Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Family Maters ❯ Chapter 5

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

Title: Family Matters
Author: Dubird
Website: http://www.thegwg.com
Pairings: None
Rating: PG for some swearing
Standard Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing. This is just one of the many fan spawned writings of another crazy person. I also go to college and have lots of loans to pay off, so if you're looking for money, you've come to the wrong place!

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The three pilots piled back into Duo's car several hours later. Wufei was a bit surprised by Maxwell's restraint in drinking. Though he knew the American normally didn't get drunk, he also know that his fridge was always stocked in beer. But, Duo had said he didn't want anyone else driving a car rented under his name, so he'd been careful not to drink to much. 'Perhaps I don't give him enough credit,' Wufei thought to himself, snapping his seat belt closed. He grabbed onto the door handle as Maxwell suddenly hit the gas to merge into traffic. 'Then again, maybe I should've rented the car myself.'

He noticed that Duo and Quatre both were rather quiet on the drive back. That Quatre was quiet wasn't a surprise, he had always been like that. Rather quiet unless he had something important to say or do, then he wouldn't give up once his mind had been made up. But the fact that Maxwell wasn't chattering endlessly was confusing. He wondered what was preoccupying the American pilot.

He got his answer a few minutes later as Maxwell pulled into a parking spot in front of Quatre's office building. Before Quatre could climb out of the door, Duo had reached across and grabbed his arm, keeping him inside. "Allright, Quatre. You wanna tell us what's bothering you?"

Quatre looked at him in surprise. "Nothing's wrong. I've just had a lot of work lately. I sometimes wish I could find a way to ban paperwork in my office," he said, with a rueful grin.

Duo shook his head. "I'm not buying that. And I don't think Wufei is either. Something's bugging you, and we're not leaving until you tell us what it is. After all, we're your friends. Whatever it is, we can help."

Wufei leaned forward and nodded. "He's right. There is something bothering you, and it's not work."

Quatre sighed. "I'm fine. Really. I'm just so tired. Sometimes I wish Father had simply named one of my sisters as heir, not me." He winced at that, then fumbled for the door handle.

Duo pushed the automatic lock button before he could get the door open. "Oh, no, you're not getting off that easy!" Duo exclaimed. "Does this have to do with your family?" he asked, trying to figure out where to start.

"My family is just fine, Duo," he replied as calmly as he could. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to get up early tomorrow." He popped open the door and slip out in one move, slamming the car door behind him. Duo and Wufei exchanged glances at the snap in his voice, and they both jumped out of the car to catch up to him. Duo grabbed his shoulder, stopping him before he could climb the steps to the front door. "Listen, Quatre. We just want to help. Maybe we can, and maybe we can't. But whatever it is, you need to get it off your chest. Keeping it inside isn't helping you."

Quatre stood silently for a moment, wrestling with his thoughts. He knew there wasn't anything they could do to help, but the urge to just tell someone welled up inside him. He turned around and sat on the bottom steps, his hands resting loosely between his knees. "I don't know if I can explain it. I'm not really sure what I feel."

"Try us," Wufei urged, taking a seat next to him. Duo sat down on his other side, his eyes full of concern.

Quatre took a deep breath and concentrated on his hands. "I got a vid message in the mail on my birthday. From our lawyers. It had been left in their care by my father. Apparently, he recorded it just before he died."

"What did it say?" Duo asked quietly.

"A lot of things. I'm still not sure what to make of it." He chuckled sadly, keeping his attention away from the others. "I realized after seeing it that my whole existance is...well...based on a lie."

He missed Duo's rather startled look at that comment. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"You know how the entire Winner clan were test tube babies?" He looked over to see Duo's affirmative nod. "Well, I'm not. I always thought I was, but..." He sighed. "Apparently, my mother wanted to have a child. And she wanted to so badly she didn't listen to the doctors who told her it was dangerous."

"She died during childbirth, then," Duo said, realizing the impact of what he was saying. Quatre nodded. "Yes. Father blamed himself for that, and I think he blamed me as well. Not that I can blame him."

"You can't take the weight of the world on your shoulders, Quatre," Duo replied, as serious as the others had ever seen him. He gripped Quatre's shoulder tightly. "You'll only hurt worse because you can't fix everything. Nor can you blame yourself for everything. Yes, your mother died giving birth to you. But she must have loved your father so much to want to give him a child. That's not your fault. I doubt your father blamed you for that either. Not if you really are like your mother. This one fact is not going to change the person you are."

"But it does, don't you see?" Quatre stood up, facing away from the other two pilots. "I always believed I was created simply because Father needed an heir. Never mind that I had more sisters than I've ever met. I always thought he wanted a male heir, so that's where I came from. Now I find out that I was not made special order. Not an accident, but, not created for any specific purpose except that my mother wanted to have a child." He turned to face Duo and Wufei, gesturing with one hand. "And what about the Maguanqs? They accepted me because of what they, and I, believed me to be. Now...I just don't know."

"I think you're underestimating the Maguanqs," Wufei said. "They are your family. I've seen you interact with them. Nothing you discover about your past will change that."

"Yet I'm not the same person they thought I was."

"Yes you are, Quatre!" Duo stood up to face him, determined to get through to his friend. "Listen to me. You said you weren't created for a real purpose. You're wrong. Your mother loved your father so much that she was willing to give her life to bring his child into being. There is no greater purpose than that."

"Then why could he never tell me this? Why did I have to find out from a vid message recorded before he died?" Quatre knew he was starting to sound a bit childish, but he had no one else he could talk to like this. These questions had been haunting him for four days.

"Probably because he knew you'd react this way." Duo's matter-of-fact answer made him pause for a moment. Duo grinned at his look of confusion. "You're too kind, Quatre. I'll bet your father knew that. He knew that telling you before you were ready would probably cause lasting damage. You're too quick to take blame for something simply to save others from the pain."

"He's right." Wufei stood up and crossed his arms over his chest. "I used to think that was a weakness. But I realized something a few years ago. That ability to care, without conditions, is what makes you one of the strongest people I know."

Quatre's eyes widened at this. That was something he never thought he would hear Wufei say to him. Duo smiled to hide his surprise as well, and nudged Quatre in the side. "See? If Wufei says so, there's no higher source." Ignoring Wufei's glare, he continued on. "Remember, it doesn't matter how you came into being. It matters who are you are while you're here."

Quatre turned away for bit, trying to regain his composure. "I just wish he could have told me when he was still alive," he whispered. "I never knew, and I'll never get to tell him that." He felt a hand pat his shoulder and Duo's voice answering him. "At least you did get to know him. Remember that. All your memories aren't bad, are they?" Quatre shook his head, not trusting himself to reply. "Then cherish the good memories, because at least you do have those."

The three pilots stood quietly together after that, Quatre taking strength from the other two's presence. After a few minutes, he shook his head and managed a small smile. "I guess maybe you're right."

Duo nodded. "Yeah, sometimes I even amaze myself!"

Wufei rolled his eyes at that. "Sometimes you amaze me as well, Maxwell."

"Thanks!" Duo paused at that, then glared over at him. "Hey!"

Quatre quickly covered his mouth with his hand to hide his grin. "I think on that note, we should call it a night."

"Yeah, well, if you need anything, just give us a call, ok?" Duo patted him on the shoulder and gave him a warm smile, then headed to the car, followed by Wufei. "I'll be around for a while, and I'm sure I can talk Wufei into staying."

"Not if you paid me, Maxwell. I think four days is my limit on your ceaseless chatter," he answered, sliding into the passenger seat.

"Ah, that's only because I didn't get to cook for ya. Just wait until I hit the stores tomorrow!" Duo started the car and drove off with a wave, still trying to convince the other pilot to stay around for one more day.

Quatre just shook his head and smiled. He wondered if Wufei would let himself be talked into staying. He felt himself relax a bit more, grateful for what the two had done. Now, if only he could gather the courage to talk to Rashid.