Blood, Sweat and Tears Part 82
Dorothy entered the locker room just as the team celebration had lowered quiet roar. Smiling widely to her champagne-drenched and howling players, she clapped her hands together excitedly. Cheers of her name rose as the athletes all turned to face her while bringing down the ruckus.
When the room was still, the team owner scanned the room and began with a choked voice, "I... I simply cannot tell you all how damned proud I am of you." There was another round of cheers and hoots before she politely raised her hand to request a moment to speak her peace.
Taking a deep breath, Dorothy grinned, "We've been through a great deal together this year to make this championship is as well-deserved as it gets. You've truly impressed and inspired me with your fortitude and your teamwork." She chuckled, "As I am sure you all guessed by now, there will be a huge celebration at my estate tomorrow night."
Once more, there was an eruption of cheers and applause. Winking and blowing a kiss, the team owner ordered, "Enjoy the rest of your evening and rest up tomorrow." That said, she headed out to the cries of appreciation from her players.
Howard nudged Zechs in the shoulder and smirked, "Your turn to say something, boss." All around, heads nodded and the chant of 'Speech! Speech! Speech!' filled the air.
Removing his baseball cap, the head coach laughed and shook his head in amusement. Silence settled and he chucked, "All I can say is... holy shit that was amazing." Whistles and laughter rose in response.
With his hands falling on his hips, Zechs smiled proudly to the lot, "In all seriousness, Dorothy said it all. You've all been patient and willing to give everything that you have every day you're on the field. Finally, it's paying off and I could not be happier for you all. We have two weeks to prepare for the Super Bowl. Be sure to enjoy it as well as work up for it. Few teams ever reach this opportunity."
Silently taking in the advice, his athletes grinned and nodded in agreement. Whatever happened in two weeks, they had accomplished something that no one believed they were capable of. They were their league's champions with a shot at the greatest prize of them all.
Bowing at the waist, Zechs told his players, "Hit the showers and head home safely. We'll see you all again tomorrow at the Catalonia estate." Right on his heels, Trent and Howard followed him out to a loud burst of cheers and applause.
Heero, Duo, Trowa and Wufei sat together at their cluster of lockers. Each with their jerseys off and ice packs strapped to their bruised backs and torsos like so many of their teammates, they did not feel a bit of pain. There was only the euphoric elation over their win.
Shifting a bit to stand, the Chinese center was quickly reminded of his discomfort once more as he hissed. "Goddamn, I can't remember ever being hit that hard," he commented while reaching for his red long-sleeved shirt.
"And this was just for the league championship," Trowa reminded in the middle of securing the large icepack taped to his torso. "Imagine how bad it'll be when we're fighting for the Super Bowl win." His friends winced at the thought. Quick to correct himself, the center suggested, "Better yet, let's not imagine that."
Lightly moaning when he got to his own feet, Duo replied, "Yea, let's let that one go for now. Just enjoy the ride for as long as it lasts." When he looked to his lover, he smiled at finding him staring at the 'American League Champions AC207' shirt in his hands.
Feeling eyes on him, Heero met the violet gaze and chuckled sheepishly. "I'm still just waiting for when I'm going to wake up."
The grin on his face growing, the running back responded, "Well, I don't even need to pinch you to prove you don't have to worry about that. Just stand up and try to walk around a bit. You'll know you're not dreaming then."
Reluctantly, knowing that he had to get up at some point, the quarterback stood slowly. Face pinched in pain, he sighed, "You're right. I'm definitely awake now."
* * * * * *
Once the goodbyes and well wishes were exchanged shortly later, the team began to finish changing and filed from the locker room to join their families. Jumping up and down as they waited in the parking lot, the kids sprang for Heero and Duo the moment they emerged. "Daddy! Otou-san!" they cried as they opened their arms when they neared.
Wincing, the couple raised their hands and shouted at the same time, "Wait!" The youngsters stopped just before they managed to tackle their parents-to-be. Breathing a long sign of relief, Heero and Duo placed their hands on their chests.
To the confused group, the running back reassured, "Nothing would make us happier than to get hugs from all of you right now. But we're a little too sore for that." Instantly understanding, the children laughed and were more than happy with kisses and pats to their heads instead.
Flora got an added gift in the signed football from the game. Eyes wide and gasping sharply, she accepted the gift with shaking hands. A pleased grin on his face, Heero stated, "Everyone on the team wanted you all to have this."
Biting her lip, the teenage girl appraised the football and all of the signatures. Marcus and Tai stood at either side of her to get a good look. Their eyes meeting, they all nodded firmly before Flora smiled to their guardians, "That's great... but, we really don't need this. What if it was given for a charity auction or something?"
"Are you sure?" the quarterback blinked in surprise. Inwardly, he chided himself for not seeing something like this coming. The kids were just as selfless as their Daddy.
Without a moment of hesitation, the girl nodded and handed the football to him. "I'm sure," she answered. "Something like this could be worth a lot of money that would help people out." Her siblings shook their heads in affirmatives to the sentiment.
Tears filling his violet eyes, Duo carefully wrapped his arms around the trio. "You kids are something else," he whispered brokenly. When he pulled back, he looked to his partner and suggested, "We could give it to Dorothy tomorrow at the party. She's pretty involved with all kinds of charities, so she'll take care of that."
Smirking, Heero placed the football in his duffle bag and responded, "Not a bad idea." After a quick look to his watch, he focused on the youngsters. "Joe's Diner will still be open by the time we get back to town. Why don't we stop there for some treats and hot chocolate to celebrate?"
Of course, there were only cheers and excided nods from the lot.
* * * * * *
The following morning...
Dorothy was sitting before her vidphone in the living room as she reassured with a small grin, "You shouldn't beat yourself up so much, Sylvia. Remember that you were the one who said that the chances of finding anything incriminating on paper would be pretty slim."
On the monitor, her cousin sighed and sat back in her chair. "I know," she frowned. "But it's still frustrating to know that there is something going on and I don't have the first idea of how to go about finding it. I'm just going to have to try my luck in talking to the right people."
Tilting her head, the team owner questioned, "What about your father? Maybe he has an idea that something is amiss. If he knew that you also suspected something is up, I'm sure he would work to get to the bottom of it."
Her blue eyes wide, Sylvia shook her head fervently. "My father is the absolute last person I should go to," she shuddered. "He's far too close to Treize. If he does suspect anything is wrong, he's turning a blind eye to it." Biting her lip, she looked away from the screen and muttered, "If not worse."
While she would never accuse her father of any wrong doing, Sylvia was also not foolish enough to say that the man was perfect. She had seen with her own eyes how his desire to win could drive him to do... less than ethical things. Now that he had a son-in-law with that same drive, he had an ally that he could work with.
Looking back to her cousin, she reminded, "In that lie that Treize was caught in, he said he was calling my father. In an awkward situation, that was the first person that he came up with to name. It proves that he's the only person he trusts. There is not a doubt in my mind that he went to my father the next day to tell him what happened in case I were to bring anything up."
Amazed, Dorothy shook her head. Sylvia was, indeed, a perceptive one. If her friend's hunch was correct, then whatever they were involved in was massive compared to anything that the team owner could have imagined.
Chewing on the inside of her cheek, Dorothy muttered, "Curiouser and curiouser."
"Well, at any rate," the spy began as she waved her hand to change subjects. "Things will be quite interesting for the next two weeks leading to the Super Bowl since our teams will be meeting up again." Smirking, she chuckled, "The media is already having a field day with this."
The team owner snorted, "I figured as much. It's the reason I've not bothered to turn my television on all morning yet. There certainly has not been a rivalry like this for some time. And the fact that two families are involved only makes it that much juicier for the media."
Nodding, Sylvia responded, "The Super Bowl is being hailed as the second face-off between David and Goliath." She leaned close and said quietly, "Just between us, I'm pulling for David to win. I cannot stand it when Treize gloats. He is already in the middle of one of many interviews to boast about his winning the National League Championship."
A shudder running up her spine, she shook her head and grumbled, "You would think that he won the damned thing single-handedly."
Dorothy snickered, "Something else we have in common. I am certain that there will be a lot of words between our two camps leading up to the game over the next two weeks." Tilting her head a bit, she remarked, "You have been handling yourself magnificently in light of his betrayal. Are you sure that you're as all right as you are coming across?"
An appreciative smile lit her cousin's face. "I've had time to shed my tears at the first signs that there were troubles," she answered. "Now that I have confirmation that things have not been as they seemed, I'm just looking forward to revenge. But I do appreciate the concern. If I ever need anyone to talk to, I know that I can count on you."
"Good," the other young woman smiled. "Don't hesitate to do so if the time comes." Looking to her watch, she announced, "Well, I best see to the preparations for tonight's festivities." Their eyes locking, she implored, "Please keep me posted as soon as you do find anything. And do be careful out there."
Sylvia vowed, "You'll be the first hear of it and I'll be very cautious on my end. Have a good time tonight." After an exchange of farewells, the cousins disconnected their call.
* * * * * *
Having wrapped up his interview, Treize headed straight for his father-in-law's residence so that they could back in their success together. As the next in line to own the San Francisco Cougars, it was only right to appear as though he actually liked the old man enough to spend time with him.
Noventa popped a cork from one of his best wines and poured two flue glasses full. Secured in his soundproof den, the team owner handed one of the glasses over to Treize. "It's only a matter of time before all of this foolish talk over the Wolverines is finally brought to an end," he stated as he took his seat across from him. "In the end it is who wins the Super Bowl that becomes the focus of attention."
With a sigh, the head coach just looked to the glass in his hand and replied, "The sooner that happens, the better. I already have Coach Tishim from Houston breathing down my neck that the Tinopin did not secure his win against Pittsburgh. There will be others who will begin voicing their own displeasure that their teams did not fair better than they did with the enhancement."
Shrugging, the old man chuckled, "We never did guarantee any of our clients that they would win the championship. There can only be one winner in the end. They'll just have to get used to the idea that we will be that winner instead of them."
To that, he added, "Besides, we all know that man was far too conceited for his own good to not train his back-up players better. He relied too heavily on his enhanced first-stringers to blaze the trail to regain their title. We simply do not have that problem thanks to our focusing on our second and third-stringers as much as our first."
When his son-in-law said nothing as he traced a finger along the rim of his glass, Noventa laughed, "You're not actually concerned that we might lose, are you!?"
Instantly, Treize's head shot up with wide eyes. "Of course not!" he exclaimed. "There is not a team out there that can defeat us, let alone a joke of a team like the Wolverines!" Lowering his head a bit, he shared, "I'm worried about Sylvia. There have been slips here and there that I am worried might have tipped her off to what we're doing."
Folding his arms, his father-in-law reassured, "Well, you know that I will simply advise her that I have not been turning my telephones off at night for weeks now when she asks to how you could have called me."
The head coach raised an eyebrow and asked, "And has she ever asked you about something that significant, yet?" Noventa's eyes widened a bit before directly answering. Shaking his head, Treize declared, "I'm afraid that she's silently on to us."
"Much as I love my daughter, she never has been the brightest of girls," the owner commented. "It would come as a shock to me if she were bright enough to come to any suspicions." Leaning forward in his chair, he advised quietly, "But if you ever find proof of your concerns, you send her my way. I'll see to it that she is handled."
Relieved by that, Treize smiled, "I will keep that in mind." Taking a sip from his wine, he smirked, "But you are most likely correct that there is nothing to worry about with her. I suppose that I am just getting paranoid since we are so close to our goal."
Noventa chuckled once again. Raising his glass, he winked, "Well, be sure that you do get to enjoy yourself between your worrying, my boy. Life is far too short to be fretting all of the time. This is just the beginning of a wonderful life for all of us. I will be leaving my role as owner of an NFL championship team. And you will be entering as the owner of a dynasty."
His grin spreading further on his face, the head coach nodded firmly and raised his glass to toast, "To us." Their cups came together with a high-pitched chime.
* * * * * *
The party was still in full swing without any sign of stopping when Heero stepped out onto the balcony for a breath of fresh air. While it was a bitter night, it was refreshing after staying in the warm room after a bit of dancing and constant moving to mingle with everyone.
Smiling as he looked up to the full, silver moon shining down on the snow-kissed ground, the quarterback thought back the wedding planning that he and Duo had gone over that day. All of the big details had been squared away for the big event that was now scheduled for two weeks following the Super Bowl.
As far as the date, it allowed enough time to recover from the Super Bowl and the very long season. It also gave the couple more than enough breathing room for the adoption papers to be drawn up with Heero as the second legal guardian of the children for that milestone less than a month later.
Behind the team captain, the door opened as Duo slipped out. His breath coming out in a puff of vapor, the braided athlete smiled, "Hey."
"Hey," Heero grinned back.
Maxwell stood beside him to gaze out to the hilly fields in wonder at their beauty that winter night. Peering out of the corner of his eye, Yuy was in awe over the running back's own striking beauty.
It never ceased to steal the breath from Heero's lungs whenever he reminded himself that someone so good and full of life was to be his husband. Never in his life had he ever hoped to find that kind of happiness.
Finally turning his head so their eyes met, Duo informed quietly, "Since we're alone, I remembered a pretty big detail that we never brought up with the wedding plans today."
Quickly going over the mental list of things that they went over, the quarterback could not think of what major detail had been left out. The justice of the peace, the hall, the photographer, the music... all of those things had been handled.
Sensing his partner's confusion, the running back chuckled, "The last name."
Cobalt eyes widening, Heero blinked, "Oh. I just assumed that we were going to keep our same last names. It's tradition for the woman to take her husband's name, but I don't know what the standard is in our case."
Duo just chuckled all the more. Leaning close to his fiancé, he stated, "Well, I know what it meant to your parents for your mother's name to carry on when you father took it on." Breath hitching in his throat, the team captain nodded.
The running back bit his lip before saying, "I was thinking that we could hyphenate our last names so that the kids will have both when we adopt them..." He paused and looked very unsure as he added quickly, "if that's all right with you."
Small tears filled Heero's eyes and a brilliant smile lit his face. Not able to trust his voice to express his gratitude, he quickly closed the distance between them for a fierce kiss under the moonlight instead.
Returning the gesture, Duo knew beyond any doubt that his suggestion was more than all right... that everything would be all right.
TBC...
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