"Trowa! Trowa! Look! She’s walking! She’s walking!"
The fact that the nine-month old was using her Daddy’s hands to hold her up didn’t seem to faze the braided father’s delight in the dark-haired child’s accomplishments. Trowa shifted in the large plush chair, trying to find a more comfortable spot for his swollen body, his hands cradling his engorged belly.
"Very nice, Duo," the uni-banged young man murmured, swiping his russet bangs from his face before trying to soothe his agitated belly again, running his hands in soothing circles. Absently, he tried to think of what he might have eaten this morning that would have upset his stomach.... Of course, his distress didn’t help the babies any and so he tried to remain as calm as possible, despite the burning sensation ripping through him. Not for the first time that afternoon, Trowa wished Quatre had stayed home instead of going out with Heero and Wufei for last minute Christmas shopping.
"Hey, yo! 02 to 03, come in, 03," Duo chirped, waving a hand in front of Trowa’s face. Trowa started, Duo’s teasing smile melted into a frown. "You don’t look so good, Tro-man, you want me to get you something? Some ice water or something like that?"
"No, no, I’m fine, Duo, thanks," Trowa replied, forcing a weak smile to his wan lips. He focused on his breathing, making sure to take nice even breaths, trying to calm his insides. "Really. I just—something I ate this morning isn’t agreeing with me, that’s all."
"So I guess an offering of some more anchovies with chocolate syrup is out, huh?"
Trowa glared. He would never forgive Quatre for telling the others about that… And then just as suddenly, he blanched, a wave of nausea sweeping over him. A cold sweat broke, dampening his light shirt completely.
"Oh, shit. You really don’t look good," Duo groaned, standing up. "You just stay right there. I’m gonna get Razi in here. You just hold on, okay?"
The braided man was out of the room before Trowa could even form an answer—had the man been able to answer anything. His entire body tensed, his hands clenching around the arms of the chair in a vise-like grip that left his knuckles white. Tiny quivers run up and down the pregnant man's paralyzed body as fear pierced through his chest.
From the floor, little Trinity Chang looked up from mid-reach of the bright, colorfully wrapped presents under the tree, frowning at her father’s abrupt exit. But Duo was back in a matter of minutes, the on-site doctor at his heels.
"Trowa? Trowa? Can you hear me?" the woman asked as she fell into place beside him, already reaching for the pulse at his wrist. "What happened, Duo?" Dr. Razi asked.
"I don’t know. I was jus’ talkin’ and playing with Trin and he jus’—"
"Call Dr. Jackson, Duo," the Manganac doctor told him, without looking away from Trowa.
The braided man blanched. On the floor, nine-month old Trinity started crying. "C’mon, Baby-girl, let’s go call grandmamma, huh?" Duo cooed to the child as he lifted her up from the pile of ribbons she'd managed to get into and bounced her a bit onto his hips. But the happy words failed to hide the hint of worry in his voice.
* * *
"What do you think about this one?" Quatre asked, giggling as he held up a rather large and flamboyantly colored house dress.
"Good color, good quality," Wufei commented, feeling the material of the mu-mu. "It would look really good on Trowa."
Quatre smiled, fingering the dress. "I’m sure he’ll be happy when he can get into a pair of jeans again…"
"You mean you’ll be happy when you can get back to eyeing his ass in those jeans again, don’t you?" Heero asked eyeing a negligee that he *knew* would look great on a certain braided baka back home.
The blond young man started to reply when a pager went off. All three men reached for their pagers. "It’s mine," Quatre called, and then frowned. "And it’s Duo…"
Heero handed him his phone, the call already going through before Quatre put it to his ear.
"Heero!" Duo’s voice carried over the line.
"No, Quatre," the blond corrected. "What’s wrong?"
"Shit man! Razi just called up an ambulance and we’re taking Trowa in. She didn’t tell me what’s up, but she told me to call Shima and I figured if it was big enough to call her in then you should probably—"
"Dammit, Duo, what happened? Is Trowa alright? Is he hurt? Just tell me what happened?" Wufei and Heero pressed closer to their comrade, Wufei’s hand sneaking into Quatre’s, reassuringly as they waited for Duo’s answer.
"Man, I don’t know. He seemed fine and then he spaced out, and—shit! I don’t know!"
"Duo," Heero said, taking the phone from Quatre, "We’re on are way, meet you there."
"Right, meet you there. C’mon, Trin-baby. You and Daddy are going for a little ride…" were the last words before Duo’s end disconnected.
"Oh, Allah… what if…" troubled sea-blue eyes stared into his friends, begging for reassurance that neither man could give.
"C’mon, Quatre," Wufei urged, "Let’s get going."
* * *
{3 hours later, New Hope Memorial Hospital}
The dark-haired, middle-aged woman looked tired and old when she walked into the private waiting room. She fell into a chair before any of the four waiting young men could jump on her. "They’re fine," she said, holding up a hold to ward off any questions they might shout at her. One hand went to a temple, massaging it before looking back at them. The young Chinese man, the braided man with a baby on his hip, the end of his long braid stuck in the child’s mouth, the Japanese man who stood just slightly behind the first two, but making sure his presence was known. But her regard fell upon the young blond man, the millionaire, the head of WEI—someone to be feared… at least to most people.
Not to her, though. No, they’d had their chance to kill her. They even would’ve been justified… but they still kept her around. She reached out her arms towards the braided man and, as naturally as if she’d been doing it all her life, took the baby girl into her arms, holding the child close.
She took a deep breath and then looked back up at the gathering. "Trowa and both boys are fine, Quatre. Let me be the first to congratulate you." She smiled, a tired, weak, but truly happy smile. "You are now the father of two very handsome young men."
"Wha—but, they’re not due for another month!" the blond started, shocked.
Hiroshima Jackson smiled up at him from her granddaughter’s silky black curls. "Sorry hon, but they’re here now. We have them up in the nursery right now, finishing their Apgar tests. They *are* early, so some specialists are checking both babies over to make sure everything’s okay and that they’re as healthy as they should be. Of course, they’re a little small, being early and all, but they should be fine." She gave the man another smile. "Actually, they should be perfect. After all, *I* programmed their genetics."
Quatre sunk down into a chair. "Damn…"
Duo laughed and slapped the blond on the back. "What’s the matter, Q-man? Too late to say you’re not ready to be a father!" He laughed again.
"And you said Trowa’s okay? What was wrong? What happened?" Quatre asked Hiroshima, unintentionally ignoring Duo.
The dark-haired woman frowned. "Has he been complaining of any headaches recently? Flashing lights? Nausea or vomiting? Maybe just some abdominal pain?" she asked.
"No, none, at least not to me," Quatre replied a worried dread churning his stomach.
"Has he had any seizures or anything like that?" she pressed.
Again, Quatre shook his head. "No, but, I’ve been out of town recently, and just got back last week. I was planning on being here for the last month at least," he added with a sad little smile.
The room lapsed into silence for all of a moment, before Duo spoke up. "He’s been acting a little weird," the braided man said, flushing slightly when all eyes turned on him. "But I, uh, just chalked it up to being pregnant and all…"
"Weird like how?" Hiroshima pressed.
"Well, um, sometimes he’d get real quiet-like and off in a daze, and I’d catch him clutching the arms of his chair real tight like," Duo mumbled. "But he, uh, wouldn’t tell me what was wrong."
Hiroshima nodded, frowning as she shifting the already sleeping Trinity in her arms. "We think it was Eclampsia, but without any real proof… still, since I knew the kids would be fine, we went ahead with the cesarean."
"What proof?" Quatre whispered hoarsely.
"Most symptoms include seizures, headaches, flashing lights, vomiting, abdominal pains, high blood pressure, swelling…" Hiroshima explained. "If not treated, the mother could go into a coma."
Quatre’s palms pressed together before his face as this new information began to soak in.
"But he’s fine," she quickly reminded the young man. "He’s recovering from the general anesthesia, but you can go in whenever you’re ready."
"And… the… boys?" Quatre asked, licking his lips nervously.
Hiroshima smiled. "Why don’t you come see?" She shifted Trinity in her arms and stood, but, no sooner was she standing that Heero was taking his daughter from her. "Spoil-sport," she muttered, but couldn't help but notice and smile at how natural her son looked cradling the babe.
She showed them to the private family delivery room where Trowa was laid up. Quatre was at his side immediately, while Heero, Duo, and Wufei held back, giving the other some semblance of privacy.
"Hey, mi amore," the blond man whispered softly, brushing the soft russet bangs away from Trowa’s sleeping face.
The man on the bed shifted in response to Quatre’s voice and Quatre’s slurred name fell from his lips.
"Shh, love, hush, it’s okay," Quatre soothed. "Everything’s okay."
"I feel… distant…" Trowa replied softly, his head rocking against the pillow, as if to shake it clear.
"That’s just the anesthesia, Trowa-love, don’t worry. It’ll go away soon."
"Yeah, and then the pain sets in," Wufei spoke up.
"Pain?"
"They did a cesarean, Trowa," Quatre answered, squeezing the one hand he held in his tighter as he continued to brush those long soft bangs that he personally adored. He could feel his love tense.
"The… twins?" Trowa gasped.
"Fine, love," Quatre replied, brushing his lips across Trowa’s cheek. "Both boys are fine."
"And here!" Hiroshima announced, opening the door as two nurses came, wheeling in two plastic cribs.
Trowa tried to force his eyes open as the two blue bundles were lifted from their cribs. He forced his arms up to take one of the newborns, looking up only for a moment to see Quatre taking the other infant. "Which one’s… older?" Trowa asked hoarsely, staring down into his son’s face.
"Um, hmm… let me see," Hiroshima fumbled, looking at the baby-info charts. "The one you’re holding, Trowa. Older by three minutes. The other one actually kicked me when I tried to get him out."
Trowa laughed, and then immediately regretted it when pain sliced through his midsection.
"Yeah, get used to that," Wufei smirked, looking over Quatre’s shoulders.
"There should be a button…" Hiroshima fumbled around Trowa’s bed, searching for the pain killer dispenser. "Here," she said, handing the controller over to Trowa after she punched it. "Whenever the pain gets too much, just punch it, and it’ll shoot you a dose of pain killer. Nifty, huh?" She winked at the young man.
"Use it," Wufei advised. "As much as possible."
"So… have you decided on their names yet?" Duo asked as he saddled up beside Trowa and the newborn.
Trowa looked to Quatre. Quatre looked to Trowa. Both men smiled and nodded.
"Triton Raberba Winner," Trowa announced, pulling back the baby blanket to reveal the golden brown-haired baby sleeping peacefully.
"And Tristan Raberba Winner," Quatre replied, pulling back the baby blanket to look down into the brilliant sea-foam eyes of his wide awake second son.
"’Triton’ and ‘Tristan’," Hiroshima repeated, filling out the Birth Certificates. "Got it. Born 3:46 and 3:49pm on December 24th 204AC to Trowa Barton and Quatre Raberba Winner at New Hope Memorial Hospital." She closed the files and stopped to stare at the five men.
Five young men, only 24 years old, and three little babies amongst them to take care of. Oh boy was she glad she didn’t live in *that* house…
"Well, Merry Christmas, boys," she said pushing away from the table she’d been leaning against. "I left Tina at the mall and I shudder to think what damage she’s done without me there." She smiled mockingly at them. "If I don’t see you before tomorrow night, I’ll see you at the party, all right? Though, I’ll be by early to check on you and the boys, Trowa."
"Oh, that’s right! I forgot all about the party!" Quatre laughed, shifting Tristan in his arms.
"You might have," Hiroshima laughed, "but I haven’t! Your sister’s been driving me nuts trying to find something to wear! As if the 500 outfits she brought down with her didn’t provide enough to choose from!"
"Will I be able to attend the party?" Trowa asked, frowning.
Hiroshima thought about that for a moment. "Well, I don’t see why not. I mean, you have an on-site doctor, right? Dr. Razi’s still there, and you still have the room you set up for Wufei, I’m sure… and I’m sure you’ll be more comfortable recovering in your own home…" She shrugged. "Sure, why not. I’ll make sure to sign your release forms on the way out. Just don’t over stress yourself, okay?"
Trowa smiled. "Understood."
She studied him for a moment and then shook her head. Turning to her son she said, "Keep an eye on him, will ya? Make sure he doesn’t over-do it any. That’s what probably got him in here one month early in the first place."
"Acknowledged," Heero replied with a small smile.
Shima studied him for a moment and then shook her head as if giving up. "Whatever," she said before leaning over to kiss the sleeping Trinity goodbye. "Night-night, baby-love," she cooed to the sleeping child. And then she braved another kiss, this time for the baby’s father. "Don’t stay up too late," the Japanese woman admonished, smudging away an invisible trace of lipstick from Heero's cheek. "Or else Santa Claus might not come tonight!"
"I think he already came," Quatre said softly, shifting Tristan in his arms.
"I think so, too," Trowa replied, meeting his love’s shining blue eyes and the overwhelming love radiating from them, knowing the look was returned in his own gaze. In his arms, Triton sounded as he began to wake up. "I think so, too…"
* * *