Jun knew she was still angry with Ken over his recent behaviour, even at the cafeteria a few hours earlier while they all sat down and ate she still couldn't shake it entirely. Even with Jinpei's mopping over leaving his latest girlfriend and he sat miserably playing with his food didn't distract her from stealing glances in Ken's direction to sent subconscious resounding vibes about not being happy with him.

Joe leaned in closer and in a low voice said. "You can stop the glares now Jun I think he's got the message."

"No he hasn't, you wait until the next mission." She whispered back harshly. "Then he'll be back up there trying to kill himself again."

Wordlessly Ken's deliberate actions spoke for him. He bolted up right out of his seat, picked up his plate and tray and moved over to another table away from all of them.

"I don't think he likes the whispering you two...he's getting it I think Jun." Ryu said in is usual nonchalant tone.

"I don't care if he hates us whispering- I hope he gets the message." Jun said a little louder.

After she said that Ken stood up, his back straight and his lips drawn in a tight line, slowly he turned his head to look at her with piercing blue eyes. This time he walked over to the return's table and left his half finished meal and strolled out of the cafeteria.

"Happy now?" Ryu said standing up to go and get more food.

Jinpei didn't even look like he was paying any attention to the scene that just unfolded before him.

"I think he got the message Jun, loud and clear." Joe relaxed back into his chair.

They'd only run one mission since they left Matt and Natasha with Jafaru. And they didn't get any closer to finding Dyami, at the last base Ken commented on how the bases all looked the same these days, making it harder to tell from recent surveillance footage which base was the one an agent who sent quickly through some information before he was caught about some experiments being conducted on some small children from.

When Jun read the hazy report she felt her stomach tighten and she became queasy from it, could Dyami be one of the little kids? If so was he still alive.

"It's been a long day Joe ...and a long war." Jun let out a long breath. "I'm so scared of what we'll find if we ever find Dyami, and then Ken keeps using the hypershoot despite being told the new treatment isn't working as well as we thought it would. Why won't he listen?"

"You know why Jun, you always have known. To some degree we are driven by the same thing-the desire to end the war forever against Galactor. My own problem is that when its done....there'll be no use for me a cyborg." Joe stood up with a distant look on his rugged features.

"You have us Joe, don't forget that." Jun reassured him.

Joe acknowledged her, and then left the cafeteria.

For the first time a sad dismal swallow looked up from his plate. "I'll be fine here Sis, I'll wait for Ryu and keep him company."

Taking her leave Jun decided to head back to her quarters for some time out to relax and try and tune out for at least until the next morning.

Opening her door she was surprised to see Ken sitting on her couch in the small living room. Looking at some of the self help books she had hidden under the coffee table.

"Does this stuff work?" He asked softly starring at the opened book in front of him with unshed tears in his eyes...his voice heavy with emotion. "Does it make you forget about me? Forget there was ever anything between us ever? How to make it not hurt so much to be close to you but I can't touch you or just be with you in the way I long to be with you."

Jun didn't comment she simply walked towards her bedroom, stopping in the doorway, she knew how he felt she just couldn't bring herself to go there.

Steadying her voice she said. "You're welcome to borrow the book if it interests you."

Ken pursed his lips hard and began to shake his head in slowly as he came to his feet. The evident pain in voice pulled at her heart and echoed her own.

"I doubt there is anything in this book that would do it...I've tried hard Jun to put it all in the past..." Ken pleaded.

"What do you want Ken..." She leaned against the opened door frame letting out a deep sigh to cover the build of emotions she felt but wanted to deny.

"What I've wanted all along and dared not to because so much has stood in the way...even in peace time...something lay in wake to pull us apart...I know you're still angry with me Jun, why don't we talk about it." Ken's inner emotions tethered on the edge of spilling over like he wanted to reign them in yet he couldn't any longer.

Jun felt her heart begin to beat faster from the conflicting emotions stirring up inside of her. He had an effect on her like no other man making her want to lash out at him for just being here. "Yes I'm angry with you, how could I not be, sure you say you wanted me back then but you had a lousy way of showing it...and yet how could I be angry with you for helping Jafaru save his son...I...would have sent you off myself if I knew about it...I can't but I want to hate you for it, and yet I feel so selfish because deep down I wanted you to choose me every time over a mission. Can you see the conflict here..."

Ken drew in a deep breath before he began to speak again. "I know why...because deep down we're alike, we care more about the world we live in than we do about our own dreams and personal needs. We're both willing to give it all, sacrifice it to make it better for the average person who can't defend themselves. Jun you gave up Dyami because deep in your heart you knew we'd be called up again for action and you didn't want to be left behind...Our dream is to save the world and make it safer for people like Jafaru and the Butlers, its one we share together, live it together..." His voice softened to barely a whisper..."We'll die for it together...do you remember the promise from our very first mission together?"

"It sounds so noble to put it like that so why have I been screaming inside of me for something else to live for...To have a normal life." Jun couldn't contain it any longer. "Explain that to me Gatchaman."

His eyes became confused for a second. "Ken...you never call me Gatchaman even when we're on duty." He corrected her.

"I just did so live with it." Jun blurted out. "You want to talk as a commander to me or as my..." she hesitated when the word ‘lover' came close to following. Her frustration and anger towards him threatened to overflow at that near slip up.

Ken came in close to her. "Do it then." He ordered his chest heaving from the rising heat between them.

"Do what?" Jun said looking at him in confusion.

"Slap me again and get it out of your system. Why not, I've done it you." His tone stepped up an octave. His passionate darkened blue eyes sent waves of longing through her.

"Yes in the line of duty, over disobedience. But you wouldn't just to control me Ken." Jun's anger turned to astonishment, stumped by this request continued to stare at him wide eyed. "I'm not like you- I don't slap other team members because I'm angry with them."

"You did a few days ago." He pointed out to her challenging her with his eyes and his stance, the tension between them hadn't eased at all.

"That was an exception- you're the only person in the world who can make me that angry..." Jun rebuked loudly, still ignoring his request. Yet not moving away from him, wanting his touch wanting to smack him for it yet denying her yearning for it at the same time.

"Didn't-you-hear-me." He said in a dangerously low irate voice.

"If it'll make you happy," she said pursing her lips hard together and drawing up her hand to strike him even harder this time, as her hand came down he caught her arm his strong grip mid air.

She felt the static between them as his chest rose up and down from the heated growing tension between became magnetic. In slow motion his lips touched hers tenderly. The touch of his warm moist lips on hers melting her inside and she gave into their gentle yet yearning touch without any further resistance. His kiss deepened with his desire and she fell more under his spell and anything outside of this moment faded away. When he finally released her, he cradled her limp body snugly into his arms starring longingly into her eyes. Jun slowly snaked her arms around his neck and wove her fingers through his thick dark hair and kissed him again, beckoning him to follow through with his obvious intentions.

What happened next felt as natural as breathing when they stumbled backwards into her bedroom and began stripping off clothes without a second thought to anything but the need to be with each other and feel the warm of bare skin in the most intimate way possible? She giggled and so did he when his belt became stuck and his jeans became tighter because of his desire for her adding lightness to the moment bringing them closer together just like in days gone by. She ached to feel the warmth of his taught toned body against hers, she needed him to be inside of her, and she told him so in subtle whispers and caresses.  It had been a long time since Jun had felt his touch yet he knew how to please her and make her call out for more, and he did what she asked of him, beads of sweat dripping of their bodies from the energy of their desires, igniting the passionate love that lay unspoken for long between them.

Later on it felt like a dream, yet she knew it had been real and stored in her memory for times later when she needed something to cling to.

When they finally exhausted themselves from making love for the first time in years Jun rolled of the top of him to snuggle under his arm and casually she laid a leg over his.

Ken lay still for a few moments with his eyes closed and his face had become pale. Drawing ragged shallow breaths. Starring into his face she felt like she'd been here before, then a vision of the dreams she had a beginning of the war flooded back. Ken lying on a white bed looking like death...just like he did in that moment.

"I can feel your eyes boring into me." Ken's facial muscles flinched as he opened his eyes. In the soft light of the room they looked like glittering sapphires.

She pushed herself up enough to reach his lips for a soft kiss. "I just wanted to know what's on your mind."

"It's racing at hundred miles an hour, I'm not impulsive type of guy...but you're so hot when you're angry like that." He smirked lightly.

"I'm glad you think so, then again I'd hate to have to be cranky all the time to get your attention and want to make love to me." She said letting out a small approving laugh.

"Too true," He said, his eyes became more serious after a few minutes." Jun, I can't promise you a tomorrow or a future...I don't know if I have a tomorrow or a future."

She looked down to his her anguish in the truth of his words and ran her nails along his chest." I know you can't, so don't promise me anything beyond now...we can be lovers with no commitment to each other..."

"I know you want more than that, you deserve it Jun, you deserve someone more than I am...I shouldn't have-" Jun pressed her finger against his lips to stop the words of regret she knew would follow.

"I could have stopped you, yet I wanted you to make love to me Ken, badly...so no noble words like "I shouldn't have taken advantage of you. I'm not good enough for you.' You wanted me too...enough to put your noble pride and dedication to duty aside for one day."

He didn't disagree with that, and for a while they just talked about trivial things, touching each other like they were exploring for the first time. The lingering sweet smell in the air reminded her of what had taken place a short while ago between them.

The thought of the illness and the cause that threatened to take him away from her forever played on her mind while they talked. "What's it like to slice through a mecha Ken...holding the hypershoot in your hands." She asked while he ran his fingers through her long hair and drew her closer to him wrapping a leg around her as if to claim her again for himself.

"Powerful..." He answered smiling broadly. Then he looked into her eyes and the smile fell from his lips his voice became. "Sometimes for hours afterwards I can still feel the weight of it in my hands, my finger still wrapped around it gripping it tightly....and the burning sensation of the heat radiating from the laser and the fire ignites inside of me...I have dreams when I'm burning up in the heat...all I want is to see your face one last and say goodbye...I see you, when I'm using the hypershoot I pour all the passion I have for you into making it work..."

Jun felt hot tears begin to fall down onto her cheeks while he spoke with such haunting words. Ken cupped her face with his large hands and wiped away her tears, drawing her closer he kissed her closed eyes as if he could stop the flow of more falling from her eyes.

One day at time, one moment at time its all we have she thought.

Ken pleaded with her. "Don't cry Jun...please not now, I want this to be a happy moment for us...we've had far to many painful ones."

"I love you..." Ken's said softly. "Just in case I don't get to tell you tomorrow."

"I love you too...No more tears today..." She promised. Ken weakened by the energy of their earlier exertions Jun lead the way this time to making the short time they had together memorable as they began to once more be lost in the pleasure of each others touch as they made love again slower but no less passionate than earlier.

* * *  *

Ken woke to sound of his bracelet beeping- the weight of Jun's arm over his brought a smile to his lips. It was real, not a sweet pleasant dream. He thought. Casually he ran he stroked her long messy hair, his smile widened when he realized he played a part in messing it up- A small glimpse of happiness in a depressing war.

"Ken here," He said trying to shake the sleep from his brain. Jun began to stir shifting her body so she could listen.

"I need you to report to new space Observatory located at the North Pole immediately, I'm notifying the rest of the team and you'll get your instructions in flight." Kamo ordered.

Jun's bracelet began to beep, bringing it to her lips Ken moved his hands lower making her giggle. "Stop that Ken, I have to be serious." She playfully scolded him.

"Yeah, I know...this is our secret." He reluctantly moved his hand.

"On my way Kamo." She responded to him.

"We have to keep this to ourselves Jun...for now." Ken pulled on his clothes fast and so did Jun.

"I figured that would be the case, Ken..." Jun's tone halted him she had to get it while she had the chance. "If...if something happens again....like a baby, I promise you'll know the moment I do."

Ken's face became sober, and he placed a hand affectionately onto her shoulder." I know you will, I trust you."

They both ran out of her quarters unaware of the Condor further down the hall and the anguish that crossed his face when he realized Ken could have only been there that long for one reason alone. The affectionate embrace they shared just outside of the door indicated that things had changed between them and it was likely their rocky relationship was finally on the mend. Accepting he would never be with Jun at last he followed silently behind them, resolving to move on and find a way to forget he ever had deep feelings for her that had turned into love a few years ago.