a/n: 2 of 2

adventure'send

Trowa fidgeted slightly as he waited for the timer on the stove to ding, glancing out the window toward the yard. Heero was pulling in, and Rachel was supposed to show up any minute, too.

"I want a sugar-daddy," Ry informed him seriously as he moved up to the island next to Trowa. "I really do."

"Shouldn't you be lookin' for a cougar?" Trowa retorted. "Sugar-daddy's want sex, and I didn't get the impression you swung-that way."

Ry snickered, looking out the window. "Ooh!"

Trowa watched him bounce to the front door, grinning a bit wryly.

"I think he's waiting for another interview," Duo noted, moving down the hall. "You sure I have to stay here?"

"Zach would miss you," Trowa retorted, looking back to him. "And you'd miss him."

"Not half as much as you do," Duo retorted, stretching and looking around the living-room again. "I don't think you could actually pull off adoption."

"Stop looking at my computer histories," Trowa ordered as the timer dinged. He leaned down to pull out the pan of fries.

Duo sniggered, looking toward the window as Heero passed it.

"Ry!" Siksik exclaimed. "Ry! Zach, Ry? Zach?"

"He's not here yet," Ry returned happily. "Hi, Siksik."

"Hi, Ry," the bird returned. "Trowa?"

"Hi, Siksik," Trowa called as Heero came around the corner with the bird on the strap around his neck again.

The bird chirped at him, then looked around to Duo.

"Hi, Siksik," Duo greeted, hesitantly offering his wrist. He flinched a bit when the bird leaned down, but calmed when the creature rubbed against his wrist.

"I told you he does that all the time," Heero chided Duo, pulling the strap off and looking around.

"Your bird could take my hand," Duo retorted.

Heero grinned at that, squeezing slightly at Ry's shoulders when the kid moved closer to him. He moved around without any further acknowledgment, and Ry happily bounced toward the couch.

. . . Heero had just hugged Ry.

Trowa blinked at the man.

"Relena and Rachel have been texting all morning," Heero informed them dryly. "I'm supposed to tell you that Rachel is running a little bit late because Zach spilled a pop down himself and she had to bathe him. Tell her I said right-off when she asks."

Trowa smirked at that, pulling his phone out. He pulled up a text to Relena herself, asking if she was his new secretary...or was she Rachel's?

The nice dark SUV Rachel drove around slid up to the curb outside, and Trowa stopped a brief moment...then darted for the front door.

"Relena's with her?" Duo asked blankly, realizing the woman was in the passenger's seat.

"Oh, they're best friends," Heero agreed dryly. "She wants to have a baby now," he added almost petulantly. "I can't get out of the house without..." he trailed off.

Duo snickered wickedly. "Against the wall in the hall..." he bounced after Trowa.

Heero cast a brief grin at Ry, moving to follow.

"Hey, Zach!" Trowa was greeting the little-boy, having pulled the door open. "Hey, Rache...hey, Relena."

"Hey, Tro," Duo called happily. "Heero just informed me he and Relena aren't practicing anymore."

Heero tried to protest this very loud announcement a moment too late, elbowing the brunette.

Trowa snorted, glancing around to them as Relena gave Heero the beady sort of look that meant they'd discuss that later.

"I hate you sometimes," Heero informed Duo.

Duo laughed delightedly as Trowa hugged the little boy. Zach had been talking almost non-stop at him since the car-door had opened.

"Hi, Duo...hi, Heero," Rachel called, bouncing happily around...as Keller's car slid up behind the SUV.

Trowa, Duo, and Heero stared at that.

"My daddy is coming to lunch!" Zach proclaimed excitedly. "I told him you house is fun, and he said he wanted lunch, too!"

"Cool," Trowa noted to the little boy, bouncing him a bit as he swung around so Zach could greet Duo.

"Hey," Duo added, squeezing the kid. "Are you being really bad for your mommy?"

Zach started giggling.

"Siksik is inside," Heero noted. "He wants to play."

Zach squeaked...and slid out of Duo's arms. In a moment he was in the house.

"Tell this idiot he doesn't really want to adopt," Duo added to the group at large as Keller slid from his car with a happy smile.

"You want to adopt?" Rachel asked brightly, focusing on him. "Are you sure? I saw some of the stuff you bought on your own...I don't know if that's such a hot plan."

"There are other ways to get babies," Relena informed him.

"But you told me you wouldn't have my baby," Trowa protested as Keller moved closer. He focused happily on the man briefly, then looked to Rachel. "You wanna have my baby?"

Rachel smacked him.

Trowa laughed happily, hugging the woman before offering a hand to the man.

"Come on," Duo ordered, starting to back away. "The fries and stuff are done...and I'm sure no one would be too happy about Mr. High-and-Mighty being on our front lawn," he indicated Keller.

"High-and-Mighty?" Keller retorted, giving him a happily offended look. "You're the one who preaches."

Duo started laughing, then stopped as Quatre's car slid up behind Keller's.

"I guess it's a party?" Trowa asked blankly. "Oh, no...it's just Wufei and Quatre."

Duo snickered.

"What are they doing here?" Heero asked blankly. He smiled and waved as Quatre happily bounced from the car, watching as Wufei stood and stretched.

"I have a name I want to give them," Duo retorted easily. "But see, there's this whole thing where they wouldn't give me the time of day for a few years because of him," he indicated Trowa. "But now he's like, all reformed and stuff-you can tell 'cause the defense minister likes him-they're willing to re-meet him." He beamed. "Quatre! Wufei! Just in time! Lunch just came up!"

"Mr. Miles," Wufei greeted, extending his hand to Keller. "Mrs. Miles."

"Hello, Mr. Chang," Rachel greeted cheerily as she pulled him into a brief hug. "Zach is already inside..."

Quatre hesitated a moment longer. He hadn't been around when Trowa'd given Zach back-he'd been off getting engaged or something pointless like that.

Heero smirked.

"And you must be Quatre Winner," Keller noted, offering his hand. "It's an honor to meet you-it's an honor to be here with true veterans," he added, glancing toward Heero.

"It's also an honor that you practice speeches for us," Duo retorted.

Keller started laughing as Quatre drew himself up short from sputtering.

"He's not practicing them for you," Rachel noted, beaming at Duo. "He's practicing them for everyone else, he just has a new target. Did you know he's so honored I'm his wife? And so honored we have a son together?"

Keller snickered more, smacking at her.

"Come on," Trowa suggested, backing up toward the front door more. They'd made it at least halfway there. "I got juice and pop...and beers for tonight."

"The man's my best friend," Heero informed Keller proudly.

And, laughing, they moved inside. Ry had started one of those Mini-bobo discs, and Zach was singing the opening theme along with Siksik.

Heero stopped in the door as everyone else moved happily into the kitchen, looking the yard over and remembering that first morning he'd found the house and come for a cup of coffee.

Some day, he'd have to thank Duo. If it hadn't been for that cup of coffee...he would never have gotten his friends back.

"Heero," Duo poked his head into the little hallway to give him look. "What are you doing?"

Heero gave him a look, closing the door and moving to follow.

"I just got a call-back," Ry announced, moving down the hall to look them all over nervously...it had started out proud. He had the house-phone in one hand. "I applied for that shop, right?" he looked around to Heero. "That one you suggested? And they said...they want to meet me tomorrow." He shifted uncomfortably a moment, looking up and around to all of them. "What do I wear to that? I don't actually have anything nice..."

"Hey, Rache," Relena muttered happily. "Wanna go play with my hubby's plastic?"

Keller snorted, pulling out his wallet. "Why bother when I have cash?"

End