Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Family Ties ❯ Chapter 7 ( Chapter 7 )

Disclaimer: I don't own the G Boys, I just borrow them from time to time and return them a whole lot happier. I do own the plot line and any other characters that appear here that are not in the Gundam Wing Universe; please do not take them without permission. Written for pleasure not profit.

 

Warnings: Angst, sap, fluff, violence, Mpreg.

 

Rating: NC 17

 

Pairings: 1x2x1, 3x4x3, 5xS, HxOC

 

Summary: Sequel to Chimaera. Life in the Maxwell -Yuy household has undergone some big changes when Duo brings Keitaro home from the hospital. Hilde's wedding is approaching and the guys find there's more to this baby business than they thought. Struggling to raise a child, work at Preventer and keep the home happy is certainly a trial for both guys. Add an assassin's threats to prominent government officials' lives and both men find their lives are suddenly changed. Just how far will one go to protect the ones he loves?

 

Dedication: to all my lovely readers out there who enjoyed Chimaera and have since begged, threatened, pleaded, bribed and blackmailed me for a sequel. ^_^

 

 

 

 

"Family Ties"

 

January. 2007 ShenLong

 

 

Chapter 7

 

The morning came all too soon and Duo cursed loudly as the alarm clock went off, letting him know in no uncertain terms that it was time to get up. Time passed quickly as breakfast was taken care of, Keitaro bathed and dressed ready for traveling whilst Heero double checked they had everything and loaded up the car with their baggage.

 

Harim was going with them to the shuttle port and would drive the car back to the mansion rather than leave it in the long term car parking area. Keitaro was settled into the demonic baby seat, which seemed to behave perfectly for Nurse Brown, and with everyone seated and belted up, Heero started the engine and began the drive to the shuttle port.

 

The drive was fairly peaceful, Heero concentrating on the road, Duo concentrating on Heero, Nurse Brown keeping an eye on Keitaro, Keitaro sleeping peacefully and Harim watching the landscape pass by. Arriving at the shuttle port, Heero brought the car to a stop in the 'unloading' zone.

 

Harim assisted in getting the luggage from the car and onto the pavement while Heero fetched a luggage trolley. Nurse Brown fetched Keitaro's baby bag from inside the vehicle and checked again that it contained all they would need to keep the baby comfortable on the flight to L2. Duo decided to do battle with the baby seat and liberate Keitaro from within it - easier said than done.

 

"Come on, sunshine. Time to get you out of there," Duo cooed as he reached for the seat belt arrangement of the baby seat.

 

Keitaro gurgled and waved his arms around.

 

"Now, this part here gets released first..."

 

Legs kicked out.

 

"Ouch. Take it easy, Keitaro. I'm only trying to get you out of this contraption," Duo grumbled as the babe's foot connected with his upper arm. "Squeeze this part to release that bit." Duo leaned closer in order to operate the release mechanism of the safety belt.

 

Keitaro thought this was a fine new game and reached out with his small hands, hands that grabbed hold of his 'mother's' bangs and were quick to tangle in them.

 

"Ow, shit! That hurts. Let go, sunshine," Duo whimpered as his hair was pulled and jerked by tiny fists. Duo had always had a sensitive scalp and didn't take kindly to anyone pulling his hair.

 

"You okay in there, Duo?" Nurse Brown asked, it was taking a while for the young man to get his child from inside the car.

 

"Errr, no."

 

"What's the... Oh. I see." Nurse Brown had opened the opposite car door and was brought up short when she saw the situation. Then she began to laugh.

 

"It's not funny," Duo complained. "It hurts!"

 

"What hurts? Aa." Heero had returned with the luggage trolley and hearing the laughter had poked his head inside the front passenger side of the car to see what was going on. "I think you're going to need a bit of help there."

 

"No shit, Sherlock!"

 

"Duo! Language!" The nurse gave the long haired man a glare to rival Heero's.

 

"Um, sorry."

 

"Apology accepted. Now let's see what we can do to get you out of this situation." Nurse Brown reached across and managed to take hold of one of Keitaro's hands. "Heero, can you please try to keep Keitaro still whilst I try to open his fingers and release Duo's hair?"

 

"Hai." Heero reached over from the front seat to the back and gently held the baby's arm still so the nurse could work on prizing the fingers open and releasing Duo's bangs from the tight clutches. They had to be careful, not only because of Duo's scalp sensitivity, but they didn't want to hurt Keitaro either. The hair was wound tightly around fingers making it difficult to free. Nurse Brown didn't want the hair to cut into the baby's skin and had to take her time in gently unraveling the strands and trying to keep them from being caught up again.

 

It took a little while but eventually Duo was free. He gave a sigh, pulled back out of the car and rubbed his tender scalp. "Thanks," he said to the nurse and Heero as they both emerged from inside the car, the nurse with Keitaro in her arms having freed the child from the baby seat.

 

"No problem," the nurse replied. "I do seem to recall a conversation though about getting your hair cut."

 

"We did!" protested Duo.

 

"You might want to consider getting it trimmed a little shorter next time, either that or be prepared to have your hair pulled a lot more often."

 

Duo sighed. "Another of the glories of parenthood," he muttered and turned to see Heero putting the last of the suitcases on the luggage trolley.

 

Good byes were said and Harim drove off, promising to be back at the shuttle port to pick them up when they returned in a week's time.

 

"Time to get checked in," Heero said and began to push the luggage trolley towards the sliding doors and into the shuttle terminal.

 

"Here." Nurse Brown handed Keitaro back to Duo and picked up the baby bag.

 

Duo cradled the infant in his arms and followed his husband and the nanny into the terminal.

 

* * *

 

It didn't take long for the group to check in. Being Preventer agents had a little influence, even though they weren't on Preventer business and had booked their tickets on a public shuttle. Luggage was checked in, passports stamped and boarding passes issued. With an hour to go before the shuttle left, they made their way down the corridor to the boarding lounge to wait for their boarding call.

 

The time they had before being called to board the shuttle gave Duo the opportunity to check Keitaro and change the baby's diaper. It was coming up for Keitaro's feeding time but Nurse Brown advised that they hold off feeding the infant until they were on the shuttle. That didn't make much sense to Duo until the nurse explained.

 

"It's okay for you two, you're both used to traveling, used the amount of force exerted on you as you take off and can counter the effects of space travel. Keitaro can't. He's only just three months old and not yet capable of clearing his blocked ears from the differing pressure or able to understand the simulated gravity. By feeding him when on board the shuttle and taking off, the swallowing of the milk will help his ears to remain clear and remove that discomfort. Also, he usually goes to sleep after a feed and that will help him to cope with the gravity changes. By the time he wakes up from his nap the gravity in the shuttle will have stabilized and he will have unconsciously have adjusted to it."

 

"Makes sense," Heero stated and looked at his husband.

 

"If the nurse says it will be best for Keitaro then I'm not about to argue," Duo said. "I trust her judgment; after all, she's had a lot more experience with kids than we have."

 

"You got that right," Heero mumbled.

 

* * *

 

"Should be just up there a couple more rows," Duo said to Heero as they shuffled down the aisle of the shuttle looking for their designated seats.

 

Heero's eyes scanned the overhead baggage lockers, noting the numbers written on them and headed further into the shuttle for where their seats should be. He found them at last and with a grunt, tossed their cabin baggage into the small overhead locker and then moved aside for Duo to take the window seat. Once Duo was settled, Heero sat in the aisle seat whilst Nurse Brown sat in the aisle seat behind them.

 

Heero reached for Keitaro, nursing the infant whilst Duo fastened his seat belt. Once Duo was safely strapped in, Heero handed the child back and picked up the baby bag from the floor between his feet where he'd put it when the nurse had passed it to him when they sat down. He rummaged around inside and found the bottle of formula, bringing it out and looking around for a stewardess. He managed to attract the attention of one and asked her if she would be kind enough to warm the bottle for him.

 

The stewardess returned after a few minutes with the warmed bottle and handed it over to Heero. “What a lovely baby,” the stewardess cooed.

 

Keitaro just blinked.

 

“If you need anything during the flight, diapers, bottles, changing facilities, just let me know. You can push the small button on the arm rest of your chair and that will let us know you need assistance.” The stewardess paused for a second and then continued. “There is a fold out 'crib' inside the partition before you. Here, I'll show you how it works and then when the baby is tired you can pop him in there to sleep.” The stewardess reached in front of Duo, twisted a knob set in the partition and pulled. A small crib folded out from inside.

 

“Well, I'll be,” said Duo in surprise. “They think of everything now.”

 

The crib was just big enough for an infant to sleep comfortably in and even had restraints fitted to prevent the child from falling or 'floating' out as the case may be.

 

Keitaro spotted the bottle in his father's hand and began to whimper.

 

“I'd suggest feeding him a little now and then the rest once we've taken off. I'd hold him close to your chest for the initial propulsion into space and then feed him the rest of the bottle as the shuttle levels out and passes into the exosphere. It will help to combat any pressure changes in his ears.”

 

“Thank you,” Heero said and handed the bottle to his husband.

 

“You're welcome. I'd better get back to my seat, we're due to take off in a couple of minutes.” The stewardess left and the pilot's voice came over the intercom announcing their imminent take off, requesting that all cabin baggage be secured, seat belts fastened and all cabin crew to take their seats for take off.

 

Duo held the bottle up a touch, the warm milk flowing through the teat and into Keitaro's hungry mouth. The infant sucked hard on the bottle completely unaware of what was happening around him. He was warm, safe and most importantly, being fed. It therefore came as a bit of a shock to him when his world was suddenly filled with noise, the food removed and a rather heavy pressure bore down on him.

 

The engines fired, the shuttle held still as the power built until it reached a level strong enough to leave the earth and its gravitational pull. The pilot eased the shuttle forward, the 'slingshot' mechanism assisting the craft in its take off. The silver shuttle tore down the ramp and shot into the sky, climbing rapidly through the various layers of the atmosphere until it reached the plane where space and sky met and blended together.

 

Keitaro cried out as the G force of take off hit his small frame. Despite the warm arms around him and the soothing rumble of his 'mother's' voice, the infant continued to cry.

 

“Shhh, Keitaro. It's okay, nothing bad's gonna happen. It's just the shuttle taking off,” Duo soothed.

 

The babe refused to be comforted though and continued to cry. The shuttle steadied, the pressure was gone and the artificial gravity started to kick in. Whilst not as strong as the earth's gravitational pull, it was enough to keep things from floating around. Even though the pressure was gone, the infant still refused to settle.

 

Duo tried everything he could think of, rocking the child, feeding him more milk, humming softly and even running his hands gently over the tiny form. The more he tried the more agitated Keitaro seemed to become and that only made Duo more upset. It was a vicious cycle.

 

Desperate to help out, Heero suggested he try holding and soothing the child, it was obvious that the pair were only succeeding in upsetting each other further. Duo handed the infant over and Heero did his best to settle the fussing baby.

 

He had no luck.

 

Nurse Brown thought she'd better intervene before both men began to tear their hair out in frustration or the rest of the passengers staged a mutiny against them. Undoing her seat belt, the nurse partially stood and leaned around the seat to Heero. “Pass him to me,” she said quietly.

 

Heero was only too happy to hand his son over to the nanny. Maybe she would have better luck.

 

Nurse Brown took the infant and began to rock him slowly in her arms. As she rocked so she hummed softly and with her free hand her fingers found the baby's head and began a gentle massage.

 

The baby continued to cry for a few minutes and then began to slow in his wails, the noise softening and becoming sniffles. Nurse Brown didn't stop, she rocked steadily and her fingers continued in the soft massage of the infant's head, especially around the temples. Within fifteen minutes, Keitaro was asleep. The nurse kept up with the massage and rocking for a couple more minutes to make sure the baby wasn't about to wake up and then she stood carefully and moved forward to where Duo and Heero were sitting.

 

“Could you open up the crib in the partition before you?” Nurse Brown asked as she appeared beside the two men.

 

“No problem.” Duo was quick to release the crib, pulling it out and moving slightly to allow the nurse room to maneuver and place the baby within the crib. Duo reached in and secured the restraints, keeping them tight enough so that Keitaro wouldn't fall or float out, but loose enough for the infant to be comfortable. “Thanks,” Duo acknowledged. “I don't understand why he was so upset or what you did to settle him, but I appreciate it.”

 

“Ah, it wasn't anything flash or fancy, just a simple rocking and massaging of his head. I'd say the change in pressure is what affected him the most. By massaging his head gently it helps to relieve the stress and pressure there.”

 

“I'll have to get you to show me how to do that.”

 

“I'd be happy to, Duo. Now, I think we should take advantage of the peace and quiet whist we have it.” Nurse Brown sat back down in her own seat and pulled out a magazine to read.

 

Duo gazed out the window of the shuttle to the many twinkling stars. He couldn't help but feel a little apprehensive, he was used to piloting himself and found it hard to trust someone else at the controls. Beside him, Heero was having a similar reaction, fidgeting a little and glancing nervously around. It was hard to try to put aside years of in ground training. At least they weren't pacing up and down the aisle!

 

It was hard to ignore the exhilaration though, the sheer vastness of space. As Duo stared out the small window his mind dragged up long forgotten memories, times spent in Deathscythe sitting out in the black void, battles he'd fought in the endless darkness. He had a healthy respect for space and her capabilities; he also had a love for the fickle vastness.

 

“Nice thoughts?”

 

Duo turned and smiled at his husband. “Mainly reminiscing,” he replied as he took his lover's hand in his own and squeezed gently. “Beautiful, isn't it?”

 

“Hai, it is,” Heero replied knowing exactly what his husband was talking about. Heero also held a soft spot for the expanse of space. Having spent so much time there, both on colony and in the dark void herself, one came to appreciate her beauty and deadliness. Like the black widow spider, she could turn on you in an instant and kill you in the blink of an eye.

 

“We should rest while we can,” Duo said softly and checked the sleeping infant.

 

“You sleep, I'll take first watch,” Heero murmured, knowing how difficult it was for either of them to put aside their 'training' and simply fall asleep when there were so many people around them, people they didn't know and that meant the chance of a threat.

 

“Okay.” Duo gave his partner a smile and settled into his seat. It would be some time yet before they docked at L2, might as well get what rest they could.

 

Heero slipped into mission mode and watched over his husband and son, once again marveling at how lucky he was.

 

* * *

 

Duo slept for a good couple of hours before waking. Violet eyes blinked open and it took him a moment to orientate himself. He felt the smile tugging at his lips as his eyes locked with his husband's. "Hey."

 

"Hey, yourself," Heero replied softly and leaned over to steal a kiss. "Have a good rest?"

 

"Mmm. I'm feeling much better now," Duo answered as he stretched. "How long was I out for?"

 

"A little over two hours."

 

"Keitaro?"

 

"Still sleeping."

 

"Good." Duo leaned forward and took a look inside the crib. His son lay content on his side, eyes tightly shut as he slept on, oblivious to everything around him. "I'll take over the watch now, Heero. You get some sleep."

 

"I'll sleep shortly. They're bringing around the meal in about another fifteen minutes. I'll take my nap after we've eaten.

 

"Right. I wonder what's on the menu? I'm famished!" Duo rubbed his hands together and grinned at his lover. Heero rolled his eyes and shook his head.

 

Keitaro woke up just as the stewardess was picking up the used food trays. With their meal out of the way, Duo took Keitaro through to the rest room area at the rear of the shuttle where they had the facilities for baby changing. He quickly changed the infant and made sure Keitaro was comfortable before walking back down the aisle to his seat. Heero had fished out another bottle of formula and the stewardess had warmed it for them. Duo handed the babe over to his father, Heero taking him and cradling him in his arms before bringing the bottle to the infant's mouth and feeding his son.

 

Once Keitaro had drunk his fill and brought up his wind, he didn't seem inclined to want to go back to sleep. His eyes wandered everywhere, taking in all the new sights and sounds, even if he didn't understand any of it. Nurse Brown suggested Heero take a walk through the shuttle with the child in his arms, that way Heero could get a little exercise and Keitaro would see more of his surroundings; it would also tire the infant out a bit and ensure he went to sleep very soon.

 

Within another half an hour, Keitaro was drifting off again and Heero wasn't far behind him.

 

Heero slept for three hours before he felt the change in the shuttle's vibrations indicating something was going on. He woke up and was met by his husband's warm smile.

 

"I was just going to wake you. We will be docking on L2 in another forty-five minutes," Duo said softly.

 

"Aa. I'll start to get everything together then." Heero stood up and checked all their cabin baggage. He made sure the baby bag was close at hand as Keitaro would need changing once he woke up and there was the chance he would also need a clothing change and a bottle too.

 

Staring out of the small shuttle window, Duo could see the lights of the L2 colony cluster blinking through the darkness of space. A thrill of excitement as well as one of apprehension passed through him. Idly he wondered how much the colony had changed since he'd left with Heero to join the Preventers. No doubt he would be finding out soon enough.

 

~ * ~

 

tbc...