Shock to Wufei's System
Due to their change in relationship Wufei and Noin agreed together that they couldn't keep it from their friends for much longer. Unfortunately Noin found it impossible to get Milliardo alone long enough to tell him and so no one was finding out since Noin had insisted on Milliardo being the first to know. More then a little frustrated Noin made an appointment with Milliardo to talk only to have him break it when there was an emergency meeting on the third colony that required his attention sending him off into space before she had the chance to tell him. The way things were looking he wouldn't be back till the second week of December thanks to his decision to take some time off since he'd be busy during Christmas with various events and functions he'd be expected to attend. In other words they were stuck with keeping the whole thing quiet until after Christmas which was not gonna be easy at all. Then again Christmas was going to be difficult to begin with since Wufei always spent it with his grandmother where ever she was at the moment and Noin always spent it with her parents and family in Italy. In other words how were they supposed to spend it together?
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"Well you know, I could just call my parents and tell them I can't come home this year." Noin said thoughtfully as she tugged on a piece of rope of which the other end was firmly gripped in Patch's mouth. His new favorite game was to play tug a war with things and the rope was one of the few things he was allowed to play it with. "They'll understand and besides that you've been subjected to my family in one huge avalanche, it's my turn to be put under the are you good enough for my baby microscope."
"My grandmother wouldn't do that...well my mother's mother would have been but my father's mother is actually rather laid back and easy going all things considering." Wufei said dryly as he set a tray with hot chocolate and some oatmeal raison cookies on the table. "And you should go home and spend Christmas with your family, Lucrezia. I know how much you look forward to visits with them and Christmas is big with your family I'd imagine. Grandmother and I don't celebrate it so much as use it as a reason to get together and catch up. Well that and she likes an excuse to blow money on useless things for people and herself."
"Yes but I'll be miserable without you and your grandmother is never going to like me if I make you break a tradition you and she have had going for several years by dragging you home with me again." Noin said just as dryly, letting the rope go so that Patch went skidding across wood floor while Noin grabbed a cookie, gesturing with it. "I really don't mind coming with you to China...unless you'd rather it just be you and your grandmother...in that case I understand." Noin said with a smile though inside her heart dropped at the idea that he might not want to introduce her to his grandmother. His grandmother was his only family after all and Noin really wanted to meet her and get to know her and get her approval. After all Wufei put such stock in the importance of family so it was crucial that she got along with his grandmother and maybe that's why Wufei didn't want them to meet? Maybe he didn't think they'd get along?
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"I have no doubt that you and my grandmother will get along fine and I would be pleased to introduce you to her and vice versa." Wufei said as he looked over at her, getting the sense that something was worrying her but he couldn't put his finger on what that something was. Likely worried about what they were going to do about their conflicting Christmas plans, Wufei surmised. "And I suppose we could always do half and half, visit your family for a couple days and my grandmother after or vice versa."
"But who would we stay with for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day?" Noin argued, getting riled up about the whole thing. "I mean those are the biggest days and I don't want to spend one with the other then hop onto a flight right after to go somewhere else for the other day."
"Well why don't you call your mother and see what the schedule is for this year." Wufei said calmly, not nearly so bothered by the whole idea. Christmas wasn't something he cared about overly, one way or another. "And usually my grandmother and I get together for New Year, Chinese New Year, anyway. That holiday has more significance to us then Christmas."
"Well I'll call my mom and see." Noin said with a sigh, wondering how they were gonna manage this without upsetting one or more relations.
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Still thinking about it the next day Noin stood up on the ladder in the Preventers library, trying to find a book she wanted Mariemaia to read. The book was about war strategies and she thought it would interest the girl. Of course it would have to be way up at the top too. Using her foot to push the ladder over a bit more it took her two more minutes to spot the book in question since some idiot had stuck it in the wrong spot. Annoyed but glad that she'd found it Noin nearly jumped when she heard someone call her name. Looking down Noin raised her left hand in greeting. "Hey, Sals. What's up?"
"Nothing much." Sally said as she tilted her head back so that she could see Noin's face. "I'm working off a good mad and thought maybe you'd be interested in going out tonight if you weren't busy?"
"I don't think I had anything planned. Why are you angry? Is Wufei still bugging you about doing his share of the work at that meeting this afternoon? You know he hates speeches and that he always tries to dump it on you. You really shouldn't let it get to you." Noin said with a chuckle as she took two steps down then turned again to hear Sally's response.
"Well of course it's Wufei, who else? He refuses to introduce me to his new girlfriend and I'm about ready to ring his scrawny little neck. I'm his partner and one of his best friends for Christ sakes. Why won't he let me meet her? He keeps coming up with excuses for not introducing us and as it is he's barely told me anything about her. All I know is that he met her in a gym, they hit it off and now they're dating!" Sally bit off, getting riled all over again as she thought about it. "None of the other guys have met her or at least they say they haven't but I think they're lying. When I asked Heero and Trowa there was something about their body language and Quatre kept evading the issue. Duo doesn't know but this is the sort of thing that goes right over his head on a regular basis. I'm starting to think there's got to be something wrong with her. Maybe she's too young or old for him, someone I know and don't like maybe? You don't think it could be Captain Henson's secretary do you? She's always giving him bust shots and flirting with him whenever she gets the chance. What if she's finally managed to sink those claws of hers into him and she's brainwashed him into not telling anyone? What if she's married and hasn't told him? Maybe she's the one who doesn't want me to meet her because she's some sleazy tramp taking advantage of Wufei's inexperience? What if he loves her and is too blinded to see what she's doing?" Sally started ranting, getting more worked up by the minutes as the various scenarios ran through her head. Poor Wufei.
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"Captain Henson's secretary has been hitting on Wufei?" Was all Noin wanted to know, her violet eyes flashing at the thought. No one, but no one touched or flirted with her man and lived to talk about it. That little tramp, always parading around in her tight little shirts and her barely there skirts. If she thought she was going to get her hooks into Wufei she had another thing coming. She'd turned that little silicone based blonde into a Picasso painting first. There wouldn't be a plastic surgeon in the world that could put her back together again.
"Well yeah but he mostly ignores her, calls her an example of why smart men stay single. Or at least that's what he said a few months ago but now he's not single, now is he? Damn it but this is driving me batty." Sally said as she stomped her foot in frustration. "Give him a war zone and he's fine but when it comes to women he can be as clueless as Heero in a room full of preschoolers."
"No kidding." Noin agreed with an agreeing nod before clueing in that she should really try to do something to help Sals since she was the source of all her friend's anxiety. "But you really shouldn't worry about his girlfriend so much, Sals. I'm sure that you'll meet her soon and you'll get along really well."
"Yeah right. She'll be sweet and nice and she'll replace you as my best friend." Sals said sarcastically as she shook her head even as Noin whipped around in the process of climbing down, her feet slipping off their hold. "Face it, Noin. If she was as great as you he wouldn't be trying so hard to hide her from me. NOIN!" Sally screamed as Noin suddenly came toppling down from the ladder and crashing to the floor.
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Working away at his desk Wufei looked up when he heard a polite tapping on the door, a student visible through the glass window. Ordering the boy in Wufei waited till the kid was in and the door was closed before he requested the reason for the student's interruption.
"I'm sorry to interrupt you, Sir. Doctor Po asked me to stop here and tell you that she's been held up and that she'll call you if she can't get back in time for the meeting this afternoon." The cadet said with a gulp, Lieutenant Chang's cool glances unnerving him. He was just as scary Barton and Yuy.
"Where is she?" Wufei wanted to know with a slight frown, annoyed at the idea of having to give the report without Sally. He hated talking in front of people after all and how was he supposed to get her to do all the talking if she wasn't there?
"There was an accident in the library, Sir and Commander Noin was injured, Sir." The cadet said as he tried to stand as straight as possible as he watched the lieutenant slowly get to his feet, the look on the man's face enough to have the cadet wishing he could run for cover or sink through the floor. "She fell from a ladder, Lieutenant and is currently in the hospital wing getting taken care of by the doctor." He added weakly then gave a sigh of relief when the lieutenant simply moved around the desk and was out the door without another word. "Scary. He's scary."
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Legs eating up as much ground as possible without going at a dead run Wufei got the hell out of there and made his way through numerous hallways, his destination the medical wing. She was hurt was all he could think. She'd hurt herself and he had to go to her. Arriving at the medical wing he intimidated his way through and soon arrived into a large, airy waiting room where Sally was, a phone to her ear though she hung up as soon as she came striding towards him.
"Okay, don't look at me like that, pal." Sally bean as she put her hands in front of her, palms flat as if to ward off attack. "I'm not making you go to that meeting alone. I was just calling you to tell you not to get into a ruffle about it."
"Where is she?"
"Where's who?" Sally asked in a confused voice, not sure what to think of the look in her partner's eyes. He was hiding his emotions well but as someone who knew him well she saw more then the usual masks. She saw worry and what might very well be fear. What on earth?
"Noin," Wufei said more harshly then he'd intended, his heart beating so fast in his chest he was surprised it didn't burst out of his chest and into her hands. "Where is she? What the hell happened?"
"You came here to check on Noin?" Sally said in surprise, her eyebrows shooting up at the thoughtful gesture. She knew the two were getting along better but he hadn't realized they were good enough friends for him to come all the way over to see her. He had even swore and he wasn't the type. "That's so sweet of you, Wufei. She's fine so don't worry. She just took a tumble off a ladder and smacked her head on some shelves. I'm sending her home and she should be okay by tomorrow."
"So it's just a bump on the head then?" Wufei said as his heart began to slow down to a normal pace. She was okay. She was going to be okay. "Why did she fall off the ladder, she isn't clumsy. Did someone bump it?" Wufei demanded to know, already planning to beat the hell out of whoever had done it even if it had been an accident. Right at the moment all he cared about was payback and seeing Lucrezia for himself to see that she was really okay.
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"Yeah, she'll be just fine and I'm not quite sure how she fell actually. I was there and everything but I think she just must have been climbing down too fast." Sally said with a shrug then feeling a bit mischievous decided to get a little payback herself with a little shock treatment. "But then again it could also be because of Noin's current condition."
"Her...condition?' Wufei said slowly, dread seeping in as he set his hands on Sally's shoulders, gripping them a little tighter then was necessary.
"Well being pregnant with triplets, a little dizziness is to be expected. But with the right care and rest I'm sure she'll have a good pregnancy and deliver those three bundles of joy without a hitch." Sally said as she told the lie smoothly, expecting Wufei to go red and stuttering at the idea. Then she'd tell him she was just kidding and get a kick out of him getting all ruffled at the idea. Watching him go pale Sally was about to ask what was wrong when his eyes rolled back in his head and he collapsed on the floor in a dead faint.
"Holy Crap! Wufei just fainted." Duo said from the doorway as he walked in with Heero, the two having heard about Noin and opting to stop in to check on her. "Boy is he gonna be pissed when he wakes up. I can't wait to rub it in. He's okay right?"
"Wufei? Wufei? Speak to me!" Sally said as she got to her knees, shaking his shoulders hard as she tried to wake her white partner up. What was wrong with him?
"What happened?" Heero asked as he bent over with Duo to survey their unconscious friend. Maybe Noin was hurt a lot worse then they'd heard. That would explain the collapse, Heero thought absently. "Is Noin hurt worse then a bump on the head? What did you tell him?"
"No, she'll be fine." Sally said as she took Wufei's pulse. "I was just joking with him, told him Noin was pregnant with triplets just to see what he'd say. That that was why she'd fallen off the ladder. That shouldn't have done this!"
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"Well actually..." Heero began then simply shook his head. Poor Wufei, that would be enough to give any guy a heart attack. Talk about your unexpected blows from out of no where. Add on the worry from hearing Noin was hurt and no one in their right mind could blame Wufei for his reaction.
"Well if he was her boyfriend ya but they're barely even..." Sally began then shut her mouth very slowly. No one knew who Noin's boyfriend was. No one knew who Wufei's girlfriend was. No one had met Wufei's girlfriend, no one had ever met Noin's man. Wufei and Noin were getting along better. Wufei had come here to ask about her, had looked worried and upset. They had been talking about Wufei's girlfriend when Noin had fallen. "Oh dear God..YOU BASTARD!" Sally said as she made a fist with her right hand and jabbed it with all her might into Wufei's gut. "HOW DARE YOU NOT TELL ME!" Drawing back her fist for another blow Sally found her hand grabbed by Heero who sent her a look that said calm down now. "You knew? They told you but not me?"
"Trowa, Quatre and I figured it out without having to be told." Heero said with a shrug of his shoulders as though it was no big deal. "They don't know that we know."
"Know what?" Duo wanted to know, still completely in the dark and wondering why the hell Sally had punched Wufei in the stomach, especially that hard. He didn't think she'd done it to revive the poor guy who might have a cracked rib or two when he woke up from the looks of that blow. "I'm not following."
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"I can't believe it..those two? Together? In a way that could produce triplets?" Sally said as she sat back hard on her butt, her mind reeling. How the hell had this all happened without her noticing? How could she have missed something like this? Why the hell hadn't they told her?
"I prefer not to think about that or speak of it ever again." Heero said with an almost pained look on his usually blank face. He really didn't want to think of two of his friends like that. Ever.
"Wait a minute...are you saying that Wufei and Noin..." Duo said slowly as the light dawned and he began to put the pieces together. Going pale himself Duo could only gap at everyone for a moment before he had to sit down too.
"Uhm hey guys?" Came Noin's voice as she walked into the room with a confused look on her face. "Why are you all sitting on the floor?" She added as she came closer, her eyes widening and her color leaving her face as she saw they were all sitting or kneeling around an unconscious Wufei. "What's wrong with him?' Noin demanded as she rushed over, practically diving to her knees beside Sally. "What happened?"
"Sally jokingly told him he was going to be the father of triplets." Heero said dryly as he looked over at her with the faintest of grins. "He didn't take the news so well."