For once the moon didn't seem like a graveyard. It was not as bright as usual, and it did not feel like I was going to bump my forehead against it. Its caress was gentle across his face as I rocked him back and forth in my arms. Maybe the colony's rotary systems were malfunctioning, causing us to drift out of position, even though I knew there were too many systems in place preventing that. Whatever it was, I didn't care. The moon looked beautiful in the night sky, perfect for the birth of my baby boy. My son.

If this was what it felt like to be a parent, I didn't know if I could take it. Half of me was filled with such love that I felt as though I would burst. I needed to grow to the height of a mountain in order to contain it all. And it was such a different kind of love. Obsessive nearly. I would be on his side always, even if he did wrong. Even against Trowa. I knew I would do anything for Trowa, but my son would be first, and only if necessary...

And that was what filled the other half of me. Fear. Fear of my son rejecting me later on, fear that he would be in the wrong and I would defend him and bring injustice to others, and fear that I would turn against Trowa because of him. But there was more. I was afraid that something would happen to him. I was rich and powerful. People would hurt him to hurt me. I was afraid I would be a bad parent. I was afraid that Trowa would leave me to be with someone else without a child. I was so worried my head was starting to spin...

The next thing I knew I was laid out on a bed with a light sheet thrown over me. I wasn't sure what had happened, but it couldn't have been too bad if I was alone, in bed, in a dark room. Sitting up, I tossed the sheet to one corner and padded my way out into the hallway. We weren't in a hospital, but in a facility that my sister owned that was a cross between a hospital and a house. They had all of the equipment a hospital would need, but the structure and coziness of a house. So it was in a few seconds that I found Trowa in the ‘nursery room,' rocking my son in a rocking chair and softly speaking to him. I stopped to stand in the doorway, watching as Trowa nibbled on some chubby fingers, receiving a loud squeal for his effort. As usual, he felt my presence and turned to me with a slight frown on his face.

He stared at me, and I stared back. I gave him a warm smile, thinking that he would give me a smile in return, but his frown didn't waver. And he continued to stare.

And stare.

And stare some more.

It soon became too much for me. "Trowa, what is it?"

"Don't be foolish."

He spoke softly, but I still heard the bite in his words. "What do you mean?"

He gracefully stood, patting the baby's bottom as he started to bounce him up and down. "You know what I mean." He started to walk in a small circle around the room. "You're getting yourself worked up over things that won't happen."

"I'm not getting worked up--"

"You almost started hyperventilating," he interrupted. "You've faced combat conditions without batting an eyelash, and now you're having anxiety attacks?" He raised an eyebrow at me before continuing his rocking. "Wufei and I had to put you to bed, and it took Duo ten minutes to convince your sister it wasn't necessary to admit you here for observation. Relax," he said, coming up to me to give me a soft, sweet kiss. "This is going to be great. We're a family now. I'm his father as much as you are, and you're going to be a great parent."

I felt all my negative emotions die at his words. Trowa always knew what I was thinking. Before I could say anything back, Heero, Duo, Wufei and Catherine walked into the room, where Catherine immediately took my son out of Trowa's arms and started pacing around the room like he did. Duo was right at her side, making goofy faces as Heero and Wufei checked on me.

"Feeling better?"

"Yes Wufei. Sorry about that."

"No problem. If my child was going to have Duo as an uncle, I'd probably react the same way."

"Wufei!"

"What Duo?"

He stopped pacing with Catherine to plant his fists on his hips and glare. "That wasn't very nice you know."

"Good. I didn't mean it to be."

"That's it! I swear I'm going to shave your nuts!"

"Language Duo!" Catherine shrieked. And I mean shrieked. The four of us flinched at her voice. Of course, Duo was too busy pushing up sleeves he didn't have to be bothered. "You better watch your mouth around him. He does not need to hear that kind of language."

"What do you mean ‘hear that kind of language?' He's barely a fuckin' hour old!"

"That's exactly what I mean! Why Trowa considers you a friend is beyond me."

"And how he's able to eat that poison you call soup is beyond me!"

That was when I darted quickly to Catherine's side and slipped my son out of her arms. Heero followed me out of the room as Trowa and Wufei tried to break up the fight before Catherine and Duo decided to kill each other. Good luck to them.

Turning down a few hallways, we found ourselves in the waiting room section of the hospital, and went to one of their ‘bedrooms.' Since there wasn't a crib in the room, I laid the baby down in the middle of the bed, where Heero laid to one side of him as I laid on the other. Both of us were on our sides, our elbows planted in the mattress to rest our heads on our palms. For some time, he and I just looked at my child, where I gently ran my finger along his cheek as Heero played with the thick blond curls that crowned his head. The baby's bright blue eyes blinked sleepily and after a while they fell closed, the only motion being his round belly rising and falling.

"He still doesn't like her."

I raised my eyes to meet his. "Who?"

"Duo," he said with a slight smirk. "He still doesn't like Catherine."

"Ha! Trust me, the feeling is mutual."

"Things are better between you two, right?"

"Yeah," I said with hesitation. "She's warming up to me, but I don't turn my back to her if it can be helped. And I am no where to be found if she's holding any object with a point. I don't care if it's a rubber crayon."

He scoffed. "Don't tell me you're afraid of her."

"Are you kidding? If she was in a fight with Lady Une, as far as seeing who was the fiercest, I couldn't tell you which one of them would win. I wish I was kidding."

"I guess. At least she doesn't seem to have a problem with Wufei."

"Nor you for that matter. I find that interesting."

"Why?"

"Because out of all of us, Duo and I are the easiest to get along with, yet she prefers you two." He didn't say anything to that. Just shrugged.

Silence.

"How long was I out for?"

He shook his head. "Not long. Ten minutes max."

"Oh. How did Duo get me off the hook?"

"He explained to Iria that you were suffering from Toxic Shock Syndrome."

I had to think about that...for a second. "Isn't that what women can get if they wear their tampons too long?"

"Yes."

I thought about that. Again. "So...how does that apply to me?"

"He said that you were in shock."

Damn Heero's literal ways sometimes. "Uh huh? And?"

"And it could be toxic to you if you didn't rest for a while. And if it did get toxic then it would turn into a syndrome, which, he said, happened."

"Right. And my sister, who is a doctor, believed that?"

"No." He smiled. "But it made her laugh."

"I should hope so."

Once again silence reigned in the room, and I would've fallen asleep myself if Heero's voice didn't wake me up.

"Quatre Raberba Winner Jr. I didn't think you'd name him that."

"I didn't intend to," I said, running my nose along his neck. "But when Trowa made the suggestion, Iria loved it. So did Duo. And Wufei surprised me, saying that I should because I have a great name."

"You do."

I couldn't help my blush. "Thanks Odin."

He gave a slight shrug. "It's true."

"What are you girls talking about?" Duo asked as he, well, stomped his way into the room. As much as I didn't want to, I went ahead and took the bait. It was obvious he wasn't happy about something.

"Duo, are you okay?"

"No," he said with a frown. "Trowa gave me explicit orders. I am NOT to kill her."

"Gee, that's too bad," I said as neutrally as I could. At least my political upbringing was good for something.

"Yeah," he said with sincere regret in his voice. I'm really starting to worry about Catherine. "But it's alright. Someday Trowa might change his mind."

Oh dear.

"Oh no. Kitty's asleep," he whined, carefully crawling onto the bed.

"Kitty? Who's Kitty?"

"Your son Q-man." Duo stuck his nose in between the baby's toes.

"How'd you come up with that?"

"It was simple. Both of you got the same name, but he's a squirt now. And since I call you Cat, that makes him Baby Cat, or kitten. So I just decided on Kitty!"

I sighed. If he decided on it, there was no way I would be able to change his mind. "Kitty, huh?" As I said his nickname, he smiled in his sleep, nearly bringing tears to my eyes with his sweet, innocent face. "I think he likes it."

"Of course he does! I picked it out." He beamed. I almost needed sunglasses.

"Come on guys, it's time to go," Wufei replied evenly as he strode into the room, followed closely by Trowa. "You and Odin rode with me, and as entertaining you and Catherine are Duo, I want to go home."

"Yeah yeah yeah. I know Wu." Duo, Heero and Wufei gave Kitty a farewell kiss on the forehead, as Trowa took Heero's spot on the bed. They each congratulated us before shuffling out, escorting Catherine to my limo as Rashid came to pick her up to take her to our home. Trowa and I gazed lovingly at our son and each other, and smiled in amusement as we overhead from outside Duo and Catherine arguing about his language again, Rashid refereeing, Wufei complaining and Heero laughing.

Gazing at my son again, I knew he was going to be fiercely loved by all of us and well cared for. But from listening to the argument escalating, along with Wufei's angry retorts and Heero's increased laughing, I knew he was also going to live a very interesting life.

(the end)