Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Gone Round ❯ Nine ( Chapter 9 )

Nine

"I feel like a beached whale," Fasiha informed Quatre forlornly. "Seven months along and I just want to cry..."

"Hormones are a bitch," Quatre agreed wryly, moving the monitor around so he could lay on his other side. "You think you'll make it?"

"No," she returned petulantly. "Don't move that camera like that, I get sick easy enough without that."

"Poor baby," Quatre noted happily. When she opened her mouth to protest, he grinned more. "His mother will be a complete emotional wreck."

"I don't know if it's a boy yet," she grumped at him. "It might be another girl."

"More's the pity," he retorted.

Her eyes welled with tears.

"I'm kidding!" Quatre said quickly. "I'm just kidding! I don't think there's any pity involved." He'd gotten a few calls from his sister, and she wasn't lying when she said she would just start to cry.

"What if I'm a bad mother?" she asked, her eyes welling up with tears again. "If I'm a bad mother, will you take him?"

Quatre sighed, almost annoyed that Duo would wander off when she called. "You won't be a bad mother," he informed her. "I can tell that."

"Really?"

...that comment had been meant to keep her from crying, not make her start.

Quatre grinned slightly at her and rolled onto his back—if she'd stop calling him from the vid, he'd be able to be fully comfortable while they chatted.

"I hope I am," she cooed. "I really hope I am..."

- -

"So we had everything worked out and set up for the new house," Duo noted dryly, "and then the other fuckin' apprentice decided to fill out the paperwork all on his own, and instead of putting that we weren't sure how long it'd take, he projected a six month building period. That means we only have six months to build this monstrous thing from top to bottom, and he was all proud of himself...I thought Reg was going to strangle him." He ran a hand through his hair. "I was going to...I know better than that shit."

"But if he's new..." Lifon offered uncertainly. "I mean...but if he was new he wouldn't have been able to do the paperwork." She made a face.

"I thought Vic was going to fire him," Duo added, shifting back on the couch. "He was about to stroke out, I had to step in and dance a quick two-step, noting more training time with him specifically if he only takes the one house until we're done or nearly done. So now I have to work under his ass again, and with that dumbass. Yay for keeping the peace, huh?" Duo sighed, popping another chip into his mouth. "Why did I do that? Can you help me figure it out?"

"You're that special?" Lifon asked happily, smiling at him. "You are special, you know."

Duo snorted at her.

"I have to go, though," she added, glancing at her watch. "I want to go get ready. Trowa said he'd come pick me up before the movie started, too. So I'm gonna go poke at my brother."

"You're a horrible person to vent at," Duo informed her.

"And you're whiney," she agreed...and disappeared.

Duo grinned, flicking on the television.

- -

Trowa sighed as he moved back into his room, tossing his notebook onto the desktop. It'd been suggested several times, but it had actually happened. The main office had sent a man to investigate the hiccup in flow that had happened several times in a row. He'd gone all over the office gathering information until the point that he'd come into Trowa's office with a fucking pink-slip.

Trowa'd never been so close to being fired in his life, and the only reason he'd avoided it was because he'd realized shit was coming down and gotten Une to send him documentations of the orders he'd received. He'd had to tell the man who he was and explain that his absences hadn't been simple play. He'd gone from rescuing Matty to "rescuing" Zechs...then around to organizing shit for Une, and back to rescuing Matty. His disappearances when the mobile suits had been attacking had to be linked to the newspaper articles on the matter, and the man had been highly disconcerted.

In the end, Trowa'd noted that there should be three other people with his skills in their branch, and that the only reason they hadn't been hired or raised up was because the company didn't want to pay the appropriate wages. It'd come down to Trowa announcing for the whole workplace to hear that he was reporting the lack to the better business bureau, fired or not, before the man had relented.

His boss had bitched him out for it, because the man had decided he didn't have the means to control Trowa, and then Tim had shown up in the office again with his obvious uncertainty, and everything had taken a dive.

At least Tim had shown up. Ever since the phone incident, Tim had been trying to get back to what they'd had before, but Trowa was done.

Every time he started to care about someone he got hurt for it...so why care about anyone?

"Trowa?"

Trowa turned to look at Matty, who was moving down the hall toward him.

"Li is getting antsy," Matty explained. "She knows you just got home from work and all, but those reservations you made are attacking her."

Trowa smiled at that, starting to strip. "Tell her I'm getting ready and to calm down. We won't be late."

"I have, several times," Matty grinned. "What it's gonna come down to is you getting your happy ass into your car."

"Right," Trowa agreed, pulling out the jeans he'd decided to wear. He considered his shirts a long moment as Matty disappeared, and finally decided on the one he preferred.

It had been an odd month since Lifon's seventeenth birthday. It started with Wufei and Jinli being legally espoused, and ended with Duo and Quatre suddenly rejoining the group. Intelligence had stated that there'd been a few sightings of Wing Gundam in the Brazil area, but the machine had been limping through its maneuvers...which meant everything was going to start happening again, and the "real life" he'd gotten to play at was going to fall apart again.

He almost wished it'd hurry up and shatter—at least after the movie.

He turned and splashed on his cologne and considered himself in the mirror. He decided he looked fine and turned, grabbing his wallet and his keys.

"I think she's going to start crying..." Matty started, stopping in the hall outside the room and staring at him.

"Tell her I'm coming," Trowa retorted, then looked around to Heero, who was standing in the kitchen and staring at him. "What?"

Heero opened his mouth.

"Trowa?" Wufei asked blankly, "what are you doing?"

"I'm going, I'm going," Trowa retorted, then turned and swung from the apartment.

"I thought you were meeting Li," Heero protested quickly.

"Yeah," Trowa agreed. "Dinner and a movie—I'm late for my date, huh?"

Heero's mouth clicked shut.

Wufei started to say something, but Trowa didn't really want to hear it. He closed the door after himself, then headed for the elevator.

His friends were strange, and there was no denying that or altering it in the slightest. It didn't take him long to get across town to Li and Taofa's place, and he sat where he was a moment to let the stress dissipate. If Li thought he was stressed from work, she'd work herself into a tizzy trying to reassure him, and that would never do.

That moment of peace actually helped for once, and he moved across the yard to knock on the front door.

Taofa answered, looking him up and down with raised eyebrows, then stepped back. "That explains it."

"Explains what? Isn't she ready?" Trowa moved into the room, looking around.

"Well, she was," Taofa noted. "Can I see your firearm?"

Trowa pulled the weapon from his pocket, passing it over to the man.

"She wanted to change," Tao noted, considering the weapon as he moved back into the main room. He opened the chamber so it spat out the bullet, then let the magazine slide into his palm. "My baby girl," he said easily, "is eager to please."

Trowa frowned at that, watching him tuck the bullet back into the magazine...and reload it. The click of the weapon set his paranoia on edge, and he forced himself to sit instead of take the thing back.

"My baby girl means the world to me," Taofa noted, dropping into his own chair and considering the weapon. "My baby girl went running back to her room to get dressed a few minutes ago...and I thought she'd looked fine, but..."

Trowa blinked at that. He'd been noting how many times the guy called Li his baby girl, and the glance he got as the man trailed off made him realize he had his cologne on.

"I'm not so bad a shot, or I wasn't," Taofa noted, raising the weapon and sighting along the barrel at the television. "I suppose close-range won't make much a difference."

Right, Trowa thought wryly. I'm taking my seventeen year old friend out to dinner and a movie, put on the 'get laid' shirt to go with the 'get laid' jeans, meet her father at the door and let the man have your weapon.

Brilliance.

Taofa met his eyes.

Trowa leaned over and took the weapon from the man, dropping the magazine. He took a moment to disassemble it and show the man all the pieces, then focused on putting them back together. All in all it took him about thirty seconds, and he tucked the firearm away before meeting Taofa's eyes. "Your baby girl is safe with me."

"Is there any particular reason you're taking my daughter on an actual date?"

"Oh, not really," Trowa lounged back where he sat. "I had an utterly shit day, and the only thing that kept me from going ballistic was the fact that we were going out tonight. I have to admit I dressed without thinking about who I was taking."

"You're also aware that I'm fully willing to call the police?"

"Are you trying to offend me?" Trowa asked sweetly, his ire rising. He almost wanted to punch the man, but refrained, and forced himself to lounge as if that was the most comfortable seat in the world.

"I'm sorry, but you're dressed to the nines and my daughter had to go run to put on her make up."

Trowa smirked at that. "You know, I really thought I was done with this shit."

"Shit?" the man asked dryly.

"The daddy of my date giving me the run-down of what I can or can't do, trying to put the fear of god into me...I really thought I'd left that all behind."

"So what are you doing dating a seventeen year old?" the man asked dryly.

"I haven't figured that part out yet," Trowa admitted easily. "I'll clue you in when I figure it out myself."

There was the sound of a step, and Trowa hopped to his feet, turning to meet eyes with Lifon.

She looked...very good. Her hair was pulled back and she had on a knee-length brown skirt with a black tank-top...it had ruffles and things on it...but her eyes.

Trowa smiled slightly at her, appreciating the artistry she'd employed with the make-up. She looked...like a woman.

She smiled shyly back at him, looking to the floor.

"I will strangle you with my bare hands," Taofa noted to Trowa, "if you're back a minute past ten."

Lifon started giggling, moving around to hug him—she was wearing the boots Trowa'd gotten her for her birthday.

"I'll call you at ten, or text you if the movie's not over yet," Trowa reassured the man. "Shall we, my dear?"

She smiled up at him before looking away bashfully again, then accepted his hand and followed him toward the back door.

"You look beautiful," he complimented her. "I think at some point you'll have to remind me you're only seventeen."

She started giggling at that, smacking him.

"I'm going to go buy myself a weapon," Taofa informed them almost petulantly as Lifon opened the door. "And I'll be sitting here cleaning it when you come in...at ten."

"Not a minute sooner," Trowa informed him, grinning over his shoulder, then nodded his head respectfully.

He didn't really want to offend Taofa, but the situation was too amusing for him.

"You look...you look good," Li muttered as he opened the door for her. "You look nice."

"I have to try," he noted happily, watching her legs as she sat. "You don't."

She smiled bashfully again, meeting his eyes.

What was he doing taking a seventeen year old on a date again? He moved around the back of the car as he considered that, then waved at Taofa who was standing in the door.

The reaction of his friends at least made sense now...too bad they would never let him live it down.

He started the engine, looking toward Li's legs again before forcing himself to meet her eyes and smile. "Ready?"

She smiled back at him.

He started the engine.

- -

"My name is Jeremy Keen," the professor noted happily as he looked everyone over with interest. "And as you should all be aware, this is a history class." He considered everyone a long moment, then started meeting eyes. "As none of you has gathered your stuff to run, I assume you're all supposed to be here. I'll call that role-call until the class-flux stops. What many of you don't realize," he smiled, "is that I'm also a first lieutenant of the Earthsphere Alliance."

Matty shifted further down in his seat, smirking slightly. He wasn't an actual part of the ESA, but he outranked the man...that amused him on several levels.

The early August heat had settled into baking, and Matty was wondering why anyone would refer to the time as fall term. Well, winter term was going to start in late November or something like that, so with that in mind it almost made sense...but almost only counted in horseshoes and grenades.

"I recruit," the teacher added happily, meeting eyes again. "And as a recruiter, I always start my classes off with a bang—I find that it rids me of the zealots and pacifists and makes the class easier to teach. So...for our first assignment, we'll be setting out a sheet of potential rank."

Matty raised his eyebrows.

"We'll scan your IDs, and my handy-dandy computer will tell us how many of you can earn more rank than me by switching over to the military now."

Omg, Matty typed to Heero. He wants us to scan our IDs...that way we can see what rank we could reach.

What? Heero asked blankly. Should you be texting in class? And you probably shouldn't do that...I don't know if I cleared the alarm on your name yet.

Can you do that for me? Matty protested. It's an assignment.

Right...I'll get on that.

Matty looked up, then realized the professor was giving him a narrow-eyed look. He grinned back, shifting back where he sat.

Don't scan it until I tell you it's clear, Heero suggested. I can't believe I didn't do that...

Matty grinned more, tucking his phone away.

"Mr...?" the man asked curiously.

"Williams," Matty returned. "Matt Williams."

"Would you like to start off the day?" he gestured at his laptop.

"No," Matty smiled slightly at him. "Not yet."

The man gave him a perplexed look and started to open his mouth. After a moment of consideration, he seemed to make up his mind and gave Matty a reprimanding look. "Please pay attention," he instructed him, then indicated a woman at the front of the room.

Matty rolled his eyes and shifted back where he sat again. The man had no idea how much grief that little exchange of text messages had saved him. If Heero got right on it, he wouldn't know...so hopefully...

One by one the students moved forward to scan their cards and take their printouts. One by one they returned to their seats.

Well? Matty asked nervously, noting that the professor was starting to look more and more at him.

Shit, Heero returned. Whoever it is went on fucking break. He said he'd do it right away, but nothing's happened.

I kind of need that cleared, Matty protested. I have to go do this...

Matty? I'm at the school, Quatre's text came in on top of Heero's.

I asked Quatre to go.

Thanks, Matty texted to his boyfriend.

Matty? Quatre persisted.

Sorry, Matty muttered, realizing at the teacher was waiting for him. I'm going to try to put this off if I can...but I'm in the F building.

We're coming, Quatre returned.

"Mr. Williams?" the man asked seriously. "Is there a problem?"

"Yes, actually," Matty rose to his feet.

"Good, you can leave the class—I was hoping to get more than one gone with this."

"That's not the sort of problem I mean," Matty returned easily, stopping near the desk. "I'm waiting for a confirmation."

"Are you a felon?"

Matty laughed at that. "No...no. My name might have some...issues, though."

"Is it assumed?"

"No," Matty returned. "I can't really...discuss the matter. I'm sure you understand."

The man gave him a skeptical look.

"Obligation two-zero-four?" Matty offered. "Information meant for..."

"Don't spit fake numbers at me," the man snapped. "Either scan your card or leave my class."

Which room? Quatre asked easily.

122, Matty returned. I'm doing it.

Fine, Quatre reassured him.

"Who are you..."

Matty pulled out his military ID. The school had wanted a copy on file, and seeing it made the man's mouth snap shut. His hand started for the badge, and Matty cast him a sweet smile...and scanned it.

The computer started to think instantly...before a whole new window opened up and the note of a machine lock-down floated across the screen.

"What the..." the man started.

An alarm started shrilling around the ceiling.

"That's kinda neat," Matty noted as the students started to rise. "I didn't realize that..." the doors to the room locked.

The professor turned to look at Matty with huge eyes.

"I didn't get the confirmation I wanted," Matty noted dryly, considering the man. The machine asked for him to scan his print, so he ran his finger over the reader.

Mattox Williams, espoused of Brigadier General Heero Yuy, is this information correct? Yes or no.

Matty clicked the yes.

An alarm has been set for this name, and cannot be cleared until the appropriate rank confirms this information. Confirm.

Matty clicked that button as well.

Send backup?

Matty hit the negative.

The professor was mouthing at him.

"Instead of assuming I'm a pacifist," Matty noted as he went through the options provided him, "maybe you should hear me out. Under the O204, I cannot disclose the events to you, but my name has been flagged."

The man's mouth snapped shut.

"Please," Matty added to the students, who were watching the ticker under the alarms—it said to remain seated and wait for further instruction. "There are people on their way now to clear up this unfortunate incident...there's no reason for alarm."

The students considered him warily.

There was a sound outside the room, and after a moment, the lock on the one exit beeped and released.

Quatre moved into the room with an unmistakable swagger, with Patel and his lot right on his heels.

"Hello, Brigadier," Matty greeted him happily.

"Hello, Mr. Williams-Yuy," Quatre returned happily.

The professor rose to his feet, straightening in disbelief before saluting.

"Is there a problem?" Quatre asked happily as several of the students rose to their feet to stand at perfect attention, raising a hand in salute.

"Unfortunately, the flag on my name was not reset," Matty returned easily, smiling at his friend—he didn't think too much about it, but when they were in their full regalia, they looked awfully impressive...even if Quatre's roots were showing.

Wasn't that against some code of ethics or conduct or something?

Quatre turned to start talking to the professor as Patel gave Matty a skeptical look.

"I think someone's gonna get their ass kicked," Matty informed him happily. "Yuy was trying to clear the flag for the last half hour or more."

Patel cringed at that, looking around to the professor and Quatre.

"Brigadier?" Matty asked sweetly. "That alarm is starting to bug me. It wouldn't be overstepping myself to ask you to quiet it, would it?"

Quatre turned to consider him a long moment, then leaned over and scanned his own badge. He cleared the alarm, then flicked through a few options on the page that had come up. Matty watched him mark a mild demerit for unacceptable ignorance, then clicked to something else. It only took a moment for him to realize it was the professor's military profile...and then a new screen opened up that was labeled requests.

"Um, Brigadier?" the professor sounded hesitant. "I'm sorry, but it's not necessary for you to..."

"Matt?" Quatre asked, "this requires two confirmations," he indicated what he was considering. "Are we friends enough for you to trust my judgment or do you want to read it?"

"I trust your judgment," Matty reassured him, "but if I'm doing something legal, I'd like to know what."

Quatre turned the laptop to him and indicated the thing again.

"Sir, that requires two confirmations..." the professor started.

It was a newsletter...a confidential newsletter, sure, but Matty had read them on Heero's computer several times. They covered the current state of the ESA.

He looked to Quatre.

Quatre shrugged at him and hit the button to confirm the request. He scanned his card a moment later, then offered the machine to Matty again.

Matty hit the confirmation himself.

"The rank required to confirm this..." the professor started.

Matty scanned his ID.

The professor stared at Matty.

The page thought a long moment before the thing cleared away and an email popped up in the man's inbox. Quatre closed out of the account, confirmed the clearance of the alarm, then made Matty scan his card for a second time.

The professor was staring at them both.

"You staying in this class?" Quatre asked happily, straightening up. "Or do you want to come home?"

"I'm staying," Matty reassured him. "Besides, if I left I'd only have a half hour to mess around anyway...which is what? The time it'd take to get back to the apartment? No. I'm alright."

"Alright," Quatre muttered, turning to look at the professor, then turned back to the room at large and smiled. "I apologize for the disturbance," he informed them all. "Occasionally there are blips in the system. It may have gotten unpleasant if I weren't on campus. Please forgive us, and excuse us." He bowed his head slightly, then gestured the 'at-ease' to the soldiers who hadn't sat down throughout his visit. They lowered their arms, watching as he started up the walkway to the door again, then saluted again as he left.

Matty smirked slightly, looking back around to the professor and hitting the print button on his read-out. It had opened after the alarm had been cleared.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Williams-Yuy," the man said quietly, looking down. "I did not mean to be rude."

"It's fine," Matty reassured him. "All I ask is that you hear me out in the future when I say there's a problem. I'm no pacifist, and as you might understand, I'm not against the ESA."

The man met his eyes.

Matty took the sheet, snickering slightly as it noted the ranks he could achieve if he changed to the military...General was rather prominent on the list.

The man saluted him, looking down as he returned to his seat. It wasn't until he was sitting down that he realized the soldiers were standing at attention for him.

"At ease," he said loudly enough to be heard. "I do not require you to interrupt the class."

"Sir!" they returned...and almost as one sat.

Matty snickered slightly, looking back around to the front of the room and the professor, who was running a hand through his hair.

It was his own fault—Matty had tried to explain the situation to him...

He went back to considering the printout in amusement.

Something about earning a rank greater than Heero's amused him somehow...but not nearly as much as being addressed as 'Williams-Yuy.'