Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Gundam Wing in the Wild Wild West ❯ Time's Up ( Chapter 15 )

I don't know what happened in this chapter. At some point it just got totally hijacked and went off on a weird tangent. It's not my fault!

-o-o-o-o-

Chapter 15: Time's Up

“All right,” Wu-Fei said, “who wants to conjugate this?” He pointed at the English verb he had written on the large chalkboard resting on an easel in the front parlor, which was serving as a classroom now.

Alexa stuck her hand up into the air. “Me! I do!”

“Very well, Alexa, go ahead.”

Alexa stood up and, with a look of intense concentration, went through all the conjugations, stumbling only over the past perfect tense, but she got that right on her second try.

“Very good, Alexa!” Wu-Fei congratulated her. She resumed her seat with a wide smile. “Now,” he picked up a complex molecule formed from small wooden sticks and balls of different sizes and colors, “who recognizes this molecule?”

“I do!” Roku said. He popped to his feet, since he was in human form for school. “It's polypropylene.”

“That's correct.” Wu-Fei said. “Isotactic or syndiotactic?”

“Syndiotactic.”

“Very good.” Wu-Fei held up a wooden block with a large red `A' painted on it. “Who can tell me what this letter is?” He looked at Jett.

Jett giggled. “It's an `A', Papa Wu-Fei!”

“That's right! And what color is it?”

“It's red!” Jett clapped her hands and giggled some more.

Wu-Fei turned the block around, displaying the number `1' painted in blue. “What about this?” he asked with a smile.

“It's a one and it's blue!” Jett squealed.

“Very good, Jett!”

Roku and Alexa applauded Jett put her arms over her head and grinned between her elbows.

Duo and Quatre peeked in through the arched doorway, carefully staying out of sight so they would not disrupt the lesson.

“Already in school!” Duo whispered. “Jett is growing up so fast.”

“Wu-Fei's a good teacher,” Quatre whispered back. “I'm impressed that he can present lessons to all three of them at once and keep them all engaged.”

“Yeah, he's pretty good.”

“Ok,” Wu-Fei said, “time for mathematics.” He erased the board and wrote a simple quadratic equation. “Alexa, can you solve this for me?”

Alexa came up and took the chalk.

Duo and Quatre slipped away.

“Hey, Duo,” Heero thumped down the stairs. “Let's go out back and train. I'm feeling rusty.”

“How can you possibly feel rusty?!” Duo exclaimed. “We were just in that huge brawl at that bar two days ago!”

Heero waved a hand. “You call that a brawl? Ten guys swinging chairs? I barely broke a sweat.”

Duo rolled his eyes. “It was at least twenty guys and two of them pulled guns.”

“Oh, that.” Heero dismissed it with another wave of his hand. “They weren't serious.”

“Oh, really? I guess that's why you only clubbed them unconscious with their own guns.”

“Well, yeah! I would have shot them if they had really been trying to shoot someone.”

“Our Heero,” Quatre murmured, “a minister of justice.”

“Come on, Duo, let's go!” Heero demanded. “You still have some pregnancy flab to work off anyway.”

“I do not!” Duo exclaimed indignantly. “I am as svelte as I was before you guys knocked me up!”

“If you want to know the truth,” Heero said, eyeing Duo's hips critically, “you were starting to get a little chubby before then.”

“You son-of-a-bitch!” Duo cried. “I'll teach you a lesson for that remark!” He stamped through the door to the kitchen, which gave access to the back yard.

Heero grinned. “Now I should get a decent workout out of him.” He followed Duo through the kitchen.

Quatre chuckled.

“Hey, Quatre.” Trowa came down the stairs with his staff slung over one shoulder.

“Hey, Trowa. Been exorcising ghosts?”

“Nah, just discussing the benefits of moving on.” He shrugged. “Whenever I try to exorcise them, they end up getting devoured. This house seems to attract vengeful spirits rather than benevolent ones.”

“Maybe that's why we haven't seen too much of Heero's sprites.”

“Could be.” Trowa peered into the front parlor. “School still in session?”

“Yeah.”

“You know, as big as Jett is now, it's probably time to think about heading back.”

“I was thinking that, too,” Quatre agreed. “Although it's kind of nice not having to do anything. I've really enjoyed playing the piano. I wish I had a violin, though. I need more practice.”

“You play the violin beautifully already, Quatre,” Trowa said, but then he sighed wistfully. “Although it would be nice to hear you play again. It seems like forever since you played on the train.”

Quatre smiled happily. “How sweet of you to say so! That was a beautiful violin, though. I wonder who Jefferson sold it to.”

“He didn't sell it,” Treize said from the stairs, where he was descending in the company of a flushed but contented-looking Zechs.

“He didn't? How do you know?”

“Because I stole it from him,” Treize said matter-of-factly. “I didn't think an uncultured gentleman like that deserved to be in possession of such a beautiful instrument.”

Quatre stared. “But… But… What did you do with it?”

“I gave it to Roku to put in his storage space.”

Quatre was momentarily at a loss for words.

“I know Roku is light-fingered,” Trowa said with amusement, “but I did not realize he also received stolen goods.”

Quatre glared briefly at Trowa before returning his shocked gaze to Treize's face. “You are a nobleman, Treize! You shouldn't be setting a bad example for the children by stealing!”

Treize chuckled. “That shows how little you know about noblemen! We are the last people you should look to for setting a good example. The rich don't have to be honest.”

“That is why I am a good example!” Zechs said archly. “The destruction of my home left me penniless, so all I have left is honesty.”

“Honesty and your incredibly sexy body,” Treize purred throatily.

“Don't try to change the subject!” Zechs said a little breathlessly.

“Who's changing the subject?” Treize slipped an arm around Zechs' waist and spoke softly into his ear. “I was just stating a fact.”

“Yes… well…” Zechs' eyes lost focus as his train of thought derailed.

“We were discussing a stolen violin,” Quatre spoke up pointedly. He glared at Treize.

Treize just shrugged. “Duo cheats people out of money and goods all the time and gives it to Roku to hold. How is that different from what I did?”

“Because at least he pretends to be gambling!”

“Well, I could have won the violin from Jefferson; I just didn't see any reason to take all the extra time of having a card game.”

“That's… that's…” Quatre struggled for words.

“A good point?” Trowa suggested.

“No!” Quatre shouted. “That's not what I was going to say!”

“Excuse me!” Wu-Fei interrupted in loud voice. “Would you please have your argument farther from my classroom? You're distracting my students.”

“Sorry!” Quatre muttered, but he continued to glare angrily at Treize.

“Anyway, Quatre,” Treize continued, “I was going to give you the violin when we got back to Mars. It suits you.”

Quatre's eyes went round. “Really?”

Treize grinned at him. “You can perform concerts for us, but you have to promise to play songs that will put Zechs in the mood.”

Zechs flushed and shoved Treize away. “You horny…!”

“That sounds like a good idea,” Trowa interrupted. “Listening to Quatre play always puts me in the mood.”

“Don't you start!” Quatre grumbled.

“Blonds are so adorable when they know they're desired,” Treize said. “Wouldn't you agree, Trowa?”

“Absolutely.”

“Hmph!” Zechs stuck his nose in the air. “If you will excuse me.” He stalked away.

“I'll be in the kitchen,” Quatre said, equally offended. He also stalked away.

Treize and Trowa exchanged a smile.

“It will be fun seducing them into forgiving us later,” Treize said.

“Oh, yeah.”

Alexa bounded out of the parlor. “Yay! School's over!” She flung herself into Treize's arms. “I did good today, Daddy! I got lots of right answers!”

“You did well,” Treize corrected, but he kissed her on the cheek as he said it.

“Right!” Alexa giggled. “I did well.”

Roku sauntered out in tiger form with Jett clinging to his back, followed by Wu-Fei.

“Mama?” Jett asked, looking around wide-eyed.

“Out back.” Trowa hooked a thumb toward the kitchen door.

Roku trotted into the kitchen.

“Class over?” Quatre asked as they walked through. He and Hadeya were busy peeling potatoes.

“Yup,” said Roku. “We're looking for Papa Duo.”

“He and Heero are training out back.”

“Ok.” Roku trotted out through the back door, which swung open ahead of him without being touched.

“No using magic to open doors,” Quatre admonished him absently.

“Yes, Mama.”

In the backyard, Duo and Heero were in the middle of a fierce contest, hands and feet flying as they looked for openings to pummel each other. Suddenly Duo leaped away, tumbling backward over one shoulder and leaping to his feet.

“No fair!” Duo shouted. “You said no weapons!”

“It's a tiny little knife!” Heero exclaimed. “It's hardly a weapon.”

“It's got a sharp pointy tip!”

Heero looked at the knife. “Just a little one.”

Duo rolled his eyes.

Jett slid off Roku's back and toddled up to Heero. She held up one little hand. “For Jett?”

Heero squatted down in front of her with a serious expression. He held the knife in front of her eyes. “This is not a toy, Jett,” he said firmly. “Weapons must be handled with care because they are designed to hurt people. Do you understand?”

Jett nodded gravely. Carefully, Heero placed the knife in her little palm. She wrapped her fingers around the hilt.

“Good grip,” Heero said approvingly. “But don't hold it too tightly.”

Jett's brow wrinkled in concentration as she turned her hand slowly back and forth, studying the little knife.

“That's right,” Heero said. “Now, when you want to lunge, point it straight forward and lead with the leg below your knife hand.”

Jett pointed the knife at Heero and stepped forward, poking the tip into his chest.

Heero's face lit up. “Well done! Let's try another one.”

Duo put a hand over his face. “He's teaching my baby to knife fight,” he groaned. “You can't wait until she's at least three years old?”

“She's about three, physically,” Heero countered. “And besides, it's never too soon to learn good techniques.”

Duo sank down next to Roku. “You have a first aid kit, right, Roku?”

“Yeah, but Papa Heero won't hurt Jett.”

“I was thinking more along the lines of her hurting him.”

“Ouch!” Heero grunted as Jett drew blood.

“See?”

“That was my fault,” Heero said. He patted Jett on the head. “It didn't really hurt.”

Jett blinked at him uncertainly.

Heero pinched her cheek. “Why don't you try it again?”

Her uncertain expression turned to a grin and she nodded vigorously.

“Duo!” Quatre exclaimed from behind him. “What do you mean by letting Jett play with dangerous weapons?!”

“It wasn't my idea,” Duo protested. He pointed at Heero. “Talk to him.”

“I should let her poke holes in him,” Quatre said.

“That was my thinking.”

“She has gotten very big, though. It's probably time we went back to Mars.”

“Yeah, but it's too bad. I kind of like it here.”

“Me, too.”

At dinner that night, Quatre brought the subject up again. “We don't want Jett to get too used to this time. We should be heading back.”

“In that case,” Treize said, “I need to go to Napa to get my cuttings.”

“I can fly you up there, Uncle Treize,” Roku volunteered, “if you don't mind riding a dragon.”

“Can't I just use one of your mobile suits?”

“I don't have any flying ones.”

“Oh.”

“How many have you got in there?” Duo asked curiously.

“Don't answer that!” Quatre interrupted loudly. “I don't want to know.”

“You can tell me later,” Duo whispered.

“You really aren't going to make me build you an entire dome just to grow grapes in, are you?” Zechs asked Treize hopefully.

“You promised,” Treize answered with a slight pout.

“Oh, fine!” Zechs groaned. “Don't give me that look.”

Treize grinned.

“You'd better go at night,” Trowa advised. “We don't want any dragon sightings over California.”

“Good idea,” Treize agreed. “Besides, I don't want to have to explain to Hieronymus why I want the cuttings.”

“But you should tell him we're leaving,” Duo pointed out.

“That's true. I'll just write him a letter and tell him we'll be in touch periodically. That should be good enough.”

“I wish I could figure out why this house attracts malevolent spirits before we leave, though,” Trowa said. “Maybe the agency will give us a refund.”

“It's probably because of the dead demon buried under the basement,” said Roku. “At least I think its dead.”

Everyone stared at him.

Quatre cleared his throat. “Roku, how long have you known there is a probably dead demon buried under the house?”

“I noticed it a couple of days ago when I was digging around down there.”

“I see. You didn't dig it up, did you?”

“Not completely. It's pretty far down.”

Quatre sighed. “Trowa, maybe you and I should check this out after dinner.”

Trowa nodded.

“I've never seen a demon!” Treize said excitedly. “I'll come too.”

“What's a demon?” Alexa asked.

“A usually malevolent entity that normally does not exist in the human world,” Wu-Fei said.

“Then why is it buried under our house?”

“We can ask it if it's not completely dead,” Trowa said.

Quatre gave him a look.

“Are you sure it's not better to leave a possibly dead demon alone?” Duo suggested. “If it's not dead, digging it up might be a bad thing.”

“A very sound suggestion, if you ask me,” Zechs said.

“Odin used to banish troublesome demons into Midgard,” Hadeya spoke up. “Maybe that is how it got there.”

“Why did he do that?” Wu-Fei asked curiously.

“It weakens their powers.”

“Ah.”

“We should at least check it out,” Trowa said. “We can decide what to do after we've seen it.”

So after dinner, Duo, Wu-Fei and Zechs stayed upstairs with Alexa and Jett, and everyone else went down to the basement. The floor of the basement was brick, but over the years the bricks had shifted, exposing the dirt underneath. One large dirt spot sort of in the middle had a large pit dug in it.

Quatre stopped and stared at Roku. “How long have you been digging that hole?”

Roku shrugged. “Not long.”

“That's an impressive hole,” Trowa said.

“Thanks!” Roku grinned.

Quatre glared at them both. “Digging enormous holes in the basement is not a good thing!”

“At least it's not in the garden,” Treize pointed out.

“You people are useless!” Quatre muttered as he marched over to peer into the hole. Everyone else looked in, too.

“At least water's not seeping into it,” Heero noted.

“Small favors…” Quatre muttered under his breath.

“So how far down is this demon?” Heero asked.

“Maybe twice again what I've dug out,” Roku replied.

“That's a lot of dirt.”

“I can just banish it,” Roku said.

“What?”

“The dirt. I can make it disappear.”

“If you can make it disappear,” Quatre said patiently, “why have you been digging a big hole and flinging dirt everywhere?”

“Because it's fun.”

“Of course,” Quatre groaned. “What was I thinking?”

“So go ahead,” Heero said, ignoring Quatre. “Let's see this thing.”

“Ok.” Roku leaned over the hole and murmured something under his breath. An instant later, the hole was suddenly much deeper, revealing the shiny, dark red limbs of something rather large.

The something rather large stirred and a big golden eye with red fire burning in its depths opened and regarded them. It blinked once and then a slit opened off to one side, revealing glistening yellow fangs with green ichor dripping from the tips.

“Wherefore thou hast awakened me,” a deep bass voice rumbled out of the pit, “thou shalt suffer a hideous demise to feed my resurrection.”

Quatre snorted. “I don't think so.” He pointed into the pit. “Incendium funditus!”

The demon was immediately engulfed in sizzling flames. Everyone jumped back as waves of heat and a really foul stench shot up out of the whole. A piercing yowl that sounded more surprised than hurt echoed off the walls.

“Is that going to destroy it?” Hadeya asked anxiously.

“I hope so.”

“Say Roku,” Heero said, “how fast can you put the dirt back in the hole?”

“As fast as it went away.”

“Good.” Heero produced something round with a small protrusion on it. He pushed the protrusion with his thumb. “Put the dirt back,” he said and tossed the object into the hole. “Fire in the hole!”

“Oh, shit!” Quatre exclaimed as everyone dove for cover.

A muffled boom spattered them with dirt and shook the house.

“Now it should be dead,” Heero said with a nod of satisfaction.

“You idiot, Heero!” Quatre shouted. “Did you even stop to think that setting off a grenade under the house might be bad?!”

“A tiny little grenade like that isn't going to do much harm, especially buried.”

“Then you can explain to Zechs and Duo why you endangered their children! They are nowhere near as forgiving and easy-going as I am!”

“Calm down, Quatre,” Trowa said, trying to keep a straight face. “It's ok. Anyway, let me try a summoning and see what I get.” He straightened out his staff and stuck the end into the ground. After a moment of intense concentration, he looked to his left. A shimmering apparition in the shape of a large stag with a multi-pronged rack of antlers stepped through the wall. “Ah, very good!” Trowa bowed to the apparition. It dipped its head in response and stepped back through the wall. “Stag spirits are very good luck and I haven't seen one since we got here. I think we fixed this house's ghost problem.”

“Who would have thought it was all because of that demon?” Treize said. “How long do you suppose it was down there?”

“Centuries, probably,” Trowa said.

They went back upstairs to find Zechs and Duo standing just outside the basement door with their arms crossed and very stern expressions on their faces.

“Don't tell me,” Duo drawled, “Heero used a grenade.”

“It was just a little one!”

“Idiot!”

“That's what I said,” Quatre said self-righteously.

“Geez!” Heero snorted. “Don't make such a fuss.”

Zechs pursed his lips. “I notice Roku is dirty. Perhaps Heero needs to wash him.”

Heero blanched.

“I'm sure Alexa is dirty, too,” Zechs added.

“It… It's not my turn,” Heero stammered.

“It is now!” Duo said firmly. He pointed toward the bathroom. “Get in there and bathe the children.”

Heero edged toward the basement stairs. “Maybe the demon's not dead…” he muttered.

The other pilots surrounded him. “Bathroom. Now.”

Heero's shoulders slumped and he trudged resignedly toward the bathroom. “One teensy grenade…”

“Oh boy!” Roku shouted. “A bath!” He pounded down the hall and disappeared into the bathroom. A mighty splash was followed by the sound of water dripping from the ceiling.