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Fandom Archive
- Family Matters - A GW fic
Dubird - 07 Nov 2002 04:42 pm
Post subject: Family Matters - A
GW fic
ok, i didn't know what else to name this fic, but i think that will
work....you'll see what i mean after you read it....it's kinda long, but i think
it's an interesting story....even if i didn't quite get the ending right....oh
well.....i'm not going to say anything about it b/c i don't want to give it
away......hope you enjoy it!
~~~~~~~~~~~
Quatre sighed as he
looked over the mound of papers still littering his desk. He hated paperwork.
'If only a paper-less office could be invented, I'd be the happiest man in the
world.' He paused at that thought. It was funny, in a way. He'd turned 21 only 4
days ago, so why did he fell like he was 81? He shuffled some of the papers
around on his desk, trying to find a clear spot to work from. He'd sent his
secretary home some hours ago, when normal people usually get off work. The man
was very good, but some of the things that crossed his desk could only be taken
care of by the head of the Winner family. 'Now why couldn't Father have named
one of my sisters as head?' he wondered a bit rebelliously. He quickly started
looking for some files on the current colonization project to head off those
thoughts. He didn't have time to think of the vid tape he'd gotten from the
lawyers on his birthday. He wasn't even sure if he believed it.
A knock
at the door interrupted his search. 'If you could please leave a message, I
would apprecate it,' he called out, trying to regain his focus, and glad that he
had taken the time to lock the door after his secretary left. After a few
minutes, however, he heard an odd scratching noise. He reached under his desk
for the alarm button as his visitor apparently picked the lock and the door
swung open. He relaxed as he saw a pair of bright cobalt eyes and a big smile.
'Hey Quatre! I see they've taken to locking you in at night. C'mon,
we're here to release ya!' Duo sauntered in, followed by a slightly ruffled
Wufei.
'Duo!' Quatre came out from behind the desk to give his friend a
hug, then reached out to shake Wufei's hand. 'And Wufei. It's nice to see you
two. But I'm curious why you're out this way?'
'Ah, Wufei's shuttle
broke down near here. I was on my way here to pick up Hilde and thought I'd give
him a ride in.' Duo answered, leaning against the desk.
'What he means
is that he gave me a discount for a tow job,' Wufei corrected.
Quatre
shook his head. 'You'd charge a friend for job, Duo?'
Duo laughed. 'Just
for the parts. Even I can't get those for free! But enough shop talk. Like I
said, we're busting you out. You need a night out!'
'Well, thank you
anyway, Duo. But I have a lot to do.'
'Ah, I knew it!' Duo exclaimed.
'They've brainwashed you! Quick, Wufei, find the key so we can get him out of
here!'
'Hey, this is your idea, Maxwell. If you want to kidnap him, you
do it on your own.' Wufei crossed his arms over his jacket and leaned against
the wall.
'Yeah, you're a wuss. I always knew it!'
Wufei lifted
an eyebrow casually. 'That doesn't work anymore.'
'I was wondering when
you'd see through that.' Duo grinned at him, then turned back to Quatre. 'Look,
you can't take on the entire business world at once. Nothing's going to happen
while you relax for a few hours. Honestly, you look like hell! You need a
break!'
Duo's smile was infectious and Quatre found a tired smile to
return. 'Well, I apprecate that, but I really...' He broke off when Duo grabbed
his arm and started pulling him towards the door. 'None of that, now. Here.' He
handed Quatre his old leather jacket and a baseball cap. 'You can sneak out in
that. No one will recognize you!'
Quatre gave up trying to protest and
shrugged into the jacket. Duo pulled the cap down over his eyes and stepped
back. 'Doesn't look at all like the heir to a multi-million dollar corperation
now, does he?' He missed Quatre's look at that comment as he turned to smirk at
Wufei.
Wufei simply rolled his eyes and headed out the door. Duo
sauntered back out, followed by Quatre. The three made it outside without
comment, though Quatre could swear he saw Rashid giving Duo a wink as they
headed out the back door. 'So, where are we going?' he asked, zipping his jacket
closed. Duo just grinned. 'You'll see. Wouldn't want to spoil the surprise!'
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As the three slid into Duo's rental car,
Wufei found himself pondering the changes he saw in Quatre. Even though he had,
at first, considered him the weakest of their group, there were times when he
found himself willingly following Quatre's command. He may be the youngest of
the five, but now Wufei realized that he was probally one of the strongest. So
he couldn't help but be disturbed by the changes. For the first time, Quatre
looked tired. Not just physically tired, but mentally and emotionally. That
bothered him more than a little.
In the front seat, Maxwell was
continuing his chatter, though fortunately it was directed at Quatre this time.
Three days in a shuttle with a man that wouldn't shut up was very trying for
someone who preferred quiet. He crossed his arms over his chest again, and
watched the buildings on the street slide by. It had rained earlier and the
streetlights reflecting against the wet streets gave the neighborhood a rather
melancholy feel. He thought of what Sally's reaction to the shuttle's breakdown
would be with a bit of amusement. He had told her it was wearing out, but she
occasionally became stubborn and simply wouldn't listen. He suspected that had
something to do with some the comments he had made when they first met, but if
there was one thing he didn't understand after all the studying he had done in
his life, it was women.
'So what are you doing out this way, Wufei?'
Quatre's question interrupted his thoughts and he turned to face the blonde
Arab. 'I was actually coming from L4,' he answered. 'I dropped off some
personnel here.'
'What are the Preventers doing out this way?' Duo
asked, glancing up in the rearview mirror.
'You know I can't tell you
that, Maxwell.'
Duo grinned. 'Hey, you can't blame a guy for trying!
After all, if ya'll need some help, I'm still around.'
'I know.' Wufei
leaned forward against his seatbelt, putting his elbows on his knees. 'But we're
not going to be calling you if I can help it. That's what the Preventers are
for.'
'Amen to that,' Duo answered rather solemnly. Before the other two
could say something else, he quickly swung into a parking spot. 'OK, guys, we're
here! Grab your gear and hold onto your heads, we're in for a great time!'
Wufei suppressed a groan as he climbed out of the car. 'Where do you
come up with these sayings?' he heard Quatre ask, and added his question 'And
why do you insist on saying them?'
Duo winked. 'Well, the answer to
number one is from a good imagination. And the answer to number two is that I
just love the look on people's faces when I use them.'
Wufei met
Quatre's look at that comment, and they both rolled their eyes. Apparently, he
wasn't the only one that didn't understand Maxwell's sense of humor.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Duo watched with amusement as
Quatre's face turned deep red while the waitresses at Rosie's sang 'Happy
Birthday' to him. He suspected his friend didn't know whether to laugh or turn
around and slug him. He turned at winked at Wufei, who seemed to be trying his
best not to smile. The last three days stuck on a shuttle with the one pilot he
could never really seem to get through to was hard, but he was glad for the
opportunity. In between arguments and Wufei telling him off for talking to much,
they had actually had some good conversations, and he seemed to have broken
through the Solitary Dragon's exterior.
Then again, watching Wufei
sitting back away from the commotion, maybe he had only scratched the surface.
Quatre's rueful laughter brought his attention back to the present, and
grinned at his friend from across the table. 'I can't believe you did this,
Duo,' Quatre said, his face still red from embarrassment.
'Well, I
figured you hadn't really had a night out on the town with the guys before.
Everyone should do that from time to time. Besides, how often does your friend
turn 21?' He paused as Quatre's smile lost a bit shine, and he quickly changed
the subject. 'Now, I know you've been working hard, so you need to relax. Look,
we even got you a cake!' Sheequa, one the regular waitresses who'd been trying
to catch his eye ever since he started coming here, came forth with a big white
cake. On top of the cake was a yellow happy face, the kind he used to see on old
vids from years ago. Quatre just shook his head. 'You really shouldn't have done
this, Duo.'
Duo simply placed his hand on Quatre's shoulder and looked
him directly in the eye. 'Now, if you really mean that, we'll take ya home.
That's not a problem. But you gotta look me in the eye and tell me you really
don't want to take the night off.'
Quatre sighed, finally giving in.
'OK, you win. I'll be good.'
'That's exactly what you're not supposed to
be tonight!' Duo laughed as he handed him the knife to cut the cake.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Quatre cut into the cake with
amusement, feeling more like himself then he had in a long time. He watched Duo
flirting with the waitress and Wufei eating his cake quietly in the corner, and
felt himself unwind a little bit. 'Duo was right,' he thought to himself. 'I did
need this.'
He settled back into his char just as Duo hopped up. 'We
need refills! What're ya drinking, Quatre?'
'Um, that's ok. I'm fine
with this,' he answered, tapping his glass of Coke on the rim.
Duo
shrugged. 'Suit yourself!' He wandered over to the bar, talking animatedly with
several waitresses along the way. Quatre took a sip of his drink, and looked
over at Wufei. 'Did you have anything to do with this?' he asked, amusement
making his baby blue eyes sparkle.
Wufei shook his head. 'This was not
something I had a hand in. I think he set it up a couple of months ago.'
'Really?'
'Yes. I think he was hoping the others would be able
to show up as well. He told me he had invited them, but hadn't heard from them.'
Quatre nodded. A surprise party was something Duo would try and set up
on his own. 'So you survived three days locked in a shuttle with him?' he asked,
teasing slightly. It was no secret that Wufei and Duo hadn't gotten along very
well, though they respected each other's abilities to be able to work as part of
the same team without a problem.
He watched in amusement as Wufei
stifled a groan. 'Yes, I did survive, though I think I've heard enough
conversation to last me the rest of my life.'
'He does enjoy talking.'
'Did you know he talks to the shuttle craft?' Wufei said with
exasperation. 'I think he's on a permanent sugar high.'
Quatre laughed
at that. 'Well, I think he talks simply because he's trying to be friendly.'
'Yes, well, there's a highly intelligent mind lurking behind that fool's
facade. I just wonder why he continues to play the fool.'
'I don't
know.' Quatre shook his head in confusion, then looked up a bit startled as
Wufei switched seats to sit next to him. 'So, what's wrong?' the Chinese pilot
asked him, looking as calm as he would if he had asked about the weather.
'What are you talking about?' Quatre replied, keeping his smile firmly
in place.
Wufei steepled his fingers in front of him and gave Quatre a
serious look. 'In all the time I've known you, I've never seen you this tired. I
don't think it's just work.'
Quatre sighed and put down his drink. He
returned Wufei's gaze with a look just a serious, trying to reorient himself.
This was defiantly not something he expected out of Wufei. He had always had a
lot of respect for the pilot of Shenlong, but he had never really gotten to know
him. 'It is just work. I don't think I was cut out to be a paper pusher.'
Wufei raised an eyebrow and was about to reply when Duo slid back into
his chair with two glasses in his hand. 'Here,' he said, pushing one in front of
Quatre. 'Drink up, you'll like this one. It's nice and smooth.' Quatre rolled
his eyes, but obediently picked up his glass and took a sip.
Then nearly
dropped it from the sharp taste in his mouth. 'What is this, 180 proof?' he
coughed out.
Duo laughed. 'Hey, just wanted to see if you were still
awake!'
Quatre found himself laughing along. Duo's laugh had that
effect. He was glad for the short break from reality, and decided he'd better
enjoy it while he could.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The three pilots
piled back into Duo's car several hours later. Wufei was a bit surprised by
Maxwell's restraint in drinking. Though he knew the American normally didn't get
drunk, he also know that his fridge was always stocked in beer. But, Duo had
said he didn't want anyone else driving a car rented under his name, so he'd
been careful not to drink to much. 'Perhaps I don't give him enough credit,'
Wufei thought to himself, snapping his seat belt closed. He grabbed onto the
door handle as Maxwell suddenly hit the gas to merge into traffic. 'Then again,
maybe I should've rented the car myself.'
He noticed that Duo and Quatre
both were rather quiet on the drive back. That Quatre was quiet wasn't a
surprise, he had always been like that. Rather quiet unless he had something
important to say or do, then he wouldn't give up once his mind had been made up.
But the fact that Maxwell wasn't chattering endlessly was confusing. He wondered
what was preoccupying the American pilot.
He got his answer a few
minutes later as Maxwell pulled into a parking spot in front of Quatre's office
building. Before Quatre could climb out of the door, Duo had reached across and
grabbed his arm, keeping him inside. 'Allright, Quatre. You wanna tell us what's
bothering you?'
Quatre looked at him in surprise. 'Nothing's wrong. I've
just had a lot of work lately. I sometimes wish I could find a way to ban
paperwork in my office,' he said, with a rueful grin.
Duo shook his
head. 'I'm not buying that. And I don't think Wufei is either. Something's
bugging you, and we're not leaving until you tell us what it is. After all,
we're your friends. Whatever it is, we can help.'
Wufei leaned forward
and nodded. 'He's right. There is something bothering you, and it's not work.'
Quatre sighed. 'I'm fine. Really. I'm just so tired. Sometimes I wish
Father had simply named one of my sisters as heir, not me.' He winced at that,
then fumbled for the door handle.
Duo pushed the automatic lock button
before he could get the door open. 'Oh, no, you're not getting off that easy!'
Duo exclaimed. 'Does this have to do with your family?' he asked, trying to
figure out where to start.
'My family is just fine, Duo,' he replied as
calmly as he could. 'Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to get up early tomorrow.'
He popped open the door and slip out in one move, slamming the car door behind
him. Duo and Wufei exchanged glances at the snap in his voice, and they both
jumped out of the car to catch up to him. Duo grabbed his shoulder, stopping him
before he could climb the steps to the front door. 'Listen, Quatre. We just want
to help. Maybe we can, and maybe we can't. But whatever it is, you need to get
it off your chest. Keeping it inside isn't helping you.'
Quatre stood
silently for a moment, wrestling with his thoughts. He knew there wasn't
anything they could do to help, but the urge to just tell someone welled up
inside him. He turned around and sat on the bottom steps, his hands resting
loosely between his knees. 'I don't know if I can explain it. I'm not really
sure what I feel.'
'Try us,' Wufei urged, taking a seat next to him. Duo
sat down on his other side, his eyes full of concern.
Quatre took a deep
breath and concentrated on his hands. 'I got a vid message in the mail on my
birthday. From our lawyers. It had been left in their care by my father.
Apparently, he recorded it just before he died.'
'What did it say?' Duo
asked quietly.
'A lot of things. I'm still not sure what to make of it.'
He chuckled sadly, keeping his attention away from the others. 'I realized after
seeing it that my whole existance is...well...based on a lie.'
He missed
Duo's rather startled look at that comment. 'What do you mean?' he asked.
'You know how the entire Winner clan were test tube babies?' He looked
over to see Duo's affirmative nod. 'Well, I'm not. I always thought I was,
but...' He sighed. 'Apparently, my mother wanted to have a child. And she wanted
to so badly she didn't listen to the doctors who told her it was dangerous.'
'She died during childbirth, then,' Duo said, realizing the impact of
what he was saying. Quatre nodded. 'Yes. Father blamed himself for that, and I
think he blamed me as well. Not that I can blame him.'
'You can't take
the weight of the world on your shoulders, Quatre,' Duo replied, as serious as
the others had ever seen him. He gripped Quatre's shoulder tightly. 'You'll only
hurt worse because you can't fix everything. Nor can you blame yourself for
everything. Yes, your mother died giving birth to you. But she must have loved
your father so much to want to give him a child. That's not your fault. I doubt
your father blamed you for that either. Not if you really are like your mother.
This one fact is not going to change the person you are.'
'But it does,
don't you see?' Quatre stood up, facing away from the other two pilots. 'I
always believed I was created simply because Father needed an heir. Never mind
that I had more sisters than I've ever met. I always thought he wanted a male
heir, so that's where I came from. Now I find out that I was not made special
order. Not an accident, but, not created for any specific purpose except that my
mother wanted to have a child.' He turned to face Duo and Wufei, gesturing with
one hand. 'And what about the Maguanqs? They accepted me because of what they,
and I, believed me to be. Now...I just don't know.'
'I think you're
underestimating the Maguanqs,' Wufei said. 'They are your family. I've seen you
interact with them. Nothing you discover about your past will change that.'
'Yet I'm not the same person they thought I was.'
'Yes you are,
Quatre!' Duo stood up to face him, determined to get through to his friend.
'Listen to me. You said you weren't created for a real purpose. You're wrong.
Your mother loved your father so much that she was willing to give her life to
bring his child into being. There is no greater purpose than that.'
'Then why could he never tell me this? Why did I have to find out from a
vid message recorded before he died?' Quatre knew he was starting to sound a bit
childish, but he had no one else he could talk to like this. These questions had
been haunting him for four days.
'Probably because he knew you'd react
this way.' Duo's matter-of-fact answer made him pause for a moment. Duo grinned
at his look of confusion. 'You're too kind, Quatre. I'll bet your father knew
that. He knew that telling you before you were ready would probably cause
lasting damage. You're too quick to take blame for something simply to save
others from the pain.'
'He's right.' Wufei stood up and crossed his arms
over his chest. 'I used to think that was a weakness. But I realized something a
few years ago. That ability to care, without conditions, is what makes you one
of the strongest people I know.'
Quatre's eyes widened at this. That was
something he never thought he would hear Wufei say to him. Duo smiled to hide
his surprise as well, and nudged Quatre in the side. 'See? If Wufei says so,
there's no higher source.' Ignoring Wufei's glare, he continued on. 'Remember,
it doesn't matter how you came into being. It matters who are you are while
you're here.'
Quatre turned away for bit, trying to regain his
composure. 'I just wish he could have told me when he was still alive,' he
whispered. 'I never knew, and I'll never get to tell him that.' He felt a hand
pat his shoulder and Duo's voice answering him. 'At least you did get to know
him. Remember that. All your memories aren't bad, are they?' Quatre shook his
head, not trusting himself to reply. 'Then cherish the good memories, because at
least you do have those.'
The three pilots stood quietly together after
that, Quatre taking strength from the other two's presence. After a few minutes,
he shook his head and managed a small smile. 'I guess maybe you're right.'
Duo nodded. 'Yeah, sometimes I even amaze myself!'
Wufei rolled
his eyes at that. 'Sometimes you amaze me as well, Maxwell.'
'Thanks!'
Duo paused at that, then glared over at him. 'Hey!'
Quatre quickly
covered his mouth with his hand to hide his grin. 'I think on that note, we
should call it a night.'
'Yeah, well, if you need anything, just give us
a call, ok?' Duo patted him on the shoulder and gave him a warm smile, then
headed to the car, followed by Wufei. 'I'll be around for a while, and I'm sure
I can talk Wufei into staying.'
'Not if you paid me, Maxwell. I think
four days is my limit on your ceaseless chatter,' he answered, sliding into the
passenger seat.
'Ah, that's only because I didn't get to cook for ya.
Just wait until I hit the stores tomorrow!' Duo started the car and drove off
with a wave, still trying to convince the other pilot to stay around for one
more day.
Quatre just shook his head and smiled. He wondered if Wufei
would let himself be talked into staying. He felt himself relax a bit more,
grateful for what the two had done. Now, if only he could gather the courage to
talk to Rashid.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After a few minutes
drinking in the night air, Quatre fished his key card out of his wallet and let
himself back into the office building. He nodded absently to the security guard,
who seemed a bit surprised to see him, and started down the hallway towards the
elevator. He was lost in thought when he heard Rashid's voice come seemingly out
of nowhere.
'Master Quatre, you really shouldn't be here this late.' The
giant Maguqanc's voice was faintly amused, but still stern.
'Rashid!'
Quatre cleared his throat to cover his surprise. 'I didn't know you were still
here. I just had some things I needed to clear up.'
'So did you enjoy
the party?' Rashid asked him, struggling not to laugh.
'How...? You were
in on that, weren't you?' he replied, feeling a flush of anger melt into
chagrin.
'Not until earlier. Your friend called this afternoon and told
me what he had in mind.'
Quatre shook his head. 'I thought I saw you. I
should have guessed. Sometimes I wonder just who is in charge of who here,' he
said ruefully. He took a deep breath, then looked directly into Rashid's eyes.
'There is something I do have to say. Would it be to much trouble to come up to
my office with me?'
Rashid looked down at his young friend, noticing the
serious look in his normally cheerful face. 'Does this have anything to do with
what you told your friends outside?' he asked, trying for innocence.
Quatre's jaw dropped. 'You heard that?' He closed his eyes. 'That's not
how I wanted you to find out. I'm sorry.'
'But it's not how we found
out, Master Quatre. We've known for a number of years.'
The blond Arab
just stood there, completely floored. 'You...knew? And you didn't say anything?'
Rashid nodded.
'But..why?' The question came out a bit harsher
than he had intended, but he couldn't keep the bitterness from his voice.
Rashid sighed softly. 'Your father told me just before he died. He asked
that we not tell you, but he wanted us to know the truth.' He placed his hand on
Quatre's shoulder, who had turned around in an effort to remain composed. 'It
has never matter to us how you were born, Master Quatre. We have pledged to
serve you, and we will. And not just because of our pledge, but because we want
to. You are part of our family. You always have been.'
After a moment,
he heard a quiet laugh from Quatre, who was shaking his head. 'Do you ever feel
like your life has just suddenly been put on another path?' he asked softly. He
turned around, then, and Rashid noticed a small smile on his face. 'Never mind,
don't answer that.' Quatre shook his head again.
'If I had known about
the vid, I would have told you sooner.'
'No, that's all right, Rashid,'
Quatre answered him. 'I understand why you didn't say anything.' He smiled then,
feeling as if a great weight had been taken off his shoulders. 'What's in the
past should stay there, right?'
Rashid nodded. 'I believe that's the way
it should be, yes.'
Quatre grinned at him. 'Then, we'll leave it there.'
He continued down the hallway, his step a bit lighter as he went. 'Duo was
right,' he thought to himself, feeling a bit better knowing he still had his
family.
Choco - 12 Nov 2002 04:02 pm
Post subject:
That's nice!
Ladywriter - 07 Dec 2002 12:06 pm
Post subject:
awww dubie that was great
Amadeus - 07 Dec 2002 12:07 pm
Post subject:
Looks fab but I've only had time to read the first paragraph! I really should be
working....
I'll post my full thoughts when I've had time to read it all,
fear not
dark_templer_102 - 07 Dec 2002 08:21 pm
Post subject:
same here.......but its looks sweet
lloyd - 09 Dec 2002 02:33 pm
Post subject:
*goes blind from al the reading 
Dubird - 09 Dec 2002 07:19 pm
Post subject:
*sighs*
well, thanx for those that did read it....i do apprecate the
comments....
and i'm not posting any more stories up here.....i
can't believe that's too long for people
to read......and it's like pulling teeth to get anyone to read my stuff
anyways.....at least i try and read people's fics if i know the series it's
from.....
dark_templer_102 - 09 Dec 2002 07:41 pm
Post subject:
no......its just i'm really lazy and usually doing something else 
Azrael - 09 Dec 2002 08:15 pm
Post subject:
I read it. I don't usually read fanfics, but it's nice.
End of Topic.
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