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?)
***These stories and the ideas contained within are copyright of the author. No reprinting or posting without permission of said author. ***
~Paris, France February AC 242 ~
To be perfectly honest, Dylan was a little nervous about meeting Crabe and Goyle again, but Nikki reassured him that she would talk to them, her pet would-be-bodyguards would behave and not try to beat him into a bloody pulp.
James Muir and Robert Bryan were, of course, suspicious of him at first, but they accepted his presence rather well, and within the week were not even questioning Dylan's littlest request. Dylan interpreted it as their concern for Nikki's well being and was only mildly grateful--he still hadn't quite forgiven them for trying to kill him that first day.
Things settled easily for Dylan and Nikki--"It's Nicole, now, Nicole. Nicole Craft. How many times do I have to tell you?"--and their routine was quickly established. Nikki took a shower in the morning and a bath a night. They coupled for breakfast at the house before heading over to the theater for rehearsal. They'd head over to the corner cafe for their midday meal before finishing up rehearsal. Nikki kept him busy at night, too. Despite her craft, she enjoyed going to the theater, taking in a wide variety of shows from musicals, to comedy sketches. Occasionally, even a movie was desired.
Dylan hadn't experienced many of these things considering his recent history, however, he did not let the unaccostumeness distract him from his new job. He was constantly watching, waiting, making sure Nikki would make it safely back to their rooms each night. Only to begin the whole ordeal over again.
Nicole was having the best time of her life. She got to eat, sleep, and spend all day with Dylan Maxwell. It was like a dream come true. Of course, the circumstances weren't as rosy as she would have liked, but she was still determined to make the best of her time with the gorgeous Maxwell. There was only one little thing that bothered her.
Dylan didn't try to touch her.
Oh, he would hug her or kiss her cheek if she initiated the contact. Sometimes, at night when they were in bed, she would roll over closer to him and he would hold her; but he never tried anything. It was really annoying. The one person in the entire Earth Sphere she *wanted* to try something, didn't. Nicole wasn't sure how to get him to, either, and it was way into March before she got up her nerve to actually *kiss* him.
Their play had finished with great success--Well, of course! All of Nicole Craft's shows were a success!--and she and Dylan were celebrating with high spirits. A little too much spirits, perhaps, since Dylan needed to help hold her up on the walk home. Thankfully, Madame Lafayette was asleep when the pair returned home. She couldn't be sure, but Nicole suspected they made quite a bit of noise climbing up the stairs to their room. Of course, her singing as Dylan carried her, probably didn't help any; ah, but it was fun.
And then... they were alone, in their room; Dylan was trying to help her get undressed, and she thought she would help him, too, but he pushed her hands away, saying, "Nikki, behave."
But she didn't want to behave. She slid her hands up his arms, over his shoulders--Stars, but he was gorgeous. All tight, powerful muscles.--and hooked her wrists behind his neck, smiling up at him.
"Nikki....?"
Ah, but she wanted to. And there was nothing here to stop her now, so she did. She leaned up on her toes and pressed her lips to his. It was bliss...
Until he gently but firmly broke her hold on him and laid her back onto the bed. She went willing, expecting him to follow, but he didn't. She sat up, upset, watching his back as he walked out of the room.
"Why?" she cryingly demanded.
He stopped, but he didn't turn back to look at her. "I'll sleep on the sofa tonight," he said softly.
"Why can't you sleep here? With me?" She knew she was crying, but at this point she really didn't care. "Why won't you sleep with me?"
"I... I won't take advantage of you like that, Nikki," he finally answered after a short pause. "Go to sleep." He started to move, but her next words stopped him again.
"How is it taking advantage of me when I want it, too?"
Dylan's head bowed to his chest and he sighed deeply. "You don't know what you want, Nikki, you're intoxicated. Now, go to sleep and you won't remember any of this in the morning. Good night."
He closed the door before she could respond.
The next morning there was a note waiting for Nicole at the breakfast table.
"A young man dropped this off for you, my dear," Madame Lafayette informed her kindly.
Nicole gasped, hands shaking, and Dylan snatched the letter from her fingers.
~~Retribution for the father's sins shall be paid by the life of the child. Your days are numbered. Enjoy them while they last. ~~
He was patched through almost immediately.
"You left a message for me to call you back?" he asked curiously, watching the blonde woman on the screen before him.
"Jules, yes, thank you for getting back to me so soon," Calista Winner smiled fondly. "I wanted to ask you, have you thought about your next project yet?"
"Always thinking, but I haven't decided on any one thing yet, no, if that's what you mean," Julian replied, his curiosity prickling higher than before.
Calista's smile broadened. "Good. I have a little proposition for you; a pet project of mine that I've been considering for a long time now, and I think you would be perfect for it. It would be a lot of research, though, and you wouldn't be allowed to publish for quite a while, I'm afraid, but your time will of course be compensated by WEI."
"Well, you've certainly caught my interest," he said. "What is this pet project of yours?"
She shook her head. "I won't say anything over an open channel such as this, no. When do you think you could get back to Miami to discuss this in person, or better yet, where are you now? I can always visit you."
She smiled, and Julian realized she was serious. "Um, I'm in California today, but I'm scheduled to be in Nevada tomorrow. Then Mexico."
"Tell you what; have your publisher contact my secretary with your schedule, okay? Oh, and Jules, keep an open mind about this, okay? I really do think you would do a great job on this, and it's really important to me for someone I trust to do this. I'm sure you'll understand when I tell you more later. Bye!"
Curious? Him? Hell yeah!
Dylan was tense; she could tell. To tell the truth, so was she. Even though she trusted Dylan impeccably, she was terrified of first what would have happened if Dylan hadn't been there and second what would have happened if Dylan had gotten hurt or even worse, killed.
Dylan, however, wasn't as concerned for his own life so much as for Nikki's. Whoever had planted that bomb in her dressing room.... He shook his head. Things just weren't adding up here. First, a letter left at Madame Lafayette's, meaning whoever was stalking Nikki obviously knew she was staying there, but then... the bomb in her dressing room.... If the stalker knew Nikki was at Madame Lafayette's, then why didn't he or she know that Nikki's play had ended last night? Or had they?
Argh! This was all very confusing! What was this person trying to play at?
Nikki had five days off before she was supposed to begin preparing for her next engagement; Dylan didn't want her to participate, and he told her so, but Nikki was being stubborn about the fact. So what if the tour had been planned for over a year now? So what if this tour was supposed to promote her new CD, Memories of You? It was a chance for her stalker to get close to her.
Dylan wanted her to tell her father, as well. Zechs had a right to know that Nikki's life was being threatened, or at least Dylan seemed to think, but Nikki absolutely refused on that argument as well. In the end, it seemed like the only thing he could do was go with her on this inferably tour and try his best to keep her safe.
She wasn't about to let him do it, no. Not even for Dylan would she give up her life. Besides, if this person was determined to kill her, did it really matter whether he did it when she was safe in her home or out abroad doing what she loved? No, she wouldn't let this person destroy her life. And there was positively, absolutely, no way in hell she was going to let her father know someone was threatening her. She could just imagine his reaction to that:
"You're coming home right now. I'll have a Preventers' unit at your apartment in thirty minutes. Be packed and ready to leave."
Yep, that's how Daddy would probably react. Nope, she wasn't going to have it. Despite her father's opinion, she was a grown woman now, quite capable of taking care of herself. And she was almost positive that with Dylan's assistance she would live to see the ripe old age of... well, considering tomorrow was her birthday and she'd be turning 24...
'I wonder if Dylan remembers my birthday's April ninth?' She smiled to herself, nearly dissolving into a giggling fit as she fell back against the mattress. 'His lips were so soft,' she thought, fondly remembering their touch as she brushed her lips with her fingertips.
It was a shame that note had to come, and then of course that bomb they fond in her dressing room. Nicole was sure that if those two things hadn't of happened, Dylan would be here with her now, kissing her, instead of combing the theater with the local police looking for clues.
Baby #8 was on the way. Meiran was in her element; the now-fourteen year old anxious to prove herself a mature young woman could be found helping out her grandfathers and parents, watching over her younger siblings, and over all managing the house (or at least the others let her believe that). Everyone seemed to be taking the news well with the exceptions of Dakota and Jasmine.
"What does she think she's doing," the eleven year old complained to her Tousan one day during their meditation hour. "Doesn't she have enough kids already? I mean, she doesn't even have enough time to spend with the ones she's got. Why have another one?"
Jasmine just sat lotus style, quiet.
"You don't think your mother loves you?" Heero asked calmly, watching her two granddaughters carefully.
Dakota frowned. "I think... I think she thinks she does," she answered after a moment.
"And you?" Heero asked, looking towards the younger girl.
Jasmine looked up, sighed, and then looked down again. "I think she's too busy," the ten year old replied grumpily. "Dad and Mom are always running around. It's like they're never home anymore."
"Why do you think that is?"
Silence.
"Hisoka," Jasmine finally answered. "They're at the hospital a lot because of Hisoka."
"That's true," Heero answered. "But does that mean they don't love you?"
"No," both girls answered resignedly.
"Then that can't be the reason you think your mother and father don't love you, can it?" It always seemed like pulling teeth when talking to these two, but Heero had patience enough for it.
"Do you think Hisoka's going to die?" Dakota asked suddenly, turning her dark green eyes up to Heero.
Heero took a deep breath before answering. "Yes. We all die when at some point. That is the price of life. The only thing you don't know is when you will die, but you know that at some point in your life, you will die. Your granddads, me, your mom and dad, we will all die eventually. Even you and your brothers and sisters."
He watched them, watched Dakota's green eyes and Jasmine's violet blues tear up. "The only thing you can do is make sure you live to the best of your ability while you are alive. Make sure you do what is right, help others, and make others smile and laugh and enjoy their time left."
That night, as they all prepared for bed, Heero made sure to give his husbands and lover and extra hug.
"What's this all about?" Zechs asked, frowning in a smiling fashion as he watched his Japanese lover clutch Duo's braid.
"I'm just thankful to have you all in my life," Heero replied, crawling into bed behind Wufei and wrapping his arms around the Chinese man. "I don't think I would be even a quarter as content as I am now if I didn't have you here with me, to share my days. You make me happy, and I love you."
Just then Trowa walked in from the hallway, stopped short, and looked at them all funny. "Okay, what did I miss?"
"Hee-chan's getting mushy on us," Quatre murmured before yawning.
"Oh, well, if that's all," Trowa replied, heading towards the bathroom to go brush his teeth.
Zechs was grumbling though as he went to retrieve his pillow from the large bed.
"And just where do you think you're going?" Wufei frowned at the silver-blond haired man.
"To my own room," Zechs replied. "Quite frankly, I don't think it's safe to sleep in here tonight."
A sleepy grinning Duo peered up at him. "Yeah, I know. A mushy-Heero's a pretty scary sight, huh?"
Heero gave a loving gentle tug to the rope of hair in hand. "I love you, too, baka."
End Part 4
Andrea Readwolf
Please send comments to: andrea_readwolf@hotmail.com