Title: The Children of War and Peace Chapter 7
Written By: Quality Paiges(aka Sailor Air)
Rating: PG-13 (For Sexual Reference and Swears)
Genre: Romance/Drama
This chapter is dedicated to my very loyal and encourageing editors Jen and Razu without whom I'd probably never finish this fic, they've given me all the confidence, encouragement and constructive criticism I could ask for and I'd like to thank them with all my heart! <3
Yes I do OWN Gundam Wing and if you don't believe me sue me! You're not getting any money from me anyway! (<----- This is all lies, just smile and pretend like you believe it)
*******************
Chapter 7
Duo spotted Heero walking around with the baby. He motioned to Hilde that they get off the dance floor and go investigate into what they had discussed earlier. Hilde nodded. She planned on seeing Relena tomorrow with Duo and she'd already asked Quatre and Trowa along. Maybe she could get him to go as well. She turned her head to look at him. His glare was icy. Okay maybe not, but how he reacted might be a good indicator of his feelings. Wait a sec... Heero react? Doubtful but then again the ten years after the war ended had softened him ever so slightly as it was not to be noticed by anyone that didn't look really really hard.
Duo was thinking the same thing. Ten years had softened him, if only a tad and as he walked towards Heero and saw him with that tiny baby in his arms he knew that it was true. "Hey Heero man how's the baby?"
"Fine." Heero replied.
"Can I hold him?" Duo didn't want Heero to do anything to the baby , like maybe tighten his grip a bit to much when Hilde started to work on Heero. No, Heero would not react well. This much was true.
Heero arched his eyebrow slightly. "Sure you can handle it?" Heero said walking over to Duo already.
"Of course. He's only a baby, how hard could it be?" No sooner had Duo said this than Heero had gently handed the baby over the Duo. The baby opened its eyes, struggling to make out his new surroundings and subconsciously note the new smells and new touch that a new person brought with him. The baby began to cry as babies don't normally like change.
"Woah!" Duo exclaimed. "Calm down little guy, you're in fine hands." Duo gently jiggled the baby and walked around with him rocking him slowly. The baby was still weary and it's cries were now muffled. He just wanted to sleep.
Hilde and Heero had both stared at Duo while he held the baby. Hilde smiled. Heero kept his icey glare but his eyes looked like they were grinning ever so slightly. "Hey Heero." Hilde began. "Whatcha doing tomorrow?"
Heero shrugged.
"Oh, so you're not doing anything important?"
Heero eyed Hilde. She was obviously up to something. "What do you want Hilde?"
Hilde put on her best innocent face. "Why whatever do you mean, Heero?"
Heero glared. "Out with it."
"Oh well ya know it's not a big deal and all but Duo, Trowa, Quatre, Noin , Millardo, and I were going out tomorrow and we wanted to know if you wanted to come with? I don't know if Wufei and Sally are going but I'm sure she'll drag him along. Ya know how it goes."
Now Duo was keeping an eye out on Hilde. Heero wasn't dumb. That much Duo knew, there was a strong possibility that Heero would figure out what was going on and not like it. He hoped Heero would over react. But really with Heero's version of over reacting, the best they could really hope for was an icey glare and a no.
"Where you going?" Heero had a sinking suspicion that he knew what Hilde was up to but he wasn't about to let Hilde or Duo know that.
"Oh well ya know I thought we'd take Duo's van then, we'll go around picking everyone up, then we'll go out for breakfast, visit Relena, play with her baby, go out to lunch, go to the park, pick Relena up from the hospital in the afternoon, take her out to dinner." Hilde said this so nonchlantly it surprised even Heero, who thought for sure she would blurt it out and beg him to come.
Heero pondered his own feelings for a moment, something he had bothered to do every once in a while in the past ten years, but well since the last eight months he hadn't, not really. NOTHING had happened as far as he was concerned. How could have anything when Relena had told him that? It had been so long since he'd seen her, spoken to her. God how he hated her, hated her baby, hated her perfect life without him, hated the way she wouldn't even tell him what happened, he hated the way she hadn't even bothered to think about him when the child was concieved. NO! NO! NO! there was nothing wrong because NOTHING had happened. He'd half managed to convince himself of that and he was sure no one else suspected anything so why couldn't he accept the fact? There had been absolutely nothing between him and Relena so why bother worrying? He hadn't seen Relena since Quatre and Trowa's wedding and that was awhile ago. He would go and just let her feel his death glare and simply not say anything, he wouldn't say a damn word to her and see how that made her feel.
"Yeah, I'll go." Heero announced.
Hilde and Duo had been watching Heero ponder his thoughts for awhile now and his announcement had baffled them, they both struggled to keep up with gravity. They thought they'd both fall backwards when Heero had agreed.
"Ummm Okay then, we'll pick you up tomorrow at eight. Don't be late!" Hilde giggled at her little rhyme.
Duo rolled his eyes. Heero glared. And none of them spoke.
***************************************
The Next Day
Wufei grumbled as he went to answer the door. Yes, he'd be missing a whole day of work by going to see Relena and a freaking baby. That was Quatre's thing. Not his. "Damn Sally." He muttered under his breath. Dragging him along like this. Hadn't he done enough for her already. But she had said "Out of work...yada.. yada.. yada... It's the nice thing to do... yada... I want to see her... more yada... hang out with the others." He had finally consented just to get the women to shut her mouth. He hoped he wouldn't regret it.
"Wufei!" Sally pounded on the door. "Come on it's practically time to go!"
"Keep your freaking pants on women!" Wufei yelled at her through the door.
Sally only pounded harder. "Wufei get your ass out here!" She recieved some icey stares from the neighbors with young children and shut her mouth promptly.
Wufei opened the door. "Ya know I have to live here and if you keep annoying the neighbors they're gonna kick me out!"
"But that would be injustice." Sally replied mockingly.
Wufei glared at her.
"Joking, joking." Sally relented. "I promise I won't threaten to beat your ass in front of the neighbors anymore. I'll just make sure to do it when I see you in person."
Wufei glared more. "I wouldn't be late if I hadn't been up all night taking care of a certain baby that someone couldn't take because they're apartment doesn't allow kids. Good thing I dropped that baby off at the daycare next door. So, when are they gonna be here anyway?"
"Hey! It's not my fault Children's Services aren't open on Sundays, or that my apartment doesn't allow kids. But they said they'd be here a little after eight, even though it's eight thirty already, but ya know Duo and Hilde aren't exactly prompt people."
Wufei's buzzer rang. "Hey Wufei it's me, Duo, come on down!"
"You're late." Wufei barked into the speaker.
"Heh, yeah I know Hilde and I overslept!"
Wufei looked like he was gonna go off again but Sally intercepted him and spoke into the speaker. "Duo, don't worry about Wufei, he was running late anyway. We'll be down shortly."
Wufei and Sally jumped into the already squashed van. It was filled up with everyone, besides themselves and Heero that is.IN the van were Duo, Hilde, Noin, Millardo, Trowa, Quatre and Catherine, who had showed up yesterday unannounced on Trowa and Quatre's doorstep and decided to hop along for the ride. Nine people in a six seater van was definitely not a comfortable thing. Duo and Hilde were in the front two seats, Trowa, Quatre, and Catherine sat in the middle seat even though it was only meant for two people and the last four Noin, Millardo, Sally and Wufei all sat in the back where there was only supposed to be three. Duo and Hilde didn't complain as they had their own seats anyway. Trowa was to silent to bother saying anything about the tight space, Quatre took it nicely getting to sit next to Trowa, and Catherine knew better than to complain when she had just invited herself along. The last four however were seated like this: Sally, Wufei, Millardo, then Noin. Noin was more than happy to be scrunched up next to Millardo, however Millardo did not look to happy sitting next to a grumbling Wufei trying to focus on talking to Noin somewhat privately, Wufei was probably the most unhappy of the whole lot, stuck (literally) between Sally and Millardo, he kept his head down mumbling to himself, crowded spaces weren't his thing. Sally didn't look thrilled herself, she was sick of Wufei's grumbling and just stared silently out the window. Duo noticed all of this when he looked in the rearview mirror. "Hey guys come on only one more stop and then we'll be at the hospital." Duo looked at the road. "Oh crap!" He cried out as he noticed he passed Heero's stop, he made a very sharp right turn causing several others to cry out various obsenites and the rest of the van glared wearily at Duo. Sally had banged her head against the window and was rubbing it gingerly now, Millardo had landed on top of Noin who had landed on top of Wufei who was now on Sally's lap. Trowa, Quatre and Catherine were now all in the a tangled heap of the floor of the van as Heero slide open the van's door and sat on the ground not bothering with a seat. He eyed them all and said nothing. Hilde seemed to be the only one unscathed from Duo's reckless driving as she was already used to Duo's infrequent use of the break. "Hey Heero, glad you're here man!" Duo greeted. "Just drive, Duo. Just drive." Heero responded. "Noo!" The rest of them simultaneously shouted. After about fifteen minutes of debating the issue they relented and let Duo drive. Not that they didn't regret it. When they arrived at the hospital, Duo had pressed so hard on the breaks a suit case fell on top of Heero and opened up all over the floor. Heero began searching through the stuff shoveing whatever seemed to belong there back in when he came upon a teddy bear.
Hilde had turned around and saw Heero shoving stuff back into the suitcase she had brought for Relena. "Oh Heero I'm so sorry. Are you alright?"
When the others turned to see what had happed they noticed the suitcase. "Hey Hilde what's that stuff for?" Catherine asked.
"Oh it's stuff I'm bringing over the hospital, Relena called me and asked me to bring her some of her clothes since she's getting pretty sick of wearing hospital robes."
"Then what's the teddy bear for?" Sally asked.
"Oh well you know I thought it would help her feel better, It was sitting on top of her bed so I thought it might brighten her face."
Heero paused holding the bear looking at it intently before he threw it back in the suitcase. Stupid bear. He thought.
*************************
Relena stared out the hospital window and sighed. She was extremely bored. Reading through paperwork had taken up most of her morning but it was so very tedious and the hospital nurses barely let her get out of bed to go to the bathroom, let alone to just walk around. She was gonna jump out of her bed in like two seconds if she didn't get to do something soon. Arg, damn bed rest! she rolled over on her stomach and pounded her fists into the bed. The door wrapped. And several boisterous people walked through the door and there were, of course, those who weren't so boisterous but the still had a commanding presence. Hilde was the first to walk over to Relena. "Relena how are you? I hope you're okay. I just can't wait to see your little girl and ooooo have you named her yet? I bet she looks just like you! Oh I have your suitcase, you can go change if you want, don't worry the rest of us will make ourselves at home."
"I'm sure you will Hilde." Relena smiled. "Yeah, I'll go change and then we all can talk." She glanced around the crowd of people. Wow there were so many people here to visit her. She glanced through the crowd, there was Hilde, Duo, Wufei, Sally, Millardo, Noin, Quatre, Catherine, Trowa, and Heero. Heero was here? When she glanced through the crowd her eyes rested for a minute on his face. He defiently stared back at her not blinking, and showing no sign of emotion whatsoever. She looked slightly pained as she paused on his face the rest of the crowd began to notice that she was spending a signifigent amount of time staring at Heero, so she turned her face away promptly and walked towards the bathroom door. "I'll be right back, then I'll call the nurse to bring the baby." She smiled without parting her lips and slipped through the door.
Hilde sighed and sat down on the bed. "She normally seems so much more cheerful."
"Ahhhhh Hil, I'm sure she's exhausted. That's it really." He said trying to convince more people than Hilde.
"Well, I hope she's alright." Quatre stated. "It would be truly said if someone like she wasn't. Relena is so good to everyone."
"I don't see what her problem is!" Wufei said. "She's acting weak."
Sally was growing angry. "You wanna deliver a baby?" She asked.
Wufei was about to say something but Trowa intervened, not wanting there to be World War Five in Relena's hospital room. "Whatever happened to the little one you had last night?"
Sally scrached her head. "Oh he stayed at Wufei's last night." The rest of the room looked baffled. "My apartment doesn't allow kids." She explained and everyone took that look of shock off their faces. "Anyway Child Services won't open for weekends and who knows when we'll be able to get ahold of someone."
Wufei looked unhappy about that prospect.
Noin and Millardo were talking a corner of the room. "Millardo, what will this accomplish but pain for you and Relena?" She said in a harsh wisper.
"Noin..." He said warningly. "This investigation has no end it simply is. It is what I must know for myself."
"What about Relena?"
"She would have told me eventually."
"Probably so but she'll feel betrayed if you do this. How will you ever be able to explain things to her if she ever finds out? What if you don't like what you find out?"
"Then I'll have to deal with that then."
The others were turning to stare as their conversation became more heated so they silenced themselves. Noin in a quiet fume and Millardo musing over what she had said.
Hilde went over to speak to Noin. "What's up Noin, you don't look so happy."
Noin looked down at Hilde tenderly. She didn't know her well but she admired the girl's ability to cheer Relena and the way she always seemed to know how others were feeling, even if she didn't reveal the knowledge or often express it. "It's just tension. This whole situation with Relena seems to be driving everyone insane. Humans are inquisitive creatures Hilde, They like to know what's going on with everybody at all times. With someone like Relena, it's especially true. I'm worried about her."
"I understand you want to protect her Noin. She must be like a sister to you. I once had a sister a long time ago. You always want to believe in them and protect them. It seems though that not all sisters are like that as far as mine went with me. Sorry, I'm getting off track. I'm sure you want Relena to be safe and happy as I do. You must be worried about Millardo, he must be one of the inquisitive creatures you were talking about as well."
Noin looked away not wanting her face to reveal anymore than she wanted Hilde to see. This girl was definitely unknowingly looking into people's hearts, unless it was just her own that was so visible. She choose her words carefully and slowly not wanting to let anything slip. "Yes. Millardo is worried about Relena. I wish not so much."
At the same time Quatre, Trowa, Sally, and Wufei were engaged in conversation as well. At least it was a conversation of sorts. "I think it's very sad our little one doesn't have a name Wufei. Let's pick out a name for him so we don't have to turn him over to child services nameless." Sally said.
"Our little one?" Wufei asked questioningly.
"Well of course we found him!"
"That doesn't make him ours."
"No but who else are we to refer to him as belonging to?"
"To go through one's life without a name is truely sad." Trowa stated blankly.
"What names are you thinking about Sally."
"Hey what about Wufei Jr.?"
Wufei growled. Quatre laughed and Trowa kept his statement blank simply saying. "I don't think a baby deserves a name like that."
Wufei glared at Trowa. Trowa shrugged. Sally and Quatre looked uncomfortable.
"Well I'm going to pick a name! And if the child get's screwed up because he has a weird name I'm blaming all of you since you're no help! The name should be meaningful and signify something so that the boy may always have a purpose. It shouldn't be general run-of-the-mill either. Hmmmm...." She couldn't think of any purposeful boy names that suited what she wanted.
The others were bored by Sally but Quatre suggested a name a joke. "What about Justice."
Sally looked like she had won the lotto, the size of her smile was that big. "It's perfect, his name is Justice. It's decided."
They look at her incredulously. Mostly thinking. "Thank God it's not my name."
Relena decided to make her entrance here. She looked better, all washed up and not in hospital clothes. Millardo came to give her a hug, the rest did the same with the exclusion of Trowa, who gave her a handshake which was much more meaningful to him, Wufei who didn't really care for Relena in the first place, and Heero whom it pained Relena to see him giving her the death glare.
"I'm glad you all came. She said. I'll have the nurse bring the baby in."
A new nurse came in carrying the baby, handing her promptly over to Relena. Seeing all the visitors she said, "Don't make it too long." Sharply and left.
Relena stared at her beautiful baby's face. She could just hold little Pacafia Reina forever in her arms. Her name meant peaceful queen. She knew the others were just dying to hold her though. "May I present to you Pacafia Reina my new daughter."
Millardo stepped to hold the baby first, however his motives were not just to meet his new neice, but to examine her for telltale signs of the father. He had already come to the conclusion that one of the Gundam Pilots must be the father, of course it was possible it was someone else, but he didn't think so. Relena respected all of the Gundam Pilots deeply and she spent lots of time with them and he didn't think it would be too hard to determine which one it was. Looking up in her date book where she was nine months ago and that would conclude that. If it did turn out that it wasn't one of the Gundam Pilots he would be surprised. He searched the contented little girls face. She didn't cry when he held her, only wiggled contently in his arms. She had honey brown hair that resembled her mother's and her eyes were blue, skin pale. This didn't actually tell him much but it was a start further examanation would be necessary. But how could he think those things with his niece in his arms?
The baby was passed around through the room, each person reflecting on little Pacafia Reina differenty. Finally it came time for Heero to hold the baby. Duo began to pass the baby to Heero. "She's all yours now buddy."
Heero resisted, "No I don't really want to hold her."
The rest of the room frowned. "Come on Heero, hold the baby." Duo encouraged. "You were really good with that baby last night."
"Hmmm... What baby?" Relena asked.
Sally explained to Relena that she and Wufei had found a baby on Wufei's doorstep last night and that he was at a daycare for the moment.
"Oh." Was the only thing Relena said.
Duo continued to encourage Heero to hold the baby but he declined. Relena looked upset and sad. Painfully looking at Heero she said. "That's okay Duo, don't force Heero to do something he doesn't want to, not like any of us could."
Duo shot a look at Heero but gave up upon Relena's request. Relena took the baby back into her arms. "I just can't believe I love her so much already." She stated. "She's so precious to me, I know she is apart of me, and her father." Oh crap! She hadn't meant to say that out loud. At least not that whole father part.
The group's interest perked up, father, yes they wanted to know about the father. They silently encouraged her to continue, hoping she'd say something more. Not that they didn't care about Relena, but really their curiosity was getting the better of them! Relena blushed however and didn't say anything more. 'That was more than needed to be said.' She told herself.
At last the room emptied out except for Hilde and Duo. They were all silent, not sure of what to say.
Duo nudged Hilde indicateing that it was time to put their plan into action. Hilde nodded and Duo commenced. "Hey Relena I want to thank you so much for encourageing me to propose to Hilde."
"Even if I did have to finish the sentence." Hilde said dryly.
"Yeah well...." Duo scrached his head. "At least I got down on my knee and you were smart enough to figure the rest out. I wouldn't have the guts enough to even get to that if it hadn't been for Relena."
"Yes, thank-you for shoveing this big lug in my face Relena."
"Hey.........." Duo said with a bit of hurt in his voice.
Relena giggled. "I know you two are perfect for each other. I'm sure your marriage will be beautiful."
"About the wedding Relena, I want you to be my maid of honor!"
Tears came to Relena's eyes. "Really?"
"Of course really! I wouldn't have it any other way! I trust you completely and I'm sure you'll plan a great bachelorette party!"
Relena winked at Hilde. "Of course I will."
Duo scoffed. "Well then I'll have Heero throw me an awesome bachelor party after all."
"Over my dead body!" Hilde yelled.
Relena was silenced at the sound of Heero's name. She'd be walking down the isle with Heero? Of course it would only be as maid-of-honor and as best man but the symbolicness of it all. She hadn't thought of that possibility when Hilde had asked her.
"Then how come you get a bachelorette party?"
"Cause I said so."
They both glanced at Relena to see if their plan was working, sure enough she was silent and reserved. "Hey Relena is something wrong?" Hilde asked.
"Oh no." Was all they got as a response.
"Ya know if there is ANYTHNG you need to talk about, you can talk about it with us! Even if it's private we'll keep it confidential." Duo said.
"I don't think either of you have been able to keep a secret in your life!" Relena said slyly.
Hilde and Duo mocked looking offended. Then more seriously Hilde added. "Relena even if it's about the baby you can tell us."
Relena looked away. "I was just thinking you could have a party together instead of two separate parties."
Hilde's voice was more stern now. "Relena! That's not what you were thinking about and I know it! We're your friends, friends help each other but we can't help you if you don't tell us what the problem is. We have all tried in our own ways to understand you Relena, but we just can't, we just can't!"
Duo put an edge of warning in his voice. "Hilde....."
"No Duo it's true. I'm so sad that Relena can't tell me something this important! I consider her one of my best friends and she's keeping this all inside! I want and I need to help her, as a person, as a friend, no even as a best friend this is something I have to do!"
Noin was hanging outside Relena's door while Hilde and Duo were still inside. Millardo was off trying to pull up hospital files on the baby and everyone else was down at the hospital cafeteria, probably eating bad jello when she heard loud voices coming from inside. It sounded like Hilde and she sounded mad.
"... this is something I have to do!"
"Miss Hilde..." Noin said as she burst through the door with a bit of restrained anger in her voice.
"Miss Noin this has gone on long enough! Relena isn't being fair to herself or to her friends and it's high time somebody sat her down and told her so!"
Noin pulled Hilde from Duo and Relena's earshot and told her. "Listen Hilde, you may be right, you may be more than right in fact, but Relena doesn't need someone to tell her right from wrong. She knows it. Right now she's in pain and we need to be supportive, we don't need to condemn her."
"I'm not trying to do that but this is unhealthy! Relena can't be taking care of herself by doing this."
"She's not but yelling won't make it any better and it certainly won't make her talk any sooner."
"How do you know Relena needs to be set down."
"What Relena needs is us and our support not our anger."
"I don't like this, not one bit."
"None of us do. But Relena has done so much, the least we can do is be patient with her."
Hilde did not look happy but she relented. She did not want to be the one to get Relena into a tizzy and go stressing out. She walked back towards Relena.
"Relena,I'm sorry for yelling but I'm concerned I don't think it's right for you to keep everything inside. I worry."
"I know Hilde." Relena sighed. "Everyone worries about me it seems."
"I hope you can tell me someday Relena,I hope you can share with me because I feel I can share anything with you."
"Oh Hilde," A wall of tears welled up in Relena's eyes. "I will someday, I will. It's jut too hard right now. It's just such a secret. I don't want to hurt anyone but it seems like no matter what I do I will." The tears that had welled up in Relena's eyes fell forwards,all the salty water collecting into a ball that rolled down her cheeks, staining her skin like a river stains the land.
********************
So whatcha all think! I always appreciate comments and criticisms. Believe me the more response I get the more I want to write and pump out those chapters faster. I'm done with the next chapter it just needs to be edited but it's really short, I was having some trouble with writer's block for awhile but now I'm over it and I'm pretty sure of the way the story is gonna wrap up, I just need to figure out how to place all the ideas I have in my head ^_^; BTY I really need your help to finish my fanfiction as some people have commented you can have a blood test to determine the parents of a child but none of the GW characters have offical blood types so if anyone can give more or tell me where I can get information on matching up blood types with personalities and other things it will be GREATLY appreciated (and this way I can finish my fic faster)!!! I want to thank you for reading and as always have a very nice day ;) !!!