Trowa didn't know exactly what it was that woke him, but he felt it as soon as he opened his eyes --- a strong presence somewhere in the room. He looked down at his lover curled against him, sound asleep. He rolled over carefully, as to not disturb the blonde boy, and landed face to face with a pair of lively green eyes.

"Touchan? Touchan, are you awake?" a tiny voice whispered.

"I am now, Shichi. What is it, honey? It's the middle of the night..."

"I can't sleep. Can I stay with you?" she turned up the charm, emerald eyes pleading, "Please?"

Just like your father, Trowa thought, sighing and relenting to her. She could play him as well as, if not better than Quatre could, any day.

"OK, come here. But be careful not to wake up your father."

"OK!" the little girl beamed, climbing into bed with them.

Trowa wrapped his arms around his daughter, kissing the top of her head. He ran his fingers through her long blonde hair until she fell asleep.

Shichi was the light of his life. She was an absolute miracle. When he thought that she almost hadn't been born...Trowa shuttered. How could anyone deprive the world of such a precious light? Quatre almost had. Not that he blamed his love, not at all. He understood what a hard decision it was for the two of them.

* * * * *

"So, when are you two going to start a family?"

The question came so suddenly that Quatre almost spit his tea all over himself. "Nani?" he sputtered.

"You heard me, a family. Cute guys like you should have kids, you know!"

"Catherine, are you forgetting the fact that we're both guys?" Trowa answered his sister calmly, rubbing his lover's knee to comfort him.

"Of course I haven't forgotten! It's not impossible you know. Besides, how long have you two been together, five or six years, right? It's about time you ---"

"Wait a minute, Neesan. What do you mean 'it's not impossible'?"

Catherine sighed, "Haven't you seen what they can do these days with genetics? Test tube babies are so ---"

"No," Quatre said firmly, his voice icy, "it's out of the question."

They stared at the blonde, startled by his severe reaction. The coldness, the fierceness in his lover's blue eyes made a chill run down Trowa's spine.

"But..." Catherine attempted.

"Let's not discuss this anymore. It's our night out, we should be having fun, right?" Trowa struggled to make peace in the room.

Later that night, when they were alone again, the French pilot prodded his lover, curious about his near violent reaction.

"I just don't like test tubes or test tube babies or anything. It's...it's not natural," Quatre looked up to find emerald eyes staring back at him, full of sadness and pain. "Oh, Trowa, gomen nasai! I wasn't thinking about you at all. I can be so selfish sometimes, and ---"

"Shh," Trowa whispered, taking the smaller boy into his arms, "it's alright. I understand. If it bothers you that much, we'll never discuss it again. I promise. I just thought it would be wonderful to have a child of our own, truly ours. I never thought it was possible..." he drifted off.

"I didn't realize you felt so strongly about it," Quatre whispered.

"Neither did I, of you," his lover responded.

They fell asleep, a thousand questions left unanswered.

A few days later, Quatre found his love in their room, staring out the window. He sat beside him on the bed. "Trowa?" he said softly.

The boy turned to face him.

"Trowa, I've been thinking..."

"Yes?" he bit his bottom lip, trying desperately not to get his hopes up.

"Maybe...I mean, it would be nice if..." Quatre stared into his lover's eyes. "Trowa, would you like to have a baby?"

Trowa could only smile his small, adoring smile and nod.

That night, they made love like they had been separated for years.

* * * * *

"Ohayo, Touchan!"

Trowa blinked up at the little girl beside him on the bed. He yawned and stretched, grabbing her and pulling her to him, covering her with kisses. The girl erupted into a fit of giggles.

"Are you tormenting my little girl again?" a cheery, melodic voice called from the doorway.

"Touchan!" the girl squealed, wiggling away from the brunette and flying to the blonde. She wrapped her arms around his waist, almost knocking him over.

"Ohayo, princess," Quatre said, smiling.

"What's that for?" Shichi said, pointing at the small tray he carried.

"I brought your father breakfast," he replied, carrying the meal over and sitting beside his love on the bed.

"Mmm, you shouldn't have," Trowa mumbled, sitting up and kissing him softly. "What time is it? How come you're up and dressed already?"

Quatre just smiled at him, "I thought you needed a day to sleep in, but someone disagreed with me." He gave a stern look to his daughter, presently snuggled between the two boys and helping herself to a piece of toast. She looked up at him, mouth full and green eyes wide, "Hmm?"

"Nothing dear. Didn't I already make you breakfast?"

"Hai, but I'm still hungry, Touchan..."

"It's alright, I can never eat as much as you give me, anyway."

Quatre gave him a sly smile.

"Not like that," Trowa narrowed his eyes playfully, giving his best Heero impression. "Omae o korosu."

"I'm sure you are, dear, but not now. I have to get to work." He leaned over and gave each of them a kiss.

"Awww..." they replied in unison.

"No complaints. Someone has to keep the Winner family from falling apart." With that, he rose and left them alone.

Trowa took Shichi onto his lap and began eating his meal. "You're a very lucky girl, you know. Not everyone has parents who work at home."

"I know. I'm lucky for lots of reasons."

Trowa smiled slightly. He and Quatre tried so hard not to spoil their daughter, but it was increasingly difficult. How can you not be spoiled when you're the only child of the sole heir to one of the richest families in the world (and the colonies, for that matter)? It wasn't her fault she lived in a mansion with servants around every corner. She couldn't help having more aunts than she could name, aunts who doted on her the way they must have done to her father, when he was a little boy. She wasn't responsible for all the money, all the attention, and the loving adoration of two men lucky enough to stay by her side all day.

For what it was worth, she as the most unselfish, goodhearted "spoiled little rich girl" Trowa had ever seen. He took special pride in thinking he had something to do with that.

"Touchan?"

"Hmm?"

"You gonna eat that?" Shichi asked, pointing at the rest of his breakfast.

"No, dear, go right ahead," he kissed the top of her head, then slipped out of bed to get dressed.

* * * * *

Quatre stared intently at the monitor on the desk in front of him, his fingers dancing across the keypad. He paused, leaning back and taking a sip from his teacup. A small creak from the study door caused him to look up from his work. "What is it?"

A little blonde head peaked through the crack in the doorway. "Touchan?"

"Shichi, what is it, dear?"

"Nuthin'," the girl replied, slipping through the doorway. She tried hopelessly to suppress a smile.

"I think it is something. Out with it."

She fairly exploded with joy, a large, bright smile alighting her face. "Touchan's taking us to the circus tonight!"

"Shichi! I told you not to go in there," Trowa said, slipping through the doorway and scooping her up into his arms.

The little blonde pouted at him, "I just wanted to tell him ---"

"No excuses. Come on, your father has a lot of work to do before tonight."

"I'm really not that busy..."

"You're not helping."

Quatre smiled warmly at him, "Ai shiteiru, Trowa."

Trowa sighed and shook his head, tossing him a small smile as he escorted their daughter from the room.

* * * * *

"Catherine..."

The pretty girl turned around, a smile on her face. "Trowa!" she cried, running over to him. "It's so good to see you! I didn't know you were coming tonight. Why didn't you call?"

"We wanted to surprise you."

"We...?"

Just then, Quatre appeared in the doorway, Shichi in tow.

"Catherine-obasan" she squealed, breaking away from her father and running to her.

"Oh, Shichi, sweetie, daijoubu?" she said, hugging the girl. "You've grown so much since the last time I saw you!" She looked up and smiled warmly at Quatre. "Hello, Quatre. Daijoubu?"

"I'm good," he responded, smiling in return.

"Well, come in, sit down! It's so nice to have company. How's everything going?" she chatted as the group moved to sit in her trailer. Shichi cuddled in her aunt's lap, across from her fathers.

"Everything's fine, Neesan. How about you?"

"It's good, you know how circus life is. I'm no spring chicken anymore. I do less and less performing and more and more organizing."

"Well, you look great."

"Arigato," she replied, blushing slightly.

Shichi, immediately bored with the adult conversation, starting bouncing up and down in her aunt's lap. "Catherine-obasan, Touchan took me to see the lions! And there were clowns, and horses, and ---"

"And she's a little excited, can you tell?" Trowa said, looking rather tired for so early in the evening.

"Getting worn down so quickly, hmm? It's not like you, little brother," Catherine gave them a sly smile. "I think you need a night off. What do you think, Shichi?"

"'Bout what?"

"About staying with me for the night. Would you like that? We could ride the horses..."

"Really?"

"Mmm hmm."

Shichi turned to her fathers, green eyes begging them, "Can I stay tonight? Please?"

"If it's ok with your obasan, it's fine with us," Quatre said, looking at Catherine gratefully.

"Yay!" the little blonde cried, hopping up and down. Trowa and Quatre just looked at each other and smiled. It had been a long time since they'd had the house to themselves. Trowa made a mental to note to thank Catherine later. As for now...well, the night was young, and it was all theirs. After a few more minutes of conversation, the two hugged their daughter goodnight and hurried home.

*Shichi is the number 7 in Japanese. (3+4=7, get it? Yeah, I thought so.)

**To learn more about Quatre's feelings on test tube babies, check out his Episode Zero translation at the Gundam Wing Mailing List Archive.

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