November 10, 2000
Rating: Mature audience only, please...
Pairings: 1+2+5, 3+4, 6+9, S+11
Warnings: Yaoi Lemon. Sappy in some parts. Angst in other areas. Strong language at unexpected turns. A pregnant Wufei & Noin. Major confusion! Out of control characters... I think that pretty much covers it! ^_^;;
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 me either.
Notes: "Oh Baby, Baby" is in approximately 203 AC, placing the boys at ~23-24 years of age.
This is it. The wrap up. Hopefully, any questions you have left will be answered.
"They've been in there for a while."
Silence.
"I wonder what they're talking about."
Silence.
"What? Can't hack my head off so you're just gonna ignore me or something?"
"That was the plan," the redhead replied, not looking up from the book in her lap.
Jake threw his arms up with frustration. "I wanna know what they're *doing* in there!"
"Why?" she countered, still not looking away from the book--at least not that he could tell. "Worried they're gonna ship your lazy ass back to the colonies?"
He turned on her. "Me? Lazy? Maybe you should take a look in the mirror! Oh, no, wait, that would require you to actually *move*!"
The book fell to the floor, snapping shut as she sat up. "Excuse me, but are you implying that *I'm* lazy?"
Jake held his hands out in a 'prissy' manner and cooed, "Oh! Look! I broke a nail! I guess I'll just have to go to the manicurist to get it taken care of because I'm too *lazy* to do it myself!"
"C'mere and I'll show you what these nails can do TO YOUR FACE!!!"
She was on her feet in an instant. Jake was already running--already quite well aware of what those nails could do. She screamed out various profanities as she chased the dark-haired boy around the room--And then an arm seized her around her waist like a steel band, effectively choking the last words from her as she was hauled back against a 'brick wall'.
"Let me go!" she shrieked.
Her answer was to be jostled roughly until she stopped fighting against the hold. Panting, she wiggled around to look up at her captor... and then slumped, giving up completely.
"Mind explaining what's going on?" Heero demanded more than asked, gruffly.
"It's nothing," Jake said, stepping back from the glare Heero turned on the boy. "I-I mean, it was just a 'lazy' little disagreement... *right*, *Mary*?"
Marie glared at the other teenager. "*Right*, *Jack*," she bit out.
Jake forced a smile to his lips. "See? Nothing wrong. Sorry to bother you guys..."
"Hn."
"Marie?" Quatre called, pulling the two teens heated looks away from one another to the doorway, where the four remaining men were standing, watching the proceedings with varying statements of amusement and exasperation.
"I tried to reach your mother this morning," Quatre continued, seeing he had her attention, "but Veronica said she and Sally were away..."
Mariemeia paled. "Is something wrong, Quatre-sama?" she asked, automatically reverting back to the formal speech that had been ingrained upon her from a child. "Is it about me? Are you going to send me ba--"
"No, no," Quatre reassured the alarmed girl, smiling gently at her. "It has nothing to do with you, dear. It's business."
She visibly relaxed against Heero--who still hadn't released his hold from around her waist. "Did you try paging her, then? She and Mom are in China for Granny Po's birthday."
Trowa frowned. "You didn't want to go with them?"
"What?" Marie asked, making a face. "And have to sit through hours of Granny reminiscing about this or that; and how, funny, I don't like either of my mothers; and, I need to act more like a proper young woman; and, do I have a young suitor in mind yet; and, you know that a good marriage is important to carrying on the family line, and--"
"You should show more respect towards your Elders," Wufei growled. Mariemeia just stuck her tongue out at him in reply, crossing her arms and 'hmphf'-ing.
"I second that!" Duo chirped. Marie turned to glare at him, but he stuck his tongue out at her and winked. He was leaning up against Wufei and--Mariemeia suddenly remembered this morning.
"Um, Heero? Could you, um, put me, um, down now?" she gasped, suddenly feeling very hot.
Somewhat surprised, the Japanese man released the girl, letting her drop the twelve inches back to the floor. He stared at her, frowning at her as she slowly backed away from him.
"Um, I just, um, remember, um, something I had to do. Excuse me!" The redhead turned tail and ran, not bothering to close the door after her.
"I, um, guess, I'll go see if I can, um, help her," Jake mumbled, looking from the group of men staring at him to the gaping door. He pulled the door shut behind him, but still heard Duo say, "Gee, Heero, I think you gave her another nose bleed!"
"Hn, baka," Heero replied, crossing his arms but frowning at the now closed door.
"Another?" Trowa asked, frowning. "What happened?"
"Nothing," Heero replied just as Duo answered, "Oh, Marie came to our room this morning to check on Wu-babe here, and Heero was gettin' ready for bed."
Quatre just groaned.
The satellite was on night cycle. The skeleton crew that docked her small shuttle didn't even recognize the dark Japanese woman who disembarked. Not that she really cared.
"Is Fatina Winner in her quarters?" she questioned before reaching the off-ramp.
"I-I-I don't know, ma'am," the young security guard on duty stuttered.
"Never mind," she grumbled, stepping past him swiftly. "Newbie," she mumbled to herself. "Have my shuttle prepped and ready to go before morning," she told the mechanic before slipping past the hanger doors.
She found her way to the blonde woman's quarters without hassle. Most of the satellite was still asleep, leaving no one in the passageways to stop her. She didn't knock. Seeing as what time it was, she really didn't think the other woman would be up. She keyed the access codes, the door slid open with a swoosh, and--
A wall of disinfectant fumes slammed into her. She coughed, but determinedly stepped into the room, looking around her in a somewhat bemused manner.
Fatina Winner could never have been called a neat freak. Orderly, maybe. Clean--err, well that was pushing it. However, the room Hiroshima Jackson stepped into was more than just clean. It was virtually empty; something even more disturbing to the Japanese woman who knew for a fact her friend was a self-proclaimed pack rat.
"Fatina?" she called out, stopping herself from cringing at the echo that bounced off the empty walls. "Fatina?" she called out again, crossing the room quickly and reaching for the bedroom door pad.
"I'm in here," a reserved voice called out from the kitchen.
Hiroshima turned at the first sound. "Fatina..." she whispered, not caring about the sound of relief that filled the other's name as it fell from her lips. She palmed the kitchen light, illuminating the darkened room... revealing the small blonde woman sitting at the table, nursing a cup of coffee.
"Good evening," the blonde said, looking up at her. She paused, frowned, smiled. "Or good morning, rather." She lifted the mug to her lips.
"What are you doing up so late, Fatina?" the dark haired woman asked gently, hovering at the entrance, hesitant to enter.
"Is it late?" Fatina murmured. "I hadn't noticed... I must have slept the day away after they left... hmmm..."
"Fatina?" the Japanese woman questioned, concern, stepping into the room.
The other woman looked up and gasped. "Oh! How rude of me! Come in, come in. Did you want anything to drink? Something to eat?" she asked, jumping up. "I can make you some tea if you'd like--"
"No, no, I'm fine," Hiro interrupted the other woman. "I'm fine, thank you. But how are *you*, Tina?"
They studied each other for what seemed like long, intense minutes. "I'm... fine, too," Fatina replied finally, smiling as she sank back into her chair. "Still a bit tired, but fine."
Hiro frowned. "Are you sick?" She was at the blonde woman's side, feeling her forehead.
"No, no. Of course not," Fatina replied, swatting the hand away. "I'm fine," she repeated, smiling up at the other woman. "Sit, sit. There's no point in standing, so sit."
Hiro slid into an empty chair, noticing the room for the first time. It was nearly empty. "Were you leaving?" she asked, turning her attention back to the woman across from her.
"Yes," Fatina answered easily. "I've decided there's nothing left for me here..." She smiled. "There's no reason for me to stay here. I've already called up one of my nieces. She's going to take over as on-site director here. I've already filled out the paper work and sent it over to WEI."
They lapsed into a moment of silence.
"And when did you decide this?" Hiro asked after another moment.
Fatina took another sip of her coffee. "Last night," she admitted after another silence. She speared the dark woman across from her with a 'look'. "After I talked with Quatre and... and... his friends." Quickly, she took another sip.
Hiro turned thoughtful, studying the wood grain in the table. "You told them everything?" she asked quietly.
"What I knew of it," Fatina answered softly, nodding.
They were both quiet, dealing with their own thoughts. And then...
"I see," Hiro replied on whisper. She looked up, her dark charcoal eyes studying the blonde, noting the dark smudges under the other's eyes that a few hours sleep could hardly hope to cure, the paleness that rivaled the woman's natural complexion. Even her hair and her clothes--things the blonde normally took pride in--looked drab and unkempt.
"And where were you planning to go?" she asked finally.
"Well, I told Quatre that I wanted to go to Earth," Fatina started, sipping again at her coffee. "But now that I think about it..." They met and held each other's gaze. "How about we head over to Mars?"
Two dark eyebrows arched high with surprise. "'Mars'?"
Fatina nodded. "It's a relatively new colony; only 6-7 years old. They're always eager for more colonists," she said before shrugging. "Besides, who'd turn away another doctor?"
"Mars..." Hiro repeated more thoughtfully as she leaned back in her chair. She looked back to the blonde. "I haven't done generic medicine in a while," she admitted slowly before smiling. "But I must admit, the idea does sound appealing..."
Fatina smiled back at her. "It's a great place to get lost in... start a new life... become a new person... I..." Her smile turned wistful. "I think I'd like that. I think I'd like that a lot. The chance to become someone else... to stop having to be 'Fatina Winner'..."
Hiroshima smiled a bit wistfully, too. "I think I'd like that, too," she admitted. One hand uncurled from the coffee mug and lay across the table towards her.
"Wanna run away together?" Fatina asked, her smile turning teasing.
She studied the hand held out to her; studied the face of the woman before her; looked back at the hand... and then, smiling, she slid her own hand into Fatina's. "I'd love to," she answered.
********** End of "Oh Baby, Baby" Part Thirty One**********
Andrea Readwolf
Please send comments to: andrea_readwolf@hotmail.com