Chapter 75: A summer day


Welcome to the third edited part of this fanfiction.

I would write more but I am quite sick right now and pretty tired.

Reviews and encouragement would be nice and appreciated.


It was the 30th of May when the First Lady entered the meeting. Everyone had been waiting for her husband but even the Drachman ambassadors snapped into attention as she crossed the room. She wore her dress uniform and her long hair was up in a tight bun – as usual. "Good morning, gentlemen," she said as she took place on her husband's chair.

"Madame Llewellyn," a Drachman man said. "I expected your husband… we all did…"

"He has some important business to attend," Charlotte said. "But I am informed about everything."

She didn't mention, however, that the 'important business' everyone but her had to attend consisted of a football match of Nick, a ballet show of Laila and Victoria's first race and while Roy and Bendix cheered Nick up and Olivier had dragged Jade, Phil and the twins' other halves to the stadium, Leroy had decided to attend Laila's dance show with Riza, Maes and Gracia. In her opinion, sport events were a good reason for missing out international meetings of highest importance and she scoffed at her bad luck because she had lost the game in the morning and so she was force to attend the boring conference.

"Alright, Madam," the Drachman man said with a bow. "I hoped that General Armstrong would be present but as I can see, she is missing today too. I hope she will be there for the next meeting."

Charlotte nodded in sympathy. "My daughter-in-law said that she is really sorry but she has also some really important business to attend," she said while she cleared her throat. "Well, gentlemen, I think that we should start the meeting because I would like to catch a little bit of sun before it gets dark."


"…ah … that's life how it should be!" Roy exclaimed while he let the sunlight tickle his face. "A good match, a nice bowl of ice cream and cards for the best places! What could I want more right now?"

"You could tell your son that he should stop staring at my innocent daughter if you want him alive for the next few years," Maes threatened with a hidden smile. "He may be family but I still wouldn't forgive him!"

"Do you honestly think that Laila and Vicky would let you hurt their little brother?" Roy asked while he put on his sun glasses to stay undercover. "I warn you once because we are friends, Hughes: you don't mess with my kids because if they don't take the matter into their hands, I will take care of it!"

"Understood," the other black-haired man said before he slung one arm around Bendix' shoulders. "You seem so stiff today, buddy," he said. "Care to tell us what happened? Or is it because of your dearest wife's appointment at her doctor's today?"

The blond man rolled his eyes. "It's just for the confirmation," he said. "We know that she is pregnant because it was pretty hard not to get it. I am just a little bit worried how her behaviour might change."

"You mean…" Roy's eyes widened in shock as he stared at his superior.

"…mood swings?" Maes whispered.

"Exactly," Bendix said while the sunlight let his hair glow like pure gold. "Riza and Gracia hadn't such big trouble with that … but I remember Aunt Augusta when she was pregnant with Alex. The woman made everyone cowering under their beds in fear – even her husband! And from what I heard about mama, she was really terrible too. And Liv is like mama in many aspects…"

"I think that I should think about leaving the country for a very long trip…" Roy muttered. "I mean … she can barely keep herself from strangling me when she isn't pregnant and under the influence of mood swings. I don't want to get to know what she might do if she under the control of her hormones."

"Didn't you say that your aunt was especially calm while she was pregnant with Jade and Phil?" Maes asked while he patted his best friend's shoulder. "And even our violent Lynn was suddenly peaceful and cute … well, as long as she had her liquorice. If it was eaten by someone, it was a different story. So maybe, Olivier will be calm and cute as well … even though I have trouble to imagine this when I am completely honest…"

"And she always needed hugs and would cry if she wouldn't get them," Roy remembered. "Ah yes, those were funny times. I remember your face when she walked up to you and demanded a hug, Maes."

"Hey – I spent years of running away from her moods as a teenager. It was a little strange to think that she would demand a hug suddenly from me since she had beat me up half a year before because I had taken one of her books before asking before!" his best friend defended himself. "Got that, Roy?"

"So the alternatives are violent and sweet," Roy summed it up for Bendix. "Since you are a nice guy, Ben, I wish you the best."

"Well, there is always the possibility that she won't be affected by it at all," Maes said optimistically. "I am sure that you will somehow survive it. I mean … her father and your father survived it too…"

"Dad always said that there were times when he really feared for his life," Bendix muttered.

"That's normal," the other man said cheerfully. "I mean … it is bad when she wakes you at three o'clock in the morning to send you to the store because she wants something but all in all … it's a great experience and while our little Roy here just lived through it once, I had the pleasure twice and I never regretted any second of it."

"What about the time Gracia hit you with that pan?" Roy asked innocently.

"You can't regret something when you are knocked out!" Maes exclaimed while he walked away.

"It wasn't that bad," Roy told Bendix who had gone pale suddenly. "She just hit him really lightly because he had been a fool and forgotten to get Elicia from her ballet class. That was everything."

"Dad!" Nick yelled as he spotted his adoptive father and ran up to him. "You really came!"

Roy chuckled. "The deal was sitting in an office where it is always way too hot or watching your match," he smiled. "I think that everyone can understand our decision!"


Victoria was always easy to spot, no matter how big the crowd around her was. She was exceptionally tall for her age and her long hair was like a bright flame. She had violet ribbons in her hair that was bound to two bouncy tails and she wore a purple shirt.

"She looks totally focused," Jade said cheerfully.

"Since we came here and skipped the meeting, she should be concentrated," Olivier replied while she pushed her way through the crowd. "Were you ever here before, guys?" she asked while she looked around and an annoyed expression appeared on her face.

"I used to dance as a teenager," Jade stated with a shrug, "and even though I was pretty good, I never danced here."

"I was here for a football match a year ago," Bea said friendly as usual.

"Me too," Phil said.

"You went together, genius!" Jade hissed and flicked his forehead.

"No need for so much aggression between you two, twins," Claudio chuckled.

"There comes our little girl!" Jade said and smiled friendly at Victoria.

"You … you really came?" she asked in disbelief.

"Of course!" Bea said. "We promised you that we would come, so here we are, Victoria!"

"That makes me happy," the girl stated with a happy glint in her violet eyes.


"I just hate over-ambitious mothers!" Riza muttered darkly while she watched Laila dancing on the stage. Her daughter had a solo, like always, and it annoyed the sniper that some idiots accused her little sunshine of abusing her great-grandfather's name.

"I hate them too," Gracia said while she gently patted the blonde's shoulder. "Stay cool … you know that they are just jealous because their daughters aren't as gifted as ours."

"But Laila always takes it way too seriously!" Riza sighed.

Gracia sighed deeply before she took a few photos. "Every normal mother hates those over-excited women but all of us have to put up with them because we cannot kill them," she said. "And Laila is too smart to let those things bother her, you see?"

"Thanks, Gracia."

"No big deal, Riza."


"…and the first goal was scored by Nick Hamilton, the boy with the number 11!" the speaker said.

"That was really a great idea of him," Bendix said. He was the one who knew the most about the game Nick was playing at the moment because he had been a quite successful football player in his youth as well but he had stopped playing when he had joined the military.

"My son, you know, my son!" Roy declared proudly.

"I guess that this strategic genius is more a Hawkeye-gene," Maes said with a grin. "I can remember both Serena and Lynn outmatching you on terms of tactics…"

"Yeah – but they cheated, both of them cheated and that's the only reason why they won!"

"Keep yourself telling this, mate," Maes said amused.


Victoria flew across the track and passed the last girl who had been in front of her. Her feet beat onto the ground beneath her as she became faster and faster. She was the fastest girl in her school but she was ambitious enough to go for the reputation as the fastest girl in town. She concentrated on putting her feet properly on the ground but suddenly, she lost her concentration and tripped.

The whole stadium fell silent for a second.

The girl on the ground coughed as she inhaled dust and got back to her feet before she continued to run with her bleeding knees and hands. Everyone saw that her steps lacked their former power but she was still fast and caught up with the others again.

"That's pure madness!" Jade exclaimed while she left her seat and watched her niece's run.

"Don't underestimate her, Jade. She is much stronger than most people give her credit for," Olivier said calmly. "She promised herself that she would win this competition. We don't have to worry. She will make it. Look at her: she nearly got the first one again."

"But she has to be in pain!" Claudio said worried. "She is wounded, General Armstrong!"

The blonde just chuckled. "That's barely a scratch for her," she replied bored. "I would be worried too – if it were something serious. She tripped because of that stupid brat who pushed her. All these girls want the title and I find that it is really amusing that they don't hesitate to make each other trip – even at such a young age they are already willed to cheat to win … and after all: it is just the yearly competition. There will be another chance."


Nick hesitated for a second and directed his gaze onto the sky above him. "Run and fly, Vicky, you can beat them all," he said before he continued his own game. He never knew how he knew that his sister needed his support but somehow, he was never wrong. And she was his sister, his beloved older sister. It was only natural for him to cheer for her inwardly when he wasn't able to watch her with his own eyes.

He saw the ball approaching and stopped it before he headed for the goal of the rivalling team.


Victoria bit her lip while she continued to run.

Her knees were hurting and she felt like someone had pierced them. The pain was overwhelming but she had her pride and her pride didn't allow her to give up just now. She was the descendant of many great people – and she was sure that no one of her ancestors would have given up after such a little injury. Her fingernails pierced into her hands as she flew across the track. She had caught up with the idiot in front of her and she took her last remaining power to surpass her.

The sense of being a Hawkeye just didn't allow her to lose this race.