"The Meaning of
Life"
Written By: SkyLark
Pairings: 1x2x1
Warnings: AU, Neko, male pregnancy, sap, angst
Rating: R
Betaed by ShenLong Deb *hugs*
Archives: http://www.gundam-wing-diaries.150m.com/gw/SkyLark/gwSkyLark.htm
and http://www.mizunoamy.bravepages.com/skylark/skylarkfics.html
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Gundam Wing, or its characters.
I just love playing with them.
Third fic in the Neko series
"The Meaning of Life"
Suddenly feeling light-headed again, Duo leaned heavier
against Heero as he stared at the image before him. While the details
were not there to make out the gender, it was perfectly clear that
where the main embryo had been, there were three growing fetuses
inside of him.
Just beginning to take a real shape, the forms
were starting to show signs of heads and appendages growing.
No wonder his body was acting up so much. When Hilde snickered, the
neko realized that he had spoken that comment aloud. "One baby
alone would have had an impact enough," the obstetrician smirked.
"But three on top of the stress that you're dealing with certainly
was enough to send your system off tilt."
Cobalt eyes still on the image in his partner's hand, all Heero could
whisper was, "Triplets." Looking closer, he smiled
lovingly on the shot of his children. A sudden thought ran through
his mind as he frowned in confusion. Turning to Sally, he
stated, "I did not think that they would be this developed just
over a month."
"Ah," the braided doctor nodded. "Very good. And that
is the very thing that also spurned our interest. It appears that
because of the DNA structure in Duo consists of a cat's makeup, the
progression of the pregnancy is moving along a few weeks more rapidly
than a normal human pregnancy."
Instantly, concern and fear filled the couple's eyes and Howard raised
a hand while reassuring, "All looks to be well with the babies'
developments. The circumstances may be unusual, but the progression
is going on normally in the adjustment to those elements."
When his friends blinked in confusion, Treize translated with a grin,
"In other words, for a neko, everything is moving along just
as it should. We'll just be dealing with a much shorter pregnancy
than the nine months we had expected in the beginning."
Swallowing roughly, Duo asked, "How much shorter?"
Hilde chewed on the inside of her cheek before answering, "We
honestly don't know. And since you're the first male neko to
ever be pregnant, we are really shooting in the dark here. Right now,
it looks as though the growth is about twice as fast as a standard
pregnancy. Whether it stays that way or not, we will have to keep
monitoring you to know for certain. Not to mention that we need to
keep track on what the growth of three little ones inside of you will
play in your own health."
Never one to like being under a microscope, the braided teenager accepted
whatever came if it meant that his babies would be safe. With a firm
nod, he accepted, "All right."
Raising a hand, Heero inquired, "Let's just say that there is
no slow down in the babies' growth. We could be looking at the babies
being born in five or six months, then?"
"If things move on as they are, that would be the longest wait
for them," Sally responded. "So you could very well be looking
at a late October or mid-November delivery." Their eyes widening,
the couple turned to each other in shock.
After a long pause, the artist smirked, "Looks like we better
put a rush on the start of our house." His head still swimming
with all of this new information, Duo could only let out a small snort
at that.
Folding his arms, Howard broke the moment by half-heartedly glaring
at his cat-eared friend. "Now," he began in a stern tone,
"As far as your collapse, your electrolytes were off the chart.
I know that this trial has been stressful, but how well have you been
eating and resting these last few days?"
Duo flinched, tall ears and tail sagging a bit as he admitted, "Not...
very well. I could have been better."
Pleased that the boy was at least honest, the old man patted his head
with a warm, "Well, let's take this as a lesson learned. You
are going to be going through a great deal these next few months,
so there is no need to make it more difficult by not taking care of
yourself."
Speaking up, Hilde suggested, "My recommendation would be that
as soon as this hearing is over tomorrow, you take at least a week
of not doing much of anything. I am not demanding bed rest at the
moment, but you should take it easy. Plenty of rest and good, healthy
meals from this point on." Both Sally and Treize nodded their
heads in agreement of the diagnosis.
One of the few things the neko liked less than examinations was 'taking
it easy.' There was just so much to do. But, he understood and accepted
what was being asked of him. In the end, it was all for the best for
his steadily growing family.
Arms and tail wrapped around his waist, Duo grinned, "Okay. I'll
relax when this is all over." Satisfied by that, the medical
team smiled.
"Then on that note, we'll give you both some time alone whilst
we inform the others what is going on," Treize stated. Tilting
his head, he added, "So long as that is all right with the both
of you?"
Happy to finally get a moment to themselves, the couple eagerly handed
the explanation task to their friends. As worried as the lot still
waiting had been, they needed to be told that all was fine.
Offering winks and small waves, the scientist and doctors headed from
the room. The last to step out, Howard closed the door after
him.
Quickly spinning to face his lover, Duo exclaimed, "Triplets,
Heero! We have a litter!" Throwing his arms around the laughing
artist's neck, he clung on tightly while Heero wrapped him up in return.
When they pulled away, the beaming parents-to-be smiled as they paged
through the images of the trio. "This means three times the feedings,"
Heero acknowledged.
"Three times the diaper changes," the neko chuckled
deeply.
Slightly wincing, the Japanese youth thought aloud, "Three times
the crying in the middle of the night."
Duo sighed as he lowered the pictures in his hands. Glowing, he purred
quietly, "Three times the hugs and kisses."
Unable to help the wide smile on his own face, Heero whispered, "Yea."
Lightly wrapping his arms around his lover's waist, he rested
his head on his shoulder with a soft, "It's going to be great."
Humming, the the cat-eared boy leaned back against his partner.
Kissing his cheek, Duo replied, "Yea. It will be."
* * * *
As soon as the couple stepped into the living room to reunite
with their friends and family, Duo's first order of business was to
kneel at Danny's side and hug him. Getting over the last
of his relieved sniffles, the little boy returned the embrace.
Their tails twining together, the braided neko whispered,
"Sorry that I scared you back there, pal." Pulling back,
Danny just gave him a smile and nodded as his big brother rubbed the
top of his head.
Noin and Zechs quickly moved in to embrace their son, unable to really
trust their voices at that moment, so immense was their relief. Danielle
and Trent joined Heero with small grins of excitement over the news
of the multiple babies. Finally, they all had something to celebrate
for a time.
Their band of friends that had been gathered took their leave along
with the nekos, returning to the Yuy-Clark residence to spend the
night there. It had been agreed upon by all that the couple needed
to take in the latest news with their families. They could always
get caught up later.
Looking over the ultrasound images that Duo had proudly handed over,
Noin gasped and beamed. "My goodness," she whispered. "You
know, all of this was so hard to comprehend until you actually
see it." Zechs chuckled beside her as he peered over her shoulder
to see their grandchildren.
With a few pictures in their own possession, Danielle and Trent shook
her heads in awe. "One baby under these circumstances was a miracle
enough... but three... it's incredible," the red-haired lawyer
commented quietly. Snickering, she turned towards Noin and
told her, "We're going to be getting a lot of calls for
help looking after these little ones."
"I'm looking forward to it," the former maid giggled. Winking
at her husband, she commented, "It'll be good practice for when
we have a baby of our own."
Zechs smirked, "By the time that happens, Duo will be a seasoned
pro that you'll be looking to for advice." Noin laughed, knowing
the truth of that. "It will be nice that our children will have
their cousins to grow up with." All around, heads nodded at that
sentiment.
His face nearly splitting with a wide smile, Danny looked up to his
brother and raised a finger. "So now you have to come up with
three names," he informed in a serious tone.
Duo folded his arms as his tail swished behind him with an amused,
"Oh, don't worry. We won't forget. In fact, we'll make sure that
the names we do pick get your approval first." He glanced from
the corner of his violet eye to his smiling lover. Heero winked
to him with a grin in silent acceptance of that idea.
Gasping, the boy shouted excitedly, "Really?!" He opened
his arms as his brother nodded. Hugging his brother's neck when he
was hoisted up, the little neko's prior fears were completely forgotten
in light of his newfound excitement. A purr rumbling in his chest,
he promised, "I'll make sure they're real good names!"
Heero wrapped an arm around his partner's shoulders and chuckled,
"Yes, you will. We wouldn't trust that role to anyone
else." Beaming all over again, Danny reached over to wrap his
arms around the artist's neck in appreciation.
With a deep breath, Trent frowned, "As much as I hate to break
this up, we really should head back home. "We have an early day
tomorrow, so we better try and get as much rest tonight as we can."
On that cue, Howard and Hilde peered into the room as the last two
of their friends that remained.
Medical bag in hand, the obstetrician frowned, "I wish
that I could be there at the hearing, myself, but I am on call with
the office. Besides that, my sudden appearance in your support camp
the day after your collapse would not be a good idea. If a reporter
was curious enough, they could look back into my background and figure
out my line of work."
"Good point," Heero winced. "The last thing we need
is something for the media to build another story around." There
was no argument there from anyone else in the room.
Nodding firmly, Hilde handed out a business card to the expectant
grandparents. "If any of you have any further questions or concerns,
don't hesitate to call me." She gently patted her friends' backs
on her way for the door, telling them, "You already have my number,
so be sure to get a hold of me if anything changes before our next
meeting in a couple of weeks."
Duo and Heero smiled gratefully and waved the young woman off as they
and their families thanked her and wished her a good night before
she disappeared. From there, the group moved to embrace and offer
their words of appreciation to Howard before they left his residence.
Curled up together in the back seat of the Merquise vehicle, Heero
and Duo continued to page through the ultrasound images of the babies.
Bright grins on their faces, they discussed their latest news quietly
the whole trip home.
"So after tomorrow, you're going to be sure and follow the doctors'
orders to take it easy, right?" the artist smirked as he pulled
his lover closer. Lightly brushing back the long bangs that were shielding
the violet eyes turning up towards him, he warned, "Don't think
that I won't take matters into my own hands if you go pushing yourself
over the next couple of weeks."
His braided head shaking, Duo chuckled, "Don't worry, Dad. I
promise I'll be good." Satisfied with that, Heero kissed his
brow before lowering his cheek between his partner's tall, furry ears.
Physically and mentally drained from their adventurous day, they fell
asleep before they reached their home.
* * * *
It was like deja vu all over again the following morning as Duo
was surrounded by his loved ones on the way up the stairs of
the Supreme Justices' court. Once again surrounded by reporters
and cameramen, the neko had an easier time blocking out
the sights and sounds while keeping his head lowered.
Some of the shouted questions included how long the
defense lawyers thought it would be before a verdict was reached.
Others inquired what the verdict may be. Still more journalists yelled
out to hear from Duo how he was feeling and the reason for his collapse.
Finally, back inside the large building, the small army made its way
into the sealed off waiting room. Danielle and Trent hurried off for
a requested meeting with the Justices to discuss the health of their
client and if he was up to waiting out their decision.
Once it was made clear that all was well, the judges closed off their
meeting quarters to resume their deliberation.
The first two hours that followed ticked by slowly. Card and board
games were played to occupy the mind and the time. Moving even slower,
the third hour drew out even longer. Minutes felt like hours. Hours
felt like days at the start of an eternity.
Finally, well into the fourth hour, the bailiff peeked his head into
the room to announce that the decision had been made and court was
resuming.
A swarm of butterflies flitting around in his stomach, Duo bit his
lip and accepted all of the hugs and kisses from his supporters before
they headed out to return to their benches. The last to leave, Heero
kissed his lover soundly. "Love you," he whispered.
Smiling, the neko replied in kind with a soft purr, "Love you,
too." Reluctantly, the artist turned and headed from the room.
"Deep breath," Danielle urged soothingly when she and her
husband were alone with their client. Gently rubbing the teenager's
back, she kept a warm grin on her face until his tense shoulders eased.
Only when Duo announced that he was ready did his lawyers turn on
their heels and lead the way out into the hallway. Swallowing roughly,
he kept his head slightly downward as to not pay attention to his
surroundings when they entered the courtroom. Sounds of muttering
all around made his ears twitch in the directions of the sources.
Septum was quietly whistling to himself as he sat at his table,
something that he did when he was nervous. Two of the few that knew
that little detail of the man, Danielle and Trent smiled to each other.
If prosecutor was showing signs of tension, then that meant he was
just as uncertain of the outcome than they were.
If nothing else, it was good to see Septum squirm for a change.
Careful to not do the same, the defense team remained poised and unreadable
as they took their own seats. Looking over his shoulder, Duo sought
out the grinning faces on him and took what relief from that
he could.
Biting his lip, the neko made his tail slip
between the cracks in the short railing to reach Heero and wrap around
his wrist. Gently taking it in his hand, the artist mouthed, 'I love
you' to his lover with a warm smile.
At the sound of the door at the front of the room opening, everyone
looked up as the bailiff stepped out. "All rise," the dark-skinned
man bellowed, his voice once again echoing off the walls.
There was a loud shuffling sound as the large crowd
stood at attention. Single-file, the Justices left their chambers
to move for their respective podiums at the sound of the bailiff stating,
"The honorable Supreme Justices of the Earth and Colonies presiding."
Last to reach his place at the middle pillar, Justice Harris
focused on the large audience filling the lower and upper sections
and informed, "We are going to simply get to the point of the
matter. If the defense and prosecution will remain standing for the
verdict, everyone else may be seated." He along with his fellow
Justices took their seats as the audience did the same.
His throat constricting, Duo had to make a couple attempts at swallowing
before he could get it down. To his right, his lawyers kept their
heads high in readiness for the verdict. Arms folded behind his back,
Septum took a deep breath.
"First of all," Harris began while turning to face the neko,
"We are all relieved that you are faring well today, Mister Maxwell.
Your being here today after your scare is more than commendable."
And at that, the prosecutor's shoulders sagged a bit in defeat. Blinking
his wide violet eyes, the braided teenager smiled and nodded firmly
in appreciation.
That said, Justice Harris took up his gavel and cleared his throat.
"This was a very difficult matter for those of us on this panel,"
he informed. "We had put ourselves into this position by not
looking at every angle the first time we met under these circumstances.
Now, we are up against a rock and a hard place with the life of another
in the balance of it all, and for that we are truly sorry."
Instantly, Duo's ears and tails drooped deeply at those words. Having
heard similar disclaimers in his days of early practice, he knew what
was coming and the world moved slowly as he turned numb. Everything
around him faded away as the white-haired man raised his gavel as
though he were moving in molasses.
Vaguely, he heard the man announce, "We of the High Court Supreme
Justices hereby deem the motion for a neko to marry, or join with
a normal human denied."
Against the sound of startled cries, cheers, shouts and moans, the
gavel was slammed down onto its base to echo off the walls.
TBC
chapter 16
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