Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Curtain Call ❯ A Slight Fuss (Chapter Three) ( Chapter 3 )

Four

"Sage. Don't worry-it'll be okay."

"No, damnit, it won't! He ruined my life when I knew him, and now he's going to ruin theirs!" Sage backed away from Quatre as if burned. "And all you have to say is `I'm sorry?' No, Quatre, I don't want that shit. I want my children!"

"Don't be irrational, please."

"No! I'm not the one being irrational! You are! Look at you! Your own children are being taken away right from under your nose, and you just meekly sit there and take it!" She started crying, voice cracking slightly. "Don't you CARE?"

"Of course I do, love! You know I do!"

Sage looked at him through narrowed eyes. "Then why don't you do anything, Mr. Winner??" Every word was like a dagger into Quatre's heart, and when Sage ran out of the room he sat down on one of the couches with a heavy sigh, his face in his hands.

Sage ran smack into someone's chest. She looked up…

"Oh, excuse me…"

"Have you been crying, little girl?" Her eyes widened, and Duo smiled down at her.

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" Sage immediately jumped him, and Duo fell backwards onto an armchair.

"Jesus! If I had known you would have done that, I would have stood near a cushier armchair!"

"Oh, shut up!" She grinned gleefully, eyes bright. "It's been so long!"

"You're telling me. Why were you crying?"

"Oh, that doesn't matter anymore." With that, she planted an exuberant kiss on his cheek.

"Mom? Why are you kissing a complete stranger?" Vicky, Alex, and Damon walked in at that precise moment. Vicky was gaping.

"She's also sitting on his lap. Jesu, mom." Alex muttered.

"That's...my dad… " Damon looked weirded out. Sage looked up. She had Duo pinned to the armchair, she was straddling his lap.

"Eep." She managed after a minute, and a major blush.

Unfortunately, in walked Quatre.

"Uh…." Was all HE could say.

"Gee, Quat, so THIS is how it feels to have a beautiful woman pinning you to a chair, rendering you defenseless!"

"Duo! Duo! Duo!" Sage squealed, face completely red.

Quatre vaguely raised a hand behind his head and the put it down again. Looking at the ground and blushing. "Uh, well…"

"Get off, you hippo, you'll break my legs." Duo grinned and kissed Sage on the cheek, picking her up and tossing her a few feet in the air before catching her and setting her on her feet again.

Quatre, Vick, Damon, and Alex were still staring. Sage looked at the ground.

"Ehheheheh." Sage looked around as if she didn't know what was going on in the least bit.

"Well, Duo, it's great to see you again!" Quatre recomposed himself and smiled at his old friend.

"Same, buddy!" The cheerful braided former pilot grinned in return.

"Uh, Duo, they're baking cookies." Sage muttered.

"Cookies? Damn them. Um, What about the frosting?" Duo frowned.

"Chocolate." Sighed Quatre, eyes dark.

"Shoot."

"And to top that off, the bullfrog isn't croaking!" Sage said, eyes blazing at her husband in accusation.

Duo looked mildly amused. "Did you try wheat?"

"Yeah. And feathers…" Sage trailed off, looking at her feet.

"Ok, what the hell just went on there???" Vicky demanded, eyes fiery. "Wheat and frogs and chocolate frosting? WHAT???"

"They said the Alliance has reformed, that they want "the kids" (probably us) to help pilot, and that Mr. Winner isn't doing anything about it. Right? AM I right? Oh, come ON, I KNOW I'm right!!!!!!!" Damon beamed.

"I could hate you." Vicky muttered at him, eyes narrowed.

"I already hate you! So ha!" Damon retorted, tongue stuck out. Vicky launched herself on him but Alex pulled her away.

"Guys, this is serious, kay? First of all, dad, what do ya'll mean by `pilot'?" Alex was holding a struggling Vicky by the scruff of the neck.

"A Gundam, dear." Said Sage, folding her hands. "Get one of your history books, I'll show you."

Alex did so, and handed it to his mother. Sage flipped through it until she found what she was looking for, and handed it to the trio.

"Gee, mom, you look kind of slutty in that picture." Vicky managed, shrugging casually. Sage bonked her over the head, eyes closed, a nerve in her forehead twitching in annoyance.

"That is a perfectly decent outfit, thank you!"

"Is not!"

"Is too!"

"Actually, it's quite allright!" Damon, Quatre, and Duo were all staring at the picture of Sage as if they had never seen her in her life.

A round of whacks was given all around, and Vicky pulled the book into her lap, beginning to read.

In A.C. 199, six Gundam Pilots fought for the safety and freedom of the colonies. These six were Heero Yuy, Duo Maxwell, Trowa Barton, Quatre Raberba Winner, Wufei Chang, and Sage Bennington. (See picture at left)

"Okay," Vicky said slowly, eyes wide. "Then where are all the rest of these people? The Heero and Trowa and Wufei?"

"They'll, um, be your coaches." Duo said.

"Oh."

"That blue eyed dude was Heero, wasn't he?" Alex quipped, cocking his head.

"How did you know????" Sage asked quickly.

"He just...I dunno, looks like the type to be named Heero." Everyone stared at Alex.

"Alex, you're an idiot." Stated Vicky and Damon at the exact same times.

"So. Tomorrow? Corner of Fifth and Seventh? Fine by me." Alex leaned back on the sofa, crossing his arms.

"Me too." Damon said, standing and stretching.

"Not good for me." Vicky stated.

"And why not, young lady?" Demanded her mother, hands on her hips.

"How about never? Is never good for you? Look, you're asking me, this totally outcast nerd girl, to just throw on a space suit and pilot a giant robot! Nope! Not gonna happen!"

Quatre sighed. "Look, sweetie, It's not that hard. Just give it a try."

Vicky looked skeptical.

"Don't worry sir, we'll make her go if we have to tie her and gag her!!" Grinned Damon.

And so begins a new chapter in our little story….