he cannot hear me. The Lichtenstein location is where I place orders for supplies and am informed of the changing routes. Resting into the dip on my bike, I turn the corner and see him and one other at the meeting place.

His back is toward me, but he looks well. It's been six days since I last saw him. His long black coat falls to the ground of his six foot two frame, his soft brown black hair ruffling in the wind. He is conversing with Vanessa as I approach.

"Ninniane," he says in greeting. I do not respond as it is not bidden but Vanessa nods to me and I smile back. He finishes his instructions to her and she departs. I wait for his actions, knowing he scheduled me as the last rendezvous for the day.

"Okay," he says, releasing his professional demeanor and I immediately go to him, pulling him into my chest and embracing him tightly.

"On your knees, Ninniane," I hear him order.

Sinking to my knees, I look up at him, still desperately holding onto his arms, "Dui,"

"Be still," he clips me off, and, taking the sides of my face in both hands, he leans down to kiss me. I kiss back diligently, careful to not overpower the pace he set, for that would anger him. I wrapped an arm around his back, digging my fingers into his hair with the other hand. His taste drives me insane. Six nights of the week I lie in bed remembering his taste.

Finally releasing me, he pulls an inch or two back and looks into my eyes, "How is Allilon?"

"He's fine," I answer dutifully, bringing my hand out of his hair to rest on my abdomen.

"You'll stay with me tonight," he continues, still locking eyes with me to make sure I listened.

"Yes, I understand," I respond softly, saying in my expression everything I cannot bring myself to say aloud.

He lets me go and pulls me to my feet. Automatically we pull out our TI's and plug the cord to connect them. I receive the newest routes and where to pick up this week's medicine, then send the overall health reports and supplies needed for next week.

"Until then," he speaks softly, reaching out to touch my chest while trying to remain firm with me.

Placing a hand in between his shoulder blades, I bend down and kiss the top of his head. After lingering for a minute we break apart.

The first day of my week consists of two stops on the border of Lichtenstein. Flipping off the filter on my helmet, I look around to locate the house, finding it by the horde of guardian angels protectively standing outside.

The checkups went well, as all the students strictly believe they are purged of their diseases. I know the truth, that their genetic engineering I designed and administered takes seven years to completely rewrite each cell in their body, but I feel no need to tell them. They rid themselves of it in their minds and thus the symptoms disappear because they are not expecting them to be there. I simply watch as their epigenetics modify to compensate for a condition the entire world could not cure. The simplicity is beautiful.

At the second house I finish my work and escape to the front porch for a couple of hours. Walking to my bike I open the back hatch where the air jets enclose a storage space. Pulling out the case I return to the porch and open it. The lid holds my encased sword that I was given at the dojo after achieving the seventh level. In the bed of the case lay my oak cello, the gift my parents gave me upon graduation from medical school.

Resting it against my shoulder, I close my eyes and step into my memories, allowing etudes to flow from my fingers. Slipping into my normal stage of meditation, I let the music's peace envelope me, and I smile slightly as my partner, parents and children gently come to my mind.

I arrive at Dui's room charged, having anticipated this all week. At his instruction I back down onto the bed, watching him look down at me. He smiles softly, "I'll be gentle, for the baby."

We finish and shower. Back in the room, I wait for the updates, as he has more opportunities to make contact with my family. My parents love Dui, especially since he took my family name and agreed it would be passed to the children. For half the year, my parents live at the monastery in California near my brother and his children, the other half they live at Plum Village to be close to us and our children.

"Karin called," Dui begins, "Awariye is doing fine, and she says she wants to adopt him as her own son."

I smile at that. My best friend Karin and our second son Awariye are so much alike. Ridiculously stubborn and strong willed. When Awariye started getting restless after high school and before college, we asked her if she could take on an apprentice. Karin works in South America, not in opening up new routs like Dui, but in actually building a team to go in and make rescues. It is hard but meaningful, and unlike his older brother, who understands the importance of education, Awariye wanted meaning and he wanted it now. Karin will show him the true world and how much more he will be able to help with collegiate training. I also have faith that Awariye will begin to see what is important in his own life, as there is nothing more precious to him than his older brother.

Finally dressed, we crawl into bed and lay looking at each other. "Your sister called as well. Her daughter wants Link to go with her to summer camp again this year."

"That's fine," I answer, "Transfer the money from my account and send it to her."

"I saw Athrun and the girls this week. You'll get to see them tomorrow," he says, starting to get tired.

"I will," I reply, smiling and brushing some hair out of his face, cupping his cheek.

"Mmm," he purrs, "Two more weeks at this post and I'll be in Holland for six weeks. You'll stay in my room every night, without fail, and we'll go to see the kids together."

"Dui, Allilon and I will like that," I whisper. He gently spreads his hand over my stomach. I am only four months pregnant, so we have not yet felt him kick. Dui slowly falls asleep, snuggling into my chest, his hand on our son.

I awaken just as the sun begins to lighten, long before dawn. Dui is spooned against me, my taller body wrapping around him. Kissing him behind his ear I sit up and take my gratitude stone from the side table. Using a moment I smile and think about everything I have: my family, and the tens of millions in defiant grace. Getting dressed, I slip the stone into my picket and reach for my goggles. Clear lenses with a misty white exterior that encircles my eyes and wraps around my head, I designed this device and similar glasses for my children to block radiation and to house different filters for their seeing abilities.

When I noticed Athrun was catching onto our sight at age two, I began testing for lenses that block what is normally not seen by human eyes. Dui caught him conversing with a creature that must have been a leprechaun in public. There is a reason true gifts are kept secret. I wear my goggles all the time even though I rarely use a filter. This is mainly because I like to see things medically and I have developed that ability with my eyes. Kissing my master, I leave for the day and the rest of the week.

The second day of my week is actually my day off, but I do not spend it with my husband because it is the time I get to see my children. I stop in Switzerland to have brunch with our firstborn son, Athrun, who is in his second year of medical school. He is happy and wonderful as always, not appearing to die under the workload, though he could use a little more sleep. Athrun did not attend school for his secondary years but instead insisted on accompanying me to watch me heal each day. It was never a problem for him to finish classes and grades, so I allowed it. Dui and I taught him how to read the three languages we knew well and he took care of the rest. This experience, however, brought a wealth of wisdom to a very young child. One day, when I was very pregnant with Awariye, Athrun was watching me administer treatment and he asked me, "Mother, what am I to you?"

Looking out the sides of my eyes at him, I said immediately, "Athrun, you are my hope for this world."

He simply looked back at me, but later I saw that he had written that statement on one of his notebooks. I think he still does that.

Awariye never asked me the "What am I to you?" question, because that is just not Awariye. He will tell you what he is to you if you need to know. Joshua, however, came to ask me at the age of ten. Unlike her brother Awariye, she actually listens to Athrun and must have heard of this through him. She approached me on a visiting day and first thing said it. I answered, "Joshua, you are a king, of a dying world."

Her eyes focused on something unseen for a long moment. Then very seriously, she calmly said to me, "I can do that."

Kissing my son, I take leave and head north and west to Wales, making it by early afternoon. Parking at a small grocery store near their school, I walk in and wander around. Dui took care of each of our children as infants, and then I carried them on my back as I worked until they were old enough to start kindergarten. For this project, it is imperative that I keep working, since a route coordinator can be trained much more easily than an advanced healer. As soon as our last child, Allilon's little sister Allison is grown, Dui and I will return to our previous positions in defiant grace, that of rescue coordinator (Karin's job) for Dui and initial care physician for me.

I reason that the time Dui spent with our children at a young age is why they have such advanced seeing abilities. In the years after I told him of this secret and before we started a family, Dui strengthened his sight while I worked on my research. Not only can he see the angels and life that inhabits everything, but he has gone back in history and watched events. He can see the future, as can I, since my view of time is more all-together than linear. He has also seen the string of lives, but I have asked him not to enter into a future life out of curiosity and to instead stay here with me.

As his slave I have shown him the way I see bodies medically, and he has used my technique to see into minds. Such power would be terrifying if it were not housed in such a humble and caring person. I know that he has never looked into the minds of our children, for I think he is waiting for them to develop that ability on their own.

Strolling down the aisles of the store, I am given looks but they are all kind. It is not every day you see a woman that is six foot eight. My thick, light brown hair is pulled up and splayed every which way. After another moment I hear the whistle of a fairy song. Smiling, I leave the store and begin walking to a more secluded place. I have played this game with all of my children that were schooled in Wales. Joshua brings Link to the store and when Link notices me she gives a whistle, then follows at a distance when I lead them to a private place. This allows Link to practice her sensing abilities, so that on visiting days she can exit her school, mentally find where I am and meet me there.

A couple of moments waiting in the park and I see Joshua round the corner, hand grasped in Link's. They look so cute in their black-rimmed glasses when they smile. My kids are so moe. We had a great time walking around and listening to my six-year-old recount her adventures at school. Link is the first of my children to see fairies and she takes great pride in that. Both daughters are extremely excited to see Allilon, as they are every week. After dropping Link back off at school, Joshua and I circle the campus another time, giving her a chance to talk without her sister nearby. Even at twelve, Joshua's soul is very focused and strong. I am amazed at all of my children.

Bidding goodbye to Joshua, I return to my bike and head to my evening stop where I will also stay for the night. Merging onto an ice highway, I think back upon my memories.

(25 years ago)

I closed the door to my dorm room and set my messenger bag on the bed. The blinds were all the way up, showing snowy streets that I hoped would stay for a long time. Dui looked around, although it was not his first time in my room. I walked up and hugged him.

"I don't like having to look up to see you," he said, a little annoyed.

"Then order me to my knees," I responded.

"…how?" Dui whispered softly.

"Say, 'Get on your knees.'"

"Get… on your knees."

I sunk to the ground, my winter coat touching the cold tiles. Gently I took Dui's gloved hands and placed them below my jaw line, keeping my head still and forcing me to look up at him.

"So you're really a masochist?" he said, looking confused.

"Yes, Dui," I said, closing my eyes, my hands still covering his on my neck, "I am. I'm sorry."

"You'll have to help me," his tone worried.

"I will train you," I replied.

"And you have to tell me if I go too far," he ordered.

"Understood."

I opened my eyes, looking at him lovingly. Girls have their romantic moment that they dream of their whole lives. That one moment is so loving and beautiful it makes everything in life worth it. Although I did not have anyone that was like me as a child, a protective and servant masochist, I held onto who I am, and now I was having that moment I had dreamt of.

I fell to the floor and got down on my knees. I looked at her and she at me. That's the way that I wanted to stay, and I always wanted it to be this way for my Lola. Girls will be boys and boys will be girls. It's a messed up, muddled up, shook up world except for Lola.

Finally, before the fall semester reached its end, Dui spent the night with me. That morning I lie awake, spooning with Dui in my bed, smiling and thinking about all the possibilities that lay ahead of us. Travelling, studying abroad, sharing an apartment, forming a family, just spending time together. Everything was ahead of us, and I was ready. Do it, I was born ready.

The End.