A Matter of Heart: Heirs to the Legacy 2 (The Second Set)
A Gundam Wing Fanfiction By: Andrea Readwolf
Email: andrea_readwolf @hotmail.com
Rating: YA/Mature
Families: First Generation
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}, Julian)
Catalonia-Dorian Family (Dorothy Catalonia + Relena Dorian,
Regina)
Une-Po Family (Lady Une + Sally Po, Marie Une*, Michael Braddocks,
Mark Braddocks, Matthew Braddocks)
Families: Second Generation
The Royal Peacecraft Family: King Adrian, Queen Trinity, twins Yuy (10-f)
and Maxwell (10-m)
The Winner Family (#1): Tristan + Mara Jade = Meiran (14-f), Dakota (12-f),
Jasmine (11-f), Galen (8-m), Bryce (5-m), Adrianna (4-f), Fletcher (2-m),
Hakeem (8 1/2 PN-m) *(a lot ^__^'')
The Winner Family (#2): Triton + Katarynna (Kit/Kat ^__^v) = Gabriel (6-m)
Pairings: Dylan Maxwell + Nicole Peacecraft (hoped for by Nikki); Julian
Mazzolla + Calista Winner (hoped for by Julian) [AN: has anyone else
noticed that really on Trinity and Adrian *wanted* each other from the
first? None of this 'hoped for' business...]
Archive: Yes-- www.gwaddiction.com
Warnings: The following story contains scenes that are humorous,
sappy,fluff, with rampant Incoherence, random PoV switching, and
Sexual innuendoes 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 (from the "older" crowd... and
*some* references to Dylan's past).
Spoilers: None to the original Gundam Wing Series at first; However, once
Julian has been commissioned by Calista for a special project, expect a lot
of rehashing of the series. It would be a plus to have read the previous
Matter of Heart Series Arc stories: "Dance of the Heart" Arc and "Oh Baby,
Baby" Arc. "Heirs to the Legacy" is built off of the stories forming
"Traditions".
Feedback: C&C is always welcomed and adored.
Acknowledgements: It's been three years... Three long bloody years. Hn.
And this damn story *still* isn't finished! Acknowledgements go out to all
the people who have helped me throughout this incredibly long Series--it
ain't over yet! Special Thanks go out to Zan, who must be my longest-kept
beta-reader to date! (And also a very good friend.... "How many more days
till A-kon?" "AW-what?" "What to you mean it's pronounced 'yeowie'? It's
spelt like 'ya-o-ee'." "Okay, now, seriously here; how squicked out do you
think people will be if I happen to mention the sexual relationship between
the twins? I mean, Triton and Tristan are very affectionate and all,
but...." ^___^)
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.
Additional Note: 1, 2, 3, 4, & 5 often times refer to each other as
"husband" [and thus the grandchildren might at one point refer to all five
men (six in Zech's case) as "grandfather"]; please refer back to "Promise of
the Rings" Part 13 if this causes confusion.
Additional Note 2: The chibis often times refer to their parents'
friends and partners as "Uncle" or "Aunt"--in this case, the
term is used simply as one of respect since, with the exception
of Kit & Adrian's relation to Relena, all of Quatre's sisters, and
Trowa's Catherine, none of the parents really have siblings.
Additional Note 3: As hinted at in Heirs to the Legacy #1, Zechs and Noin
have separated. Zechs has somehow been coerced into living with our boys at
Emerald Gardens (we've had the 5-somes; anyone up to a 6-some?)
Translation Note: Tousan/Otousan, father, represents Heero. Chichi is often
times used for Wufei. Daddy, Duo.
***These stories and the ideas contained within are copyright of the author. No reprinting or posting without permission of said author. ***
Warnings for this part: If you haven't read "Oh Baby Baby" and "Heirs to the Legacy 1" and/or have no clue as to what the "Hiroshima Files" or the 'serums' are, you might be a bit confused with the end of this and the beginning of the next. It took me a fic to introduce them, and a second fic which I'm in the process of refusing to write to explain them in detail. Just like of them as vitamins or meds.
~Emerald Gardens Fall of AC 242 ~
Dylan and Nicole Maxwell stayed at Emerald Gardens for several days before make their request. The entire family and company were sitting over dinner one evening, a farewell party of sorts for Trinity and Adrian, Yuy and Maxwell who would be returning home tomorrow. The children, having eaten earlier, were all in the family room watching a video, finishing up some homework, or reading.
"I was wondering," Dylan began pleasantly as he passed the rolls to his wife in time to accept the scalloped potatoes from his oldest sister, "If you were interested in selling Whispering Pines."
His fathers looked over at him with surprise.
"You know someone who wants to buy?" Duo asked.
Nikki cleared her throat, wiping her lips with her napkin."Actually, we do. I mean, we want to," she spoke up.
"Nikki was thinking of opening up a dance school, you know," Dylan added, "and I was tossing around the idea of starting a dojo..."
"Whispering Pines does have a nice lay out," Wufei commented.
"And it's still in good condition," Heero added.
Duo frowned."Needs a little work, though."
"Nothing drastic, though," Wufei replied."Nothing like when we moved in."
"No," Heero smiled."We did a lot of work on it."
Trowa laughed."You practically built the thing for all the work you put into that house."
"But it was a fun project," Duo grinned.
"So can we buy it?"
The men all looked at the new couple, appraisingly.
"How much you plan on giving us for it?" Duo asked, eyes narrowed shrewdly.
"Name your price," Nikki challenged.
"A house of that condition and quality usually sells for.... ."Dylan started, before being cut off by his Otousan.
"We're not interested in money," Heero said simply.
"Well, you don't need any more grandkids, either," Dylan teased, nodding over towards his sister."So what do you want for it?"
"There's no such thing as too many grandchildren, trust me," Quatre answered seriously, jostling baby Michael against his shoulder. The gathering laughed.
"But, no, we don't need another grandchild so soon," Wufei recovered. "Better to enjoy yourselves first before inviting children into your lives."
"No, I was thinking more of like writing a book about your travels," Duo laughed.
Dylan laughed, too."Having that much fun with Julian's book, are you?"He nodded, though."I think it won't be a problem to give Jules a copy of my journals, if he wants them, of course."
"I was just joking," Duo sighed, rolling his eyes.
"Tell you what," Heero stepped in."I'll sign you the lease for one hundred dollars."
Dylan grimaced."Is that *all*?"
"A paid vacation to Disney?"Duo suggested.
"You're too much," his son laughed, shaking his head.
"Be happy," Wufei said."That's what we really want from you."
Nicole leaned over, placing a hand on Dylan's."I think I can deliver on that account."
"Speaking of happiness," Calista said into the laughter, "I imagine Julian should be in writer's heaven. How's the story coming along?"
"It's coming along nicely," Quatre was finally the one to answer."He's doing a good job of writing it, really."
"Good," Calista nodded."I thought he would, and I want to thank you for cooperating with him on this. I know it must not be easy for you, but I do appreciate it."
The older generation nodded with acceptance. Five weeks of getting used to the situation can certainly mellow an angry disposition.
"It has been good for us," Zechs admitted."And Julian is really good. Every time he writes a scene or something, he brings it to us to read. It's.... it's something to see bits and pieces of your life written on paper."
Calista again nodded and then shook herself out of her own thoughts. "Speaking of life written on paper, have you given General Khushrenada's letters to Jules yet so he can incorporate them into his story?"
Everyone turned to look at Marie, but it was Anne who spoke, exclaiming, "Oh my goodness!I'd forgotten all about those letters!"
But Marie Mazzolla was shaking in her seat."You..." she growled.
"Yes, me," Calista replied."Uh, now, that's not very nice. You shouldn't have left those letters sitting out where just anyone could see them."
"They weren't out where anyone could see them!" Marie shouted."You had no business being in my room!"
"Ah, now, but I've always been an inquisitive child," Calista studied her burgundy polished nails."Especially when there was a secret to be found."
"What letters?" Julian asked, walking into the room with a short stack of papers."Oh, is it dinner time already?You should've called me."
"We did," Calista smirked, "But you weren't taking calls."
"Callie!Good stars, when did you get here?"Julian ran a thin hand through his dishevelled auburn hair, and pushed his wire glasses back up his nose.
"Yesterday. And not just me, doll--the whole gang's all here!"
It was then Julian noticed the three new faces and a delighted smile broke out."My stars!Dylan Maxwell!I didn't think we would be seeing you again!Welcome home!Welcome home!And you, too, of course, Nikki, my dear. I understand you were on tour?I trust everything went smoothly for you. But, Adrian, too!I didn't know you were allowed out of your country!"
The crowd laughed. And a bit of catching up was done while Julian settled himself between Calista and Dylan in a chair that was found and brought forward for him.
"Now, what's this about letters?" he asked, turning back to Calista.
"Treize Khushrenada's letters," Anne told her grandson."He was very fond of writing, but he never mailed any of the letters. I gave them to your mother shortly after she came into my care."
"Fascinating!" Julian cried, reaching for several rolls."And do you still have these letters?" he asked, shooting a glance at his frowning mother. "I'm sure they would be an excellent insight upon General Khushrenada's personality!"
"No," Marie answered, just a little too quickly.
Julian frowned, cocking his head slightly as he looked at her."Really? That's a shame. I would have liked to have gotten a feel for the man."
"Liar."
Everyone at the table winced.
"Calista," Quatre admonished.
The Winner woman just speared a carrot and rotated it in the air."She's lying. She still has those letters, even if they're not with her right at this exact moment."She looked directly into the eyes of the woman across from her."Don't you, Auntie Marie?"
"I hate you," the daughter of Treize Khushrenada said calmly.
"I know," Calista smiled."I'm evil and forcing you to do something you don't want to. Oh, and I'm sleeping with your son."
Down at the end of the table, Tristan gave a bark of laughter."Ha!Pay up!" he told his wife.
"Uh-uh. You still owe me for Dylan so we'll call it even," Mara Jade replied.
The others were stuck between stages of shock and amusement.
"I think I've heard enough for one night," Quatre said calmly, getting up from the table and walking out.
The others watched him in silence until the door shut behind him.
"Angry or shocked?" his daughter asked, returning to eating.
"I think information overload," Triton offered, selecting another piece of pork.
Trowa sighed."You really have to stop, Callie. You're going to put him in an early grave if you don't."
Calista waved her father off."Please, he'll outlive all of us," she said. "So did you know or not?"
"Of course," her father replied calmly before getting up and following his husband out.
There were snickers amongst the remaining crowd.
"You know," Calista grumped, fishing out a twenty and waving it out for Dylan to take."One of these days I'm going to figure out how he knows so damn much and isn't psychic."
"Parent's intuition," Heero replied before getting up also and excusing himself.
"You shouldn't let her get you upset," he murmured, crawling into bed behind Quatre and pulling the silver-blond haired man back against him.
"Hn." Quatre snuggled back against Heero and just let go."Easy for you to say, she's not your daughter."
"No, thank you, I have enough with my own. I don't need yours, too."
Quatre smiled."You must be really happy now, with Dylan back and married and all."
"Hn."Heero buried his face against Quatre's soft curls."Even mine give me headaches."
"Their our children. That's their job."
"Hn."
"I love you, too."
Dylan and Nicole moved into Whispering Pines two days later. Time had been kind to the old Yuy-Maxwell-Chang home, and, with a little house cleaning and forwarding of belongings, the new couple was happily settled.
Their work began soon enough, though.
They decided to transform the basement as a dance studio and the back porch as the dojo, but both required cosmetic surgery. Deciding to start on the basement first, since that would require more effort, and their fathers were more than willing to help--thrilled to have some 'man stuff' to do--Dylan and Nikki were soon very busy. While Dylan, Heero, Duo, Wufei, Zechs, Trowa, and Quatre trotted down into the basement, Nikki drove down into town to retrieve their licenses and brochures.
On many days, Mara Jade would join her, and both women would make a holiday of it. Of course, with eight children, Nikki's sister-in-law always had something to buy from school supplies to play clothes.
All too soon the holidays were on them, and Nikki and Dylan were ready to open for business.
After many arguments, Marie finally produced the letters of Trieze Kushrenada. Julian, naturally, spent hours pouring over them, re-reading many, categorizing them all. He was enamored with the idea that he was reading the inner most thoughts of the Earth General, his grandfather.
He drafted and revised his story again and again, skipping around from scene to scene, pulling together all the information he'd processed from the gundam files, his interviews, and his grandfather's letters. He spent his days like this until one day he went outside of his room to ask one of the gundam pilots a question--and realized there were Christmas decorations up all over.
Julian hunted down a calendar and was shocked to discover it was only five days away from Christmas. Dear Stars!Where had the time flown?He set aside his notes and drafts, and, instead, he started up a list.
That evening, Julian made a point of being on time for dinner--much to everyone's surprise--and there he asked Quatre a very important question.
It was their first Christmas *together*. Dylan made a big production out of bringing down all the Christmas decorations from the attic, and Nikki managed to break only five glass bulbs and burn two batches of cookies all by herself (she insisted that she would hang the ornaments by herself and make cookies like when their were children).
"You know, it's a good thing I didn't marry you for your cooking skills," Dylan teased eyeing the black crumbling, would-be cookies.
Nikki threw the kitchen towel she'd been using to wave the smoke away at him with a growl."Hey!I never said I was a good cook."
They invited everyone over for Christmas Eve--on the condition that someone else buy or bringthe food!Emerald Gardens' kitchen answered beautifully to the call.
"I remember coming over here all the time when I was your age," Tristan told his children as they all labored to carry the food and presents inside.
"This is where Mommy lived, right?" six-year-old Bryce asked, nearly falling over into a snow bank.
"That's right!And in the summers we used to camp out back!"
It was definitely a nostalgic experience for the adults, returning to Whispering Pines for the Holidays, seeing all the old decorations up and twinkling.
Dylan poured glasses of milk and eggnog for everybody, and when he noticed one missing body, he asked, "Did Julian head over to his grandmothers' for Christmas?"
"Actually, he said he had to go into town for some things," Trowa answered, accepting two glasses for himself and Mara Jade."But he said he'd meet us back here."
Quatre also collected two glasses--half-full of milk, for Bryce and Adrienne--when Duo and Tristan returned with a warm bottle and a trainer's cup for the two littler ones."I think," he said, handing off his two glasses, "that Anne and Sally were planning to join him."
"The more the merrier!" Nikki chimed, snatching a cookie off of Dylan's plate.
"Don't touch the food, woman. Anything else is all yours, but the food is sacred."Dylan attempted to retrieve his 'sacred' food from Nikki, but the pair ended up doing more kissing than retrieving.
"Now where have I heard that before?" Wufei commented, snatching a cookie off of Duo's plate with a grin.
"Hey!Lay off the food!If you want some, that's fine, Heero'll go make you a plate, but don't go touching mine."
"I love how you just go volunteering me for things," Heero replied, snatching a cookie, too.
"Okay, that's it!Take another cookie and I'm withholding sex!"
Both Heero and Wufei snatched another cookie. Duo growled and stood up, moving over to where Quatre and Trowa were sitting. Both Quatre and Trowa snatch a cookie for themselves, thanking Duo in the process.
"Cookie thiefs!All of you!"Duo huffed.
As Duo was refilling his cookie plate the door chime sounded and the front door banged open.
"Incoming!" Julian's voice called, and Trowa got up to go greet him since their 'hosts' were too involved in a game of 'wandering hands' to get up again.
"Merry Christmas," the ensemble pouring into the foyer chimed, stomping snow off their boots and mercifully shrugging out of their thick heavy coats, triple layering them on the hooks in the cloak room.
"Look who's here!" Trowa shouted back to the rest as he helped Anne with her pile of presents.
"Aunt Anne!Aunt Sally!" Nikki rushed to greet the two elderly women, wrapping her arms around each neck."I'm so glad you could make it!Happy Christmas!"
Back in the family room, bereft of his wife, Dylan was pouring more drinks, while Duo popped in a Christmas video for the little ones. Okay, for himself, too.
"Merry Christmas!" Anne greeted lightly kissing Dylan's cheek and swapping him a brightly wrapped present for a glass of eggnog."This is a bit of a house warming present as well."
"Well, I know Nikki and I will love it," Dylan returned, "Because you have absolutely superb taste."
Anne laughed."You're definitely a charmer!"
"Mina,(1)" Julian caught their attention."This is my daughter, Leah."
"Hello," the strawberry haired girl replied in a sweet little voice as she hung on her father.
"She'll be staying with me until school starts up again," Julian continued, twisting her back and forth as they held onto each other in a cute-affectionate-father-and-daughter-sort-of-way.
And then Calista came back from the bathroom, and Leah, seeing the first person she knew besides her grandmothers, gave a shout and abandoned her father to rush at the blonde woman. Calista caught her with an exaggerated, "OOOF!" and she smiled down at the girl."My goodness!You've grown since the last time I saw you! Keep it up and pretty soon you'll be bigger than me!"
Leah giggled as Calista gently disengaged the girl's lock hold and swung her around diverting the girl's attention to the many other children in the room instead. With ease, Julian's daughter settled into the group as if she'd always belonged, sitting there watching _The Santa Clause_.
A game of cards broke out around the kitchen table with doubles: Quatre and Calista, Heero and Mara Jade, and Trowa and Kit. Meanwhile, Nikki and her father set out to make some hot cocoa, Zechs doing most of the making. Wufei and Duo were still out in the TV room with the children (now watching _The Santa Clause 2_). Dylan, Julian, Triton and Tristan, however, were oddly absent.
Out back, on the patio that was converted into a dojo, they confronted him.
"The house is really looking great, Dyl," Julian commented easily, not realizing what was in store.
"What's going on with you and Calista?"
Julina looked back at the three, surprised at the tone of voice he'd been addressed with, only to find Triton, Tristan, and Dylan were bearing down on him menacingly.
"Hey, what's this?" the ginger-haired man laughed nervously, holding his hands up in surrender.
"That's what we want to know," Tristan returned."Just what exactly is going on between you and my sister?"
"We--well, I don't really see how that's any of your business, really," Julian replied, "seeing as how anything between Callie and myself, would be just that--between us."
"Wrong answer," Triton growled, stepping forward. Tristan and Dylan followed suit.
"Wait a minute!" Julian cried, alarmed."I'm not Callie's first boyfriend, and we're both consenting adults, so why the interrogation?"
Really, this was completely uncalled for, unreasonable, and just, plain, crazy.
"Why does your daughter know Callie?"
Julian sighed, completely exasperated."She accompanied me to Leah's birthday party back before coming here to 'introduce' me to the gundam pilots. That was the last time we were together. Happy now?"
But quite obviously, they weren't since all three men were frowning, though, thankfully, not at Julian anymore.
"She went with you..."Triton started.
"To space," Tristan continued in the same wondering tone.
"To go to Leah's birthday party?!" Dylan ended, a stunned grin on his lips.
They looked at each other with amazement...before bursting into laughter.
"She's so screwed!"
"Literally!"
"Ha!I give it another year!"
"Small wedding, I'd say."
"Oh, definitely."
"Damn, though. Did you see her in there."
"Yeah, pretty scary, huh?"
"I'd say! She's going all maternal!"
"It's kinda sweet, though."
"It's about *time*, though."
Julian watched them with mounting confusion, not even able to keep track of who was saying what. Where were they all talking like this?What was going here?He was beginning to get a headache, for crying out loud, but then Dylan was finally addressing him.
"Congratulations," the long-haired man beamed,, shaking Julian's hand. "You've managed to tame the wild beast."
Dylan's grinned was practically infectious. Practically, but Julian was still too confused to be smiling."What are you talking about?"
"Callie, of course!" Tristan shouted, waving his hands."Do you know of any other wild beast in the family?Besides my wife, of course; she's already tamed."
"Oh?" his brother replied."I thought you were the one who was tamed."
Tristan grinned."True, true. I'm a sucker for my wife, what can I--"
The grin dissolved immediately as Tristan looked back towards the house. Dylan was already moving, alarmed by the shouts that had begun to come from inside. Tristan flew past him into the house, sliding into the floor in time to catch Mara Jade before she hit it.
It was Nikki who had screamed hot cocoa from the mug she had dropped was splashed all over the floor and her silk pants. Dylan was at her side, rubbing her back comfortingly as he watched his sister laying unconscious in Tristan's arms.
Sally was bursting into the room, Wufei, Duo, and a gangling of children behind her.
The family spent Christmas Eve in the emergency room.
A little after midnight, Dylan offered to take the children back to Whispering Pines, but Katarynna suggested Emerald Gardens instead. In the end, the two couples gathered all the children and brought them back to Emerald Gardens, with the insistence of being called the minute there was any news.
The little ones went to bed easily, but Meiran, Dakota, Jasmine, and Galen refused. The four staying with their aunts and uncles, waiting for news of their mother.
End Part 13
(1) Ah, those of us who wish we knew Japanese...and those of us who do or
are learning...'Mina"--I have seen spelled both 'mina' and 'minna'...As
I'm not sure which is correctbecause my sensei has not approached that
chapter, I go by wing. ^__^
Mina--everyone or everybody
Andrea Readwolf
Please send comments to: andrea_readwolf@hotmail.com