CHAPTER 2
Duo Maxwell stuffed another cheesy puffy into his mouth. He looked at the four other boys sitting at the coffee table. "Let me get this straight, you have adopted a child? I don't believe this! What were you thinking? That kid will be screwed up for life!"
Quatre nodded, "Yes, she was left on our doorstep. We just couldn't leave her out there, all alone in this cruel world."
"And she won't be screwed up, 'cause you are all gonna help us.", Trowa added.
Three jaws dropped practically to the floor. "No way am I gonna help you and your gay parenting problems! No chance in hell!" Wufei Chang snorted.
Heero Yuy raised one eyebrow, "Yeah, you got yourselves into it, so you can do it by yourselves!"
Duo choaked on a cheesy puffy.
Quatre looked at Trowa and shook his head. "Maybe this will convince you!" He walked out of the room and returned with the baby, who was now clean and dressed in frilly pink.
The boys all leaned toward the baby. Almost instantly, their hearts melted.
"Ooo! Heero, she's so cute! Oh, I'll help you, Quatre!" Duo squealed.
Heero looked at the sleeping child and grunted. "What's her name?"
Quatre and Trowa exchanged a glance. "We haven't named her yet.", Quatre explained, "We were hoping you guys would help us . . ."
"Name her Nataku!"
"NO!!!" the four others yelled at Wufei.
"Gee, it was just a suggestion . . ."
Duo looked at the baby and scratched his head. "You know, she reminds me of Relena . . ."
"WHAT?!?!" Heero moved to where Duo was sitting to see if he could see the resemblance.
Quatre snapped his finger, "That's it! We should call her Lina!"
The boys debated over names for several hours before coming to a conclusion. Lina. It was the perfect name for her. It was childish, yet strangely sophisticated. Her full name would be Lina Keiki Barton Winner. But just Lina for short.
"Lina! Hello, pretty baby!", Duo cooed.
"Durb! . . . Ped no foo!" Lina hit Duo over the head with her rattle.
"Smart baby." Heero sniffed. "What is that smell?"
"Ew! Dirty diaper! Lordes, come and change Lina's diaper." Quatre ordered.
Lordes was a pretty, young Iraqi housemaid. She scurried in and took Lina to the diaper room to change her. "There you are, Lina. Quatre-sama will be very pleased!"
Lina and Lordes returned once again. Lordes placed Lina in her playpen and left the parlor. Lina squirmed in her playpen and began to cry. The boys all jumped up to see what was wrong.
Trowa turned to his partner. "Um, Quatre, what do we do now?"
Quatre stared back at Trowa, "Don't ask me. Maybe she is hungry? Lordes, come feed Lina!"
Again, Quatre's faithful maid came in and took care of Lina. Lina ate her baby mush and soon fell asleep. "Quatre-sama," Lordes began, "You and the guests should maybe take baby care classes. They are quite helpful."
Lordes promptly left the room.
Duo Maxwell stuffed another cheesy puffy into his mouth. He looked at the four other boys sitting at the coffee table. "Let me get this straight, you have adopted a child? I don't believe this! What were you thinking? That kid will be screwed up for life!"
Quatre nodded, "Yes, she was left on our doorstep. We just couldn't leave her out there, all alone in this cruel world."
"And she won't be screwed up, 'cause you are all gonna help us.", Trowa added.
Three jaws dropped practically to the floor. "No way am I gonna help you and your gay parenting problems! No chance in hell!" Wufei Chang snorted.
Heero Yuy raised one eyebrow, "Yeah, you got yourselves into it, so you can do it by yourselves!"
Duo choaked on a cheesy puffy.
Quatre looked at Trowa and shook his head. "Maybe this will convince you!" He walked out of the room and returned with the baby, who was now clean and dressed in frilly pink.
The boys all leaned toward the baby. Almost instantly, their hearts melted.
"Ooo! Heero, she's so cute! Oh, I'll help you, Quatre!" Duo squealed.
Heero looked at the sleeping child and grunted. "What's her name?"
Quatre and Trowa exchanged a glance. "We haven't named her yet.", Quatre explained, "We were hoping you guys would help us . . ."
"Name her Nataku!"
"NO!!!" the four others yelled at Wufei.
"Gee, it was just a suggestion . . ."
Duo looked at the baby and scratched his head. "You know, she reminds me of Relena . . ."
"WHAT?!?!" Heero moved to where Duo was sitting to see if he could see the resemblance.
Quatre snapped his finger, "That's it! We should call her Lina!"
The boys debated over names for several hours before coming to a conclusion. Lina. It was the perfect name for her. It was childish, yet strangely sophisticated. Her full name would be Lina Keiki Barton Winner. But just Lina for short.
"Lina! Hello, pretty baby!", Duo cooed.
"Durb! . . . Ped no foo!" Lina hit Duo over the head with her rattle.
"Smart baby." Heero sniffed. "What is that smell?"
"Ew! Dirty diaper! Lordes, come and change Lina's diaper." Quatre ordered.
Lordes was a pretty, young Iraqi housemaid. She scurried in and took Lina to the diaper room to change her. "There you are, Lina. Quatre-sama will be very pleased!"
Lina and Lordes returned once again. Lordes placed Lina in her playpen and left the parlor. Lina squirmed in her playpen and began to cry. The boys all jumped up to see what was wrong.
Trowa turned to his partner. "Um, Quatre, what do we do now?"
Quatre stared back at Trowa, "Don't ask me. Maybe she is hungry? Lordes, come feed Lina!"
Again, Quatre's faithful maid came in and took care of Lina. Lina ate her baby mush and soon fell asleep. "Quatre-sama," Lordes began, "You and the guests should maybe take baby care classes. They are quite helpful."
Lordes promptly left the room.