Title: Welcome to the Family
Archive: Passion's Embrace, Team Rocket and Shinigami Castle, Anime-Zing!
Author: Kohaku-chan
Category: AU, Angst, OC and Yaoi
Pairings: 4x5x2, 1x3
Warning: Swearing, Yaoi, angst
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: references to Episode Zero's
Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing and I'm only borrowing the characters.
Feedback: Send feedback to Kohaku_Neesan @ yahoo.com (no spaces)
Notes: To some people Heero and Trowa may be out of character but all of the boys hold true to my own perceptions of them. ^_^ Also, in my own little world this is a sequel to 'Tucking in Wufei' and takes place at the end of the war although if you have not read 'Tucking in Wufei' it wont matter one bit to the story.
"Speech."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Excuse me, are you Sally Po?"
Sally turn around to find a young woman in her early twenties standing there, the woman wore a plain brown suit with a knee length skirt and a pristine white blouse, her mousy brown hair was pulled back neatly into a clip. "Yes that's me. Can I help you? Miss.?"
"Ferrera, Anna Ferrera. I'm from Social Services." She held her hand out. "I'm looking for Chang Wufei."
"Ohh." Sally shook her hand then froze when the social worker added the last part. "You're looking for who?"
"Chang Wufei. Do you know where I can find him?"
Sally ignored that for the moment. "You said you were from Social Services?"
Anna nodded. "That's right."
"I see. why are you looking for him?"
"He has surviving family, that is why I need to find him."
Sally stared at her astonished. "Are you serious?"
"Quite serious."
Sally thought about it for a moment then quickly wrote down the address the woman could find Wufei at and handed it too her. "He's in Hawaii, he and his friends are staying there for a well deserved vacation."
"Thank you Miss Po."
~*~**~*~
It was a great relief to all five boys to be on vacation, the down times they'd had during the war had been tense, knowing too well at any moment they could end up having to go back out on a sudden mission. Quatre had rented a house on the beach so they could rest, relax and in Quatre's case, recuperate from the effects of the war.
Quatre and Wufei lazed on the lanai [1], with Quatre reclining in a deck chair and Wufei keeping his koi company while reading quietly at a table. Heero, Duo and Trowa decided to have some fun on the beach and were smacking around a huge brightly colored beach ball, sand flying in all directions from under their feet.
That was the scene that greeted the social worker as she walked around to the back of the house after getting no answer at the front door, clutching a folder in her hand as she picked her way through the sand with her heels, sinking into the sand with each step.
She was rather surprised how young the Gundam pilots were, she knew Chang Wufei had been one of them but had though he was an adult. She frowned, this wasn't good, and it definitely changed things. "Oh dear."
Duo spotted her then and called out. "Hey guys, we have company!" His distraction resulted in him getting hit in the head by the beach ball. "Hey! Which one of you threw that?"
"I did."
"You're going to get it now Heero Yuy!" Duo snatched up the ball and whipped it back at Heero.
Quatre and Wufei turned in their seats to see who their visitor was. Quatre put on his good host face and greeted her pleasantly. "Hello miss. Is there something we can do for you?"
"Hello." She returned. "I'm looking for Chang Wufei."
Wufei pulled his wire framed reading glasses off and set them down with his book on the table. "I'm Chang Wufei."
Anna bit her lip; her hopes that she was at the wrong address were gone. "I was afraid of that. Oh this won't do. You're much too young. How old are you?"
Wufei and Quatre exchanged puzzled glances. "I'm 15. Too young for what?"
Anna sighed. "To be a father."
Wufei choked and laughter burst out from the direction of the beach. Wufei glared at Duo with a red face and barked at his other beloved. "Stuff it Duo!" He turned his attention back to the woman. "Lady, I'm sorry but I think you're going to have to find someone else to be the father of your child."
Anna frowned. "That isn't what I meant."
She looked at the other boys. "Are you all the same age as well?"
"Hai." A stone-faced Heero replied; he and the two other boys had walked up to the lanai, abandoning the ball on the sand.
"Where are your parents?"
Duo sighed this time. "Lady, not a single one of has any. The only ones that even have any family are Quatre and Trowa and they're just sisters."
"Oh dear. Youths your age shouldn't be allowed to run around wherever you want too, and they most definitely shouldn't be allowed to participate in wars. You should have had supervision."
Miss Ferrera nibbled on her thumbnail thoughtfully. "Perhaps we can fix that.and he's much too young to raise a child." She muttered to herself, but the five pilots' hearing had been sharpened from their training and they caught every word.
Duo's eyes narrowed suspiciously on the woman. "Who exactly are you?"
"My name is Anna Ferrera and I work for Social Services."
Duo took a step back, glaring the social worker. "Oh FUCK no! I see where this is going. I'm telling you right now, you can just get rid of those plans you were making. I won't let anyone place me into another damn orphanage or foster home. If any of your goons come after me I'll disappear and you'll never find me. I'm not a Gundam pilot for nothing."
Quatre caught Duo's hand, squeezing it reassuringly, Wufei looked at her with a blank expression. "What exactly did you mean about me raising a child?"
She cleared her throat softly before answering. "You have a son. He's 3 months old; he was put into our care just before your home colony exploded. We were given instructions to bring him to you once the war ended. But we were under the impression that you were an adult and that you knew of his existence."
"Impossible! My wife died long before she could have bore a child and I'm not.umm." Wufei stumbled, fighting off a blush at discussing his intimate life with a stranger.
Miss Ferrera opened the folder in her hand. "We have all of your son's records, including the details of his conception. His was a test tube conception." Quatre blanched at that. "However, in light of your age, we can't give you custody of him. He'll be taken to an orphanage or placed into a foster home. You could of course sign away your parental rights and allow him to be adopted, as young as he is, he would be adopted right away."
Duo growled at Anna and felt Quatre's hand tighten around his as well as a restraining hand on his shoulder from Trowa next to him. Heero took the folder from her hands before she realized it and handed it to Wufei.
Wufei accepted the folder and quickly went through the contents. At the top was a Birth Certificate, which read:
Mother: Chang Meiran; Father: Chang Wufei; Infant: Chang Lao. "Lao." Wufei looked at his lovers. "His name is Lao."
Quatre smiled at him and Duo moved away from Trowa's restraining hand to stand next to Wufei in silent support, taking Quatre with him. Most of the remaining papers, Wufei realized, detailed his son's "conception", development, and "birth". What really confirmed it to Wufei was that Instructor O and Master Long Shirin had signed all of the documents. Those bastards had meddled with his life again, this time without his knowing and because of it; it was true what she'd said about him being a father. He looked up at his comrades, his shock along with a swirl of other emotions ranging from anger to wonder, apparent on his face. "I have a son. I'm not the last of my clan."
Quatre's hand found Wufei's shoulder then slid to the back of his neck and he smiled at his caramel skinned lover. "That's wonderful Wufei." The warm blue gaze turned to the social worker and became steely. "Miss Ferrera, we will not allow you to keep him apart from his son. I have dozens of excellent lawyers I can call if I have too."
"Oh dear, that wouldn't be very good at all. But you must understand, he's simply too young to raise a child, maybe if he'd be willing to go to a home for young parents." She offered the suggestion up.
Wufei looked torn, he couldn't allow someone else to raise his son, but at the same time he resented being treated like a child and the implication that if he didn't take the offer, he'd never get his son. Then there was Duo and Quatre, it was a sure thing that if he were to take the offer they wouldn't be allowed to accompany him. The thought of being separated from them caused actual physical pain in his heart. But it was his son.
Duo and Quatre knew the struggle that Wufei was fighting with himself, responsibility, pride and love beating against each other, but it wasn't a decision they could make for him, so all they could do was support him whatever he decided and hope he made the right one.
Trowa watched the 3 boys, his jaw tightening at the pain and resignation he saw in Quatre and Duo's eyes and the confusion and distress Wufei was enduring and he turned on the social worker, ice in his voice. "We, all of us, are Gundam pilots, each of us has done more than people our age should ever have too, more even than people twice our age. None of us have been children in a long time and we're more mature than over half the "adults" we've encountered. Chang Wufei is more than capable of raising his son, WITHOUT supervision, and if you try to deny him his son you will find out you have bitten off more than you can chew in messing with one of our own."
Heero nodded in agreement with his koi, adding. "Wufei isn't alone, Quatre and Duo are by his side to help him and so are Trowa and I, we're a family the five of us, I won't let you destroy it."
Wufei stood up, looking stunned and grateful then turned to Anna, his face set and his voice determined. "Where is Lao?"
Miss Ferrara looked shell-shocked from the verbal assaults but remained firm. "Do you even have a home Mr. Chang or a job? I could not, nor could any judge, give you custody of a child if you did not have a home to shelter Lao or a way to provide for his needs. I'm thinking of his best interests."
"Bullshit! You're thinking we're just a bunch of kids and that we couldn't possibly be responsible for ourselves let alone a baby." Duo burst out.
This time both Wufei and Quatre restrained him as he'd taken a step towards the social worker, they were both aware of the strong mixed feelings Duo felt towards social workers, orphanages and foster care, having repeatedly been sent back to the orphanage he'd lived in from the foster homes he'd been sent to. Unfortunately this social worker was not earning any points with him.
Quatre stroked Duo's back trying to calm him down. "We'll all be staying in my family home once our vacation is over but only until we find a home of our own. Each of us, if necessary would be able to provide for Lao's needs. All of us are highly skilled and getting jobs now would not be difficult, each of us already has an open invitation to join the Preventers program Lady Une, Miss Noin and Miss Relena are organizing; Trowa has a job that he's held through the war and I myself am the Chairman of WEI back in L4. Lao would never want for anything and if something should ever happen to Wufei or in turn to any of us, he would be taken care of."
Anna sighed. WEI was a powerful corporation in L4 and this boy being the one in charge of the company, could create a lot of waves, but she had to admit he did have a point. Lao would have all his needs met in their care and if something did happen to Wufei then the others would still be there to take care of him. And it would be best for Lao to be raised by his father and not foster parents. But there was just one more thing she had to settle. "Before I say yes or no to this there is something I want to know."
Duo growled. "And that is?"
Anna looked at Wufei. "What is the nature of your relationship with these boys?"
The three lovers turned white, Quatre and Duo exchanged frantic glances behind Wufei. Was she going to use their relationship as grounds for denying Wufei custody of Lao? She couldn't.she could. They couldn't allow that to happen and so Duo did something he'd never done before. He lied.
"We're all just friends, more like brothers."
Wufei turned and stared at Duo, as did the other boys, but Wufei read his intentions in the deep blue eyes and smiled a tiny smile at Duo while shaking his head. "No, I won't lie to her, I have nothing to be ashamed of. But thank you." He caressed Duo's cheek then turned back to Anna. "Quatre and Duo are my lovers, but Heero and Trowa are as Duo said, like brothers to me. I love them all very much but Quatre and Duo each have part of my heart."
Anna had been expecting to hear that he was in a physical relationship with at least one of the boys just from the body language they displayed but she still didn't have the answer she needed. "Considering that, if the only way for you to get custody of your son was if you left them, would you do it?"
Everyone was silent for a moment then Wufei's shoulders dropped slightly. "Yes." He turned to his lovers and whispered a choked 'I'm sorry'.
Duo and Quatre both engulfed him in a hug between them; Quatre cradled Wufei's head on his shoulder with his hand smoothing across Wufei's hair while Duo buried his face in the crook of Wufei's neck from behind. "No luv, don't be sorry, that was the only decision you could have made."
Duo kissed Wufei's neck softly. "Q's right. I'm proud of you koibito, I love you even more for it."
Heero glared at Anna with that deadly glare of his and moved to stand right in front of her. "Are you happy now?"
Anna sighed. "With the response yes. That I had to do that? No. I'm satisfied now, that Mr. Chang won't put his own needs before those of his son and I'm equally satisfied that the people he loves are in complete agreement with him. All of you will be a strong support for him as he raises Lao."
Duo and Quatre snapped their heads up and Wufei turned in their arms to look at Anna with hopeful faces. Wufei took a deep breath. "Do you mean I don't have to leave them to get Lao?"
"That's right. Your relationship, however unconventional, was not an issue for me; I simply needed to know how important Lao was to you. Now I know. I don't expect you to be perfect, no parents are." She smiled at the three boys. "Just love him and take care of him and you'll do all right."
Wufei nodded. "If I thought I couldn't be a father to him I would let someone else adopt him who could."
She nodded at that and pulled the folder from Wufei's hands, withdrawing a form. "I need you to sign this, it states that you accept custody of Lao." She handed him the form and a pen from her pocket.
Accepting them, Wufei set the form on the table and signed his name to the bottom of the sheet after skimming over it's contents to assure himself it was what she'd said it was. He handed back the pen and the signed custody papers. "When can I see my son?"
She tucked the pen away, put the papers back in the folder and handed Wufei Lao's birth certificate. "Right now. He's in the car with my co-worker. I'll go and get him."
As soon as she disappeared around the corner of the house Wufei turned in their arms once again. Heero slipped his arm around Trowa's waist and the two moved to stand next to their friends, offering silent support.
Quatre hugged Wufei tighter. "Are you alright Fei-koi?"
"I don't know. I hope I'm doing the right thing."
"I know you are. You need him, and he needs you; we'll be there to help you and love him."
"You guys shouldn't have too, he's my responsibility. It isn't going to be easy you know, adjusting to a baby in our lives."
Duo grinned, neatly slipping Wufei's hair band from his queue so he could run his hand through the dark strands, ignoring the soft protest from Wufei. "I love kids and we aren't going to change our minds Wu-babe. We're in this together, we've never left anyone behind and we aren't going to start now."
Wufei laughed. "Raising a child is a lot different from fighting a war Duo."
"Yeah I know; it's a lot harder. Still, I know it will be worth it."
Wufei kissed Duo for that, and then hearing Anna coming back he turned once more to see her rounding the corner with a bag over her shoulder and a bundle wrapped in a yellow blanket in her arms.
"I have a diaper bag for him that has some baby clothes, formula, diapers, bottles and a couple toys and pacifiers in it, but you guys are going to have to do a lot of shopping, he's going to need a lot more of those things and you'll have to buy furniture, there's a care seat in the car for him as well."
"I'll get it." Trowa walked off, his long limbs eating up the distance quickly.
Quatre nodded at Anna. "We'll take care of it, and if we have any questions about what we need I can ask my sisters, some good aught to come out of having 29 sisters after all."
Anna laughed and stopped in front of Wufei. "Chang Wufei, meet Chang Lao." Wufei looked at Lao uncertainly, unsure of how to hold him, seeing this she smiled at him reassuringly. "Fold your arms like mine."
Slowly Wufei folded his arms into a cradle and Anna placed the 3 month old into his arms, tucking the blanket away from his face so they could see him. Wufei stared down at the infant in his arms and the infant stared back up at him with clear black eyes. "Hello little dragon, I'm your father." Lao smiled toothlessly letting loose a squeal, he reached up one tiny hand and grabbed Wufei's loose hair, pulling slightly.
The other boys chuckled. Quatre propped his chin over Wufei's shoulder and looked down at the baby with a smile. "He looks just like you Fei."
"Almost, he has Meiran's nose."
Trowa returned then with the car seat and set it on the table then joined Heero to get a peak at the baby, he looked over Duo's shoulder easily. "He's cute."
Duo shook his head and tickled Lao's nose with his finger earning a laugh from the baby. "Nope, he's beautiful."
Heero stared down silently at the baby who was waving his free hand around, carefully he reached in with his pinky extended and the tiny fist grabbed a hold. "Welcome to the family Lao."
Wufei smiled at his lovers and his friends then ducked his head down to kiss Lao's forehead. "Yes, welcome to the family my son."
Only Quatre noticed when Anna left, smiling and nodding at her in farewell as she turned to leave, she smiled and waved back then disappeared around the corner giving the newly extended family some privacy. She would file the paper work and no one would ever know the complications she had come across. As far as her employers would ever know, everything had gone off without a hitch and Chang Wufei was not a 15-year-old boy.
On the lanai each of the boys insisted on holding the baby boy so that Lao could meet his new "uncles" and his two other new daddies. Lao was already well on his way to having the five dangerous and intimidating Gundam pilots wrapped around his tiny finger.
~*Owari*~
[1] Lanai: Hawaiian word for a deck or porch.
Notes: To some people Heero and Trowa may be out of character but all of the boys hold true to my own perceptions of them. ^_^ Also, in my own little world this is a sequel to 'Tucking in Wufei' and takes place at the end of the war although if you have not read 'Tucking in Wufei' it wont matter one bit to the story.
"Speech."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Excuse me, are you Sally Po?"
Sally turn around to find a young woman in her early twenties standing there, the woman wore a plain brown suit with a knee length skirt and a pristine white blouse, her mousy brown hair was pulled back neatly into a clip. "Yes that's me. Can I help you? Miss.?"
"Ferrera, Anna Ferrera. I'm from Social Services." She held her hand out. "I'm looking for Chang Wufei."
"Ohh." Sally shook her hand then froze when the social worker added the last part. "You're looking for who?"
"Chang Wufei. Do you know where I can find him?"
Sally ignored that for the moment. "You said you were from Social Services?"
Anna nodded. "That's right."
"I see. why are you looking for him?"
"He has surviving family, that is why I need to find him."
Sally stared at her astonished. "Are you serious?"
"Quite serious."
Sally thought about it for a moment then quickly wrote down the address the woman could find Wufei at and handed it too her. "He's in Hawaii, he and his friends are staying there for a well deserved vacation."
"Thank you Miss Po."
~*~**~*~
It was a great relief to all five boys to be on vacation, the down times they'd had during the war had been tense, knowing too well at any moment they could end up having to go back out on a sudden mission. Quatre had rented a house on the beach so they could rest, relax and in Quatre's case, recuperate from the effects of the war.
Quatre and Wufei lazed on the lanai [1], with Quatre reclining in a deck chair and Wufei keeping his koi company while reading quietly at a table. Heero, Duo and Trowa decided to have some fun on the beach and were smacking around a huge brightly colored beach ball, sand flying in all directions from under their feet.
That was the scene that greeted the social worker as she walked around to the back of the house after getting no answer at the front door, clutching a folder in her hand as she picked her way through the sand with her heels, sinking into the sand with each step.
She was rather surprised how young the Gundam pilots were, she knew Chang Wufei had been one of them but had though he was an adult. She frowned, this wasn't good, and it definitely changed things. "Oh dear."
Duo spotted her then and called out. "Hey guys, we have company!" His distraction resulted in him getting hit in the head by the beach ball. "Hey! Which one of you threw that?"
"I did."
"You're going to get it now Heero Yuy!" Duo snatched up the ball and whipped it back at Heero.
Quatre and Wufei turned in their seats to see who their visitor was. Quatre put on his good host face and greeted her pleasantly. "Hello miss. Is there something we can do for you?"
"Hello." She returned. "I'm looking for Chang Wufei."
Wufei pulled his wire framed reading glasses off and set them down with his book on the table. "I'm Chang Wufei."
Anna bit her lip; her hopes that she was at the wrong address were gone. "I was afraid of that. Oh this won't do. You're much too young. How old are you?"
Wufei and Quatre exchanged puzzled glances. "I'm 15. Too young for what?"
Anna sighed. "To be a father."
Wufei choked and laughter burst out from the direction of the beach. Wufei glared at Duo with a red face and barked at his other beloved. "Stuff it Duo!" He turned his attention back to the woman. "Lady, I'm sorry but I think you're going to have to find someone else to be the father of your child."
Anna frowned. "That isn't what I meant."
She looked at the other boys. "Are you all the same age as well?"
"Hai." A stone-faced Heero replied; he and the two other boys had walked up to the lanai, abandoning the ball on the sand.
"Where are your parents?"
Duo sighed this time. "Lady, not a single one of has any. The only ones that even have any family are Quatre and Trowa and they're just sisters."
"Oh dear. Youths your age shouldn't be allowed to run around wherever you want too, and they most definitely shouldn't be allowed to participate in wars. You should have had supervision."
Miss Ferrera nibbled on her thumbnail thoughtfully. "Perhaps we can fix that.and he's much too young to raise a child." She muttered to herself, but the five pilots' hearing had been sharpened from their training and they caught every word.
Duo's eyes narrowed suspiciously on the woman. "Who exactly are you?"
"My name is Anna Ferrera and I work for Social Services."
Duo took a step back, glaring the social worker. "Oh FUCK no! I see where this is going. I'm telling you right now, you can just get rid of those plans you were making. I won't let anyone place me into another damn orphanage or foster home. If any of your goons come after me I'll disappear and you'll never find me. I'm not a Gundam pilot for nothing."
Quatre caught Duo's hand, squeezing it reassuringly, Wufei looked at her with a blank expression. "What exactly did you mean about me raising a child?"
She cleared her throat softly before answering. "You have a son. He's 3 months old; he was put into our care just before your home colony exploded. We were given instructions to bring him to you once the war ended. But we were under the impression that you were an adult and that you knew of his existence."
"Impossible! My wife died long before she could have bore a child and I'm not.umm." Wufei stumbled, fighting off a blush at discussing his intimate life with a stranger.
Miss Ferrera opened the folder in her hand. "We have all of your son's records, including the details of his conception. His was a test tube conception." Quatre blanched at that. "However, in light of your age, we can't give you custody of him. He'll be taken to an orphanage or placed into a foster home. You could of course sign away your parental rights and allow him to be adopted, as young as he is, he would be adopted right away."
Duo growled at Anna and felt Quatre's hand tighten around his as well as a restraining hand on his shoulder from Trowa next to him. Heero took the folder from her hands before she realized it and handed it to Wufei.
Wufei accepted the folder and quickly went through the contents. At the top was a Birth Certificate, which read:
Mother: Chang Meiran; Father: Chang Wufei; Infant: Chang Lao. "Lao." Wufei looked at his lovers. "His name is Lao."
Quatre smiled at him and Duo moved away from Trowa's restraining hand to stand next to Wufei in silent support, taking Quatre with him. Most of the remaining papers, Wufei realized, detailed his son's "conception", development, and "birth". What really confirmed it to Wufei was that Instructor O and Master Long Shirin had signed all of the documents. Those bastards had meddled with his life again, this time without his knowing and because of it; it was true what she'd said about him being a father. He looked up at his comrades, his shock along with a swirl of other emotions ranging from anger to wonder, apparent on his face. "I have a son. I'm not the last of my clan."
Quatre's hand found Wufei's shoulder then slid to the back of his neck and he smiled at his caramel skinned lover. "That's wonderful Wufei." The warm blue gaze turned to the social worker and became steely. "Miss Ferrera, we will not allow you to keep him apart from his son. I have dozens of excellent lawyers I can call if I have too."
"Oh dear, that wouldn't be very good at all. But you must understand, he's simply too young to raise a child, maybe if he'd be willing to go to a home for young parents." She offered the suggestion up.
Wufei looked torn, he couldn't allow someone else to raise his son, but at the same time he resented being treated like a child and the implication that if he didn't take the offer, he'd never get his son. Then there was Duo and Quatre, it was a sure thing that if he were to take the offer they wouldn't be allowed to accompany him. The thought of being separated from them caused actual physical pain in his heart. But it was his son.
Duo and Quatre knew the struggle that Wufei was fighting with himself, responsibility, pride and love beating against each other, but it wasn't a decision they could make for him, so all they could do was support him whatever he decided and hope he made the right one.
Trowa watched the 3 boys, his jaw tightening at the pain and resignation he saw in Quatre and Duo's eyes and the confusion and distress Wufei was enduring and he turned on the social worker, ice in his voice. "We, all of us, are Gundam pilots, each of us has done more than people our age should ever have too, more even than people twice our age. None of us have been children in a long time and we're more mature than over half the "adults" we've encountered. Chang Wufei is more than capable of raising his son, WITHOUT supervision, and if you try to deny him his son you will find out you have bitten off more than you can chew in messing with one of our own."
Heero nodded in agreement with his koi, adding. "Wufei isn't alone, Quatre and Duo are by his side to help him and so are Trowa and I, we're a family the five of us, I won't let you destroy it."
Wufei stood up, looking stunned and grateful then turned to Anna, his face set and his voice determined. "Where is Lao?"
Miss Ferrara looked shell-shocked from the verbal assaults but remained firm. "Do you even have a home Mr. Chang or a job? I could not, nor could any judge, give you custody of a child if you did not have a home to shelter Lao or a way to provide for his needs. I'm thinking of his best interests."
"Bullshit! You're thinking we're just a bunch of kids and that we couldn't possibly be responsible for ourselves let alone a baby." Duo burst out.
This time both Wufei and Quatre restrained him as he'd taken a step towards the social worker, they were both aware of the strong mixed feelings Duo felt towards social workers, orphanages and foster care, having repeatedly been sent back to the orphanage he'd lived in from the foster homes he'd been sent to. Unfortunately this social worker was not earning any points with him.
Quatre stroked Duo's back trying to calm him down. "We'll all be staying in my family home once our vacation is over but only until we find a home of our own. Each of us, if necessary would be able to provide for Lao's needs. All of us are highly skilled and getting jobs now would not be difficult, each of us already has an open invitation to join the Preventers program Lady Une, Miss Noin and Miss Relena are organizing; Trowa has a job that he's held through the war and I myself am the Chairman of WEI back in L4. Lao would never want for anything and if something should ever happen to Wufei or in turn to any of us, he would be taken care of."
Anna sighed. WEI was a powerful corporation in L4 and this boy being the one in charge of the company, could create a lot of waves, but she had to admit he did have a point. Lao would have all his needs met in their care and if something did happen to Wufei then the others would still be there to take care of him. And it would be best for Lao to be raised by his father and not foster parents. But there was just one more thing she had to settle. "Before I say yes or no to this there is something I want to know."
Duo growled. "And that is?"
Anna looked at Wufei. "What is the nature of your relationship with these boys?"
The three lovers turned white, Quatre and Duo exchanged frantic glances behind Wufei. Was she going to use their relationship as grounds for denying Wufei custody of Lao? She couldn't.she could. They couldn't allow that to happen and so Duo did something he'd never done before. He lied.
"We're all just friends, more like brothers."
Wufei turned and stared at Duo, as did the other boys, but Wufei read his intentions in the deep blue eyes and smiled a tiny smile at Duo while shaking his head. "No, I won't lie to her, I have nothing to be ashamed of. But thank you." He caressed Duo's cheek then turned back to Anna. "Quatre and Duo are my lovers, but Heero and Trowa are as Duo said, like brothers to me. I love them all very much but Quatre and Duo each have part of my heart."
Anna had been expecting to hear that he was in a physical relationship with at least one of the boys just from the body language they displayed but she still didn't have the answer she needed. "Considering that, if the only way for you to get custody of your son was if you left them, would you do it?"
Everyone was silent for a moment then Wufei's shoulders dropped slightly. "Yes." He turned to his lovers and whispered a choked 'I'm sorry'.
Duo and Quatre both engulfed him in a hug between them; Quatre cradled Wufei's head on his shoulder with his hand smoothing across Wufei's hair while Duo buried his face in the crook of Wufei's neck from behind. "No luv, don't be sorry, that was the only decision you could have made."
Duo kissed Wufei's neck softly. "Q's right. I'm proud of you koibito, I love you even more for it."
Heero glared at Anna with that deadly glare of his and moved to stand right in front of her. "Are you happy now?"
Anna sighed. "With the response yes. That I had to do that? No. I'm satisfied now, that Mr. Chang won't put his own needs before those of his son and I'm equally satisfied that the people he loves are in complete agreement with him. All of you will be a strong support for him as he raises Lao."
Duo and Quatre snapped their heads up and Wufei turned in their arms to look at Anna with hopeful faces. Wufei took a deep breath. "Do you mean I don't have to leave them to get Lao?"
"That's right. Your relationship, however unconventional, was not an issue for me; I simply needed to know how important Lao was to you. Now I know. I don't expect you to be perfect, no parents are." She smiled at the three boys. "Just love him and take care of him and you'll do all right."
Wufei nodded. "If I thought I couldn't be a father to him I would let someone else adopt him who could."
She nodded at that and pulled the folder from Wufei's hands, withdrawing a form. "I need you to sign this, it states that you accept custody of Lao." She handed him the form and a pen from her pocket.
Accepting them, Wufei set the form on the table and signed his name to the bottom of the sheet after skimming over it's contents to assure himself it was what she'd said it was. He handed back the pen and the signed custody papers. "When can I see my son?"
She tucked the pen away, put the papers back in the folder and handed Wufei Lao's birth certificate. "Right now. He's in the car with my co-worker. I'll go and get him."
As soon as she disappeared around the corner of the house Wufei turned in their arms once again. Heero slipped his arm around Trowa's waist and the two moved to stand next to their friends, offering silent support.
Quatre hugged Wufei tighter. "Are you alright Fei-koi?"
"I don't know. I hope I'm doing the right thing."
"I know you are. You need him, and he needs you; we'll be there to help you and love him."
"You guys shouldn't have too, he's my responsibility. It isn't going to be easy you know, adjusting to a baby in our lives."
Duo grinned, neatly slipping Wufei's hair band from his queue so he could run his hand through the dark strands, ignoring the soft protest from Wufei. "I love kids and we aren't going to change our minds Wu-babe. We're in this together, we've never left anyone behind and we aren't going to start now."
Wufei laughed. "Raising a child is a lot different from fighting a war Duo."
"Yeah I know; it's a lot harder. Still, I know it will be worth it."
Wufei kissed Duo for that, and then hearing Anna coming back he turned once more to see her rounding the corner with a bag over her shoulder and a bundle wrapped in a yellow blanket in her arms.
"I have a diaper bag for him that has some baby clothes, formula, diapers, bottles and a couple toys and pacifiers in it, but you guys are going to have to do a lot of shopping, he's going to need a lot more of those things and you'll have to buy furniture, there's a care seat in the car for him as well."
"I'll get it." Trowa walked off, his long limbs eating up the distance quickly.
Quatre nodded at Anna. "We'll take care of it, and if we have any questions about what we need I can ask my sisters, some good aught to come out of having 29 sisters after all."
Anna laughed and stopped in front of Wufei. "Chang Wufei, meet Chang Lao." Wufei looked at Lao uncertainly, unsure of how to hold him, seeing this she smiled at him reassuringly. "Fold your arms like mine."
Slowly Wufei folded his arms into a cradle and Anna placed the 3 month old into his arms, tucking the blanket away from his face so they could see him. Wufei stared down at the infant in his arms and the infant stared back up at him with clear black eyes. "Hello little dragon, I'm your father." Lao smiled toothlessly letting loose a squeal, he reached up one tiny hand and grabbed Wufei's loose hair, pulling slightly.
The other boys chuckled. Quatre propped his chin over Wufei's shoulder and looked down at the baby with a smile. "He looks just like you Fei."
"Almost, he has Meiran's nose."
Trowa returned then with the car seat and set it on the table then joined Heero to get a peak at the baby, he looked over Duo's shoulder easily. "He's cute."
Duo shook his head and tickled Lao's nose with his finger earning a laugh from the baby. "Nope, he's beautiful."
Heero stared down silently at the baby who was waving his free hand around, carefully he reached in with his pinky extended and the tiny fist grabbed a hold. "Welcome to the family Lao."
Wufei smiled at his lovers and his friends then ducked his head down to kiss Lao's forehead. "Yes, welcome to the family my son."
Only Quatre noticed when Anna left, smiling and nodding at her in farewell as she turned to leave, she smiled and waved back then disappeared around the corner giving the newly extended family some privacy. She would file the paper work and no one would ever know the complications she had come across. As far as her employers would ever know, everything had gone off without a hitch and Chang Wufei was not a 15-year-old boy.
On the lanai each of the boys insisted on holding the baby boy so that Lao could meet his new "uncles" and his two other new daddies. Lao was already well on his way to having the five dangerous and intimidating Gundam pilots wrapped around his tiny finger.
~*Owari*~
[1] Lanai: Hawaiian word for a deck or porch.