April 4, 2001
April, 213 AC
"No, no, Duo's. It's okay," Mariemeia Mazzolla could be heard from within the kitchen. "I think Trowa and I can handle everything. You guys go 'head and head over to Bridgelight." The voice grew louder as 25-year-old young woman approached the large Emerald Gardens Kitchen. "Yes, tell Noin we'll be over later tonight! Bye!"
The dark haired redhead pushed through the swing door with a heaved sigh, catching Trowa Barton's amused look and shaking her head. Marie hefted the 18-month old toddler up on her hip and smiled. "How *do* you put *up* with him 24 hours a day?" She asked, swinging the baby boy over to her other hip as she entered the room. "God knows I love him, but..." She shook her head again, dropping the baby into the playpen set up in the corner of the kitchen, near one end of the long prepped table.
"Mmmm... Hello, Matt," she sighed warmly, giving her 'little brother' a huge hug. "Skipping school again, ne?"
The 18-year-old boy grinned down at her, flipping sandy blond curls out of his eyes. "You gonna go into a spiel like Mom 'bout how I need to do good in school so I can get into a good university?"
"Good god, no!" Marie laughed moving around the table to Trowa. "Though I probably could, with as many times as I've had to listen to it. Hello, Trowa, good to see you again."
"You're looking good," the now-33-year-old replied, giving the 'girl' a hug.
Marie laughed again, pulling away. "I'd *better* with as much dieting as I've been doing!" She looked behind her. "I'm finally back to my original weight, thank God!" She smiled up at him. "I don't know *how* you could have volunteered to go through that twice! I'm never having another baby!"
"You'll think differently in a couple more years," Quatre answered her, walking in in time to hear her. "Isn't that right, Princess?" he asked the 2-year old, blue-eyed-blonde, bundle of joy in his arms.
"Hai!" little Calista Raberba Winner cried, grinning like a Cheshire chat.
Quatre looked at Trowa. "Should I be worried our daughter is speaking Japanese?" he asked.
Trowa smiled and relieved his mate of their daughter, leaning down to steal a kiss in the process.
"Ant! Keep that mushy stuff out of the kitchen!" Marie cried, holding a hand up to her face.
"Another fight with Jake?" Matt asked, smirking as he added food coloring to the bowls already set up.
"None of your business," the redhead snapped, yanking the refrigerator door open.
"Is he even coming this year?" her brother prodded.
"Yesss," Marie hissed, pulling out cartons of pre-hard boiled eggs, ready for dying.
"Then where is he now?" Matt teased, knowing full well his sister's propensity to argue.
Marie turned, ready to slam the eggs onto the table--instead they landed in Quatre's waiting hands. "He's working!" she answered, anger heating her words. "He's coming down later tonight. Thank you," she said to Quatre as the blonde man took the cartons from her and placed them on the table.
Marie frowned, looking at the number of cartoons on the table. "Just how many eggs did you guys boil?"
"Two hundred," Quatre replied calmly, setting the eight cartons in various positions on the table.
"BOINCY! BOINCY! BOINCY! BOINCY!" The mantra could be heard even before the door swung open and two blue-eyed-blond, 7-year old, identical boys 'hopped' they're way into the kitchen. Hot on their 'tails' was Chang Wufei, leading five-year old Mara Jade Maxwell-Yuy Chang and three-year old Dylan Chang Maxwell-Yuy. He looked up at the gathering, his eyes darting to the two bouncing boys before looking back at Quatre and Trowa.
"Boys," Quatre said, warningly. The two paused in mid-hop. "Ready to dye eggs for tomorrow?"
"YEAH!!!" They both rushed the table as Wufei helped Mara Jade and Dylan into their seats and set them up. As soon as each child had an egg in hand, he turned and smiled. "Woman, you are looking well."
Mariemeia grinned and moved to embrace him. "Hello, Wufei. Good to see you, too."
"So where is this child that kept you away from us till now?" he asked, already moving towards the crib.
Marie followed him, bending to pick up the 18-month old. "Chang Wufei, meet Julian Trieze Mazzolla," she presented, handing the babe over.
Wufei held the babe out, away from him. The round, plumpish child blinked wide-surprised hazel-blue eyes; a tuff of dark reddish hair sticking straight up from his round head. Wufei nodded and swung the boy to one hip, looking down at him. "You will make a fine man one day. I can tell these things," he told the toddler.
"He'd better," Marie snorted. "Or I'll be reminding him of the 9 months and 38 hours of torture he put me through!"
"Hn," Wufei smiled, turning to follow her with his eyes as she went back to the table.
Trowa slapped Tristan's hands away from the glitter. "That goes on the eggs, not your cheeks," he told the boy.
"And where is that husband of yours?" Wufei asked.
"Probably cooped up in some stuffy office doing God only knows what!" Dorothy Catalonia answered him, breezing in the door, pausing to hold it open behind her as a 4-year old toddled in at her heels; four crayons clutched tightly in her little hands. "Hello, dear!" Dorothy continued, kissing Marie's cheek before motioning the 4-year old to one end of the table. "Regan, baby, over here."
"Is this little Regina?" Marie asked, scooping up the little girl--who promptly slapped her hands away.
"Regan, no!" Dorothy scolded the child, lightly slapping the girl's hand. "What would Mommy say if she saw you?" she said, taking the girl away from Marie and setting her back down on the floor. "Now, over here. Come here and sit and you can color, okay?" she told the child, setting a coloring book down on the table. The child climbed into a chair and settled in to coloring.
Dorothy sighed. "She hates to be touched. Doesn't want anyone to hold her or pick her up," she told a stunned Mariemeia, an apologetic smile in place.
"Terrible two's set in late," Matt smirked. Dorothy glared.
"I don't *have* to be nice to you, boy," she told him.
"Tristan, Tristan, no. No, don't put the same egg into the different colors," Quatre was saying, rescuing said egg from the 7-year old. Outside a car horn blared.
"I better get going before Duo decides to come in here and see what's keeping me," Wufei said, dropping Julian back in the pen with Calista and drop-kissing Mara Jade's and Dylan's foreheads. "I'll see you later tonight!"
"Where're the others?" Marie asked after Wufei'd left, noticing three missing bodies.
"Oh, they're upstairs in Trinity's room," Quatre answered.
"Didn't they want to die eggs?" she asked, frowning at the number of eggs before them. Ten eggs dyed, one hundred ninety more to go.
"They said they'd be down in a minute," Dorothy supplied, picking up a crayon and writing hers, Relena's, and Regan's name on three of the eggs.
"Here, Tristan, use a spoon, not your fingers," Trowa said, handing a spoon to the boy who was trying to fish an egg out of the blue dye with his fingers.
"I don't want to!" came through the door.
"You look fine!" was the reply.
"I look stupid!" came back.
"Will you stop being such a ninny!" Kit said, pushing through the door. She smiled at the many looks directed to her. "Present," she said, bowing gracefully, "His Royal Highness, Neo-Prince of Sank, Adrian Egg-Head!"
The door remained closed.
"I'm *not* going in there!" Adrian's voice hissed.
"Fine! Stay out here by yourself!" Trinity replied. "*I'm* going in!"
And, as proclaimed, Trinity Chang pushed through the door, ignoring the questioning stares shot her way. She walked straight over to her little sister and brother, long dark braid bouncing against her but behind her. "Adrian doesn't care to join us this year," so told them, reaching for an egg and crayon. Indigo eyes remained focused on the egg.
"What's wrong with Adrian?" Quatre asked, speaking for all four frowning adults.
"Nothing," Kit replied, moving to sit next to Matthew, smiling up at him.
"Well, that's not exactly true," Trinity countered, scrawling her name across the rounded surface.
Sniffling could be heard from the other side of the door. "It's all Kit's fault!" Adrian cried through the wood.
"Adrian Milliardo Peacecraft! Front and center, this instant!" Dorothy barked. When no immediate dark-haired, blue-eyed 9-year old boy manifested himself before her she snapped, "NOW, Mister!"
Silence--except for Calista and Julian jabbering in their playpen and Regina Catalonia Dorlian humming to herself as she colored.
Then, there was a scuffling at the door as it inched open... and then Adrian Peacecraft stepped in, sniffling, head bowed dejectedly.
It was a full minute before Quatre, first to find his voice, asked, "What happened?"
"It's all HER fault!" Adrian cried, jabbing an accusing finger across the table at his sister.
Dorothy snorted. "I don't care who's fault it is, but, just so you all know, I am *not* going to be the one who informs Zechs that his son now has no hair on his head."
"Cool!" Tristan jumped up from his seat--knocking over two drying eggs, which Trowa, thankfully, caught--and bounced over to his friend. "Cool!" he repeated. "Hey Dad! Can I shave my head too?"
"No!" Quatre and Trowa replied simultaneously.
"I thought you wanted to grow your hair out like Uncle Duo's?" Trowa said. "You can't do that if you shave it."
"I can shave it and *then* grow it out!" the blond boy answer, beaming up at his father.
"Why don't you think on it some more," Quatre suggested, frowning at Adrian's baldhead.
"I say we should paint it!" Tristan suggested. "That would be really cool!"
"No. No one's going to paint *anyone's* head," Quatre answered.
"I think it looks interesting. Here," Trinity said, holding out an egg to Adrian. "Green, please."
The hair-less boy looked at the egg for a moment before reaching out and taking it from her, and then dropping it--carefully--into the green dye. "Light or dark?" he asked, still pouting.
One hundred fifty-seven eggs were successfully decorated, dried, and packed away in their cartons before the group gathered their things and loaded up for the drive to Bridgelight.
And how did Lucrezia Noin and Milliard Peacecraft react to their only son going bald?
Well, rather well... all things considered.
"KATARYNA DELENA PEACECRAFT!!! GET YOUR BACKSIDE IN HERE THIS INSTANT!!!!"
End of Part 2: Painting Easter Eggs
Andrea Readwolf
Please send comments to: andrea_readwolf@hotmail.com