Wakai Kyoushu
Young Assassins
Sutoomu
Okay, so here is Quatre's reunion with his dad. I'm sorry it took so long but my laptop connection broke again and then I procrastinated trying to fix it until I got a PM from a wonderful reviewer who persuaded me to do something about it so she could have an update and keep breathing so I went out and bought some CD-R's to transfer my fics to another computer and they were bogus so I had to buy some DVD-R's and they wouldn't work so I had to take me laptop into Staples and get them to help me so I could post some more chapters... /BREATHE, BREATHE, BREATHE/
Thank you to all my reviewers for chapter thirteen. Lady11Occult, Kinaua, Lady-Friselle, phoenixfirekitsune, Calli Maxwell, Roxie Faye, TGP, Silvermane1, blackash, Kris, Arashi Maxwell, Ryn ryn, The Yaoi Mistress, rapidbutterfly, andLynn Gryphon! I love you all!
Okay, now that I have my breath back, here is Quatre's reunion. ENJOY!
"Iria."
"Yes?" Iria looked at Quatre's blonde head just showing over the edge of the couch.
"Nothing," Quatre said. "Just making sure you're there."
"Are you nervous?" Iria came and sat beside Quatre, rubbing a hand lovingly through his hair.
"I don't know," Quatre shrugged. "I wish Trowa was here."
"He's your best friend, isn't he?" Iria asked. Quatre nodded and sat up. He set his head against Iria and sighed, closing his eyes behind the goggles. Iria set her head upon his and smiled. "I love you, little brother." Quatre's only reply was his even and steady breathing, and Iria knew he had fallen asleep. She began to doze off as well when the door opening distracted her. She looked up and smiled at her father.
"Iria," Zayeed Winner returned her smile. He looked at Quatre sleeping against her shoulder. "Is this Ra'id?"
"Yes," Iria said. Quatre suddenly sat up.
"My name is Quatre," he said firmly. "I won't answer to Ra'id."
"I apologize," Zayeed replied, sitting on the chair opposite the couch. "Quatre."
"Do you think, Quatre, that if I dim the lights, you could take off your goggles?" Iria asked kindly. "For father and me? Please?"
"I...," Quatre bit his lip. "I...I guess I can." He waited until Iria had dimed the lights and sat back down beside him before he took off the goggles. His eyes were still closed, and as he slowly opened them, Zayeed's mouth opened in surprise at Quatre's silver colored eyes.
"Thank you, Quatre," Iria said. "Is there anything you want to ask father or I?"
Quatre looked with half lidded eyes at Iria, then at his father. "I...want to know about my mother." He looked expectantly at Zayeed.
"Your mother," Zayeed sighed, looking down at the floor, his brown hair covering one eye and shading the other. "It is quite interesting how you were named Quatre. Your mother's name was Quaterine. Your kidnapper must have taken your name from hers."
"What was she like?" Quatre asked, thinking about that information. His name was like his mothers. He found some sort of comfort in that.
"She was always smiling and happy," Zayeed said. "Nothing could make her unhappy. She was incredibly optimistic."
"She was very kind and wonderful to us," Iria added. "I remember how she made the best cookies in the world. Even though we had servants, she still cooked cookies herself just for us. And she always knew if you were feeling low or unhappy. We used to say that her happiness was contagious. You couldn't be sad if mother was there."
Quatre stared at his hands for a minute, then looked up suddenly. "How did she die?" he blurted out. Iria and Zayeed met each other's gaze, and concern and caution was written on both, as well as sadness. "Please, I need to know...," Quatre begged.
Zayeed stared at the floor for a moment, then met Quatre's unnerving silver eyes. "Your mother and I discovered about a year after we married that she would most likely die if she tried to have children. But Quaterine wanted children very badly, so I compromised. We decided to volunteer for the new program of test tube birth. Your sisters are all test tube babies. That made no difference to Quaterine or I. We loved them all very much. Quaterine loved all her little girls greatly, and then she came to me fifteen years ago and begged me to let her have a child, a son. I refused at first, but Quaterine convinced me, and she conceived you. Nine months later, you were born. Quaterine was just able to hold you for a few moments before she died."
Quatre stared at Zayeed with a passionless face something much like Trowa's often was. He looked down at his hands again. "I killed her. Just like all those people."
"Quatre, listen to me," Iria said, taking his hands in hers firmly. "You did not kill mother. Mother wanted you. She was so happy, I know, just to hold you for those few moments. She died happy, because she had you. She had her son!"
"I admit part of me died when Quaterine died," Zayeed said. "But I had also gained life and part of her through you. When you were taken, I died again. Now, we find you're alive, and I am overjoyed."
"I know he doesn't look it," Iria smiled. "But that's just how father is. He's never been very good at expressing his emotions. We gave him a surprise birthday party last year, with all us sisters, and he just looked at us, blinked, and then came in as though it was normal for his house to be filled with friends."
"Oh," Quatre said. "Did I see sunlight when I was little?"
"Une informed me about that," Zayeed said. "And I have to admit, you did not see much sunlight. I didn't allow you outside very often. I'm a multi billionaire, and you are my son. You were at risk. And you were still taken, despite our efforts. Rashid will be happy to see you."
"Who is Rashid?"
"Rashid is your bodygaurd," Rashid said.
"Actually, Rashid is just the leader of your bodygaurds," Iria smiled secretly. "You have forty of them. They're called the Maguanacs, and every single one of them is devoted to you. They're a group of men who joined together because they were all test tube babies."
"I have forty bodygaurds?" Quatre gaped.
"Yes," Zayeed smiled. "You still have Rashid's goggles. He put those on you the night before you were taken."
"These are from my bodygaurd?" Quatre looked at the goggles. "I've had these for as long as I can remember, but I didn't know where they came from."
"You can meet Rashid tommorrow," Iria suggested. "You'll end up having to meet him and all the Maguanacs, and all our sisters." Quatre's eyes widened at the propest of meeting sixty eight more people. "Don't worry, Quatre," Iria laughed. "We'll spread them out so they don't overwhelm you." Quatre smiled weakly.
"Why don't you tell us what happened to you, now?" Iria said. "Father is very curious. He wants to know where his son has been these past ten years."
"But...he knows I was an assassin, right?" Quatre asked Iria.
"Une informed me of that as well," Zayeed said. "I don't care at all about that."
"But that's all there was," Quatre explained. "All I did was sit in my locked room all the time unless Instructor H took m out to train or send me on an assignment. That's it."
"You never did anything else?" Iria asked.
"Nothing," Quatre confirmed. 'That's all. Instructor H was the only person I ever saw."
"Well, you'll be meeting a lot of people," Iria said. "After the Maguanacs and our sisters, father wants to take you to work with him."
"You're my heir," Zayeed explained. "You should learn the business."
"Learn the business?" Quatre blinked. "I'm only fourteen."
"You can come along and start learning, I'm sure," Zayeed said.
"It's quite fun, whenever we go with father. His office is very large, and everyone's nice," Iria assured him. "You'll have fun."
"Am I allowed to bring Trowa?"
"I'm sure father won't mind you bringing a friend."
"Is Trowa one of the other assassins?" Zayeed asked.
"Yes," Quatre said, looking suddenly worried. "Why?"
"I'm just asking," Zayeed smiled. "And yes, you may bring a friend. You won't be doing much for a year or two. I'm interested in meeting your friends."
"Do I have to go and live with you?" Quatre asked.
"No, you don't have to," Zayeed explained. "I would love it if you would for a small while at least, but I've talked with Une and we've agreed you should stay with the others for now. I'm not against you and your four friends moving into one of our houses eventually."
"Thank you," Quatre said, obviously relieved.
"I'm making it an important event to visit you as often as I can," Zayeed added. "It might not be regular visits, since my business has many surprises, but I will try. And I hope you'll allow Rashid the place of being your bodygaurd again eventually. It would mean a lot to him."
"I...guess so," Quatre said, thoroughly stunned at the idea of having bodygaurds. Two weeks ago he had been cleaning the blood off his gloves, and now he was told there were people who wanted to kill him and he had a bodygaurd. Bodygaurds. Forty of them.
"Father wanted Rashid to come back right away, since he's very worried about losing you again," Iria said, then smiled. "But I persuaded him to relax a bit. You're living in a Preventor's base right now, after all, and you are an assassin. I figure you can take care of yourself pretty well. And no one knows you're alive yet, so they have no reason to try and take you away from us."
Quatre smiled at Zayeed, and the older man smiled back, his brown mustache ruffling. "It's nice to know I have someone who wants to take care of me."
"I lost you once, I do not want risk losing you again," Zayeed assured him. "You are my son, from my wife, Quaterine. You are a part of my soul."
"Thank you," Quatre paused, smiling in a way that reminded Zayeed of Quaterine so much. "Father."
Did you like it? Did you? R & R and tell me what you think of this one. I think it's oretty long. A good chapter overall, but, unfortunately, my opinion doesn't count in the real world. It's your opinion that matters.
NOTE! I went onto wikipedia and was looking at all the Gundam Wing characters and I noticed that Quatre's father's, Mr. Winner, first name is Zayeed, technically. It may be wrong but I'll believe it.
Storm