Sooo . . . Heidi just stared at the other women. "This isn't fair. I already have three kids. Mandy?"
"Look, you are the only one who made connections to one of them," Mandy said to her. "I'll hold your card for you and your boys. You can take the vehicle with her. I'll even watch your boys for you if you want."
"No one is watching my boys!" She didn't want to risk separation. She tried to smile at Lucille. "This sucks. Um? Hi." She waved at her. "Which one of us did you form a tighter bond with?"
"The one who befriended a pilot enough, should be the one who goes," Platinum insisted. "She needs to be taken back to her mother by someone."
"You suck. You all suck. Every single one of you suck big time!" She grabbed Lucille's hand. "You better come back for us. I mean it."
"You better do the exchange right," Mandy insisted. "Your boys and your freedom are on the line."
"Shut up." Grr. Heidi watched as they all left her with a rental car, helping to put her boys in it. After they started to walk away, Heidi put the little girl in the car in the passenger seat. "Okay. Obviously, things happened and we can't quite meet your momma." The girl stopped being talkative now. Probably too nervous. "It's not over though. It'll be okay. I'm going to make a small phone call . . . and we'll get it all back on track. Okay?"
Lucille at least nodded at her. "Are you calling Duo?"
Oh man. "Yeah. Yes, I am." Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. But? The little girl couldn't just hang out with them forever. He was her best bet she had.
Colony Junkyard:
Duo tried to relax and watch a movie with Hilde. He even ordered her favorite pizza. He tried to smile.
What was wrong with him? He had no problems with Hilde before. Was it just because he saw so many lookalikes that he had trouble believing?
No reason for this. Zero system hurt her head but she knew him. The one that felt like Hilde, had triplets. Why was he still thinking about that?
He answered his phone as it rang. Heero wanted to have an important meeting with all the former gundam pilots.
Earth. On Earth of course. But the kicker was it was to be at the former site of the Sank Kingdom Institute. That? That was serious business then.
They also said to bring Hilde.
She wasn't fond of the idea. She didn't see what it had to do with them.
"Oh." She seemed sad. "Maybe someone got hurt so they all want to support each other. I can understand that. Still, why should I go, Duo? I never had anything to do with the Sank Kingdom."
It was her. "Just come and get it over with."
"I've spent enough time on Earth. I just want to be at home, Duo," She complained right back. "You're okay, aren't you?" Her eyebrow raised. "Seriously, I'm getting worried. You don't look right."
"Oh, I'm good," he lied. "I'm just getting used to sharing the junkyard place again."
"Yeah, what a mean trick. A chance to move on to something cool, and it was just a con." She folded her arms. "I don't think that's it though. You've been kind of weird since you found me. I've proved thousands of times I'm me?" She gestured to herself. "I know I tricked you at first, but the fact I have to keep doing this, even after the time in Deathscythe and this?" She pulled up her sleeve. "Do you really think this is nothing?"
"No, of course not." It wasn't. "I'll be back." He took his phone to the bathroom with him. He called Heero again. "Hey? So, Hilde doesn't really want to come. She's had a rough three months."
"Bring her. It isn't optional," Heero said to him. "It'll be easier if you bring her with you."
"But, why?"
"Trowa was shot five times."
"What?!" Trowa got shot. "How? When?"
"Superior was doing things we didn't know. The zero system is a master illusionist. Come with Hilde. She can relax at the hotel but we need to test her and you for some things."
Oh man, testing? "Okay, I'll bring her." Heero hung up on him. "Goodbye to you too." He put his phone away. He smiled as he went back in the room with Hilde. "So, you really have to go." He shrugged. "Not too big of a deal, but something happened to Trowa. We should listen."
"Oh no, poor Trowa," she said. "Is he okay?"
"I don't know, but I'm going to have to go to see. I'll pay for your ticket and everything," he insisted. "It's serious, I have to do some testing too. I guess RTL's environment was pretty bad."
"Oh. Okay, I better come then," she decided.
"Good, I'm sure it won't take too long since Heero is dating the former Queen of- " Another call? It was different. He answered it.
He could hear light breathing. It couldn't be another pilot, they always said their name first so they could recognize each other. He was about to hang up from the wrong number when he heard-
"So, I have something of someone's I need to give back?"
Hilde's voice? "Hang on." Duo looked back at Hilde again. "One more second." He headed toward the back to finish the conversation. "Who is this?"
"Umm? Look, I don't know how this works, but that girl Lucille you saved? Something happened in Outreach 53 and we had to bail. Her mom was supposed to come get her tonight, she was running late."
Hang on a second? "Triplet copy?"
"Yeah," she said awkwardly. "I know, I know, how do I have the number? It's a standard kind of walkie talkie thing I'm doing. It's only because you got RTL emergency signals on it. I don't know the actual number."
Triplet copy?
"What do I do with Lucille?" She asked. "I can't call out for help just anywhere. I don't know what to do, she needs to get back to her mother."
"She there?" Duo asked. He heard Lucille's voice.
"Duo? I'm with Musketeer Mom. Oh. Heidi, I'm with Heidi. I need to get home."
Right. She took her to be safe. This might actually work, Middie might be in that mess somewhere. "We should meet and I can take her."
"Uh? He he, no?" She answered. "Look, I don't know how to do this, but I can't risk some authority getting to me. The outreach alarms went off."
"We should meet. You owe me Middie, remember?" He reminded her. "You said she's probably the real thing."
"Trowa Barton came to see her just as the alarms went off," Heidi said. "We were all rushing out, and we broke apart from her, but then when we were taking off, she came right back. Her baby was flung in the air and almost killed while Trowa Barton was shot up."
"Shot up." Yep, he had to get to that meeting. Trowa might be gone, fighting for his life, of it could be about something related to the shooting. Either way, he had to take care of getting back Middie Une and Alec.
"So she might be her, but now she's justifiably scared. We all are. Look? We're not . . . doing anything wrong. Can't you just take the little girl back for now?"
"Trowa Barton is a friend, and if she has his baby, then she can't just run off." No way. "I want her location too. We are meeting." He heard a familiar little grumble in her voice. "Where are you?"
"This isn't easy," she insisted. "I'm just a mom now. I just want to live with my family. I don't want to go to jail, and I haven't done anything bad since I lost my memory."
He could hear her starting to panic. "That safety place gave out. You need help. I can do that, just give me your location."
"I have something coming. Like a severance pay kind of thing," she said. "I'll be okay once I drop her off."
"No, don't do that, that's stupid!" He had to lay into her. "It's probably on some card. As soon as the authorities get wind of that, it's over for you. They will track you down. Anything from any account related to activities is going to be found and monitored."
"Are you sure? But all of the nursery moms are getting it soon."
Oh, man. Kind-hearted idiot. "I am heading to Earth. Where are you exactly and we'll meet?"
"No, I can't. That's too scary. I don't want to lose my boys, Sir, please? I'm trying to do the right thing, but I've done a lot of bad, but I was messed up. Please. I can try to leave her somewhere maybe?"
"Could you really do that to someone so young?" He knew that answer. She just had to think about it.
"Someone could easily pick her up and it'd be my fault if she got hurt." Her voice was panicked and sorry. "I don't know what I was thinking."
"Okay. Now." She did give his wallet back. She didn't feel mean. She was just manipulated by the zero system. She also had the means to get back to Middie Une somehow. "I know you are a good person deep inside. The zero system just messed you up. You are a mom of three and . . . I'm not gonna say a thing," he promised. "Just get the girl back to me, tell me where to find Middie, and I'll let you live your life. Okay?"
"I'm meeting back up with her," she said. "Ooh! You can only find her, if you let us go free? Is that a negotiation, can I use that?"
Heh. "Sure, got it. Where are you?" He got the location. They found a local fast food place they could meet up at tomorrow. "Okay, if I'm late, just stay there a bit. I'll be there as soon as I can get a flight and a car ride . . . I might be a little late, just keep in contact." He hung up and went back toward Hilde. "So, we actually should go to Earth. Like, now?"
Oh yeah. Not a pleasant look. "For what, Duo?"
"To pick up a girl from a clone of you?" he said casually. "Not a big deal, innocent girl, don't know how else to do a trade off, and she's got news about Middie Une. At the very least, I gotta get that kind of news to Trowa."
She groaned. "Fine. Okay, but I am not riding in any Deathscythe."
"No more Deathscythe," Duo promised. "Just the long boring fun of a shuttle."
"Okay."
"And a rental car for a few hours. And a nice hotel to spend the night, and then one flight and one more rental to go to the meeting." Yeah, she really didn't look pleased. "Hey, isn't it good to be back home?"
"Nevermind, we can take Deathscythe."
"Not a choice, Hilde."
"Damn."
"Besides, like I'm really going to leave you here while I go strolling on Earth?" Not on her life.
"Hey," she said, "I was trying to act like I had a choice like a decent human being? Besides, RTL is getting flattened right now."
"Still not gonna risk it." No more risks. "The meeting won't last long. Maybe we can get the tests done first before it to get it over with?"
"You are lucky you are my best friend," Hilde warned him. "That, and I guess I'm a little spooked to be alone yet again. They keep getting me whenever my guard is dropped."
Duo wouldn't be dropping his guard. Not this time.
Local Fast Food Restaurant
Okay, relax Heidi, it'll be fine. She rocked one of her boys to keep him quiet while she fed the other. Lucille was entertaining the other one. Waiting anywhere all day with triplets wasn't any fun.
"Nervous," Lucille said to her.
Understatement. I'm fraternizing with the enemy! He's a nice guy, but he's still the enemy! A quick exchange. It'd be done and over with. He's going to want Middie. I can get him the number to her, that'll be fine. Is he really right about the danger of the cards? If so, we'll have to rip off as much money as we can at once. Then, run from the area? Would that be enough? She saw Duo walking straight to them. "So if we rip off as much money as we can on the card and just take off, is that enough?"
Duo just looked at her like she was stupid. "Hello to you too?"
Ugh! She spoke her words out loud again! She winced as Lucille waved hello to him.
"Brought the whole family? Probably a good idea. A better idea than yelling the first thing that comes to mind. You're a nervous type, aren't ya?"
Hmph. He just sat right next to her. "She's right on the other side?"
"Yep, I'll get her. What's good to eat around here? That was a long drive," he said way too casually. "Burger place. This is different. So? Middie Une?"
"I have her number," Heidi insisted. "Here. I just have to write it down."
"A little scatterbrained? To be expected." Boy, he was just being mean. It didn't put her at ease. He got a napkin and got up to ask for something to write with from the cashier. He sat back down with it. "There."
Um. Heidi pulled out her phone and looked at the number. She started to write it down, but he just snagged it instead. "That's my phone."
"That they are going to trace." He looked at her like she was a child again, turned it off and put it away. "I got her number now, but don't do that. They will trace you by accounts or by phones."
"But, I have to get back to them." Heidi didn't know what to do. "I can't just be out here with my children like this, I have to get back to them and-"
"It's prison," Duo said firmly to her. "Look? You're . . . good. You are really good, I can see it in you. I don't want you getting caught either." Phone. "You did give me my wallet back. Don't you have anywhere else to go?"
"There . . . used to be a local shelter around here, but it lost a lot of funding."
"Your still not too far from the outreach. If they hit that place, they are going to check into that," Duo also warned her. "Your stuff is in that computer, you've got to be more careful."
—
"They have everything though. I already accepted the rental. They could be following it. They could be following me?" She started to look around.
"No, not that quick. Look? I'm not letting anyone turn you in," he said more confidently. "I won't give you anything that will get you caught, that's why I took the phone and warned you about everything else," Duo insisted. She looked downright terrified. Like a crazy little nervous bunny. So unlike Hilde, I can see that now. Since the first day he knew Hilde Schbeiker she was gungho. She even risked herself to let him get to the moon.
She wasn't frazzled to a bunch of kids in a fast food place. Only reason this one is adventurous is because she's got no choice but to be. "Hey, it'll be fine. Do you have any other communications on you?" She shook her head no a lot. Damn. He really didn't want anything to happen to her. All of them are taking big risks, but they need that severance pay. "I hate having such a kind heart at times, totally doesn't fit me." He looked toward Lucille while he showed Heidi his card. "You want to ride with me again?"
"Johnny died," she answered.
"You can ride with me again, Lucille, then we'll talk." Duo would touch on that conversation better in a ride back with him and Hilde, not in a fast food place.
Duo looked back at Heidi. "I'll trade you rentals. Go reach your friend, get your card, but don't do anything to it. Just come right back here. I know my way around a lot of accounts and stuff. I'll get off some of it, enough to get you started." She brougth out a paper to show the numbers she had. "Geez, that is some severance pay. You'll be good to go. Just one transaction though. You'll have to meet me next year to do this again, if that account isn't frozen or found by then. You'd also have to find me, which isn't as easy as you might think."
"Well, I could get your real number?" she said. "Oh. That sounded creepy, forget it, I'm sorry."
"Nah, you should probably have it. You don't always have your wits about you, and you've got three newbies to the world." Duo went ahead and wrote down his number on a different napkin. "If my phone changes, forget it though." He gave it back. "And just one shot with the money, okay? Or maybe sweeten the pot if I have to come all the way back to Earth for it."
"One shot, I get it," she agreed. "Are you sure you can?" Heidi asked him.
"Yeah, of course, not a big thing for someone like me." Eh, if not, he'd rope Heero into it.
"What about the others?" Heidi asked. "Mandy and Marilyn and-"
"I can't do everyone, I don't know everyone, and really? Let's just say this makes us even if Marilyn is Middie," he told her. "Besides, I doubt they'll trust me anyhow so no guilt, right?"
Yeah, that was a resounding sigh. "Right. Thanks for the help."
"No problem."
"Can I look at my phone for the rest of their numbers? Please?" she asked.
Oof. "Names to look for? After this, you get the napkin, but I keep the phone."
"MB1, MB2, MB3, MB5," she said.
"What is MB?" Duo wrote down the names.
"Momma Bears."
Heh. "Well, it works for code words I guess." He gave the napkin to her and then turned the phone back off. He'd ditch it soon. "So, will you freak out if the real Hilde comes inside now? We needed to eat anyway."
She just grinned. "You found your real friend? I'm so glad to hear that. You don't think she'll freak out when she sees me, do you?"
"Nah." He went outside to get her. He also told her they'd have to be switching rental cars.
"I really hope she is good, Duo," Hilde said as she went inside. "I'd freak out if I hadn't seen so many that already looked like me." She waved. "Wow, you do have your own little army."
There. It looked like bringing in Hilde made her relax even more. "Now for some food. What do you want, Heidi?"
"Regular anything," Heidi said, "no cheese. I hate cheddar cheese, I just like the mozzarella here."
"No cheddar cheese, got it. What about you Lucille? You want a little cheeseburger?" Yep, great. "Hilde-extra cheese?"
"You know it, Duo," she answered back. "And two extra. I can order for myself."
"I can do that, I got another job for you." Duo had Hilde volunteer to get the seats for the babies in the other rental.
Duo went to order the food. Heidi's tummy was probably nervous, but he was glad she accepted the food request. Boy, if I had told myself four days ago I'd be here? He ordered a simple number meal for Heidi, a little cheeseburger for Lucille, a great big meal for himself 'cause food was good, and thre extra cheese's for Hilde. She'd probably eat one (maybe two) and then when she got hungry again she'd eat the third.
She was good in shuttles in space. She was not so good in dead end areas on Earth where there was nothing to see on the horizon for hours. She wasn't used to the dead spaces of Earth where fifteen minutes felt like five hours just watching brush pass by.
Yikes. Hilde was not going to be a happy camper about having to return there again tomorrow before home. Couldn't be helped.
After he got the food, he took it outside in seperate bags since he just had to get one burger to Heidi. Then he came back in and helped with the last carrier.
He looked at the tiny size of it while the carrier seemed so massive. "This guys really tiny in this carrier. Don't they come smaller?" Seemed unsafe.
"They're all the same size. Thanks for the help," she insisted. "Really. It's good. To know all the dangers." Heidi was ultra nervous. Her whole body was shaking but she was trying to deal with it.
"I got this one too." Duo picked up both carriers to give her a break. He looked down at a name crudely stitched into the blankets feet. "Aramis? Porthos?"
"Three musketeers," Lucile said to him.
Seriously? "Great joke?" She didn't actually do that, did she? He carried the carriers out with Lucille tagging along. Heidi was trailing behind, watching his every action. "This way." He went to the car he had rented. It was all the same company, it should be fine. "Lucille, you are going to be with me and Hilde in the other car, okay?" She nodded and took off.
Since Hilde put in the childseats where they belonged, he just had to move the baby to the seats. Heidi was quicker at it, and ended up getting her second one in there too before he managed to get the first one snapped in there.
Duo looked at that last blanket. Athos? "What're their names?"
Heidi looked back at him. "Uh. Um. Athos, Porthos, and Aramis."
No way. "You seriously named your kids after the three musketeers?"
"Yeah." She didn't see the problem with it and headed to the driver door and got in.
Holy crap. I really was losing my mind. This lady is nothing like Hilde. But she was still someone that needed help. "Tomorrow. Here. About . . . 1:00. Maybe 2:00?" he said. "Eh, I'll call you. Follow me to where I'm putting you up for the night."
One quick hotel trip. He talked to Lucille just a touch, wanting to get the hotel out of the way first before they deep dived into conversation.
"Do we get to stop too?" Hilde looked back at him and his smirk. "How many more hours of this?"
"A few. Or ten. Something," he said. "Buckle up for a long ride again."
Then, there was a loud crack in the silence of the dead weight of a journey beginning. Oh man, those kids were loud. It started with one, then became two. Not even the same car. "Maybe a few minutes longer trapped in there somewhere."
He waited five minutes. The crying went from two to a third new voice. Oh, man. "I'll be back Hilde. I've gotta help or we'll never get to take off."
Duo went toward Heidi's car. She was on the side bouncing one of her babies, while the other two were crying on the inside. "Need some help?"
She immediately thrusted the one she was trying to soothe at him and took out another one. She was trying to hum to it and walk with it back and forth gently in a rocking motion.
Duo looked at the little nipper. It felt so much smaller than he ever dealt with Alec. Alec was a heavyweight compared to this thing! Okay, it's still just a baby. He tried to hold it closer. "There, there. You're okay. You just wanted to make a fuss before we left somewhere because you've got to fulfill the contract of a typical baby. I can't get mad at you for doing your job."
Heidi laughed at his joke. "Yeah, they take their job real seriously. Come on, Porthos, it's okay. We are going to be on that nice soothing car ride in just a few minutes. You guys love car rides. Nice motion, better than momma walking around."
Trying to comfort two, while the third hollered their heart out wasn't easy. He was debating asking Hilde to help out, but Heidi placed a semi-happy Porthos back in his seat and put a pacifier in his mouth.
She reached for the last one hollering again and did the same thing. Told him a lullabye. Duo just rocked the little guy he had. He didn't know much of what else to do, and it seemed to be what he wanted. Just some attention. With two other brothers and one momma, gotta compete for that atttention.
He was starting to calm down though. Duo looked at his little hands. Geez, so small. If this is how small they were a month later, that whole birthing thing must have terrified someone like Heidi.
Aramis grasped his finger. Well, that was normal. You're okay. He handed him back over after Heidi put the second one away. After she had pacifiers in all three of their mouths, she closed the doors as gentle but hard as he'd ever seen.
She opened her driver side door. "Thank you so much, Sir, for all your help." There was something in her eyes, almost . . . melting. "If you ever need anything, please let me know. I'll be happy to help. I can't do a lot, but I'll be there, just say the word."
"Uh. Yeah," he stumbled his words for no reason. "I'll see you here tomorrow. Just wait for the call." He wanted to ask if she'd be alright handling them, but then realized he shouldn't ask that. She was on her own. At least until her friends came back.
Why ask something he already knew? Why ask at all? He watched her pull out and move away. Okay, now that that was over. He had to get out of there. There was a long, empty road to deal with.
He laughed as he saw Hilde stuffing her face already when he made it to car. "Couldn't wait for even the road, could you?"
"You were gone for like fifteen minutes. I got fast food right next to me. I was good enough to make it to the five minute mark," she teased. "Almost."
"Yeah, yeah." He closed the door. "My burger please, unless you ate it accidentally so you could have four?"
"Like I could eat four," she said as she handed him his burger.
"Probably could."
Fortunately, it didn't take long to find a hotel. He payed for a decent one, not wanting a charge by the hour type of place.
"This place is really fancy," Hilde said as they all walked in. "Do we get to stay too?"
"Nope, gotta keep moving," he insisted. He had to get to the remains of the Sank Kingdom Institute. It wasn't going to be easy to get to by some destined plane ride. There weren't many ways to go that way now. Even getting the hotel near enough to the Sank Kingdom was tough. Not many to choose from.
"Pretty Musketeer Mom," Lucille said as Heidi came over holding three carriers. Damn, how did she manage that? She slid one of them on the base of her arm. That would be tender if she did it for too long.
She sat two carriers down, the ones bearing the most weight on her. She was almost out of breath as Duo got her checked in and gave her the key. "Thanks."
"You need an extra hand getting to your room?" Hilde asked picking up a carrier.
"Yes, thank you," Heidi said as she took a carrier in each hand.
Duo just took Lucille's hand. This was almost over. The day may have been crazy, but tomorrow was going to be crazier. Please be okay, Trowa. Five shots. Man. Whatever they have to say, putting it on the remains of the Sank Kingdom isn't good. It'd be serious.
"Thank you again, really," Heidi said as she went in. "This place is really nice. Spacious. I will use the space." She probably wasn't kidding. "Can you watch them for two seconds while I go get the other stuff?"
It was nice to ask, but she was already out of the room and soaring to get the other stuff. Moments later, one already started up seeing his momma gone.
"Aw, man, I should have just grabbed it," Duo complained.
"I got it, it's fine." She was out of breath again. She moved fast, probably knowing they couldn't last long. No wonder she didn't bother for an answer. She just had two cans of formula and one bag of diapers. "Thanks."
"Yeah." Duo waved at the fussy little Athos while Porthos just relaxed and Aramis was still asleep. "Tomorrow. Not too bright and early. Gotta go."
"Okay, thanks. I'll see you tomorrow. I'll be there," she promised.
He walked away with Hilde and Lucille. She still had to deal with Athos. As they turned the corner, one cry turned into two. I really should help again. "Should we help?"
"Why? Duo, she's a mom of three," Hilde smiled at him. "She's got it. She has them in a hotel room, and they are just going to stir up a fuss again. Come on, let's get out on the road already."
"Right, right." She was right. Heidi had it. Even now, the cries were starting to lessen. She was probably rocking one while she soothed the other, something she couldn't do in the car but she could in the carriers. He heard her laugh though. Yeah, she was good.
Time to get going. "So, Lucille, you sit in the front with me this time? I'll tell you more about Johnny." Besides, he had something that was going to be way harder than taking care of babies.
Explaining to a preschooler what happened to her brother.
Hotel Lobby
"I am so worn out," Hilde complained as she put down the luggage to check in. "Why did I have to come again?"
Duo didn't answer, just paid for a room for two adults and one child. They didn't have those though, so he had to share a bed with Hilde. "Aren't you lucky, Lucille? You get a bed all by yourself."
Lucille just tried to smile.
Hotel Lobby
"Oh, geez," The hotel lobby attendant called up the manager. There was definitely something that was in the ventilation system, it reaked. They had someone from an air conditioning repair place come by and fix it. It didn't take too long. The rest of the evening went by without a hassel. The lobby attendant was replace with another attendant.
Then in the dead of 2:30 in the morning, the lobby attendant just went unconscious. The air conditioner staff came back, and didn't mess with anything except keys to the doors of the hotel room Duo rented. Dragging them out, they piled them up into their van.
It was time to return to the colonies, with the others.