Waking Up In Vegas
Chapter Nine
Quatre looked at the girl up on the horse. Girl... but.... it looked just like Trowa's friend Duo....
Trowa looked at the blond curiously before he started laughing.
Cecilia was quick to catch on, as well.
"Delana is Duane's twin," she said. Quatre blinked.
"Duo is Duane," Trowa clarified. "Duo is just the nickname he's had since we were kids.
"Ah...." Quatre realized, then blushed. "I'm sorry. Everything's so.... *new* down here. I'm afraid I must seem a little slow."
"Not at all, Cecilia said, swinging down out of the saddle. "'Lana, why don't you finish the set? Then it should be time for lunch."
"Don't forget, Mama," the woman reminded, "Wufei's cooking."
"I remember, now scat!"
The Duo-look-alike laughed merrily as she nudged her horse back to the starting point, then urged it forward into the course. Quatre watched as the horse and rider flew through he home-made course, sailing over the fences and landing as daintily as a ballerina. At one point, the horse turned, seemingly almost in place before taking off again.
Cecilia smiled and Quatre's awe-struck expression.
"That's my girl," she said proudly. "She's gonna take International gold! Maybe one day even Olympic!"
"She's very good," Quatre nodded as finally they sailed over the last jump and finally wound down, coming back to them. Delana patted the mare's neck.
"Good girl, Diana. I wasn't sure if you could pull off that turn, but you were marvelous."
"Diana?" Quatre questioned. "Luna... Artemis... Diana?" He smiled. "Someone's obsessed with Mythology. Especially the goddess of the moon."
Cecilia smirked. "Not really. I named Luna for her color... it's like night-time. Artemis already had his name when we got him. And 'Lana here decided for Diana."
The woman giggled. "They're the cats from Sailor Moon," she explained. "Luna and Artemis had a daughter named Diana."
"Ah..."
Trowa's cell started ringing. Smiling at his friends, he excused himself.
He dug it out. "Barton."
"Well, hell, Trowa! Here we went over to your place a while ago to kidnap you'n'Blondie, and yet you're nowhere to be found! Wufei made his special pot-stickers for lunch. Got the 'rents and the sister's coming over, so I figured you didn't have much groceries and would like to come over."
Trowa laughed. "We'd like to come over, but you'll never guess where where at."
"Where?"
Trowa almost giggled, holding the phone out to Luna, then making a clicking noise under his tongue. The horse 'neighed' right on que... loudly.... right into the phone.
Trowa took the phone back to his ear to hear Duo cursing up a blue streak.
"Damnit, Trow! What the hell are you doin' with the nags!!?!??
Delana grinned and leaned up close to the phone.
"Duo~!!!! I'm hungry!!! Hope 'Fei-kins made lots of food!"
Trowa had to lean back as Duo cursed. "Ack! Trowa, just bring the girls and Blondie to the house! Bye!"
Trowa chuckled as he hung up the phone. He and Quatre followed Delana and Cecilia as the women lead the horses to the stable, removing the saddles and brushing them down before turning them loose in a pasture. About the time Trowa closed the gate, Quatre laughing as Delana avidly described the time Trowa had tripped into a pile of horse dung, the two younger girls showed up. Maia sat behind the black-haired Vanny, who held the reigns.
"Girls, we're going to lunch. Wufei cooked pot-stickers. Are you coming?" Cecilia asked as the girls dismounted.
Vanny shared a look with Maia.
"Nah," they exclaimed at the same time.
"We're just gonna make some sandwiches while we watch the movie," Maia replied, looking at Vanny to make sure it was a sound plan. Vanny nodded in agreement.
"Okay then," Cecilia turned to Trowa. "You want to take the truck or should we go get your jeep? There are four of us."
"I'll ride in the back," Delana offered.
Cecilia motioned to the small blue Ford parked beside the stable. Quatre could see why she was worried. There were four of them, but only room for two in the cab.
Delana tilted her head at the blond. "Ever rode in the bed of a pick-up, City-boy?"
Quatre shook his head. "No.... isn't that illegal?" It had to be. There were no seat belts... no seats!
Delana laughed heartily, then latched onto his arm. "It's only illegal if you get caught! Come on, city-slicker!" She bodily hauled him towards the pickup. She placed her hands on the side, and vaulted easily up into the bed, laughing down at him, daring him.
Quatre glared at the truck. On one hand he weighed the legality of it and the *safety* of it, and on the other hand...
Trowa placed a hand on his shoulder. "It's only about two miles. And Cecilia's a good driver. I'll ride in the back, if you like."
That made up his mind. Quatre, quite stubborn when he wanted to be, shook his head, and scrambled over into the bed of the truck.
Cecilia laughed and shook her head as she climbed behind the wheel and Trowa settled into the passenger side.
"Delana's going to terrorize him," she whispered to her 'adopted' son.
Trowa nodded gravely. "Of course. Hopefully not too bad, though. I kind of like him."
Cecilia cast a glance at him as she carefully put the truck in gear and pulled out down the driveway. That was odd. She knew they were married... and as much a shock as that was...
"Like?" She questioned. "Trowa, you two act very... standoffish, yet friendly to each other. Both at the same time. What's going on?"
"You heard that song, 'Waking Up In Vegas'?"
Cecilia chuckled, despite herself. She saw her daughter standing up in the bed, hands planted on the roof, braid streaming behind her. And Quatre's horror stricken look. "She's the one that 'kissed a girl', right?"
"Yeah, by the same person. Well... I woke up the other day... and I was married. Neither of us can remember a thing."
"That's odd," Cecilia frowned. "Even if you were completely wasted, you should still remember *something*."
Trowa shrugged. "Maybe. All I know is I feel a kind of connection to him," he glanced in the mirror and saw Quatre latched onto the side of the truck, despite the rather sedate speed they were going. Trowa smiled fondly.
"He wanted to get away for a while, do something different."
Cecilia laughed brightly. "Well, he certainly is doing that. I take it 'Lana is right? He's a city-boy. It's written all over him."
Trowa nodded. "Yeah."
"Probably used to Mercedes-Benz and Pent-Houses, from what I gather. Very upper-class. Probably never seen a pick-up before, much less rode in one. He's cute, Trowa. And he seems genuine."
"Thank you," Trowa murmured, still staring at his beautiful blond. Quatre looked up, and in the mirror, emerald met with aquamarine... and neither looked away for the duration of the ride.
~*~*~*~
AN: Dedicated to kate avalanche.... just because I'm stupid and you know my story better than I do! ^_^