Wow.
Been awhile, ain't it?
Well, I've got good news. I haven't sent in my computer, yet. Which is good for you, because I was so close to finishing chapter fourteen of FotBB that I decided to just get it done today so I can send in my comp guilt free and you'll not have been waiting, like, six weeks for a new chapter. So. . . that's the good news. I will be sending my comp in soon, though, I can garuntee that. It needs done. I truly does. So I'm going to do that this week. I keep procrastinating because I don't want to be without my computer. But I'm sending it in. I am. *Shifty eyes*
So, anyway, I'll post chapter fourteen, and I'll leave you a little note when I go MIA for awhile because I am computerless. I hope you enjoy this chapter!
Title: Flight of the Bumblebee Part Fourteen
Rating: T/PG-13
Fandom: Harry Potter Gundam Wing crossover
Disclaimer: If I owned either both of these, aside from being dreadfully confused about a lot of things, I'd be rich. Sadly, I'm not. Since I have a distinct lack of money, I obviously down own them.
Warnings: (1x2, 3x4, 5x6)
Summary: Trowa Barton discovers that he actually has family thanks to mandatory government testing. Since Trowa isn't eighteen yet, he's the lucky sap that gets to go live with them for awhile, to the annoyance of the rest of the pilots and Preventors.
Flight of the Bumblebee
Part Fourteen
Queen of the World
Friday morning was spent at school where Harry told Ali and Lance all about therapy and ended up sitting on the playground pretending to "see a therapist." Trowa hadn't understood it, but apparently the three had fun so he decided not to question it. If Harry wanted to tell his friends all about Dr. Reece, then he could tell his friends all about Dr. Reece. "Don't forget Relena, Dorothy, and Noin are coming for the weekend," Trowa reminded his cousin, watching Harry bounce around the car for a moment before calming down and staring out the window. "They'll be here for supper."
"I know. I'm really excited. Dudley said you were lying when you said you knew her, but I knew you didn't. And now I get to meet her! Ali and Lance thought it was super cool, that Quatre knew Miss Relena and everything, and that I get to meet them."
"Did they, now?" Trowa wondered if two nine year olds would be considered security threats, but decided that the six of them would be able to handle it.
"Yeah. And Lance was really jealous because he said Miss Relena's very pretty." Harry made a bit of a face. "But girls are so yucky!"
"That doesn't mean they aren't pretty. And Relena is very pretty."
"Prettier than Quatre?" Harry grinned, following Trowa into the house. "Because Quatre's awfully pretty."
"Boys aren't pretty, Harry," Trowa scolded playfully, trying not to laugh.
"Yeah, but Quatre might as well be a girl. He acts like one," Harry reminded him, and Trowa heard Duo snort somewhere down the hall way. The teen winced. Duo overhearing Harry's remark probably wouldn't end well.
"We're home!" Trowa called, heading towards the living room with Harry. "When is Relena getting here?"
"Two hours," Hiiro answered, hanging up the phone. "She just called me. Noin has her traveling incognito for the trip, so she wanted to show off her outfit."
"Dare I ask what it was?"
"Duo's idea." Hiiro grunted, rolling his eyes. "She's got her hair in pig tails and is currently wearing overalls."
"You're kidding me."
"Une even got her fake papers." Hiiro wasn't kidding, and he didn't look happy about his "sister" traveling without an armed guard. Not that Noin and Dorothy wouldn't be able to take care of anyone that tried to hurt her, but Hiiro was a little overprotective (not that he would ever admit it). "She was thrilled."
"Well, if her current job doesn't work out, she's a shoo in for a farm," Duo's grin was obvious, even through he was shouting down the stairs. "Q-bean! I need those papers from that scrap we got last week! That damn brat. . . what's-his-name. . . oh, Gregory Junior, he's having a bitch fit!"
"So let him have a bitch fit!" Quatre shouted back. "I can't even find the paperwork I did Monday! It's buried on my desk somewhere!"
"Yui!" Wu Fei screamed, and something clattered down the stairs. "Come get Maxwell before he blows up the damn house!" The Chinese man was obviously somewhat irate with Hiiro's American lover.
"Barton!" The chours by both Zechs and Quatre made the teen sigh and look at Harry, who giggled and shrugged. Another chaotic day in the Gundam household, apparently.
"What didn't I do this time?"
"Papers!" Quatre screamed, and Zechs gave a shout following closely behind while Harry and Trowa sprinted up the steps in time to see two blonds buried under a few mountains of paperwork. Surverying the mess, Quatre promptly broke into tears. It had taken him hours to clean up the paperwork before, and now he wasn't just at square one, he was standing in the midst of ground zero.
Harry hugged Quatre tightly. "I'll clean it up," Harry offered. "I'm really good at it."
"It's not your fault, green eyes," Quatre rubbed his temples after wiping his eyes. He was so stressed out that having his paperwork collapse on him had been the final straw. "I'll get it."
"No," Harry told him firmly, guiding him to the couch in the office while Trowa unburied Zechs. "Trowa will get you and Zechs some tea, and then I bet the rest of us can straighten this out in a jif. Just stay there. I'll be right back."
Quatre almost didn't let himself relax, but the thought of the devistated look on Harry's face if he didn't listen made him stay on the small settee along one wall. Zechs joined him moments later, and Harry reappeared with the others in tow about five mintues after that, Wu Fei and Hiiro bearing tea cups for Quatre and Zechs.
"Alphabetical or chronological?" Harry asked, picking up the first packet and glancing at it.
"Alphabetical by company. If there's more than one, then place those chronological," Quatre breathed in the tea, forcing himself to calm. Harry gave a nod, and then started sorting through the papers with the help of the others. Neat stacks began to form, and within an hour everything had been cleaned up and put back in order. Quatre rubbed his temples, sniffing again, and hugged Harry tightly.
"Thank you, green eyes."
"You looked really, really sad," Harry explained. "I didn't want you to be sad anymore."
"You were a very big help." Quatre just let himself hold the boy, relaxing against Harry and basking in the adoration of a child. Zechs hugged Harry when Quatre finally let go, and the two returned to the paperwork moments later, digging through the piles upon piles of stuff to find what they needed. Since it was organized, it took little time to finish their work. Harry even stayed to help a little bit, fetching papers when Quatre or Zechs couldn't find them. Harry smiled. Maybe he was still useful after all.
<>*<>
"Hello everyone!" A woman's voice made them all jump and spin, though the pilots recognized the voice immediately.
"Relena!" Harry got a brief look at a girl with long, golden blond hair and bright blue eyes before Zechs enveloped her in a hug. "How are you, little sister?"
Harry blinked, slightly confused. He hadn't know Zechs had a sister. Turning his attention to the other two in the doorway, he tilted his head. Relena was the smallest by a couple of inches, but the next girl looked more like Zechs, in Harry's mind. Long white blonde hair fell to her knees and ice blue eyes had a happy little spark to them. But Harry was really afraid of her strange, forked eyebrows. Diving behind Trowa, Harry grabbed his shirt and pressed his face into Trowa's back. "She's got scary eyebrows," Harry whispered, making Duo howl with laughter.
"She won't hurt you, though. Appearences can be decieving," Quatre told him, moving to greet the young woman. He called her "Dorothy," and offered her a seat on the couch.
The last woman to arrive just stepped next to Trowa and looked around to Harry. "Aren't you cute," She offered, smiling. Harry blinked up at her. She had black hair and purple eyes, though hers were darker than Duo's. "I'm Lucrezia Noin. But almost everyone calls me Noin."
"Hello, Miss Noin," Harry muttered, blushing a bit and toeing the ground. "It's nice to meet you." Zechs had talked about her a little, and from what Harry knew she was sort of like a sister to Zechs, but Harry still wasn't sure she'd like him.
"They talk about you a lot to us, you know," Noin smiled at him, kneeling down to speak to him so Harry didn't have to crane his head to her. "You're something special, you know that?"
"I'm not special," Harry protested, shaking his head. "Everyone says so."
"Then I have to disagree," Noin laughed softly. "Now, do I get a hug from someone who's almost my little brother?"
Harry blinked at her, then gave a shy, little smile and nodded, hugging her tightly. Unexpectedly Noin stood, lifting Harry with her, and the boy contented himself with settling in her arms. Trowa was near-by, so Noin wouldn't dare hurt him. "Oh, you're so sweet," Relena offered, hugging him gently. "I wish I had a cousin as cute as you! You want to come home with me and be my cute, little cousin?"
Harry shook his head, half-panicked. "I want to stay with Trowa!"
"I was teasing you, sweetie," Relena explained, making Harry smile. She was so very nice! "It's my way of saying that I think you're a very sweet boy and that I like you."
"Oh." Harry considered that, then nodded. "So you aren't really going to take me away from Trowa?"
"That would be rather silly of me, since I helped him get you here in the first place." Relena laughed softly, gesturing for Noin to put the boy down so she could get a proper hug. Harry grinned. It was nice to hug Relena. She was warm and soft and she smelled good. Noin had kind of been that way, but she'd had too much muscle. He sighed softly, wondering if Relena's hug felt like his mother's. Maybe it did, and that was why it felt so nice. He liked that.
"Have you met Dorothy yet?" Relena asked, leading him to the couch. Harry shook his head, shying away from "eyebrow lady."
"Her eyebrows scare me," Harry whispered to Relena, and Relena gave a tiny smile.
"She's very nice," Relena assured him, even though Dorothy usually wasn't. But she was under orders from. . . pretty much everyone currently in the house to be kind to Harry. Harry gave her an uncertain look, then hugged her tightly. Dorothy blinked in shock, arms folding around the little boy almost of their own accord. Relena didn't bother to hide her smile. "He's so sweet."
"He's very affectionate," Quatre agreed, rising. "Now that we've all met, I think we should go downstairs. I'm hungry, and I believe Hiiro did say supper would be ready soon."
An unlady-like yowl drifted from Relena's belly, and Dorothy laughed. "Relena seems hopeful."
"Shut up, you," Relena swatted the girl playfully, following Quatre down the stairs, the others in tow. Harry stayed next to Dorothy, looking up at her for several seconds. Dorothy shifted slightly uncomfortably. Like Trowa, Harry's eyes seemed to look through her, seeing her soul instead of her skin.
Without a word, Harry quietly grabbed her hand and followed her down the stairs. If Relena was what a mother felt like, then maybe Noin was like an aunt and Dorothy was like a sister. Harry smiled to himself a little. Trowa's family was awfully disfunctional, but it still worked, somehow. And, for the first time, Harry felt that he might actually manage to fit in.
<>*<>
Like most meals in the home of five-former-terrorists-one-former-OZ-special-and-one-formerly-neglected-child, dinner consisted of mass panic, disorder, and chaos. The three extra guests didn't change anything, except to make it worse, perhaps, but Harry didn't mind. It was nice to have company, but he was a little nervous around the girls. The only girl he really knew was Aunt Petunia, but Relena, Noin, and Dorothy were nothing like her. They were nice, and they liked him. Relena thought he was sweet, and Dorothy even offered to play video games with him after the meal.
Harry wondered if girls were any good at video games. Aunt Petunia had never played, and Harry wasn't sure if girls were supposed to play video games anyway.
Following the girls up the stairs, Harry got his butt kicked by Dorothy and Noin at several group battle games, and laughed as Quatre got his ass handed to him as well in a few more rounds. Dorothy was really good at it. She and Hiiro were usually the last two battling it out.
Although, in Hiiro's favor, he usually won.
Dorothy complained bitterly about it while they popped popcorn and put in a moving, and Harry decided to curl up next to Relena, with his head on her lap. She smiled and began to rub his back. "You like living with Trowa?" She asked, moving up to slowly rub his head.
"Yeah," Harry's eyes half closed. "He's great. Like a brother."
"Oh?"
"Uh huh. He listens to me, and he buys me stuff, and he's really nice. Not like a cousin at all."
"Maybe he really is like a cousin, hm? Maybe Dudley was just a jerk."
"Cousins are mean," Harry shook his head. "Trowa's really nice. And so is everyone else. Like brothers. And Hiiro said he'd teach me knife tricks, and they play with me, and take me to school and don't make me walk, and they feed me, and I have a bed and a bedroom and everything. I really, really want to stay."
"I'm glad you like it here," Relena bent to press a kiss to his soft hair. Harry gave a drowsy smile.
"I wish Trowa really was my brother," Harry admitted. "Then he couldn't send me back."
"I don't think he will, you know."
"I'm bad. He will when he learns I'm bad," Harry sniffed. "But I don't want to go back. I want to stay here. I really love Trowa. And Quatre. . . and Hiiro and Duo and Wu Fei and Zechs too."
Relena continued to gently stroke his hair, her smile sad. Harry had been through so much, and Trowa knew so little about being a family. If they could survive, they would be as close as anyone hoped, but Relena couldn't help but worry. What if they couldn't?
<>*<>
"TROWA!" Harry's shout at three in the morning made Relena jerk awake and run from her room. Harry was practically in hysterics and all she could do was watch as Hiiro yanked his door open and gathered the boy in his arms while Trowa rushed from his own room moments later to take the blindly-reaching child from Hiiro. "Don't leave me!"
"Harry, Harry, I'm right here. Listen to me, green eyes. I'm. Right. Here." Trowa held him tightly, crooning at him and cooing, and Relena watched from her own door, stunned. Hiiro stepped toward her, pushing her gently back into her room.
"Is he like this often?" Relena asked, closing the door and moving to sit on her bed.
"This is his first nightmare here." Hiiro frowned. "Though I'm not sure what it means."
"Nightmares often show one's worst fears," Relena pointed out. "Maybe even Harry didn't realize how much he'd come to love Trowa. How much he wants to stay."
"I don't think that's it, Relena," Hiiro put an arm around her. "I'm not sure you can understand what it means to gain what Harry now has. I think. . . I think he finally realized just how much it scares him to think we would throw him away too."
"What does that mean?"
Hiiro shook his head, frowning slightly as he rose to leave. Trowa was still in the hall with his cousin, holding him and rocking him awkwardly, like Hiiro had seen mothers in the park do when their children fell. Trowa looked strange doing it, shifting in the hall with Harry's thin arms wrapped tightly around his neck, the boy's tears drenching Trowa's dark shirt. Hiiro bit his lip. Even the most basic of movements, like rocking a crying child, was difficult because none of the pilots had ever learned to do it. They had never been taught how to offer comfort.
"Is he all right?" Harry seemed to be mostly asleep, but Hiiro was speaking in Spanish, just in case.
"He's fine," Trowa smiled. "I'll put him to bed soon. It's just. . . kind of nice to hold him."
"Practice?" Hiiro teased softly.
Trowa stared at him for a moment, resting his chin on Harry's head as the child snuggled closer. "I. . . I don't know," The teen whispered, then disappeared into Harry's bedroom, leaving Hiiro staring after him before returning to his own.
Duo's brigh teyes stared at him, gleaming in the darkness. "What are you thinking?"
"Trowa was rocking Harry." Hiiro frowned.
"That's good."
"It was. . . it was strange." Hiiro admitted. "Because we never had anyone to teach us things like that. He looked odd, doing it. It was just. . . strange. . . to think of us comforting anyone." He shrugged, letting Duo urge him to lay back on the bed.
"Maybe it's not so strange. We all have some capacity to care for children," Duo pointed out. "Or else none of them would survive."
"But can we?" Hiiro wrung his hands. "I'm so scared we'll do something wrong--"
"Hii-chan, listen to me." Duo put a hand over his lover's mouth. "Sister Helen used to say that you do the best you can. And that's what we'll do. Harry's a good kid. Even if we all make mistakes, we can do this."
Hiiro managed a smile and nodded, curling up against his lover. Duo was right. He had to be.
<>*<>
Harry, despite his nightmare, woke early Saturday and headed to the kitchen. The kitchen was where everyone seemed to congregate, and that mornign was no exception. Relena was already awake, alternately laughing and applauding at Hiiro's tricks in the kitchen, and she greeted Harry with a hug and kiss on the cheek. "Good morning, green eyes." She offered, smiling.
"Good morning," Harry smiled at her, letting her pull him onto her lap and resting his head on her shoulder. Hiiro offered him some orange juice, and Harry sipped at it slowly while the others trickled in. The boys had been out sparring, and Noin and Dorothy had taken the rare opportunity to sleep in. "Did you sleep good?" Harry asked the two women, who gave contented nods and happy sighs.
"No reporters," Dorothy sighed, rubbing her face.
"Or false alarms," Noin stretched. "Mm! Zechs, I want your security system. Maybe that'll get the reporters to stop sneaking in the house!"
"It's. . . well, it's not so much the security. . ." Zechs blushed. "Though it helps."
Relena's blue eyes lit up with a look bordering a descritption of unholy glee. "What did you do to them?"
"It was Hiiro's fault!" Duo immediately put in. Relena tapped her foot.
"We. . . ah. . . kind of fired on them a few times by accident when they woke us trying to sneak in." Quatre's cheeks were as red as Zechs.
"Did you hit them?"
"Nothing serious," Hiiro reported flatly, returning to the stove.
"Yeah, everyone knows they don't need their ears, you only have to have one kidney, and no one ever did figure out what the appendix was for." Duo smirked sadistically and Harry felt his jaw drop.
"You really shot them?"
"They startled us. And they know better." Trowa shook his head. "Harry, we would never shoot you. You're a child. Those reporters were adults and had been warned, numerous times, not to sneak up on us because it was dangerous. They refused to listen to our warning. Besides that, we know and trust you. We don't generally fire at people we love."
"Promise?" Harry chewed his lip.
"Promise." Trowa smiled and Relena winked at him.
"They haven't hit me yet." She smirked. "Which, I must say, is quite a feat."
"I think she's the only one that can actually sneak up on Hiiro." Duo snickered. "Outside of us, of course."
"I didn't sneak up on him," Relena protested. "It wasn't my fault he ignored me. I just walked over there!"
Hiiro blushed and ducked his head, obviously embaressed, and Harry giggled. Relena began to tell the story, to Hiiro's chagrin, and Harry's little gigle quickly turned into an all out laugh. Trowa gave a little snicker as Noin and Dorothy joined in with their own stories of the various hijinks the pilots managed to get into, both during and after the war. Duo hesitated a moment while he and Hiiro traded Looks, and then he began to tell about Relena's clifftop adventure.
"And then," Duo cackled, while Relena threw her napkin at him, "She starts yelling for Hiiro to come kill her!"
"You're such a ham, Duo," Relena growled playfully.
"Am I?" Duo grinned and wrapped his arms around her. "Tell me more!"
"Drama queen!"
"I'll have you know I was never queen of anything, Miss I'm-Queen-of-the-world," Duo gave her a little squeeze, and Relena smacked him upside the head.
"No, you were the God of Drama, not the God of Death," Relena shot back.
Duo clasped his hands over his chest. "Oh, you wound me, fair lady!"
Hiiro gave him a light shove and sent him to the ground. "Oh agony!" Duo continued to moan. "What ever shall I do? This cruel world is too cruel for my poor heart! Oh, woe is me! Woe is me!"
Hiiro gave a thoughtful frown, but it was Quatre that shoved the entire piece of toast into Duo's mouth. The long haired teen chewed and swollowed, then announced. "You totally could have buttered that first!"
Zechs groaned quitely and banged his head on the table while Noin patted his back and Wu Fei laughed. Harry laughed too, until tears ran down his face and he nearly fell out of Relena's lap. It felt so nice to laugh freely, since he couldn't ever remember doing it before. Uncle Vernon had hated it when he laughed, but Trowa didn't mind, and Harry just kept laughing and laughing until a calloused hand covered his mouth and concerned green eyes met his. "Calm down, green eyes," Trowa soothed, and Harry gave a little hiccup. "You can laugh more later."
Harry blinked at him and Quatre nodded. "You just held it in a little too long." He explained. "So it got away from you."
Harry, who had finally calmed, took a deep, unsteady breath and asked, "Laughs can do that?"
"Sometimes," Duo grinned. "We'll just have to make sure it doesn't happen again."
"With Duo around, I don't think it's an issue," Wu Fei smirked, and Relena gave a delighted laugh. She'd forgotten just how much she'd missed this banter until she could hear it again. Noin and Dorothy hid their own snickers. They'd forgotten, too.
"We are so going to have to come more often," Relena told Hiiro, still snickering. "I missed this."
Hiiro just rolled his eyes and put breakfast on the table. Relena had missed the insanity wrought by having six high-strung men in one house? Well, at least it was official. They now all needed commited.
<>*<>
Noin, Dorothy, and Relena had decided they wanted to see both the city of Bath and Stonehenge, and the pilots, who really had nothing better to do, agreed. Harry was thrilled, since he'd never really been outside of Little Whinging, and nearly drove all of them crazy running around and poking at things until Relena grabbed his hand and made him walk with her. Harry pouted for a few moments before settling down and enjoying the tour of the museums and askign dozens of questions.
"He's a regular scholor," Dorothy smirked, watching Wu Fei puff a little in pride. While Trowa was the only pilot Harry was actually related to, he was still "their boy" and they all took a great deal of pride in the child.
"Relena?" Harry tugged at her hand. "Can we go taste the water?"
"Taste it?"
"Uh huh," Harry pointed to the sign which offered a glass of the water for a half pound. Relena shrugged and the two of them bought a glass, staring at it uncertainly.
"You first," Relena offered, watching Harry examine the warm water.
"Maybe you should." Harry told her, sniffing at it. It smelled soft of like rust and was a little bubbly. It really didn't look very good, and there was a strange yellow tinge to it.
"Boys are suppsoed to be braver," Relena argued, holding the glass toward him.
"You're supposed to be really important," Harry managed to remember not to announce Relena's title. "I thought that made you brave."
"Just drink it already," Duo broke in, tipping the glass back and taking a long sip. "It's not poisoned. Geeze."
"Does it taste all right?" Harry chewed his lip, but took a drink, almost spitting it out. It tasted like metal! "Ew! That's gross! It tastes like metal! And it's hot!"
"That is sort of the point," Wu Fei's dark eyes were laughing slightly. "To have a warm bath."
"It's from an artesian well," Hiiro explained. "That's why it's bubbly. Pressure pushes it to the surface so you don't need a pump."
"But why does it taste like metal?" Harry wrinkled his nose as the glass finished its rounds and was set back on the counter, empty.
"It has iron in it," Relena explained. "From the earth. That's what the taste is from. And the yellow color is from all the minerals in it. It really doesn't taste good."
"I've had water like that before," Quatre mused, surprising them. He laughed softly. "Taste water in a tourist spot and it tastes just like water from the middle of nowhere. How funny!"
Harry giggled too, because Quatre's laugh was infectious, and Relena quickly joined in. Once Relena started, everyone else followed, and the conversation broke up from there as the ten of them made their way down the street in search of some food. They found a sandwhich shop, and Noin treated them to some large, gooey cookies, and then it was off toward Stonehenge for some more fun.
Harry stared at Stonehenge, green eyes wide in awe. It was huge and. . . and something more. Something Harry couldn't have put a name to, even if he had cared to try.
"It's so. . . mystical," Noin breathed, staring at the ages old stones. Harry nodded, still staring.
"It's even more than that," Quatre hands were pressed to his heart. "It feels. . . alive."
"Quatre?" Trowa looked worried, but Quatre just shook his head.
"The stone is so old that it holds echos of humanity," Quatre explained. "I can feel them, stretching through the ages. It's almost like the stones are breathing. I can feel the people that built them and the people that have studied them, and the ones that tried to destroy them. It's so incredible. To feel all that, from these stones."
"They're beautiful." Harry added, slightly breathless. He'd never seen the stones close up, but there was something almost drawing him to them. Like he wanted to get closer.
"We're allowed in the circle," Duo held up his pass. "I'd like a closer look. Just don't touch them. We want them to be around for future generations to gawk at."
Quatre laughed and crossed the rope that seperated them from the stones, Harry grabbed Trowa's hand and following close behind. The girls paused for a moment before moving so the rest of the pilots waited for them. When Quatre and Harry passed the first circle of stones, Quatre gave a loud cry and went to his knees, clutching at his heart. Harry, terrified for Quatre, grabbed his arm.
The world went white.
Harry and Quatre were engulfed in voices and images that blurred past, people dancing and singing, screams of terror as black-robed men in white masks mowed them down with strange attacks that lit the world up with an eerie, green glow. A snake-like man was hissing something that made Harry scream and a woman knelt to protect her child. A man with green eyes grabbed the woman and raced away from the stone circle when a green light cut him down. The woman screamed but didn't stop running, shoving the child in a small niche in the stones and telling him to stay there until it was safe.
And then she was running again.
The boy, only about three, screamed when she was cut down with the same, strange green light. Someone found the little niche, pointing a stick at the child's head. The boy continued to scream and cry as the man said something and the entire world went black.
"Harry! Quatre!" Trowa barely caught their limp bodies as they fell, frantically looking from his boyfriend to his cousin. The rest of the group raced over, the other pilots, Noin, and Dorothy fanning out in case of danger. Trowa and Relena frantically began checking vitals and then did the only thing they could. They called an ambulance and waited.
Before the ambulance arrived, both boys were stirring, and Harry screamed, grabbing Trowa tightly. "Don't let them hurt him!"
"Harry, what are you talking about?" Trowa held him, trying to sooth him. Harry sobbed and clung.
"The little boy! Don't let them hurt him!" Harry begged. Trowa finally forced Harry to look around. There was no boy. There were no men in white masks. Harry sniffed, looking confused. "What happened? Where is the boy and the all the masked people?"
"It was a vision, Harry," Quatre was awake and rubbing his head, thanking Wu Fei for helping him up while Trowa was otherwise occupied. "I think. . . I'm not the only one with a few powers."
"Powers?" Harry rubbed his eyes. "I don't understand!"
"I'm empathic, Harry. I know how people feel. Sometimes when I get into an area like this, with high emotions, I get visions of the emotions. It doesn't happen much." Quatre sighed.
"But I can't feel other people." Harry gave a confused frown.
"I think you can see echos of the past when you touch things. Especially places like this that are highly emotionally charged." Quatre stood, brushing off his clothes. "I think it's best for us to leave."
"But the little boy!" Harry protested, darting from Trowa's arms. Trowa, not expecting it, blinked in shock before moving to chase Harry. The boy found the little niche the woman had shoved the child into, and glanced inside, brows furrowing. "He was here. I swear!"
"It was a memory, Harry," Trowa knelt by the boy and frowned. This niche. . . why was it so familier?
"What's that?" Harry reached inside, pulling out a scrap of blanket. The other pilots crowded around, frowning. It looked like a baby-blanket, one that had probably gone with the child everywhere. Trowa's eyes widened.
"Hugo?" Harry read off the scrap, frowning. The pattern was barely recognizable, the cloth ragged.
"It's mine. . ." Trowa sat down hard, still staring at the scrap in Harry's fist.
"Trowa?"
"That's mine! I had a blanket like that for a very long time," Trowa explained. "I never knew where it came from, the Mercenaries always through it was from my family. That's why they never gave me a name. Well, partly. Partly because they were too lazy, but partly because they didn't want to get attached because they thought my family would find me. I think, anyway. Some of that is a little fuzzy. But. . . that's mine. Part of my blanket, anyway."
Harry stared at the scrap for a moment longer, then handed it to Trowa, unsure of what to do with it. Hiiro handed the taller man a plastic bag that Trowa dropped it into and then passed it to Zechs. They had some tests to run. And maybe, in the process, they'd learn what happened to Trowa's parents as well.
<>*<>
The rest of the weekend past smoothly, and Harry was sort of sad when Relena, Noin, and Dorothy left. He liked having girls around the house, sometimes, he thought. It was nice to be mothered a little, and Relena had been more than happy to oblige. When Harry had worried that he was being too much trouble, Relena had laughed.
"You are part of my family," She explained, kissing his cheek. "The pilots are all like my brothers, and Noin is my sister. Dorothy is just my best friend, though. But I bet she'd be part of your family, too. So we can all be family, right? You'll be my little cousin too, since Trowa's like my brother."
"Can I really?"
"You can be my brother, if you'd like." Relena smiled. "I bet Trowa would love to have another brother, not just a cousin."
"You think so?"
"Even if she doesn't, I do." Trowa's soft voice made Harry start, but he smiled brightly.
"So. . . So. . . Now I have six brothers and. . . and three sisters!"
"More like. . . five sisters." Relena laughed. "You just haven't met the last two, yet."
Harry blinked at her, then giggled. "I have a really, really big family!" His delighted smile made Relena laugh outright and hug him tightly as they said their final good-byes. Relena needed to get home to do some work, and the other two were eager to head back as well, though for different reasons. According to Dorothy, they were holding someone that had attempted to break into Relena's home. Noin and Dorothy, but alight with somewhat sadistic glee--had first dibs on interrogating the perpatrator.
Hiiro offered a gift of some kind to Dorothy, who grinned even more malicious, and then they were gone, Relena waving to Harry until they'd disappeared from sight. Harry stared up at Trowa for a minute, then hugged him tightly. "Thank you lots and lots. . . big brother." He murmured, and Trowa hugged him back.
"You're welcome, green eyes." Trowa whispered, lifting him up. "Now, lets get some supper."
Harry laid his head on Trowa's shoulder, and smiled.
<>*<>
<>*<>
Okay, so there's chapter fourteen for you lot. Tell me what you think. I know there is a distinct plot twist, that will certainly catch Jess and Dentelle by surprise (which is fine, since I'm totally allowed to do that), but I have a few things in mind for it, and I think you'll find it interesting. Oh, and in case you can't tell, there will be a highly limited amount of magic involved in this story. And now I shall keep you guessing about everything else.
Oh, yeah. The chapter is rough still (I need to go and edit about. . . ten chapters, right? But what can I say except that I'm lazy. Haha). So sorry about that. I will go back and edit (someday) I swear!
I hope you enjoyed it and tell me what you think about it, please!
Well, I've got good news. I haven't sent in my computer, yet. Which is good for you, because I was so close to finishing chapter fourteen of FotBB that I decided to just get it done today so I can send in my comp guilt free and you'll not have been waiting, like, six weeks for a new chapter. So. . . that's the good news. I will be sending my comp in soon, though, I can garuntee that. It needs done. I truly does. So I'm going to do that this week. I keep procrastinating because I don't want to be without my computer. But I'm sending it in. I am. *Shifty eyes*
So, anyway, I'll post chapter fourteen, and I'll leave you a little note when I go MIA for awhile because I am computerless. I hope you enjoy this chapter!
Title: Flight of the Bumblebee Part Fourteen
Rating: T/PG-13
Fandom: Harry Potter Gundam Wing crossover
Disclaimer: If I owned either both of these, aside from being dreadfully confused about a lot of things, I'd be rich. Sadly, I'm not. Since I have a distinct lack of money, I obviously down own them.
Warnings: (1x2, 3x4, 5x6)
Summary: Trowa Barton discovers that he actually has family thanks to mandatory government testing. Since Trowa isn't eighteen yet, he's the lucky sap that gets to go live with them for awhile, to the annoyance of the rest of the pilots and Preventors.
Flight of the Bumblebee
Part Fourteen
Queen of the World
Friday morning was spent at school where Harry told Ali and Lance all about therapy and ended up sitting on the playground pretending to "see a therapist." Trowa hadn't understood it, but apparently the three had fun so he decided not to question it. If Harry wanted to tell his friends all about Dr. Reece, then he could tell his friends all about Dr. Reece. "Don't forget Relena, Dorothy, and Noin are coming for the weekend," Trowa reminded his cousin, watching Harry bounce around the car for a moment before calming down and staring out the window. "They'll be here for supper."
"I know. I'm really excited. Dudley said you were lying when you said you knew her, but I knew you didn't. And now I get to meet her! Ali and Lance thought it was super cool, that Quatre knew Miss Relena and everything, and that I get to meet them."
"Did they, now?" Trowa wondered if two nine year olds would be considered security threats, but decided that the six of them would be able to handle it.
"Yeah. And Lance was really jealous because he said Miss Relena's very pretty." Harry made a bit of a face. "But girls are so yucky!"
"That doesn't mean they aren't pretty. And Relena is very pretty."
"Prettier than Quatre?" Harry grinned, following Trowa into the house. "Because Quatre's awfully pretty."
"Boys aren't pretty, Harry," Trowa scolded playfully, trying not to laugh.
"Yeah, but Quatre might as well be a girl. He acts like one," Harry reminded him, and Trowa heard Duo snort somewhere down the hall way. The teen winced. Duo overhearing Harry's remark probably wouldn't end well.
"We're home!" Trowa called, heading towards the living room with Harry. "When is Relena getting here?"
"Two hours," Hiiro answered, hanging up the phone. "She just called me. Noin has her traveling incognito for the trip, so she wanted to show off her outfit."
"Dare I ask what it was?"
"Duo's idea." Hiiro grunted, rolling his eyes. "She's got her hair in pig tails and is currently wearing overalls."
"You're kidding me."
"Une even got her fake papers." Hiiro wasn't kidding, and he didn't look happy about his "sister" traveling without an armed guard. Not that Noin and Dorothy wouldn't be able to take care of anyone that tried to hurt her, but Hiiro was a little overprotective (not that he would ever admit it). "She was thrilled."
"Well, if her current job doesn't work out, she's a shoo in for a farm," Duo's grin was obvious, even through he was shouting down the stairs. "Q-bean! I need those papers from that scrap we got last week! That damn brat. . . what's-his-name. . . oh, Gregory Junior, he's having a bitch fit!"
"So let him have a bitch fit!" Quatre shouted back. "I can't even find the paperwork I did Monday! It's buried on my desk somewhere!"
"Yui!" Wu Fei screamed, and something clattered down the stairs. "Come get Maxwell before he blows up the damn house!" The Chinese man was obviously somewhat irate with Hiiro's American lover.
"Barton!" The chours by both Zechs and Quatre made the teen sigh and look at Harry, who giggled and shrugged. Another chaotic day in the Gundam household, apparently.
"What didn't I do this time?"
"Papers!" Quatre screamed, and Zechs gave a shout following closely behind while Harry and Trowa sprinted up the steps in time to see two blonds buried under a few mountains of paperwork. Surverying the mess, Quatre promptly broke into tears. It had taken him hours to clean up the paperwork before, and now he wasn't just at square one, he was standing in the midst of ground zero.
Harry hugged Quatre tightly. "I'll clean it up," Harry offered. "I'm really good at it."
"It's not your fault, green eyes," Quatre rubbed his temples after wiping his eyes. He was so stressed out that having his paperwork collapse on him had been the final straw. "I'll get it."
"No," Harry told him firmly, guiding him to the couch in the office while Trowa unburied Zechs. "Trowa will get you and Zechs some tea, and then I bet the rest of us can straighten this out in a jif. Just stay there. I'll be right back."
Quatre almost didn't let himself relax, but the thought of the devistated look on Harry's face if he didn't listen made him stay on the small settee along one wall. Zechs joined him moments later, and Harry reappeared with the others in tow about five mintues after that, Wu Fei and Hiiro bearing tea cups for Quatre and Zechs.
"Alphabetical or chronological?" Harry asked, picking up the first packet and glancing at it.
"Alphabetical by company. If there's more than one, then place those chronological," Quatre breathed in the tea, forcing himself to calm. Harry gave a nod, and then started sorting through the papers with the help of the others. Neat stacks began to form, and within an hour everything had been cleaned up and put back in order. Quatre rubbed his temples, sniffing again, and hugged Harry tightly.
"Thank you, green eyes."
"You looked really, really sad," Harry explained. "I didn't want you to be sad anymore."
"You were a very big help." Quatre just let himself hold the boy, relaxing against Harry and basking in the adoration of a child. Zechs hugged Harry when Quatre finally let go, and the two returned to the paperwork moments later, digging through the piles upon piles of stuff to find what they needed. Since it was organized, it took little time to finish their work. Harry even stayed to help a little bit, fetching papers when Quatre or Zechs couldn't find them. Harry smiled. Maybe he was still useful after all.
<>*<>
"Hello everyone!" A woman's voice made them all jump and spin, though the pilots recognized the voice immediately.
"Relena!" Harry got a brief look at a girl with long, golden blond hair and bright blue eyes before Zechs enveloped her in a hug. "How are you, little sister?"
Harry blinked, slightly confused. He hadn't know Zechs had a sister. Turning his attention to the other two in the doorway, he tilted his head. Relena was the smallest by a couple of inches, but the next girl looked more like Zechs, in Harry's mind. Long white blonde hair fell to her knees and ice blue eyes had a happy little spark to them. But Harry was really afraid of her strange, forked eyebrows. Diving behind Trowa, Harry grabbed his shirt and pressed his face into Trowa's back. "She's got scary eyebrows," Harry whispered, making Duo howl with laughter.
"She won't hurt you, though. Appearences can be decieving," Quatre told him, moving to greet the young woman. He called her "Dorothy," and offered her a seat on the couch.
The last woman to arrive just stepped next to Trowa and looked around to Harry. "Aren't you cute," She offered, smiling. Harry blinked up at her. She had black hair and purple eyes, though hers were darker than Duo's. "I'm Lucrezia Noin. But almost everyone calls me Noin."
"Hello, Miss Noin," Harry muttered, blushing a bit and toeing the ground. "It's nice to meet you." Zechs had talked about her a little, and from what Harry knew she was sort of like a sister to Zechs, but Harry still wasn't sure she'd like him.
"They talk about you a lot to us, you know," Noin smiled at him, kneeling down to speak to him so Harry didn't have to crane his head to her. "You're something special, you know that?"
"I'm not special," Harry protested, shaking his head. "Everyone says so."
"Then I have to disagree," Noin laughed softly. "Now, do I get a hug from someone who's almost my little brother?"
Harry blinked at her, then gave a shy, little smile and nodded, hugging her tightly. Unexpectedly Noin stood, lifting Harry with her, and the boy contented himself with settling in her arms. Trowa was near-by, so Noin wouldn't dare hurt him. "Oh, you're so sweet," Relena offered, hugging him gently. "I wish I had a cousin as cute as you! You want to come home with me and be my cute, little cousin?"
Harry shook his head, half-panicked. "I want to stay with Trowa!"
"I was teasing you, sweetie," Relena explained, making Harry smile. She was so very nice! "It's my way of saying that I think you're a very sweet boy and that I like you."
"Oh." Harry considered that, then nodded. "So you aren't really going to take me away from Trowa?"
"That would be rather silly of me, since I helped him get you here in the first place." Relena laughed softly, gesturing for Noin to put the boy down so she could get a proper hug. Harry grinned. It was nice to hug Relena. She was warm and soft and she smelled good. Noin had kind of been that way, but she'd had too much muscle. He sighed softly, wondering if Relena's hug felt like his mother's. Maybe it did, and that was why it felt so nice. He liked that.
"Have you met Dorothy yet?" Relena asked, leading him to the couch. Harry shook his head, shying away from "eyebrow lady."
"Her eyebrows scare me," Harry whispered to Relena, and Relena gave a tiny smile.
"She's very nice," Relena assured him, even though Dorothy usually wasn't. But she was under orders from. . . pretty much everyone currently in the house to be kind to Harry. Harry gave her an uncertain look, then hugged her tightly. Dorothy blinked in shock, arms folding around the little boy almost of their own accord. Relena didn't bother to hide her smile. "He's so sweet."
"He's very affectionate," Quatre agreed, rising. "Now that we've all met, I think we should go downstairs. I'm hungry, and I believe Hiiro did say supper would be ready soon."
An unlady-like yowl drifted from Relena's belly, and Dorothy laughed. "Relena seems hopeful."
"Shut up, you," Relena swatted the girl playfully, following Quatre down the stairs, the others in tow. Harry stayed next to Dorothy, looking up at her for several seconds. Dorothy shifted slightly uncomfortably. Like Trowa, Harry's eyes seemed to look through her, seeing her soul instead of her skin.
Without a word, Harry quietly grabbed her hand and followed her down the stairs. If Relena was what a mother felt like, then maybe Noin was like an aunt and Dorothy was like a sister. Harry smiled to himself a little. Trowa's family was awfully disfunctional, but it still worked, somehow. And, for the first time, Harry felt that he might actually manage to fit in.
<>*<>
Like most meals in the home of five-former-terrorists-one-former-OZ-special-and-one-formerly-neglected-child, dinner consisted of mass panic, disorder, and chaos. The three extra guests didn't change anything, except to make it worse, perhaps, but Harry didn't mind. It was nice to have company, but he was a little nervous around the girls. The only girl he really knew was Aunt Petunia, but Relena, Noin, and Dorothy were nothing like her. They were nice, and they liked him. Relena thought he was sweet, and Dorothy even offered to play video games with him after the meal.
Harry wondered if girls were any good at video games. Aunt Petunia had never played, and Harry wasn't sure if girls were supposed to play video games anyway.
Following the girls up the stairs, Harry got his butt kicked by Dorothy and Noin at several group battle games, and laughed as Quatre got his ass handed to him as well in a few more rounds. Dorothy was really good at it. She and Hiiro were usually the last two battling it out.
Although, in Hiiro's favor, he usually won.
Dorothy complained bitterly about it while they popped popcorn and put in a moving, and Harry decided to curl up next to Relena, with his head on her lap. She smiled and began to rub his back. "You like living with Trowa?" She asked, moving up to slowly rub his head.
"Yeah," Harry's eyes half closed. "He's great. Like a brother."
"Oh?"
"Uh huh. He listens to me, and he buys me stuff, and he's really nice. Not like a cousin at all."
"Maybe he really is like a cousin, hm? Maybe Dudley was just a jerk."
"Cousins are mean," Harry shook his head. "Trowa's really nice. And so is everyone else. Like brothers. And Hiiro said he'd teach me knife tricks, and they play with me, and take me to school and don't make me walk, and they feed me, and I have a bed and a bedroom and everything. I really, really want to stay."
"I'm glad you like it here," Relena bent to press a kiss to his soft hair. Harry gave a drowsy smile.
"I wish Trowa really was my brother," Harry admitted. "Then he couldn't send me back."
"I don't think he will, you know."
"I'm bad. He will when he learns I'm bad," Harry sniffed. "But I don't want to go back. I want to stay here. I really love Trowa. And Quatre. . . and Hiiro and Duo and Wu Fei and Zechs too."
Relena continued to gently stroke his hair, her smile sad. Harry had been through so much, and Trowa knew so little about being a family. If they could survive, they would be as close as anyone hoped, but Relena couldn't help but worry. What if they couldn't?
<>*<>
"TROWA!" Harry's shout at three in the morning made Relena jerk awake and run from her room. Harry was practically in hysterics and all she could do was watch as Hiiro yanked his door open and gathered the boy in his arms while Trowa rushed from his own room moments later to take the blindly-reaching child from Hiiro. "Don't leave me!"
"Harry, Harry, I'm right here. Listen to me, green eyes. I'm. Right. Here." Trowa held him tightly, crooning at him and cooing, and Relena watched from her own door, stunned. Hiiro stepped toward her, pushing her gently back into her room.
"Is he like this often?" Relena asked, closing the door and moving to sit on her bed.
"This is his first nightmare here." Hiiro frowned. "Though I'm not sure what it means."
"Nightmares often show one's worst fears," Relena pointed out. "Maybe even Harry didn't realize how much he'd come to love Trowa. How much he wants to stay."
"I don't think that's it, Relena," Hiiro put an arm around her. "I'm not sure you can understand what it means to gain what Harry now has. I think. . . I think he finally realized just how much it scares him to think we would throw him away too."
"What does that mean?"
Hiiro shook his head, frowning slightly as he rose to leave. Trowa was still in the hall with his cousin, holding him and rocking him awkwardly, like Hiiro had seen mothers in the park do when their children fell. Trowa looked strange doing it, shifting in the hall with Harry's thin arms wrapped tightly around his neck, the boy's tears drenching Trowa's dark shirt. Hiiro bit his lip. Even the most basic of movements, like rocking a crying child, was difficult because none of the pilots had ever learned to do it. They had never been taught how to offer comfort.
"Is he all right?" Harry seemed to be mostly asleep, but Hiiro was speaking in Spanish, just in case.
"He's fine," Trowa smiled. "I'll put him to bed soon. It's just. . . kind of nice to hold him."
"Practice?" Hiiro teased softly.
Trowa stared at him for a moment, resting his chin on Harry's head as the child snuggled closer. "I. . . I don't know," The teen whispered, then disappeared into Harry's bedroom, leaving Hiiro staring after him before returning to his own.
Duo's brigh teyes stared at him, gleaming in the darkness. "What are you thinking?"
"Trowa was rocking Harry." Hiiro frowned.
"That's good."
"It was. . . it was strange." Hiiro admitted. "Because we never had anyone to teach us things like that. He looked odd, doing it. It was just. . . strange. . . to think of us comforting anyone." He shrugged, letting Duo urge him to lay back on the bed.
"Maybe it's not so strange. We all have some capacity to care for children," Duo pointed out. "Or else none of them would survive."
"But can we?" Hiiro wrung his hands. "I'm so scared we'll do something wrong--"
"Hii-chan, listen to me." Duo put a hand over his lover's mouth. "Sister Helen used to say that you do the best you can. And that's what we'll do. Harry's a good kid. Even if we all make mistakes, we can do this."
Hiiro managed a smile and nodded, curling up against his lover. Duo was right. He had to be.
<>*<>
Harry, despite his nightmare, woke early Saturday and headed to the kitchen. The kitchen was where everyone seemed to congregate, and that mornign was no exception. Relena was already awake, alternately laughing and applauding at Hiiro's tricks in the kitchen, and she greeted Harry with a hug and kiss on the cheek. "Good morning, green eyes." She offered, smiling.
"Good morning," Harry smiled at her, letting her pull him onto her lap and resting his head on her shoulder. Hiiro offered him some orange juice, and Harry sipped at it slowly while the others trickled in. The boys had been out sparring, and Noin and Dorothy had taken the rare opportunity to sleep in. "Did you sleep good?" Harry asked the two women, who gave contented nods and happy sighs.
"No reporters," Dorothy sighed, rubbing her face.
"Or false alarms," Noin stretched. "Mm! Zechs, I want your security system. Maybe that'll get the reporters to stop sneaking in the house!"
"It's. . . well, it's not so much the security. . ." Zechs blushed. "Though it helps."
Relena's blue eyes lit up with a look bordering a descritption of unholy glee. "What did you do to them?"
"It was Hiiro's fault!" Duo immediately put in. Relena tapped her foot.
"We. . . ah. . . kind of fired on them a few times by accident when they woke us trying to sneak in." Quatre's cheeks were as red as Zechs.
"Did you hit them?"
"Nothing serious," Hiiro reported flatly, returning to the stove.
"Yeah, everyone knows they don't need their ears, you only have to have one kidney, and no one ever did figure out what the appendix was for." Duo smirked sadistically and Harry felt his jaw drop.
"You really shot them?"
"They startled us. And they know better." Trowa shook his head. "Harry, we would never shoot you. You're a child. Those reporters were adults and had been warned, numerous times, not to sneak up on us because it was dangerous. They refused to listen to our warning. Besides that, we know and trust you. We don't generally fire at people we love."
"Promise?" Harry chewed his lip.
"Promise." Trowa smiled and Relena winked at him.
"They haven't hit me yet." She smirked. "Which, I must say, is quite a feat."
"I think she's the only one that can actually sneak up on Hiiro." Duo snickered. "Outside of us, of course."
"I didn't sneak up on him," Relena protested. "It wasn't my fault he ignored me. I just walked over there!"
Hiiro blushed and ducked his head, obviously embaressed, and Harry giggled. Relena began to tell the story, to Hiiro's chagrin, and Harry's little gigle quickly turned into an all out laugh. Trowa gave a little snicker as Noin and Dorothy joined in with their own stories of the various hijinks the pilots managed to get into, both during and after the war. Duo hesitated a moment while he and Hiiro traded Looks, and then he began to tell about Relena's clifftop adventure.
"And then," Duo cackled, while Relena threw her napkin at him, "She starts yelling for Hiiro to come kill her!"
"You're such a ham, Duo," Relena growled playfully.
"Am I?" Duo grinned and wrapped his arms around her. "Tell me more!"
"Drama queen!"
"I'll have you know I was never queen of anything, Miss I'm-Queen-of-the-world," Duo gave her a little squeeze, and Relena smacked him upside the head.
"No, you were the God of Drama, not the God of Death," Relena shot back.
Duo clasped his hands over his chest. "Oh, you wound me, fair lady!"
Hiiro gave him a light shove and sent him to the ground. "Oh agony!" Duo continued to moan. "What ever shall I do? This cruel world is too cruel for my poor heart! Oh, woe is me! Woe is me!"
Hiiro gave a thoughtful frown, but it was Quatre that shoved the entire piece of toast into Duo's mouth. The long haired teen chewed and swollowed, then announced. "You totally could have buttered that first!"
Zechs groaned quitely and banged his head on the table while Noin patted his back and Wu Fei laughed. Harry laughed too, until tears ran down his face and he nearly fell out of Relena's lap. It felt so nice to laugh freely, since he couldn't ever remember doing it before. Uncle Vernon had hated it when he laughed, but Trowa didn't mind, and Harry just kept laughing and laughing until a calloused hand covered his mouth and concerned green eyes met his. "Calm down, green eyes," Trowa soothed, and Harry gave a little hiccup. "You can laugh more later."
Harry blinked at him and Quatre nodded. "You just held it in a little too long." He explained. "So it got away from you."
Harry, who had finally calmed, took a deep, unsteady breath and asked, "Laughs can do that?"
"Sometimes," Duo grinned. "We'll just have to make sure it doesn't happen again."
"With Duo around, I don't think it's an issue," Wu Fei smirked, and Relena gave a delighted laugh. She'd forgotten just how much she'd missed this banter until she could hear it again. Noin and Dorothy hid their own snickers. They'd forgotten, too.
"We are so going to have to come more often," Relena told Hiiro, still snickering. "I missed this."
Hiiro just rolled his eyes and put breakfast on the table. Relena had missed the insanity wrought by having six high-strung men in one house? Well, at least it was official. They now all needed commited.
<>*<>
Noin, Dorothy, and Relena had decided they wanted to see both the city of Bath and Stonehenge, and the pilots, who really had nothing better to do, agreed. Harry was thrilled, since he'd never really been outside of Little Whinging, and nearly drove all of them crazy running around and poking at things until Relena grabbed his hand and made him walk with her. Harry pouted for a few moments before settling down and enjoying the tour of the museums and askign dozens of questions.
"He's a regular scholor," Dorothy smirked, watching Wu Fei puff a little in pride. While Trowa was the only pilot Harry was actually related to, he was still "their boy" and they all took a great deal of pride in the child.
"Relena?" Harry tugged at her hand. "Can we go taste the water?"
"Taste it?"
"Uh huh," Harry pointed to the sign which offered a glass of the water for a half pound. Relena shrugged and the two of them bought a glass, staring at it uncertainly.
"You first," Relena offered, watching Harry examine the warm water.
"Maybe you should." Harry told her, sniffing at it. It smelled soft of like rust and was a little bubbly. It really didn't look very good, and there was a strange yellow tinge to it.
"Boys are suppsoed to be braver," Relena argued, holding the glass toward him.
"You're supposed to be really important," Harry managed to remember not to announce Relena's title. "I thought that made you brave."
"Just drink it already," Duo broke in, tipping the glass back and taking a long sip. "It's not poisoned. Geeze."
"Does it taste all right?" Harry chewed his lip, but took a drink, almost spitting it out. It tasted like metal! "Ew! That's gross! It tastes like metal! And it's hot!"
"That is sort of the point," Wu Fei's dark eyes were laughing slightly. "To have a warm bath."
"It's from an artesian well," Hiiro explained. "That's why it's bubbly. Pressure pushes it to the surface so you don't need a pump."
"But why does it taste like metal?" Harry wrinkled his nose as the glass finished its rounds and was set back on the counter, empty.
"It has iron in it," Relena explained. "From the earth. That's what the taste is from. And the yellow color is from all the minerals in it. It really doesn't taste good."
"I've had water like that before," Quatre mused, surprising them. He laughed softly. "Taste water in a tourist spot and it tastes just like water from the middle of nowhere. How funny!"
Harry giggled too, because Quatre's laugh was infectious, and Relena quickly joined in. Once Relena started, everyone else followed, and the conversation broke up from there as the ten of them made their way down the street in search of some food. They found a sandwhich shop, and Noin treated them to some large, gooey cookies, and then it was off toward Stonehenge for some more fun.
Harry stared at Stonehenge, green eyes wide in awe. It was huge and. . . and something more. Something Harry couldn't have put a name to, even if he had cared to try.
"It's so. . . mystical," Noin breathed, staring at the ages old stones. Harry nodded, still staring.
"It's even more than that," Quatre hands were pressed to his heart. "It feels. . . alive."
"Quatre?" Trowa looked worried, but Quatre just shook his head.
"The stone is so old that it holds echos of humanity," Quatre explained. "I can feel them, stretching through the ages. It's almost like the stones are breathing. I can feel the people that built them and the people that have studied them, and the ones that tried to destroy them. It's so incredible. To feel all that, from these stones."
"They're beautiful." Harry added, slightly breathless. He'd never seen the stones close up, but there was something almost drawing him to them. Like he wanted to get closer.
"We're allowed in the circle," Duo held up his pass. "I'd like a closer look. Just don't touch them. We want them to be around for future generations to gawk at."
Quatre laughed and crossed the rope that seperated them from the stones, Harry grabbed Trowa's hand and following close behind. The girls paused for a moment before moving so the rest of the pilots waited for them. When Quatre and Harry passed the first circle of stones, Quatre gave a loud cry and went to his knees, clutching at his heart. Harry, terrified for Quatre, grabbed his arm.
The world went white.
Harry and Quatre were engulfed in voices and images that blurred past, people dancing and singing, screams of terror as black-robed men in white masks mowed them down with strange attacks that lit the world up with an eerie, green glow. A snake-like man was hissing something that made Harry scream and a woman knelt to protect her child. A man with green eyes grabbed the woman and raced away from the stone circle when a green light cut him down. The woman screamed but didn't stop running, shoving the child in a small niche in the stones and telling him to stay there until it was safe.
And then she was running again.
The boy, only about three, screamed when she was cut down with the same, strange green light. Someone found the little niche, pointing a stick at the child's head. The boy continued to scream and cry as the man said something and the entire world went black.
"Harry! Quatre!" Trowa barely caught their limp bodies as they fell, frantically looking from his boyfriend to his cousin. The rest of the group raced over, the other pilots, Noin, and Dorothy fanning out in case of danger. Trowa and Relena frantically began checking vitals and then did the only thing they could. They called an ambulance and waited.
Before the ambulance arrived, both boys were stirring, and Harry screamed, grabbing Trowa tightly. "Don't let them hurt him!"
"Harry, what are you talking about?" Trowa held him, trying to sooth him. Harry sobbed and clung.
"The little boy! Don't let them hurt him!" Harry begged. Trowa finally forced Harry to look around. There was no boy. There were no men in white masks. Harry sniffed, looking confused. "What happened? Where is the boy and the all the masked people?"
"It was a vision, Harry," Quatre was awake and rubbing his head, thanking Wu Fei for helping him up while Trowa was otherwise occupied. "I think. . . I'm not the only one with a few powers."
"Powers?" Harry rubbed his eyes. "I don't understand!"
"I'm empathic, Harry. I know how people feel. Sometimes when I get into an area like this, with high emotions, I get visions of the emotions. It doesn't happen much." Quatre sighed.
"But I can't feel other people." Harry gave a confused frown.
"I think you can see echos of the past when you touch things. Especially places like this that are highly emotionally charged." Quatre stood, brushing off his clothes. "I think it's best for us to leave."
"But the little boy!" Harry protested, darting from Trowa's arms. Trowa, not expecting it, blinked in shock before moving to chase Harry. The boy found the little niche the woman had shoved the child into, and glanced inside, brows furrowing. "He was here. I swear!"
"It was a memory, Harry," Trowa knelt by the boy and frowned. This niche. . . why was it so familier?
"What's that?" Harry reached inside, pulling out a scrap of blanket. The other pilots crowded around, frowning. It looked like a baby-blanket, one that had probably gone with the child everywhere. Trowa's eyes widened.
"Hugo?" Harry read off the scrap, frowning. The pattern was barely recognizable, the cloth ragged.
"It's mine. . ." Trowa sat down hard, still staring at the scrap in Harry's fist.
"Trowa?"
"That's mine! I had a blanket like that for a very long time," Trowa explained. "I never knew where it came from, the Mercenaries always through it was from my family. That's why they never gave me a name. Well, partly. Partly because they were too lazy, but partly because they didn't want to get attached because they thought my family would find me. I think, anyway. Some of that is a little fuzzy. But. . . that's mine. Part of my blanket, anyway."
Harry stared at the scrap for a moment longer, then handed it to Trowa, unsure of what to do with it. Hiiro handed the taller man a plastic bag that Trowa dropped it into and then passed it to Zechs. They had some tests to run. And maybe, in the process, they'd learn what happened to Trowa's parents as well.
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The rest of the weekend past smoothly, and Harry was sort of sad when Relena, Noin, and Dorothy left. He liked having girls around the house, sometimes, he thought. It was nice to be mothered a little, and Relena had been more than happy to oblige. When Harry had worried that he was being too much trouble, Relena had laughed.
"You are part of my family," She explained, kissing his cheek. "The pilots are all like my brothers, and Noin is my sister. Dorothy is just my best friend, though. But I bet she'd be part of your family, too. So we can all be family, right? You'll be my little cousin too, since Trowa's like my brother."
"Can I really?"
"You can be my brother, if you'd like." Relena smiled. "I bet Trowa would love to have another brother, not just a cousin."
"You think so?"
"Even if she doesn't, I do." Trowa's soft voice made Harry start, but he smiled brightly.
"So. . . So. . . Now I have six brothers and. . . and three sisters!"
"More like. . . five sisters." Relena laughed. "You just haven't met the last two, yet."
Harry blinked at her, then giggled. "I have a really, really big family!" His delighted smile made Relena laugh outright and hug him tightly as they said their final good-byes. Relena needed to get home to do some work, and the other two were eager to head back as well, though for different reasons. According to Dorothy, they were holding someone that had attempted to break into Relena's home. Noin and Dorothy, but alight with somewhat sadistic glee--had first dibs on interrogating the perpatrator.
Hiiro offered a gift of some kind to Dorothy, who grinned even more malicious, and then they were gone, Relena waving to Harry until they'd disappeared from sight. Harry stared up at Trowa for a minute, then hugged him tightly. "Thank you lots and lots. . . big brother." He murmured, and Trowa hugged him back.
"You're welcome, green eyes." Trowa whispered, lifting him up. "Now, lets get some supper."
Harry laid his head on Trowa's shoulder, and smiled.
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Okay, so there's chapter fourteen for you lot. Tell me what you think. I know there is a distinct plot twist, that will certainly catch Jess and Dentelle by surprise (which is fine, since I'm totally allowed to do that), but I have a few things in mind for it, and I think you'll find it interesting. Oh, and in case you can't tell, there will be a highly limited amount of magic involved in this story. And now I shall keep you guessing about everything else.
Oh, yeah. The chapter is rough still (I need to go and edit about. . . ten chapters, right? But what can I say except that I'm lazy. Haha). So sorry about that. I will go back and edit (someday) I swear!
I hope you enjoyed it and tell me what you think about it, please!