Chapter 3
Enter Sandman
hush little baby, don't say a word
and never mind
that noise you heard
it's just the beast under your bed,
in
your closet, in your head
exit light
enter night
grain of
sand
exit light
enter night
take my hand
we're off to
never never land
-- Metallica
~
Ami took a deep breath as she tried to get her favorite skirt from before the kids were born, around her waist. She groaned as she sucked in her stomach and tried to button it again. She huffed angrily as it refused to fasten.
"Ami, I hope you don't expect to get into those size 1 outfits you used to wear after only two weeks. You fit into size fours, be happy," Michiru told the girl with a laugh.
"I don't care, it's my favorite," Ami whined.
"Ami, this isn't like you," Michiru told her with a disapproving look.
"I apologize Michiru. I just want to look nice for my first day," Ami said with a sigh.
"Why don't you try this," Michiru walked into the closet and pulled out a dress. It was a knee length sun dress with a pattern of tiny blue flowers over a white background.
"Alright," Ami took the dress and pulled it on. It fit snugly from her chest to her hips and then flared out. She smiled and took a pair of white sandals and slipped them on.
"Who has Fern and Corey?" Ami asked.
"I told Hotaru and Haruka to go put the two in the car and amuse them," Michiru told her with a smile.
"Good, my uniforms are packed, the cribs were taken yesterday, the baby bags are packed, the formula is packed, I've got my school books and bag," ami paused and thought for a moment, "Why do I feel like I'm forgetting something?" She asked.
"Because you forgot to include the baby toys, strollers, walkers, and blankets on the list," Michiru told her.
"Good, they're all packed. Let's go," Ami said with a smile. The two walked downstairs and met Setsuna at the bottom of the stairs. She smiled at the two.
"Well, we need to get Ami over and settled with the children," Setsuna told them. They walked out to the Limo and Stepped inside. The Limo started to pull out and everyone laughed at Haruka, who was actually trying to get the twins to laugh. The twins gave her a few strange looks but neither of them laughed. Ami smiled and giggled happily at the three.
"Snowflake, I don't think your children appreciate the harm this could do to my reputation," Haruka said with a sigh.
"They just want you to try a bit harder," Ami told her. The babies eyes strayed toward their mothers voice as she talked. Ami moved next to the two car-seats and smiled down at her kids.
"Is Auntie Ruka being strange?" She asked the two. They smiled and gurgled their laughter at her. She smiled down at the two. Corey was in a pale blue jumper with little race cars on it. Fern was in a pale green jumper with roses, her fist in her mouth.
"I see how it is," Haruka said in mock exasperation.
"You're still loved," Michiru told her with a laugh.
"You go away, you distract them to much," Haruka told Ami. The blue haired girl moved over to Michiru and left Haruka to her devices. Twenty minutes later they reached the school. They entered the gates and Ami fiddled nervously. Setsuna noticed.
"Do not worry about how they treat you. You are above everyone of them. Calm down and hold your head high," She told the small girl. Ami nodded and took a deep breath. The car stopped and the driver came around to open the door. The five women noticed a girl a little older than Ami come out the front doors followed closely by five young men, three of which they knew.
"Michiru, Haruka, Hotaru, Setsuna," Duo called, hopping down the steps.
"Duo, pleased to see you again," Setsuna said with a nod.
"Hello, I am Relena Peacecraft, welcome to peacecraft academy," A willowy blonde with hazel eyes introduced herself. Ami stepped out and smiled lightly at the woman.
"Hello, I am Setsuna Meiou. These are my associates, Haruka Tenno, Michiru Kaiou, and Hotaru Tomoe. This is our dear friend and the newest student, Ami Mizuno," Setsuna answered with a smile as Ami handed Corey to Haruka and climbed out with Fern.
"Oh, they're adorable! May I?" Relena asked immediately. Haruka looked at her uncertainly, but Ami smiled and nodded. Corey looked up at the girl in curiosity.
"He's darling. How old is he?" She asked.
"Two weeks . . . almost," Ami answered with a smile.
"You're the one," Duo started. He was interrupted by Quatre's hand over his mouth. Ami blushed but gave soft laugh.
"The doctor wasn't being very helpful and I'm afraid I lost my temper," She said.
"And she was allowed, it's not like giving birth to twins is easy," Hotaru said.
"Not that you'll find out until you're about forty," Haruka told her. Hotaru just shrugged lightly.
"Well, we should get to business. You are on the top floor, so let's have the brutes get the bags," Relena said with a smile. The five boys grabbed her bags and started to walk up the front walk. Relena gave Corey back to Haruka and led the way. They walked onto one of the elevators to go up to the fifth floor and got off. They turned right and walked to the end of the hall. There was one door on the back wall. Relena smiled.
"This is yours, room 509," She pulled a key out of her pocket and opened the door before handing the key to Ami. They walked in and smiled. In the living room was a love seat and a TV, there was a small kitchenette on their right, and to the left was a hall. There were four doors in the hall.
"This is much more than I expected," Ami said in slight shock.
"This is your closet," She told them, opening the first door on their right as the boys dropped the bags in the living room, "This is the bathroom," She opened the next door down. Ami smiled. there was a bathtub and shower, two sinks with a mirror over them and a full length mirror behind the door. And of course the toilet.
"It's a nice size," Hotaru said with a nod. The rest of the girls gave her strange looks. "What?"
"These two are the bedrooms," Relena pushed open the two and showed them. The second one down was larger than the first. Ami decided that it would be good for the kids. Both rooms had walk in closets and windows. They were furnished with one bed, a single dresser, and a lamp.
"Thank you very much Relena," Ami said happily. Corey started to cry and that started Fern.
"Here," Haruka shoved Corey into Michiru's arms and she and Ami rocked the babies.
"Do you need something?" Relena asked.
"There are two bottles in the baby bag. One of the boys brought it in," Ami answered. Hotaru and Relena went to go get them. They took the bottles in to Ami and Michiru. They started to feed the kids, who stopped fussing.
"They're so cute," Relena said with a smile. Ami grinned. She, Michiru, Relena, and Hotaru started to talk about the kids as they sat on the bed. Out in the living room, Haruka leaned against the wall while the five boys looked bored.
"So, Haruka, Ami's kinda cute," Duo said with a grin.
"Touch her and die," Haruka growled.
"She's not the type for you," Heero told him, eyes closed and leaning against the wall.
"Miss Haruka," Quatre started.
"Jesus, that makes me sound about eighty. It's just Haruka," The blonde told him with a grin.
"Haruka, These two are Trowa Barton and Wufei Chang," Quatre introduced. Haruka nodded.
"Any of you hurt her, and you will find out what it feels like to have seven pissed off Senshi on your ass," Haruka told them.
"Haruka?" Hotaru asked, coming into the room.
"Yes firefly?" Haruka asked.
"It would be eight. Do you really believe that P would let us have all the fun?" She asked. Haruka gave her a measuring look.
"Just don't say that in front of Michiru. I don't want to be stuck on the couch for a week," She told the girl.
"She didn't make you last time," Hotaru said with a shrug.
"Last time I had nothing to do with it," Haruka said with a shrug.
"I'm protective," Hotaru answered with her own shrug. The boys just watched the two in silence.
"So Hotaru," Duo started with a smile.
"No," Hotaru said immediately.
"Huh?" Duo asked.
"N-O, No," Hotaru said.
"You don't even know what I was going to ask," Duo protested.
"You were going to ask if I was free tomorrow night," Hotaru told him with a raised eyebrow.
"How'd you know that?" Duo asked in surprise. Hotaru shrugged.
"The onna has taste," Wufei said with a nod. Haruka looked over at the chinese boy.
"You're the one that got shot, correct?" She asked. Wufei grumbled something under his breath and nodded slightly.
"How are you feeling?" She asked. Wufei glared at her.
"How the hell do you think I feel?" He growled.
"Wufei, please calm down, it was a simple question," Relena said as she came in with the other two girls.
"Thank you Relena, and thank you boys for bringing my things up," Ami told them all. Relena and the boys left, leaving the scouts.
"Well, first things first. The walls are boring. Plain white?" Michiru asked with a shudder.
"I like neutral shades as well, but everything in white and tan is frightening," Setsuna said with a nod.
"How do we change it?" Ami asked.
"You tell Michiru what color you want it, and she somehow does it," Haruka said with a shrug.
"Helpful," Ami said with a laugh.
"It's because I'm Patron Guardian of the Arts," Michiru said with a smile.
"I understand now," Ami said with a smile.
"How do you want the kitchen to look?" Michiru asked. They walked in and looked around. The floor tiles were white, the shelves and cupboards were cream, and the counters were cream. The microwave, stove, and fridge were white.
"I want the tiles to be a natural brown shade, and the cupboards to be wood of the same color, and the counters to be a very light blue," She said first. Michiru closed her eyes and everything changed.
"I love watching that happen," Hotaru said with a grin.
"What about the rest?" Setsuna asked.
"Leave it white," Ami told them. They nodded and wandered into the living room.
"Let's make the walls powder blue and the couch navy blue," She said. It was changed.
"Next is the bathroom. Floor needs to be white, not that icky off white stuff," Ami said with a frown. "I want a dolphin painted on the wall across from the sinks. The shower curtain can have jumping dolphins, the walls can be white with blue floorboards," She said. Michiru changed it as well. Next was the kids room.
"Relena said that she would have the bed moved in a few days," Setsuna told her.
"Fine. Let's make this room yellow. A nice sunny yellow. Add colorful flowers up toward the ceiling, and make the carpet yellow as well. The floorboards can be white and so can the window sill. Make the closet the opposite," she said with a smile. The room was changed. They went to her room next.
"Let's not wake the babes," Haruka said with a smile. Ami nodded.
"I want the walls to be sky blue, and the carpet to be navy. The floor boards can be navy as well as the windowsills. Make my closet have the navy carpet, white walls, and sky blue floorboards," Michiru changed that as well.
"Well, now that that's out of the way, we should set up the house," Hotaru said. Ami and the outers started unpacking things and setting them up in different room around the 'house'. Within two hours, they were done.
"Ami, we have to leave early tomorrow morning, so we decided we'd do the essentials tonight," Michiru told her.
"Essentials?" Ami asked.
"Shopping, and that sort," Hotaru explained.
"And these of course," All of them pulled a present out of their SS pockets.
"What are these for?" Ami asked in surprise.
"We got the brats a bunch of presents, the mommy needs some as well," Haruka told her with a smile. Ami grinned back. Michiru handed Ami hers first and they all walked into the living room. Ami sat on the sofa and opened the present. Inside was a brand new, top of the line, ice blue lap top. She smiled and hugged the woman.
"Mine now," Hotaru said with a smile. She handed Ami a large package. Ami opened it with relish and nearly cried when she saw it. It was a polished lap harp made of some sort of golden wood. Ami had been playing since she was about ten and her mother had thrown away Ami's in momentary anger a little over nine months ago.
"Thank you so much," Ami said with a tearful smile.
"Now it is my gift," Setsuna gave her a box shape. Ami tore the silver paper from the parcel and smiled. Inside was a beautifully carved jewelry box and inside of that was a card for Setsuna's store and some jewelry.
"It's beautiful," Ami said with a smile. The symbol of mercury was the handle for three tiny drawers and there was a dolphin of sorts on the top of the box.
"Me," Haruka cried happily. She gave Ami a tiny black drawstring bag. Ami opened it and dumped the contents in her hand. Two keys fell out. She looked at the other woman questioningly.
"The silver one is a copy of our house key. You are now part of the family. The silver and black one is for that," Haruka had lead her to the window while she talked and now pointed to a small blue land Rover in the parking lot that had a large silver bow on it.
"And the card gets you anything you want in the store," Setsuna told her. Ami felt her eyes well up with tears.
"You guys are doing so much for me," She told them with a sniff. Michiru enveloped the younger girl in a hug and murmured soothing words to her.
"It's only fair snowflake," Haruka told her.
"You need to take care of Corey and Fern and still be a teenager, so we are going to help you. It wasn't your fault that this happened," Setsuna told her.
"We help where we can," Hotaru told her.
"Come, let's go to the store," Michiru told her. Ami wiped the tears from her eyes and smiled.
"You all are the best," She told them.
"Uh, there are only five seats in the car, so we'll take the Limo again," Haruka said with a slight grimace.
"Poor Haruka, maybe if you ask nicely Setsuna will let you drive," Ami said with a grin. Setsuna raised an eyebrow.
"I think not, the last time I let her do that she got us pulled over eight times and made a four hour drive take under an hour," Setsuna answered. Ami, Hotaru, and Michiru giggled as Haruka smirked in pleasure over the memory.
"Let's go get Corey and Fern, they've had a long enough nap, they should be waking up for dinner soon anyway," Ami told them. The five walked back to the room and picked up the two sleeping babies. The two woke up and started to cry.
~*~*~*
Damia - "Well, as before, it's been awhile. I hope you all haven't forgotten this little story here,"
Solatina - "It's better for their health to forget all of your stories,"
Wren - "Can't you be nice?"
Solatina - "It's not in my contract,"
Damia - "You don't have a contract,"
Solatina - "Hence the reason it is missing,"
Wren - "Readers please review,"