"Three Day War"
Part Four
By Elda Aranel
Meilan sat at the edge of the bed, staring into the mirror. The lights shone enough to light the room's features. Her eyes flickered toward the clock and back. Sighing, she stood up. As she walked to her door, she stopped again to look at the mirror reflecting her image.
The dress fit perfectly. Her raven hair was rather fancy bun held with ebony chopsticks, courtesy of the maid who saw the Chinese woman struggling with her hair as she entered the room to pick up the towels and tidy up. Her hand drifted to her abdomen for probably the hundredth time that day. A tingle of fear ran down her spine. The idea of having a child and telling her husband were scarier than she thought possible. Right now, she felt like she could easily walk up to him and just say it. But when she physically stood before him, those supposedly easy words lodged in her throat.
"To hell with it," she grumbled. Flicking off the light, Meilan grabbed her black purse and left the room. When she exited the lobby to the outside, she found Wufei's car already waiting at the curb. He was leaning against the passenger's door with his arms crossed. It was the first time she had ever seen him in a formal tuxedo. She also most thought him perfect, a real gentleman. As she approached him, he straightened up.
"I thought you didn't take long," he stated dryly. She glared. Well, his charm needed a little help.
"Excuse me," she snapped.
"I was kidding," he replied. "I just got here a few minutes ago." A moment of silence later, they were on their way to the ball.
"I'm still asking about what I'm supposed to be doing at this thing," she said.
"Nervous?"
"No, I'm not. I just don't know what I'm supposed to do at this." Meilan directed her gaze to her husband. He kept looking forward for traffic. As usual, he didn't answer right away.
Finally he said, "All you really have to do is stand around and socialize with whoever wants to talk to you, and maybe dance a little. Pretend to be the perfect granddaughter for Master Long."
"You're kidding?" she gawked. "I came all the way from the colony just to talk with a room full of rich people? I could have found better things to do."
"What? You didn't want to use this as an excuse to see me?" he teased.
"Wha…I…" she stuttered. "Yeah…that thought crossed my mind. Though I didn't expect I'd have much chance of seeing you. This is a huge place and you seem to travel everywhere. What were the odds of us running into each other?"
"You had my phones numbers," he reminded her. "But anyway, you won't be all alone there."
"What's that supposed to mean? My parents will be…" she began but Wufei interrupted her.
"I was planning on staying with you most of the evening, unless you don't want me hanging around," he clarified.
"Oh, if you want to," she said. "I wouldn't want to ruin your evening."
As they paused at the red light, Wufei looked at her like she was a complete blonde. "Run that one by yourself once more and analyze it," he said. "Then compare it to these last weeks." Meilan blushed madly, which was rare, and turned away, feeling like a complete fool. The light flashed green. He returned his attention to the road. He added, "Let me guess: you find it a little hard to remember that we acknowledged each other at a married couple?"
She didn't answer as Wufei at last parked the car in a busy parking lot. A large white, four-story mansion practically glowed. The fountain was lit and the spouting water shimmered in the crescent moonlight. Small lanterns lit the sides of the white house, illuminating a front garden of colorful roses. People in many styles of dresses and suits were entering through the heavy double doors. The walk way leading to those doors was an old fashioned stone path.
"You have your invitation, right?" Wufei asked. Meilan glared.
"Of course I do," she replied. "I'm not stupid."
He smiled faintly. "Just asking. I'm in the habit of doing that. Sally keeps forgetting the small details that I have to always ask her."
"I see. You spend a lot of time with her then." Meilan walked beside Wufei.
"You'll meet her later," he said, then added, "and she'll be better company than most people you'll meet."
They both showed their invitations to the door man and entered the room, her arm linked with his. The music was a soft, classic instrumental song. It was smooth and relaxing. Everyone was talking, some frowning and some smiling. Plenty were laughing at some memory or joke. Meilan couldn't pick anyone out of the crowd, not even her grandfather. Not many took notice to their entrance. However, only one noticed and she walked up to the couple.
Wufei noticed, right away, as Lady Une walked up to them, wearing a sleek navy blue dress. He guided Meilan in that direction, meeting with his chief.
"I was beginning to wonder if you really skipped out," Lady Une teased, "but you were only picking her up." She turned her attention to Meilan. "It's nice to finally meet you, Mrs. Chang."
Meilan shifted and returned the greeting. "And you, too, Lady Une."
"Who came to this thing?" Wufei asked.
"Everyone," Lady Une said. "All the pilots, and their dates, came. Relena is here, the president, the entire Senate and council, many Preventers, and so on. There are so many colony representatives here as well. I really must ask you to keep an open eye out for us. Every Preventer is on look out just in case of an attempt."
"It's understandable," Wufei said. "Where's Sally?"
Lady Une glanced around the room, scanning the crowd. "She was somewhere but I lost track of her. Good luck in finding her. Oh, I also heard that the ex-pilots may be getting together later tonight, probably to restore some sanity."
"True," he replied.
"Well, have fun you two," Lady Une said. She drifted off toward another couple who probably worked for the Preventers. Meilan looked around, not finding anyone she knew. There was no one.
"Looking for anyone in particular?" Wufei noticed her looking around. She looked at him.
"Not really," she said. "I don't know many people outside the colony."
"Let's work our way to there," he said, nodding in the general direction of the left wall. "I think that's where some friends of mine would be hiding around." She nodded once and followed Wufei through a wandering crowd. Without much interference, they met up with a small group of young men and young women talking. A man with a long braid waved.
"Hey, Wu-man!" he greeted with a cheeky grin. Wufei glared.
"Watch it, Maxwell," he retorted. A woman with short hair elbowed Duo.
"Knock it off, Duo," she told him. "You're in enough hot water as it is."
"What did I do?" Duo asked. Everyone stared at him pointedly. He chuckled nervously and went silent. Hilde turned to Meilan and Wufei.
"I don't think we've met," she said. "I'm Hilde. This is Duo. Feel free to kick him around."
Everyone laughed as Duo pouted. "I'm Meilan," the Chinese woman said.
"And they are Trowa, his sister Catherine, Quatre, Dorothy, Relena, and you know Heero," Wufei added quickly, gesturing to each introduced individual.
"So what do you think of Earth, Meilan?" Relena asked. "I take it this is your first time down here, right?"
Meilan nodded. "It is. Earth is more unpredictable than the colony. It's hard to believe how different they really are."
"Try constantly going between Earth and Space sometime," Relena added. "The first few rounds are exhausting."
"I wasn't too affected by the change," Meilan said. "I tend to handle that stuff better than most."
"Curious but how long have you two been married?" I know it was around the war or close to it," Dorothy asked, sipping her champagne.
"Late AC 194," Meilan said simply. Wufei just nodded. Meilan then added, "But it doesn't say much when we didn't get along for the only half a year we were together. Then a certain someone disappeared. It's just recently we're getting along nicely."
"How do you define not getting along?" Catherine asked.
The Chinese couple thought for a moment, before Wufei answered, "That usually meant we were disturbing the neighborhood peace and/or beating one another up."
There was complete silence. Even Duo was silent (again).
"Okay, now I have a new definition of marital disagreements," Duo said slowly. The gang agreed. Meilan laughed.
"Disagreements, huh? It was more like a war in itself," she said. "A dumb war at that."
Relena smiled slyly. "Mind if we steal her away for a while?" Without waiting for a reply or consent, Relena and the other ladies pulled Meilan along with them as they put some distance between the men. While the women chatted up a storm over something, the male portion of the program was left to their own devices.
"Do I want to know what they're talking about?" Quatre asked. Duo shuddered, shaking his head.
"Curiosity killed the cat, Quatre," Heero quoted. Trowa nodded in agreement.
"If something happens, then blame Relena," he said. "She's the one who seemed to be planning something or another."
"More like plotting," Duo muttered.
Wufei looked around. "This is going to be a long night." The pilots wholeheartedly agreed.
Later that Night
For over half the night, Wufei lost track of Meilan. It seemed that she found good company with the other women. After a while the guys split up to sift through the crowd of stiffs and rich to be a little more social and to do a little security sweep. Everyone admitted it was surprising that nothing had happened…yet. When he ran into Quatre again the blonde expressed his concerns quietly.
"If anything happens tonight, it'll probably be during the speech by the president," he said.
"Let's hope not. I'm actually enjoying the action-less evening."
Meilan found herself forgetting on how much she hated formal gathering and more on how she loved being in the company of these young women. They all had given her a brief summery of their part in the way. When asked, all she could do was say that she played the part of a regretful, pitiful wife waiting around on the colony. It was belittling to her being in the company of women who had a strong hand in the war while she sat around worrying. It didn't last long. Each one was envious of her! Even Dorothy, reputed to have had a violent personality, wished to be at home and out of the active war effort at one point or another.
"But you were all helping the guys in some way while I did nothing to help," Meilan said softly. Relena smiled.
"Actually, by keeping out of the war, you probably kept Wufei from worrying about you more. You two may not have gotten along well in the past but you both seem very close now."
"Thank you, Relena." Just then Meilan caught a glimpse of Julia and Yvonne. "Oh no. Can we walk elsewhere? Those two girls are annoying."
Hilde saw who her new friend was referring too, she nodded and started walked the opposite direction. Relief washed over the Chinese girl.
Only a few long moments later the music was fading out and the podium lit up. The Earth Sphere United Nation President Keller stood up front. The guests turned and shifted their way towards the front to listen. Wufei moved his way through the crowd, looking for Meilan. He gave up when the president began talking.
"I would like to thank everyone who is here tonight for coming," he began in a steady, loud voice. "This is a wonderful turnout to celebrate the peace we have achieved with the help of everyone here. From the government, to the soldiers, down to the last civilian, this peace is made a reality. The end of the war was a great relief.
"Now, I'm sure you're asking, why do we keep bringing up how painful memories and a horrific past? It should be buried and left alone. The point is that if we forget how painful that war was, then the chances of history repeating itself will increase until war overtakes us once more. I remember my son dying in the last part of the war. After that I swore to do everything I could to prevent another war. That is why I stand before you; the first of what will be a great line of succession of president for the Earth Sphere United Nation. This great nation is the greatest success in creating a world nation with the colonies in space.
"I have spoken to many of the colony representatives tonight, and boy, did I learn so much just from conversation. It will be even more amazing to visit each one in turn at the beginning of the New Year. Enough of that for now. Now, I would like to recognize, once more, the people who have given so much to this nation and the people.
"Lady Amelia Une, Chief Earth of the Preventers." He gestured to Lady Une in the crowd. She nodded. "This woman has been the strongest driving force behind our world and space wide defense force. A big hand for her." The crowd applauded. President Keller smiled and continued, "I would also like to thank all the Preventers…"
For what seemed to be eternity, the speech continued. The pilots slowly, and discreetly, made their way back to their corner.
"This gets old really fast," Duo said sourly. Quatre nodded. They were ready to leave. One problem remained.
"By the way, has anyone seen the girls at all since they ditched us?" Duo asked softly, looking around.
"Uh, now that I think about it, no," Wufei said.
"I saw Sally and Noin a while ago," Trowa said. "Other than them, no luck." They all looked at each other and easily told the other what their thoughts were on the matter: forget it. Women had a way of hiding very well. Without a word, the guys all slipped around the crowd to the doors. No one gave them a first glance, let alone a second. The sky outside was dark and clear, showing the colonies in the company of the twinkling stars.
"Good thing it's warm tonight," Duo said.
"We can stay here until the ladies notice us missing," Quatre said. "They'll know where to find us."
The ex-pilots stood silently, undisturbed, for a while. They didn't bother to track how much time had passed. With the lack of conversation was the feeling that it was taking forever to end. Finally people began to trickle out of the building. Out of the way in the shadows, the ex-pilots waited for their dates of the evening and such to appear. All the guests were chattering happily and looked as if the ball went perfect. Only the guys, including Quatre who was more into the formal balls than his friends, could care less about how the evening went aside from the fact nothing happened. No threats, no bombs, no assassination attempts. Talk about a treat.
"There's three of five," Duo said as he caught sight of Hilde, Relena, and Meilan in between her new found friends. It seemed like the middle-mentioned woman was enjoying not being the center of attention of the media, politicians, and bodyguards alike. Either that or she wasn't paying them any mind what so ever. Dorothy and Catherine soon followed. They regrouped and started looking for their male counterparts.
"Are you sure they're not inside still?" Meilan asked again. The girls all insisted that the guys always left early.
"Definitely," Hilde said, pointing over to the guys. "Hey, Duo!"
"Hey, babe," Duo said. "We ready to hit the road?" She nodded.
"Well, I will see you all this Friday evening," Relena said, hooking her arm with Heero's.
"I'm looking forward to it," Meilan smiled. "It was nice meeting you all."
Hilde smirked in a Duo sort of way and said, "Hey, you're one of us now. A woman stuck with a stubborn man."
All the girls laughed as they split up with their partners and left. Meilan let Wufei lead them to his car, mindful of the moving vehicles everywhere. Strangely, she couldn't stop chattering about the ball, which she was dreading since she had heard of it. Wufei opened the door on the passenger's side before seating himself on the driver's side of the car.
"Well, at least you'll have people to look for next time you're on Earth," he said lightly as he began driving back to her hotel.
"I absolutely love Hilde," Meilan said. "She's quite the character. You wouldn't believe the stories she told about Duo."
"How much you want to bet?" he asked dryly. "I think I know Duo well enough that there is nothing he can do to surprise me, except maybe remain silent and serious the entire day."
Meilan giggled before noticing they were getting closer to the hotel. The thought sobered her up quickly. Taking a long breathe, she said, "I heard Relena and Heero were engaged just recently."
"Yeah," Wufei said. "Heero doesn't go discussing his personal life with many people so not many people know about it. And if I didn't know any better, Relena and Heero would like to keep it that way for a while."
"We somehow ended up on the topic of children," she added slowly. "I guess everyone is in agreement in wanting girls. I guess their reasoning was something along the lines of not putting up with two stubborn males." She chuckled at the thought. "They probably don't care either way though." There was an awkward silence for a moment. Meilan sighed then finally asked, "What do you think about children?"
He turned right at an intersection. 'One more intersection to go before we're there,' Meilan thought. Her memory never failed, unless she was nervous or angry. She was determined to get everything off her chest now.
"That's vague question," he answered. She glared at him hard. Wufei smiled. "All right, all right. Stop glaring already. Honestly, I don't know what to say. I mean, I chose to fight and work as Preventer to give everyone a chance to live peacefully, especially the children. It's…great to see them enjoying this peacetime and I hope they grow to appreciate it." They passed through another intersection and Meilan noted she lost track of how many intersections to the hotel. Definitely nervous.
"Oh, so you didn't join up just because you were bored and had no where else to go," Meilan said with a hint of sarcasm then asked quietly, "Ever thought about having a child of your own?"
"I never really thought about it," Wufei admitted. He went silent for a moment. "The idea seems foreign but…it might be worth a try, wouldn't you say?"
She smiled softly. "Well, I suppose we'll see next January."
He was silent, gazing straight ahead. She looked away suddenly, as he pulled into a parking spot in front of the hotel. The engine went dead before he looked at her.
"If you're going to tell me something, try not beating around the bush," he said with a small smirk. Meilan narrowed her eyes then stuck out her tongue childishly. As she composed herself, her husband leaned over and kissed her on the lips. Meilan looked at him as they parted.
"Either way, that's wonderful good news," Wufei said softly, looking into her dark eyes. "It sure made my evening."
She laughed and kissed him again before they exited the car. He held an arm around her waist as they walked into the hotel. A couple of limos were arriving by then. When they at last entered the elevator, Wufei asked, "By the way, since you're still in one piece, am I to assume your parents don't know yet?"
Meilan nodded. "True, they would skin me alive. This kind of throws off any attempt they have for breaking us up and sticking me with that weak man."
"You think?" he said sarcastically. She swatted him and they exited the elevator. She opened the door with a swipe of her card-key and turned on the lights as soon as they walked through the heavy door. No one was back yet.
"I don't suppose you could stay until they get back," Meilan asked. "I would like to get this little secret of mine out before I go crazy."
"I thought you were already crazy," he joked.
"Thanks for your support. Actually, I can probably very well do this without you here. It's not a problem." Again, he looked at her, amused.
"How many times did you say that before you chickened out of telling me for who knows how many times?" Wufei asked. His eyes were lit in amusement. She stomped over to him, glaring hard.
"Nobody asked you!" she snapped. Before she could blink, her rather unpredictable husband pulled her close and kissed her fully on the lips. She didn't protest, just kissed him back. His hand slipped to her hips as she wrapped her arms around his neck.
'He's so warm and strong,' she thought through her clouded mind. It was during these moments that she took back every sour remark she made about those tragic love tales. Through out her life, Meilan always thought that love was a weaker emotion. The last years have shown her quite the opposite. It takes a strong individual to love another.
With her mind still in a haze, she didn't realize why he pulled back suddenly. Only when the door shut again did the woman really snap out of it. Her parents looked at Wufei darkly but stayed their tongues, thankfully. Master Long smiled. Wufei and Meilan broke off all physical contact.
"So you two did come back here," Master Long said. "We thought you would both split for parts unknown to us for the rest of the night or something."
"Grandpa!" Meilan exclaimed, blushing. Wufei just snickered, making her blush a few more shades of red.
"Whatever! I didn't want to spend forever in this dress," Meilan retorted. It was true. While she would wear them without much complaint, she still hated dresses.
"Well, that aside, what did you think of the ball, Meilan?" the Elder asked. "We didn't see you all evening. There were some people who wanted to meet with you."
Meilan shrugged and walked over to the coffee table to set down her purse. "I was around. Actually, I think I spent the whole evening with the girls. We walked around while chatting."
"You did spend the entire time with them," Wufei confirmed. "We couldn't find you or anyone else for the rest of the evening."
"Who are these 'girls' you spent the evening with?" Yin asked. Meilan heard the disapproving tone in her voice.
"Namely Relena Peacecraft, Hilde Schbeiker, Dorothy Catalonia, and Cathrine Bloom," Meilan answered. "They're the ones I'm spending Friday with."
"I thought it was just for a late afternoon/evening get-together?" Jiang said.
"Relena suggested spending the whole day together with Hilde," their fiery daughter grinned. "They wanted to show me some of their favorite places around the city."
"Is that what Relena was plotting earlier?" Wufei asked. Meilan smiled and that was all he needed to know that there was more than he guessed. He sighed and nodded at her. His wife's smile faded. Sighing, Meilan turned to her parents who were moving to the sofa.
"Uh…Mother, Father," she said, "Grandpa. There's something I've been meaning to tell you…eventually."
"What is it, Meilan?" Master Long asked.
"I'm pregnant and due in January," she said firmly. The entire room fell silent. All any one could hear were the sounds of roaming vehicles, an occasional train sounding, and fireworks of the anniversary of the nation. Jiang and Yin sat unmoving, the former more resigned while the latter seemed to be building up steam. Master Long and Wufei shared similar expressions, of acceptance and even joy. Meilan's attention, all her energy and focus, was on one person in the entire room. Her mother.
The woman held an icy glaze over her darkened brown eyes. Even her aging skin would be tinged blue if emotion could control the temperature of the room. Certainly, the room had cooled a great deal with the elder woman's glare. Somewhere in her recent days, Meilan found herself wanting her mother's approval, her helping hand, at least. She had given up on love or care. They say a mother is a girl's best friend. But not this mother to this daughter.
Then her heart began to pound as Yin stood soundlessly. Thump-Thump Thump-Thump. The woman stopped right before Meilan and then turned and walked into her bedroom, slamming the door shut behind her.
A soft, yet forced chuckle brought everyone's attention back to Jiang. "I had forgotten what made us put you two together in the beginning, let alone the fact that we proposed the idea in the first place. I suppose we've been too hung up on perfection and tradition that we missed the big picture, so to speak."
"Uh…Father," Meilan was uncertain what he meant.
"Meilan, you were right from the start. We're the ones trying to mess it all up," Jiang said. Soon he, too, stood and followed his wife's trail to Meilan. He embraced her for a moment before leaving everyone in the living room.
"This is a rather unexpected turn of events," Master Long reflected gently. "My congratulations…and condolences." At their confused countenances, he explained, "You both were difficult children. I expect the worse with a child of both of you."
Wufei and Meilan laughed. She shook her head. "We couldn't have been that bad, Grandpa."
"Up until recently," he said then added as an afterthought, "My lack of sleep testifies to that. On to other matters, you'll have to decide where to go from here. Goodnight."
Without a reply, he left the couple alone in the room.
"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked. She sat down on the couch.
"Meilan, you're living on the colony," Wufei clarified. "I'm working full time and living here on Earth. That's where we have to work things out."
"I see your point," Meilan sighed. "You could always transfer to L5's Preventer's station or I could move down here. That's the simplest way I suppose."
Wufei shook his head and sat down next to her. "Actually, both are easier said than done. Living down here is a lot harder than living in the colony. Hell, I'm still adjusting. Chief Une won't sign me over to another station permanently. I may be able to get a temporary transfer to the colony before you're due."
"You know, I don't even know why we're worrying about it right now," Meilan said. "I'm ready to crash for the night. We have the rest of the week to worry over it."
"You're right," he said. "I'll pick you up tomorrow morning at ten."
"Fine with me," Meilan yawned. Wufei leaned towards her and kissed her softly.
"See you tomorrow," he said.
Thursday
Meilan lay crying against her pillow that evening. Everything went well yet everything was so wrong. Only moments ago Wufei left the room, not too happy. For once, it wasn't because of each other. No. The source of today's great misery was in the form of an icy woman who could freeze even Medusa in its place. From the moment Meilan had awoken, the day was a lost cause. She was able to get a 'good morning' from her father and Master Long but from her mother the young woman received nothing, not even a glimpse. So needless to say she was relieved when Wufei arrived to take her out.
From there, her troubles seemed to disappear. They pretty much drove around the city doing nothing but talk. They were forced to stop by his office that he shared with Sally. The said blonde had needed something that Meilan didn't bother to pick up on. It was a chance to really meet the woman who her husband had worked with for a long time. While Wufei was working quickly so they could leave again, Sally slipped into a small conversation with her.
"I nearly passed out when I heard Wufei was married already," Sally said. "He's usually such a stiff guy so it's hard to believe. Meilan laughed as Wufei glared at his 'loving' partner. Sally smirked in return and asked Meilan, "So what do you do now that the war's over?"
The one hundred percent Chinese woman shrugged. "Same as in the war, except without the worrying portion of the program. I have a few friends on the colony I spend most my time with. It's better than being chased by idiots."
"So true," Sally replied. "I'm always surrounded by idiots. And what do you know, they're all males."
Meilan laughed. "There must be an upside to working here."
"Oh there is," Sally answered. "I get to watch Duo prank people. It's only until he gets me that I hate it. Actually, you won't believe the immaturity of many people here."
"Sure I do, I mean, Duo works here, right?" Meilan joked. Both women began laughing and even Wufei chuckled. And that was how they parted, laughing. The day seemed to breeze by. Nothing else was on her mind or his than each other's company.
After a light dinner at a local restaurant, Meilan seemed to pull herself from her perfect world to reality as the sun began to approach the shadowed horizon. The woman leaned silently against the back of the seat as an equally silent Wufei drove her back. For the first time that day, she thought back to their dilemma.
"Wufei," she said softly.
"Yeah?"
"I was thinking about how to handle me being pregnant," she began. "Perhaps it would be easier if you continued working until the baby's due. I can handle it on my own. Samantha and Cherish can lend a hand. I mean, visit on your time off but I don't see why you have to always be around me."
Wufei was silent, as if he didn't hear her. Meilan was beginning to think he may not honestly answer her all at this time. Finally he said, "Are you sure about that?"
She looked at her husband. "I can handle it on my own for now. If something happens I'll let you know. It's just easier than trying to work around your work for now."
Wufei frowned. "Meilan…"
She glared at him then snapped, "Look, I'm not a weak little girl, and I don't need to be babied. You can keep working here. I can handle myself without your help."
Meilan almost turned away when she ended her small tirade but she caught the hurt in her husband's eyes. Her words came back to her and mentally she slapped herself. 'Meilan you idiot!'
"Wufei, I…" she began. He didn't look at her again.
"No," he said softly. "You're right. You can make your own decisions. I just wanted…never mind. It's your call really."
Meilan looked down at her hands in her laps. "I'm sorry. I guess I'm so independent that I can't take help even from the man I'm married to. How pathetic is that?" Wufei didn't answer her. Meilan sighed gently and remained silent.
In the parking lot at the hotel, Meilan was inclined to remain silent until he left. She began to walk towards the large double doors when Wufei grasped her wrist gently. Without a word, she left him pull her close and kiss her softly on the lips for a moment.
"I'll just visit often then," was all he said. She giggled and they walked to the hotel room. Upon opening the door the sight of Master Long greeted them first. He sat on the sofa sipping a steaming cup of tea. Meilan's parents sat by each other. Her father acknowledged them with a nod. The couple sat down as well.
"This week is beginning to pass by quickly," Master Long stated. "What did you two work out?"
The three talked for a while before Wufei's cell rang. He excused himself to answer it on the balcony for better reception. Yin narrowed her eyes and stared at Meilan. With a bitter tone, she said, "How dismal. He has the nerve to call himself your husband while he stays away to work, leaving you to your own agenda. Work before family. Pathetic."
"That's not true," Meilan replied angrily. "I have said it millions of times. I can handle it."
"You're so unruly," Yin remarked.
Meilan didn't know what to do with herself. Something inside just snapped, like she was teetering on the edge of a rotting plank. Each bitter work her mother said pushed her further off. It seemed like Meilan ran out of board and into a steaming geyser. Fuming, Meilan stood abruptly, startling everyone around her. "This was all your idea from the very start! You proposed the marriage. Now that it's inconvenient for you, you are all out against it. I'm sick of being made to play your game! For one second in your damn life, have you ever considered me a daughter instead of a stubborn pawn? I honestly doubt you have the right to call yourself my mother!"
Yin scowled and stood to face her raging daughter. Shaking a long finger she yelled back. "You ungrateful bitch! I raised you well. And yet you still defy me with every word I say. You're a disgrace to the family name. I have tried to do everything in your bet interests but you still refuse. What is it your are trying to accomplish by rebelling like this?"
"I'm just being me," Meilan cried back. "I'm not going to pretend to be a perfect, domestic doll. In fact you're bent on destroying any small amount of happiness I gain."
"How dare you speak to me like that!" Yin snapped. "You the one at fault. This living hell began because you—"
Meilan shook her head violently and shouted, "No! That's far from it. You're just blaming me for your unhappiness. Just because your life became unhappy and miserable does not make it right to take it out on me. You were scared to take control your life. I'm not."
The older woman's eyes flamed. The two men removed themselves at the beginning and stood a fair distance from the two women. Wufei had walked in at the moment, confused yet suspicious of the yelling. Yin stepped closer to Meilan. "I'm no coward. I don't know what you're afraid of but—"
"This frightens me!" Meilan yelled loudly. One could probably hear them across the hotel. Meilan gestured to herself. "I'm a mother to be without a damn mother myself. That's because my mother is too close-minded, self-centered, uncaring, and heartless to bother with anyone else."
SLAP!
Silence, thick and humid, settled over the room-turned-battleground of wills. The three men were still as they waited for the next move. Meilan's head was snapped to the side from the force of Yin's hand landing on her cheek. Yin's eyes were full of malice and anger at she glared at the younger Chinese woman. Without another sound, Meilan ran past Yin and slammed the door to her room. Yin's eyes didn't follow the retreating figure. The elder woman stood there, ridged and motionless. Wufei promptly followed Meilan to her room and left the three others to themselves.
"Great dragons, Yin, what have you done?" Master Long asked softly.
"I haven't done anything," Yin said stonily. "Not a thing."
Meilan's form was spread over the pale comforter of her bed, her damp face pressed into the soft pillow. Her body shook with each sob. Wufei gazed at her. Silently, he sat on the edge of the bed, stroking her back. There was nothing he could think to say. After a moment Meilan picked herself up enough to sit up. Looking into Wufei's eyes fresh tears began falling again. Meilan leaned against him, warm in his embrace.
"It's all right," he said.
"I'm not living…hic…on the same colony…hic…as that woman," Meilan whispered, wiping her tears away, smearing them on her face. "I'd rather take on living down here than stay up there any longer."
He nodded, understanding. "Will you be fine here tonight?"
"I'll live," Meilan mumbled.
"Relena asked me to drop you off at her place at nine, so I'll pick you up at eight," he replied. "Try to get some sleep, okay?"
"Okay," she agreed. She planted a soft kiss on his lips before he stood and left. For a moment, she wondered if he picked up on her need to be alone.
Friday
Meilan sat up with a yawn, stretching her arms up. Her eyes opened, only to shut again quickly. It wasn't a wave of nausea, it was the sunlight pouring through her open window. It took her a few minutes to open them without burning her retinas. Finally adjusted to the light, Meilan checked her clock and her jaw dropped. It read 8:17 AM. She quickly rushed up, and began dressing. Relena said totally casual so Meilan threw on a brand new pair of faded denim jeans with a dark red polo T-shirt. She had barely finished her morning hygiene routine before Wufei had knocked and entered the apartment.
"Meilan," he called softly.
"In here," she replied and then Meilan threw her hair in a ponytail as she walked out to meet him. "Sorry, I just got up."
"That's fine," he said. "I was going to stop by a café to get something for breakfast. Dearest Sally decided to rain on my time off and shoved a report on me last night. So I was up later than I even intended."
"She doesn't seem to like doing a lot of work," Meilan said, snatching her purse.
"Sally does plenty but she's a little behind on some reports while I keep up on any spare time. Let's go before your parents made an entrance." Meilan nodded and they left. The morning air was crisp and chilled. Only a few cotton ball clouds hung in the blue sky. Grass shined with the early morning dew. Chirping birds flew around for their own breakfast as the Chinese couple drove their way to Relena's. The only flaw with that morning was that it was a Saturday. Many families were together on the day off and going around that morning. Some were headed out of the city while some were shopping. Groups of children and teenagers bounded around the neighborhoods as they drove through. Meilan smiled to herself. Today looked promising.
Saturday
Meilan silently packed her suit case for the trip back home. As she stuffed clothes and toiletries into the small suit case, she thought of the last two days compared to the other days. As she thought about it like that, the idea of staying in the capital with Wufei felt like the right decision. Friday was probably the best day on this trip. The other ladies she became fast friends with were renowned for their bravery and efforts and yet, each one acted like a fresh teenager. Hilde nearly squeezed the life out of Meilan when she announced that she was planning on living in the capital. Shopping and dinner with them almost made Meilan inclined to spend all that day with the girl again. Almost.
The day was rivaled by the afternoon she spent with Wufei. A quiet lunch, walking around the park, talking about anything. Her only disappointment was that damned cell phone of his. Happy moment ruined. He was forced back to work early. Something about President and security and what ever else. Meilan didn't pay any attention. All that went through her head was that her time with Wufei was cut short. Personally, she would not mind giving the Chief a piece of her mind.
The day shifted gears and drifted downhill when the door opened and closed for the second time that late afternoon. Meilan scowled and slammed her door shut. Again, she didn't take the initiative to hear what they were saying. All that was on her list to do was slowly pack her things and enjoy some peace and quiet. Not even the twittering birds kept her heavy mind from wandering astray.
Deeper thoughts and doubts began to move around and collide. Would moving cause more problems than she thought? Wufei mentioned that he would get a larger apartment in a family-friendlier neighborhood. If anything happened Hilde and Relena would be there. The two were more than insistent on helping out. Of course, there was Yin and Jiang along with even the Elders to get off the colony again. Samantha and Cherish would be upset but they would understand. What would her life be like in the city? Wufei worked often as did Relena. Hilde was the only one not doing much while Duo was temporarily stationed in the capital. After the baby was born, Meilan would have to stay home with it. She didn't believe in other people raising her child. So she'd pick up some sort of job later.
"Meilan," an elder voice said softly. Meilan shook herself out of her daze and stared at her grandfather. When did he come in? Awareness not maintained.
"Uh, grandpa," she asked, "what is it?"
"I was going to ask if there was any chance of you and Yin getting along anytime soon? It's making things so much more complicated," Master Long said.
"No," Meilan said. "Actually, I was going to tell you I decided to move down here with Wufei. I need a long break from the colony."
The Elder stood there, contemplating what his grandchild had said. Finally, he nodded. "That is you decision then. I will support you in that."
"Thank you," Meilan said.
Seven Months Later
"Congratulations, it's a baby girl," the doctor announced, after she had cleaned infant and wrapped her. The tiny bundle was handed to her weary mother, who was numb and exhausted. It was another moment before Wufei joined her. He tenderly brushed a lock of hair away from the woman's pale face.
'See, you lived," he said.
She looked at him. "You're lucky I'm tired. Or I would have to beat you that remark," Meilan retorted in a too quiet voice.
Wufei chuckled. "What did you have in mind for a name?"
Meilan gazed in thought at the sleeping child. "What about Mei? I always thought that was a pretty name," she mused.
Wufei nodded. "Mei. I love it." He kissed her temple. "Just like I love you."
Meilan laughed lightly. "I love you too. But I'm not going to love staying stuck in a bed for nearly a week!"
Her husband sighed. "Pray that our daughter doesn't pick up that attitude."
Meilan looked at him with a glint in her dark eyes. "Wanna bet?"
He merely kissed her on the lips. "We'll see."
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Well that's the end. I'm sorry it's empty and short. I even admit this story isn't one of my best. Sorry for any disappointment. It's the end of summer for me and things are just getting started. Plus there are other stories on the list to be done. I'm not planning a sequel. However, if someone is interested, give me heads up. Mei's gotta grow up sometime. Thank you for reading.
Elda Aranel