“[Duo] and Quatre would stop in on Sally in a couple of hours. They would catch her off guard, right as she arrived home from work, right when she'd begin her maternal duties…An evil smirk teased Duo's lips. And then, when she was totally unprepared, they'd pump her for information regarding the paternity of Baozhen.” (excerpt from pt1 )
Duo and Quatre pay a surprise visit to Sally. Come along for the adventure.
Warning: this part is on a lighter note than the previous 2, some humor, mild sap, more 2?4?2 (once again the ? will become understandable as you read)
Duo was showered, dressed and rearing to go. He couldn't wait to see the look on Sally's face when she opened the door to find his wide grin and Quatre's apologetic expression. He rubbed his hands together. It was going to be great. Now, all he had to do was grab Quatre, find the car keys, and they would be out of there in no time. He was smiling brighter than he had in years. He'd forgotten how much fun it was to drop in uninvited on friends. But, the smile dimmed when Quatre appeared in front of him. He took in the blond man's apologetic expression. Duo's smile dimmed another watt. Wasn't it too early for that look?
“Quatre, don't tell me we can't go.”
“No, no, we can. That's not it. It's just that I need to make a few more calls and check email before we leave. You understand how it is running a business away from the office?”
Duo nodded. He understood all too well. He'd been doing it since his break with Heero. “So how long of a delay?”
“Fifteen minutes, I promise.”
“Ok, go to it. The sooner you start the sooner--”
“We can butt in on Sally's personal life,” Quatre finished for Duo.
The smile was revived. “You said it. I didn't.”
Quatre gave him one more disapproving look before advancing toward their bedroom. Duo took the look in stride. This little bout of mischief on his part was nothing. He was sure the blond had found himself entrenched in seedier exploits in the years he spent with Dorothy. In fact, Duo would bet his life on it.
From his position, Duo could hear Quatre's laptop booting up. The little series of spasmodic beeps caused him to laugh softly. “Email. Email. Email,” he murmured to himself while strolling into their suite's living room. Duo's eyes focused on nothing in particular. “Who would have thought something so seemingly impersonal could have brought us together?”
~*(Begin flashback)*~
He'd been living alone in this new city for 5 going on 6 months. In that time, he'd managed to remain in contact with his business, which was many thousands of miles away. He had conferences over the vid link, conversed with his secretary in a similar manner, and used email to touch base with his more nomadic clients. Surprisingly, this new method bettered his relations with his clients. When the time came for a face-to-face meeting, he saved his clients a trip to his office and went to them himself. Most of his clients believed he was applying a more personal touch to his business relations; they couldn't have been more wrong. Duo had his own reasons for being “attentive.” Having his clients come to his office was now impossible considering it was something he, himself, was unwilling to do. It was too close to the apartment and the person he'd fled.
He sighed. But, it was so boring doing everything from home. He glanced around at the semi clean apartment. He worked there, slept there, got drunk there and after months of this comforting/mind-numbing routine he was still nowhere closer to feeling better about himself. Was he a coward? He'd run away. He didn't confront Heero…But, if Heero had anything to say he would have come looking for him, wouldn't he? The bastard.
Duo glared at his laptop. Email. He would check email. Duo frowned when there failed to be a little red flag on any of his inboxes. Great….no mail. He briefly considered hacking into other people's inboxes again, but after last week's unsettling discovery, he didn't think he'd resort to that, yet. It was just his luck that the last person's inbox he'd hacked was some outback farmer who was into bestiality… so heavy into it his inbox was crammed with email from his bovine, swine and sheep loving compadres. And, it was just Duo's luck these people wrote about their exploits in *great* detail… He'd stopped eating meat after that. A trip to his favorite greasy fast food restaurant wasn't the same once he considered what other meat injections his food could have received.
Duo made a face. Mailing lists. He'd checked those mailing lists he'd joined. He hadn't done in it weeks. He'd almost given up on the idea. How could he raise a child by himself? He'd signed up for about 14 different lists. Some of them were for couples wishing to adopt newborns, single parents seeking support in their child search, or pregnant women looking for responsible men to be their husbands. There were all different lists with one thing in common: people looking to start a family. Perhaps, he was an overachiever striving to keep up with the complaints and hopes of people on 14 different lists. But, he supposed he handled the load well; he was a lurker and damn proud of it. He didn't contribute. He had nothing. No reason to be hopeful, no live-in lover, no reason to have a say in anything. But he did read…and he read until everything sent to the lists ran together as one big jumble. And then, he'd given up on the lists. Whatever he was looking for (was it simply confirmation that he wasn't the only oddball twenty-something male looking for a child?) wasn't out there. Weeks ago, he'd stopped checking the message boards altogether.
His fingers tapped at the sides of the keyboard. What else was there to do? It was Sunday morning, 4 a.m. What were his options? He couldn't even do something as chaste as go to church. Not that he would under normal circumstances… He sighed. The world was asleep, as he should have been.
“I surrender to the web.” He did it: signed into the lists and began scanning messages. As usual, the same old gripes and dashed hopes. Occasionally, there was the one happy email detailing a successful birth or marriage or whatever. It didn't concern him. It just brought home what he was doing: sticking his nose in other people's lives because he no longer had one of his own. It was just like the infiltration of the inboxes, except he got all the sides of the conversations, a veritable conference was at his fingertips.
It was 7 a.m., three eye-drying hours later, when he entered the ninth group. It was called “New Lows: Single Parenting.” Duo stifled a snort. He'd forgotten about this list. He thought of it as the fringe group. There were a couple eccentrics who dammed up the message board with posts about foregoing the child route altogether to adopt chimpanzees….
“Hmmm…what?” Duo squinted before leaning closer to the glowing screen. “No…that couldn't be—could it?”
He'd stumbled on an email from someone calling herself LakesViewHottie. Her email rambled on in this fashion:
You guys are the absolute best. The rumor has been confirmed: I'm going away for a bit. For those of you who haven't heard, I met this guy Derek at a singles bar. He looks like that model from the Bayside Speedo commercial ~wipes drool from chin~ He asked me to visit him on Earth. Some place called ~scratches head~ the Sahara Dessert. Can you believe that? He's paying for the trip. See, I told you guys I was a hottie… Anyway, my good fortune means a two-week hiatus. I still can't believe it…I've never even left the colony before…
Anyway, I'm going to miss you guys. Eva6Stone, don't use this as an excuse not to email me. I'll read everything when I get back (hopefully, I won't have the stamina or desire to log on before then…). LieStyling, you leave that girl alone; she's too young for you. Menageria9, I got the virtual card you sent. I had no idea you were that flexible… Oh, yeah, FlaxenMaguanac, thanks for the suggestion. I'll definitely take goggles with me.
~waves to ml of hopeful parents~
See everyone in two weeks.
Caramel kisses,
LvHottie
“FlaxenMaguanac…” The screen name was there for an instant
amongst all the dribble…but it was there. “FlaxenManguanac…”
The name was so distinctly bizarre--- Duo sat back in his chair --- yet familiar.
Could it be…Duo found himself laughing softly as he repeated, “I'll
definitely take goggles with me…”
~*(End Flashback)*~
Quatre's fingers were poised over the keyboard. From his seated position, he could feel Duo standing over him. “Let me guess. Fifteen minutes are over?”
“Wrong. 20 minutes are over. I was feeling charitable. I managed to sit still for an extra five minutes.”
Quatre turned from the monitor to Duo's amused expression.
“You're addicted, Quatre.” Duo leaned forward. His face changed expression as his eyes fell on the screen and discerned the recipient of Quatre's email. “You're *still* talking to her?”
“Well, yes…”
“I'm beginning to think you have the hots for her, Quatre.”
“That's not true.”
Duo raised an eyebrow and then wiggled it and its mate.
“Duo, stop that.”
The eyebrows continued to wiggle.
Quatre tried to keep a straight face but the effort was wasted. He found himself laughing. “You know she's married, Duo.”
“Hey, like that's stopped people before.”
“I don't even know what she looks like.”
“Oh, so you admit it. Physical attraction is a must.”
Quatre turned back to the keyboard. “Don't you want to say anything to her?”
Duo scratched his head. “Umm…ask her if she's managed to get Derek to wear speedos around the house.”
“Duo…come on. You made me ask her that the last time.”
“Ahh…let me think for a moment.”
Quatre let his hands fall on the keyboard. He froze when he felt Duo's hand on his hair. Warm fingertips moved against his scalp.
“Tell her SoulKeeper02 says thanks. She'll know exactly what you mean.”
Quatre turned to glance up at Duo.
~*(Begin Flashback)*~
Quatre loosened his tie. He'd been traveling for the entire day. First the meeting with the building commission, then the caucus with the miner's union, and then the conference with the contractor association members. He let himself fall into a soft leather chair. He'd spent the entire day talking, gesturing, smiling and apologizing. He kicked off his shoes. Three quarters of the day were gone and he'd finally managed to get home. Feeling boneless and sore at the same time, he allowed himself to sink further in the chair. Then he covered his face with his hand and groaned. He'd forgotten to touch base with his sisters.
He groaned again. He'd have to get up.
Grudgingly, he managed to coerce his body into a semi erect state. He shuffled through the sitting room to what he considered the den. He leaned over the desk and began tapping at the keyboard of a small, blue iridescent laptop. Email. That was the only way he could keep up with Layla and Arlin. He supposed they believed they were adventurers because every week they were in a new location. They said they were exploring, sewing their wild oats. He rolled his eyes in mock exasperation. As far as he was concerned, they were having a premature midlife crisis. Incredible, only his sisters would believe they were in a funk at 29.
He logged into his inbox. As usual, he had scads of mail. He scanned. Nothing new. Nothing eventful. Except…
“Wait a minute.” He scrolled up again. There was an email from a name he didn't recognize. He heard himself murmur, “From: SoulKeeper02. Subject: Shooting Stars.”
Quatre felt his hand jerk. He swallowed. The hairs on the back of his neck stood in attention. His hand jerked again but this time the motion was meant to open the email.
There was one line of text that greeted him:
I run I hide but I never lie
There was no punctuation. There was no question. There was no indication of who this person was or what he/she wanted.
But the identity was obvious to him. Perhaps, some part of him had known it
as he soon as he saw the name of the sender. He thought back to the pithy
message. “Duo…still using the same line…”
~*(End Flashback)*~
“Come on. Come on…” murmured Duo.
Quatre was dragged out of his seat by a determined set of hands.
“At this rate, Sally will be asleep by the time we get there.”
Quatre didn't say anything. He just allowed himself to be pulled out of the suite and to the elevator.
With a familiar click, the door unlocked. Sally slipped the keys back into her bag and pushed the door open. As always, her favorite person was there to greet her. She glanced down at the toddler in her wake. She was exhausted but a smile tugged her lips. Baozhen always knew when it was she was who was at the door. What a strange child. Perhaps, he could recognize the hum of her engine…then again, the idea wasn't so farfetched; her car *was* a loud, monstrous machine. But, like her child, she wouldn't trade it for anything.
She stared at the spike-haired, cherub. She dropped her bag to the side and stretched out her arms. “Baozhen, come to mommy.”
“No.”
Sally frowned. Her arms sagged in mock disappointment.
The reaction was immediate. On pudgy legs, Baozhen scampered over. He giggled madly as he threw himself on her leg. He squeezed the leg and rubbed his head against it.
Sally sighed. Only her child would find amusement in other people's exasperation. She hid a smile. “Come here, you little cretin.” She picked him up and supported his weight on her hip. Two small arms wrapped around her neck.
“You stinky. Need a bath.”
“Thank you, Bao. That's exactly what I needed to hear.” She brought her lips to a soft, round cheek. “You get to play all day with Ming while I spend the day picking at people's wounds… how do you expect me to smell?”
“Like me,” came his loudmouthed reply.
She sniffed at the child and wrinkled her nose. “You want me to smell like play-doh and cheese whiz? I don't think so.”
“It's not cheese whiz…it's actually how tonight's dinner smells …”
Sally turned at the sound of the voice to face a petite, dark haired woman. “Ming, I'm sorry. I didn't mean--.”
Sally was greeted with a kind smile. “No, you are right. It does smell like cheese whiz. Perhaps, we should order out tonight?”
Sally shrugged. “Sounds good to me. What about you, Baozhen?”
“Want turkey and spinick.”
“Spinach,” Sally corrected. “Hmmm…Ming, what do you say? Feeling up for some Rosario's?”
The younger woman nodded. “I'll order the usual.”
With Baozhen on her hip, Sally headed for the bathroom. She tossed over her shoulder. “Better order two of everything.”
“Why is that?”
“We're expecting company.”
“Company…we never have--”
Sally laughed at Ming's perplexed tone. “Fortune has seen fit to end our isolation.” She looked down at Baozhen. “Time for you and me to have a bath.”
The suggestion was met with a pout. “Not uh.”
“Yes 'uh'.”
Duo reached out to press the doorbell. The directions led them to this house at the outskirts of a suburban area. Duo's eyes took on an appreciative glint. “Nice digs,” he murmured.
“I have to agree.” Quatre gestured to the topiary surrounding the stone dwelling.
Duo was about to comment further when the door opened to reveal a short, young Asian lady…instead of the tall, blonde woman they expected.
Quatre discreetly nudged Duo in the ribs before whispering, “Is this the right house?”
“It should be,” he whispered back, but not as discreetly.
“Can I help you gentlemen?”
Both men peered down at the woman. “Does a Sally Po live here?”
The woman smiled and both men, for some reason, found themselves feeling uneasy. “Yes, she's in the sitting room. I can take you to her.” A diminutive hand stole up to briefly cover her mouth. “I'm so sorry. How rude of me. I'm Ming, the nanny.”
“Nice to meet you, Ming. We're old friends of Sally's. You can call me Quatre.” He reached out and shook her hand.
“And, I'm Duo Maxwell.”
Ming shook his hand as well. With a quick, fluid pivot on her heel, she led them into the house. They followed her and each man found himself glancing at their new surroundings. Interesting. There was something both intimate and intrusive about walking through a friend's house for the first time.
Ming suddenly stopped and both men, since they were busy ogling a room they'd just walked past, barely missed bumping into her. Ming gestured to the door in front of her. “Sally's waiting for you in there. Just knock and walk right in.”
“Waiting for us?” Duo glanced down at the short woman.
He was greeted with a slight smile before she quickly twirled on her heel to walk away.
Duo's eyes followed her retreating form. “What a peculiar woman…and why does she keep doing that spinning thing…”
Quatre reached past a bewildered Duo and knocked on the door.
Sally's voice carried through the wooden barrier. “Come in.”
Duo came out of his stupor in time to turn the knob and step into the room. Quatre was one footfall behind him.
Both men entered the room to see Sally sitting on a couch. On her lap was a little boy who looked between the ages of 2 and 3. He had large, slanted hazel eyes and a mane of spiky, dark chocolate hair.
Duo pointed at the kid. “Baozhen, right?”
Sally nodded. “You two are late. I expected you to be here a half an hour ago.”
“What?!” Duo looked from Sally to Quatre who coughed the very moment indigo eyes fixed on him. “You called her?”
The blond man could barely manage an answer. He was finding it very difficult not to laugh at Duo's accusing expression. “I did no such thing.”
It was Sally who finally laughed aloud. Baozhen bounced against her chest. “Duo, we might have spent 5 years apart, but I still know how your mind works.”
Duo snorted, “Great. Thanks, Sally.” He knew very well the comment was not meant as a compliment.
A tiny voice suddenly piped, “Mama, who they?”
“That's a very good question, Baozhen. You should introduce yourself. But, before you do, we must take precautions.”
“Precautions,” asked both Quatre and Duo.
Sally smirked as she gave the two men a lookover. “Quatre, you're in the clear, but you, Duo….”
“What, exactly, do you mean?”
“It's rather simple. You've cut your hair, but it's still in grabbing range. You're going to need this.” With her free hand, she undid an extra elastic from one twisted pigtail. In a single deft motion, she flicked it at Duo. It hit the astounded man in the chest before landing on the tan carpet.
“ 'Grabbing range'?” Duo peered at the toddler. “Isn't he a little old for that?”
Sally snorted, “You tell *him* that.”
Duo eyed her twin pigtails. “Then what about yourself? Why aren't you taking 'precautions'?”
“I'm used to the tugging. In fact, I'm surprised if he doesn't do it.”
“Ok…” Duo bent to pick up the little ring of elastic cloth. He stared at it for a moment. It had been months since he tied his hair back. He shrugged and gathered his shoulder length hair into a ponytail.
“Ahh…I would suggest a bun…”
“You've got to be kidding me,” he muttered and looked at Baozhen's impish expression before giving in.
“Ok, looks like you two are ready.” She stood up with the toddler in her arms then bent to place him standing on the ground. She saluted Duo and Quatre. “Have fun, guys. Dinner is in the dining room. You passed it on the way here. Baozhen will tell you what he wants.”
“What? Where are you going?”
“Ming and I are going to have dinner out on the veranda. You guys didn't just come to see me. You also came to see Baozhen, right?”
“Well, yes…” Duo darted a glance at Quatre.
“See, this is the perfect opportunity for you three to get acquainted. If you need me, just shout. Bye.” Sally quickly exited the room.
Two pairs of eyes widened in disbelief.
“You walked right into that one, Duo.”
“Tell me something I don't know.” Duo looked down at Baozhen. “Hey, buddy, how's the weather down there?”
Two hazel eyes clouded up. Quatre and Duo watched as the toddler's lower lip began to tremble. Both men saw what was coming, but even so they winced when Baozhen opened his mouth to let loosing a piercing wail.
Ming wiped the lettuce from the side of her mouth and peered at Sally. “Do you think it was wise to just leave them with him…you know Baozhen's hasn't had much contact with strangers…”
Sally was caught mid bite. She looked at the over stuffed burrito before lowering it from her lips. “Those two have piloted some of the most advanced machines of war, escaped in tact from enemy hands, and protected this planet more times than I can count, but I'm curious to see who's more resilient: two former gundam pilots, or my little 2-year-old son…” Sally lifted the burrito to her mouth and took one huge chomp out of it.
“I think you're developing a cruel streak.”
Sally continued to chew without responding to Ming's remark.
“He's turning red, Duo. What do we do?”
“…”
Quatre dropped to his knees before the wailing toddler. “I bet we're real scary when we're towering over you like that.”
Baozhen stopped mid cry. He blinked wet eyes at Quatre, glanced up at Duo, and then resumed crying once more. Quatre tapped Duo on the shin. Duo sighed before joining him in his kneeling position.
With tiny spasms, Baozhen began to hiccup between cries.
“Well, at least, he's slowed down at bit.” Duo peered at the toddler. “I'm getting the feeling you don't like us.” Baozhen continued to hiccup. “Look, buddy, this is no way for us to meet. Check this out.” Duo let his cheeks balloon up. He nudged Quatre and the blonde followed suit.
Baozhen tears ceased but he continued to hiccup as he watched the two strange adults before him.
Duo alternated ballooning each cheek. Quatre decided to go creative and wiggle hands behind his ears as he moved his cheeks. Both men watched Baozhen's bottom lip tremble. They braced themselves, but were surprised when a high-pitched squeal came out instead of the shrill wail they expected. Apparently, the toddler was amused.
“Mission successful,” murmured Duo.
“Don't get ahead of yourself.”
Duo fixed his eyes on the unsteady toddler before him. “Ok, stage two, buddy. This guy next to me is called Uncle Quatre. Can you say that?”
Baozhen brow wrinkled as he stared at Duo's finger and the blond man it was pointing at. “Uncle...” He frowned. “Kat Katwa.” He frowned again.
Duo lowered the finger. “Did you see that, Quatre?”
“Yes, I saw it…”
“He looks just like Wufei when he does that--”
“Uncle Kat!!!”
Duo reached out to poke Baozhen in the stomach, but he shied away from the menacing finger. “Good job. Now, let's try my name. Call me uncle Duo.”
Baozhen looked bored.
“Ahh, come on. 'Uncle Duo'. It has a nice ring to it.”
“Uncle Duo.”
Duo faced Quatre with a victorious expression. “Ha, he got my name on the first try.”
“DUO! Duooooooooo! Du oh oh oh oh oh oh oh!”
Two pairs of eyes, one indigo, one blue-green, turned to watch Baozhen hop up and down while calling out, what appeared to be, his new favorite word.
“No one's ever reacted that way to my name…”
Quatre smiled. “First time for everything. Perhaps, we should give him dinner while he's still in good spirits?”
Duo blinked at the vociferous bouncing boy. “You call that 'good spirits'? Looks more like 'possessed'…”
Quatre shook his head. “Baozhen, would you like to eat dinner now?”
The child suddenly darted away, but he continued to chant as he ran haphazardly around the room. Their gazes darted with the toddler as he moved about the room with succession of clumsy bursts of energy.
The two men winced when Baozhen suddenly lost his footing mid dash and slammed with a full-bodied thump against the carpet. An angry howl emanated from the toddler's fallen form. It was soon accompanied by a series of deafening, spasmodic cries.
Duo shook his head. “This is going to be interesting…”
Ming put the glass of iced tea aside. “So how long have you known them?”
Sally shifted a little in the deck chair. “About 10 years. It's kind of funny. I watched them turn into men. Makes me feel kind of old.” She picked at the empty burrito wrapper.
“Do they know the father?”
“Yes and no.”
“ 'Yes and no'?”
“What I mean is, I haven't told them, but he is a friend of theirs.” Sally balled up the wrapper and set it back on the table.
Ming's dark eyes took in the other woman's sober expression. “Is… that a problem?”
“It shouldn't be…but why does it feel like it is? I don't know…” Sally sighed before settling back in the chair. “I may feel old but I still have a little growing up to do. It's stupid of me to hide my own child.”
“Amazing, half the meal is on him and the other half is--”
“On us,” murmured Quatre as he picked a morsel of spinach from his nose.
It had taken them 10 minutes to calm Baozhen down into a semi stable condition and carry him off to the dining room. And, not five minutes after they arrived, Baozhen's meal was scattered about the table and… them.
“Well, I give up.” Duo leaned in close over the high chair and used a napkin to wipe a glob of processed meat from Baozhen's chin. A small chubby hand reached up to smear something chunky on Duo's cheek. He squinted at the troublesome tyke. “I can't believe you just did that.” His stern tone was greeted with a round of high-pitched giggles. “Oh, yeah? Try this on for size!” Duo dipped a finger into the mishmash of food on the table.
Quatre attempted to intervene. “Duo--”
It was too late. Duo had taken the soiled finger and streaked a line of food from Baozhen's forehead to nose.
Both men watched as the child's giggles were cut short. Two hazel eyes looked from both men to the offending finger. A lower lip trembled.
“Now you've done it,” murmured Quatre. He quelled an urge to cover his ears.
The two were so focused on the trembling lower lip, they were unprepared when a small hand suddenly hurled a handful of spinach at Duo. With a wet smack, a glob of green pulp caught him right in the eye.
“Bad man!!!”
Quatre found it difficult to suppress a laugh. “I have to agree. You had it coming to you.”
Duo wiped the spinach from his eye and looked back at Quatre. “You think that was funny?” He picked up his own unwrapped burrito and held it in a menacing air.
“Duo, put that down.”
“Make me.”
“You're setting a bad example--”
“Nonsense, he's the one who started throwing things.” The hand rose higher.
“Duo, I'm serious--”
The door to the dining room suddenly opened. Sally was greeted with an interesting scene. Her child was barely recognizable. He was covered in what she assumed was food. In his hair was some sort of green and orange pulp, on his cheeks were brown smudges, and hands were caked with something she couldn't identify. Next to him was a sheepish Duo who was in the process of brandishing a burrito, and beside Duo was a relieved looking Quatre who'd begun to lower his hands from their protective position.
All eyes were on Sally as she shook her head. “Men.”
“Mama, he's bad!” Baozhen pointed a grubby finger at Duo.
Sally's skeptical gaze moved from Duo and Quatre to her babbling son. The burrito was lowered as Sally strode into the room. She stopped at the table and lifted a soiled Baozhen in her arms. She glanced down at Duo and Quatre. “So, what did you think?”
Duo raised an eyebrow. “Think?”
“Yes, how was he?”
It was Quatre who responded, “To be honest, he's a handful.”
Sally's face was expressionless. “And you, Duo?”
“ 'Handful' is too kind a term. I think 'terror' is more fitting.”
As if to validate Duo's comment, Baozhen gave a sudden yank to Sally's twisted plait. Her head jerked to the side. She shifted the load in her arms. “Still want one of these?”
Neither man hesitated to respond, “Of course.” Duo and Quatre glanced back at one another.
“It seems I underestimated you guys.” She kissed the top of Baozhen's soiled head. “You're in it for the long haul. Good. Good.” A smile appeared on her lips. “Then that means I have some especially good news for you.”
Quatre and Duo sat in the car outside their hotel. Duo opened his passenger side door. He'd driven the hour-long ride to Sally's house and Quatre ended up driving them back to the hotel. He turned at the sound of Quatre's voice.
“Dr. Keiko Mannheim… so this is the woman who's going to make us fathers,” Quatre peered at the business card before handing it over to Duo. His hands returned to the steering wheel.
~*(Begin Flashback )*~
Quatre watched as Sally pulled a card out of her shirt pocket.
“There's no reason why you two can't have a child of your own.”
“I don't understand, Sally. There shouldn't be any doubt. As you said, artificial insemin--”
She reached down to pull Baozhen's thumb from his mouth. The toddler looked up and pouted, but amazingly he didn't cry. “What I'm trying to say is: Quatre, why settle for being just an uncle when you could be the *father*?”
“…what?”
“Your sister will still be involved of course. Look, here.” She handed him the card.
“Dr. Keiko Mannheim, genetic obstetrician,” Quatre murmured aloud while peering at the card.
“She's an old colleague of mine. Used to work in the obstetric ward of the hospital until she decided to start her own practice. She sort of thinks of herself as a pioneer. Her specialty is dealing with the needs of same sex couples.”
“Sally--”
“Let me finish, Duo. I'm over simplifying things, but if you choose to see her she'll explain everything in detail. I'll save you the hour-long lecture and get straight to the point. There's a chance, a small one, that she can use Layla's egg as a vehicle for Quatre's genes. I have to admit it sounds like science fiction but we're talking about genetic engineering, a transplant, and fertilization. In the end, both of you will be fathers. But, to be honest, this is all experimental…the success rate is rarely more than 19%. But, it *has* been done. If you two are willing to try…”
Duo squinted at her. “Why didn't you mention this earlier, when we came to your office?”
Sally's expression was nothing short of apologetic. “To be honest, it didn't even occur to me. You guys caught me by surprise.”
Both men sat back against their chairs. Quatre's gaze moved away from Sally
to fall on the card in his hand. “Well, I suppose, we're even.”
~*(End Flashback)*~
Duo stuck his head back into the car. “Hey, aren't you getting out?”
Quatre's hands remained on the steering wheel. “Actually, no. I have something to pick up.”
Duo rolled his eyes. “What could it possibly be? Everything we need is available through room service. You said it yourself.”
“Well, I stand corrected. I'll be back shortly.”
“You've been acting strange ever since Sally handed us this card. Is everything…are you alright with this?”
Quatre faced him with what he hoped was a supportive expression. “We made a promise to each other, right?”
“Yes…”
“What were my words to you?”
Duo sighed before murmuring, “You said… 'in all things, my desire is to see the two of us happy.' ”
“Do I ever go back on my word?”
“Not once, not in all the years I've known you.”
“See you in 15 minutes.”
Duo closed the car door and watched the car turn around the corner. He swiveled on his heel and, for a moment, he thought of Sally's peculiar nanny. What was her name again? Ming? He almost laughed. No, he didn't have to worry about Quatre. The blond was allowed to be moody. He, himself, had succumbed to an occasional funk in the last couple of days and, each time, Quatre had allowed him to sift through it on his own. Duo was grateful. There were some things even the closest of friends could not share with one another. He assumed this was one of those times.
A son or daughter that was actually his and Duo's…instead of Layla's and Duo's… Quatre ran straight through red light. He glanced back at a line of angry drivers. He pressed a button to roll up his window against the barrage of honking and swearing. He needed to focus. He'd had no idea the light had changed.
A child that was actually his…he wouldn't be a step away…couldn't slide into the comfortable position of 'uncle' if this arrangement somehow fell on rocky ground. Not that he was planning on doing such a thing… He glanced at his watch. The store would close before he got there if he didn't hurry. A child that was his and Duo's, instead of his and Dorothy's. He scoffed in a Dorothy-like fashion. What would she have called this sliver of doubt on his part? A result of his soft nature because he was thinking of her at the very moment she should have been the farthest thing from his mind? Probably. But, it didn't matter. He'd made a decision and it was the healthiest of all choices: to stay with a man who respected him and didn't belittle all the aspects that made him one Quatre Raberba Winner. He swallowed at the thought as he directed the car into an empty parking space.
For some reason, Duo couldn't get the elevator music out of his head as he walked through the suite. It was a cloying tune and it irked him that he was helpless under its assault. To his great annoyance, he continued to hum the tune as he kicked off his shoes and padded to the suite's kitchenette.
“Ba da ba ba ba da da. Ahhhhhh!” He rubbed at his temples. His eyes caught on the object of his search: leftovers from an earlier dessert binge, nothing classy, just the remnants of a full-bodied apple pie with an outer flaky crust…
“Yum,” he murmured as he brought a forkful of sweet apple to his mouth. He carried the pie over a pair of sliding doors, which led to the suite's balcony. He didn't bother opening the doors to step outside. His eyes roamed the cityscape as he carried another forkful of the dessert to his mouth.
In a matter of moments the rest of the pie disappeared into the abyss that was Duo's stomach. Satisfied, Duo easily rid himself of the soiled plate and fork before heading over to the bedroom he shared with Quatre. He'd take it easy for the rest of the night. A tiny smile appeared on his sticky lips. Even though he and Quatre hadn't spent all that much time at Sally's, their encounter with Baozhen had taken a toll on him. Duo glanced down at his soiled shirt. Thanks to Baozhen and the tyke's penchant for throwing food, it looked more like a Jackson Pollack painting than a Calvin Klein original.
Duo shirked off the shirt and balled it up in one hand. “That little terror… I wonder if Wufei was like that at his age…” Duo laughed at the thought.
He gave an idle scratch to his chest before moving forward with a hand extended. The door to the bedroom gave way to the pressure of his hand and swung open. Duo stepped into the darkened room and shut the door behind him. He blindly swatted at the wall to hit the light switch. His hand froze for a moment as he tilted his nose upwards. That scent… He sniffed and his jocular mood receded as he identified the familiar fragrance teasing his nostrils. No, this had happened to him before, back when he lived alone. That's it; his mind was playing tricks on him. But, he couldn't deny it. There was a hint of sandlewood and aloe in the room. It was a light scent and would have been barely noticeable to anyone else…except he wasn't anyone else. He'd lived with this scent for *years*. He woke up to it, went to sleep with it, made love to it, argued with it…and it was here again. The hand was finally able to flip the switch. For a second, the light was blinding as his eyes adjusted to the room's sudden brightness. But the confirmation came as his eyes fell upon the figure seated on one of the two beds in the room.
His lips moved on their own accord. His voice was taut with wonder as he murmured, “Heero…”
Direct cobalt eyes looked back at him. “It's been a long time, Duo.”
The balled up shirt fell from Duo's grasp.