Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ 2 Reign ❯ Testing the Edge ( Chapter 10 )

Chapter Ten: Testing the Edge

"Duo! You're instructing today!" Trowa shouted at me across the throngs of people moving into the building to start their days of work.

"What?" I demanded, staring at him in dismay.

"I'm sorry!" he called to me, "Just…Lexia!"

"What?" I asked again, though he was moving down the stairs against the crowd with Alex wrapped in a very pink blanket in his arms, waving at me over his shoulder.

I waved back at her and she rested her head against his shoulder. That must have been what he meant. Alex didn't look like she felt well.

I sighed, turning and starting up the stairs myself as Quatre nearly ran into me. No, he did.

"Oof…" he muttered as he regained his balance, "Did Tro find you?"

"Just now." I replied, "He said I was instructing today. What's going on?"

"Alex had a bad fever this morning when he woke her up for school. Hilde left early, so she couldn't handle it." he wiped at his nose, his eyes concerned as he thought a moment, "Anyway, he's taking her into the emergency room."

"Is she all right?" I demanded.

"How would I know?" he asked in irritation, "He only just told me five minutes ago and told me to find you."

I smiled slightly at him, looking the hall over to regain my bearing, "Is Lea all right?"

"As far as I can tell. Tro will tell me what Alex has, and then we can decide if anyone else should go into the hospital."

I nodded, sighing and starting up the hall.

"What?" Quatre asked, tagging along after me.

"I don't exactly get along with some of the recruits." I muttered.

"Really? You only taught them for three days."

"And they were assholes to Wufei, so I nearly ended up kicking their asses. I don't get how Trowa let them get away with that bullshit."

"Get away with it?" Quatre asked skeptically, "You're talking about the two guys Wufei fought with, aren't you?"

"Yeah." I replied, shaking my head.

"Dude, they've been chastised."

"How?" I demanded, "Slapped on the wrist and told `no-no'."

"I find that offensive and I don't even deal with them."

I gave him a look.

"The recruits have only been here about six months and it's our first go at it." he added in irritation, "Of course there will be some bugs. That doesn't mean that Wufei should fly off the handle because two rich boys were criticizing him."

"Huh?" I asked, slowing to look at him.

"You heard me. Wufei was being hard-ass on the first day they were all here and those two complained to him about it. Evidently the blond one broke a nail." he rolled his eyes.

I stared at him in disbelief.

"Granted, they did attack him later, but not only did he kick the blonde's ass, but when Trowa got back into the swing of things…I'm not sure what he did, but those guys flinch at a raised voice."

I blinked again.

"You're looking at me oddly and that makes me nervous." he informed me suddenly, taking a step back, "Either say something normal or watch my ass as I run off."

I had to smile at that, catching his arm as he took another step back, "Calm down. I'm just trying to figure things out."

His eyes had been wild for a moment, but at my reassurance he yanked from my grip and crossed his arms as he waited.

"I just said something normal," I muttered, "Don't freak on me."

"Stop watching me."

"You were talking to me!" I protested, not believing that.

He gave me a look, "Do you have any idea what your eyes say?"

"Not really," I confessed, amused, "I know what I'm thinking though."

"I'll catch you later…with the others around." he muttered, turning and starting off up the hall.

I laughed, moving up behind him and grabbing him around the waist-no one was in the hall, and just about everyone who worked there would have been in already.

"Duo," he said, his tone falsely calm. I could feel his muscles starting to tense.

I laughed even harder, pushing him to the wall and staring into his eyes, "You bring this on yourself you know…" I studied him a moment, judging his reaction, "But really, Q, it's me." I muttered, tapping my chest, "Duo."

He frowned at me, relaxing back into something like petulance.

"Seriously," I purred reassuringly, running a hand through his hair, "I'm your friend, all right?"

He wouldn't meet my eyes.

I sighed, upset by this, "Fine." I muttered, moving away from him backwards, "I'll just…I'll see you at lunch or something." I started off up the hall again.

The one time I glanced back before entering the training wing, he was still against the wall. His expression was startled.

I shook my head, moving through the doors.

-

"It's only strep-throat." the doctor reassured me easily with a smile, "We can put her on antibiotics and she'll be healthy again before the week's out."

I sighed in relief, shaking my head, "I thought I was going to have a heart-attack there for a while. She had a bad fever."

"That was slightly disturbing," the woman agreed as Alex crossed the room from the couch she'd been on to climb into my lap and situate her pink blanket over us, "But her fever has broken and if you keep an eye on her, I'd imagine she'll be fine."

I nodded, thinking as I tucked it around her.

"Her mother can take care of her while you're at work, I'm sure." she added, smiling at me.

I met her eyes in amazement for a moment, nearly laughing at her and telling that Alex's mother wouldn't have taken care of her even if she were still here. I decided against that, though. She probably meant Hilde anyway, "We both work."

"Well…" she thought a second, "It shouldn't be very difficult for you to get help, Mr. Barton." she smiled again.

I smiled as well, rising to my feet, "I really need to be getting back, speaking of." I offered a hand, which she shook before starting to scribble on a note-pad.

"Warn the parents of her friends," she muttered, "She probably got it from a friend at school."

I nodded, tucking the prescription in my pocket and the blanket around her better, "Thank you very much for seeing us."

"It was my pleasure, Mr. Barton." the woman muttered, moving across the room to pull the door open and hold it for me while I carried my child out, "Have a good day, Alexia!"

Alex waved at her over my shoulder before cuddling to me again. My daughter didn't say anything to me while we moved through the hospital, and when I'd tucked her into the passenger's seat, she was studying my face curiously.

"You ready to go home and get uncle Heero sick again?" I asked, smiling.

She giggled at that.

I had to smile; at least she wasn't feeling too horrible.

"Daddy?" she asked as we were pulling out of the parking lot.

"Yes'm, Baby?"

"Is Hilde my mother now?"

I nearly wet myself from shock, blinking over at her in amazement.

"The doctor said my mother could take care of me," she hurried to explain, "And you said you both worked…and…well…my mom hasn't been around lately. So…that means that…Tia Hilde's my mom now, right? You're going to marry her. You said you were…so…she's my mom, right?"

I studied her a long moment, thinking that one over, then nodded slightly, "Yes…she is."

For some reason, saying that felt petty. I would admit to myself that having Alex call Hilde "mom" would be satisfying on several levels. It indicated a normal family, which we'd never had. It indicated how important Hilde was to me…and it would piss Leticia off if she ever heard about it.

Now, there were only two issues with it. The first being, would Hilde accept it, knowing that Alex's mother was still out there somewhere? The second issue was a question of Miguel's composure. He was Leticia's sister and Alex's only real uncle near-by. Would he flip out on me for the myriad little reasons?

Alexia was beaming at me, and that by itself made the risks worth it.

-

I yawned as I stared out the window, wondering where the hell Duo was. We'd planned to meet for lunch. I'd wanted to meet early so we could get off the grounds before the hustle and hassle of the lunch-rush hit, and it had already been ten minutes since Duo'd said he'd meet me.

I hit the auto-dial button of my cell, dialing him and sighing as I moved down the hall between his and Wufei's apartments.

"Yes?" Duo asked-in the background I could hear many voices.

"What's going on?" I demanded, "Weren't we going to lunch?"

"Oh, shit!" Duo breathed, "I forgot! I'm sorry!"

"What are you doing?" I demanded in irritation, moving down the stairs, "Why do I hear so many people?"

"Trowa took Alex to the hospital this morning." he explained easily, stopping a moment to tell someone to get back in line, "He didn't give me more than five seconds warning."

"Really?" I asked, alarmed as I started down the second set of stairs.

"That's all I know." he added, "We're on lunch in about five minutes…"

"I wanted to avoid the rush, Duo. I'm sure you remember that."

"There's not a whole lot I can do," he returned, "I'm not abandoning Wufei to these wolverines."

I sighed in exasperation, blinking up at the sound of footsteps and staring at Trowa, "Oh, good!" I said, moving forward to take Alex from him, "You're taking your class over again, right?"

"She has strep, Heero," he returned levelly, looking to my phone, "I have to stay with her today."

"Hi, uncle." Alex whispered.

"Who is that?" Duo asked sharply.

"Trowa," I returned, "He's just gotten back."

"Is he coming back or what?"

"Lexia has strep," I replied, "He can't today."

"Shit." Duo hissed, going silent for a moment.

"Is he pissed at me again?" Tro demanded in irritation, taking the phone from me, "Fuck you."

I couldn't hear Duo's reply to that, but it startled Trowa.

I focused on Alex, smiling slightly at her, "How's your throat?"

"It's okay," she muttered, though her voice didn't sound normal, "I'm tired, though. Daddy gave me some of the medicine and explained it would make me sleep."

"Oh, you want me to lay you down?" I offered, pushing at the door that Trowa had forgotten existed or something. I could hear Duo vaguely, but not clearly enough to understand what he was saying to the suddenly startled father.

"Yeah…on the couch." she muttered, "Daddy said I could sleep on the couch and watch TV and stuff."

"All right." I moved into the apartment and set her down, moving down the hall to get her a pillow quickly. It took only a moment to get her situated.

"…so fuck you, too!" Duo's voice suddenly shouted in my ear.

"Hey!" I shouted back, turning to look at Trowa who was slightly amused as he held the phone to my ear.

"Heero?" Duo asked.

"Yeah." I replied, taking the phone, "You sound a bit…upset." I noted, moving from Trowa's path so he could also situate his daughter.

"Why the fuck is he telling me to fuck off?" Duo replied petulantly.

"You sounded a bit pissed at him." I replied, watching him move across the room and pick up his phone, dialing.

"I wasn't pissed at him," Duo protested, sounding outraged, "Jesus, why do you guys always assume the worse with me?" I heard a locker slamming.

"Um…are you done?"

"Yeah." he replied, "I'll be out front in a couple minutes."

-

I watched Duo curiously as he dug into his pocket, pulling out the schedule he'd had…and dropping his keys on the ground.

"Shit!" he hissed in irritation, bending down to pick the stuff up, then paused, "What?"

It deteriorated after that. It didn't take more than a few minutes before he was ranting like any full-fledged madman.

I gained the attention of the recruits when my watch beeped, though they'd been watching him, "Time is, people."

They all fell to formal attention and I followed the crowd back toward the building, gesturing at Duo as he continued talking with irritation to Heero, though I wouldn't have thought he'd have gotten that annoyed with the guy. He and Heero had been getting on swimmingly of late.

"I'm going to lunch with Heero." Duo muttered to me, "I'll try to get back on time. Alex has strep, so Tro has to hang out with her."

I blinked at him, startled at how close he was standing, "Uh…all right." I muttered.

He smiled slightly, leaning down and…kissing me. I was too startled for a moment to respond, but evidently he wasn't giving up without something. I did kiss him back, and contrary to my assumption, he made it a sweet lingering kiss. He pulled away after a moment, running a hand through my hair as he studied my eyes-then disappeared completely from the room.

I stared after him in shock, wondering what life would be like now if Miguel hadn't waltzed in…and then realized that I had just kissed Duo…willingly. Even eagerly…

"Chang?"

I jumped slightly, turning to look at a secretary. There was a tight wad of guilt or something tightening my throat so I had to swallow before I could speak, "Yeah?" I choked finally.

"Mr. Barton is on line three." she replied, blinking curiously at me.

"Thanks," I grabbed the phone and hit the button, waiting for her to walk away as I swallowed hard again, "Trowa?"

My voice had cracked on that one…talk about talent!

"Alex has strep." Trowa replied promptly, "Duo will have to take my place until she's done. Hilde can't very well do it."

I sighed, trying to force my voice to relax, "I figured you'd say that."

"What's up? You sound…strained."

"Nothing," I replied tightly, "I'm just going to go drown myself now."

"As long as you're ready for class after lunch, it's all good."

I snorted at him, "You are absolutely no help."

"I can't really be helpful when you don't tell me what's wrong."

"I'm not telling you over this phone."

"That's fine. Come to my apartment."

"I'll be there in five."

-

I grumbled to myself as I tapped the paper in front of me with my pencil. I hadn't been able to focus even before Duo had pulled his little stunt, and the fact that he'd looked so hurt when he finally did move away made it that much harder.

I did trust Duo…to an extent. What I'd heard about him and what I'd seen of him was making me more than wary, though. His actual actions regarding me were less than "common-place" and the fact that I'd opened up our reunion by hanging off him was making me wonder if he had the wrong idea. Even Jacob was acting up lately. I kept catching him with that damn look of consideration in his eyes that he'd used to direct at me when we'd lived near Tim and Jenna…

I blinked up at the window as the two friends came to my mind. I hadn't talked to them in months…

"Q?"

I blinked up at Miguel, who had paused in the door to my office, "You comin' to lunch or what?"

"Or what." I muttered, blinking a few times.

He laughed, coming into the room and taking the pen from my hand, dropping it on the papers and grabbing my arm, "Let's go. You need to get out of here. I think you should take the day off and go look into…" he thought, "Some constructive sin."

I died laughing and followed him from the office.

-

"So…he kissed you?" I demanded of Wufei, wondering if that was the straight of it. Wufei had been rambling at me for the past twenty minutes about Duo, and him being engaged. For a moment I'd thought Duo had asked Wufei to marry him, but when I pressed that, Wufei had gotten really annoyed with me. Evidently I was supposed to be able to follow his half-thought out sentences, even the ones he didn't complete.

"Yes!" he said in exasperation, "What do you think I've been saying the past ten minutes!"

I tried not to grin at him, "Sorry, I'm just…I," I paused for effect, "…and you're upset?"

This got me a look.

I really was missing something here.

"I'm engaged!" Wufei snapped, showing me his left hand.

"And wearing Duo's ring under the engagement ring." I pointed out, indicating the thing, "And while I've seen the engagement ring off you from time to time, I can't say I ever saw the sapphire off."

He narrowed his eyes at me.

"Now run this one by me again," I muttered, trying not to snigger, "Duo kissed you in the employee locker-room of the training ward, correct?" he nodded, "He told you that Alex is sick and kissed you, right?" he nodded again, not seeming to gather that I'd just repeated myself, "And you're upset about that?"

I started laughing when he hit me with a couch pillow, moving to shield myself from any further blows he intended to rain on me.

"I'm going to marry Miguel!" he shouted.

"Hey!" I said in irritation as Alex shifted where she lay, "Don't wake her up." I glared at him, "I'm only fucking with you anyway."

He glared at me.

"Why are you getting so upset over this?" I added, sitting back some, "I mean, really. It's not like you initiated the kiss and I have a feeling that when Duo really wants someone's attention, he gets it. So what? You kissed him back. It's Duo. Miguel will understand that…if you decide to tell him."

Wufei stared at me.

I shook my head at him, "Don't get me wrong, cheating is bad…but you and I both know that Duo has some kind of voodoo hold over your ass and there's not a whole lot you can do about what he decides to do with it."

He blinked.

"There's no point in working Miguel up over nothing. I know you, I trust you…I'm suggesting a course of action. You don't have to…" I turned to focus on the door at the same time as Wufei. We both could hear feminine voices as the handle to the door turned.

"Oh, you're here!" Hilde sang out as she stepped into the room, breezing across it to kiss me, "I'm glad you're home! What did the…oh, the poor baby!" she added, moving across the living room to lay her hand on Alex's forehead, studying her a moment as Selena paused in the door.

Alex opened her eyes and stared up at Hilde for a long moment, "Mommy!"

Hilde's eyes went wide and after blinking a few times, she smiled slightly, "Hi, Baby. How are you?"

"I'm fine, Mommy!" Alex said happily, "Well, not really. I have…um…strep throat. The doctor said I had to stay home for a while, but I'll be able to go to workshop on Saturday!"

"That's great, Angel!" Hilde muttered, though there was something in her manner.

Wufei was staring at me, though Selena probably hadn't realized that Alex wasn't Hilde's daughter. She set the bags she was holding down and plopped into a chair, "So can you come out shopping with me?" she pressed my fiancé, "Or are you going to stay home with Alex?" she smiled at the girl.

"Stay home with me!" Alex said happily, "Daddy has to work!"

Hilde finally looked at me, her eyes all sorts of curious.

I smiled slightly at her, "I have Duo lined up to sub for me all day." I reassured her, "You can go shopping if you really want to."

"I want to change." she muttered, straightening and meeting my eyes again, "Come talk to me, Lover."

I looked back to Wufei almost warily, realizing suddenly that he really was staring at me like I had two heads.

"Uncle, can you move?" Alex asked him suddenly, "I can't make the TV turn on."

Wufei blinked down at her.

"Please?" she asked as I followed Hilde into our bedroom.

I swallowed slightly, "You're not…upset, are you?" I asked quietly, biting my lip. I hadn't expected this reaction from her-of course, I hadn't expected my daughter to just call her "mom" either.

"Upset?" Hilde asked blankly, her eyes going wide, "I thought you were!"

"I…told her…"

She stared at me a long moment, then broke into giggles, bouncing across the room to throw her arms around me, "Oh, Trowa! Are you sure it's all right?"

I ran my fingers through her hair, kissing the top of her head, "You've been more a mother to her…you've even been around longer…"

"I don't understand," she added, meeting my eyes, "I was Hilde last night…why…"

I smiled slightly, "The doctor commented that her mother could take care of her while I worked and I responded that we both worked…because we do." I studied her eyes again, running my hands through her hair, "Are you sure you don't mind?"

"I honestly don't mind." she breathed, smiling as she touched my cheek and studied my eyes.

I kissed her, calming slightly, "Sorry I didn't talk to you about it…"

-

"What's with those two?" Selena asked me blankly.

"Alex called her…Mommy," I muttered, blinking.

"What?" Alex asked blankly.

"I heard that." Selena muttered, frowning at me, "But…"

"Hilde is not Alex's mother."

Selena blinked at me, "But they're going to get married."

"But Hilde's not Alex's mother."

"Wufei!" Alex protested, "I can't understand you!"

I blinked down at Alex in confusion, then blinked up at Selena as I realized she was speaking Chinese and that I'd replied as such.

Selena giggled, "I thought Duo'd told you." she muttered, beaming at me, "I can speak Chinese."

"Cantonese, even." I noted, impressed.

She smiled at me, "One of my lesser-known talents."

"What other talents…"

"Wufei!" Alex whined.

I blinked down at my niece and smiled at her, "Sorry, Baby. I didn't know Selena spoke Chinese."

"I want to learn!" she said instantly.

I smiled at her, "Let's wait until we talk to your father before I start teaching you."

She smiled at me.

"You look a bit rattled," Selena muttered, tilting her head, "Something wrong?"

I blinked, remembering the kiss again and sitting on the coffee table, meeting her eyes.

"What?" she asked, "Now you look like a cat that got dunked in the tub."

"Do you know what Duo did?" I protested before I thought it out.

"Oh." her tone was instantly understanding and she looked away from me with a grin, "I see."

"You think it's funny?"

"Well, he didn't seduce you as far as I can tell, so maybe you should be happy."

My jaw dropped.

"I can come with you!" Hilde announced to Selena, bouncing into the room again and up to Alexia, starting to talk to her quietly.

Selena smirked slightly at me, winking.

I growled in frustration, moving across the house to the kitchen.

"Wufei?" Hilde asked me curiously.

"You want something to drink before you go?" I asked easily, managing to make my tone pleasant.

Trowa had a point.

What people didn't know didn't hurt them.