Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ The Family Curse Arc ❯ Ophelia's Loss ( Chapter 6 )

Warnings: Possible OCC, Yaoi, Angst, Death

Disclaimer: Don't own um.

*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~*

Ophelia's Loss

Relena arrived at the small house on L2, ten minutes early. The front door flew open before she could even knock. Duo's smiling face greeted her. "Yo M'lady. Come in. Come in. Welcome to our humble abode. Let me take those packages." Relena grinned at his antics and handed over the two wrapped gifts she was carrying. "So how are the birthday boy and girl today?" Duo gestured toward the couch. "See for yourself."

Karl sat on the couch holding yarn, while the now seven months pregnant Faith sat knitting. Or at least trying to knit. "Damn it, I dropped the freckling stitch again." Relena placed her hands on her hips and a stern look on her face. "Is that any way for a lady to talk?"

Faith and Karl both jumped up off the couch. Karl dropped the yarn. "Mom." Faith dropped her knitting. "Okasan." With the small baby blanket out of the way, Relena caught sight of what Faith was wearing. "What are you wearing Faith?" Faith looked down at the black priest's shirt and black Spandex shorts. "Just some of Dad and Otosan's old clothes. Nothing of mine fits anymore. Is there something wrong with them?"

Relena turned and glared Duo. "I'm taking her shopping. We'll be back in time for the party." Before anyone could say a word, she whisked Faith out of the house and was gone.

*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~*

The girls returned three hours later, carrying clothing bags from the local mall. Faith was now wearing a pretty little floral print maternity dress. Her hair and make-up had also been done. Faith immediately stormed off to her room. One look told Heero she was completely pissed off.

Duo watched his daughter throw down the shopping bags on her bed. "Something bothering you princess?" Faith growled. "She didn't get me a single piece of clothing that I liked. All she bought were frilly dresses. I don't wear dresses." Duo eyed her. "You're wearing one now." Faith slammed the door in his face.

Duo knocked on the door. "I'm sorry honey. I was just kidding. Let me in and we'll talk." The door reopened. Duo walked in and closed it behind him. "I know you don't like dresses. But let's make a deal. You wear that dress for today and keep Relena happy. Tomorrow we'll take everything else back and you can exchange them for some proper clothing. What do you say?" a small smile spread across Faith's face. "Ok daddy. Just for today." Duo gave a sigh of relief.

Down stairs more party guests were arriving. Chang Koneko bounded in the door and headed straight for Faith's room. Her three year-old brother, Chang Yung (1), followed closely at her heels. Sensing his presence, she spun around suddenly and he crashed into her. "And just what do you think your doing?" A smile full of mischief spread on his face. "And what do you think your doing?" he mimicked. "Dad. Yung is copying me again." She yelled. Following suit he bellowed at the top of his little lungs "Dad. Yung is copying me again." Wufei rolled his eyes and looked almost pleadingly at Sally. She sighed. "Fine. I'll handle the kids."

After much shouting, a temper tantrum, and a boxing of the ears by his mother, Yung sat in time out for an hour and Koneko continued her search for Faith. Duo, seeing she was looking for something, taped her on the shoulder. "Can I help you little lady?" Koneko grinned. "Where's Faith, Uncle Duo? I can't seem to find her." "She'll be down in a few minutes. Go on out back and I'll hurry her along." She nodded and headed to the party set out in the scrap yard.

When Faith finally came down there was a collective gasp. Few people had known of her "condition", but there was really no way to hide it anymore. Wufei whirled around and glared at Duo. "When did this happen? Was it the Yuy boy?" Duo shook his head. "Remember the "incident" about seven months ago? Well, it had more effects than we first thought. You of all people know it only takes one time." Duo shot a glance at Koneko. "When she found out she was expecting, she wanted to make a surprise of it. We all respected her wishes and kept our mouths shut."

What needed to be explained was explained to everyone and the party became a birthday/ engagement/ baby shower party. The party, as they tend to do, raged on for hours. Faith sat out most of it and once things wound down, she went to bed claming that she didn't feel well. She was asleep before her head hit the pillow.

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^ *^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^

Faith walked into a small nursery. Hilde sat in the rocking chair, holding what appeared to be a baby wrapped in a blanket. "Mother?" Hilde looked up at her daughter. "Oh my Faith. I'm so proud of you. You've been so strong through everything. I wish with all my heart I could spare you this. But the price must be paid." Faith ran over and kneeled next to the chair. "What price mom?" Tears streamed down Hilde's face. "The price of your life my sweet." She handed the blanket to Faith. In side lay an inverted Death tarot card (2). A scream rent the dreamscape. "The card must be played. Remember my words. Running is not always a sigh of weakness. When the time comes seek out the wise one. She will teach you what you must know." Faith tried to reach up to her mother, but the room suddenly began to draw back. "What I must know for what? Mother, please, what does it mean?" The card rose up in front of her and she awoke.

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^* ^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^

The after image of the Death card was burned into the backs of her eyes. A spasm grabbed hold of her body. Gasping for air, Faith tried to get out of bed. She had barely sat up when she saw the blood pooling on the bed. Panicking, she did the only thing she could think of. "DADDY". Duo raced into the room and gasped. Faith was doubled over in the throes of another contraction. Panic in her eyes, she mouthed to her father, "Help me."

*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~*

Sally came through the doors from the ICU, shaking her head and trying not to cry. The news was not good. Entering the waiting room, she was at least glad that everyone had been close by when it happened. Wufei, seeing her distress, got up and guided her to a chair.

Duo approached her. "Well Doc? What happened? How are they? Am I a grandfather? Is it a boy? A girl?" Heero grabbed him from behind and put his hand over Duo's mouth. "Shut up Baka and let her talk." Sally sighed. "It's not good. Faith will live, but she's lost a lot of blood. You can go and see her in a few minutes Duo." Heero nodded. "And the baby?" Sally broke down. "She didn't make it. She seemed strong at first, but it was just too soon. She never even had a chance." Trowa spoke up this time. "How's Faith taking it?" "She just woke up. We haven't told her yet. I thought it would be best if Duo were there with her." Duo shook off Heero and got up. "Let's go."

When they entered the room, Faith looked very small and pale. It was apparent that she had been crying. "Hey princess." Faith looked up at her father and then turned to Sally. "Aunt Sally? I would like to see my daughter now." Sally's head dropped. "I'm sorry Faith sweetie, but the baby…" Faith held up her hand and shook her head. "I already know, but I would still like to see her just once, please." Sally sighed. "Fine. I'll have her brought up." Faith closed her eyes. "Thank you."

*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~*

The sheet draped bassinet arrived a few minutes later. Faith lifted the tiny, still body into her arms. "She would have been so beautiful daddy. What did I do wrong? Why?" Faith began to sob. Duo hugged her. "I don't know honey. Things like this just happen sometimes." Faith nodded. "I want to give her a proper burial. Maybe next to mom?" Duo gave her a small smile. "I think that would be a good idea. Are you going to give her a name?" Faith nodded. "Ophelia Maxwell."(3)

2BC…

*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*

1. You didn't think I was going to get back to Wu and Sally's second kid did you? Well I did. Meet my little brother Eugene. I put him is just to get on my sister's nerves. She's standing behind me ranting that she still can't escape him. (

2. Death, when reversed means: "Major changes for which you are ill- prepared, but which are entirely necessary. An investment in the past that has held you back may be taken from you, forcing you to look to the future. You may stubbornly resist this, perhaps for good reason, but it is better to give in than sap your energy holding fast to a position or relationship that is no longer tenable." I wonder where this will lead.

3. I always felt sorry for Ophelia in Shakespeare's Hamlet. I always thought she never really had a chance. Hence I named the ill-fated Maxwell baby after her.

A.N.: What do you think so far? I really want to hear from someone.