By West Wind
Disclaimer: I have no claim to any of the Gundam Wing characters in
this story. They belong to someone else.
Author's Note: Well here is another chapter. I decided
I can study tomorrow. I want to get this done.
Please Review ~ ^_^ ~
Marimeia answered the phone and Jen appeared on the screen.
"Hay, Meia," she greeted.
"Jen!" Marimeia exclaimed. "It's good to hear from you."
"I have great news," declared Jen. "Just give me a moment so I can conference Nikki in."
The screen split with Jen on one side and Nikki on the other. Greetings were exchanged among the trio.
"I can come after all!" declared a excited Nikki. "That is if we can arrange a ticket for the flight."
"Leave the flight arraignments up to me," said Marimeia. "If you don't mind riding with cargo."
Nikki gave her a funny look.
"At least once a week there is a shuttle carrying cargo going to L4 from where my mom works. I thought we could hitch a ride on it. I have to check with her yet."
"That sounds like a plan," said Jen. "Let us know when you get it nailed down. We are planing on showing up a few days before we go and spend them with you, if that is ok with you and your mom."
"I am sure it will be."
They soon finish ironing out the plans for their trip and hang up.
~*~*~*~*~
"Mom?" called Marimeia as she search the house.
"In here," Anna Une answered.
She located her mother and updated her on their plans to visit L4 in a few weeks.
"I was wondering if we could hop a ride with the weekly transport there?"
"I will check," Anna promised, "but I believe Rashid is going to be down sometime around then. Maybe he would take you. I'll contact Quatre."
"Thanks, Mom," said an appreciative Marimeia and gave her a hug.
~*~*~*~*~
Friday evening there was a knock at the door.
"I'll get it!" exclaimed Marimeia as she dashed for the door and through it open.
"Meia!" shouted her three college friends which was followed by a round of hugs.
"Come in! Let me show you were you can put your stuff."
Marimeia showed them to the guest room where Kiel and Jen would be staying and to her room where Nikki would be. After putting away their things, Marimeia showed them the rest of the house.
"Mom, this is Jen and Kiel Short and Nikki Fullheart. This is my mother, Anna Une," introduced Marimeia when they found her mother.
"Nice to finally meet you," said Lady Une. "Dinner will be ready soon. Would you like something to drink?"
A chorus of "I'm fine," came from the trio.
"Is there anything we can help with?" asked Jen.
"Everything is fine here, but the table does need set," Anna replied.
Marimeia and friends started setting the table.
~*~*~*~*~
The next day Marimeia showed them around town. Nikki wanted to go shopping so they ended up at the mall. Nikki had dragged them from one end of the mall to the other before they got her to stop.
"Remind me to never go shopping with you again, Nikki," said Kiel as he collapsed in a chair in the food court. "We walked the entire mall and all you bought was a hair barite."
Jen sat down by Nikki and pushed the tray with her brother's food and drink on it across the table to him after removing hers.
"Stop whining," she commanded.
"I'll whine if I want," he retorted.
Marimeia distracted the siblings before they got into a fight.
"Is there anything special you want to see on L4?" Marimeia asked.
They were discussing this when a man walked past, stopped, turned around, and addressed Marimeia.
"Marimeia, I haven't seen you in a couple weeks," he said.
"Jim!"
"Hello, I'm Nikki. A friend of Marimeia's. Would you like to join us?"
"That would be great," Jim responded and pulled up an extra seat to their table.
He sat at the end of the table between Nikki and Marimeia. Nikki was once again in her drool over cute guy mode. Marimeia mentally shook her head at her guy obsessed friend and tried to push back the uneasiness she felt in Jim's presence. She had not talked to him since the night she walked out of his house after he kissed her. Jen and Kiel noticed their friend's discomfort even though she tried to hid it.
"Do you like to travel?" asked Nikki as she started to flirt with Jim.
"Some."
"I love to travel, even though I can't travel often, but we are going on a trip!"
"Really. All of you together?"
"Yes, we are going to L4 for a week or so."
"Any thing special planned?" Jim asked.
"Not really," piped in Jen trying to curb Nikki's chatter. "Just see the sites."
"I hope you have a pleasant time," Jim said.
"I am sure we will," chimed in Marimeia.
"Have you made reservations already or are you just playing it by ear?"
"The arraignments have been taken care off," said Marimeia.
"We're staying at the Hotel Roberts," blurted out Nikki.
"I've been there a couple time for business. It is a nice place to stay," commented Jim. "I have a few more errands to run. Nice meeting you."
Jim got up and left, emptying his tray in the trash as he left.
"What a cutie!" declared Nikki. "Is he single? Meia, you know all sorts of cute men. First Heero now Jim. Who else can you introduce us to, and do we get to see Heero again? He is hot even if he scowls most of the time. Where did you meet him? Jim that is not Heero."
Her three table companions let out a sigh of exasperation at Nikki's ramblings.
Marimeia told them of her accident and how she had meet Jim. She concluded her story with him kissing her and her walking out.
"That other guy again," stated Kiel.
"Yah," replied Marimeia.
"What guy?" interjected Nikki. "Is there a guy you like, Meia, and you didn't tell me. I'm hurt."
"Don't feel bad," said Jen. "She never mentioned one to me either. So spill!"
Kiel gave Marimeia an apologetic look for spilling the beans and offered to explain.
"I guess I am the only one she told," Kiel began. "The only reason she told me was to explain why she would not go out with me. She was in love with another, even if he did not lover her back."
"Ah," cooed Nikki. "Meia, I never knew you had such a romantic streak. Do we get to meet him?"
"Maybe," Marimeia replied.
She knew her friends would give her grief when they found out about her relationship with Heero, especially since she was not going to tell them yet. At this point in time only their family (Lady Une, Relena, and Trowa) knew for sure and Sally probably suspected but never asked. Heero had only recently become comfortable with showing affection before their family, he was not ready for the world at large to know yet.
~*~*~*~*~
When Relena found out that Marimeia's friends were visiting, she invited them and Anna over for dinner on Sunday night. Nikki about passed out when she found out. Jen and Kiel propped her up until she came around. Once they got Nikki over her shock and stopped her drooling over Heero, they had an enjoyable evening at the Barton household. After dinner the group sat around talking.
Marimeia felt a small tug at her sleeve. She smiled down at Nathan and helped him up into her lap. He cuddled close and was soon asleep. Marimeia noted that Chrisy had copied her brother and was asleep in Heero's lap.
"I'm going to put him to bed," stated Marimeia as she stood up.
"I can take him," offered Relena.
"I've got it. Stay and talk. It won't take long," she assured before leaving the room.
Heero silently followed her with his sleeping bundle.
"They look so peaceful," she commented after they put them to bed.
Heero nodded his agreement before pulling something out of his pocket.
"Here," he said as he handed her a small box. [not what your thinking!]
Marimeia looked at Heero skeptically and opened the box. Nestled in the box was a ring. A wide flat band with an emerald with a small diamonds on either side.
"It's lovely, but why?" she questioned.
Heero just was not the sort to give expensive jewelry out of the blue.
"It's a tracking device," he stated.
She looked at him funny.
"I know, it sounds weird, but I have this nagging feeling that something might happen to you. Maybe I am just being paranoid and delusional," he added as he took the ring out of the box and slipped in on a finger on her right hand. "Please, wear it for my peace of mind. I don't want to lose you," he whispered.
"Oh, Heero," she murmured as she hugged him. "I won't take it off," she promised before pulling away. "So how does it work?"
"To turn it on press on the emerald until you hear a faint click. It is set so just bumping it against something will not activate it. Repeating the process will turn it off. It should have enough energy to keep it active for two days, three at the most."
"Got it," she acknowledged before they headed back downstairs.
~*~*~*~*~
The next afternoon, Marimeia drove them to Preventer HQ to catch their flight out. Rashid had agreed to take them back with him to L4. Marimeia had to laugh at Kiel's reaction as she pulled into the Preventer compound.
"Your mother is a Preventer?" he stuttered.
Nikki did not care, and Jen did not seem surprised.
Marimeia waited for security to clear her friends before they proceeded to her mother's office. They walked down the hall of offices when a yell interrupted the quietness.
"MAXWELL!!!!" screamed Wufie.
"Stand back," ordered Marimeia to her friends as she flattened herself against the wall.
"When I catch you, I'm going to cut off that braid of yours!" threaten Wufie.
A tall brunet dressed in black shot out of one of the offices with his braid flopping behind him and flew by the students standing in the hall. Soon a sword caring Chinese man with black hair in a ponytail emerged from the same office as the braided man and dashed down the hall muttering about injustice.
Marimeia looked at her friends who had paled drastically.
"What was that about?" asked Jen.
"One of Duo's pranks, or he said something to insult Wufie" replied Marimeia. "Happens at least once a week, the insults. The pranks are less frequent but more intriguing. There was the time Duo handcuffed Wufie to his chair. He put Vaseline on the phone, and I can't forget, when he filled Wufie's office with balloons filled with shaving cream. Made a real mess when they popped."
"Chang! Maxwell! Stop acting like children," ordered Lady Une.
The two froze mid chase.
"Yes, ma'am," they replied.
"Now get back to your offices and leave each other alone."
They did as ordered, passing Marimeia and crew on there way. Wufie nodded to her in passing and Duo gave her a big grin.
"Have a seat," offered Lady Une as she gestured to the chairs outside her office. "Rashid just called and will be here soon."
Lady Une was called back into her office by a ringing phone.
~*~*~*~*~*~
They did not have to wait long. Rashid soon appeared and took them to his shuttle. They loaded up their things and were soon on their way. The flight was uneventful and they were soon docking at L4. Rashid helped them unload and drove them to their hotel. Before leaving he pulled Marimeia aside.
"Mistress Catherine wants you to call her when you get settled."
"Thanks, Rashid, I will."
~*~*~*~*~*~
They checked in and were shown to their rooms. The hotel employee escorted them to a two bedroom suite to every one's amazement.
"I know I requested two standard rooms," muttered Jen. "Are you sure this is our room?" she asked the employee.
He assured her this was their room and handed them the key cards.
"I'll check with the desk," said Marimeia.
She called down to the desk while the others checked out the accommodations.
"I was just wanting to verify we were given the correct room," she explained.
The woman on the other end tapped away at her computer.
"Every thing is in order," she replied. "Is something wrong?"
"We were expecting two standard rooms not a suite."
"It appears, Mr. Winner authorized and paid for the upgrade."
"Oh, thank you," Marimeia ended the conversation. "Quatre, you should not have," she thought to herself and smiled.
"What did you find out?" asked Jen.
"It is no mistake. This is our room and there is no additional cost," Marimeia informed her friends.
"Well, let's unpack and see the sights," said Nikki.
"I have to make a few calls first," said Marimeia as she sat at the desk with the phone.
The others disappeared into the rooms. She pulled out her address book and called Catherine.
Rashid answered, "Winner residence. Hello, Marimeia. I will get Master Quatre and Mistress Catherine."
"Thanks."
The Winner couple soon appeared on the screen.
"Quatre, there was no need for you to upgrade our rooms."
"If you won't stay with me, then I want to make sure your comfortable where you are staying," said Quatre.
"Thanks," she smiled at him. "It is a very nice room."
"I would like you and your friends to come over for dinner on Thursday," said Catherine.
"I think that can be arranged," replied Marimeia.
After finishing her call with the Winners, she called her mother to let her know they had made it safely. She then informed her friends of the dinner invitation from Trowa's sister and her husband for Thursday night. They all accepted.
The group changed cloths and headed out to explore.