Disclaimer: Much of what you see here does not belong to me, nor do I claim that it does.

Author's Notes: The third story in what I have dubbed my "Timelife Family" series. So far, in order, they are, "In A Family Way", "Ashes In the Valley", and now this story. Yet, they all stand alone for the most part. I hope you enjoy this story and that it speaks to you as much as it spoke to me as I wrote it.

Dedication: To my best friend, Samuel, and his better half, Tim. Wherever your lives, together or apart, take you, never forget that the true essence of love lies not in gender, but in the heart.

****

Baby Mine
by Kristen Elizabeth

****

August 28, AC 207
Colony L4-1250

~~Beep....beep....beep~~

The man closest to the bedside communicator rolled over, still half-asleep, and punched up the screen. "Hello?", he mumbled, refusing to open his eyes.

"Quat-man!!! Did I wake you??"

Quatre Raberba Winner lifted his blond head from his pillow and cracked open one blue-green eye. "Duo?"

"Damn!! I did." Duo Maxwell's exuberant face flashed concern, but only for a brief second. "Is Trowa there??"

"Of course he is", Quatre replied. It was a struggle to keep the early morning grumpiness from his tone. "But he's asleep."

As if to prove his lover's words, Trowa Barton threw one arm over Quatre, pressing his nose against the smaller man's back.

Duo grinned at seeing Trowa's flash the communicator screen an upturned finger. "Yeah...whatever. Look, I'm *reeeeally* sorry for waking you, but...." He hiccuped in extreme excitement. "Hilde just had the baby. Um...babies!!"

Quatre's temporary bad mood melted. The corners of his lips turned up. "Congratulations!", he said warmly.

The braided man hiccuped again. "Twins, Quat-man!! A boy and a girl!! That's why they came a little early."

"How is Hilde?"

"A-okay!" Duo hiccuped several times in rapid sucession. "She's sleeping and I'm...*hic*...supposed to call everyone we know."

Quatre felt Trowa snort softly. "You didn't wake up Heero, did you?", Quatre asked.

"Are you kidding? Do I look like I have a death wish??" Another hiccup. "Wake up...*hic*...Relena, die a dozen different ways."

"Maybe you should go...drink some water or something?", the blond man suggested innocently.

Duo shook his head before he was racked with another hiccup. "I get to call Wufei now." He rubbed his hands together evily.

"If you wake Lin...", Quatre began.

"*Sally* will kill you", Trowa muttered his first contribution to the conversation.

"Hey...*hic*...you're supposed to be on my side!! Babies aren't born...*hic*...every day you know!" When he hiccuped yet again, Duo gave in. "Go back to...*hic*...sleep."

Quatre plopped his head back onto his pillow when the screen became blank again. *Babies aren't born every day you know.* He smiled ruefully.

Yes, they were.

Trowa let out a sleepy sigh. "He does this everytime...."

"He's just excited", Quatre excused their old friend. "Babies are a big deal."

His lover made a non-committal noise in reply. After several minutes, Quatre once again heard his even breathing. Sighing, he turned over to lie on his back. He stared at the ceiling without really seeing it.

Two more children born to his friends. He did some quick math in his head. With Heero and Relena's one, soon to be two in early December, Wufei and Sally's one, Millardo and Noin's one, and Duo and Hilde's six... Quatre stopped himself and subtracted one from Duo and Hilde's list. Sometimes he forgot and still added Grace in. Blinking back a stray tear, he finished his addition. It came to a total of nine children, born or soon to be born.

Nine children. They were all perfect in their own ways. At two and a half, Ben was the ideal combination of his mother and his father. Stoic, but sweet. Stubborn, but playful. Duo and Hilde's three children were an entity unto themselves. Add to that two more...the couple would have their hands even fuller than they were now.

Millardo and Noin's little girl, Celeste, had arrived five months earlier. It was a miracle that she had made it at all, having been born with a rare blood disease. Still, she hung on with a strength inheireted from her parents. Rounding out the list was the latest cherubic contribution from Wufei and Sally. At nearly a month old, Lin had his father's hair and his mother's eyes. Quatre could hardly wait to see who he would take after in terms of personality.

He was tempted to begin to add all of his biological nieces and nephews, but thought better of it. Not only would he never fall asleep, it was far too emotionally taxing. Quatre was painfully aware, not for the first time, of the mothers, fathers and children....the families around him.

Closing his eyes, Quatre counted sheep instead. But it was a long time before he drifted off again.

****

Late October AC 207
The former Sanq Kingdom
Earth

"Can't catch me, Daddy!!!" Six year old Thomas Maxwell ran across the sprawling lawn of the Peacecraft Manor with his father hot on his heels.

"That's what *you* think!", Duo called back just before he caught up to his son. After swinging him kicking and squealing into the air, Duo tucked the little boy under his arm. "Lunch. You eat."

Hilde Maxwell watched as her husband deposited Thomas back into his seat at the long picnic table set up on the patio. Chuckling, she shook her head and looked down at her sleeping daughter, Eve. The dark haired child stirred in her mother's arms. "Please don't wake up, baby", Hilde begged.

Relena Peacecraft-Yuy patted Eve's twin, Adam, on the back gently. "I think they're both out for awhile", she told her friend.

"Yeah....it's just about time to take them inside." Hilde stood. Following her lead, Relena struggled to stand.

Heero Yuy looked at his wife with concern he saved only for her. "Don't even think about it", he said, indicating her hugely rounded abdomen. "Someone else can get him to the nursery." He glared down at Duo. "His father, for instance."

"Hey." Duo glanced up from slathering mayonnaise onto a piece of bread for his eight year old daughter, Ruth. "I've got sandwich going on here."

At the other end of the table, Quatre sat up straight. "I'll do it", he offered. "I'll take them both to the nursery."

Hilde smiled at him gratefully. "You're a lifesaver, Quatre. Unlike some people..." She threw her husband a pointed look.

"Sandwich", Duo reminded her, dangling a slice of bologna in the air.

"More may'naise", Ruth instructed her father.

Duo reached for the jar again. "Slave driver."

Quatre stood up and walked around the table to Hilde. She carefully transferred Eve to his right arm, took Adam from Relena and placed him in Quatre's left arm. "You're sure you're okay?", she asked the Arabian man.

He smiled happily. "It's no problem. I'll be right back." Under the weight of the two children, he slowly made his way back into the Manor. At the French doors, he passed by Lucrezia Noin-Peacecraft as she rejoined the lunch group after putting Celeste down for her own nap.

"Quatre's got them both?", she asked, taking her seat next to her husband, Millardo Peacecraft.

"He has a brave soul", Hilde joked.

Relena idly rubbed her belly. "He's just really good with the children. Ben adores him. Don't you, Ben?" Glancing at her husband, she saw their son curled against him, fast asleep. She smiled. "When did he drop off?"

"Two point five minutes ago", Heero replied. "Right on schedule." Millardo snorted softly and returned his brother in law's death look with one of his own.

Duo handed the completed sandwich to his daughter and leaned back in his chair. "Quatre'd make a terrific father", he said.

Though silent up until then, Trowa unfolded his arms and spoke up. "He probably would", he said lowly.

There was a half second of uncomfortable silence. Relena broke it in her usual diplomatic way. "It's too bad that Sally and Wufei couldn't join us for the weekend. I hope Lin feels better soon."

"Sally said it was just a cold", Noin informed them. "She sends her love. And Wufei sends his..um..regards."

It was Heero's turn to snort. "Sure he does."

Several minutes passed, silent except for the sounds of children chewing and swallowing and the occasional bird chirping. The weather was cool without being cold and the sun shone pleasantly. It was the perfect weekend.

"I wonder if Quatre needs a hand after all", Hilde asked, twisting in her chair.

Trowa stood. "I'll go see." Before Duo's wife could argue, he disappeared into the house.

"You know...", Duo began around a mouthful of olives. "Quatre really would be a great dad." No one disagreed. Duo swallowed. "But....there's that whole....*thing*."

"Thing?", Noin repeated.

Millardo's pulled his wife's hand, entwined with his, onto his thigh. "I believe they're calling it homosexuality these days."

"What's homo...", Ruth began to ask before Hilde's hand clapped over her mouth.

Her older sister, Abigail, eager to show off her education, sat up straighter. "It's when two..." Her mouth was covered with Hilde's other hand.

Relena shook her head, dismissing her brother and Duo's comments. "That's nonsense. There's no earthly reason why they couldn't adopt a child or something along those lines."

"Maybe they don't want to", her husband suggested, shifting under Ben's weight. "Not everyone is a breeder."

"Breeder?" The former Queen of the World raised an eyebrow.

Duo snickered. "That's what we used to say about you, Yuy." He cleared his throat. "You know...until Ben and all."

"I'm just saying, it's so obvious that Quatre loves children. And I've never heard Trowa say anything bad about them", Relena continued. "Why couldn't they start a family?"

Noin raised her shoulders. "Maybe they're a family already."

The couple in question chose that moment to rejoin their friends. Quatre pushed a blond hair out of his eyes as he shielded them from the sunlight. "They went down with no problem", he assured the twin's mother.

Hilde smiled gratefully. "Maybe you could come spend a month...or two...or three with us, Quatre." He laughed softly at her offer.

Relena watched the two men as they returned to their seats. Quatre's perpetually warm sea-colored eyes were troubled. There was a pain there, building up. Looking at Ben, feeling the baby in her body kick, Relena was determined to get to the source of that pain and solve it for her friend, if at all possible.

****

"Oh...my god..."

"I can't believe what I'm seeing."

"Is this some sort of alternate reality?"

"It's like...*Children of the Corn*.... Hilde, they're scaring me!!"

The petite, dark haired woman yanked the end of her husband's braid. "Buck up, buddy. This is the most amazing thing I've ever been witness to."

Relena cupped her abdomen with one hand and leaned further into the nursery's doorframe. "He's even got Ben's attention!"

"Celeste isn't crying." Noin smiled broadly. "She's just lying in Abigail's lap."

Hilde's cheek pressed against Relena's arm as she tried to get a better look. "Thomas and Ruth aren't fighting....they're not even paying attention to each other! Just him."

Duo rubbed the back of his head. "What's Quat-man's secret?"

"Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves."

The three women and one man spun around, fingers pressed to their lips. "Shhh!!", Relena said as soon as she saw it was only her husband standing in the hallway. "You'll break the spell."

Heero crossed his arms. "He's only telling them a story. An Arabian fairy tale."

"I don't care if he's reciting the Satanic Bible", Duo declared. "They're quiet and we didn't have to drug them."

His old friend looked over their shoulders and into the nursery. In a rocking chair with his back to the door, Quatre sat with Eve and Adam cradled in either arm and the other five children sprawled on the carpet around him. He had just arrived at the part in the tale where Ali Baba witnesses the forty thieves opening a door in a rock by waving their arms and saying "Open, Sesame!" The children were completely under the spell of the Arabian Nights.

"I always wondered where that came from." Duo scratched his cheek thoughtfully.

Ben chose that moment to look up at the nursery door. His Prussian blue eyes lit up upon seeing his parents. "Daddy", he cried, scrambling to his little feet.

The other children glanced up and at seeing their own parents, joined Ben. Only Abigail remained seated, still holding Celeste protectively. Quatre glanced over his shoulder and smiled at his friends. "Am I keeping them up past their bedtime?"

Hilde slid into the room and let Thomas attach himself to her leg. "They'll survive. We were tempted to let you have them for the rest of the weekend, actually."

"I was thinking more like until they go to college." Duo had Ruth slung over his shoulder; she squealed with laughter. Not to be left out, Ben tugged at the bottom of his father's jeans until Heero picked him up and set him on his shoulders.

Quatre gingerly stood with Eve and Adam. "Is it all right if I change them and put them down for the night?"

"Is it all right?" Hilde laughed. "Quatre, darling....they're all yours." She peeled Thomas away from her leg and gestured to Abigail. Her oldest daughter was reluctantly giving Celeste to her mother. When Noin had the baby again, Abigail jumped her feet and went to her own mother. "All right you three...you can either bathe tonight or tomorrow morning. What's it gonna be?", Hilde asked.

"No bath", all three children replied in perfect sync.

Duo set Ruth down. "*Taking* a bath is not negotiable. If you don't decide when though, I will."

The children exchanged a look. "Tomorrow", they agreed.

On top of his father's shoulders, Ben twisted bunches of Heero's hair around his little hands. "No bath", he repeated.

Relena put a hand to her forehead. "That's going to be his new phrase...."

"We'll see about that." Heero lifted Ben up and off his shoulders. "You don't get a choice, pal."

"Nooooo!!", Ben cried as his father carried him out of the nursery. "No bath!!!"

"Godspeed, my friend." Duo flicked a salute at Heero's retreating back before turning back to his own children. "Since you forfeited your bath until tomorrow...."

Abigail groaned. "Daddy!!! It's way too early to go to bed!!"

"You know we have to get up early in the morning." Hilde swallowed heavily. When Abigail opened her mouth to protest again, Hilde adopted a much less pleasant tone. "Abigail Esther Maxwell...."

Spinning on the heel of her dirty sneaker, Abigail flounced out of the nursery. Duo turned to his wife, his smile huge. "And she's not even a teenager yet", he reminded her. Before Hilde could retaliate, Duo turned on his own heel. "Maxwells...pull out! All ahead full."

Hilde sighed as Ruth and Thomas joined their father in a brisk march. "Goodnight everyone", she said, grabbing a baby monitor and dutifully following after her family.

Cradling Celeste in her arms, Noin shook her head, highly amused. "I'm going to go let Celeste say goodnight to her daddy. I'll be back."

Relena spread her hands over her belly and smiled. Glancing back, she watched Quatre carefully lay Eve into a crib in order to change Adam. She walked over to him. "Here...I can change her."

"All right", he agreed.

Several minutes of silence passed until Relena had Eve clad in a fresh diaper and a pair of pink pajamas. Lifting the baby to her shoulder, she patted her tiny back. "They're precious, aren't they?"

He fastened the last button on Adam's blue pajamas and picked him back up. "They are. Precious."

"Quatre", Relena began. "Do you ever think about children? Having them, I mean."

The Arabian man blinked several times, tensing up. After a moment, his shoulders relaxed. "Yes, I do. All the time, as a matter of fact." He touched Adam's soft head before clearing his throat. "But it's a fairly useless thought."

Relena's brow crinkled. "Useless? What do you mean?"

He chose his words carefully. "I was fourteen when I started to think that I wasn't attracted to girls. When I met Trowa at fifteen, I knew it was true." He paused. "That was the day I realized that I wasn't ever going to have a completely normal life, Relena. Not one that involved children, at least."

"Quatre...there are ways, you know." She swayed Eve gently.

"I know. And I've thought them all over." Quatre blushed. "We could find a woman who wants to have a baby..." His blush deepened. "And...there's artificial...like my sisters."

"But..."

He sighed. "I don't want the baby to be either mine or Trowa's. I want it to be *ours*. And maybe it's selfish, but I don't want to have to share the baby with a birth mother."

Relena thought for a second. "What about adoption?"

Quatre gave her a look. "No court on Earth or on the colonies is going to give a baby to two gay men, Relena." He smiled sadly. "The world hasn't changed *that* much."

"You haven't even tried, though. You can't say that for sure", she insisted.

Her old friend hesitated. "No....I suppose you're right about that. But still..."

"But still...what?" Relena stepped closer to him. "If it's something that would make you so happy, how can you not do everything in your power, Quatre?"

The long stare they shared was broken by Noin's re-entrance with Celeste. "Quatre? Relena? I'm not interrupting, am I?"

Relena smiled. "Of course not." She laid Duo and Hilde's daughter into the nearest crib and pulled a baby blanket over her little legs. While straightening back up, there was tremendous kick from deep inside her body. "Ow...felt that one."

"Future soccer player?", Noin joked, coming up next to her.

"I'm hoping for a ballerina", Relena replied. "The fates owe me one." She touched her niece's blond head. "Goodnight Miss Celeste."

Noin kissed her sister-in-law's cheek. "You're heading to bed?"

"No...I'm heading to the bathroom to see who's going to come out alive. My husband or my son."

Quatre lowered Adam into his crib. "My money's on Ben."

Relena laughed. "Mine too." Before she left, she turned and gave him another smile. "Think about what I said, Quatre."

Picking up a tiny baby blanket, Quatre closed his eyes for a brief second. "I will."

****

Trowa entered the spacious kitchen the next morning, his attention focused entirely on fastening the last button of his shirt. When it was done, he lifted his head and looked around supiciously. The absence of sound unnerved him. He relaxed upon seeing Quatre sitting at the tiled island, reading the newspaper.

The blond man sensed his presence and smiled warmly. "Morning."

"Morning", Trowa replied, going to him. After a quick kiss, his green eyes scanned the kitchen once more. "All right....what's going on?"

Quatre glanced up from his paper again. "What do you mean?"

"It's quiet. Too quiet for a house that Maxwell is staying in." Trowa folded his arms. "So...what's going on?"

"Well..." Quatre turned a page. "The Peacecrafts and Yuys are still asleep. And the Maxwells..." He took a breath. "...are at the cemetery."

Trowa reached for the coffeepot. "Already?"

"It certainly isn't the most cheerful activity they have planned for the day. But I know Duo wanted to take the twins there." He smiled sadly. "To meet their sister."

His lover nodded as though it were the most natural thing in the world. "I'm surprised Heero isn't awake."

Quatre laughed. "He's a little worn out. A certain two and a half year old, who will remain as nameless as he was naked, had him running around the entire second floor last night."

"I thought I heard someone yelling 'open sesame'." Trowa sipped his coffee. "You came to bed late last night, too."

There was a second of uncomfortable hesitation. "I took a walk around the grounds....thinking."

Rather than prying any further, Trowa changed the subject. "Any plans for today?"

"As a matter of fact....." Quatre took a deep breath. "I'm visiting an adoption agency."

Trowa's mug stopped halfway to his lips. Without missing a beat, he lowered it back to the counter. "Do you think there's something we might want to discuss before you do that?", he asked, calmly.

Quatre sighed, closed his paper and folded his hands in his lap. "All right. I want us to adopt a baby." He paused. "I want to be a father. I want you to be a father."

There was silence until Trowa picked up his mug and walked to the sink. "Have you really thought this over?" He poured the coffee down the drain.

"Do you think I would do this on a whim?"

His partner set the mug into the sink and turned around. "Maybe what I'm asking is, where did this come from?" He crossed his arms. "I thought we were fairly settled."

Quatre stood up. "This isn't something that just popped into my head, Trowa. I've always wanted to be a father. When everyone else started having children..." He shook his head. "It gets harder and harder each time to play the best friend. The onlooker." He folded his own arms across his chest. "And then Duo said something at Grace's funeral..."

Trowa's brow wrinkled. "Quatre..."

"He said I wouldn't ever know what he was going through because I would never have a child." Quatre raised his shoulders. "He was right."

"He was upset. He didn't mean...."

"But...he was still right." Quatre watched Trowa stare at a space off the right for a long moment. "Don't you feel like something is missing, Trowa? Everytime you see Duo or Heero or even Wufei with their children...don't you think we should get to do that, too?"

His lover spoke softly. "To be honest, I've tried not to think about it." He looked back at Quatre. "You've always been enough, little one."

The blond man moved towards him. "Trowa....please don't think that you're not enough for me. If I even implied that, I'm sorry." His hand reached out and cupped Trowa's face. "You make me so happy."

Trowa's hand covered Quatre's. "But a baby would make you happier?" Quatre lowered his head in affirmation. "Well then...let's see what we can do."

Quatre's eyes shone. "Really?" When Trowa nodded, he threw his arms around the taller man's neck and gave him a soft kiss. "And you'll come with me today?"

"Of course."

He laid his cheek on Trowa's shoulder. "Thank you", he whispered.

"Is anyone up? I smell coffee..." Relena entered the kitchen with the awkward gait of a pregnant woman. Upon seeing their embrace, she stopped. "Oh! I'm sorry..."

"No, no." Quatre pulled away from Trowa and reached for the coffeepot. "Would you like me to pour you a cup?"

Relena smiled. "Can't. Baby." She accepted the pot. "It's for Heero. I hope it's strong."

"Duo made it this morning", Quatre informed her.

"It's lethal", Trowa added.

"Perfect." She chose a large mug from the rack lining the wall and poured it nearly full. Just as she finished, Heero entered the kitchen, a pajama-clad Ben tucked under his arm. He took the cup from Relena with his free hand as he passed by. His eyes were bloodshot.

Taking pity on his old friend, Quatre walked to the refrigerator. "I'm afraid Duo's family...well, Duo, I guess...ate everything your cook made for breakfast. Can I make you something?"

Relena shooed him away from the fridge. "Not while you're a guest in my house. Sit down and relax." Quatre watched her pull a few eggs from the depths of the fridge. "Do you two have any plans today?"

The men exchanged a look. "Yes", they replied.

****

November AC 207
Colony L4-1250

"I don't understand." Quatre leaned closer to the communicator screen on his desk, peering at the petite woman on the screen. "What are you saying?"

Anna from the adoption agency cleared her throat. "Mr. Winner....please understand. It's only been a month since you started..."

"Yes. A month", he repeated. "Miss Baxter, there are well over five hundred babies born every day on the colonies alone. Surely *one* of them must be given up for adoption."

"Mr. Winner", she began again. "It's not unusual to wait months for a match to be made with birth mother and adoptive parents. You have to understand, there are real families who have been waiting *years* for..."

Quatre blinked. "*Real* families?"

Anna's perfectly painted lips rounded. "Oh...I didn't mean..."

"Never mind, Miss Baxter. Look, if it's money that's the issue, it's not a problem."

"It's not money, Mr. Winner", she said, patting her flushed cheek. "It just a matter of making the right match. And that takes time."

He ran his fingers through his hair. "Allah...." He closed his eyes. "Is there anything we can do during the meantime? Any...I don't know...back doors?"

"Well..." Anna shifted uncomfortably. "There aren't any laws that say you *have* to go through an adoption agency."

Quatre's brow crinkled. "What do you mean?" She was quiet. "Do you mean...we should advertise for a baby?"

"Newspapers on college campuses are always a good place to start, Mr. Winner. It's a last resort, but people have had some success." She sighed. "Still, my recommendation is that you just wait. We will find your perfect match. It's just going to take time."

He paused before nodding. "Thank you, Miss Baxter."

"Good day, Mr. Winner." The communication closed.

Quatre pushed his chair back from his desk and stood up. Going to the window lined wall, he looked out over the colony for several long minutes. From the top floor of the Winner Industries building, everything else seemed quite small. He took a deep, calming breath. Walking back to his desk, he hit the intercom button that linked him to his secretary.

"Mrs. Ross?"

"Yes sir?"

He hesitated. "Can you please get the communicator number for the campus newspaper of St. John University?"

****

The girl who sat on the highbacked couch a week later looked terribly uncomfortable in the drawing room of the Winner mansion. She primly tugged her dress down over her knees, stretching the fabric over her hugely rounded stomach.

"Thank you for coming over", Quatre said, giving her a warm smile. "Can I get you anything to drink?" She shook her red head and attempted to return the smile. "Well...maybe you could tell me a little bit about yourself, Miss Synder."

"Katy", she said. "You can call me Katy."

"All right."

She took a deep breath before letting it out slowly. "I don't know what you want to know. I'm sorry."

Quatre loosened his tie with one hand. It was going to be a long night...and Trowa was nowhere to be found. "Perhaps I should start. I'm Quatre Winner..."

"Oh, I know who you are", Katy interrupted. "Everyone knows who you are."

He found himself blushing slightly. "I'm sure that's not true. Anyways, like my advertisment in the paper said, my partner and I very much want to adopt a child."

Katy's hands rested on her stomach. "You and your wife can't have children?"

"I'm not married."

"You and your girlfriend?"

"Not exactly."

The girl's green eyes were puzzled for a moment before realization dawned. "Oh."

He pressed on. "You answered our advertisment...so I gather you're not planning on keeping your baby when it's born?"

"Well..." She hugged her abdomen protectively. "I don't know. I mean...it's a really big decision." She looked him up and down with an air that hadn't been present moments before. "And if I don't decide to keep it, I want to make sure my baby goes to a good home."

"I can assure you, Miss Synder...Katy...there's nowhere in the world your baby will be more loved than..."

"I just don't know, Mr. Winner. I think babies need a *mother* and a father." She paused. "I'm sorry."

Quatre drew in a sharp breath. Smiling tightly, he stood. "I understand." He reached out a hand to help her stand, but she ignored it, struggling on her own. "Forgive me if I don't walk you to the door."

He was still for several long minutes after he heard the front door close. Finally, his anger was too much to keep inside his skin. Reaching for the first breakable thing his fingers touched, an Arabian vase, he threw it against the far wall and watched it shatter.

"Sorry I'm late", Trowa said from behind him.

Quatre's shoulders sagged. "That's the third one, Trowa." He covered his face with his hand. "The minute they find out there's no mother in the package...." He shook his head dejectedly.

Trowa approached him and placed his hands on the shorter man's shoulders. "Maybe we shouldn't have advertised at a Christian college."

"I don't understand! Aren't we always seeing news reports about overfilled orphanages? What happens to all those babies?"

"Do you want to start looking into adopting an older child?"

Quatre shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe...eventually." He sighed and turned around, allowing himself to be drawn into Trowa's comforting embrace.

"There's still two more people who answered the advertisement. If they don't work out....we'll think about it." Trowa rubbed his chin against his lover's blond locks. "All right?"

"All right." Quatre lifted his head to give the other man a long kiss. "Coming to bed?"

"Lead the way."

****

"...so far, there are no reported deaths, although excavation crews have only begun to arrive on the scene. We will keep you updated on this breaking story from L3-5021. And finally, a baby girl was born early this morning at 1:10 AM to Vice Minister of Foriegn Affairs, Relena Peacecraft-Yuy and her husband. Although nearly two weeks early, doctors at Colin J. Hopkins Hospital on Earth say that both mother and daughter are doing fine. The little girl was born 5 pounds, 4 ounces....16 inches long. No reports on what they have decided to name her yet." The reporter smiled. "Channel 16 sends our warmest congratulations to the Vice Minister and her family. And that wraps up the news for Thursday, December 5. I'm..."

Quatre shut the television screen off, his own smile playing on his lips. The report was not news to him; he and Trowa had recieved a rather uncharacteristically upset communication from Heero at eight PM to tell them Relena was in labor "too damn early" as he had put it and another, much more joyous communication from Duo at two AM, proclaiming the baby's safe arrival. He repeated the baby's name to himself. Victoria Grace Yuy. Heero and Relena's daughter would have a lot to live up to with the name, but it was only right that she carry it.

Sighing softly, Quatre reached for his day planner. Opening it to the correct date, he scanned the page quickly even though he had memorized the schedule days earlier. Written in red ink in the middle of the page was the name 'Juliana Bailey' and the time of his appointment with her. He ran his finger over the name. The last girl to respond to the add in St. John's campus newspaper. If she wasn't the one...

He shut the planner. It wouldn't do to think like that. He would only let himself think positively. It was the only thing to do. Still, he found himself longing for Trowa's presence during the day's ordeal. But Trowa had left for L5 on Preventer business only a few hours earlier and wouldn't be back for several days.

The sound of the doorbell echoed through the mansion. Quatre waited for the expected sound of his butler answering the door. When the doorbell rang again, he frowned and left the parlor to answer it himself.

A girl with long blond curls and wide hazel eyes stood on the stoop. Her clothes were simple and did nothing to hide the mound of pregnancy in her body. She carried a small duffel bag and was, quite obviously, alone.

"Hello?", Quatre greeted her, rather confused.

She smiled; there was warmth in the gesture, but also an undertone of fatigue. "I'm here to see..." She pulled a piece of paper from her coat pocket. "...Quatre Winner? My name is Juliana..."

"Bailey", he finished for her, as he pulled the door open further. "I'm Quatre Winner. Please....come in."

Juliana shyly stepped into the huge foyer. "Forgive me, Mr. Winner. I know I'm a little early."

"It's all right, Miss Bailey. Thank you for coming." They stood awkwardly for a moment. "May I hang up your coat?"

She shrugged it off her shoulders. "Oh, you don't have to do that, Mr. Winner."

"I insist." He took the coat from her and hung it on the rack next to the door. "And please...call me Quatre."

The smile appeared again. "Only if you call me Juliana." He nodded his agreement and there was another half second's pause. "You have a lovely home...um...Quatre."

"Thank you. Here..." He gestured to the parlor. "We can talk in there, if you'd like."

With one hand on her lower back, she followed him down the steps into the parlor. On instinct, he helped her sit in a highbacked chair and took his own seat across from her. "Well...Juliana. Why don't you tell me something about yourself." Thinking back to the other, failed interviews, he continued. "How old are you? What are you studying at St. John's? That sort of thing."

A blush spread on her pale cheeks. "Actually...I'm not a student at the school." He gave her a questioning look. "I just...read their paper." She wrung her hands in her lap. "I'm only...18. All right, 17."

Quatre blinked and looked at her swollen belly. "I see. You're very young to have such a great responsibility."

Juliana chuckled bitterly. "That's just what my father said." She paused. "That's why I left home."

"Do you live by yourself now?", he asked. She nodded. "What about the baby's father?"

"A mistake." Her hazel eyes looked into his. "I can't keep this baby, Mr. Winner. Quatre. That's why I'm here."

He caught his breath in his throat. "Well, I can't say that I'm sorry you feel that way, Juliana. But are you sure you'd be willing to give your baby to me...and my partner?"

She twisted the pearl ring around her pinky finger. "I can't keep it. If I do, I'll never get to do any of the things I want to do with my life." She smiled ruefully. "I want to go to St. John's. I want to study engineering."

"Engineering? What do you want to build?"

"Mobile suits."

He stared at her for a second before lowering his head, a smile playing on his lips. "Really? Why would you want to do that?"

"Because....they're amazing." When he looked back up, he saw the shine in her eyes. "I was only five when the war ended, but I remember watching all the suits on television. The Leos, the Aries, the Gundams. I want to build them. Because someday, they'll be needed again." Some of the fire in her eyes died. "But I can't....if I keep my baby."

Quatre shook his head. "I'm not going to lie to you, Juliana. I'm not married. And I don't have a girlfriend. My partner is a man." He gave her a hard look. "I'll understand if you want to go now."

"Why would *I* want to do that?"

"Because..." He frowned. "Maybe you didn't understand."

Juliana cocked her head to the side. "Of course I understood. You and your lover want to adopt my baby. That's what your ad said you wanted to do."

"You....you'd still consider..." He swallowed heavily. "I'm sorry. I've never gotten...this sort of response."

"I just have one question."

Quatre cleared his throat. "All right."

"Will you love my baby?"

He answered without hesitancy. "With all my heart."

"All right then." She stood up awkwardly. "What do I need to do? Do I need to sign some papers or something?"

Quatre blinked again. "I....you know? I have no idea." He began to laugh. "I haven't even asked how far along you are."

"Seven and a half months", she replied, smiling widely. "So, we've got some time."

He nodded. "I'll talk to my lawyers next week." He stood and reached for her hand. "I can't....I'm..." He brought her knuckles up to his lips. "Thank you. Thank you so much."

"No." She touched his cheek. The gesture was one of an instantaneous bond they had formed. She was to be the mother of his child. "Thank you...Quatre. Thank you."

****

"Quatre?" It was well after 1 AM when Trowa let himself into the house two days later. "Quatre....where are you?"

His lover appeared at the top of the stairs, clad in sheer blue harem pants and a flowing white button down shirt. His hair was spun gold, catching the light from the dimly lit chandelier. A smile was on his face, the first real smile Trowa had seen in a long time.

"You're late. I thought you'd get in hours ago", he said. There was no accusation in his tone. Only a bit of mischief.

Trowa walked to the bottom step of the staircase. "I'm sorry. My shuttle was delayed." He lowered his eyes. "I'm sorry I had to go at all."

"Don't worry about it, love." Quatre held out his arm, beckoning to Trowa. "There's champagne up here...if you want some."

The taller man raised an eyebrow. "I was only gone for a few days..."

"Come here", Quatre said with much less subtlety. Trowa protested no more, taking the stairs two at a time until he was at the top. Quatre tugged at the top button of his shirt and gave him a long, welcoming kiss. "I have...." Kissing him again, he began to pull Trowa towards their bedroom. "...some very good news."

****

Much later, as Quatre lay sleeping against his chest, Trowa let himself process the news. It had finally happened. The baby Quatre wanted so badly would soon be a reality. He corrected himself. The baby they both wanted. For although it had taken him a good amount of time, he had almost completely warmed up to the idea of being a father. It wouldn't be easy; he wasn't entirely sure he had within him what it took to be a parent. But if Quatre believed he could do it, he couldn't help but believe it too. And Quatre would be by his side. He would never let him fall. A child of their own could only bring them even closer.

Quatre stirred against him, but didn't wake. The arm that was wound around the blond man's shoulders rose; Trowa ran his fingers though Quatre's hair. Everything about the man he loved was seemingly perfect. Angelic. He couldn't take the angel metaphor too far, however; even Quatre had his dark side. Their deeply intwined, terribly bloody past had left its mark on them both. It was only when they were together that they could overcome it. Trowa knew that to be true of all his friends. They each had someone who took the pain away.

His lips found Quatre's forehead and kissed it softly. Soon, they would have something else that their old friends had. A family. He tried to picture the girl who was carrying their baby. Quatre had described her in such detail before he had fallen asleep, as well as every detail about their past two days together. To hear Quatre talk, she was a goddess amungst mortals. He wanted her to move in with them...he wanted to provide her with everything she needed, not only until the baby was born, but after. Trowa smiled. That was the man he loved. Selfless to a fault.

The communicator beeped suddenly, waking Quatre instantly. He lifted his head from Trowa's chest and gave the highly amusing look of the sleepy confused. "I didn't know anymore of our friends were expecting kids", he mumbled.

Trowa leaned across his body and opened the communicator. A man he didn't recognize appeared on the screen. "Hello?", Trowa asked warily.

The man looked at a clipboard in his hand. "Is this the residence of....Quatre Winner?"

Quatre turned over and blinked to focus his eyes. "I'm Quatre Winner. Can I help you?"

"I'm sorry for disturbing you so late at night, Mr. Winner. I'm Dr. Samuel Cavanaugh. I'm an Ob/Gyn at Field Medical Center. I have you listed as the next of kin to Juliana Bailey."

"Juliana..." Quatre sat up straight. "Juliana's at the hospital? What's wrong?"

"Well...Juliana came in about two hours ago in the first stages of labor", the doctor replied.

"But...she's only... It's too early." Quatre's mouth was dry.

Dr. Cavanaugh nodded. "We gave her drugs to stop her contractions, but they don't appear to be working. The baby is coming whether we like it or not. Now..." He glanced at his clipboard once more; it seemed to be a nervous habit. "Would you be the father of the baby?"

"Yes. I mean, no..." Quatre was suddenly very aware of Trowa's presence in the bed. "I'm...we're adopting Juliana's baby."

"Ah, I see. We find that a lot of adoptive parents like to be present for the baby's birth. So if you..."

"We're on our way."

****

"Juliana?" Quatre knocked softly on the partially open door.

"Quatre?", she called back. Her voice was relaxed. Happy. "You're here."

He stepped into the room with Trowa just behind him. Juliana lay in the hospital bed, one arm draped across the mound of her belly. She smiled widely. "Hey." Upon seeing Trowa's tall body, her smile became wider. "You must be Trowa. Quatre's told me all about you." At seeing his eyebrow raise, she continued. "All good stuff, I promise."

Quatre approached the bed. "Are you in any pain?"

"Not a bit", she grinned. "I worship the man who invented the epidural. They went ahead and gave it to me when the other stuff didn't work." Her pale hands caressed her belly. "I don't think we have a lot longer to wait."

Instinctively, Quatre covered her hand with his, careful to avoid the IV in her wrist. "We'll stay with you. As long as you want."

Her hazel eyes became watery. "Thank you. This godly medicine almost made me forget..." She hesitated. "I'm really scared."

A doctor entered just then; Quatre recognized him from the communicator. "Ah...I see you have visitors, Juliana."

The girl's temporary lapse into fear dissipated. "Dr. Cavanaugh...this is Quatre and Trowa. They're going to adopt my baby. If it ever decides to make an appearance."

The doctor laughed. "Yes, I've already had the pleasure of meeting them." Snapping on a rubber glove, he approached Juliana and reached to examine her. She shifted uncomfortably. "Hmm...you're at nine centimeters."

"Is that good or bad?", she asked.

He frowned. "Nothing is good about you being in labor this early, Juliana. But the baby is coming at a fairly normal pace. Usually premature babies come much faster. So, we lucked out. Still...I'm going to go ahead and have you moved into the OR."

"The OR?" Quatre looked worried.

Dr. Cavanaugh straightened the covers over Juliana. "It's too risky to deliver the baby in a regular delivery room. It's going to be a month and a half premature. We'll set up an incubator and a respirator and start the baby on mild steriods immediately. That should be more than enough to insure the baby's safety."

Juliana lightly squeezed Quatre's fingers. "Can Quatre and Trowa come?"

"They'll have to get scrubbed. A nurse will see to that while we're getting you moved." The doctor peeled off his glove. "Don't worry. There's every reason to believe that everything will be all right." He looked at the two men. "If you'll follow me...I'll find that nurse."

Trowa hung back. "Doctor...where can I find a communicator?"

****

~~Beep...beep...beep~~

"Duo..."

"No...you can't eat pie in my Deathscythe, Wufei...."

Hilde's shook his bare shoulder. "Duo...wake up."

Her husband groaned in protest as he woke from a deeply disturbing dream. He blinked as his eyes adjusted to the lack of light. "What? What's going on?"

~~Beep...beep...beep~~

"It's the communicator", Hilde whispered. "It's on your side of the bed."

"So?"

She gave him another shove. "Your side...your problem." With that, she turned her back to him and made a great pretense of falling back asleep.

Grumbling sleepily, Duo twisted his body around until he was facing the communicator. His fingers fumbled for the button, trying to find it without actually opening his eyes. "What the hell do you want?", he greeted the unidentified caller.

"Oh...my apologies. Were you sleeping, Duo?"

Duo popped one violet eye open upon hearing the all too familiar voice. Yet there was something different about it. Instead of the usual monotone, the voice carried an air of something akin to....sarcastic satisfaction. "Trowa?"

"*So* sorry to wake you."

"Huh? What? Why are you calling me at..." He glanced at the clock. "Three AM?"

Trowa crossed his arms. "Why do *you* usually call *me* at three AM?"

Duo's sleep-hazed brain attempted to pull a logical thought together. "Quatre's having a baby?!"

"Yes, Duo. Quatre is having a baby", Trowa replied, dead serious. "We've baffled modern medicine."

The braided man scowled. "Don't fuck with me; I just spent two hours with a sick six year old."

Taking pity on his friend, Trowa continued. "Quatre and I...." He hesitated. "We've arranged to adopt a baby. And the mother is in labor right now."

Hilde sat up. "You've what??!!?"

****

Relena blinked several times and sat up straighter in bed. "And you kept this a secret?"

"We didn't want to get our hopes up, much less anyone else's. And then everything started happening so fast." Trowa paused. "I don't have very long to talk; I need to get to the OR. Quatre's waiting for me."

Heero scratched the top of his head. "Don't keep him waiting." He disappeared from Trowa's view as he lay back against the pillows.

Relena shook her head at her husband, before giving Trowa a warm smile. "How is Quatre doing?"

****

"He wanted me to ask you....will the baby really be okay being born this early?"

Sally pulled the covers tighter around her barely covered body. "It's hard to say, Trowa. Some premature babies make it with no problems. It really depends on the mother's health during the pregnancy and, of course, just how early the baby comes."

Trowa nodded. "Honestly Sally...I wish you were here. The girl is so young... And Quatre's depending on this so much."

"It's going to be fine. I just know it." Sally bumped her husband's arm. "Isn't it?"

"Whatever the woman says", Wufei muttered into his pillow.

Sally smiled triumphantly. "Keep us posted. And Trowa...congratulations."

****

"Push and breathe, Juliana. You have to push...", Dr. Cavanaugh urged his patient.

The girl shook her sweaty blond locks. "I can't...it's too much..." She looked up at Quatre pleadingly. "Tell them to just yank it out!!"

He smiled behind his surgical mask. "Hold onto my hand...it'll be over soon. I promise."

The doctor looked at his nurse. "The epidural is wearing off", he murmured. "But the head's not coming."

Trowa listened carefully from his place just behind Juliana's head. "What does that mean?", he asked.

"Well...the baby is turned, but it doesn't seem to want to come out. We may have to do a C-section."

Juliana's eyes widened. "No! No, I don't want that!" Tilting her head, she glanced back and forth between Quatre and Trowa. "Please don't let them do that!!"

Quatre squeezed the girl's hand. "Isn't there anything else you can do?"

Dr. Cavanaugh shook his head. "If the labor doesn't progress in the next few minutes, no." The doctor glanced at his nurse again. "Call the anesthesiologist and let's get her prepped just in case." He sighed sadly. "I'm sorry...you two can't be in here during the C-section. She'll be mostly under anyways."

Tears coursed down Juliana's pale cheeks. "No...I don't want them to go!" Quatre gently released her hand. "Please! I can't do this...by myself!"

She was breaking his heart. But with one look at the doctor, Quatre knew he couldn't make her any promises. "I'm sorry, Juliana. We'll be just outside, all right? Just outside." He bit his lip as Trowa gently guided him out the swinging doors. She looked painfully vulnerable. So fragile. And very alone.

****

Trowa watched his lover with the last strains of his immeasurable patience. In the forty five minutes since they had left the OR, Quatre had not sat down once or strayed from his back and forth paced path. He was beginning to wonder if it was possible for Quatre to actually wear out the floor tiles. After another second, he could take no more. Standing up, he reached for the smaller man. "Quatre...do you want me to go see what I can find out?"

Relief temporarily replaced the worry in his sea colored eyes. "Please", he said softly. Trowa nodded and disappeared into the OR hallway. When he was gone, Quatre let himself sit down. His fingers plunged through his hair; his elbows rested on his knees, back curved as he stared at the floor.

"Allah...", he whispered. Standing up, he turned to the East. Bowing deeply, he lowered himself to his knees and bent over until his forehead touched the floor. After a moment he raised his head and cupped his palms out in front of his body. "Subhanal'lah, Wal-hamdule'lah, Wala Elaha Elallah'u, Wa'llah'u Akbar."

As he prayed, he felt his chest lighten as was usual when giving praise to Allah. Still, a tear ran down the side of his nose. He lowered his forehead back to the floor and continued to pray.

He had no way of knowing how long Trowa was standing there, watching him pray before he noticed and raised his head. He didn't want to meet the familiar emerald gaze. Some part of his heart had begun to hurt without even having to hear the first words. It was another minute before Quatre could make his mouth work.

"Is everything all right?"

Trowa swallowed. "The baby's all right", he said in a voice Quatre had never heard. "It's a girl."

The ache in his heart did not alleviate at his lover's words. There was something more. "But...", he prompted softly.

"Juliana..." Trowa touched his shoulder. "She didn't make it, little one."

He could not a remember a time when his emotions were so jumbled. Even when he was in Wing Zero, battling Trowa and Heero, he had possessed some objective. In the seconds after Trowa told him of Juliana's death, Quatre was tossed from sorrow over a fellow human being's untimely death to the ecstasy of new parenthood.

*Allah...take to your kingdom Juliana Bailey. Keep her safe in your power and might.*

Quatre wiped his cheeks. He hated to say it, but couldn't stop himself. "Can we see the baby? Our baby?"

"Yeah." Trowa touched Quatre's cheek lovingly. "They're just examining her..." He took a breath. "They said...she's doing all right. Maybe they won't even need the respirator."

"That's wonderful", Quatre replied softly.

Trowa put his arm around the shorter man's shoulders. "Come on. They told me to take you to the nursery."

Quatre let himself be lead through the hospital. When they reached the nursery, he had begun to shake himself out of the sorrowful stupor the news of Juliana's death had sent him into. The nurse in charge of the natal room greeted them at the door.

"Are you here to see Baby Girl Bailey?", she asked.

"Baby Girl Winner", Quatre whispered. He looked up at Trowa. "Or Barton? We haven't really decided that, have we?"

Quatre's loopy tone of voice worried Trowa. He spoke with caution. "Let's not worry about it now, little one. Look..." He pointed to the baby the nurse was taking from another nurse's arms. "That's her."

The first thing Quatre noticed was how impossibly tiny the baby was. More so than any other baby he had ever seen. *Poor baby*, he said to himself. *If only you could have waited a little longer to be born.*

The nurse approached them. "Here you go, Mr. Winner", she said, passing the pink-flanned wrapped bundle to him. Quatre vaguely wondered how the woman knew him. The thought faded as he looked down at his new daughter. His and Trowa's new daughter.

"She's beautiful", he said out loud. And she was, despite her size.

"She needs to fill out a little bit", the nurse smiled. "We're going to have to keep her at the hospital for at least two weeks to run some tests, make sure there aren't any complications because of her prematurity. Still, by the time you and the mother sign all the necessary paperwork, she'll be ready to go home with you."

"The mother..." Quatre looked up at the nurse. "Her mother died."

The nurse's face fell. "Oh. I'm very sorry....I didn't know. Well, in that case..." She hesitated. "The hospital adminstration is going to need to see all the pre-adoption papers that she did sign."

Quatre glanced at Trowa. "But...there aren't any. She wasn't supposed to...so early. We never got a chance to..."

"Oh dear." The nurse bit her lip.

"What does that mean?", Trowa asked warily.

"There isn't a single document that says Ms. Bailey was planning to have you adopt her baby?", she continued. Quatre shook his head. "Well...I'm sure it won't be a major hurdle, Mr. Winner. With no birth mother, it might actually be easier to adopt the baby."

Quatre relaxed at her words and returned his attention to the baby in his arms. Trowa narrowed his eyes. Something wasn't sitting right.

****

It all happened a week later as Quatre sat in the hospital nursery's rocking chair, giving the tiny baby, who had yet to be named, her bottle. He and Trowa had just returned from Juliana Bailey's funeral. With the exception of a few teenagers, they had been the only ones present as her ashes were buried. Trowa stood just behind the rocking chair, content to watch Quatre for the rest of the day.

He barely glanced up when he heard the nursey doors open. It wasn't until he heard the words "Bailey baby" mentioned that he glanced up. Two men in suits were talking to the head nurse on duty. She was pointing to Quatre. More specifically, to the baby in his arms.

Quatre looked up only when he felt the sudden presence of two strangers. "Is there something I can do for you?", he asked the men. Trowa's muscles were tight. He had a bad feeling...

"Quatre Winner? Trowa Barton?" The man pulled an envelope from his jacket pocket. "We represent the interest of Charles Bailey, the late Juliana Bailey's father. I'm very sorry, Mr. Winner, but our client is exercising his right as paternal grandfather to take this baby out of the custody of his hospital."

Everything was happening too fast for Quatre's brain to react. Fortunately, Trowa was by his side. He took the envelope from the man. "Paternal grandparents have this sort of right?", Trowa asked, coolly. The strange man nodded curtly. "I'm not sure if you're aware of this, but it was Juliana Bailey's last wish that we adopt her child."

"We are aware of that. But it does not matter. The baby will be transported to Earth where her birth mother's family is waiting for her."

Instinctively, Quatre held the baby tighter. "She wanted us to keep her baby."

"Do you have any proof of that, Mr. Winner?" When Quatre failed to answer, the man reached for the baby. Quatre was unable to bring himself to do anything as the man awkwardly took the child. As soon as the little girl was out of his arms, she began to cry, rendering the nursery with the weak power of her tiny lungs.

Trowa's palms itched with the desire to grab the child and hand her back to Quatre. From a legal standpoint however, there was nothing he could do. "We intend to fight this", he warned the men as they began to leave the nursery.

"I truly hope you do, Mr. Barton", the other man, who had been silent up until then, said. "See you in court."

****

"He won't talk to me. He won't eat." Trowa ran a hand down his face. It was the motion of a man who was hanging by his last thread. "I don't know what to do."

Relena pressed her hand to her mouth as she watched his anguish through her communicator screen. It was an unfair world. Just down the hall from her private office, her newborn daughter slept peacefully. But halfway across the galaxy, her friends were struggling to hold onto a child they had been promised.

"I'm so very sorry, Trowa", she said sincerely. "Is there anything we can do?"

The man shook shook his head. "Normally, I'd say all he needs is his friends. But I don't want him to be around...all those kids. I don't know what that would do to him."

"I understand." Relena cleared her throat. "What did your lawyers say?"

Trowa shrugged. "We have a lot to go on. Over a dozen eyewitnesses who will say Juliana wanted us to adopt the baby...the fact that she had no contact with her family for her entire pregnancy helps too." He paused. "We also have a lot of strikes against us, Relena."

She was quiet for a moment. "Trowa...maybe it won't even come up."

"Maybe." He gave her his rare smile. "I need to go check on Quatre."

"Tell him we all love him. And we're thinking about you both", Relena said quickly. Trowa nodded before shutting down the transmission.

"Ever the optimist, aren't you?"

Relena turned her head to see her husband standing in the doorway, little Victoria in his arms. She gave him a reprimanding look. "Heero, don't be like that."

"Like what?", he asked, passing the baby to her mother. "Realistic?"

She yanked at the buttons on her blouse. "I just think that their sexuality shouldn't even be an issue, Heero. It has nothing to do with how well they can raise a child."

Heero watched as she began to feed their daughter. "You're preaching to the converted, koibito. Were it up to me, they would be able to adopt any child they want. But it'll be up to the judge. And he might not be so..."

"Open minded", Relena finished. With her free hand, she beckoned to him, giving him a kiss over Victoria's head. "You're really a very nice guy, Heero. You must be getting mellow in your old age."

His eyebrow raised. "I'll have to do something about that, then."

****

Life had become a blur to Quatre Raberba Winner. A meaningless routine of sleepless nights, legal appointments, silent meals and far too much concerned protectiveness from Trowa. Despite the constant, reassuring presence of the man he loved, there was an empty hole in Quatre's life. He tried to throw himself into his work, but everytime he closed his eyes, he saw the baby who had been ripped away from him. A month had passed since then; she would be getting bigger by the day. And they were missing it all.

The trial was scheduled to be held on L4 in mid-January of AC 208. The first few days of opening statements became part of the perpetual blur. He was physically there, but he forced his brain to shut down as soon as the baby was brought into the courtroom every morning.

Trowa sent for his friends. And they came from Earth and L2. Quatre was grateful for their presence...even the children. Contrary to what Trowa seemed to believe, he was not on the verge of a breakdown. At least, that's what he was telling himself. So when it came time for him to take the stand in his own defense, Quatre was more than willing. Trowa, on the other hand, was another matter.

"You can't do it."

Quatre fixed his cool, aqua stare onto his longtime partner. "Of course I can. And I have every intention of doing it, no matter what."

Relena looked back and forth between the two men. "Quatre...", she began, gently. "Are you sure about this?"

"Do you know what I wish? I wish everyone would stop treating me like a piece of glass. I am neither weak nor incapable of doing something so simple as testifying at a trial." Quatre stood up from his desk.

Across the private office, Duo uncrossed his arms. "Anyone who'd think you weak, Quatre, didn't ever see you in battle." He paused. "I say go for it."

Trowa threw the braided man a look of death that said "stay out of it". He dropped the stare after a minute and looked back at Quatre. "What can I say to change your mind?"

"Absolutely nothing", Quatre answered. "My mind is made up."

Their lawyer, a brilliant 25 year old partner at the biggest law firm on L4, Manuel Torres, shuffled some papers and tried to hide his smile. He genuinely liked Quatre Winner and was glad to be representing him and his partner. It was rare that he enjoyed his work; usually his custody cases were losing battles. But he truly believed that he could win this one. All the judge needed to see was Quatre's eyes and hear the way he spoke about children. "I assume this is settled now?", Manuel asked. "I'd like to start prepping you right away, Quatre."

"It's settled", Quatre replied, ignoring the look in Trowa's eyes.

"Great." Manuel stood up, snapping his briefcase closed. "You take the stand in two days."

****

"Can you state your full name and occupation for the record?"

"Quatre Raberba Winner. I'm the CEO of Winner Industries, Inc."

Manuel nodded before pausing for a second. "Can you tell me why you're here today, Mr. Winner?"

"I'm here because I want to be a father."

"I see." He hesitated. "Let's get this out in the open right away, Mr. Winner. Who is the man in the first row?"

Quatre followed Manuel's pointed finger. "Trowa Barton."

"And your relationship to Mr. Barton is...?"

"He's my partner."

Manuel nodded once more. "And this would be the reason why you can not have children biologically, right, Mr. Winner?"

"That would be the reason."

"So, since you can not have children biologically, how did you intend to be a father?"

"We went to an adoption agency. When it became obvious that they could not help us, we placed an advertisment in a campus newspaper, in the hope of finding a young mother who was going to put her child up for adoption."

"Who answered this advertisment, Mr. Winner?"

"Several girls. Juliana Bailey was the last girl to respond to the advertisment."

The questioning continued. Quatre answered each of his lawyer's questions about the few days he had known Juliana leading up to the day the baby was born. He asked about her death, about the unexpected hemorraging that had drained her life away only minutes after the baby was delivered. Finally, he walked Quatre back through the day the baby was taken away.

"How do you feel now, Mr. Winner?"

Hidden behind the witness box, Quatre's fist tightened. "I feel...empty. We only had a week with the baby, but I already love her like a daughter. And I believe that Trowa feels the same way."

"Objection!" The opposing lawyer, an obese man named Thomas Smith, hauled his bulk out of his seat. "Mr. Winner can not testify to the feelings of another person."

Manuel addressed the judge. "Your Honor, as has been previously recorded, Mr. Winner has a close, personal relationship with Mr. Barton. I believe he can answer truthfully anything pertaining to Mr. Barton's..."

"Sustained", the judge cut Manuel off. "The witness will only testify to his own thoughts."

"Mr. Winner", Manuel continued. "Why do you feel you should be given custody of Juliana Bailey's child instead of her own family?"

Quatre paused for several long seconds. "It's what Juliana wanted. She wanted her baby to be loved. And she knew that Trowa and I would love her baby." He raised his shoulders. "And we...I mean, *I* do."

Manuel smiled. "No further questions." He turned to the Bailey's lawyer. "Your witness, Mr. Smith."

"Mr. Winner...." Mr. Smith stood up and rebuttoned his suit's coat. "Mr. Quatre Raberba Winner of Colony L4-1250. Mr. Quatre Raberba Winner, CEO of Winner Industries, Inc. Very impressive title."

"If you say so", Quatre replied neatly.

"And such a young man, too. Only 27 years old." He crossed his arms over his massive stomach. "Tell me something, Mr. Winner. Have you always been a businessman?"

Quatre frowned. "I'm not sure what you're asking."

"I'm asking if you've always just been the CEO of Winner Industries. If not, what else have you done in your 27 years?"

"I...I became CEO of my father's company shortly after his death...and shortly after the war was over."

"Ah, the war." Mr. Smith unfolded his arms. "Terrible mess that war. Lots of people died. How many people do you think died in the wars, Mr. Winner?"

"Objection!" Manuel stood. "Just where is Mr. Smith going with this?"

"Just asking a few questions, Your Honor", the other lawyer replied.

"Overruled", the judge said. "But find your point soon, Mr. Smith. I'm not the most patient man."

Mr. Smith nodded. "All right then." After another pause, he threw the question at Quatre. "How many people did you kill in the wars, Mr. Winner?"

"What?" Quatre's mouth was dry. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see his friends in the first few rows. Each one had become instantly on guard. Manuel looked as though he was dying to object, but could not find a way. "What...what do you mean?"

"Oh, come on, Mr. Winner. Let's not play games. The wars are very much over. Mobile suits are thing of the past. And information about the pilots of such suits are in the public's knowledge. Which suit did you pilot, Mr. Winner?"

"I..." Quatre swallowed. "I don't think that...that's a fair question to..."

"Are you going to answer me?", Mr. Smith pressed.

"I don't think that..."

"Is that a yes or a no?" Quatre couldn't reply. "Your Honor...", Mr. Smith continued.

"The witness will answer", the judge said.

Quatre took a breath. He had no choice. "I was the pilot of Gundam 04", he said softly. "Sandrock."

"The Gundams fought for the colonies, didn't they, Mr. Winner?" Quatre nodded. "Did you kill for the colonies, Mr. Winner?"

"Objection!"

"Establishes background and mental state", Mr. Smith argued.

The judge sighed. "Overruled, Mr. Torres."

"Yes", Quatre whispered. "I killed. For peace."

Trowa watched the lawyer tear Quatre apart from his place between Heero and Duo. If not for knowing that it would do irreparable damage to their case, Trowa would have had the fat lawyer bruised and bloody.

Unaware, Mr. Smith went on. "So, you're a killer, Mr. Winner? A murderer?"

"Objection!!"

"Sustained. The jury will disregard the last statement. Watch it, Mr. Smith."

"I'm not a murderer", Quatre said, lifting his gaze to meet the lawyer's. "It was a war."

Mr. Smith shook his head. "You've taken human life, Mr. Winner. Many human lives from what my research indicates. And yet..." He walked forward. "You think that you're fit to raise a child?"

"Yes. I do."

"What kind of a man does it take to kill another man, Mr. Winner?" Before Quatre could reply, he continued. "Do you think that someone who could take so many lives...is capable of love?"

Quatre blinked. "I'm not a bad person, Mr. Smith. I did things no man should have to do, but I did not do them with no reason. I did them *because of* love, not in spite of it."

Mr. Smith leaned into the witness box. "But....you're still a killer." Before Manuel could say anything, Mr. Smith straightened up. "No futher questions."

****

"This wasn't supposed to happen", Quatre whispered into Trowa's shoulder. "I didn't prepare myself for..." He choked back a sob. "I thought they would come after the gay thing. Not the Gundam thing..."

The group of six ex-Gundam pilots and one lawyer gathered in the library of Quatre's mansion was somber. Even Duo was abnormally subdued. It could have been any one of them up there, but it had been Quatre. The one who deserved it the least...taking the heat for all of their crimes.

Wufei paced back and forth. "Injustice in a court of law", he kept muttering.

"How was his position as a Gundam pilot over ten years ago even admissible today?", Heero wanted to know. His eyes bore into the young lawyer's.

Manuel shook his head. "War...I hesitate to use the word in this situation...crimes have no statue of limitations." He sighed. "It's a blow, Quatre. But it's not the final blow. We still have a very strong case."

Quatre shook his head. "It's over. Did you see the jury? They were all looking at me like I was holding a gun to them..."

"Hey, Quat-man", Duo spoke up, gently. "That jury needs to be grateful for everything you did for them. No one might like to admit it now, but the whole world owes a lot to us."

"You're not helping", Heero informed him.

Manuel scratched his head. "Actually, he's got a point. But I don't think we're going to win the case like that." He thought for a second. "How many children do you all have combined?"

Although silent up until then, Millardo answered the man's question. "Nine."

"I see." The lawyer lowered his arm. "Well, there isn't anything we can do right now. I suggest everyone get a lot of sleep. I'll see you all in court tomorrow morning." He picked up his briefcase and stood to go.

Heero walked with him to the library doors. "Can you win this case?", he asked when they were out of earshot of the others.

Manuel sighed. "I have no idea."

"This is the most important thing to Quatre and Trowa", Heero continued in a low voice. "What do you need to do to get them their baby?"

There was a long pause as Manuel studied the intense man beside him. "Are you a father, Mr. Yuy?" When Heero nodded, Manuel smiled. "Have you ever testified before?"

****

"Your Honor, I'd like to call Heero Yuy to the stand."

The judge nodded. Manuel gestured to Heero; he stood and took his place in the witness box. After he was sworn in, Manuel continued. "For the record, will you state your name and your relationship to Mr. Winner and Mr. Barton?", Quatre's lawyer asked.

"I'm Heero Yuy. I've been a...friend of Quatre and Trowa's for twelve years."

"How did you meet Mr. Winner and Mr. Barton?"

Heero took a breath. "We fought together during the war."

"You were...?", the lawyer prompted.

"Gundam pilots."

There was a wave of murmurs from the court. The judge only had to bang his gavel once to bring order. "Mr. Yuy", Manuel pressed on. "Can you tell me who those children sitting in the second row of the court are?"

Heero nodded. "From left to right: Benjamin and Victoria Yuy....Abigail, Ruth, Thomas, Eve and Adam Maxwell....Chang Lin....Celeste Peacecraft."

"I see. And what do they all have in common?"

"Their fathers are all former Gundam pilots."

"Objection! Irrelevant!", the Bailey's lawyer protested.

"On the contrary, Your Honor...it's completely relevant", Manuel shot back.

"Overruled. But keep the ball rolling, Mr. Torres."

Manuel smiled at the judge. "Every child sitting in that row has a parent who was once a Gundam pilot, correct?"

"Correct."

"Mr. Yuy...would you say the children in the second row are happy?"

"Objection! Mr. Torres is asking Mr. Yuy to speak for the personal happiness of children!"

The judge nodded. "Sustained."

"I'll rephrase, Your Honor." Manuel stepped closer to Heero. "Would you say that the children in the second row have been raised well?"

"Objection! Mr. Torres is *now* asking Mr. Yuy for his personal opinion of the child rearing skills of three other men."

"Overruled. I'll allow it."

"I would say that they are both happy *and* well raised", Heero replied.

The Bailey's lawyer balked. "Your Honor...."

"Let it go", the judge replied.

Manuel pointed to Quatre and Trowa. "Do you believe that Mr. Winner and Mr. Barton would be good parents?"

Heero crossed his arms. "Better than most men....yes."

"But, Mr. Yuy..." Manuel paced across the floor. "We've heard testimony that Gundam pilots are murderers! Incapable of love. We've been told by the plaintiff's lawyer that because they were once Gundam pilots, Mr. Winner and Mr. Barton should not be given custody of Juliana Bailey's child. What do you say to that?"

"It's bullshit."

"Objection!!"

"Sustained. Watch your language, Mr. Yuy."

"Fine. It's complete shit."

A till of laughter ran through the audience. In her seat next to Hilde and Duo, Relena put a hand to her forehead. Duo bit his lip to keep from laughing. Wufei and Millardo snorted softly. Quatre looked worried.

"So, it's safe to say that you believe Mr. Winner and Mr. Barton would be good parents. Despite their past?" Manuel leaned against the witness box.

Heero gave the man a look. "It's safe to say that."

"And you speak from experience?"

"Two of the children in the second row are mine."

Manuel looked at the judge. "No further questions."

The judge nodded and looked at the Bailey's lawyer. "Your witness, counselor."

"Mr. Yuy." The fat man lifted himself from his chair. "You said you were a Gundam pilot?"

"Yes."

"Which Gundam did you pilot, out of curiousity?"

"I piloted more than just one."

"But which was your primary suit?"

Manuel stood up. "Objection. Where is Mr. Smith going with this?"

The opposing lawyer raised his shoulders. "I'm just asking the man a question."

"Overruled, Mr. Torres. The witness will answer."

Heero's eyes narrowed. "I was the primary pilot of Gundam 01."

"Wing Zero?", the man asked. Heero nodded. "Impressive. How many people would you say you killed with your Wing Zero, Mr. Yuy?"

"Objection!"

"Sustained. Find a new line of questions, Mr. Smith."

"Your Honor...I'm trying to establish Mr. Yuy's background."

Manuel shook his head. "Mr. Yuy is not on trial. The Gundam pilots are not on trial."

"I agree", the judge said. "My ruling remains. Move it along, Mr. Smith."

The fat man made a gesture of recognition. "Mr. Yuy....were Mr. Winner and Mr. Barton good pilots?"

"Just what are you asking?"

"I'm asking if they were good pilots. And for the record, I'm the one asking you the questions, Mr. Yuy. Not the other way around." The lawyer repeated himself. "Were Mr. Winner and Mr. Barton good Gundam pilots?"

The look Heero gave the man would have frozen a flame. "You're asking me if they were murderers."

"You said it; I didn't." Mr. Smith smiled smugly. "So, Mr. Winner and Mr. Barton...were murderers? And yet you still think they should be given a child, Mr. Yuy?"

"Objection!"

"Sustained."

"No." Heero held up his hand. "It's all right. I'll answer him." He paused for a half second. "What were you doing during the war, Mr. Smith?"

The lawyer sighed. "I thought I told you..."

"Nothing, I see. Sitting on your ass, waiting for someone else to take care of the world so you wouldn't have to dirty your hands. Well, let me tell you something. Quatre, Trowa...Duo, Wufei and myself...even Zechs...we *were* that 'someone else'. And yes, we killed. We killed a lot. It's certainly not something we revel in having done. But I don't think any of us would go back and change the choices we made. We gave you peace. And you have the nerve to judge us for that?"

"Your Honor..." Mr. Smith looked at the judge pathetically. The judge said nothing...only motioned for Heero to continue.

"You see those children, Mr. Smith? Take a good, long look at them. You see the tall one....the oldest. Abigail. She has an opinion on everything. And the little boy, Thomas. He wants to be a pilot when he grows up. Their dad piloted Gundam 02. The Deathscythe. The little girl with blond hair. Celeste. My niece. She starting to eat real food now...and spitting it up on her father whenever she has the chance. Her father piloted the Gundam Epyon. Lin discovered his feet the other day. His father piloted Gundam 05, Shen Long."

Heero paused. "And Benjamin. My son. What can I say about him? He's a three year old terror. But he's my terror." Heero leaned forward. "If you want to convince the world that Quatre Winner and Trowa Barton are unfit to be parents because they were Gundam pilots, then you had better be ready to lay the same claim to the rest of us. But I don't think you'll find any court in the solar system that will take our children away from us. They were born to us. You can't touch them. Unfortunately...you can punish Quatre and Trowa for our combined crimes. And *that* is bullshit. If they're unfit, we're unfit. But...if we're capable...so are they."

The judge looked at the Bailey's lawyer. "Any further questions?"

"No. Your Honor", the man mumbled.

"Redirect, Mr. Torres?"

Manuel's smile was broad. "No need to, Your Honor. I think everything that needs to be said has been said."

"Court adjourned for jury deliberation."

The jury deliberated for five hours.

Quatre Winner and Trowa Barton walked out of the courtroom as the parents of a newborn baby girl.

****

"Don't point that thing at me, Maxwell!"

"Then move out of the way, Wufei! Cause this baby is about to blow!"

"Duo, just uncork the damn champagne."

"Keep your pants on, Yuy. All right!! Three...two...ONE!!" With a loud pop and a lot of fizz, Duo uncorked the bottle, sending a spray of champagne across the room.

From his chair a good distance from Duo and the champagne bottle, Quatre smiled. The little girl in his arms stirred. His daughter. He lifted her against his shoulder and patted her tiny back.

Relena sat across from him, her own daughter fast asleep against her shoulder. "Have you and Trowa decided on a name for her?"

"Yeah!" Duo glanced up from pouring champagne. "She's gotta have a name!"

Hilde pinched him while pouring orange juice. "Shush, or I'll make you go check on the twins."

Trowa accepted two glasses from Duo and sat on the arm of Quatre's chair. "We have decided on one."

Noin picked up a glass of champagne and handed it to Millardo, enjoying watching him balance the drink and their daughter in his arms. "Well...what is it?", she asked.

Abigail lay on her stomach on the carpet at Quatre's feet, staring up at the new baby with a dreamy look in her violet eyes. "I'll bet it something pretty", she sighed.

"Not like 'Abigail'." Thomas stuck his tongue out at his oldest sister.

"You have a very pretty name", Quatre assured the girl.

Sally smiled and called to the oldest child. "Abigail....could you come here and hold Lin for me?" The girl happily scrambled to her feet, woes over her name forgotten and went to Sally's side.

Relena took a plastic cup of orange juice from her husband and let him take Victoria from her. She handed the covered cup to Ben who was squeezed between them, trying to play with his baby sister's feet. "You're keeping us all in suspense here, you know", she winked.

"Well..." Quatre looked at Trowa. "Technically, we're supposed to wait a week until her Tasmiyah."

"Tasmanian what?" Duo went to sip his champagne, but Hilde jabbed him in the ribs.

Heero gave him a look over Victoria's head. "The Giving of Name day according to Muslim tradition."

"But...", Quatre continued. "We can tell you all now." He smiled at Trowa before turning the sleeping child around to face his friends. "Everyone...this is Amani Na'ilah Barton."

There was a chorus of 'awws' from the women and nods from the men. Wufei asked what everyone was thinking. "What does it mean?"

Trowa touched the crown of blond fuzz on his daughter's head. "'Amani' means 'aspirations'. And 'Na'ilah' means 'winner'."

"It's a good name", Heero said.

"Perfect", Noin agreed with her brother in law.

"Much prettier than 'Abigail'", Ruth teased her sister. She went ignored as Abigail fussed over Lin.

Millardo lifted his champagne. "To Amani Na'ilah."

Quatre's smile was wide as his friends echoed the statement. Amani sighed softly in her sleep.

****

"What are you thinking about?"

Quatre looked down at the baby lying asleep on the bed between him and Trowa. "Juliana", he said honestly. "She never even got to see Amani. And we get to spend the rest of our lives with her."

"Little one...it was going to be that way even if she hadn't died." Trowa readjusted the side of his head against the hand it was propped up on.

"I know. I just don't want to forget her. She's the whole reason that we..." He stopped and lifted his eyes to meet Trowa's. "I'm very happy", he said softly.

"I'm glad", Trowa whispered back. Their lips met high over Amani's little body. "So am I."

~~~~