Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Gundam Wing and the Knights of the Round Table ❯ Anyone Feel Like Explaining This? ( Chapter 11 )
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
Loyal Readers: I am so glad you are enjoying this fic! BUT… you will just have to keep reading to find out who's the daddy. Hopefully by then I'll have figured it out. You trust me, right? But guess what? My daughter and I went to a track meet in Reno and we went in the arcade at Circus-Circus, where, with my prize tickets, I obtained a little stuffed tiger cub that looks just like Roku! It was fate, I tell you!
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
Chapter 11: Anyone Feel Like Explaining This?
“Roku looks bigger than he did yesterday,” Duo remarked casually.
Wu-Fei glanced at the cub, who was happily chasing a piece of rope that Trowa was dragging around the floor. “You're right, he does look bigger.”
“He is bigger,” said Trowa. “Merlin said before that Roku would probably experience sudden growth spurts as an aftereffect of the spell he did to speed up Quatre's pregnancy.”
“That make sense,” said Wu-Fei. “But it could be a problem if his body matures faster than his mind.”
“Doesn't seem like he's having any problems,” said Duo. “He's a smart little fellow.”
“As well he should be, with parents like us,” Quatre interjected proudly. He entered the suite with a bucket of milk in one hand and some ground meat on a trencher balanced in the other. “Lunch time, Roku!”
Roku broke off his chase and dashed over to Quatre, bouncing around in front of him and trying to get his face into the bucket.
“Hang on! You'll make me drop everything.” Quatre thumped the bucket down on the floor and dropped to his knees to set the trencher down. Roku rubbed against him, purring loudly and then plopped his face into the bucket, lapping the milk noisily.
“He sure eats a lot,” Duo remarked.
“He needs to with all the growing he's been doing.” Quatre scratched Roku's back and the cub lashed his tail back and forth.
The door banged open and Heero stamped into the room. He slammed the door shut behind him. “Kusottare inpo waru!” he grated out angrily.
Roku's head popped up out of the milk and he backed up with his ears down.
“Heero!” Quatre said sternly. “Watch your language! And watch how you enter the room! You frightened Roku.”
Heero made an obvious effort to control his temper. “I'm sorry, Roku.” He walked over and patted Roku on the head. “I didn't mean to startle you. Finish your lunch.”
Roku huffed at him and dug into the meat on the trencher.
“So what's the matter with you, anyway?” Duo asked.
“Some of those bloody French knights we were jousting in London have come up to Camelot. For a rematch, they say.”
“What's wrong with that?” asked Trowa. “You beat them before.”
“It takes time to set up a jousting match.” Heero crossed his arms and frowned in annoyance. “In the meantime, they'll be wandering around court flaunting their French airs and turning up their noses at everything English. You have no idea how conceited they are.”
“You're not English,” said Wu-Fei, “why should you care?”
“They're going to start fights.”
“Well, that's their problem if they do,” said Duo. “After you've killed enough of them, maybe they'll just go home.”
“That's just it; I can't kill any of them.” Heero sounded like he was being asked to hack off his own arm.
“Why not?” asked Quatre. “Trowa, fetch me the basin and a towel, would you?”
“Because they're guests of King Arthur while they're in his court, and under his protection. If I kill them without a really, really good reason, it would be an insult to Arthur.”
“Ah,” Trowa nodded in understanding. “And he's your liege now, since he knighted you.”
“Yes.”
“Well, that sucks!” said Duo.
Wu-Fei flicked his katana out of its sheath and slashed the air. “I am under no such obligation. If I hear them insult you, Heero, I may just take matters into my own hands.”
“Thanks, Fei, but it may just be better if I avoid them until the tournament.” He grinned wickedly. “Then I can run them through without anyone saying a thing.”
“Mrrowwrr!” Roku growled as he tried to wriggle out of Quatre's lap.
“Hold still, you little wretch! You're filthy!” Quatre dipped his towel into the basin and scrubbed at Roku's blood and milk streaked face. Roku batted at him with his big front paws, but Quatre avoided them easily. He washed the little cub's face thoroughly, and then washed his paws for good measure. “There, that's better.” He released Roku and the cub bounded away. Then he dashed back and licked Quatre's face.
“Mama!” Roku said.
All five pilots stared at him, dumbfounded.
“Did that cub just talk?” Duo asked no one in particular.
Roku looked at him. “Papa!”
“Holy shit!” Duo exclaimed.
Roku looked at each of the others in turn. “Papa!”
Wu-Fei dropped his katana with a clatter.
“Papa!”
Trowa sank to his knees.
“Papa!”
Heero just stared.
Roku turned back to Quatre. He licked Quatre's face again and then rolled onto his back, sticking his paws up into the air. “Rub belly?” he suggested with a hopeful grin.
“Well, I'll be damned!” Duo said. “I guess the kid is human. Sort of.”
Quatre began to rub Roku's belly with a shocked look on his face. Roku closed his eyes and purred.
“I think…” Quatre started and seemed to lose his train of thought. He tried again. “I think maybe we should talk to Merlin.”
“Has he stopped avoiding us yet?” Heero asked.
“We'll corner him,” Trowa said. “I think he owes us a few dozen explanations right now.”
“You got that right,” Duo agreed.
Merlin looked a little wild-eyed when they surrounded him at dinner. Quatre was carrying Roku, mostly to keep him from chasing the dogs. Roku managed to terrorize them anyway by snarling at any dog foolish enough to wander too close.
“Merlin,” Quatre said, “Roku can talk.”
“What's that?” Merlin looked like he was trying to escape.
They closed in tighter around him.
“I said Roku can talk.”
“Oh… Well… That's quite something, isn't it?” Merlin managed a weak grin.
“We want an explanation!” demanded Duo. “You never did explain why you thought he was human when he looks like a tiger.”
“Well, you see, um, I think…” Merlin trailed off.
“Out with it, old man,” Wu-Fei leaned toward him threateningly.
Merlin looked decidedly worried. “I think perhaps he's both.”
“Both?” Heero said flatly.
“Yes. You see, the child was definitely conceived as a human being. But he was delivered in the form of a tiger. I do believe that if he wished to, the child could change into human form.” Merlin stroked his fingers through his beard, making it stick out in all directions. “I think he would be equally comfortable in either form.” He favored them with a sickly smile. “So there you have it! Now I think I'll just go back to my tower…” He tried to slide out of the circle they'd formed around him, but the five would have none of it.
“You're hiding something,” Wu-Fei growled.
“I agree,” said Heero. “There's something else.” He clamped a hand firmly on Merlin's elbow.
Merlin looked around at them a little desperately. “Well… I sense that… Oh dear!” He licked his lips. “I sense that the child is a natural wizard. No doubt it is an unfortunate side effect of the magical nature of his existence. He could be very dangerous.” He looked at Roku and Roku looked back at him.
“Silly man!” Roku said.
Merlin's eyes went completely round.
Roku stuck out his tongue and chuckled. Then he looked at Quatre. “Roku chase dogs?” he asked hopefully.
“Just don't catch any.” Quatre dropped him onto his paws and Roku took off after the nearest dog, snarling enthusiastically. The dog took off with a terrified howl. Servants all through the hall began dropping dishes, squealing with fright and leaping onto tables.
“That might not have been a good idea,” Trowa said calmly.
“Perhaps not,” agreed Quatre.
“I'll go get him,” said Duo and he trotted off after Roku.
Merlin took the opportunity of a break in their circle to make a run for it. They let him o.
“Do you really think Roku is dangerous?” Quatre asked.
“Yes, but not in the way Merlin meant,” Heero answered. He nodded toward the complete shambles Roku had made of the hall in less than ten seconds. Something almost like a smile touched his lips. “He certainly does liven the place up.” Then he frowned. “Oh, great! It's those damn Frenchmen. I'll see you guys later. Bring me something to eat, will you?” Heero stalked from the hall.
The other three looked in the direction Heero had been looking. A dozen French knights swaggered into the room, looking down their noses at the mess.
“I do pray zees ees not teepical of ze English dining,” said one particularly arrogant looking knight. He was easily as tall and broad-shouldered as Lancelot, and carried himself with the same self-confident air.
Borridin stepped up beside them and clapped Wu-Fei on the shoulder. “That would be the infamous Jean-Pierre Galvoisin de Croix Vert. Arrogant bastard, isn't he?” He grinned wolfishly at Wu-Fei. “I bet you could pick him apart with that pig-sticker of yours, although it might be more fun if you set his trousers on fire.”
“I'm not starting any fires,” Wu-Fei grumbled. “But if he gives me an excuse, I'll be happy to show him the effect of folded, cold-hammered steel on his flimsy armor.”
“That's my good lad!” Borridin exclaimed and he pounded Wu-Fei on the shoulder. “Let's get something to eat before the dogs have it all, eh?”
Duo came back with Roku draped over his shoulder.
“You didn't bite any of the dogs, did you, Roku?” Quatre asked sternly.
“No, Mama.”
“Good.” Quatre lifted him off Duo's shoulder. “You'd better stay with me. I think you've terrified the servants enough for one night.”
Roku chuckled.
“So, Fei,” Duo asked. “What are you doing after dinner?”
Wu-Fei looked around and then leaned over to whisper, “I was thinking of taking a bath.”
“Can I join you?” Duo whispered back. “I think I need my back scrubbed.”
Wu-Fei's eyes lit up. “I'd be happy to scrub your backside for you.”
“I said MY BACK,” Duo said dryly.
Wu-Fei grinned. “I heard you. I wonder if we could get Heero to scrub mine at the same time?”
“Let's ask him. We can hold his dinner hostage.”
Quatre rolled his eyes. “Could you please not plan your little trysts in front of the child?”
“He's not listening,” Duo said.
Roku stuck out his tongue. “Papa naughty.”
Duo flushed. “I liked it better when you didn't talk!”
Roku chuckled
Duo lifted his chin in the air. “Let's get some food and go eat with Heero.” He stalked off haughtily. Wu-Fei scratched Roku under the chin and followed him.
Trowa smiled. “We're all going to have to be a little more discreet, I suppose.” He petted Roku. “Do you mind if I go to? My troupe's performing tonight. We have a new routine, now that our tiger act is finished.”
“Go ahead,” Quatre said. “We'll watch. Roku hasn't seen Papa Trowa's troupe perform yet.”
Quatre and Roku sat at a table with Percival, Borridin and some other knights, all of whom, except for Percival, were exchanging clever insults with the French knights seated at a table nearby.
Trowa's tumblers performed amazing acts of balance and skill, using a springboard to leap up onto increasingly taller piles of chairs and tables, carefully balanced one on top of the other and all held in the air by one man with a wooden plate strapped to the top of his head. It was quite spectacular and drew wild applause, even from the French knights who were trying very hard not to be impressed.
During a break in the performance, Jean-Pierre rose from his table and strolled casually over to the one occupied by Quatre and the others. Roku growled deep in his throat as the knight approached.
“Are you ze sorcerer known as Quatre?” He smiled ingratiatingly. “Sir Lancelot has spoken of you weeth great affection.” He leaned over and put his hand under Quatre's chin. “Perhaps you would enjoy an evening of my company? I am easily as skilled as Sir Lancelot in all ways.” His grin became a suggestive leer.
Roku's growl got louder.
Quatre glared. “I have no interest in spending any time at all with you, Monsieur.” He jerked his head away.
Jean-Pierre laughed. “You would prefer the company of one of these cochons? They are not men, they are lapins!” He laughed uproariously, as did his countrymen.
“Oh you think so?” Quatre growled. “Vos imperiti transformare cuniculus!” he muttered under his breath.
Jean-Pierre shimmered blue for a second and then dissolved into a fluffy little bunny rabbit with a puffy white tail. The laughing Frenchmen cut off in mid-guffaw. The bunny's little pink nose wiggled in shock. Roku launched himself off the bench with a roar. The bunny shrieked and dashed away. The other Frenchmen leaped up and raced after the terrified bunny, which dodged under tables and between legs as Roku leaped after it.
The English knights were laughing so hard that a few wet themselves.
“Master Quatre,” Percival said worriedly, “you must call off your son at once and reverse the spell! This is most unseemly.”
“Oh let the tyke have a little fun, Percival!” Borridin gasped out. “He's a good lad, I'm sure he won't actually eat Monsieur Galvoisin de Croix Vert!”
A high-pitched squeal announced the end of the chase. Roku pinned the bunny between his two front paws. The bunny squirmed and wriggled, squealing in terror, dropping dozens of little rabbit pellets and wetting the floor.
Several of the French knights drew their knives as they closed on Roku.
“STOP WHERE YOU ARE!” Quatre thundered.
The knights stopped as though stunned.
“Unless you would all like to join your companion as tiny little bunny rabbits, you will return to your seats at once!”
The knights stared at him.
Quatre started muttering under his breath.
They stampeded back for their table, tripping over each other as they each struggled to be the first to sit down.
“That's better. Roku, bring the stupid thing here.”
Roku picked up the now limp bunny between his jaws and trotted back to Quatre. The bunny looked dead. Quatre took it from Roku, looked at it for a minute and then dropped it on the floor. The bunny shimmered back into Jean-Pierre Galvoisin de Croix Vert, whose trousers were rather badly soiled. He was trembling violently.
“Oh, get up!” Quatre snapped irritably. “You're not hurt.”
Jean-Pierre stared at him.
“A great big knight like you scared of a little tiger cub!” Quatre rolled his eyes. “What will people say? Come on Roku, it's time for bed.” He scooped the cub up in his arms and marched from the room.
Borridin finally managed to catch his breath. “I hope you haven't had your fall bath yet, Galvoisin! Looks to me like you could use one!”