Chan Meiran nee Long had been reported dead for years, fallen in her husband's arms after defending their colony from attack and buying time for Wufei to stop them. The reports lied. In a desperate attempt to save her dying granddaughter, Master Long had secretly sent the girl from the colony to a hospital in the L4 cluster, setting up more than an ample fund to pay for her care.

 

By the time Meiran woke from her coma, the war was years over, but her own battle still had a ways to go. The medical staff tried to keep the fate of their patient's colony from her as long as they could, but the truth snuck through their protective information barrier before long. Her clan was dead, colony destroyed.

 

Wufei's field of flowers was destroyed. The news was a crushing blow. She'd failed.

 

And then she saw a news broadcast while they coaxed her through her rehabilitation that changed everything. A simple report about some recent Preventer activity. The nature of it, she didn't care. What she cared about was the uniformed agent standing near the Preventer commander. Wufei was alive.

 

The change was sudden, Meiran throwing herself into the rehabilitation as quickly as she could. She had to get out and find him.

 

It wasn't until she'd gotten her discharge papers (to the protests of the hospital staff) and tracked down Wufei's address that Meiran realized she had no idea how to approach him. It'd been what, nine years? Even if she could only remember four of them. She fantasized about showing up at his work, writing to him, calling in the middle of the night, but her stomach knotted each time she came close to doing it. And in the end she just called a cab instead. Once she got out there, it'd be too late to back out.

 

Holding her simple bag of things tightly, she knocked on the door. And waited. She stared at the wooden door. He wasn't home? After all that, he wasn't home? And so it was that she took a seat on the front steps, determined to wait however long she needed to.

 

WuFei was tired, he’d had a long day at work... at least that’s how having to fill out paperwork all day always made him feel. He would much rather do field work and have someone else write up his mission reports. But, if he had someone else write them he would just be displeased with it and redo it himself anyway. He’d had Duo write one for him before, since they had been partnered on the job and WuFei was being held hostage in the hospital. He would never allow someone else to write from his perspective ever again. Even dictated, Duo had gotten it wrong.

 

As it was he couldn’t wait to get home and have a pot of tea, and yes he meant to drink the entire pot! What they served at Preventers HQ was NOT tea. He turned into his driveway already having hit the button for the garage before he noticed someone sitting on his porch. With a frustrated sigh he stopped the car where it was in the driveway and glared at whoever it was who deigned to interrupt his evening.

 

He noted quickly that the person was female... and familiar. His glare fell from his face like it had been sliced off and shock and disbelief vied for its place. He shook his head and blinked until he felt like an idiot. There was no way... she was dead.

 

Shaking with both shock and anger he slowly got out of his car to find out exactly who this person on his porch was. And if it was some kind of sick trick, someone having found out what his dead wife looked like... he would murder them. Plain and simple.

 

Coming around the car however his heart began to race, she was older than Meilan had been the last time he’d seen her. But for some reason he couldn’t shake the feeling that it was really her. His anger forgotten he moved in a trance and sank to his knees in front of her.

 

“I... but... dead?” His confusion came out in an incoherent mess that screwed up his face, his eyes however held both the pain of loss he’d gone through and the hope that she was really who he thought she was. He didn’t even register the beeping of his car telling him that his keys were still in and his door was hanging open.

 

Meiran had been half dozing when she heard the car roll up the drive, jerking away from the porch rail she'd leaned on. But she didn't miss the cycle of emotions on Wufei's face. Wufei. Suddenly, the lump in her throat was too thick to swallow. It really was him. And gods if he didn't look even more handsome than he did in the little bits of video she'd managed to find of him.

 

"Wufei," She whispered, reaching her arms out to him. She didn't even know what to say. 'I'm back, I'm alive?' It sounded flat even in her head. Meiran staggered to her feet, still not entirely steady, especially not after sitting on a cold porch for over an hour. She closed the distance and cupped a hand over his cheek, just feeling the soft warmth. Re-memorizing his features. "Foolish husband. Like I'd leave you alone."

 

A strange sound left WuFei’s throat, something between a sob and a hiccup, as he leaned his cheek into her hand. He closed his eyes for a moment to steady himself and then looked back up at her. “How?”

 

The incessant beeping from his car finally broke into his scattered thoughts. “Oh, wait. Um, let me move the car and then we can go inside. Your cold.” He caught her hand with his own and gave her a small smile before rising to his feet.

 

Wufei's sudden mental redirection brought a laugh bubbling up to Meiran's lips. Foolish indeed. "I'll be alright. Go take care of your car. I won't go anywhere."

 

A slow smile lit his eyes from within without touching his mouth, he bowed to her slightly before putting his car away. He ducked under the closing garage door and walked back to her and up the steps to unlock his door. WuFei gestured her through it once it was open.

 

Her proud husband bowing to her. Would wonders never cease. Meiran didn't move until he came back to the front door, stepping inside and setting her bag down. "I would have written ahead, but I didn't think you'd have believed a letter."

 

WuFei smirked, “Probably not. I can barely believe it now. But your voice is the same as I remember. And while you look different... that’s to be expected, we are older now.”

 

It was hard for him to believe that he wasn’t simply seeing a ghost. Sure she had touched him, and seemed only to be cold from being outside for however long she had been there. But he’d prayed so often... no, a letter would have done nothing but anger him and probably send him after the ‘liar’ who had sent it. He took a shuddering breath and slipped his shoes off setting them in the rack by the door before stepping down the small hallway and gesturing again, “Kitchen’s in here. I’ll start some tea.”

 

"Still domestic as ever I see," She said with a little smirk of her own. Following suit with her shoes, Meiran stepped closer to Wufei and gave into the urge to just wrap her arms around him. Tea could wait a few minutes. "I've missed you."

 

WuFei pouted slightly, but could do nothing but close his eyes and return the embrace when Meilan’s arms wrapped around him. “I’ve missed you as well.”

 

She felt so right. He was glad he had kept to his silent oath that he would never try to find someone else. He smirked, as much as his never agreeing to any of the blind dates set up for him by friends and co-workers had annoyed them. This more than made up for everything.

 

"I saw you on the news, or I wouldn't have known where to find you," She said. Her gentle husband in uniform, trying to prevent another war.

 

He rubbed his cheek against her hair before pulling back slightly, “Where were you?” He wasn’t at all worried about how she’d found him. In her position he’d have done everything he could to find her once he knew she was alive.

 

"L4. Grandmother arranged for my care there. The war was over before I even woke up again." She squeezed his hands tightly before letting go.

 

A frown marred WuFei’s face for a few seconds, “I wonder why I wasn’t told. Though I’m sure she had her reasons. Still I~.” He sighed and shook his head, “It doesn’t matter now, all of that is over. What kind of tea would you like? I have... as Duo claims... “millions” to choose from.” He moved further into the kitchen and it was obvious where Duo got his claim from as the entire far wall of the kitchen was nothing but tea leaves and other seasonings.

 

"Jasmine? Grandmother's aide made it for us sometimes, remember?" Meiran said, looking around. It was just like she'd pictured Wufei would set up once he had his own home. She made her way over to the table, taking a seat to watch him.

 

WuFei smiled, "Jasmine it is." He moved about the kitchen filling a kettle with water and setting it to heat then pulling down the proper tea leaves and placing them on the counter. "Are you hungry?

 

Domestic as always. Meiran smiled a little. "Starving. I've been traveling most of the day."

 

"What sounds good to eat? I honestly hadn't thought past drinking an entire pot of tea when I got home." WuFei turned to face her, leaning back against the counter. She looked so... perfect, sitting at his table. He had to blink several times before he was confident he wasn't going to cry.

 

"Anything hot. After hospital food, I'm not that picky," She said, glancing away at the careful study he was making of her.

 

Concerned black eyes zeroed in on her face, "You mean you haven't eaten anything since leaving the hospital? L4 is nearly two days away from here." He straightened quickly and headed for the refrigerator and began pulling out vegetables, "How does stir fry sound?"

 

"I've had a little. The nurses wouldn't let me leave without some sandwiches, and I have access to the bank account Grandmother set up for me, but I wanted to get here fast so I didn't really stop," Meiran admitted, her cheeks pink. Thank goodness he was busy with the fridge. "Stir fry sounds nice."

 

WuFei shook his head as he continued to pull out everything he would need. Of course she’d be in too much of a hurry to take care of herself. “Why did you want to get here so quickly? I’m certainly not going anywhere.” He asked as he began preparing vegetables and making rice.

 

"I waited plenty long enough," She said with a snort. "And how am I to know when you're going to go and do something foolish?"

 

WuFei turned to her spluttering, “When have I ever done anything ‘foolish’? Completely downright stupid? Yes. Dangerous? Yes. But foolish?” His nose lifted in the air, “I doubt that one.”

 

He turned back to the stove as the kettle whistled and pulled down tea cups before setting about making tea. He knew he’d missed her... but suddenly having her back when he’d thought her lost forever... he just wanted to keep her talking even if it was largely at his own expense. It still didn’t seem real.

 

"How far back do you want me to go?" She asked innocently, happy to be able to talk to him. Especially if she got to tease him.

 

“You can start with the most recent if you please?” He had to wipe the smile from his lips before turning to place her teacup in front of her. “Here’s your tea, dinner will be ready soon.”

 

"My most recent is going to be some time ago," Meiran said with a huff. "While I have no doubt you've been busy since, I haven't been around to see it."

 

WuFei couldn’t help but chuckle, “So? Your most recent, however far back, would still be relevant to the point you are trying to make. Would it not? Also, just because I’ve been busy... doesn’t mean I’ve been busy being foolish.”

 

He turned back to the stove and commenced with the making of stir fry as he waited for her answer.

 

"Well I do seem to remember you getting Grandmother angry for sneaking into her private library," She said casually. "Bookworm."

 

Wincing he had to admit that that one had been rather foolish but, “I still make no apologies for my love of reading. Besides, what’s the use in having a library if people aren’t allowed to read the books in it? It’s not like I would have damaged them.”

 

Well, if she'd ever had doubt that Wufei was still the same as he'd always been... She smirked, getting up to lightly tug his ponytail. "Of course not. I bet you've got a room full of them here too."

 

Hearing her get to her feet he braced himself, but all she did was tug his hair. He smiled and shrugged his shoulders a slight blush gracing his cheeks, “More like there are stuffed bookshelves in just about every room in the house.”

 

"Somehow, that doesn't surprise me at all." She tapped his cheek with a finger. "Though I don't remember you blushing this much before."

 

The blush darkened as his brows crashed together over his nose, “Well... perhaps I was better at hiding things when I was younger. I guess I’ll have to work on that.” She always did know how to point out my flaws to me, he thought to himself. Though, really, he doubted that showing some emotion was actually a flaw. He knew he used to - that he’d felt everything had to be black and white and emotions simply got in the way. But he felt he knew better now.

 

He turned to look at her with a small smile on his lips, his furrowed brows gone. “So, other than recovering from saving my sorry skin, how have you been?”

 

"That's pretty much all I've been doing," Meiran said, annoyance crossing her face at the thought of it. "They kept me in rehabilitation for far too long."

 

WuFei snorted, “I doubt you were in it as long as is recommended. You tend to rush things that ought not to be rushed. Like demanding flowers bloom...” He set about mixing the vegetables and rice in the skillet as he spoke. “I’ll assume then that you’ve no place to stay?” Granted he wasn’t about to let her stay anywhere else even if she did. “I’ve a guest room you can stay in if you want.” He wasn’t really sure if she’d be okay with staying in his room... as they’d been apart for so long... and hadn’t had much of a married life before shit hit the fan anyway.

 

Honestly, she wasn't sure what she thought about sharing his bed. He was still her husband, but... They'd been so young when they'd married, and on less than amorous terms. "I assumed I'd get a hotel room if you weren't here by tonight. A guest room would be more comfortable than that. Until I've settled in at least."

 

He nodded his head, “I’ll show you to it once we’ve eaten.” He really didn’t want her to be far away, even as far as the closest hotel to his home. Though he knew better than to smother her, he wasn’t sure he’d be able to help it for a while. At least until the idea... the reality that she was in fact actually there, set in for him. He also had the unreasonable urge to NOT share her with the world. But he was hosting a dinner for his friends on the coming Saturday... he certainly wasn’t going to disclude her or hide her away. It was going to be rather awkward however...

 

A frown took over his face as he thought about the various reactions the other pilots and supporters of theirs during the war would have upon learning of Meilan... of meeting her. Most of them only knew that he’d been married, but Duo and Quatre knew a few more of the details... like how he blamed himself for it and her name. Yes, Saturday would be interesting. That is... if she wanted to be present. It was after all up to her if she even wanted to meet the people who had become his family.

 

Whatever the situation, Meiran wanted to get to know the people who'd been taking care of him in her absence. And then probably to conspire with them, but that was for other purposes.

 

She glanced down at the food he was working on. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

 

Brought back from his musing he glanced over at her again before looking down at the food he was making, “Um, not really. But... would you prefer Sweet and Sour Sauce, Teriyaki Sauce, or Soy Sauce? Or perhaps some combination thereof?”