Disclaimer-I don't own Gundam Wing or Real Bout High School

A Strong and Determined Woman

When Lien woke up she didn't know where she was. She felt comfort beneath her, warmth on top of her, softness supporting her head. All of which was new to her.

"GOOD MORNING, LEE-LEE!!"

She felt knees sink into her calves.

"Aah!"

"Oh, I'm sorry!"

Helena moved onto the bed and started bouncing on her knees. "Pagers is making breakfast!"

(A/N: "Pagers", pronounced Pay-gerz, is Helena's nickname for Pagan. She has a nickname for everyone)

"Who?"

"Aunt Relee's butler."

Then she remembered where she was. The events of last night—walking in the snow, seeing her father for the first time, meeting Helena, Aralia, and Mariemaia, falling asleep in one of the guest rooms.

A nightmare…darkness and loneliness… "Daddy!"…no one came.

"Lee-Lee, come on!" Helen gave the bed a forceful bounce. "I'm hungry! I won't eat unless Arali' and Marie' and you are with me!"

Lien turned and rolled out of bed. "Okay."

"Wufei, please stay until breakfast is over," Relena asked.

He was silent.

"Please, Wufei. Lien was so happy to see you. She wants her father."

"There's no proof she's my daughter."

"Still, Wufei, I think she deserves the chance with at least one normal Christmas morning. And what if you are her father?"

Stony silence greeted her again.

Relena shook her head and sighed. HEERO talked more than Wufei, for God's sake.

Well, perhaps there was hope for Wufei yet. No one had expected Heero to be the greatest father. And yet when Aralia was born, he was the king and Aralia his spoiled princess. And the queen couldn't have been happier—except, of course, when the news came that she was pregnant a second time, this time with a little prince.

Perhaps Wufei would show the same love for Lien that Heero showed for Aralia and Odin.

"Aunt Relee'!" Helena's voice rang through the room as she ran in, dragging Lien with her. "Where's Mommy and Daddy?"

"Right here!" Duo ran up from behind and grabbed Helena under the arms, picking her up and swinging her around. She laughed out loud as she tried to squirm her way out of his grasp.

Lien watched all this with quiet eyes. This was what she wanted, just her, her father and mother. All she had ever wanted in the world was to have what Helena had.

She reached into her jacket pocket. She had slept in her clothes last night, having no nightclothes that would fit her.

Inside her pocket was torn, bent, had once been wet, and obviously well-loved manga. Samurai Girl: Real Bout High School, Volume 1.

"What's that?" Relena asked pointing to the book.

"This was my mother's favorite book," Lien said quietly, and it was like the whole world fell silent.

"I've had it since I was little. And there's a bookmark where her favorite line is. Here, I'll show you."

She opened up the manga to page 97 and held it up for them to see.

"It's where Tatsuya says, "Being a cute girl isn't all there is to life. And being a cute girl isn't the only way to be a great woman. So, become a great woman by being a strong and determined one. Ryoko, if you're a warrior, you should follow the path you believe in"." She lowered the book and shut it.

"Wufei?" Duo asked, staring at the ex-pilot, noticing that Wufei's face had suddenly drained of color

"Nataku had that book. And that was her favorite page, too."

"And Mother's name is in it, too. She opened it to the inside front cover and held it up.

Written in Chinese was this: "Nataku, NOT Meilan. That goes for you too, Chang Wufei! _."

She shut the book again. The room turned towards Wufei.

"No one except in our colony wrote in Chinese."

"I was taught it along with English. It was ordered that I learn it."

"Then someone from our colony must have known about you, therefore, knowing Nataku and I."

You could've have cut the tension with a knife.

"There is no doubt about it now. Lien…" He looked at the 10-year-old girl, and she looked right back at him… "is Chang Lien. The daughter of Chang Wufei and Nataku."

"Father…" Lien clutched the book to her chest as her eyes brimmed with tears. "Daddy…"

Abruptly, Wufei stood up. He turned and walked, without a sound, without a gesture, without even eye contact, out of the dining room, out of the living room, and out the front door.