Follow My Heart, Chapter three
By Caliko
Despite Duo's obstinacy, the ceremony didn't take place until almost a week later. Hilde had managed to talk the priest into performing the ceremony, then wrestled Duo, Rob and Jeremy into the kitchen for measurements.
"If we're doing this..." Esme huffed, sitting on Robs back as her mother tried to measure his shoulders, "we're doing this right!"
"C'mon, Ez! My jacket is fine!" He insisted, sending Duo and Jeremy a look begging for help. "Right, Duo?"
"Don't look at me, boy. You're still on my shit list." His future father in law sneered. "Besides, some of us don't believe in wearing black leather to a Sunday wedding."
He lowered his eyes back to the rental catalogue, casually flipping through the pages until he found a suit he liked. "Hey, Esme, this alright?"
"Thanks, 'Dad'!" Rob growled, "I can see now how it's gonna be!"
"You think? Just wait till your supporting my ass when I'm too old to work!" Duo smirked, then got up for a beer.
"I - don't - think - so."
"We'll see."
"Duo Maxwell, stop tormenting him! You're next, by the way!"
"Aww C'mon, Babe! My black suit is fine!"
Hilde and Esme looked at each other, than rolled their eyes. Neither attempted to point out that both of the men were acting like children.
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"Hello!" Sally called, coming into the house. "I got your message to come on the next shuttle. Wu's downstairs, waiting for Duo to come back." She said, trailing through the house in search of Hilde. Coming to the living room, she stopped short, and stared. "Oh my gods!" She finally said, dropping into the nearest chair. "Esmerelda... Why are you wearing a wedding gown?"
"It's good to see you, too, Sal." Hilde chuckled, "Don't Move, Esme!"
"Wait... does this have anything to do with that wicked looking young man downstairs?"
"Hmmmm.... That's Rob. We're getting married in about... oh.. forty-eight hours."
"Oh no. And I left the poor boy alone with Wu!" Sally started to worry whether the groom would be breathing by the time Duo and Jeremy came back.
"Robby can take care of himself, Aunt Sally." Esme laughed. "At least Uncle Wu doesn't know why we're getting married, yet."
"Don't tell me."
"That I'm pregnant?" The young woman smirked, "Or that Rob was the guy I got caught on the beach with?"
Sally heard her husband's familiar tread coming up the stairs, and quickly shook her head at her adopted niece and Hilde. "If you value that boys life, don't say another word!"
"Quick, Sal! Stall Rob! He can't see me in this!"
Nodding, Sally dashed out of the living room, and met the men coming in. Putting her hand on Robby's chest, she smiled, then shook her head. "Sorry, Romeo. You can't go in there until Esme changes out of her dress."
Wufei, overhearing, gave his wife a confused look. "What, is she naked?"
"Na, Uncle Wu. It's some old superstition about seeing the bride in her wedding gown." Jeremy snorted, the picture of contempt. "Though, I guess those two have enough problems without bad luck being added."
"Bride? Wedding gown? Jeremy, don't be an imbecile! Esmerelda is too young to get married!"
"She should have thought of that before she got knocked up." Oblivious to the turmoil he just caused, the twelve year old opened the refrigerator, and stuffed his head inside to find a soda.
"I'm going to kill him." Wu dove after Rob, with Duo right behind.
"Hey, Wu! Stop! Not until he marries her, alright! 'sides. I have first dibs!" Duo pulled the chinese pilot off of his future son-in-law, but not before Wufei landed one good, solid punch. "Damn, Chang! Now we have to explain to Esme and Hilde why he's bruised! You know they're gonna blame me!"
"Maxwell, it IS your fault! Where were you while he was invading your daughter?" Wu raged, switching his anger to the braided mechanic. "You're her father! You're supposed to prevent these things from happening!"
"Well, Chang, considering that she was at Saint Gabrielle's, and you had swore that you would keep her out of trouble, and I was on L2, while you were on Earth, in the same town as she was...." Duo let his voice trail off, then finished this thought. "You're more at fault than I am!"
Once more, Wu's attention shifted, as he realized who, exactly, Robby was. "YOU!"
Cross had just pulled himself back to his feet, and had shaken the dizziness from his head, when again, Wufei's fist made contact with his jaw.
The door opened at that moment, and Rob fell threw, landing in Heero's arms. "Thanks, man..." He mumbled, climbing to his feet again. "That's it... I'm going to sit down."
Stumbling to the dinette set, he pulled a chair out and plopped his butt in the seat. "Now, if anyone else wants to beat me up, they can damn well wait till I can see straight."
"Yuy, do you know who he is?" Chang demanded, pulling Heero further into the kitchen. Relena stepped gingerly through the crowded doorway, looking questionably at Sally.
"C'mon, 'Lena. Maybe they'll behave better without an audience."
Nodding, Relena followed the other woman into the living room, content that Hilde and Sally would fill her in.
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"Oh my. That boy is dead." The minister of peace groaned. "Between the three of them, he doesn't stand a chance."
"I don't know about that, Aunt Relena." Esme smirked, "One of the reasons I started dating him, was that he reminded me of all of them."
Instead of reassuring the blond, it seemed to horrify her even more. "But, Esme... Who's temper does he have?"
"Oh my god..." She jumped up, then ran to the kitchen. Seeing it empty, she flew downstairs and out to the garage. "Uncle Heero! Don't you dare!"
"Grab her!" Wu shouted, from where he was sitting on Duo. "She'll stop her!"
"Mission accomplished!" Heero smirked, as he locked his arms around his niece's waist. "Now, Esme, calm down! He'll still be able to walk down the aisle tomorrow!"
Heero watched on as Cathy threw the blade, wincing as it came dangerously close to the young man's crotch. "Of course.. he might not be much use to you for a while."
"Aunt Cathy! When did you get here? Where's Uncle Quatre?" Esme croaked, frantically looking around for the blond Arabian.
Her petite Aunt had her groom tied spread eagle to the wooden garage door, with no uncle in sight. Several sharp, evil looking daggers jutted out from the weathered paint, on trimming his shoulder length locks to just below the ear.
"I tried to stop her, Esmerelda!" The voice came from across the street. Following the sound, Esme choked, seeing her young brother leaning against a portable bathroom in the construction sight across the street. He was wearing an evil grin, and holding the door closed. "Jeremy Rupert Maxwell, you let me out!"
***Twang!*** Another knife flew threw the air to cut into his jeans at the thigh.
"Aunt Cathy! Please stop! This is murder!" Once more the girl pleaded with the knife-thrower, her eyes glued on the slim figure and her deadly blades.
"Don't worry, Esme. I won't kill him." Cathy smirked, Drawing back her arm. "I'll only hurt him a little."
A car door slammed, followed by running footsteps. Suddenly, a thin hand reached out, plucking the dagger from her grasp. "Now, Sis, Whatever he did, it can't be worth this! Chang, get off of Duo! Heero? You too?"
"You don't know the whole story, Trowa!" Heero warned. "Hey, what are you doing?"
"I'm releasing your victim, of course." The clown tugged on the ropes, releasing first one arm, then the other.
"He got Esme pregnant." Wu called over, smirking as Trowa's hand went from an ankle to the boys throat.
"Excuse me?" Trowa asked, blinking, glancing back to Wufei, noticing that he was sitting on Duo. "If that's true, why is Cathy throwing her toys, and not Duo?"
"Duo wants Cross to go down the aisle on his own two feet. The rest of us feel that a wheelchair will do the job."
"Ahh..." Trowa released Robs throat, then untied his legs. "He's doing the right thing, that's all that matters."
"Humph! This coming from a man that orchestrated his own sisters shot gun wedding!"
"They're happy. Esme and .. what's your name? Well, they'll be happy, too." Trowa stood up, then dusted his hands. "Midii? You alright, Hon?"
"Just fine, Trowa. Just a bit front heavy." His wife grumbled, holding her hands out for help. Cathy grasped her sister-in-laws fragile looking wrists, and tugged, gaping at how large the pregnant woman had gotten in two months.
"Wow, you got huge."
At this point, Quatre came over for a hug, after being released by Jeremy. Midii, wrinkling her nose, held her hands up in defense. "Quatre.. take a shower. You smell like a portapotty."
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A/N ~ So.. the 'clan' has been gathered... You don't think I was too mean to poor lil Robby, do ya???? <G>
Leeko