The first of June brought unbearable heat along with it, and Kat quickly had his pool reopened. Duo took it upon himself to have an impromptu pool party to celebrate, and invited Sally Po and Relena Peacecraft before anyone else but Kat knew about it.
Duo told the other guys to relax and come take a swim, and they decided to take his advice. Then Duo went off in search of the other girls.
He heard music drifting over from the side lawn, and peeked his head over the bushes to take a look. It seemed as if Maggie and Bridget were sparring, but.... only Wufei was supposed to do that. The two expertly traded kicks and punches, Maggie flipping backwards to avoid a particularly vicious blow Bridget tried to deliver. The next time Bridget tried it, she was ready. With a quick sweep, Maggie knocked B's legs out from under her, sending her onto her back with a loud bang.
"Call?" asked Maggie.
"Call," croaked Bridget, taking Maggie's offered hand and slowly getting to her feet.
The trio heard clapping from behind the bushes, and Duo stepped out, braid swinging. "That was amazing. Good fight!"
"Maxwell," said Maggie with a nod.
"Hi...ow... Duo," said Bridget.
Maggie looked at her worriedly. "I KNEW we shouldn't have sparred so soon!"
"I'm fine!!"
Maggie shook her head. "Next time, I take my OWN advice," she muttered.
"Well, girls, I suggest you come and have some fun."
"Fun?" asked Maggie, as if the concept was completely foreign.
"Yeah...." said Duo with exaggeration. "You know, come swimming with us!"
Maggie's eyes lit up at the mention of the word 'swimming,' but duty came first.
"Sorry, Duo, we're..."
"...more than happy to join you," said Bridget, elbowing Maggie in the ribs sharply.
"See ya soon, babe!" said Julie as they herded a protesting Maggie back to the house to get changed.
"Maggie, I'm exhausted," said Bridget in way of explanation. "Can't we just chill? Besides...
A) Swimming IS training.
B) You LOVE to swim, so lighten up."
"Fine," Maggie grumbled, though she was actually happy. As she reached into her closet for her bathing suit, she heard a gasp come from the window.
"Jules?"
"Oh. My God."
"Julie?"
"Guys... we forgot one crucial thing," she sputtered.
"What?"
She turned around, eyes huge. "The guys are in bathing suits, too."
Maggie's face settled into a mask. "That might bother YOU."
Bridget snorted. "Oh, like you won't 'notice'."
Maggie put on her suit. "Nope."
"Not even Trowa?" asked Julie wickedly. Maggie fought the blush rising to her cheeks.
"Never."
"Suuuurrrrreeee..." Julie drawled, then squealed as Maggie chucked a pillow at her head.
"Oh, leave me alone!" she muttered.
"Ok, Jules, back off," said Bridget softly, recognizing Maggie's discomfort.
Maggie walked over to her dresser, snatched up her goggles, and turned to the others.
"You ready?" she asked.
Julie grabbed her towel. "Yeah, let's go give em hell."
Bridget rolled her eyes. "You sound like your boyfriend."
"And YOU make that sound like that's a bad thing," Julie retorted as the door swung shut.
"WHERE are Julie, Bridget, and Maggie?" whined Duo as he lined up for another dive.
Relena, lounging in a chair not far away, remarked, "Do I finally get to meet this mysterious trio?" She lowered her sunglasses and peered out from under her hat at the guys.
"As soon as those onnas get OUT here," said Wufei, sounding angry... but just trying not to think about the bathing suit clad Sally.
"Hey, Wu-man, I forgot to mention... B and Maggie were sparring before." said Duo wickedly.
He sat up straight. "WHAT?"
Duo grinned. "Yeah. They were doing damn good, but Maggie still kicked her ass."
Trowa tried to cover a smile unsuccessfully. ~Atta girl,~ he though, watching Wufei rant.
"That stupid onna! I can't believe she would fight MY trainee when I specifically told her not to!"
"Anyone I know?" asked Maggie coolly as she came up behind Wufei.
Wufei looked furious as he turned in his chair. "Yes! You purposely..."
He was cut off by a huge splash and a laugh. Duo surfaced in the pool, sputtering at a laughing Julie.
"Hi, Duo," she waved.
"That's it, you're going down!" he cried, scrambling to get out of the pool.
Relena smiled at Maggie. "I'd guess that would be Julie," she smiled.
Maggie smiled back, immediately liking this girl. "Your intuition would be correct. I'm Maggie," she said, extending a hand.
"Relena Peacecraft, pleased to meet you," she returned, surprised to feel such a firm handshake from the petite girl at least 4 inches shorter than she.
"The pleasure is mine. The one hovering around our dear host is Bridget... God help her.
Relena chuckled. This girl was good. "Now..." said Maggie, cracking her knuckles, "I believe I have some laps to swim, if you'll excuse me."
Relena watched her go, then leaned over to Heero and whispered, "I like her. She's definitely something else, don't you agree?"
"Hn. Something else, because she's definitely not human."
"Heero!"
They both turned and watched as Maggie moved in front of Trowa's chair... the occupant desperately trying not to look... and readied herself for a dive.
"What do you think, Trowa?" she asked innocently. "Front dive... or back dive?" She turned to face him, not knowing that behind his dark sunglasses his eyes were shut.
"Back," he answered quickly.
"Ok," she said... and he felt a whoosh of air as she passed him.
"Where're you going?" he asked cautiously, daring to open his eyes and turn around... to see Maggie clambering on top of the six foot high fence.
"I need more height for a back flip," she answered, turning around and holding out her arms. Trowa's eyes widened.
"Maggie, you're not seriously..." started Bridget before she was interrupted by a splash and a grinning Maggie who surfaced with a nod.
"Sure I am," she said, after the fact. She pulled herself out of the pool and stood in front of Trowa's chair with her hands on her hips.
"What?" he asked.
Maggie leaned forward into his face. "One..." she snatched his sunglasses off his face in one swift move. "I need sunglasses." She clipped them to her top. "And two," she said as she turned around with a devilish smile on her lips. "You are WAY too dry!"
She cannon balled into the pool with a gigantic splash, completely drenching Trowa. As he sat there in shock, dripping water, the only thought in his mind was, ~How does such a tiny person make such a huge splash?!~
Julie and Duo, who were laughing at him, had a hurried conference before Julie called out, "Hey, Mags, come play Chicken Fight with us!"
Maggie shot one last glance at Trowa before calling back, "Find a bottom, I'll be right there!"
"Taken care of," said Julie with a yank on Duo's braid.
Maggie's eyes swept the pool. Trowa was definitely out; he was too angry at the moment. Heero and she were at odds constantly. Wufei seemed to be the object of a poking contest between Bridget and Sally. Duo was Julie's bottom. That left....
"KAT!!!!"
Quatre almost dropped the book he had been reading. "Yes, Maggie?"
"Please, please, PLEASE be my bottom for Chicken fight?" she begged.
Kat raised an eyebrow, then put down his book. "Sure, Maggie. Ok."
"Thank you!" she squealed.
Sally stopped poking Wufei long enough to call, "I wanna play the winner."
"Oh, so you're playing Duo and I," said Julie confidently.
"Julie, I TOLD you smoking bad crack would give you hallucinations!" snorted Maggie as she got on Kat's shoulders.
"Whatever, HMB, let's just get it done."
Maggie's eyes narrowed. "Oh, that's it!"
They fought furiously for almost twenty minutes before two vicious moves from Maggie in a row sent Julie over, taking Duo with her.
"Yes!!!!" cried Maggie, raising her fists in the air. "I win!"
"Damn midget," sputtered Julie. Maggie hopped off Kat's shoulders and they exchanged a high five.
Bridget looked over at Sally, who seemed slightly pale. "You SURE you want to fight Maggie?" she asked with a laugh.
"Not any-" started Sally, then shot a look at Wufei and stopped.
"You can say it, he's asleep," said Bridget.
"Say wh- he's asleep?"
"Sure, see?" Bridget pulled off his sunglasses to reveal Wufei's closed eyes. His steady breathing and crossed arms revealed that Bridget was right.
"Wow, he IS asleep."
"Not for long," said Bridget with a smile that mirrored Maggie's earlier one.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean 1: He hasn't been in the pool yet. 2: He's been working me so hard in training it's not even cool, and 3: He's being stubborn about liking you. Not that you're much better, but... hey, Maggie!"
Sally mouthed silently at Bridget's back as she turned to Maggie, pointed at Wufei, then made a scooping motion towards the pool.
"Sweet," Maggie mouthed back, vaulting out of the pool.
"Now, how are we going to do this?" asked Sally, snapping out of her shock.
"Well, by all means, let's be logical. Picking just Wufei up would involve waking him up, which defeats the whole purpose. These chairs are waterproof... I mean, they're plastic, come on!... so..."
Maggie moved to the back of the chair, Bridget and Sally each took a side, and..."
"1... 2... 3!"
They all heaved, and there was a gigantic splash followed by enraged Japanese yelling.
"Nande kuso? Chikusho, baka onnas!"
Maggie giggled, palm against her mouth. Sally was trying not to laugh, and Bridget had already lost it.
"What's he sayin?" asked Duo impatiently.
"He said, 'What the hell? Damn it, idiot women!' loosely," explained Sally, now laughing openly.
Duo choked out a laugh. Maggie watched the fuming Wufei with interest... then caught Trowa watching near the edge out of the corner of her eye. Sally gave her a significant look. Maggie shrugged elegantly and moved behind the unsuspecting circus performer.
She reached up and tapped him on the shoulder. She timed her shove to perfectly match his spin, using his extra momentum to effectively send him into the pool.
There were literal tears of mirth rolling down Maggie's cheeks as she watched Trowa surface, shaking his head like a dog, bangs flopping.
"You... look... so... funny..." she gasped.
He glared into her eyes for a moment...then began to cough uncontrollably.
"Trowa?" she asked, still slightly giddy.
He moved to the side, watching with a careful eye as she got closer... then, abruptly ok, he snatched her arm and flipped her into the pool next to him.
Maggie surfaced to hear laughter from almost everyone as she shook her own head. "Damn my conscience," she muttered. "Note to self: Get. Rid. Of. IT."
Trowa watched Maggie swim toward him with purposeful strokes and felt the laughter die in his throat.
"Oh, man, Trowa is screwed," said Kat softly.
"You. Are. Dead," said Maggie with no feeling in her voice whatsoever. She lunged at Trowa, locking her arms around his neck from behind.... and he found himself in quite an interesting predicament.
"Trowa," she said into his ear, "do you have a death wish?"
~At this moment, I just might,~ he thought, an odd constriction in his chest. He weighed this situation in his mind. On one hand, Maggie was out for his blood. On the other, the girl out for his blood was very pretty, in a flattering tankini, and happened to be hanging off his back. In his mind for a moment he tipped the scales, waiting for them to fall into place.
~Control your hormones, Barton,~ he finally decided. ~Time for this LATER... like, when she's NOT trying to kill you.~
~And when is that?~ his inner self taunted.
~I'll find SOME second... someday. Now, instead of teasing me... HELP?~
~Stupid. Just go under.~
~I knew I kept you around for a reason.~
Arguing with himself having taken less than half a minute, he quickly ducked under, feeling Maggie's arms instantly loosen. He came up and turned to face her.
"Still gonna kill me?" he asked.
"Nah," she answered with a smile. "You're not worth the effort yet."
They were cut off by a scream... a splash... and an unfamiliar sound.... Wufei, laughing?
"Justice is served, onna!" he sputtered at a dripping Sally.
She smiled, flipped her sopping hair over her shoulder, and said teasingly, "Hey, it was worth a dunking to hear YOU laugh, otoko."
Wufei raised his eyebrows. "Really."
He was surprised. Sally knew Japanese, like any respectable militant, but she always refused to come back at him. It seemed her teasing mood was a little deeper than first assumed.
"Really," she shot back, smiling at Bridget, who returned the gesture. The smile grew a little wider, but Bridget didn't catch it. Nor did she catch the sneaky Arabian who was about two feet behind her.
She jumped as a wet arm stole around her bare waist, and a teasing voice whispered in her ear, "You're one of the only dry ones."
Then, with a deft scoop, Kat swept her up and tossed her in. He immediately made his way to the house unhurriedly as eight pairs of eyes followed his movements, then swept back to the pool as a fuming Bridget stormed out of the pool after him.
~*~
Kat made his way up the stairs to his room, ignoring the eyes of his servants and Rashid. He went and closed the door, locking it with a click, and waited for the explosion.
"WHERE IS HE?!"
Rashid blinked in surprise as a fuming... and sopping... Bridget came storming in the house, almost slipping on the wet tile of the back hall.
She visibly calmed herself and said, "Rashid, can you please inform me which way your dear Mas- EX- Master went?"
Rashid smiled internally. ~May Allah help you this time, Master Quatre... for you have incurred the wrath of a woman, and no man can help you now.~
"Follow me, Mis- Bridget. Here."
He gave her a towel, and she absently began rubbing herself dry as she followed Rashid up the stairs. "He's in his room."
"Thank you, Rashid." Instead of trying Kat's door, she made her way to the window facing the pool and called, "Hey, Maggie!"
"What?" she called back from where she was staring Trowa down.
"How do I get through a locked door without killing it?"
"Simple. Pull the pins on the hinges and pull!" she answered. Kat heard this and swallowed. Hard.
"Thanks."
Kat heard work outside his door and backed to the furthest point away from the door in his room; the window.
The door was pulled off and put to the side. Bridget stood there, face red with anger, still dripping wet, with the towel clutched in her hand.
"Quatre Raberba Winner, you and I have a few things to discuss," she said in a low, dangerous voice he seldom, if ever, heard her use.
He knew he should at least be concerned a little for his physical safety at the moment, but his mind refused to cooperate, instead concentrating on how pretty she looked when she was mad... a view he rarely received.
~Kat, she's a guest in your house... you shouldn't be thinking like THAT.~
~How long should I wait until I do? It's only BLATANTLY obvious to everyone except her how much I like her, so why wait? To put more strain on us both?~
~Quatre, she's chewing you out... at least listen to her.~
".. I can't believe you..." she trailed off as she noticed the look in his eyes and blushed. It was an oddly appraising look that Trowa gave Maggie and Heero gave Relena when they guys KNEW the girls weren't paying attention.
"Are you listening to me?" she asked suddenly. He blinked. She was suddenly VERY close. During her speech she had been stepping closer to make certain points he still hadn't heard.
"Not really," he admitted. "My mind is... elsewhere, Bridget."
She sputtered in rage, and was about to make a stinging retort when he leaned forward and barely brushed his lips against hers... almost an apology... almost a question.
She stood, too shocked to even respond to it. He pulled back, leaning away from her to study her face. From downstairs by the pool they could hear Dr. Bayth, there for Bridget's checkup, inquiring about them both.
"I'm sorry," he whispered... not only meaning the shove into the pool.
She was still in shock, standing, unmoving... but when he tried to pass her, she reacted with all the emotions she was feeling. She lashed out, catching Kat in the shoulder with her arm and sending him tumbling out the second story window into the well manicured bushes below. She heard exclamations of surprise from the people downstairs, a cry of slight pain from Kat as he hit the bushes... all far away as she raised a hand to her lips absently. She moved to the door, released the lock, and put it back in its place, fixing the hinges. She closed the door silently... then, with a small cry of anger, kicked it back down, feeling the door splinter under her kick, barely feeling the tiny shards of wood pierce the tender flesh of her foot as she moved down the hall to her own bedroom. She closed the door and sat herself on the bed.
It was only then that she allowed the tears to come, thinking, ~That was my first kiss... and it didn't go the way I imagined it would at all.~
A few minutes later, there was a soft knock on the door, and, before she could say anything, a soft voice said, "It's Dr. Bayth, Bridget... please let me in."
"And Maggie," came another voice, uncharacteristically soft.
Bridget rose and unlocked the door, confronting the doctor and her friend with red rimmed eyes. They stepped inside, the doctor immediately noting the small spots of blood on the sheets where her feet had been, the friend noticing the shaking hands and clenched fists.
They said nothing, but gently sat Bridget down on the bed. Dr. Bayth knelt down, carefully removing the splinters from Bridget's feet. Maggie sat down next to Bridget and took one of her hands in hers, delicately prying the fingers open to reveal the bleeding palms. Maggie silently took the wet cloth Dr. Bayth offered her and began to clean Bridget's hands.
They both worked in silence, and it was the patient who spoke first. "Is he ok?"
"Yes, he's fine."
"Damn." They both knew she wasn't referring to the fact that Kat was ok, so they waited patiently for her to continue. "He's gonna hate me."
"Oh, no! No, he won't, Bridget! He won't, I swear it!" Maggie said vehemently, because she had seen Kat's face when he got up, and it was one of regret... and there was anger, but not at her... at himself.
"I...I didn't know what to do. I just reacted."
"Of course you did," soothed Dr. Bayth as she gave Bridget a shot that she didn't even notice. She did notice how drowsy she became, however.
"Shh, Bridget. Come on, lie down," said Maggie gently.
Bridget was soon fast asleep, face still stiff with dried tears. Maggie and Dr. Bayth watched silently.
"I should have warned him," said Maggie softly. "I knew he liked her. I should have said something."
"It wasn't your place, Maggie," said Dr. Bayth gently. "You know that."
"Yeah, I know. I know. Kat ok?"
"He should be fine... but I'd watch them both for a while... this can't be good for them."
"No," said Maggie, eyes dark, "it won't be."
Duo told the other guys to relax and come take a swim, and they decided to take his advice. Then Duo went off in search of the other girls.
He heard music drifting over from the side lawn, and peeked his head over the bushes to take a look. It seemed as if Maggie and Bridget were sparring, but.... only Wufei was supposed to do that. The two expertly traded kicks and punches, Maggie flipping backwards to avoid a particularly vicious blow Bridget tried to deliver. The next time Bridget tried it, she was ready. With a quick sweep, Maggie knocked B's legs out from under her, sending her onto her back with a loud bang.
"Call?" asked Maggie.
"Call," croaked Bridget, taking Maggie's offered hand and slowly getting to her feet.
The trio heard clapping from behind the bushes, and Duo stepped out, braid swinging. "That was amazing. Good fight!"
"Maxwell," said Maggie with a nod.
"Hi...ow... Duo," said Bridget.
Maggie looked at her worriedly. "I KNEW we shouldn't have sparred so soon!"
"I'm fine!!"
Maggie shook her head. "Next time, I take my OWN advice," she muttered.
"Well, girls, I suggest you come and have some fun."
"Fun?" asked Maggie, as if the concept was completely foreign.
"Yeah...." said Duo with exaggeration. "You know, come swimming with us!"
Maggie's eyes lit up at the mention of the word 'swimming,' but duty came first.
"Sorry, Duo, we're..."
"...more than happy to join you," said Bridget, elbowing Maggie in the ribs sharply.
"See ya soon, babe!" said Julie as they herded a protesting Maggie back to the house to get changed.
"Maggie, I'm exhausted," said Bridget in way of explanation. "Can't we just chill? Besides...
A) Swimming IS training.
B) You LOVE to swim, so lighten up."
"Fine," Maggie grumbled, though she was actually happy. As she reached into her closet for her bathing suit, she heard a gasp come from the window.
"Jules?"
"Oh. My God."
"Julie?"
"Guys... we forgot one crucial thing," she sputtered.
"What?"
She turned around, eyes huge. "The guys are in bathing suits, too."
Maggie's face settled into a mask. "That might bother YOU."
Bridget snorted. "Oh, like you won't 'notice'."
Maggie put on her suit. "Nope."
"Not even Trowa?" asked Julie wickedly. Maggie fought the blush rising to her cheeks.
"Never."
"Suuuurrrrreeee..." Julie drawled, then squealed as Maggie chucked a pillow at her head.
"Oh, leave me alone!" she muttered.
"Ok, Jules, back off," said Bridget softly, recognizing Maggie's discomfort.
Maggie walked over to her dresser, snatched up her goggles, and turned to the others.
"You ready?" she asked.
Julie grabbed her towel. "Yeah, let's go give em hell."
Bridget rolled her eyes. "You sound like your boyfriend."
"And YOU make that sound like that's a bad thing," Julie retorted as the door swung shut.
"WHERE are Julie, Bridget, and Maggie?" whined Duo as he lined up for another dive.
Relena, lounging in a chair not far away, remarked, "Do I finally get to meet this mysterious trio?" She lowered her sunglasses and peered out from under her hat at the guys.
"As soon as those onnas get OUT here," said Wufei, sounding angry... but just trying not to think about the bathing suit clad Sally.
"Hey, Wu-man, I forgot to mention... B and Maggie were sparring before." said Duo wickedly.
He sat up straight. "WHAT?"
Duo grinned. "Yeah. They were doing damn good, but Maggie still kicked her ass."
Trowa tried to cover a smile unsuccessfully. ~Atta girl,~ he though, watching Wufei rant.
"That stupid onna! I can't believe she would fight MY trainee when I specifically told her not to!"
"Anyone I know?" asked Maggie coolly as she came up behind Wufei.
Wufei looked furious as he turned in his chair. "Yes! You purposely..."
He was cut off by a huge splash and a laugh. Duo surfaced in the pool, sputtering at a laughing Julie.
"Hi, Duo," she waved.
"That's it, you're going down!" he cried, scrambling to get out of the pool.
Relena smiled at Maggie. "I'd guess that would be Julie," she smiled.
Maggie smiled back, immediately liking this girl. "Your intuition would be correct. I'm Maggie," she said, extending a hand.
"Relena Peacecraft, pleased to meet you," she returned, surprised to feel such a firm handshake from the petite girl at least 4 inches shorter than she.
"The pleasure is mine. The one hovering around our dear host is Bridget... God help her.
Relena chuckled. This girl was good. "Now..." said Maggie, cracking her knuckles, "I believe I have some laps to swim, if you'll excuse me."
Relena watched her go, then leaned over to Heero and whispered, "I like her. She's definitely something else, don't you agree?"
"Hn. Something else, because she's definitely not human."
"Heero!"
They both turned and watched as Maggie moved in front of Trowa's chair... the occupant desperately trying not to look... and readied herself for a dive.
"What do you think, Trowa?" she asked innocently. "Front dive... or back dive?" She turned to face him, not knowing that behind his dark sunglasses his eyes were shut.
"Back," he answered quickly.
"Ok," she said... and he felt a whoosh of air as she passed him.
"Where're you going?" he asked cautiously, daring to open his eyes and turn around... to see Maggie clambering on top of the six foot high fence.
"I need more height for a back flip," she answered, turning around and holding out her arms. Trowa's eyes widened.
"Maggie, you're not seriously..." started Bridget before she was interrupted by a splash and a grinning Maggie who surfaced with a nod.
"Sure I am," she said, after the fact. She pulled herself out of the pool and stood in front of Trowa's chair with her hands on her hips.
"What?" he asked.
Maggie leaned forward into his face. "One..." she snatched his sunglasses off his face in one swift move. "I need sunglasses." She clipped them to her top. "And two," she said as she turned around with a devilish smile on her lips. "You are WAY too dry!"
She cannon balled into the pool with a gigantic splash, completely drenching Trowa. As he sat there in shock, dripping water, the only thought in his mind was, ~How does such a tiny person make such a huge splash?!~
Julie and Duo, who were laughing at him, had a hurried conference before Julie called out, "Hey, Mags, come play Chicken Fight with us!"
Maggie shot one last glance at Trowa before calling back, "Find a bottom, I'll be right there!"
"Taken care of," said Julie with a yank on Duo's braid.
Maggie's eyes swept the pool. Trowa was definitely out; he was too angry at the moment. Heero and she were at odds constantly. Wufei seemed to be the object of a poking contest between Bridget and Sally. Duo was Julie's bottom. That left....
"KAT!!!!"
Quatre almost dropped the book he had been reading. "Yes, Maggie?"
"Please, please, PLEASE be my bottom for Chicken fight?" she begged.
Kat raised an eyebrow, then put down his book. "Sure, Maggie. Ok."
"Thank you!" she squealed.
Sally stopped poking Wufei long enough to call, "I wanna play the winner."
"Oh, so you're playing Duo and I," said Julie confidently.
"Julie, I TOLD you smoking bad crack would give you hallucinations!" snorted Maggie as she got on Kat's shoulders.
"Whatever, HMB, let's just get it done."
Maggie's eyes narrowed. "Oh, that's it!"
They fought furiously for almost twenty minutes before two vicious moves from Maggie in a row sent Julie over, taking Duo with her.
"Yes!!!!" cried Maggie, raising her fists in the air. "I win!"
"Damn midget," sputtered Julie. Maggie hopped off Kat's shoulders and they exchanged a high five.
Bridget looked over at Sally, who seemed slightly pale. "You SURE you want to fight Maggie?" she asked with a laugh.
"Not any-" started Sally, then shot a look at Wufei and stopped.
"You can say it, he's asleep," said Bridget.
"Say wh- he's asleep?"
"Sure, see?" Bridget pulled off his sunglasses to reveal Wufei's closed eyes. His steady breathing and crossed arms revealed that Bridget was right.
"Wow, he IS asleep."
"Not for long," said Bridget with a smile that mirrored Maggie's earlier one.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean 1: He hasn't been in the pool yet. 2: He's been working me so hard in training it's not even cool, and 3: He's being stubborn about liking you. Not that you're much better, but... hey, Maggie!"
Sally mouthed silently at Bridget's back as she turned to Maggie, pointed at Wufei, then made a scooping motion towards the pool.
"Sweet," Maggie mouthed back, vaulting out of the pool.
"Now, how are we going to do this?" asked Sally, snapping out of her shock.
"Well, by all means, let's be logical. Picking just Wufei up would involve waking him up, which defeats the whole purpose. These chairs are waterproof... I mean, they're plastic, come on!... so..."
Maggie moved to the back of the chair, Bridget and Sally each took a side, and..."
"1... 2... 3!"
They all heaved, and there was a gigantic splash followed by enraged Japanese yelling.
"Nande kuso? Chikusho, baka onnas!"
Maggie giggled, palm against her mouth. Sally was trying not to laugh, and Bridget had already lost it.
"What's he sayin?" asked Duo impatiently.
"He said, 'What the hell? Damn it, idiot women!' loosely," explained Sally, now laughing openly.
Duo choked out a laugh. Maggie watched the fuming Wufei with interest... then caught Trowa watching near the edge out of the corner of her eye. Sally gave her a significant look. Maggie shrugged elegantly and moved behind the unsuspecting circus performer.
She reached up and tapped him on the shoulder. She timed her shove to perfectly match his spin, using his extra momentum to effectively send him into the pool.
There were literal tears of mirth rolling down Maggie's cheeks as she watched Trowa surface, shaking his head like a dog, bangs flopping.
"You... look... so... funny..." she gasped.
He glared into her eyes for a moment...then began to cough uncontrollably.
"Trowa?" she asked, still slightly giddy.
He moved to the side, watching with a careful eye as she got closer... then, abruptly ok, he snatched her arm and flipped her into the pool next to him.
Maggie surfaced to hear laughter from almost everyone as she shook her own head. "Damn my conscience," she muttered. "Note to self: Get. Rid. Of. IT."
Trowa watched Maggie swim toward him with purposeful strokes and felt the laughter die in his throat.
"Oh, man, Trowa is screwed," said Kat softly.
"You. Are. Dead," said Maggie with no feeling in her voice whatsoever. She lunged at Trowa, locking her arms around his neck from behind.... and he found himself in quite an interesting predicament.
"Trowa," she said into his ear, "do you have a death wish?"
~At this moment, I just might,~ he thought, an odd constriction in his chest. He weighed this situation in his mind. On one hand, Maggie was out for his blood. On the other, the girl out for his blood was very pretty, in a flattering tankini, and happened to be hanging off his back. In his mind for a moment he tipped the scales, waiting for them to fall into place.
~Control your hormones, Barton,~ he finally decided. ~Time for this LATER... like, when she's NOT trying to kill you.~
~And when is that?~ his inner self taunted.
~I'll find SOME second... someday. Now, instead of teasing me... HELP?~
~Stupid. Just go under.~
~I knew I kept you around for a reason.~
Arguing with himself having taken less than half a minute, he quickly ducked under, feeling Maggie's arms instantly loosen. He came up and turned to face her.
"Still gonna kill me?" he asked.
"Nah," she answered with a smile. "You're not worth the effort yet."
They were cut off by a scream... a splash... and an unfamiliar sound.... Wufei, laughing?
"Justice is served, onna!" he sputtered at a dripping Sally.
She smiled, flipped her sopping hair over her shoulder, and said teasingly, "Hey, it was worth a dunking to hear YOU laugh, otoko."
Wufei raised his eyebrows. "Really."
He was surprised. Sally knew Japanese, like any respectable militant, but she always refused to come back at him. It seemed her teasing mood was a little deeper than first assumed.
"Really," she shot back, smiling at Bridget, who returned the gesture. The smile grew a little wider, but Bridget didn't catch it. Nor did she catch the sneaky Arabian who was about two feet behind her.
She jumped as a wet arm stole around her bare waist, and a teasing voice whispered in her ear, "You're one of the only dry ones."
Then, with a deft scoop, Kat swept her up and tossed her in. He immediately made his way to the house unhurriedly as eight pairs of eyes followed his movements, then swept back to the pool as a fuming Bridget stormed out of the pool after him.
~*~
Kat made his way up the stairs to his room, ignoring the eyes of his servants and Rashid. He went and closed the door, locking it with a click, and waited for the explosion.
"WHERE IS HE?!"
Rashid blinked in surprise as a fuming... and sopping... Bridget came storming in the house, almost slipping on the wet tile of the back hall.
She visibly calmed herself and said, "Rashid, can you please inform me which way your dear Mas- EX- Master went?"
Rashid smiled internally. ~May Allah help you this time, Master Quatre... for you have incurred the wrath of a woman, and no man can help you now.~
"Follow me, Mis- Bridget. Here."
He gave her a towel, and she absently began rubbing herself dry as she followed Rashid up the stairs. "He's in his room."
"Thank you, Rashid." Instead of trying Kat's door, she made her way to the window facing the pool and called, "Hey, Maggie!"
"What?" she called back from where she was staring Trowa down.
"How do I get through a locked door without killing it?"
"Simple. Pull the pins on the hinges and pull!" she answered. Kat heard this and swallowed. Hard.
"Thanks."
Kat heard work outside his door and backed to the furthest point away from the door in his room; the window.
The door was pulled off and put to the side. Bridget stood there, face red with anger, still dripping wet, with the towel clutched in her hand.
"Quatre Raberba Winner, you and I have a few things to discuss," she said in a low, dangerous voice he seldom, if ever, heard her use.
He knew he should at least be concerned a little for his physical safety at the moment, but his mind refused to cooperate, instead concentrating on how pretty she looked when she was mad... a view he rarely received.
~Kat, she's a guest in your house... you shouldn't be thinking like THAT.~
~How long should I wait until I do? It's only BLATANTLY obvious to everyone except her how much I like her, so why wait? To put more strain on us both?~
~Quatre, she's chewing you out... at least listen to her.~
".. I can't believe you..." she trailed off as she noticed the look in his eyes and blushed. It was an oddly appraising look that Trowa gave Maggie and Heero gave Relena when they guys KNEW the girls weren't paying attention.
"Are you listening to me?" she asked suddenly. He blinked. She was suddenly VERY close. During her speech she had been stepping closer to make certain points he still hadn't heard.
"Not really," he admitted. "My mind is... elsewhere, Bridget."
She sputtered in rage, and was about to make a stinging retort when he leaned forward and barely brushed his lips against hers... almost an apology... almost a question.
She stood, too shocked to even respond to it. He pulled back, leaning away from her to study her face. From downstairs by the pool they could hear Dr. Bayth, there for Bridget's checkup, inquiring about them both.
"I'm sorry," he whispered... not only meaning the shove into the pool.
She was still in shock, standing, unmoving... but when he tried to pass her, she reacted with all the emotions she was feeling. She lashed out, catching Kat in the shoulder with her arm and sending him tumbling out the second story window into the well manicured bushes below. She heard exclamations of surprise from the people downstairs, a cry of slight pain from Kat as he hit the bushes... all far away as she raised a hand to her lips absently. She moved to the door, released the lock, and put it back in its place, fixing the hinges. She closed the door silently... then, with a small cry of anger, kicked it back down, feeling the door splinter under her kick, barely feeling the tiny shards of wood pierce the tender flesh of her foot as she moved down the hall to her own bedroom. She closed the door and sat herself on the bed.
It was only then that she allowed the tears to come, thinking, ~That was my first kiss... and it didn't go the way I imagined it would at all.~
A few minutes later, there was a soft knock on the door, and, before she could say anything, a soft voice said, "It's Dr. Bayth, Bridget... please let me in."
"And Maggie," came another voice, uncharacteristically soft.
Bridget rose and unlocked the door, confronting the doctor and her friend with red rimmed eyes. They stepped inside, the doctor immediately noting the small spots of blood on the sheets where her feet had been, the friend noticing the shaking hands and clenched fists.
They said nothing, but gently sat Bridget down on the bed. Dr. Bayth knelt down, carefully removing the splinters from Bridget's feet. Maggie sat down next to Bridget and took one of her hands in hers, delicately prying the fingers open to reveal the bleeding palms. Maggie silently took the wet cloth Dr. Bayth offered her and began to clean Bridget's hands.
They both worked in silence, and it was the patient who spoke first. "Is he ok?"
"Yes, he's fine."
"Damn." They both knew she wasn't referring to the fact that Kat was ok, so they waited patiently for her to continue. "He's gonna hate me."
"Oh, no! No, he won't, Bridget! He won't, I swear it!" Maggie said vehemently, because she had seen Kat's face when he got up, and it was one of regret... and there was anger, but not at her... at himself.
"I...I didn't know what to do. I just reacted."
"Of course you did," soothed Dr. Bayth as she gave Bridget a shot that she didn't even notice. She did notice how drowsy she became, however.
"Shh, Bridget. Come on, lie down," said Maggie gently.
Bridget was soon fast asleep, face still stiff with dried tears. Maggie and Dr. Bayth watched silently.
"I should have warned him," said Maggie softly. "I knew he liked her. I should have said something."
"It wasn't your place, Maggie," said Dr. Bayth gently. "You know that."
"Yeah, I know. I know. Kat ok?"
"He should be fine... but I'd watch them both for a while... this can't be good for them."
"No," said Maggie, eyes dark, "it won't be."