Book Three
Part 14
I guess she's always been prepared for the worst
Nine times out of ten times they'd leave her stranded in the dirt
But she's got a higher threshold of pain
All the boys say that girls can't fight, but fight's her middle name
"Jodi's Winning" – Johnny Clueless
"Master Quatre," a voice woke him up that night. It was the nurse taking care of Anicka.
He shot straight up and felt the blood rush from his head. "How is she?" he asked hurriedly.
"She's not good. She's somewhere in between asleep and awake, rolling around and repeating your name like a lunatic," the older lady said. "You should put a shirt on," she said in vain. He was already out the door and running down the corridor.
"Anicka!" Quatre rushed through the door, out of breath, and sat beside her. He could tell that she couldn't be capable of rational thought, at least not easily, because her head was swollen around the bandage and her eyes were bloodshot. He started to cry at the sight of her. She was rolling in her bed, as if the two halves of her brain were fighting, and then she saw him. She ceased all movement, save the jerky action of her eyes, her mind recognizing him and saving the memory of his shirtless body. She smiled, "You…"
He smirked. "Yes, me. You got pretty beaten up out there, don't move too much."
"I held my own, though, didn't I?"
"The others will hear nothing but good things."
"That's great. What's the damage?"
"You have a nasty bump on the head, a broken leg and a broken wrist. And Swordsong is fine."
"Broken wrist?" She looked at her casted appendage, baffled. "You've got some pretty good pain killers here, I can't even feel it. What time is it?"
"Two-thirty AM. I think you need to sleep, Anicka. You fought hard out there. Only one of them got away alive."
"Who was it? I bet it was that Virgo. Who was that guy, anyway?"
"Yeah, it was the Virgo. Catalonia. He worked behind-the-scenes with Oz and masterminded the mobile doll operation. No one knew him but those who worked on the inside. Now he spends his time trying to dissolve all hopes of peace and kill the pilots – mainly me. As soon as they saw you, they switched to a lower radio frequency, which I listened in on, and concentrated most of their fire power on you."
"Really…" she trailed off, yawned, closed her eyes and fell asleep, broken leg extended. Quatre smiled at her, and, seeing that she couldn't be left alone, he slowly climbed into the bed next to her, curving around her lithe, injured body.
Part 15
Arabian nights, like Arabian days
More often than not
Are hotter than hot
In a lot of good ways
"Arabian Nights" - Disney movie "Aladdin"
Quatre woke up the next morning unable to move. Anicka had rolled on top of him in her sleep. Her broken right wrist and leg were hanging off the bed, and her head was on his shoulder. Her left arm was curled under her, giving both her and Quatre room to breathe. Quatre smiled broadly. He had never been in a situation like this before, so he did the first thing that came to mind. He kissed her on her unmarred cheek. Her eyes fluttered, and he whispered, "Good morning." She woke up and turned her head and, seeing who it was, she kissed him on the mouth, smiled and closed her eyes. "Anicka," he said just above a whisper, "I can't move."
"Good," she answered, not moving a muscle.
"Could you…"
"No." At that, Quatre wriggled his arm to her side and tickled her. She twisted from side to side and he shifted out from under her, laughing. "What was that for?" she asked, giggling.
"I couldn't move," he answered, grinning like a madman.
"Oh, okay, that's all right then." She turned on her side to face him.
"Are you good laying on your leg like that?" He looked at her on his side, reaching over and twirling her hair.
"I'm fine…" They laid in silence for minutes, passing time by staring, kissing and smiling. Finally, Quatre broke the silence.
"How will we tell the others?"
"Do we have to?"
"It'll be very obvious if we can't keep our eyes off each other."
"So. Let them figure it out or confront us."
"Anicka, they'll be mad we didn't come clean in the first place. Should I tell them?"
"You know 'em better. I'd be content if you just carried my busted body through the door and let them figure it out."
"I would, too," he said, continually playing with her curly auburn hair, "but I can't. They trust me too much."
"I trust you. You can tell them, but I want to be there."
"To see what they do?"
"You know me so well." There came a point in the following period of silence when Anicka shook Quatre's hands from her hair and stood, favoring her leg and wincing through the pain. "It's a miracle! I can stand," she said through clenched teeth.
"Sit down, you'll hurt yourself," he whined. He tried to sound concerned but, secretly, he wanted her to stay standing so he could look at her graceful, sinewy body in its tight, ivory nightgown.
"I'll be fine."
"Yeah, whatever," he stood up and literally swept her off her feet, holding her like an overgrown baby, her arms hanging around his neck.
"Thanks, the pain was kicking in there," she looked up at him, grinning.
"So, where were you going?"
"Actually, I was going to find some clothes…"
"Oh," he said, his cheeks getting red, "Well, I'm sure I can find something for you in my room."
"Where's that?"
"A couple doors down."
"Are you going to carry me?"
"Of course." He shifted his grasp on her and started out the door.
Part 16
"Thanks for the shirt, Quatre," Anicka said. She and Quatre had changed into almost identical clothes – he threw on an old blue shirt and she borrowed a green one and a pair of jeans.
"No problem," he answered. They were sitting next to each other on Quatre's bed. Anicka had to undo her bandages to dress, and Quatre was re-wrapping them, slowly and carefully. "You look a lot better today."
"You think?"
"Yes. I mean, um…"
"I get it. You know, you're cute when you're speechless."
He blushed and grinned. "Really?"
"Yes." She laughed.
"All right, I'm done, you're all wrapped up now."
"Thanks. Do you have any crutches?"
"Yes, I'll call for them." He pressed a button and said, "We need a set of crutches in my room, Nurse. Oh, and could you bring up some breakfast?"
"On my way," a voice uttered through the speaker. Minutes later, a nurse walked through the door holding a pair of metal, adjustable crutches in one hand and a tray of food in the other. The nurse smiled at the girl, glad that Quatre had found someone. Anicka took them, fitted them to her height and started cruising around the room. She held them too far away from her frame and fell over, landing on Quatre's lap and laughing hysterically with him.
"Oopsy daisy," she stated through her giggles.
"Looks like you need some practice on those things," he voiced through his laughing turned tears. Anicka wiped the saltwater from his face with the sleeve of her borrowed shirt, laughing all the while, and wiped her own face after. They sat there, Anicka on the floor, leaning on Quatre's legs, for moments, laughing, and Anicka finally spoke.
"When are we going back?"
"Soon, maybe when your leg is a bit better. It will be easier for you to get around the hangar if you can walk for yourself."
"When will that be?"
"I should probably call and find out what is going on over there, maybe we can go back in a few days. Are you hungry? Looks like eggs and bacon."
"Good, I'm famished." She grabbed a plate from the tray, loaded it up with more than half of the food, and shoveled it into her mouth with an unusual efficiency.
"You know what, I'll call them now," Quatre said, puzzled as to why she was eating so fast. He touched a couple buttons on the console in his room and uttered the phrase "Quatre Raberba Winner, Gundam Sandrock here."
"Quatre! Where have you been?" a cordial voice replied from the loudspeaker.
"Hey, Duo. I'm at home. Anicka is kind of bashed up, but otherwise we're fine. When do you want us back there?"
"Soon. There's a bunch of rivalry battles cropping up out here, we could use both your help."
"Anicka can't, like I said, she's got a broken leg and a broken wrist."
"Yes I can," she sassed, "I can do anything I want! Even Gundam pilots can't stop me."
"Yes, we can." She heard a quiet voice say from the other end of the link.
"Heero…" Quatre angrily voiced, "She's fine. We'll be back by the end of the week, tomorrow at the earliest."
"Okay, see you soon," Duo noted.
"Thank you for standing up for me, but I can do it myself," Anicka said to him angrily.
"Sorry," he said, trying to sound apologetic.
"You know…" Anicka thoughtfully voiced, still leaning on his knee, "I think we should go back today."
"But what about your leg?"
"What about my leg? I can take it. It sounds pretty bad over there. We need to go back."
"Don't you like it here?"
"Of course I do, you live here don't you? We have to go back. I can tell you're worried about them. I see that they're a second family to you, your brothers or something. Doesn't it make sense that we go back?"
"Yes." Quatre wasn't going to argue with her. She was right, the other pilots were practically his brothers since he had twenty-nine sisters and no other boys in his family. And he knew that Anicka would argue with him until she got her way anyway. It would be a waste of time to argue.
"Good. I'll pack." She gestured around the room, folding invisible clothes and putting them into an invisible bag. "I'm done, let's go."
"What about the Gundams?"
"We pilot them back, duh."
"Can you do that?"
"I could pilot the thing with my feet, remember? A hand and a foot wouldn't be that hard, now, would it? And the thing's got an auto-pilot, it'll do the driving for me."
"Okay." He was doubtful that she could make it without meeting up with anyone who wanted to kill a pilot, but there was no stopping her. She was… how did they put it… like an angel on a dare, he remembered from an old song he had heard. And she was.
Part 17
Anicka made her way to Swordsong with as little trouble as she could muster. She got in and, to the dismay of Quatre, flew the monstrosity towards the safe house in the Sank Kingdom. He followed closely behind, watching for any signs of other mobile suits pursuing them.
They entered an empty hangar late that night. The other pilots had left. Anicka and Quatre entered the building hesitantly, examining the domicile for any signs of other human presence.
"Hey, where is everyone?" Anicka asked him, searching the main room.
Quatre smiled to himself, listening to the fast click clicking of her metal crutches hitting the floor in their usual expression. "I think they left, probably a battle. Oh, well, more time to ourselves."
"Yeah," she said absently, looking for any signs of where they may have gone, and crutching around the main room and hallway.
"What…" Quatre started, trying to deduce the reasoning behind checking all the rooms. Then it came to him, as she slowly came out of the passage. He ran to her and kissed her passionately on the lips. She accepted the kiss, and, as her crutches fell to the floor, Quatre had already lifted her off her feet and started walking toward Anicka's room. She could feel it as his kisses moved from her lips to her neck and chest. Quatre did his best to walk and kiss at the same time. She felt her bed on the backs of her legs and bent back at the knees, lying down and feeling Quatre move over her and he continued kissing her, unbuttoning her shirt as he did. She reached up to him and followed suit, and, frustrated by the buttons, she ripped his shirt off. Anicka moaned as the pecks from his tender lips migrated to her breasts and stomach. She mussed up his hair and said "Should we really be doing this?"
He looked up at her saying quickly, "Yes."
Duo, Heero, Trowa and Wufei flew their Gundams into the hangar at the crack of dawn, noting the presence of the Gundams Sandrock and Swordsong.
"Hey, they're back!" Trowa exclaimed.
"Yeah, didn't they say they wouldn't be home for a couple of days?" Duo asked.
"Yes. But they must really want to get back," Wufei stated.
The four walked through the hall between the hangar and the main room. Duo saw their bags sitting next to each other, neatly placed by the couch. Typical Quatre, he thought. Where could they be? Heero also noticed the bags, but he was looking at the pair of crutches in the bedroom hall entrance. They weren't cleverly leaned against the wall or stacked against a bookshelf, but lying there as if they had just fallen. What the…
"Hey, where are you guys?" Trowa yelled down the hall.
No answer.
"Yeah. You guys have got to be here…" Duo shouted.
No answer. The four pilots started to walk down the hallway, each of them looking into their own room. Quatre's room and Anicka's room were across from each other at the end of the hall, so they were checked last.
"No one is in Quatre's room," Trowa said.
"Shhh!" Duo whispered loudly. "Check this out." The quad gathered around the door of Anicka's room, looking in at the couple, curled together in a tight ball, fast asleep. They could tell it was Anicka and Quatre from the mass of curly auburn hair and short platinum blonde.
"What the f…" Anicka said. She poked the Arabian and pointed at the door. His eyes widened and they were both speechless. They both reached out at the blanket and pulled it from their chests to over their heads. Meanwhile, Duo was holding back tears, Wufei was chuckling, and even Heero was trying not to laugh at his fellow pilots. Trowa just stood, speechless, with a flabbergasted look on his face. Anicka and Quatre, now fully under the sheets, were both terrified and hysterical. The group by the door had finished laughing and had realized the awkward position they had put their friend and latest ally.
"Sorry," Trowa uttered, walking away quickly.
"Go away," Anicka yelled to the remaining triad.
"Not until you tell us what's going on," Heero shouted back.
"Figure it out," Quatre bellowed. They could hear Duo start to snicker again and said simultaneously, "Shut up, Duo," but all that did was make him laugh harder.
"Go away," Anicka repeated. She lowered the blanket to see the looks on the faces of the three. She saw astonishment in Wufei, agitation on Heero and laughter in Duo.
"Hey," Duo quickly voiced through his tittering, "Whatcha doin'?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Wufei noted, "They're carrying out an elaborate plot by lying to us. Who knows what they've been planning. Maybe Anicka is working for an enemy and has been deceitful the whole time."
"Yeah, and maybe she just wants to get us all to bed," Duo joked.
"Not funny, guys. Now go," Quatre told them.
"Well, maybe she poisoned your mind, too," Heero's melancholy tone voiced at the couple. Duo was, at this point, crying from his laughter. Anicka and Quatre sat up together, glaring daggers at the trio. Heero and Wufei stalked off.
"Fine, we get the picture," Duo said as he walked away, joining the others in the main room and laughing the whole time.
Part 18
"Well, I guess we don't have to tell them anything now," Anicka said in the short period following the departure of the others. She laughed.
"I think they're mad. Did you see the way Trowa looked at us? Sure, everyone looked pissed, but he really did. How are they ever going to trust us again?"
"They'll come around. We should apologize, though."
"Yes. And maybe we should get dressed, too."
"That may help."
"Sorry, guys." Anicka limped out of the hallway, now in her own clothes, and attempted to ask forgiveness from the others.
"Can you ever forgive us?" Quatre asked, walking out from behind Anicka and holding her waist for support.
"I never thought you could be so stupid," Wufei quickly voiced. He stood up from his seat on the couch and walked forward. He pointed at Anicka. "Maybe you, but not him," his finger shifted to Quatre.
"Well, I guess I can, Wufei. And I'm sorry if I have made any of you lose your trust in Quatre, but I… I…"
"You fell in love. I know. I've said it before," Wufei sadly noted. "But I never will again," he quickly came back with.
Anicka noticed his eyes welling up with tears. "What's wrong?" she asked the Asian. He ignored her and sauntered off towards the Gundam hangar.
"We're sorry. We were going to tell you today," Quatre said, "I would hate to lose your trust and if that sounds cheesy, than, hey, who cares."
"What's the hell is up with you, Quatre?" Duo asked. "You've been really different lately."
"I've changed, Duo."
"Thanks to me," Anicka added.
"Yes," the Arabian hugged the girl around the waist and kissed her.
"Is everything okay now? Is the air clear? Can you trust him again?" Anicka asked after the kiss. She looked hopefully around the room at the other pilots. Slowly, Trowa said yes, followed by Heero and Duo.
"Thank you for giving me a chance, guys. Now, would it be okay if I talked to Quatre alone? I have something to tell him that I'm not ready to tell the rest of you."
"Sure," Trowa said, "but be sure to tell us sometime."
"I will."
Part 19
Anicka limped her way to her room, Quatre holding tightly around her shoulders, supporting her. She sat on the unmade bed, a single tear falling down her cheek. "Sit down," she said coldly. He sat next to her, confused as to her newfound depression and tears.
"What's wrong?" the teen reached over to her face and wiped her tear away with his sleeve.
"Quatre, I have something else I have to tell you before… this…" she gestured at herself and him, "goes any further. Back home, on the colony that exploded, I fell in love. His name was Gavin. He was one of those tall, dark and handsome types, you know? I met him at school where I was the only girl. He had been in my classes since we were in sixth grade. We were friends before we fell in love, he knew me and I knew him inside and out. We even shared a dorm room for a while, before the war. Then my father wanted me to come home to help build Swordsong. Gavin missed me a lot, and once when he was over, we, well…" she started to cry a little bit more, so Quatre offered his shoulder, which she rejected. She looked down and patted her stomach.
"What are you trying to tell me, Anicka?"
"Quatre, I shouldn't even be battling with you and the others now. I was glad when I heard that my leg was broken. It would be better than losing…" she stopped to wipe her eyes. She looked up at him with a tear-stained face and said, "his baby."
"What… umm… huh…" Quatre was baffled.
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier, I really wanted to, I did, but I couldn't. Either you weren't there or someone else was or my mind was elsewhere… and I'm sorry I didn't tell you about Gavin or the all-boys school or the baby or anything… I just… I…" she gazed upward at his now teary face and cried into his shirt.
"Anicka, did anything else happen back… home? You should tell me now, I'm listening."
"I want to have the baby, Quatre. If you and the others, once I tell them, want to help, then good, I have no other family. Help me, Quatre, please?" Her desperation was eminent now, and she leaned on his shoulder, crying heavily.
"Anicka, I'm sorry. I should have thought about every option before I started to think about you the way I do now. I'll help you, don't worry. And the others will, too. Just stop crying, it'll all be okay now." He did all he could do to console the hysterical girl, but it was he who needed to be consoled. He was crying into her hair.
"What is taking them so long?" Trowa asked the clueless group. He paced around the room in an unusual circle, to the window, door and past the two hallways.
"She'll tell us, remember? And we could force it out of Quatre if we had to, right?" Duo noted.
"Yes, but don't you think they've kept enough from us?" Trowa returned, "Are you guys done yet?" he yelled.
"Quiet, Trowa," the voice of Quatre came back.
"Just leave them. We are supposed to trust him, Trowa," Heero's unfeeling voice said.
"She probably has to talk about what they were doing earlier," Wufei coldly voiced. At that, Duo started to chuckle.
"Duo…" Trowa fumed. He finally stopped his pacing and took a seat in a lounge chair near the hallway. "Do you think they beat the forces attacking his house?"
"It was probably Catalonia again. We've beaten him before," Wufei said.
"We did," a feminine voice said from the hall. Anicka walked, of her own free will, from the hallway. Her face was red and covered in tears. Quatre shuffled his feet behind her, his head down. "Only one got away. Catalonia."
A shadow of confusion passed over Heero's face. "Where have I heard that name before?" he asked.
"You remember Dorothy from Relena's school?"
Relena… "Yes."
"Her uncle has wanted me dead since I blew up that colony a while ago… when I went crazy. It cost him millions of dollars, his factory went with it."
"Ah," Heero noted.
"What's wrong?" Duo asked, seeing that Anicka had started crying again.
"I'll tell you later," the girl stated, wiping her eyes. She smiled at the braided boy, and he smirked back.
"I think the deceptions should stop here." She shifted her gaze to the speaker, surprised to see Trowa frowning at her. "Tell us."
She looked at him with a face splashed in hurt, disgust and anger. "No," she flatly stated, continuing to cry.
"Tell us," he persisted, more firmly this time, taking a step forward.
"No," she repeated. She stared blankly at him for a second, her gaze shifting to Quatre. Shouldn't he be backing her up? Anicka turned tail and ran back to her room. Quatre shot a furious glance at Trowa and started after her, but a hand on his shoulder stopped him. He turned to see Heero standing behind him.
"Let her go," his usual monotone voiced, "She'll be fine."
"No, Heero," his tone was insistent, "You don't understand." He understood, though. She needed a moment alone.
Part 20
After long moments of silence, Duo looked over at Quatre to see the Arabian staring blankly at the floor and shivering. Duo, in his usual way, said jovially, "You cold, Quatre? Need a blanket?"
The blonde looked up quickly and shook his head. He then promptly shifted his gaze back downward. Duo looked around to see if anyone else noticed Quatre's unusual mood. He was never like this. Quatre was the proper one, the outgoing one. He himself was the messed up one. Had the tables turned? Or was it just him? It seemed that Trowa had noticed, he was staring at Quatre. Why was his friend acting like this? What had that girl told him? Wufei was thinking the same. That girl had devastated him… somehow. Heero didn't seem to care at all, but he did. Quatre was the Gundam's back-up leader. If something happened…
"What did she say, Quatre?" Heero, for once, sounded concerned.
He looked up, tears running down his red face. "She'll tell you when she feels she can. She can't right now." He glanced at the hallway where Anicka had retreated. Why didn't she tell him earlier? The blurred sight of that hallway through his tears would be imprinted on his mind forever.
"I'll go get her," Duo finally said. He had an abrasive attitude, but inside, Duo was a sweetheart. He stood up. "Wanna come with, Quatre?"
"Just leave her, Duo," the crying Arab voiced through his tears. "She needs time alone."
"Quatre -"
"Duo!" he yelled, "I'll go." The angry blonde stalked down the hallway. Reaching a closed door, he knocked gently. "Can I come in?"
"Yes," a barely audible voice answered. He slowly turned the cold doorknob and pushed open the door. "Hi."
"Are you okay? Do you need anything?"
"I'm fine. Are you?"
"Just a little shocked. And the others really want to know."
"I figured they would. They'll need to know, too, I will need help from everyone."
"You should tell them, soon, today even."
"I'll tell them now. I can go by myself-"
"No, I'll go with you," he insisted, but the woman had already started limping out. "You need help."
"No I don't!" she shouted loud enough to be heard in the living room. "I can do it!"
"What's going on?" someone yelled.
"Nothing," Anicka yelled back. She made her painful way to the room. Duo gladly got up from his chair and offered it to her, taking a seat on the couch next to Heero. She sat slowly in the chair, lowering herself with her arms. There she sat in silence, watching Quatre take a seat on the couch, next to Duo and closest to her. His eyes fixed on the floor, Anicka frowned. She looked around the room, her eyes meeting with four expectant gazes. "What?" she asked to no one in particular.
"Don't you have something to tell us?" Duo asked, peeking out from behind the stooping Quatre at her.
"Ye…yes," she answered hesitantly. "I need your help, all of you. Some of you can help more than others, but I know you all can offer your support." She looked around. She had their attention. "Quatre is not the first man I have fallen in love with. There was another. His name was Gavin. He and I were very close, we even shared a dorm before the war. He died in the colony explosion." In this, her fourth time speaking of the catastrophe, she did not cry. She had shed enough tears for them. "I am going to have his baby." Gasps were heard throughout the room. "That's why I need your help. Six months from now, there's going to be a little one here."
"Wha…wha…what?!" Trowa said in exasperation.
"I'm three months pregnant with a dead man's baby and I have no family to go to for help. Got it?" she sassed. He jerked his head back slightly and opened his eyes wide.
"Yes," he answered quickly.
"Sorry. That slipped."
"It's okay, I get it."
"So, wait. You expect us to help you with this even though we met you only a week ago?" Duo asked.
"Think of it this way. You guys will have something to do when these battles die down and disappear, you know, a new experience."
"I'll help," Heero volunteered. If he could pilot a Gundam, he could be one baby-sitter in six, right?
"Yeah, me, too," Duo answered as well. Everyone fell in, glad to take on the task.
"Thanks, guys. I really owe you one. First you take me in, let me battle, put up with me getting busted up and now this! I love you guys!" She slowly got up and kissed each of them on the cheek, save Quatre whom she kissed on the lips. She cautiously sat back down and looked at all the surprised faces. She smiled.
"Um, anyone hungry? I could probably whip up a snack or lunch or something to eat…" her voice trailed off as she stood up and limped to the kitchen.
Part 21
Well, if none of them were hungry, she'd make something for herself. She was hungry, maybe tacos. And a brownie or two. God, she was already having weird food cravings. And it was only the third month! What was it going to be like in a month? Two months? Six months?!
"What are we having?" Quatre's voice woke her from her daydream.
"Huh, what? Oh, tacos," she answered, "with brownies. Mix them if you please."
"Taco and brownie?"
"Cut me some slack, I'm pregnant."
"You know, that does taste kinda good," Duo walked into the room.
"You would say that, Duo," she responded, popping her nacho-like concoction into the microwave. On the plate was a layer of tortilla chips, then a layer of refried beans, salsa and cheese. Off her plate, next to the microwave, were two big, fresh brownies from a platter on the counter. "Who made these?"
"I did," said Trowa from the doorway. "It's Quatre's favorite, I had to do something while you two were gone."
"This is your favorite?" she asked, her mouth full of a giant bite of it. "It's really good."
"Made it from scratch," Trowa said proudly.
"You guys want any tacos?" Anicka urged the group as Heero walked in. "Make your own, there's plenty fixings." She gestured to the unorganized mess of opened containers and cans in the middle of the table, grabbing some black olives and tossing them on the top of her creation.
"I could eat these with anything," she said, popping a couple into her mouth. "Check this out," she put one olive on each finger of her left hand. "Want any?" she offered.
"Sure," Duo answered in his usual bizarre way. She smirked at the braided American and expertly flicked the olive in his direction, hitting him square in the forehead. "Thanks."
"Weren't expecting that, were you?" she asked as she caught the others off guard, firing olives at each of them in rapid succession, laughing each time it hit them in the face. She then sat down and commenced her ravenous display of hunger by eating like a starving wolf under a full moon. The other pilots looked on in near-fear, eating slowly. Had she even been fed at the Winners? She finally noticed the stares after finishing most of her meal. "What?"
"Hungry?" Trowa asked her sarcastically.
"Shut up, I'm eating for two," she answered, cramming a mouthful of taco-dipped brownie into her mouth. "You know, what's the baby's name gonna be? We may need to figure that out soon here. Any ideas?" The room fell silent, no one wanting to volunteer a suggestion.
"Any at all?"
No one.
"Girls? Anyone?"
No one.
"What about… Sanora," she threw out. Anything to get the ball rolling. And the room exploded.
"Aurora," Wufei said.
"Aurelia," Quatre suggested.
"Virginia," Heero prompted.
"Sidney," Duo submitted.
"Isn't that a guy's name?" Trowa asked.
"No, it's just one of those both-gender names. You know, unisex. Kinda like Pat and Max. Or Evan and Hunter," Duo defended.
"Wait, I like Virginia. It's got a certain ring to it – Virginia Estralla. And oh, Evan's a guy's name," noted Anicka. "Speaking of guy names…"
"Trowa."
"Duo."
"Wufei."
"Heero."
"Quatre." Each of them presented. Anicka gave them all a dirty look and they started giving reasonable suggestions.
"Tad," Duo proposed.
"Brandon," Trowa recommended.
"Garrett," Heero urged.
"Ryan," Quatre suggested.
"Good one again, Heero. Garrett Estralla sounds great, too. Garrett or Virginia. But they don't sound whole… um, any middle names?"
"No," Heero said. The others just acted as if they had no clue whatsoever.
"Oh… Kay. I'll think of something. You guys can finish eating," she said, looking down at her empty plate, wiping up the last of the salsa and refried beans with the last of her brownie, packing it into her mouth. "I'm done." She got up from the table and made her way to the living room.
Part 22
Quatre was the first to enter the room, about two minutes after Anicka sat down. He sat beside her on the sofa, smiling and wrapping his arm around her.
"You're not mad, are you?" she asked as he opened his mouth to say something.
"About what?"
"Today you took on more than you have bargained for. I've seen young families. Some don't work, some do. I don't know if this will work. I'll be eighteen when the baby is born… and its names sound funny… incomplete. What am I going to do?" she curled into him, resting her head on his chest.
"You could add another name to the end, you know."
"But what? Estralla has been the family name for years… there's no other – "
"No. I mean use Winner," Quatre interrupted.
"Virginia Estralla Winner, Garrett Estralla Winner, sounds good, wait. Your family's name? Can you do that?"
"On one condition. There's only one way I can."
"That would be…"
"Marry me," he whispered.
"WHAT?"
"Marry me," he repeated, again in a low voice.
"Yes," she murmured in reply.
"Really?"
"Yes. I let one love go. I won't give up on another."
"What do we do now?"
"Run away together. Not forever, just for a little bit, you know? Just long enough to keep them guessing. I know just the place," she paused, "America."
"Why America?"
"Well, there were stories passed down from my grandmother, Annie. She went to this camp in America, in Wisconsin, she said. It was beautiful there, and I've always wanted to visit it. Apparently, it's long abandoned, but it would still be picturesque now. And we can get married there."
"You should pack, I'm up for something spontaneous."
"Okay, wait. Now?"
"Why not?"
"Um, let's think. I've got a broken leg and a broken wrist, I'm pregnant and we have no way to get there and no supplies for a trip to the wilderness."
"Those are minor obstacles. The wrist isn't a big deal. Ever heard of a Canada leg? And we have Swordsong and Sandrock. And a store has got to be somewhere near there."
"Canada leg?"
"I remember seeing a man on Earth with an interesting crutch – his leg was bent and his knee rested on the metal thing and it was strapped around his leg so he could walk and use his hands at the same time. Pretty cool. They sell them in Canada. You see a lot when you're a Gundam pilot and heir to a huge empire."
"Information overload. Hold on a sec. We leave here on our Gundams, go to Canada for supplies and a Canada leg, pray anyone doesn't catch us, go to this camp, stay for a while, then go to a church and get married. Right?"
"Right."
"And what's this about being heir to a huge empire?"
"I inherit the entire Winner influence when I'm eighteen and when I'm ready for it. I have twenty-nine sisters and I'm the only boy, so I get everything. My sisters are taking care of it for me now."
"So if I marry you and my child is a Garrett Estralla Winner, he's heir after you?"
"Pretty much."
"That's so cool! Anything else I need to know?"
"Not that I can think of now. You?"
"A bunch, but I'll tell you when we get out of here."
"Out of here? Are you leaving?" Trowa asked, walking out from the kitchen, followed by Heero, Duo and Wufei.
"Yes, Trowa. Anicka and I are going away for a little while," Quatre said.
Anicka kissed him and, getting up, she said, "I'm going to pack."
"Good, I need to talk to you," Trowa sternly said.
"All right, ah, follow me." She limped to her room with Trowa close behind. He shut the door gently behind him and turned to Anicka, who was resting her leg on her bed. "What is –" Her sentence was interrupted by Trowa's hand slapping her precisely on the face. The blow not only stung, but also took her by surprise.
"What the hell was that for?" she asked, trying to return the impact with her casted arm. He stopped the blow mid-strike, holding her cast with a white-knuckled grip.
"You're going to marry him, aren't you?
"What's it to you?"
"Are you going to marry him?" he asked, twisting her broken arm and bringing tears quickly to her eyes.
"Why do you want to know?" she persisted, the pain in her arm burning on her brain. Yet, she wouldn't give in.
"Because you aren't the only person who has ever loved him." He shoved her backwards and she lost her balance, twisting her body mid-air to land on her bed.
"Trowa…"
"Be good to him."
"What do you mean?"
"He was the first pilot I met. We fought together and, to him, I was a friend. But to me he's always been more. And then you came along."
"I'm sorry. I didn't know."
"That's why I'm telling you. But don't tell Quatre, please, he won't understand."
"I do, and I won't. But you don't tell anyone about our plans, okay? I want to be able to surprise them."
"Okay, I won't if you won't."
"Great. Now can I pack, dear, I don't think you want to stay for that."
Trowa smiled. "Got it." He turned and walked out.
Part 23
Well, that's good to know, Anicka thought, rubbing her face. She dug into the giant blue duffel bag she brought from home for a journal her grandmother gave her. Where is it… she turned every page carefully, coming to a spot in the middle where an extra piece of paper had been placed. Here it is! The map to the camp! She flipped it over. And the map of the camp! She carefully returned the fragile old document to the journal, packing it thoughtfully in a smaller green duffel with her clothes for the trip. She also loaded hiking boots, her swimsuit, her favorite red dress and a first aid kit. She hefted the green bag over her shoulder and walked out to the hallway. Seeing Quatre's door open across the hall, she strolled in.
"Hey, sexy," she said, dropping her bag to the floor. He was packing his bag, a black one, with his best suit. But she only saw a grey bundle. "What's that?" She tugged on a corner of the package.
"I'll show you when we get there, I have to have something special for after camping."
"Good, I do, too. Are we going today?"
"We should leave as soon as possible."
"Can we go tomorrow morning?"
"Whenever you want to, Anicka."
"Sorry if you want to go today, but it's what, two o'clock and I kinda want a chance to meet everyone before we go for a week, no offence. You and Trowa are the only two I've really talked to."
"Wait, what did he want to talk about?"
"Oh nothing," she flustered, "Just some Gundam program stuff."
"Oh, okay. Well, I'm packed and ready to go." He started to the door and Anicka reached for her bag. "I'll get that." He picked it up and continued out the door.
"You know, that's not the first time you've taken my bag for me," she said in the hall.
"I'm fully aware." The couple reached the living room and Quatre neatly set the bags next to the TV stand. Seeing the love seat wide open, they sat down, taking up only half of the couch.
"So, are you guys going anywhere?" Duo asked.
"We're going camping for about a week," Anicka said, addressing everyone, "We'll be leaving tomorrow on Swordsong and Sandrock."
"Why the short notice?" Heero asked.
"Probably because I just thought of it," Quatre said.
"What are you going to do out there?" Wufei questioned.
"Well, we'll be in the middle of nowhere," Anicka started, snuggling closer to Quatre, "with no one around for miles and miles," she looked up to meet his downward gaze, "probably just enjoy nature." She laughed. Yeah, nature will happen. A lot. "So, how did you all meet?"
That was unexpected. "Um, we're all from the colonies and were given the same mission – to destroy OZ. They set a trap for us, we met there," Heero said with a hint of regret in his voice.
"When was that?"
"I don't know, almost a three years, though," Trowa replied.
"What's the rest of your story, Anicka?" Duo asked.
"It's a long one," she said, sitting forward a little.
"We have time," Wufei encouraged. She won't be hearing my story, but that's no reason I can't hear hers.
"I was born seventeen years and nine months ago and my mother lived only long enough to feed me once. I had a brother who was four years older than me and a loving father. My brother and I went to the same school starting when I was five – it was a kindergarten through twelfth grade all boy's school, but I got a break because I had a single parent. They didn't even treat me like a girl, either, I was an equal. So I may not act as a girl might. I made friends easily and that's how I met Gavin in sixth grade. He was my best friend. Before the war, I lived at his house because it was closer to school. Then the war started and I went back home to build Swordsong. And the rest is history." She leaned back, looking around the room at everyone. The silence started to weigh down on her, and she thought of a question. "Speaking of school, that reminds me. Is there a school around here that you go to? I'm falling behind, losing my knowledge," she pronounced the k in knowledge just to see what would happen.
"We are near Saint Gabriel's Academy, the Sank Kingdom School. We went there for a while, then we trying to break up the war. We could enroll you this week, we're going to sign up, too," Trowa observed.
"Why haven't you signed up yet?"
"Usually, I would do that. I've been kind of preoccupied," Quatre said, hugging her close to him and feeling the pressure of her shoulder on his ribs, and yet, not caring.
"Oh, hey, what's on TV?" Anicka asked, finally noticing the big screen along the wall.
"I don't know," Wufei picked up the remote and started rapidly flipping through channels, saying "stupid" at each one, then switching to the next.
"Hey, give me that! That was a good show! Turn it back!" Duo scrambled for the remote, and Wufei hid it behind his back and leaned on it. "You ticklish, Wu-Chan?" he asked sarcastically, tormenting Wufei by tickling his armpits.
"I give, I give!" he hit Duo on the face with the remote and sat back, his face resuming its customary stone-like appearance.
"Yes! Time for some Rowdy Ruff Boys!" he sat back and put his feet back on the coffee table, forcing Wufei to clamber to the other end of the couch. Heero, sitting on a lounger, looked at the TV and frowned.
"This again? Why do we have to watch this crap every time you get the remote?" Heero complained.
"Because I have the power in the palm of my hand and it's up to me." Duo grinned at Heero.
Heero stared unfeeling straight into Duo's eyes and spoke. "Duo, if you don't give me the remote, I will take Deathsythe to Antarctica and self destruct."
"Okay, here you go, don't mess with Deathsythe!" He tossed the controller across the room and Heero turned the channel to the favorite, Music Mix TV.
"What's this?" Anicka asked, seeing hard rock on the screen.
"It's a music mix station, they change the kind of music every half hour," Trowa said, kicking back in his chair and bobbing his head to the sound.
"So, what do we do now?"
Anicka learned that afternoon about almost everything that had happened to them since they received their Gundams. She heard the stories about Zechs and Lady Une and Treize. She heard about Hilde and Relena and Catherine and Mariemaia. The story about self-destructions and near-death experiences and opposing friends and double agents. They talked over their dinner of macaroni and cheese, and after. Anicka and Quatre went to bed early that night, sleeping in her room, ready for the next day.