Gundam Wing Fan Fiction / Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Hidden Bloodlines ❯ Welcoming song ( Chapter 5 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Chapter 5

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Quatre looked at his sisters, misery clearly etched on his features and showing in his eyes. It seemed to be their goal in life to make his life miserable.

Minako was giggling at her younger brothers' discomfort, "Q-chan doesn't like cats." It served the boy right. If he'd thought about it a bit more he would've remembered the two of them had cats. They'd _told_ him about them last time he had visited.

Duo gave his friend a quizzical look; "I always pictured you as the fluffy animal type person Q. You know, always brining home strays." He grinned mischievously, "Hell, you brought Tro home!!"

Trowa threw a half-hearted punch at Duo's head. Grinning he ducked it and counter-attacked. Wufei looked on, bemused expression on his face; if emotion could have been seen on Heero's face it would have been resignation.

Quatre was glowering at his grinning sisters, mumbling under his breath and not looking amused at all.

Usagi was enjoying tormenting Quatre as much as Minako was. *It serves him right. He forgets to call or write for months on end, not even a _card_ on our birthdays! We sent _him_ one. I'm gunna make him _squirm_!* "Say it louder!" she singsonged in an overly chirpy voice that promised even more future torment.

"*Mumble mumble* _cats_ *mumbelmumble*."

Duo looked around from the play fight he was still involved in with Trowa, who looked suspiciously like he was smiling - it was so hard to tell with that damn bang in the way. "Eh??"

Usagi was staring her brother down. Not a single shred of sympathy was evident in her crystal blue eyes, "_You_ were the one who wanted us to move in, we had no choice. The cats and us come as a joint package." Dropping her voice to a mumble only slightly more audible than her brothers she added, "Unfortunately. I don't have a choice in _that_ either...stupid destiny."

Only Heero appeared to catch this remark. He tilted his head slightly regarding her; you could almost see the wheels turning over in his head.

Haruka decided to compound her little brothers' misery just that little bit more, she had a few years of torment to make up for, by adding in her two cents worth, "Go on, tell 'em _why_ you don't like the pweety widdle kitty-cats." She snickered as Quatre shot her a withering glare.

He turned and glared at the group as a whole, his sisters were enjoying themselves _far_ too much so it was mainly aimed them, "I'm allergic to cats. _Okay_."

The Gundam pilots took one look at the Zero system like gleam in his eyes and began backing away. Heero could be seen reaching for his gun again. Quatre's sisters however just rolled their eyes at his antics.

Minako just glared right back at him, seemingly unperturbed by the look in his eyes. "Try again 30, we're all used to your temper. It doesn't work on us _remember_, we've got it too."

The boys frowned in unison, but only Heero spoke up, "Temper?"

Usagi looked delighted. She'd just discovered she had another piece of dirt on her baby brother. She began to bounce in place, chirping happily, "Mr. Grumpy, Mr. Grumpy!!"

Quatre was busy looking for a place to hide. His sisters were being scary again.

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SOMETIME LATER

Two effervescent blondes bounced through the kitchen, seemingly unaware that they had two cats clinging to their shoulders for dear life. The glanced around and upon seeing the boys around the coffee making facilities - with various looks of expectation, Duo was staring at it in a rather disturbing manner and muttering the occasional 'cooooffffffeeeeee'. Wufei had his arm around his lover in a consoling manner - they bounced across the kitchen to join them. They then proceeded to place their cats between their brother's face and his coffee cup, causing him to begin sneezing immediately.

The girls quickly moved their cats out of spraying distance. "Say hello to Luna and Artemis _properly_ Quatre or they'll think you don't love them." The look on Minako's face suggested that this was a _bad_ thing.

Duo spoke up from where he was standing behind the girls and their sneezing brother, "What's with the moon connotations?"

The girls tensed and began to giggle nervously. Thinking fast, Minako spun around and presented Artemis to Duo, "Because of their faces, see!!"

Duo went cross-eyed to try and look at the cat shoved in his face. Taking Artemis out of her arms, he traced the crescent moon on his forehead, "Look at the cute little crescent moon!" he cooed, each word accented with a trace of the small marking. Artemis glared at the longhaired boy and batted the finger away from his forehead with a paw.

"Hey! That's not very nice!"

Minako chuckled and took Artemis back off him. The rest of the Gundam pilots laughed at cats' reaction. Trowa reached around Duo and scratched Artemis behind the ear, when Artemis didn't object Duo began to pout.

Usagi looked at him and snorted, "Be thankful you didn't try that with Luna. She would've scratched you, and she scratches _hard_."

Minako snickered at Usagi's comment, "And you'd know." At the boys' curious looks she explained what she meant. "Luna is Usagi's fourth alarm clock."

Quatre rolled his eyes at this revelation but the rest of the boys frowned in confusion.

"Fourth?" Trowa asked.

Minako continued to giggle, "Yeah, she usually turns off three and then goes back to sleep."

Trowa nodded his head in understanding, "So she's as hard to get up as Quatre is then." A slight smile was tugging at his lips.

The other boys blinked and looked at him.

Wufei quirked an eyebrow, smirked, and spoke up, "I didn't think you were one to kiss and tell Trowa."

Duo grinned and leaned further across the middle bench, "Tell more!!"

He began laughing hysterically when the three blondes started blushing profusely. Usagi and Minako hadn't quite decided if they really wanted to hear this much about their little brothers' love life.

Before anybody took the chance to expound on his few remaining bad habits, Quatre stepped into the two girls line of sight, odd look on his face.

Usagi looked at him and sighed melodramatically, "Uh-oh, I recognize that look."

Minako looked and gulped, "Yeah. It's the same as fathers 'I'm going to tell you to do something, you're not going to like it, but it's for you own good' look. It's the one that comes with promises of pain if you don't smile, nod and agree to whatever is said."

Usagi shuddered, "I remember him giving us one just like it before he told us he was going to foster us out."

Quatre smiled slightly at the memories those words brought up but the stubborn look remained, "You pair have homework to do."

They both groaned and Usagi began a counterattack, "So do you!"

Quatre shook his head and smiled broadly, "We did ours already."

Duo whimpered and slumped over the bench. That reaction alone was enough to prove Quatre's point correct, and to make the girls dread the upcoming task.

The girls sighed. Shot down in flames before they had barely begun. "Now I know why they trained Q for strategy." Minako hissed out of the side of her mouth to Usagi.

Quatre gave the girls their marching orders, "Go and do it. When you're finished we'll be in the pool. And do it _properly_."

Quatre got quite a shock when Luna leaned over in Usagi's arms and butted her head against the accusing finger he had been pointing at the girls, purring softly. He looked puzzled, "What was that for?" he asked.

Usagi ground out a reply through clenched teeth as she and Minako left the kitchen, a plate of biscuits in each hand, "You just made a friend Q. Luna thinks I need to study more."

The girls had already left the room when the boys realized just what Usagi had said.

"_Luna_ thinks?" Heero commented.

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The group was having a discussion over dinner, with topics ranging from just what they thought of Juuban High, to exactly _why_ they had bothered to come back to school in the first place.

The explanation for that particular topic had come from a rather disgruntled Wufei, "The baka onna won't employ us as 'official' Preventers until we've finished High school. She has no compunctions calling us in to risk our lives to save the world, but draws the line at granting us official status. Injustice!!"

Minako and Usagi had shared a brief look over that and smirked.

They were currently discussing the merits, and demerits, of various vehicles housed in the overly large carport that Duo and Wufei had explored earlier that afternoon.

"Q there are two _gorgeous_ bikes in there but, I tell you, there are _no_ keys for them."

Quatre looked up and arched an eyebrow, "Duo there are keys to _everything_ in there from the ride-on mower to the helicopter."

Duo looked at him, "Not."

Quatre looked back, "Is."

Duo's tried to suppress a grin; this could be fun, "NOT!"

"I…" Quatre caught himself and sighed deciding he didn't want to play this game right now, "Alright! I'll ask Ishmawil about it tomorrow. He'll know."

Trowa looked over at Duo, "Why didn't you just hotwire them?"

Wufei and Duo both looked slightly embarrassed.

Wufei spoke up, disgruntled but with admiration tinting his voice, "We tried and couldn't."

Heero, Usagi and Minako all looked towards them, albeit for different reasons.

Heero gave them a disbelieving look; well as close to disbelieving as his face could get anyway, "You couldn't hotwire two bikes?"

Unnoticed by anybody else, Usagi and Minako exchanged amused glances.

Duo looked grudgingly impressed, "They have the best security system I've ever seen on something that small."

Trowa and Heero exchanged glances and nodded. They had to see those bikes.

Quatre noticed the look the pair had exchanged he had become rather adept at reading the silent communication those two used. He decided to put a stop to the impromptu mechanicing session before it had a chance to get started, "Tomorrow afternoon, Heero, Trowa, we have school in the morning, so bed now."

Usagi and Minako rolled their eyes at their brother's command, snapping off crisp salutes with a jaunty, "Sir, yes, Sir," just to annoy him.

It didn't work. He laughed at their antics as they walked to say goodnight to him and the other boys.

As they were making their way over Usagi remembered to fill him in on their plans for the next day, "We're going to have a study session at Rei's, so if you come to her place 'round five we can give you the 50c tour of Juuban, K?"

Quatre nodded, "That sounds fine. So we'll meet you at..."

"Hikawa Jinja." Supplied Minako.

"Hikawa Jinja at five then." Quatre suddenly found himself with two sisters hanging from his neck trying, and succeeding, to squeeze his breath out of him. He hugged them back, "Night you pair."

"Nighty Q-tra!"

"Luvs Ya Q!"

Came the replies as they bounced out the door, headed upstairs. Quatre looked up as a shadow fell over him.

Duo stood there, arms on his hips, and a funny grin on his face, "Q-tra?"

Quatre just groaned.

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Next morning

Usagi heard the interconnecting door between her and Minako's rooms open but resolutely decided to ignore whoever it was. At this hour of the morning it could only be one person.

"Good morning Miss Usagi, I brought your coffee."

She was slightly tempted by the word 'coffee'. Her only response, however, was to open one bleary eye and roll over, pulling her blankets over her head.

Fatima walked over to the bed and deftly flicked back the blankets from the girl in a manner that bespoke _lots_ of practice. She sighed when Usagi groaned and took refuge under her pillow after being denied her blankets.

"Miss Usagi, if you do not get up this instant I shall have to call Captain Rashid, you know what he'll do!"

Usagi sat bolt upright, eyes flickering around, trying to catch sight of a giant headed in her direction while mumbling "M'up!! M'up!!!"

Chuckling quietly, Fatima waved a hand in front of Usagi's face to get her attention. That threat worked every time, on all the Winner siblings.

She handed the dazed girl a large mug of steaming Arabian coffee, one of the few things guaranteed to get the girl half-coherent of a morning. While Usagi sat on the edge of her bed, gingerly sipping the hot beverage, Fatima got her school fuku out. "Breakfast is ready whenever you get downstairs, and yours and Miss Minako's bento's are packed and waiting in the kitchen."

"Arigato gozaimasu **yawn** Fatima, we'll be down soon."

Fatima smiled softly, nodded and left to let the girl get dressed.

Usagi groaned once the woman was out of the room, "It's _too_ early for this!"

Luna piped up from the bed where she was still napping, undisturbed by Fatima's earlier actions. She cracked open one eye to look at her charge, "I _like_ her. She can get you up in the morning and I can still sleep in!!"

Luna closed her eye again, planning on going back to sleep when Usagi picked up one of her pillows and thwacked her with it. "It's not her who got me up. It's the thought of what Rashid will do if I don't get up when I'm told. Last time her threw me in the pool!"

About 20 minutes later the connecting door opened again. This time Minako came through, fully dressed and holding the remains of a large cup of coffee. She smiled wanly at Usagi, "So you got the treatment too huh?"

"Uggggg"

"Yeah, thought so. You got your keys and bag?" at Usagi's nod she continued, "Let's take them downstairs before we eat breaky or Q'll have a fit."

The two girls exchanged wicked grins that promised trouble for their little brother.

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After breakfast

Quatre checked his watch for the fifth time in as many seconds, "Where are those two? We'll be late if they don't hurry up."

While they were waiting Duo and Wufei were looking around the garage again. Duo sighed in disappointment those bikes were gone.

"Quatre-sama," one of the Manguanacs approached "The Miss Winner's have already left."

Quatre sighed in exasperation, "Well they could have said"

All the boys piled into the topless jeep that Duo had insisted on taking to school that day, and Trowa, being the only one of them with a _legal_ license, drove them to school.

Arriving at school they all grabbed their bags and clambered out of the jeep, Duo not even bothering with a door. When he around his eyes fell on the two bikes he and Wufei had been drooling over the day before, "Hey Q-man, those are the bikes from your place!"

Quatre looked at the bikes, and then looked at him, "Duo, how do you know."

Wufei had joined Duo in his bike worship, "There," he pointed to a small symbol on one bike, "see that mark? That's how, they both have it."

Quatre walked over and lent down to look at the symbol. A symbol he recognized. He stood up, eyes narrowed, "That's Haruka's signature," he ground out. He did not look happy.

Tires squealed as a flash convertible pulled into a park on the other side of the bikes, the sister in question behind the wheel. Getting out of the car she smiled when she saw what they were looking at. After picking up her bag she sauntered over to the group, "So, whatcha think of these two Q?"

Quatre looked at her, face expressionless, "You gave them _bikes_."

Haruka smirked, "At least I remembered their birthdays."

That shot hit its mark. Quatre winced slightly but he wasn't going to be put out, "You. Gave. Them. Bikes."

Haruka rolled her eyes, "Oh please Q! They are custom built, hell I designed them. They both know perfectly well how to handle them, you should know that! Do you think I'd put them in danger them anymore than you would? If I had had it my way I would've given them a helicopter each, it was one of the alternatives."

Michiru smiled softly at the memory. It had taken the better part of three weeks to convince Haruka that her sisters really _didn't_ need a helicopter each for their seventeenth birthdays, even if the could pilot them. "She was going to give them the helicopters but Setsuna and I convinced her that they could wait until they were eighteen."

Haruka frowned, "I still think it would have made a more interesting present. I mean they already… **mrmph**mrmph**." She was cut off by Michiru's hand and nodded her head in understanding when she saw her lover shaking hers.

Quatre decided he really didn't need to know about that but one thing was still bothering him, "They were both wearing _fukus_ this morning at breakfast!"

Haruka waved this comment off, "Oh don't worry, they have a perfectly good set of leathers each. I'm sure they changed before they left for school."

She started laughing as her brother turned bright red and began spluttering.

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School was the run of the mill boredom; there wasn't even a youma attack to give the students a period off. Haruna-sensei, however, had nearly fainted when Usagi was on time again _and_ handed in her homework _completed_.

Once school was finished Minako and Usagi changed back into their leathers, much to the appreciation of some of the male population and displeasure of their brother. After shooing the multitude of drooling admirers away from their bikes, and ignoring the glare Quatre was burning into their backs, they rode home and walked over to the Hikawa Jinja where all the inner senshi had gathered for moral support while the two sisters told their story to Rei.

All in all Rei took the explanation rather well... after they woke her up--

"_WHAT!!!!!_"

--and calmed her down with a couple of gallons of tea.

Rei looked between the pair and placed her teacup carefully back on the table. She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose between two fingers, "Okay. I can see the resemblance, I always wondered about that, and I understand the need for secrecy and stuff for your protection. Just one question:" She took a deep breath and the girls braced themselves, "Why the _hell_ didn't you pair warn us that Haruka was a girl when she first arrived!?"

Makoto and Ami looked at Rei bewildered. This wasn't quite the reaction they were expecting… and why hadn't they warned them? The three turned as one and stared fixedly at the two. They were both blushing brightly and looking _very_ embarrassed. They started twiddling their fingers and trying to avoid _everyone's_ gaze.

Luna spoke up, "Well Usagi?"

Usagi hung her head, "Man this is embarrassing," she muttered before taking a deep breath and beginning progressively getting redder as she continued. "'Ruka was laughing _so_ hard at us all that time, mainly at me and Mi. I mean she looked so different to last time we saw her but she recognized us nearly straight off. She'd left home just before we were sent away."

Rei rolled her eyes, she was quickly loosing her patience, "Usagi no baka she's still your sister!"

Usagi glared back at Rei, "Oh yeah? Would you recognize your favorite sister, who had sandy blonde hair to her _butt_ and _always_ wore dresses, if she showed up a year and a half after she vanished off the face of the earth and almost eight or so years after you last saw her, looking for all the world like a boy?!" she shot back.

The rest of the inner senshi, and the guardian cats, could feel themselves going into shock.

Makoto gaped at the glaring girl, "Haruka, Sailor Uranus, had long hair..." she began

Rei finished for her, "…and wore dresses?!"

The blondes nodded in unison, "Uh-huh."

Rei was feeling rather shell-shocked, but, then again, she'd been feeling that way for most of the afternoon. She poured herself another cup of tea, vowing to blame Usagi when she had to get up and go to the toilet five times in the night. "Ooookay. Um. Does your brother know about our, your.... extra curricular activities?"

Usagi and Minako looked at each other and then looked Rei. It was the sort of lookthat made her feel like she had grown another head and told them she was redirecting her worship to Metallia, "You've _got_ to be kidding!!" they exclaimed.

Usagi continued when Rei raised an eyebrow, "Think of Kenji-papa and the multiply it by fifty and you might be getting close to the mark. He'd kill the pair of us for 'endangering' ourselves!"

Minako leaned forward, "You should have seen the confrontation he had with 'Ruka this morning over our bikes. The moment the we got home the Manguanacs were all over them checking them out!"

Usagi groaned, "Manguanacs again! They were bad enough the first time around. Don't be surprised if it takes us a bit to get away if there's an attack. If Q isn't watching us you can guarantee Rashid or a Manguanac or forty will be."

Minako sighed, "They're a little overprotective."

Usagi gave an unladylike snort at this understatement.

"We should be fine," Artemis spoke up from beside Luna, "The youma aren't that strong and if there's trouble, major trouble, we'll work it out."

Rei started making a comment on how they would do fine without Odango Atama anyway when a sound from outside made her stop. Phobos and Deimos had broken into a welcoming song. She smiled broadly, there was only one person she knew of who could get that reaction out of her familiars, "So he's finally decided to come back and visit huh? About time," she paused for a moment and frowned slightly, "He owes me two manga as well."

She stood and walked outside. The rest of the girls followed curious about who Rei's guest was.

Quatre was relieved, it had been a pain free day so far. The confrontation with Haruka over the motorbikes had been the only family domestic. No name calling or 'let's see how much we can torment Q-tra' damage. He hated that nickname.

There had been a few tense moments during roll call. Haruna-sensei had noticed Minako's name missing off the top of the role immediately and had raise an eyebrow. When Usagi's name was also gone but the two girls were sitting in front of her the other eyebrow had also been raised. Her reaction when she finally found the new location of their names had been amusing though -

"You're WINNERS!!!!!!!!!!"

--and loud. He really thought the pair were going to slide under their desks, the were that far down in their seats.

And then there was lunch hour - and the countless student trying to find out why the pair hadn't told anyone. Surprisingly Umino hadn't been heading the pack.

Quatre looked at the bikes. He shouldn't have been surprised really, *Hell, I should be grateful she didn't build them a mobile suit each and send them to 'help' me. Wouldn't that have been fun, trying to explain _how_ they knew how to build _and_ and pilot a mobile suit as well as me. Between the three of them they could probably build something close to a Gundam.* He shuddered though whether that was from the thought of them building, or piloting, or both, he wasn't sure.

They'd finished their homework and had examined both bikes in minute detail. They were ready to go and get the girls and go on a tour of Juuban. There was just one slight snag.

"Ummm, does anyone know where the Hikawa Jinja is??"

The boys looked at Quatre in disbelief, at least he had the decency to look sheepish. He had forgotten to get directions.

Wufei snorted and headed off. The rest of the boys looked at each other, shrugged and followed him, hoping they were at least heading in the right direction.

They had been, though exactly how Wufei knew where he was going was a mystery.

Looking up at the stairs, Duo moaned, "Ah man!!!"

Quatre could only blink, "Usagi says she runs up these all the time." He stated in a disbelieving tone.

They were almost to the top of the stairs when two crows broke into a song. Unseen by anyone behind him Wufei grinned.

As they reached the top and started towards the shrine itself a shrine maiden emerged followed by Quatre's sisters and their friends.

She was smiling broadly, "So Scholar, you finally decided to visit. Nice to see your not bleeding everywhere this time."

Wufei bowed slightly in return as a large crow landed on his shoulder, its twin flew over to rest on the shrine maidens' outstretched arm.