A lone figure sat by the shore, water coming up just inches away from her bare feet. Legs drawn up close to her chest and arms crossed on top of each other on her knees, the young woman brushed a stray strand of blonde hair away from her face. Sighing happily and smiling, she turned her bright cerulean eyes from the darkening waters to the orange sun setting over the horizon. As she watched the colors of the sky turn orange and red to purple and dark blue, she felt a figure walk up from behind her.

"Good evening, 009," she greeted as a young man sat down on the sand to her left.

"Hello 003," he answered, turning to smile at her before shifting his attention to the sunset.

As the two sat in comfortable silence, Françoise was glad that he was sitting next to her right now, rather than drifting around the earth in a million pieces. If 001 hadn't been able to draw from the last of his energy…she didn't want to think about what would have happened. Françoise was just glad that 001, 002, and 009 were all safe and sound.

"I've forgotten about the beauty of sunsets," Joe commented, shaking Françoise out of her thoughts.

"That's because we never had the change to enjoy them," she replied, turning her eyes downcast as sad and painful memories flashed through her mind.

"Hey," Joe murmured, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder, causing her to look up at him, tears in her eyes; he hated to see her cry. "It's really over this time," he assured her, wiping a stray tear from her face with his thumb. "Well, people are still going to fight, we can't help that for it's in their nature. But we've prevented another world war and at least this peace will be preserved."

Looking into his red eyes, Françoise saw hope—hope for peace, hope for a better future, hope for the human race. And she was suddenly glad that all their fighting wasn't for nothing, but that they had destroyed Black Ghost and prevented the world war.

"Thank you, Joe," she said, smiling as she scooted towards him and rested her head on his shoulder, content and satisfied just to be near him.

Blushing slightly, Joe hesitantly moved his hand across her neck to her other shoulder, pulling her closer to him. "Anytime, Françoise. Anytime."

~

"Kawaii!" Chang gushed, faced pressed against the window as he stared out toward the couple, oblivious that they were being watched.

"Ah, young love," GB sighed, also pressed against the window next to Chang. "It's so beautiful."

"Feh." Jet stepped away from the window to rest on the wall next to it. "They aren't even officially together, even after I went through all that trouble to rescue him from space just for her. Tch."

Albert rolled his eyes at Jet. "Baka." Nevertheless, he was also watching the couple outside, although not as enthusiastically as Chang and GB.

"They act like a couple most of the time anyways," Dr. Gilmore remarked.

"Ano, I don't think we should be watching them," Pyunma said, wanting to give the two their privacy.

"Hai," Dr. Gilmore agreed. "Besides, 003 wouldn't be very happy if she heard or saw us eavesdropping on them."

"Aw…" GB whined as the doctor and the rest of the 00 cyborgs moved away from the window. "But they are so fun to watch!"

"Come on," Geronimo said, dragging a reluctant and complaining GB away from the window.

"You don't want to face a woman's wrath," Albert cautioned. "Especially that woman's."

~

"The best way to predict the future is to invent it." –Alan Kay.

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