Sakura Time-line Snippets

Author's note: These are snippets from the Sakura Time-line, an extensive possible future I created for Gundam Wing (see also my story Memory Glitch). Heero Yuy no longer uses his code name, but his birth name - Odin Lowe Jr; however, I thought it would be confusing to use Odin as his proper pronoun.

Disclaimer: I am a poor. I do not own Gundam Wing. Don't sue me.

Becoming Parents

"Call!" Hilde announced through the small house. Duo came bounding into the living room with their two-year-old son, Max, sitting on his shoulders. Hilde straightened Duo and Max's hair and clothing, brushing off imaginary dirt, then accepted the video call. Relena and Heero flickered onto the screen. They both sat up on a hospital bed, Relena under the covers and Heero beside her with his shoes off, cradling a pink squirming bundle of blankets. Hilde recognized the tired and glowing smile Relena shared with them.

"Hilde, Duo," Relena said. "Meet Sakura Miranda Lowe."

"Sa-kur-ra. Sounds like a sneez—ow, babe." Hilde jabbed Duo's side with her elbow.

"It's Japanese for cherry blossoms," Heero explained in his familiar monotone.

"Man, Hee— Odin! You're supposed to be smiling like a maniac—You're a dada!"

"Dada!" Max repeated, gripping tightly onto his father's bangs. Duo cringed, but didn't scold the boy.

Heero brought the small pink bundle closer to the camera until a baby's sleeping soft face filled half the screen.

"Awwww," said Hilde. "She looks like Relena. She has her nose."

"Look, Max," Duo pointed. "Bay-Bee."

"Hi, buhbee," Max waved. "Mine?"

"Hnn," growled Heero, cradling his baby girl closer.

"She's not a doll, honey," Hilde explained to her son. "One day, you'll be able to meet her."

In the background, Relena had fallen asleep.

"Ap nime?" asked Max, then snuggled his head into his father's hair and made a fake snore.

Duo laughed. "Looks like it's time to say bye, ol' buddy."

Heero nodded, and the screen flickered off.

Duo blinked. "Maybe we should define 'saying goodbye' to that guy."

Hilde moved into the kitchen and retrieved a box of penne from the cabinet. "How much longer until we can buy the shuttle tickets?"

Duo slumped his shoulders. "Hil', it'll be at least a year with the taxes they've been putting on businesses like ours."

Hilde set a pot of water on the stove and sighed. "If you asked Relena or Quatre, I'm sure they wouldn't mind—"

"No!" he shouted gritting his teeth. Startled, Max began to cry and squirmed to be put down on the floor. Slipping, he hung off his father's braid, which brought tears to Duo's violet eyes. "Damn it, Max. Let go of my hair!"

"DUO! Watch your mouth. He's only two." Hilde gently pried her son off her husband and set the distraught toddler on the couch. She gave Duo a look that said this-is-your-problem and returned to preparing dinner.

Max rubbed his chubby fists into his eyes and hiccuped with tears, "Dada iv mean."

Duo felt shot through the chest. He knelt down in front of his son. His son—the concept still felt foreign to him. He wiped away the tears from Max's cheeks with his callused thumbs. "Daddy's sorry," he said, putting on his largest smile. Max could never be upset if his dad smiled; he sniffed in his tears and mirrored it with his own.

"Dada, I wuv youf."