Blood, Sweat and Tears Part 38
Quatre and rose from his seat at the announcement that the plane that he had been waiting for was docking. Rubbing his hands together, the agent looked about to implode from excitement. Finally, the doors leading to the jet way opened. A few people began filtering in luggage in hand as they reunited with their parties.
Looking into the long walkway anxiously, the blonde Arab beamed when he spotted Duo's lot making their way into the airport. Camille was the first to spot him. Instantly, her eyes widened with a sharp gasp. "Uncle Quatwe!" Quickly spotting him, the other children shouted in kind and ran for him.
With a loud laugh, Quatre bent at the knee and scooped up the first wave of little ones. Kissing their heads, he allowed his nieces and nephews to hang on to his legs as he straightened to hug Marcus, Tai and Flora. "It's so good to see all of you," he smiled brightly while appraising the whole family.
Little Jamie looked up and asked, "Did you miss us, Uncle Quatwe?"
Chuckling deeply, the agent bent down to hold her tightly once more. "Very much, Jamie," he replied. "Very much." Solo and Hilde brought up the rear of their group and reunited with their friend in another round of embraces and kisses.
Hope gripped her little brown teddy bear close while scanning the crowed room. "Where's Daddy?" she pouted.
Quatre rubbed the top of her head and winked, "He should be just about finished with work. What do you say we collect your things so we can go see him?" The little redhead and her siblings all grinned widely and nodded at that.
Flora, Marcus and Tai each took the hands of the younger ones as they led the way to the baggage claim. Right behind them, Hilde and Solo took the moment to catch up with their friend.
* * * * * *
Duo was pacing in the living room of the Yuy household, his eyes glued to the driveway just past the large windows. Back in the kitchen, Heero was helping Lady Une with beverages and snacks that they had picked up for their guests. As she finished cutting a large block of cheese, the maid shook her head in wonder, "Eight children. I never would have dreamed."
Placing the last glass on the counter, Heero smiled. Ever since learning of Duo's family the night before, his friend seemed to be in a constant state of shock. "I never would have believed it if I hadn't seen it, myself," he commented.
"They're here!" the running back's voice cried from the living room. Quickly aiding Lady Une in setting the last pieces of cheese onto the tray they were making, he all but ran to the entrance way with her. By the time they arrive, Duo was already opening the front door and running out into the crisp air.
Several voices cheered, "Daddy! Daddy!" When they reached the doorframe, Heero and Lady Une watched the braided youth hugging and kissing his little charges as they piled out of the large van Quatre had driven. Once he was able to greet everyone, including Solo and Hilde, the children all looked up to the grand estate with wide eyes as their first real look.
"Woooow," Sun drew as the first to find his voice. "It's like a castle."
Chuckling deeply, Heero stepped outside and shrugged, "Not exactly, but close enough."
Jamie was the first to cry the quarterback' s name as she sprung for him, the others right behind her. Bending down to wrap the girl up in his arms, he laughed and reunited with all of the youngsters. The young maid stepped forward with a warm smile and her hands folded at her waist.
As he held a hand out to her, Heero introduced, "Everyone, this is Lady Une. She's been a very good friend of mine for a long time." From there, he moved along to help Duo, Quatre, Solo and Hilde with the luggage.
Grinning, the little ones all waved and spoke their hellos. Camille tilted her head and breathed up to her, "You're really pretty." Her siblings all nodded in agreement.
Lady Une blushed deeply and placed a hand to her chest. "Why, thank you very much. And I think you're all just darling," she said sincerely in little more than a whisper. Those grins widened on each small face. At a light breeze, she shivered and rubbed her arms. "Well, we best get in from this chill," she suggested with a warm smile. "We have snacks and juices ready in the kitchen for you."
When she lowered her arms, Lady Une was taken aback only briefly when Abdul took one hand and Hope the other. Giggling, she led the youngsters into the house and to the back for some refreshments.
'Every one of you are little charmers,' the maid thought to herself in amusement. 'Just like your father.'
* * * * * *
After an emotionally charged day, Duo was tucking the youngest of his kids in for the night. Hilde and Solo were retiring as well to beat their jetlag. Tai and Flora were still too excited to sleep on their first stay at the Yuy household. Heero watched the brother and sister battling each other in a futuristic battleship war videogame in the living room.
Rising from the couch, the quarterback stretched and headed for the back patio for is nightly meditation. When he found Marcus sitting at the couch in the sparsely lit space, he grinned from the doorway, "So you found my favorite spot in the house."
The boy looked up in alarm and said in a rush, "I can go if you want me to. I didn't mean to barge in or anything without asking."
Heero quickly raised a hand to stop him and shook his head. With a smirk, he reassured, "It's all right, Marcus. I'm not upset. My house is your house as long as you all stay here." His guest relaxed with a soft sigh and smiled. Slowly stepping into the room, the team captain sat at the other end of the couch.
Together, they looked out and up through the glass walls to the stars in a serene, companionable silence.
Biting his lip, the African-American child turned to his idol and inquired, "Is that a picture of your parents at the top of the main stairs?"
Not entirely surprised by the question, Heero met his dark eyes and nodded, "Yes."
Marcus nodded his own head and peered out to the heavens once more. "I'm sorry about what happened to them with that accident," he offered quietly. Losing himself in his own thoughts, he shared, "I never knew my parents. My dad never looked after me and my mom died from a heroin overdose when I was two."
Frowning deeply, the quarterback told him softly, "I'm very sorry you had to go through that. No one should have to go through life without knowing their parents."
With a shrug, the boy replied, "That part never really bothered me, since I never knew either of them." He looked over to the football player and commented, "It made losing them a lot easier than if I actually had memories of them."
His eyes widening at such sage knowledge from someone so young, Heero soon realized how true the notion was. His parents' death had been the most difficult thing he ever had to deal with after years of their being the center of his life. A lump formed in his through at the thought of his mother's bright laugh and his father's proud smile.
"I had it pretty easy compared to the others," Marcus spoke up as he folded his arms behind his head. "All I had to worry about was when and if I was going to be transferred to another foster home. Some of the younger ones saw more than I will in my lifetime." Just the thought of some of those things sent a chill up his spine that made him shudder.
Smiling widely, the child stated, "But now they have Duo and their oldest brother to look out for them now. I might only be a couple months older than Tai and Flora, but that's still enough to make me the one the others look up to."
A small grin tugging his lips, Heero responded, "That's a pretty big responsibility. But, if anyone could handle it, I'm more that sure that you're up for that challenge." Marcus beamed in a way that made the stars above seem dim.
They both looked up once more to the skies for another moment of quiet reflection.
Peering out of the corner of his eye, the teenager questioned, "Do you love my dad, Heero?"
Not entirely surprised by the honest question, Heero gazed over to the boy and gave him the most honest answer that he could offer. "I care a lot for him. It's a little too soon for me to say for sure that I'm in love right now."
Satisfied with that, Marcus nodded, "Cool. I was just curious because I want him to be happy." Frowning, he sighed deeply, "He's so busy making all of us happy that he forgets he needs to be happy, too. He's sacrificing his reputation and everything that he can give up so we can live together."
The quarterback grinned, "Well, that's what good parents do. They always worry about their children before they worry about themselves."
His young guest shrugged with a deeper frown and turned his eyes back up to the stars. "I just don't want him to be lonely anymore," Marcus spoke in little more than a whisper. "Even with all of us around, I know he's felt alone. And I know about the things that he went through growing up." He shuddered again. "He deserves more than anyone else I've ever known."
"Well, I completely agree with you on that," Heero smiled. Biting his lip, he heard himself ask, "So it really doesn't bother any of you that Duo and I are... dating?"
Marcus straightened himself and laughed, "Why? Just because you're both guys doesn't mean that you shouldn't have feelings for each other." With his eyes locking onto the cobalt watching him, he grinned, "The only thing I don't like about it is that I can't brag about your dating my dad to my friends!"
At that, Heero's head fell back with a loud and full laugh. Composing himself, he reached over and rubbed the top of the teenager's head. "You're a good kid, Marcus," he smirked as he reclined deeper into the couch to peer upward.
Beaming, his young friend replied, "Thanks, Heero. You're not so bad, yourself." Both snickering, they resumed their star-gazing in silence for the remainder of their stay on the back patio that night.
* * * * * *
Treize was just about to head out of his office after another successful practice when there was a knock at his door. Stopping at mid-reach for his light coat, he settled back into his leather chair and called, "Come in."
As the door slid away, the head coach gasped sharply with wide eyes. All but falling as he stumbled to his feet in a rush, he greeted, "Hello, sir. I was not expecting you to still be here this late."
Waving his hand, the white-haired Marshall Noventa chuckled deeply, "Save the formalities, Treize. You know that you can always just call me 'dad' if you so wish. After all, you are married to my precious Sylvia." [1]
Once the doors closed behind him, the old man smirked, "I just came to inform you that I received the test results of last week's random drug test on our team. You really have outdone yourself this time, my boy."
"I told you that you had nothing to worry about," Treize grinned. "We are the only team in possession of a drug that is undetectable through any examination. It's going to help carry us all the way through the championship. Nothing will be able to stop us."
Raising a hand, his father-in-law warned, "One week at a time, son. One must learn to crawl before they can run. This is, after all, the first season that we were able to talk nearly the entire starting line-up into taking the enhancer."
Marshall reached up to run his chin as he snickered, "Though the effects have already proven to be more than promising for what we have to offer. Just be sure not to have too much attention drawn to the team if you can help it. The last thing we need is the league officials suspecting anything out of the usual."
With a firm nod, Treize reassured, "If need be, the men are ready to lose a game here-and-there to keep that from happening. One thing about me, I know how to cover my bases."
"That you do," the team owner smiled. "I also came here to invite you and Sylvia to dinner with myself and the misses this Saturday." Raising an eyebrow, he added, "It would be in your best interest to accept the summons. Seven o'clock at the Red Mill. I expect you to be prompt, as always."
His heart pounding in anticipation of what he hoped such a meeting might mean, the head coach answered with a wide grin, "Of course, dad. I am looking forward to it." Bowing at the waist, Marshall turned and headed out of the office.
As the door closed, Treize ran a shaking hand through his hair. Could it be... was Noventa finally preparing to retire from his ownership. 'He would have to soon,' he thought to himself. 'The old bat certainly can't have much longer to go before he'll turn senile.'
Not about to get his hopes up too high, he went to reach for his coat once more when there was another knock at his door. Sighing deeply to himself, he called, "Come in."
Alex walked right up to the edge of Treize's desk before the door was finished opening. "Coach, I need more of those drugs," he demanded, face etched in grim determination.
Treize blinked in surprise and frowned deeply, "You need more? Whatever for? You're already performing better than all of your seasons in the league combined. You're faster and stronger than any running back I have ever had on this team before you."
Shaking his head in frustration, Alex gritted, "Because that bastard Maxwell is still beating me in the numbers. Everyone still sees him at the top player in my position. I should be leveling his standings right now, but I'm barely within reach of simply matching him."
"Which is a feat not to be taken lightly," the head coach stated, folding his arms. "I told you before, when we first met, that there are people who are simply gifted. Maxwell is one of those lucky few. The drugs I am providing cannot suddenly make talent appear, they can only enhance what you have to offer."
The running back shook his head fervently, "But there has to be something that you can do. Maybe with just a little stronger of a dose than what I'm being giving me is all that I need to make a difference."
His eyes narrowing, Treize informed, "You are already receiving the maximum dosage that I am willing to allow. Any more and there is a chance that the drug might become detectable. Professor O has the measurements down to a science as to what levels can and cannot be picked up by every test out there."
Placing his hands on the edge of his desk, the coach leaned forward and explained coolly, "Regardless of that, a stronger dose of the serum would not push your body further than where you are right now. You will simply have to keep working on your performance on your own from here."
When his player opened his mouth to protest, Treize raised his hand to stop any words from flowing. "I understand that this steroid, like all others, can become addictive," he commented in as friendly a tone as he could muster. "Don't let it affect your better judgment. If it does, we will have a serious problem on both our hands."
That choice of words was enough to get through the running back. Straightening stiff, his eyes widened. "You wouldn't cut me off of the serum, would you?" he managed with a strangled whimper.
"If I must," his coach threatened. "And if I do, then I would have no choice to cut you loose as I would not longer have a use for you. Should that happen and you run to someone about what I am doing, you know fully well that I would be able to make you look you like a fool for it. Do you really want to risk your career over a little craving?"
Swallowing roughly, Alex felt his head shaking. "No, coach," he breathed. "I-I'm sorry. I just want to prove myself."
With an understanding nod, Treize smiled, "I know. But you are making more of a mark than you realize. As I was trying to explain earlier, you're closer to catching up with Maxwell than any other running back. It's entirely possible that with more work on your part you may eventually reach your goal of besting him."
A small grin of relief tugged the young athlete's face. "Right," he replied. Looking back to the door, he suggested, "And make sure that Mueller doesn't know about any of this. He is a bit of goodie-good when it comes to playing by the rules."
Humming an affirmative, the tall man responded, "I'll make sure to keep that in mind. It won't be difficult to keep him out of the loop since there are a couple others that are in the dark on the matter for the same reason. Thank you for the tip."
"Sure thing. Thanks for the talk," Alex said as he met the eyes on him. "I'll be going, then." They exchanged their goodbyes and the running back made a quick exit like an animal with its tail between its legs.
Treize sat back in his chair, kicking his feet onto his desk as he chuckled deeply. Folding his arms behind his head, he smirked to himself. "Yes, that is something to know about me. I know how to cover all of my bases."
TBC...
[1] Of course, I am aging Sylvia Noventa if she is going to be married to Treize. In this fic, she is twenty-three.
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