Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Curtain Call ❯ ..Dinner and a Mysterious Visitor.. ( Chapter 2 )

Three

"Please pass the butter," Vicky said pleasantly through gritted teeth at Damon, who sat next to her at the dinner table.

"Get it yourself, bee-yotch…" He hissed back in a low whisper, and she camel-kicked him under the table. Quatre smiled and looked at Damon.

"So what do you think of the town so far?" He asked, taking a sip of his drink.

"Well-My dad and I just moved here from a colony, so I haven't had time to really get a feel for it yet." He ignored Vicky, who was mocking him behind his back. Alex was frowning at his sister from across the table.

"You and your father?" Sage blinked, confused indeed. The braid he wore-

"My mother-is dead. We don't talk about her much." Damon looked really sad for a moment, and the two parental Winners exchanged looks.

"I'm sorry for asking, Damon." Sage looked upset now-but the boy shook his head.

"Nah-don't worry about it, Mrs. Winner. We get along fine, my dad and I."

"What's your last name?" Vicky asked quickly, before the subject was dropped. Her father gave her a warning look.

"Vicky-don't push it."

Damon grinned. "That's allright sir-she has a right to know. I am hanging out at her house with her brother after all. And my last name's Maxwell. Damon Maxwell. Before you ask, my dad's name is Duo-" He was cut off by a sharp intake of breath on Sage's part and a slight squeal. Vicky and Alex looked strangely at their mother. It was not often you see your mother squeal. Quatre put a hand on her arm, and she excused herself and stood, sweeping out of the room, electric with excitement.

"What was that all about?" Alex neatly folded his napkin on his plate.

"Nothing-nothing at all. You kids can leave your dishes on the table-someone will be by to get them in a minute. I've got to go talk to your mother, so Goodnight!" He smiled cheerfully and followed Sage out.

"Weird. Maybe she knew him when they were younger or something." Vicky announced to no one in particular. All three were staring at the door silently, blinking. That's when the knock came.

The knock that would change everything.

A maid answered, and took the visitor's coat, ushering him into the parlor. As they walked by the dining room the stranger looked straight at Vicky, eyes boring into hers. Caught off guard, she blinked quickly. The icy blueness of his eyes was cold-unforgiving, relentless. She gathered herself and stared right back, lips curling in a sneer.

And then the stranger did the most unexpected thing.

He gave a little nod and smile of satisfaction, and swept into the parlor. Vicky looked at Alex, and Alex looked at her, both as muddled as the next.

"That was weird." She muttered.

"Yeah."

"Did you see his eyes?" Damon muttered under his breath, brow furrowing slightly.

"Like ice… And he smiled when I sneered at him. Wacko."

"Maybe he's a salesman." Alex stated vaguely, and all conversation stopped to stare at Alex.

"Alex-you're an idiot." Vicky concluded after a long pause, nodding firmly to say that this was her final word.

In the parlor, the stranger sat down on a couch, waiting for his hosts. He brushed his rather unruly brown hair out of his eyes and sighed, slowly, methodically. The times were beginning again-another war was on the brink of coming into existence. The Winners had no idea how long it had taken to track them. He had been thrown off by myriads of false files, unreachable computer systems. Probably Sage's doing. She had wizened since they last saw each other…

At that precise moment, Quatre walked in from behind, reading a paper from a stack in his hands and frowning. The stranger (who was not so strange after all) cleared his throat, and Mr. Winner looked up sharply.

"Ah. Heero Yuy. How long has it been?" Quatre grinned and set the papers on a side table.

"Almost twenty years."

Quatre made a face. "Yes. What is the reason that we are blessed with a visit from you?" He smiled pleasantly.

"You know." The smile was wiped off of Quatre's face.

"Heero-absolutely not."

"You know it's the only way."

"Maybe, but it won't be my children."

"Where's Sage?" Heero sighed slowly. Things would come if you did their means of achievement carefully enough.

"She's-had a bit of a shock. In the kitchen with Alice."

"A shock?"

"Duo lives two doors down from us."

"Enough of a shock to put anyone into traction." He had actually made a joke. That was rare. Heero looked sinisterly amused.

"Mmm."

"I'm guessing that was his son out there? The one with the braid?"

"Yes. They just moved down here from a colony."

"I know. Was that blonde girl your daughter?"

"Yes. And the blonde boy too." Quatre was radiating a silent sort of pride and Heero smiled softly.

"Fascinating thing, she is. I gave her that look of mine, and she just gave it right back. She has Sage's stubbornness magnified times ten."

"She's manageable."

"Age difference?"

"Victoria is in tenth grade, Alex and Damon in eleventh." Sage strolled into the room, saw Heero, paled, and froze in place. Heero just smiled.

"We were just about to go get you." He said easily, eyes testing her. She composed herself and snorted.

"This better not be what I think it is." She looked to Quatre, who just shook his head slowly. She drew in a breath sharply. "I will not have my children do what I was doing. Never. Quatre and I agreed to it."

Heero waved her off. "There is no other way. They will go either with or without your consent-but they will go."

"They're only kids!" She cried, clutching Quatre's sleeve tightly.

"You were younger than them when you were put into service." Heero stated matter-of-factly, without a hint of emotion. Sage chewed on this for a moment, and then looked up at Quatre for some reassurance, some hope.

But there was none.

"I'm sorry, love. Heero's right." He mumbled into her hair as he pulled her close, to hide her tears from their visitor. He knew how she valued that pride of hers.

Heero stood. "It's settled then. I'll expect them tomorrow on the corner of fifth and seventh, all three. I'll let you take care of Duo for me." With those words, he nodded briskly to his hosts and exited, grabbing his coat as he flitted out the front door.

There was no other way.