Wufei and the Shanghai Terror
Chapter 8
The Terror Terrorized
"Mei, quit pulling Lu's tail!" Sally said, capturing the little girl in her arms.
"I can't believe that beast doesn't scratch her," said Wufei, shaking his head.
"Kitty!" said Mei, trying desperately to reach the cat as she slunk under the sofa.
"No, leave kitty alone," said Sally. "Kitty doesn't like her tail pulled."
"She has a one track mind," said Wufei, unable to suppress a hint of pride in his voice.
"No kidding," said Sally, putting the two-year old down. "I've been chasing her around all morning and I'm exhausted."
"Kitty!" said Mei, as she bent over and tried to look under the sofa. Being toddler proportioned, she was able to look between her legs without bending them, head resting on the floor.
Wufei openly smirked.
"You think it's funny," accused Sally.
"You mean that a hell-spawned cat is no match for my daughter?"
"Yes, and I'm trying to teach her to be kind to animals. You're not helping!"
"Find me an animal that was kind to me, and I'll help you," he replied.
"Argh," said Sally. "No, Mei, you can't pull kitty out that way!"
"Pretty kitty," said Mei.
Sally had an idea. "Mei-mei, what if Mu gets you your very own kitty?"
"Kitty!" said Mei.
"Come on, we're going to a toy store!
Mei, her dark brown hair swishing, looked up, her green eyes sparkling. "Toys!" she said happily, clapping her hands.
"That got her attention," said Wufei dryly. "What are you up to, woman?" he asked Sally.
"We're going to get Mei her own stuffed kitty, and she'll leave Lu alone, problem solved."
"Oh, good thinking," said Wufei doubtfully.
"Trust me, this will work," said Sally.
"Whatever you say."
"Okay, come with us, then you can see for yourself."
"You just don't want to chase Mei all by yourself," said Wufei.
"Well, that too," admitted Sally.
"I'll come, but I reserve the right to say 'I told you so,' when she goes right back to terrorizing the cat."
"Deal," said Sally. "Come on, Mei-Mei, Ba is coming with us."
"Ba, Mei wants up!" said Mei, reaching up to Wufei.
He bent over and picked her up.
"You promise to be a good girl and not run away this time?" asked Wufei.
"Mei-Mei is good," she said seriously, putting a chubby arm around his neck.
"Mei-Mei better be good," he said with mock gruffness.
Mei giggled. "Ba!" she said, giving him a sloppy but earnest kiss on the cheek.
"Thanks," he said, wiping his face with his hand. "You're overflowing with the juices of life, my daughter."
Mei giggled again. "Funny Ba!"
"She's got your number," said Sally, having changed into something more suitable. "Ready to go?"
"Other than being slightly damp, yes," said Wufei.
"Speaking of damp," said Sally. "Mei, do you need to go?"
"Mei goes potty all by herself," said Mei proudly.
"So I hear about a dozen times a day," said Wufei. "It's the main topic of conversation around here."
"Come on," said Sally holding out her hand to Mei, "Let's take care of that before we go."
Wufei sat down again, sighing impatiently. "Get used to it," said Sally. "Waiting around for females seems to be something you're doomed to for the rest of your life."
"Wonderful," he said ironically.
"This next time, we'll have a boy, and you can wait together," said Sally, winking at him.
"What do you mean, this next time?" he asked to the room, as Sally had taken Mei down the hallway to the bathroom.
His stomach tightened a little and his mouth went dry. "What did she mean by that?" he asked himself.
"Crazy woman, always teasing me," he said aloud.
He got up and began to pace nervously around the living room.
"All done," said Sally brightly, holding on to Mei.
"Mei went potty!" said Mei, fishing for the usual praise.
"Huh?" said Wufei, his mind elsewhere.
"She wants you to tell her she's a good girl," said Sally, prompting him.
"Oh, right, good girl, Mei," he said absently.
"Something wrong?" asked Sally. "You look, I don't know, upset?"
"What did you mean when you said, 'this next time'"?" he asked Sally.
"Did I say that?" asked Sally, looking innocently at him.
"Yes, you said, 'this next time, we'll have a boy'. I remember it distinctly."
"Oh," said Sally. "I guess I did. Slip of the tongue, oh well." She laughed nervously.
"Is this your not so subtle way of telling me you want to have another baby?" he demanded, folding his arms.
"Well, no," said Sally.
"Good, because it's just too soon, don't you think?" he said. "I mean, we just got this one out of diapers."
"Actually, this is my not so bright way of letting you know we ARE having another baby," said Sally quietly.
Wufei sat down heavily.
"What?" he said dully.
"Congratulations," said Sally, "We're pregnant. Again."
"I can't believe you're telling me this now, with no warning, nothing!" he said, rubbing his temples. "Look at me, I'm a nervous wreck!" He held out a perfectly steady hand.
"I was planning on telling you soon, honest," said Sally. "I just found out myself, yesterday!"
"You can't just spring this sort of thing on a man!" cried Wufei.
"OH, like it wasn't a surprise to me, too!" said Sally indignantly.
"Ba, Mu, be quiet!" said Mei, folding her arms and glaring at both of them.
The looked at her. "We shouldn't be discussing this in front of Mei," said Wufei.
"You're right," said Sally. "Come here, Mei." Mei gave her a frown and shook her head.
"It's all right, Ba and Mu aren't mad at each other," said Sally.
"Loud!" said Mei, not budging. "Ba and Mu are loud!"
"Ba is sorry," said Wufei. He looked at Sally. "Really sorry," he said, holding out his hand to her.
Sally went over and sat on his lap. "I know," she said, putting her arms around him and kissing him on the head. He put his arms around her tightly for a few moments.
"Kitty," said Mei. "Mei wants a kitty!"
"Okay, I guess we promised," said Sally, wiping her eyes a little. "A kitty for Mei."
"Mustn't keep the boss waiting," said Wufei, "Come on, Mei. Ba will give you a ride."
Mei jumped up and down. "Horsie!" she squealed.
"That's me, the horsie," said Wufei, swinging her up onto his shoulders.
"You're not upset, really?" asked Sally quietly.
"No, of course not," said Wufei. "How could I be angry with you about this? I was just overreacting."
"I'm sorry I didn't say anything sooner."
"I'm sorry I acted like an idiot. I should be happy. I AM happy."
"Well, that's not the way I intended to tell you."
"I know. Hey, maybe this time, it'll be a boy, just as you said."
"What if it's another girl?" asked Sally, grinning at him.
"Then it will be another girl," said Wufei, "and I'll be as happy as I was when Mei was born," he leaned over and gave Sally a kiss.
"No kissing, Horsie!" said Mei. "Go!" She kicked her feet impatiently.
Sally laughed, and Wufei chuckled. "Well, you heard her, let's go, Horsie."
Chapter 8
The Terror Terrorized
"Mei, quit pulling Lu's tail!" Sally said, capturing the little girl in her arms.
"I can't believe that beast doesn't scratch her," said Wufei, shaking his head.
"Kitty!" said Mei, trying desperately to reach the cat as she slunk under the sofa.
"No, leave kitty alone," said Sally. "Kitty doesn't like her tail pulled."
"She has a one track mind," said Wufei, unable to suppress a hint of pride in his voice.
"No kidding," said Sally, putting the two-year old down. "I've been chasing her around all morning and I'm exhausted."
"Kitty!" said Mei, as she bent over and tried to look under the sofa. Being toddler proportioned, she was able to look between her legs without bending them, head resting on the floor.
Wufei openly smirked.
"You think it's funny," accused Sally.
"You mean that a hell-spawned cat is no match for my daughter?"
"Yes, and I'm trying to teach her to be kind to animals. You're not helping!"
"Find me an animal that was kind to me, and I'll help you," he replied.
"Argh," said Sally. "No, Mei, you can't pull kitty out that way!"
"Pretty kitty," said Mei.
Sally had an idea. "Mei-mei, what if Mu gets you your very own kitty?"
"Kitty!" said Mei.
"Come on, we're going to a toy store!
Mei, her dark brown hair swishing, looked up, her green eyes sparkling. "Toys!" she said happily, clapping her hands.
"That got her attention," said Wufei dryly. "What are you up to, woman?" he asked Sally.
"We're going to get Mei her own stuffed kitty, and she'll leave Lu alone, problem solved."
"Oh, good thinking," said Wufei doubtfully.
"Trust me, this will work," said Sally.
"Whatever you say."
"Okay, come with us, then you can see for yourself."
"You just don't want to chase Mei all by yourself," said Wufei.
"Well, that too," admitted Sally.
"I'll come, but I reserve the right to say 'I told you so,' when she goes right back to terrorizing the cat."
"Deal," said Sally. "Come on, Mei-Mei, Ba is coming with us."
"Ba, Mei wants up!" said Mei, reaching up to Wufei.
He bent over and picked her up.
"You promise to be a good girl and not run away this time?" asked Wufei.
"Mei-Mei is good," she said seriously, putting a chubby arm around his neck.
"Mei-Mei better be good," he said with mock gruffness.
Mei giggled. "Ba!" she said, giving him a sloppy but earnest kiss on the cheek.
"Thanks," he said, wiping his face with his hand. "You're overflowing with the juices of life, my daughter."
Mei giggled again. "Funny Ba!"
"She's got your number," said Sally, having changed into something more suitable. "Ready to go?"
"Other than being slightly damp, yes," said Wufei.
"Speaking of damp," said Sally. "Mei, do you need to go?"
"Mei goes potty all by herself," said Mei proudly.
"So I hear about a dozen times a day," said Wufei. "It's the main topic of conversation around here."
"Come on," said Sally holding out her hand to Mei, "Let's take care of that before we go."
Wufei sat down again, sighing impatiently. "Get used to it," said Sally. "Waiting around for females seems to be something you're doomed to for the rest of your life."
"Wonderful," he said ironically.
"This next time, we'll have a boy, and you can wait together," said Sally, winking at him.
"What do you mean, this next time?" he asked to the room, as Sally had taken Mei down the hallway to the bathroom.
His stomach tightened a little and his mouth went dry. "What did she mean by that?" he asked himself.
"Crazy woman, always teasing me," he said aloud.
He got up and began to pace nervously around the living room.
"All done," said Sally brightly, holding on to Mei.
"Mei went potty!" said Mei, fishing for the usual praise.
"Huh?" said Wufei, his mind elsewhere.
"She wants you to tell her she's a good girl," said Sally, prompting him.
"Oh, right, good girl, Mei," he said absently.
"Something wrong?" asked Sally. "You look, I don't know, upset?"
"What did you mean when you said, 'this next time'"?" he asked Sally.
"Did I say that?" asked Sally, looking innocently at him.
"Yes, you said, 'this next time, we'll have a boy'. I remember it distinctly."
"Oh," said Sally. "I guess I did. Slip of the tongue, oh well." She laughed nervously.
"Is this your not so subtle way of telling me you want to have another baby?" he demanded, folding his arms.
"Well, no," said Sally.
"Good, because it's just too soon, don't you think?" he said. "I mean, we just got this one out of diapers."
"Actually, this is my not so bright way of letting you know we ARE having another baby," said Sally quietly.
Wufei sat down heavily.
"What?" he said dully.
"Congratulations," said Sally, "We're pregnant. Again."
"I can't believe you're telling me this now, with no warning, nothing!" he said, rubbing his temples. "Look at me, I'm a nervous wreck!" He held out a perfectly steady hand.
"I was planning on telling you soon, honest," said Sally. "I just found out myself, yesterday!"
"You can't just spring this sort of thing on a man!" cried Wufei.
"OH, like it wasn't a surprise to me, too!" said Sally indignantly.
"Ba, Mu, be quiet!" said Mei, folding her arms and glaring at both of them.
The looked at her. "We shouldn't be discussing this in front of Mei," said Wufei.
"You're right," said Sally. "Come here, Mei." Mei gave her a frown and shook her head.
"It's all right, Ba and Mu aren't mad at each other," said Sally.
"Loud!" said Mei, not budging. "Ba and Mu are loud!"
"Ba is sorry," said Wufei. He looked at Sally. "Really sorry," he said, holding out his hand to her.
Sally went over and sat on his lap. "I know," she said, putting her arms around him and kissing him on the head. He put his arms around her tightly for a few moments.
"Kitty," said Mei. "Mei wants a kitty!"
"Okay, I guess we promised," said Sally, wiping her eyes a little. "A kitty for Mei."
"Mustn't keep the boss waiting," said Wufei, "Come on, Mei. Ba will give you a ride."
Mei jumped up and down. "Horsie!" she squealed.
"That's me, the horsie," said Wufei, swinging her up onto his shoulders.
"You're not upset, really?" asked Sally quietly.
"No, of course not," said Wufei. "How could I be angry with you about this? I was just overreacting."
"I'm sorry I didn't say anything sooner."
"I'm sorry I acted like an idiot. I should be happy. I AM happy."
"Well, that's not the way I intended to tell you."
"I know. Hey, maybe this time, it'll be a boy, just as you said."
"What if it's another girl?" asked Sally, grinning at him.
"Then it will be another girl," said Wufei, "and I'll be as happy as I was when Mei was born," he leaned over and gave Sally a kiss.
"No kissing, Horsie!" said Mei. "Go!" She kicked her feet impatiently.
Sally laughed, and Wufei chuckled. "Well, you heard her, let's go, Horsie."