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Sunrise, Asahi, and Bandai
Warning: 6x9 and sap towards end, but some nice Noin angst.
Haven't seen EW yet, so it might be a little off towards the end.
Choices
Noin's PO
About 2 months after Zechs' disappearance
I can't believe this. I'm pregnant, how could I be pregnant? I promised Zechs a long time ago that he would be the only one to father my children, the only love of my life. Yet, he's been gone for such a short time, and I'm already pregnant by someone else.
||Flashback||
"Miss Noin, its a shame that such a lovely lady is standing here by herself at this party. Will you dance with me?" Noin looked up to see the man stnading in front of her. It was Lt. Dawson, a former colleague from OZ, now a member of the Earth Sphere United Nation's military forces. "I'm just working security tonight, not as a guest.", Noin said. "The Preventers wouldn't have a problem if you just took a short break to dance with me.", he said. "I was never able to resist your charm, Lt Dawson.", Noin said. "Tonight, it's just Ryan.", Ryan said.
||End Flashback||
One thing just lead to another, and now I'm having his kid. Why did this have to happen to me. I'm just a Preventer, I have one of the most important jobs in the world. What I'm going to do? "Noin's what's wrong?" Dammit, it's Sally, I didn't even hear her open the door, maybe she'll know what to do. "Noin, you didn't have to get a pregnancy test, I could have told you that you're pregnant.", Sally said. I said," I don't know what to do, I'm single, I'm a Preventer, and I don't have time for a baby." "It's Dawson's isn't it.", Sally said. I replied, "Yes." Sally asked the question that I had been asking myself for a while: "Do you want the baby?" I answered, "I really don't know."
"Preventer Fire, report to my office immediately." It was Lady Une in her Lady Une voice. I knew something was up, I'd bet that Sally had told her about my predictament.
"Noin, please sit down.", Lady Une said. Sally and Relena were also in her office, Sally with an apologetic expression on her face. "Sally has told me about what you learned this morning. Why didn't you tell me yourself that you are pregnant?" I looked at Lady Une, really looked at her. She looked slightly vulnerable, but a little happy. We both were hit hard when our loves died, Treize and Zechs. I had a thought that she thought the baby was Zechs. "I know that the baby is Lt. Dawson's, and that it's a tight situation, but you need to know this before anyone else. The baby's father was in that accident all over the news this morning. He's dead." I really didn't want to know that my baby's father was dead, but it did make it easier. After we had slept together, we realized that we really didn't like each other that much, and broke off amicably.
"How many months, Noin?", Relena asked. I replied, "It has to be 1 month." Sally and Lady Une said, "We think you should keep the baby." I said, "What about the Preventers, my job, and who's going to help me take care of it?" "You can work until it's physically impossible for you to continue.", Lady Une said. "And we'll all help you with the baby.", said Relena. I told them, "I still have some issues to work out, but I'll think about it."
1 month later
"Lady Une, I have to talk to you." It was right after a mission, and I was tired and hungry, but I had some news to get off my chest, something that I knew no one would expect. "Lady Une, I've decided to keep my baby.", I said, noting her expression of surprise, then happiness. "I'm so happy that you decide to keep your child.", Lady Une said, a slight expression of wistfulness on her face, an expression that told me that she was thinking of Treize. I knew that everyone would be surprised, but I had made my choice. I couldn't just kill this life inside of me, especially since I had no idea if I would ever have children again. It didn't matter if my child wasn't Zech's or if it's father was dead, I would keep it since it was a part of me, now and always.
3 months later
I looked around my new apartment. At everyone's insistence, I moved out of my apartment at headquaters into this one, handpicked by Relena. Even though I really didn't want to move, I had to admit that it was nice. 2 bedrooms with a master bath, kitchen, real dining room, living room, and a office, much more than I would by for myself. I had just finished decorating, putting up my paintings, a throw rug I had inherited from my grandmother, a grandfather clock that had been in the family for 6 generations, making sure that it fit in with the white and blue color scheme.
As I walked around the living room of my apartment, one picture beckoned to me. It was of Zechs while we were attending Victoria, younger but still showing signs of the man he would become, of course with that ever-present mask. It was one of those few pictures in which he was smiling, but his smile held a hint of sadness, as if the weight of his legacy was keeping him from being truly happy. Oh, Zechs, each day you've been gone, it's been harder for me ot believe that you're alive. True, your body hasn't been found, so there still is a chance, but I just don't know if I believe anymore. My hand strayed down to rest on my stomach. First Zechs, my only love has left me, then the father of my baby has died. True, I didn't love Dawson, but my baby doesn't deserve to grow up fatherless. Sometimes I wonder what you would think Zechs, would you be angry or would accept my baby for what she is. I swear my baby is a little girl, but I don't know if she'll be like me or her father. Dawson was a pretty good man, but something in me would just feel better if she was yours.
The doorbell rang, announcing that my visitors were here. We were having a combination baby shower/housewarming, myself, Relena, Lady Une, and Sally, my closest friends. Sally entered first, carrying some large parcel, I bet it was some toy for the baby. "Noin, how are you feeling? I know that your afternoon sickness should be over, but you look really peaked.", Sally asked, concern in her voice and her expression. I replied, "I'm okay, I was just thinking." She didn't say anything, but I knew that she had correctly guessed that I was thinking of Zechs. Everyone thought I should just erase him from my thoughts, especially at this time since they make me so melancoly, but I can't. I just can't.
8 months later
Oh my god, if I knew that childbirth was going to be like this... I couldn't finish the thought. I swear, I'll never go through this again, I don't care if I meet someone else or if Zechs' comes back. "It's alright Noin, just keep pushing.", Relena whispered in my ear. "What do you mean it's alright!?", I screamed, "I'm going through 13 hours of labor, and this damn thing still isn't coming out yet!!" Now I understood what my mother used to say whenever she wanted to send me on a guilt trip, this really was torture. "Yes, Ms. Noin, keep pushing, we see a head starting to slip out.", an unknown doctor said to me. That caught my attention, that my baby was coming out, that the miracle of birth was about to be completed, that I was going to be a mommy, that I was going to hold my baby soon. I pushed with all of my might as I felt my baby come out, but a terrible dread started to come over me, as if I sensed something wrong.
"Oh no.", I heard Sally say. I screamed, "Oh no, oh no what?!", afraid that it was about my baby. Turning to me with a sad look on her face, she said, "Your baby, your little girl isn't breathing." I felt like fainting, but for my baby's sake I resisted. "Sally, hand her to me.", I commanded, unplacably, like the days I was Lt. Noin, cadet instructor at Victoria. Sally brought her to me. Oh, she's so beautiful, as if she was a miniature of me, but her lungs weren't working. I started to rock her gently, moving my hands up and down her back. I started to lose myself in the rhythm, oblivious to what the doctors were doing, until I heard a little cough. I heard the cough again, my heart started to jump as Sally turned over to look at us. "Noin, I do think we may have been wrong about your baby.", Sally said as we heard her take her first full breaths and howl as if she wanted to shatter the windows with her force. All of the other people in the room stopped what they were doing to listen to my little girl, smiles wreathing their faces. I saw Relena, Lady Une, and surprisingly Quatre outside the window, smiles on their faces as they looked at my little girl. My last thought before I went to sleep was yes, I had done it, I had given birth to my little girl, my little Faith.
Christmas Eve 196
I paced the halls, waiting for the news that would send me into battle. I had only been back for 3 weeks before this whole Mariemaia business started. I started to long for my baby, wanting to hold her before I would have to go into battle to preserve this peace. Peace, I was sure that it would last, but my wishes were unfulfilled for the world was in a war once again. My thoughts were interrupted by Lady Une. "Noin, I have a new partner for you.", Lady Une said. I said dully, "Who?" Lady Une said, "A Preventer, Preventer Wind." I turned around and it was Zechs, Zechs who I had dreamed about for a year, Zechs who was back. I knew my face most have shown most of my happiness at seeing him again for he gave me a smile, the warmest smile that I have ever seen. "Oh Noin, how I have missed you.", he said. I just smiled and vowed to myself, "I will never let you leave me again, Zechs Merquise, no matter what."
11 months later
Mariemaia's rebellion had been thwarted, by both the Gundams, and by Zechs. Zechs, who wasn't dead, Zechs who was a Preventer, Preventer Wind. I had vowed to him on the battlefield that I would never leave his side again, but now I'm a little unsure. How will he react when he sees little Faith? She looks just like me with my dark hair and eyes, but he'll know that I broke my promise to him, went to someone else.
A soft knock on the door shook me from my reverie. It was Zechs, his long hair falling in its usual style down his back , with jeans, boots, and a shirt on. We're starting to date again, to resurrect a relationship that faltered when he disappeared.
"Noin, I thought you wanted to show me something tonight.", Zechs said, his beautiful voice once again sending chills down my spine. "Please, don't be mad at me.", I said before I turned around, Faith in my arms. "She's so beautiful, a miniture replica of you. Who's the father?", Zechs said, no anger in his voice but a little wonder in his voice. I said, "Remember Lt. Dawson from Victoria? We met at a ball early in your absence. I had too much to drink, one thing led to another, and here she is." Zechs said, "Une told me that he died in a plane crash early last year." I nodded and said, "Faith is only 3 months old, Zechs, don't carry her like that.", as he had her in his arms, just a beat away from falling. He grinned sheepishly and laid her back into her cradle.
I turned away from him, slightly scared of what he would say next. I felt his arms around my waist as he said,"You were scared of what I would say about the baby, about little Faithie." I started, "Zechs, I..". "Noin, let me continue. It doesn't matter what happened before I returned, but now, we'll finally be together, and we'll be a family, you, me, and Faith. She'll be like our own child." I said," Really Zechs?", with tears in my eyes. "Really Noin. Nothing matters as long as we're together", Zechs said.
