Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Gundam Wing and the Knights of the Round Table ❯ Who's Your Daddy? ( Chapter 10 )

This chapter's a tad short, but sometimes that happens.

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Chapter 10: Who's Your Daddy?

Quatre waddled into the living room. “I feel huge!” he complained loudly. “And I had to pee again! How do women live like this?!”

“By making their men miserable, to hear men tell it,” Trowa said with a sympathetic smile.

“And well they should!” Quatre sank onto the couch holding his back with one hand and his distended belly with the other. “My feet are so swollen!”

“I'll rub them for you,” Trowa offered. He got a cushion and put it against the arm of the couch. “Lean against this and put your feet up.”

“I hate all of you!” Quatre grumbled as he settled against the cushion.

“I know.” Trowa sat down and put Quatre's feet in his lap. He gripped one foot with both hands, rubbing his thumbs firmly along the sole and working his fingers along the top.

“Ooohhh!” Quatre's eyes closed. “That fells wonderful. Maybe I don't hate you.”

Trowa smiled. “At least Merlin was able to advance your pregnancy quite a bit. He said you should have the baby fairly soon.”

“Like that's good news!” Quatre complained. “Men are not mentally or emotionally prepared to give birth. I shouldn't have to go through this. It's all your fault.”

Trowa pinched Quatre's toe. “I know, but you were just too damn cute. You still are.”

“I'm too fat.”

“But you're still cute. You want me to prove it?”

“No! I'm never having sex again!”

“Never?”

“Well…” Quatre opened one eye and smiled slightly. “At least not with anyone else.”

“Unless he's really handsome and well-spoken?”

“Nope, no one else!” Quatre closed his eye and settled back more. “Rub the other one now.”

“Yes, master.”

At that moment, Duo and Wu-Fei, along with Hagrimore and the other knights, were almost back to Camelot. The knights were discussing the pair's new acquisitions with great enthusiasm, although none of them showed even the slightest interest in actually touching either item.

“You know,” said Duo, “I just realized that dragon never told me how to invoke the dagger's power.”

All you have to do is ask me.

“What did you say?” Duo asked.

“I didn't say anything,” Wu-Fei grumped. He sounded rather nasal because he was holding his nose against the dust being kicked up by the horses' hooves. His horse's mane was badly singed and the poor animal kept rolling white-rimmed eyes back to look at his rider. “Why did it have to stop raining?” Wu-Fei complained.

Hagrimore chuckled. “Mayhap, if you discarded the dragon's gift, the, ah, flames would cease.”

Wu-Fei frowned. “I already tried giving it to Duo. It didn't help.”

“No doubt the dragon considers this ability a useful trait.”

“No doubt,” Wu-Fei muttered.

“Perhaps in time you will learn to control it,” Hagrimore said encouragingly.

Wu-Fei grumbled darkly under his breath.

When they arrived at the castle and joined Trowa and Quatre in their suite, Trowa listened to their story with one of those expressions that said it took all of his will power to not burst out laughing.

Quatre showed no such restraint.

“Bwa-ha-ha!” he howled. “Serves you right! This is better than anything I could have done to you!”

“Now, Quatre,” Trowa said, “show some kindness. Breathing fire is hardly a laughing matter.” Then he snickered.

Wu-Fei glared at them. “I should singe you,” he grumbled.

“Go ahead and try it!” Quatre said. “There's an indoor rain spell I've been meaning to try.”

“Merlin said no magic, Quatre,” Trowa reminded him.

Quatre frowned. “Damn!”

Duo studied him speculatively. “You've, uh, plumped up quite a bit there, Quatre.”

“You calling me fat?” Quatre's eyes narrowed dangerously.

Duo backed up a few paces. “Absolutely not! You look great!”

“So you like fat boys, do you?” he growled softly.

Duo backed up farther, and so did Wu-Fei. “Uh, Trowa?”

“It's better not to talk about it,” Trowa advised. “He's a little sensitive.”

“Seed-spewing, boy-impregnating, sons-of…” Quatre trailed off, grumbling angrily.

Trowa put an arm around him. “Why don't you lie down for a little while, Quatre, before your feet swell up again?”

Quatre threw Duo and Wu-Fei a dark look before waddling off to his bedroom.

“Oh, man!” Duo exclaimed when Quatre's door was closed. “And I thought getting cursed by a dragon was bad!”

“Breathing a little fire doesn't seem so bad right at the moment,” Wu-Fei agreed.

“He was talking about flaying the skin off people's bones earlier,” Trowa reported helpfully.

“Oh, great!” Duo groaned.

“At least we wouldn't be cursed any more.”

Trowa laughed. “Don't be so mournful, guys. I'm sure if we survive his postpartum depression, he won't kill us.”

“I feel so much better now.”

“Is Heero back yet?” Wu-Fei asked brightly, eager to change the subject.

“No, he's not due back for another week or so. I'm worried he won't get back before the baby is born.”

“Lucky Heero!” said Duo. “Maybe I should ride out to meet him.”

“You will not!” Trowa said sternly. “We are all going to be here at Quatre's side while he goes through this.”

Duo stared at him. “You've got to be kidding! What possible good can come from being in the same room with an angry male wizard in labor?”

“I have to agree with Duo on this one,” Wu-Fei said.

“It's our fault this is happening to him.”

“And I will happily accept the blame from a county or two away,” Duo assured him.

Trowa just looked at them.

They stared back.

“Oh, fine!” Duo threw up his hands in resignation. “But I'm keeping you, Wu-Fei and his katana in between me and the pregnant guy!”

“Wait a minute!” Wu-Fei exclaimed.

“You've got that dragon's tooth, remember!” Duo reminded him. “You can't be killed.”

“But he never said I couldn't be maimed!”

Duo looked thoughtful. “That's true. We really gotta start reading the fine print on these magical objects.”

Trowa looked from one to the other. “You're staying. You can hold his hands while I rub his back.”

“Oh sure! Claim the safe spot behind him for yourself!”

Quatre had not yet given birth when Heero returned from the tournament. He, Percival and several other knights arrived just in time for dinner with lots of stories to tell.

“Come sit with us, Percival,” said Duo. “I know you'll tell the story with the least embellishment.”

“You mean he won't lie about his accomplishments,” Heero said dryly.

“Or understate them,” said Wu-Fei. “What we really want to know is how many men did Heero kill in the contest?”

Heero frowned.

“Well…” said Percival.

“No more than deserved it!” boomed Sir Borridin. “Those French knights were a might too full of themselves for a god-fearing Englishman's taste.” He clapped Heero on the shoulder. “Our young friend here did England proud.”

“Aye, that he did!” chorused several others.

“That Jean-Pierre Galvoisin de Croix Vert was a right conceited bastard until Sir Heero dropped him on his ass.”

“Too bad Sir Heero didn't run him through like the other two.”

“He killed two men?” Duo inquired.

“In the joust. There were two more in the melee.”

“No, three. I heard ere we left that another succumbed to his wounds.”

“Wasn't there another in the hand-to-hand?”

“Oh, right! The one who got his arm chopped off.”

“Aye, that one.”

“So it was six altogether.”

There were nods of agreement all around.

Heero looked faintly embarrassed.

Duo and Wu-Fei exchanged a glance and then turned toward Heero with raised eyebrows.

“Oh, shut up!” Heero grumbled. He looked around. “Where're Quatre and Trowa?”

“Upstairs. Quatre's about ready to pop. Trowa was afraid you wouldn't make it back in time.” Duo rolled his eyes. “He says we all have to be there.”

“That only seems fair,” said Heero.

“You're nuts,” said Wu-Fei. “You haven't seen Quatre yet.”

Heero appeared to change his mind when they returned to the suite after dinner.

Trowa grinned with relief at the sight of him. “Heero! You're back. I was starting to worry you wouldn't make it.”

Quatre glared at Heero. “I just assumed that was his plan. He looks the sort to knock a fellow up and run for the hills.”

Heero crossed his arms with a frown. “You know that's not true, Quatre. I never run away from anything. And besides, you don't really know who's responsible.”

Quatre scowled and Trowa shook his head warningly at Heero. “We're all responsible, Heero,” he said slowly and carefully.

“Of course,” Heero agreed immediately. His face creaked into a forced smile. “We all want to help, Quatre.”

“You've helped quite enough already, thank you!” Quatre snapped testily.

Trowa herded the others to the far side of the room. “He's been really moody today. I mentioned it to Merlin and he said Quatre might be close. You're all staying to help.” It was not a suggestion.

“My back hurts!” Quatre complained tearfully. “And my hips ache!” His lower lip trembled. “This isn't fair! Everything hurts!”

“There, there!” Trowa said comfortingly. “It will be all right. Let me rub your back.” He returned to Quatre's side and beckoned to the others sharply when they didn't move. “Get over here and show some sympathy.”

“I don't want to have a baby!” Quatre wailed. “Men aren't supposed to have babies! This is SO wrong!” Tears spilled from his big blue eyes. “Trowa!”

Trowa rubbed his back and made comforting noises.

Quatre suddenly cried out and hunched over. “Ow!”

Wu-Fei looked worried. “Shouldn't we get a midwife?”

“No!” Quatre cried. “I don't want everyone gossiping about me!”

“I'm sorry, man, but I think they already are,” said Duo.

Quatre smacked him on the side of the head.

“Ouch!” Duo cried out. “That hurt!”

“Good!” Quatre wept. “It's only fair for someone else to hurt, too. Oh!” He hunched over again.

“This is getting serious,” said Heero. “We should at least get Merlin.”

“I'll go!” Duo leaped to his feet and dashed out.

“Coward!” Quatre screamed after him. “Ow! Ow! Ow!” He clutched his belly. “I DON'T WANT TO DO THIS!”

Blue light shimmered around him and the three remaining pilots scrambled backwards as a full-grown tiger appeared in their midst.

“Quatre, I don't think that's a good idea!” Trowa exclaimed.

The Quatre-tiger growled at him.

They backed up farther.

“What do we do know?” whispered Wu-Fei.

“I don't know!” Trowa whispered back.

Duo burst back into the room with Merlin on his heels. They both stopped dead in their tracks.

“What the…” Duo began.

“Oh dear! That's not good,” said Merlin.

“MMRRROWRRRR!” roared the Quatre-tiger.

“Uh… Shouldn't he change back?” ventured Duo.

The Quatre-tiger took a step toward him and snarled.

Duo stepped toward the door. “I'm good with this!”

And they all watched as the Quatre-tiger delivered a healthy little cub.

“Um, Merlin?” Trowa said. “Shouldn't the baby be human?”

“Well…” Merlin looked perplexed, never a good sign in a wizard. “I think… um… well…” He pursed his lips. “It probably is human.”

“Then why does it look like a tiger?”

“Well… um… I'll have to think about that. Excuse me.” Merlin beat a hasty retreat.

Trowa, Heero, Duo and Wu-Fei looked at each other while the Quatre-tiger cleaned the cub with a rough tongue.

Finally, Duo said, “Well guys, it looks like we're the proud fathers of a healthy baby tiger.”

“Yup.”

“How do you suppose he's going to feed it?”

Quatre shimmered back into his own shape. The cub stared at him with big, surprised eyes that looked to be the exact same shade of blue as Quatre's.

“You're going to go get me some milk and figure out how to make a baby bottle,” Quatre said sternly.

“It's a tiger cub, Quatre,” Heero pointed out.

“It still drinks milk.” Quatre glared at them. “Any time now,” he said pointedly.

“Right! Right! Baby bottle. Milk. We'll get right on it.”

They started to crowd out the door.

“By the way, Quatre?” Trowa paused and looked back over his shoulder. “What are you going to call him?”

Quatre smiled lovingly at his little cub. “Roku. His name is Roku.”

“Good name.”

“That fits.”

“I like it.”

“Let's get the milk.”