A Matter of Heart: Heirs to the Legacy
By: Andrea Readwolf
Email: andrea_readwolf @hotmail.com
Rating: YA/Mature
Families: YMC Fam (Yuy-Maxwell-Chang Family: Trinity, Mara Jade, and Dylan);
Winner Fam (Quatre + Trowa, Triton&Tristan, and little sis Calista)
Peacecraft Family (Zechs Marquise/Milliard + Lucrezia/Noin Peacecraft, Kit/Katarynna, Adrian, and Nicolette/Nicole)
Mazzolla Family (Mariemeia + Jake Mazzolla {OC}, Julien)
Catalonia-Dorian Family (Dorothy Catalonia + Relena Dorian, Regina)
Une-Po Family (Lady Une + Sally Po, Marie Une*, Michael Braddocks, Mark Braddocks, Matthew Braddocks)
Archive: Yes-- www.gwaddiction.com
Warnings: The following story contains scenes that are humorous, sappy,
fluff, with Incoherence, random PoV switching, and Sexual innuendos abound.
Original Characters are presented; all characters are IC according to the
author's interpretation of them. Mainly heterosexual situations, with hints
of YAOI and YURI.
Spoilers: Previous Matter of Heart Series Arc stories: "Dance of the Heart"
Arc and "Oh Baby, Baby" Arc. Built off of "Traditions".
Feedback: C&C is always welcomed and adored.
Disclaimer: Gundam Wing and its characters belong to Bandai, Sunrise
and Sotsu Agency and are only being used for non-profit entertainment
purposes. References to printed texts, films, sitcoms, musical
pieces, and/or other fanfictions don't belong to the author either.
Original Characters, including but not limited too, the Berh
Siblings, Jake Mazzolla and "the chibis", are original and hence, the
author's own creation.
Notes: This is the story of the children, the nine children of the 6
gundam pilots (Heero--Zechs) plus the grandchild of Treize
Khushrenada. This story will not focus primarily on the characters
from the series, but rather, the generation after them. This story is
not for all die-hard fans, but runs along the lines of a more
original piece.
***These stories and the ideas contained within are copyright of the author. No reprinting or posting without permission of said author.***
~6 Days after Trinity + Adrian's Engagement Party, Whispering Pines~
"What about this one?"
Mara Jade barely glanced at the new gown's picture. "It's nice," her voice answered automatically.
"You're not even *looking*!" Trinity accused, turning hurt-filled blue eyes to her sister. "What's the matter, Mara J? You've been really distracted lately."
The younger daughter of the YMC family blinked with surprise at her sister's outburst, looking up at the older girl, indigo-colored eyes wide with conflicting emotions. She hadn't told anyone because, quite frankly, she didn't know *what* to tell anyone if she tried. But she wanted to--she wanted to let this burden out, let someone else think about it for a while. Looking at her sister, she said very simply, "Tristan kissed me the other night."
Trinity Chang waved her hand airily. "Tristan kissed everyone the other night," she replied, leaning over to whisper confidentially, "I think Uncle Quatre laid into him something awful afterwards for spiking the punch and then sampling a little too much!"
Dumbly, Mara Jade shook her head. "No, Trini. Tristan *kiss* kissed me--before he spiked the punch.
Slowly, realization cracked her upside the head with what her baby sister was telling her. "Tristan KISSED you?" she cried, staring at Mara Jade with a mixture of disbelief and pure girlhood excitement.
"I said that."
"Oh my GOD! Mara Jade! That's Wonderful!"
" 'Wonderful'?"
"What did he say? What did he *do*? What did *you* say? Oh my god--was it good? Did you like it? Oh! This is so exciting!"
She stared at her sister wondering just what the hell older girl was excited about. She'd just told her sister that the boy she hated and despised had kissed her and Trinity was *excited*?
"I'm going to my room," she said suddenly, standing.
"Wait!" Trinity snatched her wrist and pulled her back down onto the sofa. "I promise not to ask any more questions, Mara J, but you HAVE to help me pick out my wedding dress! Please???"
Three hours. Trinity had her looking at wedding dresses for three hours. And she was no closer to choosing a gown then when they'd sat down.
"I'm going to show some of these to Adrian and see what he thinks," Trinity announced, taking the armful of bridal magazines out with her.
Mara Jade sighed. Throughout the entire session, Trinity had ooh and awed, flipping through the glossy pages of gorgeous models wearing even more gorgeous dresses. And on at least every other page, the older Chang sister had found a dress that, in her humble opinion would look "simply ravishing" on the younger sister.
Mara Jade was immensely relieved that her sister was finished with her for the time being. Now at least she could try to stop thinking about what her own wedding might be like, and-most importantly-stop thinking about the blond blue-green-eye groom waiting for her at the end of the aisle.
Frustrated with herself, she pushed away from the sofa and out to the rose garden her father tended devotedly. It was calming, reassuring to see him there, on his knees in the dirt, planting, weeding, pruning, and replanting. In short, playing in the dirt. Some might think it odd--a war hero of his caliber, tilling away at the earth. But to her, it was the most natural thing, a sight she'd seen forever.
Heero Yuy looked up--his hands and knees covered in dark soil, a smudge on his left cheek. "Hn. Got tired of looking at dresses?" he guessed more than asked, noting his youngest daughter's sullen face.
Sighing, Mara Jade plopped down on the grass next to him and watched as he reached for a new rose bush. "Daddy?" she asked instead of answering. "Why do you plant all these flowers when you know they're just going to die eventually?"
He looked over at her and grinned. "It feels good," he answered, easing the new bush into the earth. "Knowing you're the helper of something beautiful." He picked off a dead leaf and tossed it at her. "Besides, your papa loves flowers; he enjoys beautiful things." Heero stood and reached out to pull Mara Jade up, too. "That's why we love you so much," he added, pulling her against his side, under his arm.
"Dad!" she protested, laughing.
"Tristan kissed Mara Jade."
Adrian did a double take. He had to hand it to his fiancé-she had slipped that little bit of information in right between page 67's mermaid-style gown and page 80's princess cut.
"Wait a minute," he said, holding a hand up to the vidphone. "Run that by me again."
"I was just saying how I think a v-neck off the shoulder would look nicer than a square-cut-"
"No, no, no. I mean, what you said about Tristan kissing your sister."
"Oh, that," she replied like it was nothing. "That's all she'd tell me."
"Wait a minute. Let me see if I can get him on the other line," Adrian offered, switching to a new line to make the call.
"No, wait! Adrian--!" Trinity sighed. How was she *ever* going to find a gown with help such as this?
They might be best friends but Tristan Winner just smiled at the Peacecraft heir when the dark-haired boy called. "You told me to take care of the Maid of Honor, remember? Now just let me do it and you worry about taking over a country and getting married."
Right after, he cut the line. It took only a minute more for the call over to Whispering Pines to go through.
"Hello, Tristan. It's a pleasure to see you sober."
"Hey, Uncle 'Fei," the boy greeted the Chinese man who answered, grinning devilishly. "And who said anything about being sober?"
Wufei Chang just snorted-but there was a suspicious upturn at the corners of his mouth. "Who are you calling for, Winner?"
"Mara J, if you please."
"And if I don't please?" Wufei returned, but he was already looking at the house security system to locate his youngest daughter.
"You'll find her anyway," Tristan answered flippantly. "I'm not your favorite nephew for nothing."
"Who ever said you were my favorite?"
"It would be an injustice if I weren't!"
Wufei finally laughed at the boy's antics and punched the house call comm. "Mara Jade? Phone call for you."
It took a moment, but as expected, the vid screen parted into two windows--one with Tristan Winner's light blond image, the other his daughter's dark appearance. Not for the first time, Wufei was struck by the thought of what an attractive couple the two young ones made.
"Thanks, Papa," Mara Jade acknowledge, waiting for Wufei's image to screen out and Tristan's to enlarge before speaking again. "Yesss?" she asked, her chin lifting just a notch.
Tristan's grin-if possible-increased. "I've been thinking about that date you promised me."
"What?!"
"And, since I asked you first, I figured I'd choose the place and all. You can choose next time."
"Who said there was going to be a 'next time'?"
"Don't be silly. Anyhoo, I'm thinking tomorrow afternoon; dress casual."
"Wait! Where are you taking me?"
He winked at her. He actually *winked* at her! "It's a surprise."
~The Next Day ~
At the moment, she would have gladly shot Tristan Raberba Winner. " 'Dress casual' he says. Dress casual, my foot!"
Mara Jade Chang groused, frowning at her closet as if by glaring long and hard enough, the prefect casual outfit would reveal itself magically. And it was absolutely no help at all that she had no bloody clue where he planned on taking her.
A light rap on her door provided momentary distraction from her dilemma. That is, until her older sister walked in.
A simple, plain white off-the-shoulders blouse tucked into a blue-green collage of color, falling from Trinity's waist to her ankles in a loose, flowing skirt, neatly belted in place. Her long, inky black hair fell loose down her back to her waist in straight waves, and light make-up colored her lips and cheeks and outlined her large dark blue eyes.
"Aren't you dressed yet?" Trinity asked, sighing heavily. "The guys will be here in an couple of minutes, Mara J. Hurry up and get dressed, unless you want to go to the Caro Festival like that!"
" 'Caro Festival'?"
"Yes, you know-the one we've been talking about for weeks? Tristan scored us tickets last week. Or had you forgotten?"
"Oh, oh, yes. That's right." Mara Jade forced a smile onto her face for her sister's benefit--'He was taking her to a festival?' she thought radically.
At least she had an idea on what to wear now. She opted for an orange and coral multi-colored skirt like her sister's and pulled out a complementing coral sleeveless-high neck blouse. She contemplated her hair for a matter of seconds before deft fingers weaved through the dark silk, plaiting the length neatly. Make-up was a simple matter: Mara Jade didn't wear the stuff.
Trinity had chattered on about this and that while her sister finished getting dressed, but now she was quiet. The older Chang sister got off the bed and wrapped her arms around the younger, staring at their reflection's eyes in the mirror. "Let's have a good time today, Mara Jade," she said softly. "No fights, okay?"
A promise was a special pact; something one should not break. And she didn't lie. Offering up a small smile for her sister, Mara Jade promised.
End Part 7
Mara Jade: I have a ditz for a sister.
Trinity: I resent that! That was mean, Mara Jade. Take it back.
Mara Jade: I rest my case.
Trinity: Adrian, will you please say something to here?
{Adrian and Tristan look at each other before quickly returning to the
baseball game on TV}
Mara Jade: Ha!
Trinity: Ah!
Callista: Will you both just shut up? {pouts} When's it going to be *MY*
turn?
Readwolf: Your part isn't until Heirs 2.
Callista: Well, damn!
Dylan: {dramatic sigh} We're just minor characters in this story, luv.
It's our lot in life, I'm afraid.
Nicole: Psf! Speak for yourself! *I'm* going to be a star!
Readwolf: Not until part 2, you're not.
Julian: Yeah--you're not even in this fic much, Nikki.
Nicole: Like you're one to speak, Mars-boy~!
Readwolf: {dramatic sigh} Well, before this deteriorates any worse, I
better go check on Andrea and make sure she's still writing.
Chibis: HAI!!!
Andrea Readwolf
Please send comments to: andrea_readwolf@hotmail.com