SWEET BLISS

By : angelofvenusl3

CHAPTER FOUR

"Minako, you don't have to move out," Erica pleaded as she tried to wrestle the newspaper from Minako's hands. "For god's sake, it wasn't your fault but if you insist, alright, fine! We still forgive you, though. If it's anything, we should be the one begging for your forgiveness. How are you suppose to know Alex and I got home early today? I mean, who would actually 'do it' on the kitchen table in the afternoon?"

Minako yanked the paper from Erica and surged to her feet from the worn out couch. "Apparently, you guys would," she exclaimed indignantly, the blood still coloring her cheeks. "And that's the third time this week since he moved in already. Look, it's not a big deal. I can easily find an apartment somewhere. There's a lot of ads looking for roommates these days. This place is actually kinda far from campus, it'll be much easier for me if I can find an apartment nearby. Plus, I think you both could use the privacy." Then she cried out in disgust, "I mean, seriously, Erica, the kitchen table?! That's disgusting!"

Erica blushed and exclaimed in defense, "Hey, you would have done the same if you're in love. Heck, you would have even done it in the middle of dinner if he ask for it." Then, she hastily changed the topic before Minako could protest and inquired earnestly, "Not that I'm encouraging you to find another place to live but how come you didn't move in with that guy you slept with? You know, the one responsible for your baby. His apartment is a few blocks away from campus, right?"

"Yea, how did you know he lives …." Minako trailed when another realization registered in her mind and she let out a startled gasp. "You know I'm pregnant?"

Erica snorted. "Minako, you've been craving for ice-cream and bread with walnuts at the side almost every night. If that's not convincing enough, you've been throwing up in the morning right before class. And you let it slip that you've only slept with one guy before in your life, which frankly I think that's a little depressing but I assume that's the only guy who could be responsible for your ordeal of facing the toilet bowl every morning. Anyway, the father of your baby has been calling this past couple of days asking about you and it so happened that you were always in class when he called. So I talked to him a little bit."

Minako looked utterly shock and …moved. There was a flutter in her stomach as she grew warm at this discovery. "Well, what does he want?"

Erica shrugged. "He just wants to know how're you doing, that's all. He didn't exactly say that you're pregnant or anything but he demand in detail about your condition that I couldn't doubt he was the father. So one day I asked him whether you're pregnant and if he really is the father and eventually he admitted it." Then, her tone grew envious, "God, Minako, you are so lucky. I mean, he is so sweet and what a gentleman. I can tell, he'll be a wonderful father to your baby. He's so concern about your well being."

Minako couldn't help smiling as her friend gushed on and on about Trowa. It had been a week since she last saw him and from what she had gathered from a different source, Trowa was sent to outer space to complete some urgent assignment so she hadn't been in contact with him much. However, he did call her twice in the last four days to ask about her condition, although she was clearly unaware he had spoken to her roommate about it. But still, it was really sweet of Trowa and Minako could feel herself welling up at his wonderful gesture. And the fact that there was one more person who had accepted the idea of her unexpected pregnancy.

"You don't mind, Erica?" Minako inquired timidly all of a sudden, slowly taking a seat next to Erica.

Erica was puzzled. "Mind what? About you being pregnant?" When Minako hesitantly nodded, Erica gave her a warm smile as she placed a comforting hand on Minako's shoulder. "Of course not. Why do you think we clear out the pickles, the alcohols and those expiry products? Trowa told me you can't eat any of those things. I thought usually pregnant women have this weird craving for pickles but I guess it works differently for everyone …."

"Oh god!" Minako exclaimed tearfully as she suddenly gave her roommate a bear hug. "It's a relief to let this out in the open. You don't know how hard it's been for me. I mean, one minute you're on top and the next minute you're down under. It's a horrible feeling!"

"What are you talking about?" Erica cried in dismay as she struggled to pry Minako's arms from her throat. "Did your agency fired you?"

"Not yet but I'm afraid they will once they find out," Minako answered, sniffling. "I mean, I know I'm too young to be a mother but I can't possibly take my own baby's life. That's just cruel and I'm beginning to love this baby. But now, all of a sudden there's so many risks and responsibilities thrust to me. I know the college can't throw me out because why would they since a quarter of the students were already married and have their own kids? But then, I'm not married or engaged. I don't even have a boyfriend. What will people think of me? They'll just assume I slept with some random guy at a bar, when all I did was slept with my cousin's best friend at a decent party. Oh, how will I ever face my fans? My poor, disappointed fans …."

"Your hormone's definitely raging out of control," Erica stated and attempted to chuckle but choked in the process instead when Minako's arms tightened in respond. When Erica let out a squeak, Minako finally pulled back and allowed her friend to breathe.

"Sorry," Minako said sheepishly and sighed. "You know what, I should take this one thing at a time. That's all there is to it. Take it slow and easy and everything will fall into place." Then, she looked thoughtful and nodded in affirmative, feeling a surge of confidence. "Yea, I can do this. I shouldn't care what other people think. It's not like their opinion matter to me. Well, if they're my friends, they would support me in my decision to keep the baby. Who cares about careers? And boyfriends? They come and go but children will always stay. Oh my god, Erica, you are right!"

At this point Erica was gaping at Minako as her tried to process what Minako was talking about. "Say what?"

Completely oblivious to Erica's confusion, Minako surged to her feet and balled her fists. Her eyes shone brightly as she stared into space. "This is my destiny. To be a struggling teenage mother working twenty hours a day while trying to raise her beautiful child in this cruel, discriminated world. I mean, I can make a movie out of this. Or …or a reality TV show! This is perfect! My baby is about to become a star. Just like me …"

"Um, Minako, I don't think you thought this through …."

"Shush, Erica, there's no time to waste," Minako intruded. Erica raised her eyes in puzzle and she was about to open her mouth when Minako hastily added, "I have to find a new apartment!"

Like a flash of light, Minako was off and the next thing Erica heard was the slam of the door.

At the same time the conversation took place, a plane slowly made its descend after a long journey.

"Trowa, you're back!"

Trowa reluctantly shifted his gaze from the computer screen to meet Duo's eager cobalt blue eyes. Without so much of a greeting, he leaned back against his seat, finally allowing himself a moment to relax his raw muscles and waited patiently for Duo to begin his ritual of spreading the office gossips.

"Hey, I heard about the mission," Duo exclaimed, almost a little too excitedly as he crossed the room. "Funny how those disputes started, isn't it? The whole headquarter is talking about it, you know, how it got Une so worked up and the intense investigations in the past month. Boy, had all those been a waste of tax money. Wufei is tearing his hair out as we speak and cursing the next person who walks in his office. I should know, I was one of them." He paused to chuckle. "I've never seen him so worked up since the war. I mean, he got so frustrated he threw the computer out the window."
Trowa raised an eyebrow in mild interest. "He did?" He shouldn't really be surprise, though. Wufei was quite known to express his frustration openly only when his patience was truly tested and pushed to the edge.

"Well, no," came Duo's flat reply, which deflated Trowa's interest. "But he seem like he was about to when he realized he had slammed the door so hard that he practically tore the hinges." Duo grimaced faintly at that memory. "Would have been really funny if the door hadn't hit my face in the process. Anyway, can't say I blame that guy, though. Apparently Une's placing him fully responsible for this mess, since he's the supervisor and all."

"Actually, she's placing both of us responsible for it."

Duo was taken aback. "But you were the one who discover the fraud elements and inconsistent details in this assignment, no thanks to Wufei and your incompetent subordinates. Besides, you weren't suppose to be involved in the first place."

Trowa nodded his head in agreement, still very unusually calm and relax. There was even a hint of a smile forming on his lips. "True but I accepted the mission at the very last minute. It was our error of judgment, we thought it would place the colony under serious threat. Wufei was already facing enough conflicts with his other missions so it was not exactly a shock when he overlooked the investigation reports. Fortunately there was barely any serious damages. And because of that, I'm very certain Lady Une will not go so far as to fire him or suspend us. Wufei's been working overtime for the past two months, he doesn't deserve to be penalized for it."

"Well, you look awfully calm for someone who's at the verge of being reprimanded," Duo noted with a wry smile.

Trowa shrugged. "I'm very convinced that I won't be fired for this error. That alone, is enough to justify my being relaxed."

That was partly true. The obvious reason contributed to this excessive flow of joy suppressed beneath his calm demeanor was the discovery of his impending fatherhood in the next few months, along with the girl who had stolen his heart years back and who was also responsible for the existence of his child. Although the first thing he wanted to do when he got back from his mission was to head straight to Minako's apartment, he had a long report to write and at the same time, his presence was gravely needed in a meeting which was due in three hours time, provided the last few steps of their procedure went smoothly. Still, he intended to drop by Minako's apartment as soon as he got everything settled in the HQ, though it seemed most likely now it would take awhile, considering the incoming reports he had to write and review.

After the last incident at the Winner mansion, Trowa had managed to talk the other pilots, mainly Quatre into keeping the news about Minako's pregnancy a secret especially from Duo, since he intended to figure out the truth behind Duo's persistent flirtation with the mother of his child. Duo's knowledge about it might prove to be a drawback in his attempt to win Minako back and he couldn't risk that yet. He refused to even consider the possibility that Minako might have some other men in her life. The chances of winning her might be slim but he had to at least try. Until now, he couldn't accept the fact that he had lost her in the past merely because of his cowardice.

He felt guilty of hiding this from Duo, if Duo was indeed still in love with her and intended to pursue her but she was pregnant with his child! That had to at least amount up to something. He could not simply discard their friendship aside merely because he and Duo shared a similar interest to the woman who would soon give birth to his baby. He had to talk to Duo about it and soon, before he discovered it from another source. He just hope Duo wouldn't place him in a difficult spot where either their friendship or his future relationship with Minako would be at risk. But until then, he refused to worry about it and try to keep on Duo's good side for as long as possible.

"No, that's not it," Duo murmured thoughtfully as he studied his amused friend. "There's something different about you that I can't quite put my finger on …." Then, he squinted his eyes to stare intensely at Trowa before he pulled back and exclaimed in shock, a hand placed on his chest for dramatic effect, "My god, is my eyes deceiving me?! Is that what I think it is?!! That's it, it's a smile, isn't it!! You're smiling!" He pointed out with such deliberate exaggeration that Trowa was actually offended, which obviously, diminished the remnants of the smile from his face. Before Trowa could defend himself, Duo suddenly let out a grin as he drew nearer and his eyes practically shone in interest. "I get it now! So the …" He made a quotation mark in the air. "… 'mission' was successful, after all! Good for you, man!"

Trowa was genuinely confused. "What are you talking about?"

Duo sighed and raised his hands up in defeat. "Alright, fine, I understand. This is a work place, after all. To preserve your personality as the cold man from the circus with the weird 'do' and the possibility that this conversation is being taped …" He scanned the room briefly in suspicion. "… or being videotaped, we'll talk in code." Trowa stared in stupefaction as Duo began making wild, furious yet idiotic gestures that resembled a drowning pilot in outer space.

And this bumbling idiot had the nerve to call him a clown.

He couldn't really blame Duo, though. In the past couple of months, work in the headquarter had became increasingly slow. The staffs seemed to be taking their assignments lightly and dallying their work as they pleased. So in order to ensure speed and progress, Wufei had managed to convince Lady Une to install more recorders or video cameras along the corridors and leading up to the offices. Although Trowa's office was not install, some of the other officers weren't so lucky. Duo, being one of them. Especially Duo, being one of them. Trowa and Heero had suspected Wufei's main motive for that exaggerated means was to eliminate (or at least reduce) the pranks devised by a 'mysterious' culprit in the HQ. It was immensely effective.

Before Duo made any further attempt that would embarrass the heck out of him when someone walked into the room, Trowa interrupted in annoyance, "Duo, not everyone's rooms are like yours. So it's normal for us to communicate in the proper way that everyone understand. Now, you were saying …" No longer in the mood to entertain Duo's company, he pretended to act really busy by scribbling something furiously on a piece of paper, hoping Duo would get the hint and leave him peacefully.

"You got some, didn't you?"

Trowa's hand all of a sudden slipped, bringing along the sharp tip of the pen to shred the paper and producing a nice, messy hole in the middle.

In that instant, the whole room seemed to have succumbed into frozen silence. Both men stared at the other, one waiting expectantly for a respond while the other was contemplating various methods of denial and at the same time, weighing the pros and cons of simply kicking out his friend out of his office (literally). But that would result to a lot of stressful endurance for the next few weeks due to Duo's relentless assault/teasing, which he himself had indirectly confirmed. So instead, he, one of the most fearsome Gundam Pilot that was bestowed many honors which would undoubtedly leave many brave men crying in their pants, decided to do what his other comrades had done when faced with such dangerous accusation from Duo.

He would prevaricate the question relentlessly. Then when Duo finally got on his nerves, he would deny it.

"Duo …"

"You don't have to hide it, Trowa," Duo cut him off with a dismissive wave. "So you finally got the courage to ask someone out, that's great. There's nothing wrong and certainly nothing to be ashamed about acting a little normal. Have to say I'm a little relief, though. I thought you and that guy from the copier have something going on …."

"First of all, you can't preach about the qualities of normalcy when you have yet to possess one yourself," Trowa stated in annoyance. "Second, how can you sum up a smile with being associated with female companionship? And third …" He drew in his breath and demanded in disgust, "What is this about Gary?"

Duo's smile seemed to have frozen in place and his body went rigid. For a minute there, he didn't speak, staring blankly at Trowa with a fixed grin. Then, he instantly prodded excitedly. "So, how about that girl? Aren't you going to tell me who she is? Oh wait, do I know her? I do know her, don't I? Otherwise you wouldn't act so strange and evasive."

Trowa shifted slightly in his seat, a deep frown slowly began to etch on his features as he disliked the way this conversation was heading.

"Duo …"

Duo's eyes glinted in mischief. "Is it Tina, Une's secretary?"

Trowa restrained the urge to roll his eyes and muttered in disgust, "She wish."

"How about Une's other secretary?"

Any form of objection died in Trowa's mouth when another thought occurred to him. "Felicia? Isn't she seeing someone?"

"Yea. So?"

" ….. "

"Alright, it's Annabelle from accounts, right? I knew she's always got the hots for you. She ain't too bad herself."

Realizing this guessing game could go on awhile, Trowa made a hasty attempt to end it. "Duo, I'll make this very easy for you, I'm not seeing anyone."

"Oh, Myra! It's Myra, right? Your subordinate, Myra, the one with the big hair!"

Trowa frowned. "Duo, weren't you listening? I'm not …."

"Andy's partner, Angela?"

"I said I'm not seeing …"

"What about Crystal? The hot chick fresh from the academy."

"… who?"

"Emma from human resource?"

"Duo …."

"Rita from human resource?"

"DUO!"

" Une?"

"What, of course not!" Trowa exclaimed in shock, appalled that Duo would go so far as to add Lady Une into the list. It wasn't because Lady Une was dull or anything, she was actually quite pretty for a woman with her capabilities but there were rules established that prohibited any personal relationship between members of the HQ and their officers …at least, the last time he checked there was.

"Thank god. So Noin then?"

"For god's sake, Duo …"

"Lenord?"

"Lenord's a man!"

"And …."
A mixture of astonishment, bafflement and helpless rage crossed Trowa's features. Forcing himself to calm down (because as Catherine and Relena had taught him when faced with one of 'Duo challenges', violence was not the answer) and mentally did a counting to ten (an ineffective method but he did it more out of habit rather than actually exercising it), he considered pressing the button discreetly that would alert the security guards and have them escort/force Duo …

Duo looked thoughtful. "This prove to be harder than I thought. Let's see which department has anymore chicks left …" Noticing the obvious suppressed rage storming in Trowa's eyes, he added with a chuckle, "Relax, Trowa, I was just kidding about Lenord. He's married anyway. I've never seen you this happy before …well, except maybe during that time when you drank one of my homemade beverages at New Years Eve. Still, this is quite amazing. I'm glad that you found someone. I was actually worried you were doomed to spend the rest of your life in spinsterhood. She must be one heck of a lady then …"

Trowa's features softened a little. His anger doused by Duo's spirit and at the same time, asserting his guilt. Perhaps this would be a perfect time to tell Duo the truth but somehow he couldn't bring it up just yet. "Duo, I am not seeing anyone," he insisted weakly. "It's …it's more complicated than you think."

"But there is someone?"

Trowa maintained a dignified expression, however he turned away at the very last minute when he felt blood rushing to his cheeks, which further encouraged Duo to broach the subject due to his friend's apparent embarrassment. Back then when Duo or anyone teased him with his female acquaintance, Trowa had faced each accusation with relaxed ease and sometimes, exaggerated nonchalance just to emphasize his disinterest in that subject. But now much to his consternation, he discovered how difficult it was to do so at this stage where he was at his most vulnerable.

"I knew it," Duo exclaimed triumphantly, slapping his palm on the desk. He paused, looking pleased with himself, then his face twisted in confusion. "Is a 'she', right?"

Somewhere slightly far away from the headquarter, nestled in the midst of a friendly neighborhood and peaceful atmosphere, the Aino mansion stood remarkably proud. Unlike any other afternoon, there was a pensive mood looming over the mansion, contaminating the peaceful and serene environment of the neighborhood. It had been there for awhile now as members of the household were too distraught with the unfortunate news which arrived at their doorstep two weeks ago.

Neighbors that strolled past the grand mansion couldn't help noting the gloomy atmosphere emitted from the house. It was very unusual for a house this palatial to reduce to such apparent dullness and lack of spirit as it had always been the life of the neighborhood, holding grand parties at least once a month and conducting many functions and beneficial events. It was so obvious that an incident had occurred and it had quite a devastating effect on the household since not even the servants dared to open their mouth, much less the respective owners who intended to preserve their dignity by remaining reclusive.

However, upon the arrival of four young girls and accompanied by their favorite felines, the mansion stirred into life as excited voices drifted into the air, echoing incoherently with mixed enthusiasm. Until a loud, shrill voice penetrated the serenity, shaking the mansion and causing a passer-by outside to jump in fright and almost experience heart palpitation.

"HE DID WHAT?!!!"

Unaware of the imminent danger, Trowa directed all his concerns to the current task of writing and reviewing the reports. He had finally gotten rid of Duo, after he reluctantly 'admitted' to an affair with one of his co-workers, which satisfied the braided man and thus, giving Trowa the reprieve he sought. However, Trowa spent the next few hours in Wufei's office, exchanging references and discussing minor details regarding their assignments.

When he first entered the office, Wufei had being relatively calmed and maintained a detached expression as he worked, just like Trowa expected him to but he knew beneath that exterior, the Chinese man was beyond frustrated and would immediately lash out if the opportunity knocked. So Trowa was careful not to trigger any button that might send him over the edge, not that he had ever managed to do it before. Of all the people, he was the least person who had gotten any of the pilots angry and he intended to maintain that, although he had an uneasy feeling it won't be for long once Duo discovered the important issue that would change their lives.

"I don't believe this," Wufei muttered as he studied the report. Trowa was seated across from him, already in the midst of inspecting his own document, although much to his dismay, his mind kept wandering about and he recognized the elated joy that still flooding his veins.

"Yes, it's very difficult to take in one's own recklessness," Trowa murmured absently as he peered at a report which he had read for at least ten times in the past three hours. "This is very unlike you. But I'd say it's not as bad as it seem."

Wufei heaved a frustrated sigh and tossed the report aside. "At least one of us think so."

"You're being too hard on yourself."

"In case you're not aware, it's an error that no experienced officer should be responsible for," Wufei told him flatly.

Trowa finally looked up from his file and shrugged. "Perhaps. But people do make mistakes, experienced or not. You are entitled to at least some credit. No one can honestly put the blame fully on you."

"I'm not asking for any sympathy here," Wufei retorted in discontent.

"And I wasn't giving you any," Trowa said, the corner of his lips lifted. "I'm merely stating the facts. You deserve to know the truth."

"How benignant of you." Wufei's sarcastic reply provoked a soft chuckle from the taller man, which took the Chinese man slightly by surprise. What stunned Wufei the most was the apparent smile pinned on Trowa's face after that and it didn't seem like it would fade as it usually did. Clearing his throat and peering at Trowa in suspicion, he said with deliberate slowness to outline his friend's unusual mood, "It seems to me either you're not handling the pressure well enough or you chose the wrong time to make up for the years you've spent frowning."

If it was possible, Trowa's smile widened, though not to the point where it reached his ears but wide enough to stun anyone who walked into the office. Usually Trowa would not go so far as to deliberately making it apparent of his elatedness but he had known the other pilots longer than most people so it became almost a habit to let his guard down a little when they were around. Besides, he was getting used to these elated sensations and he liked knowing that the next time he walked into this office he would be with a kid. Literally. So maybe he won't bring his kid to his office …or Wufei's office but he would be a father then so that counted as a remarkable difference and perhaps a turning point in his life, which he would gladly welcome with open arms.

Despite the present conflicts he was facing with his work, Wufei was amazed at the distinct difference in Trowa's mood and he didn't make any attempt to conceal it, understanding well enough the cause. He was still baffled up until now at how much effect it had on the Latin man for he had never seen Trowa this happy. Except maybe that time during New Year's Eve when Trowa consumed more than half a bottle of Duo's homemade beverages (which was suppose to be non-alcoholic). The poor man was laughing like Santa Clause on Prozac by midnight, all in regards to Duo betting he could get Trowa to 'loosen up'. Needless to say, several incidents had occurred after that which cause many of Quatre's priceless Ming vases shattered and Wufei sourly turning over his fifty bucks in defeat.

Wufei knew Trowa didn't intend to lead them astray from their current occupation with an insignificant topic so Trowa didn't make any inclination to answer. Yet Wufei pursued that subject anyway, feeling the need to distract himself from the intensity of their workload and the pressure arising from it. "Seeing you like this, I'm afraid I am convinced that alcohol is the key to happiness."

"I'm not drunk," Trowa pointed out bluntly, offended.

"I didn't say you were."

"But you implied."

Wufei smirked, banishing the remnants of the tensed atmosphere circulating the office. Trowa caught his intention, also glad at the change of air.

"Well, isn't it?" Wufei inquired, raising his eyebrow in amusement. "It all started from a round of harmless drinking. From my observation, you have been drunk ever since."

Trowa frowned in displeasure at the implication, then he shrugged in defeat when he realized there was also some truth beneath it. "At least I obtain some compensation."

"Couldn't argue with that," Wufei agreed. "So how is she?"

Instinctively Trowa knew who he meant and this time, he tried to hide his grin and managed to soften the apparent sign of his contentment. "I assume she's doing alright."

"Did you not talk to her?"

"Not lately. Rectifying your mistakes and reliving them altogether in papers stripped away most of my time and proved to be quite a strenuous task if I wasn't bless with patient."

Wufei snorted, although he did not take any offence. "Well, forgive me from stealing those precious minutes away from talking to the mother of your child," he retorted with heavy sarcasm, resisting the urge to roll his eyes.

Trowa only responded good-naturedly, "She's still trying to adjust herself. It seems to be a little harder than she thought."

"I am not the least bit surprise," Wufei stated absently as he began compiling his papers into a file. "There's only so much a naïve, pregnant twenty-year-old could handle. Her father's concern and accusation are reasonable. By refusing to marry her, you've ultimately pushed her family away and forced her to face this entire ordeal alone."

Trowa nodded, suddenly his mood dampened by the guilt he felt for her miseries. "She is not alone. I told her I will always be at her service whenever she requested me to be. But I understand where you are going with this. It does place me in a difficult position."

Then, another voice intruded before anyone had a chance to speak, "You knocked up a twenty-year-old, Barton?"

Trowa's body went stilled as he had momentarily forgotten the other presence in the room who was bestowed the honor of fixing Wufei's door (which had became one of the recent 'victims' of Wufei's 'dilemma'). Turning to acknowledge the man's remark, Trowa maintained a dignified expression and corrected him indignantly, "I did not 'knock her up', as you had so gently put it."

"But you got her pregnant?"

Why did it sound so repulsive when he put it that way? Could he not use a more sympathetic tone? Honestly, some people just have no manners. Trowa studied the man in silence before finally replying in a dangerously low voice, "At what point do you think your career depend on my personal life?"

Noticing Trowa's growing irritation at this intrusion, Wufei drawled lazily, "Just keep fixing the door, Rex."

Rex let out a whistle and shook his head in amazement, then he turned away to resume back to his task of reuniting the door with its hinges.

Wufei glimpsed at his wrist watch and sighed inwardly. Trowa could see the tension mounting in his eyes and etching on his face. "We better get moving," he declared solemnly, his features now impassive. "It's time."

Three hours later, Trowa was beginning to feel restless. Apparently the consequences of their mission failure were more drastic than he anticipated. There was still a whole stack of reports waiting for evaluation and Lady Une seemed to take her own time scanning the eighth page of the report. Complaints lodged from foreign departments were read out, much to the members' embarrassment.

" …so we have no choice but to triple the use of these resources," one of the officer was saying in defense. "Otherwise we have to rely only on the first and second unit to move in. If we consider the amount of damages done …"

"But as far as I'm told, unit 01 was in grave need of a repair at that time," Lady Une intruded, her forehead furrowed in concentration as she scanned the damage report. Her voice already revealing her disapproval. "How can you send a unit that is sorely lacking in the appropriate requirement to lead the mission?"

Trowa listened quietly as the debate ensued, interrupting only once in awhile when his area of profession was questioned. After another hour of evaluation and reliving the mission, Trowa was seriously bored, although that did not distract him from his current occupation of listening and offering his own view on the subject. His gaze began to wander to the window, only to discover it was almost dark. His plan to stop by Minako's apartment was crushed, his anticipation to see her diminished the minute he assessed the length of time it would take for them to relive the details and hand out new assignments for 'damage control'.

As one of the officers began to hand out reports, Wufei flipped through his file almost urgently while muttering something under his breath. Noticing this, Trowa leaned slightly towards the Chinese man and whispered so that the others couldn't hear, "What's wrong?"

"I think I've left some of Kent's statistic reports in the office," Wufei said, scowling as he looked up.

Trowa immediately seized the opportunity to leave the stuffy room and offered himself, "I'll get it for you." Wufei gazed at him in uncertainty, obviously not expecting his kind service at all. "As the head of the mission, you are not to leave the meeting. I'll go and get the reports for you."

With that, Trowa excused himself to fetch those documents and mentally sighed in relief as soon as the door closed behind him. He realized the HQ was quieter than usual but only because it was almost evening and some of the members were permitted to leave. He strolled along the corridor, deliberately taking his time for he knew Wufei won't be needing those reports as urgently as he had sounded.

The door was already opened by the time he reached Wufei's office. After surveying various papers scattering on the desk, he finally grabbed the documents and was about to leave when he felt something was amiss. His body instantly went into alert and he froze on the spot, surveying his surrounding with caution and careful analysis. His senses were tingling, something was definitely not right …

And his instinct was accurate, of course, when he was ambushed a second later by an angry figure leaping from behind the desk and tackling him to the floor. Trowa would have reacted differently if he was attacked by someone other than Minako's friends. But unfortunately, it was her friend. A very angry friend at that. So, left with not much choice, he allowed himself to be pounced by Makoto who was glaring at him with contempt. Plus, it had been so long since he was ambushed in his own office so he wasn't exactly prepare for it.

"Got him!!"

Once he had recovered from the shock and the pain spreading through his body, a gentle voice whom he later recognized materialized at their side, peering at him guiltily and making a futile attempt to pry her friend from him. "Mako-chan, is it necessary to approach him like this?"

"Ami, this is a small price to pay for what he had done, believe me!" Makoto exclaimed in disgust and she tightened her grip on his collar. "How could you do that to her?!" she cried to Trowa, yelling so loud Trowa feared the members in the meeting could even hear her. "I can't believe you would sink yourself that low and worst, humiliate her like this!! It's bad enough you slept with her in such a degrading manner but you had to drag her down with you by getting her pregnant!! And how dare you refuse to take responsibility for what you have done!! You're a coward! You're nothing but a lowlife, scumbag without any decent amount of emotion, stuffed behind that cold-blooded …."

Trowa's features hardened and he cut her off in annoyance, "If you would kindly let me off, I will explain myself."

Makoto studied him with disgust before shrugging him off and finally released him. Trowa sat up and after a minute to adjust his shirt, he calmly picked up the scattered papers and documents on the floor. Ami hesitantly offered a hand and quickly gathered as much as she could, although from her humble nature, Trowa could detect the disapproval in her eyes. "What did Minako tell you?"

"She didn't, she was in class," Ami admitted once the documents were finally collected. "Her parents did…"

"And some of us thought it would be deserving if we approach you in this manner," Makoto spat as she folded her arms and tapped her foot expectantly. "Now, kindly explain yourself. Why did you refuse to marry her?"

Now where have he heard that before?

Trowa sighed inwardly. He seriously didn't have that much time to spare. What, with all long, dreaded speeches and stabbing remarks, how could anyone not look forward to that? "I can't possibly explain everything at this moment." Makoto snorted but Trowa continued hastily before she could snap at him, "You girls caught me in a bad time …"

Makoto narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "Are you trying to run away?"

"No, I'm trying to maintain my job so that I can accumulate enough money to send my child to college," Trowa retorted in annoyance.

Ami looked at him in bewilderment. "You mean, you'll take care of the baby?"

"Of course I'll take care of the baby," Trowa said, gazing at her as if she was daft. "I'll even take care of the mother of the baby."

"But her parents said …."

Trowa heaved a frustrated sigh, cutting her off instantly. He really didn't have the time for this. "I'm sure they said a lot of things and I don't mind clearing them up if I'm not currently in the middle of a meeting …"

"But you really promise to take care of her?" Ami persisted, still looking uncertain.

"Yes. Her parents might told you otherwise but for the baby's sake, I'll take as much responsibility as I can."

Makoto frowned. "What about the part where you refuse to marry her?"

Trowa hesitated a little, then he reluctantly admitted, "Well, there might be some truth in that …."

Makoto and Ami gave him an incredulous look. Trowa started to reply but then, something caught the corner of his eyes and he was rendered silence when he discovered what it was.

The newly repaired door seemed to have torn apart once more and shove behind a potted plan at the far corner of the room in a miserable attempt to 'blend in'. With each sides jutting out from the miniature tree, it was doing a 'splendid' job indeed. To have the door torn apart wasn't that bad actually and under normal circumstances, it was still repairable. Being a fearsome Gundam pilot equipped with amazing skills that could put many professions out of job, he was obviously aware of the 'intricate' knowledge needed to reunite the door with its hinges and was quite capable of completing just that, with the assistance of some tools. However, as intellectually gifted or plainly gifted as he was, he was certainly not prepared to deal with the massive crack in the middle of the door, its splinters jutting out in a suspicious manner that appeared most likely to have resulted from a powerful kick or some object hurled angrily at it. So unless he worked in some companies that produced doors or gifted with the ability to heal broken furniture, he was utterly helpless (a situation which he found himself to be quite prone to lately).

He wondered if Wufei could actually learn to appreciate that the complexity of his personal life only cost the Chinese man a door, not fifty bucks (like he had betted on New Year's Eve with Duo). Although a door would probably have cost a little bit more but this was definitely going into the HQ's account so technically, it doesn't cost him anything.

And if that didn't console the Fiery One, Trowa could always blame Duo.

Turning to the girls in silent accusation, he pointed to the broken door. "What happen?" he asked in resignation, not really certain he wanted to know.

Ami glanced at him apologetically. "I guess we got a little carried away …."

Trowa reassessed the amount of damage done and concluded that the phrase 'carried away' was an understatement. It was quite impressive that the door was still intact, although the long, threatening cracks jutting out here and there revealed that it won't be worthy of that title for long.

"Hey, you refused to marry my friend!" Makoto retorted indignantly with a huff. "Start explaining if you don't want to end up like that." She motioned her head to the door. Trowa could have sworn he heard faint thunder crackling in the background but dismissed it quickly as part of his imagination, preferring to believe he was being a little too paranoid over a broken door. "Now what happen between you and Minako? You just …slept with her? Just like that?"

Trowa drew in his breath to steady himself. His annoyance was escalating to a dangerous level and he feared that his lack of control would lead to some unfortunate consequences where the door wouldn't be the only victim in this situation. It could also be Wufei's desk and Trowa knew how much time Wufei had spent behind his desk and how 'meaningful' those moments were. "Last time I check that's the only way to have a baby. So I suppose the answer is affirmative. Yes, I did sleep with her."

Makoto was obviously still unsatisfied, if not a little disgusted at his blunt confession. "But what really happen?"

Trowa frowned. "Which part of the story did you not understand?" Is she expecting him to explain in disturbing detail the process of it? He never attended school but he had acquired some appropriate amount of knowledge to grant him an understanding how sex really worked. So shouldn't these educated people have already understood the concept of it?

Ami interrupted softly, "I'm sorry, Trowa. It's just that …we find it a little hard to believe. You both were drunk?" When Trowa reluctantly nodded, she added hastily in disbelief, "But Minako doesn't drink."

Trowa hesitated. "Well, it was actually by accident that it happened …"

"And you refuse to marry her because …" Makoto trailed, waiting expectantly for him to fill in.

Trowa contemplated the length of time it would need for him to explain himself and at the same time, appear less 'cold-blooded' in their eyes. But he discovered that would take a longer time to explain. "Look, I'm in the middle of a meeting. This will just have to wait. Just …" He paused to survey the damage, grimacing in distaste. "Just stay in my office until I finish."

The girls were taken aback. "Wait, you mean this isn't your office?" Ami inquired.
Trowa looked at her skeptically. "No, my office is at the far end of the corridor. This is Wufei's office."

Ami's hands flew to her mouth to cover a horrified gasp. Makoto hesitated, then she looked thoughtful and murmured, "Yea, we should have confirmed it first instead of relying on assumptions …"

Ami cleared her throat and pointed out softly, "Actually, you were the one who insist that we break the door down …"

"Well, most of the people have left the building," Makoto retorted indignantly yet her features revealed her regret, which was a little comforting to Trowa.

Trowa shrugged. "I don't think they will respond well to those who broke into the office anyway." Which reminded him, he would have to speak to Wufei about placing more CCTV cameras in the whole building, instead of focusing specifically in Duo's office (for obvious reason). Then, scolding himself for dallying the time, he quickly crossed the room to leave, taking with him the reports and stopped abruptly in his tracks once more as another realization hit him.

"Are the others here, too?"

Makoto and Ami exchanged puzzled glances, offering Trowa very little consolation that his day would run smoothly.