Helen, David, Indigo, Jasmine and Joel were in the conference room discussing another mission. Jason was late as usual. He came bursting through the door twenty minutes after the meeting started.
"Sorry I’m late guys!" He panted.
"Do you have an excuse?" Noin asked.
"Um…I lost track of time?"
"Not good enough Jason, you used that one last time."
"Oh yeah, right." Jason grumbled and took his seat between Joel and Helen.
Helen was unusually quiet during that meeting.
"Why so glum, Helen? What’s wrong?" Jasmine asked.
"Hmmm? Oh nothing."
"Yeah right" Indigo snorted. "Something’s up."
"Helen," Noin looked at her with concern. "If there’s something on your mind you should say it."
"I just miss my foster parents." Helen sighed. "I hope nothing happened to them like…well you know."
Jason stared down at his feet.
"Well I don’t see why it would be unreasonable for you all to go see them." Noin smiled.
"You mean it?" Helen gasped.
"Sure," Noin said. "After your next mission I’ll get you all a league of absence."
Jasmine smiled brightly. She hoped her parents saved her a piece of birthday cake, even if it was several months old. Plus she wanted to introduce them to Joel. That would be fun. David couldn’t wait to see his friend Alexis again. She would be so happy for him that he had found his parents. Helen couldn’t wait to make French toast for her sister. Indigo wanted to show some of the others the sights in Paris, maybe Joel would bring Jasmine and they could all go to the Eiffel tower together. Indigo shot a glance at Joel. Even he looked excited. The next mission would go by too slowly for the pilots.
"But I don’t know how I’m going to explain this to your parents. Just pray they’d get it. Some of them, who shall remain nameless, are pretty hard headed." Noin coughed. And the cough sounded amazingly like ‘Wufei’. The group laughed while Jasmine and Joel sat there, looking insulted.
Jasmine wandered towards her usual table in the cafeteria.
"Jasmine!" She heard someone growl behind her. It was her Father. She hadn’t seen him since the party. Jasmine knew what was coming.
"Why were you wearing that disgraceful dress? That was a FORMAL party!" He snarled.
"Aw, come on Wu-chan. Let the girl flaunt a bit." Sally laughed.
"And you!" Wufei turned on her now. "YOU bought it for her! Immoral, disgusting, dishonorable women!"
Jasmine smiled. "I knew you’d like it Daddy," She cooed. She kissed him lightly on the cheek and left for her table again.
"Kisama! Annoying child!" Wufei screamed. Sally continued to laugh at him and Jasmine chuckled.
"I told you he’d freak." Indigo said as Jasmine sat down. "You gonna take him to see your foster family?"
"I’m still debating that, You heard what Noin said." Jasmine sighed.
Surprisingly enough, their next mission didn’t take all that long. It was simple and short. Now all the pilots and former pilots were getting ready for a well-deserved vacation. Helen was taking all the others to see her family because everyone wanted to come, as well as both her parents. Indigo and Joel were going to Paris after they visited Helen with Jasmine while David and Jason went to David’s house. Then Jasmine insisted in taking Joel to meet her brothers and parents on L4. Duo and Hilde would stick with Helen the entire time and Indigo had managed to convince both her parents to come with her. Sally was excited at seeing France although Wufei said it was a weak city. He said he would go anyway, though. Relina decided to go with Jason to Helen’s and then would leave him when he left with David. Heero didn’t want to go anywhere and buried himself in work for that entire weekend. Dorothy couldn’t wait to show David’s foster parents a thing or two about raising proper war-bound kids. Quatre promised to go along with David but both Quatre and Dorothy decided against seeing Helen’s family. They didn’t get a vacation and Noin would flip when she found out they were skipping work.
So now Duo, Hilde, Relina, Helen, Jason, Indigo, Joel, Jasmine and David were on a shuttle getting ready to go to Toronto.
"Ready guys?" Duo asked from the pilot’s seat.
"Ready," everyone answered. The shuttle blasted off from the base and hurtled towards Earth. Helen was surprised at how quickly they reached Earth. From the shuttle they drove an hour into Toronto.
"Ok now turn uh…what road is this?"
"Cawthra," Hilde answered.
"Ok, get off here." Helen said
"Are you sure you know where you’re going?" Duo asked as Hilde got off the highway.
"Of course I’m sure!" Helen cried. "I lived here for fourteen years!"
Duo grumbled and sat back in his seat.
"Which way?" Hilde asked.
"Left," Helen answered. "And then make your second right and it will be on the first street on your left. Number 600."
Hilde kept her eyes on the road and tried to block out Duo’s complaining.
"I hardly think this is a good way to travel. Its very cramped back here." Relina stated from the backseat.
"Relax Relina," Hilde said. " Five more minutes, max."
"That’s what you said half an hour ago." Relina grumbled.
"Yeah well, half an hour ago I lied."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, stop!" Helen cried suddenly. "This is it."
"Not a bad place Helen." Jason commented. Helen smirked.
"Everybody out!"
Helen crept up to the door first with her parents. The others all waited behind. She tried the door handle and it was unlocked. She opened it slowly and walked inside.
"Hello?" She called. A little Asian girl bounced out of the living room.
"Helen!" She cried. She jumped up into Helen’s arms and gave her a big hug.
"I thought you were dead." She gasped.
"Not a chance," Helen laughed
"Helen?" Another voice called. A short little woman ran up at top speed.
"You’re alive!" She started to cry. She hugged Helen as well and Helen nearly dropped her seven-year-old sister. Her Mother stared behind her to the eight people behind her. "Who are they?" She asked.
"We’re the ones who really gave birth to and named Helen." Duo smirked.
Helen’s mother walked up to them. "You’re so tall!" She laughed. She pulled them inside. "Come in, come in!" She cried. "And you too." She motioned at the people waiting by the door.
"I’m Anne." She laughed and shook hands with everyone.
"Oh Helen, Rob will be so happy when he gets back!" Anne cried.
"Who’s Rob?" Duo whispered to Helen.
"My foster dad, he’s not as cheerful as she is though." Helen warned.
"Are you Helen’s REAL daddy?" A little girl poked at Duo’s leg. Duo bent down to face the girl. "Yes I am," He answered. "Are you her sister?"
"No," The girl snorted. "I‘m her FAKE sister."
"Oh really?" Duo chuckled. "Well what’s your name?"
"Erin," She sighed.
"Well then Erin," Duo chuckled. "It’s very nice to meet you."
Erin smiled weakly then dashed off to the kitchen to see Helen.
"I’m sorry Mom, but I can’t stay for any longer then a week." Helen admitted.
"Why?" Her Mother gasped
"Because, I need to get back to work." Helen bit her tongue.
"You work?" Anne chuckled.
"Yeah," Helen replied. She wanted to delay what was coming for as long as possible.
"So what do you do?" Anne asked.
"I work for the Preventors now mom."
Anne gasped. "What do you do with them?" She demanded.
"I pilot a mobile suit." Helen said quietly.
"WHAT!" Anne cried. The people in the living room looked at her strangely. "You can’t pilot a mobile suit! You’ll get yourself killed!"
"But I haven’t mom…"
"You’ve already been out there?"
"Yes…"
"Without my permission?"
"I don’t need you’re permission Mom!"
"Yes you do! You’re just a little girl Helen! Girls can’t pilot suits!"
"Yes they can mom! I can! You’re living in the past!" Helen cried. Anne started to break down and cry.
"I just don’t want you to get hurt." She bawled.
"I know Mom, and I don’t want YOU to get hurt. That’s why I’m doing it." Helen whispered. She rubbed Anne’s back to comfort her. Anne did her best to recollect herself and started to bring out food. Her mother always busied herself with housework when she was upset.
Her Father, Rob, came home in the middle of dinner and demanded to know whom all the strange people in his house were.
"Hi Daddy," Helen smiled. Duo winced when she said it.
"Helen!" Rob gasped. "You’re back." The short little Japanese man hugged Helen tightly.
"Dad, I want you to meet my um…real father, Duo Maxwell." Helen smiled. Rob glared at Duo and Duo glared back. "Hi," Rob growled.
"Yeah, hi." Duo replied. The two men shook hands roughly.
"I don’t think they get along." Jason whispered to Helen.
"I know," Helen hissed back. She sat back down in her seat and began to introduce every one else.
"You look familiar," Rob said to Duo.
"I do?"
"Yeah, I feel like I’ve seen you somewhere before."
"It must have been when you were on TV." Hilde chuckled.
"He was on TV?" Rob asked. Duo groaned and buried his face in his hands.
"If you remember a long time ago, like more then twenty years when the Gundams were still around…"
"The Gundams," Rob interrupted, "What a waste, they didn’t do anything! Useless machines."
Duo’s rage continued to build. "Well, these guys caught a Gundam pilot and put him on TV and blew up his Gundam in front of everyone." Hilde continued.
"Yeah so?"
"The Gundam pilot…was him." Hilde laughed. Rob began to choke.
"There’s a Gundam pilot in my house!" He cried. Duo dropped his head onto the table.
The carnage continued between Duo and Rob for the next week. The others were glad when they left. Most of them left sometime in the middle of the week.
Indigo, Jasmine and Joel were the first to leave. Wufei, Sally, Midii and Trowa promised to meet them in Paris. They left on Tuesday to catch their plane. Jason and David left the next day for colony L2.
And so poor Hilde and Helen had to sit for four more days and watch Duo and Rob bicker.
‘I am so glad I got away from Helen and her crazy family." Jasmine sighed as she leaned back in her airplane seat.
"Me too," Agreed Indigo.
The pilot came on the loudspeaker. "Attention, this is your pilot speaking. Please fasten your seatbelts and return your seats to their upright positions, we will be arriving in Paris, France in just a few minutes."
"Finally," Joel groaned. He put his seat back up and stared out the window. He wasn’t exactly thrilled with the long plane ride from Toronto to Paris. The plane landed smoothly and they didn’t waste any time in getting their stuff and finding their parents.
"There they are!" Indigo cried. She pointed to the terminal entrance. Together the three teens picked up their things and made their way over to their parents.
"Isn’t this exciting Wufei?" Sally asked. "Paris, the city of romance!"
Wufei growled. "Stupid woman." He muttered.
"Hey guys!" Jasmine smiled. She walked immediately up to her Father and gave him a big hug and kiss. Wufei grumbled even more.
"Let’s go," Midii said. "I want to see Paris."
"I want to see my foster mom first." Indigo stated firmly.
Trowa sighed. "Alright, but then I want to get one of those Eiffel tower paper weights."
Everyone but Trowa and Wufei laughed. They headed out together and found some taxis to take them to Indigo’s home first.
They arrived at a nice French townhouse at around seven o’clock. Indigo barged in the door.
"Mom?" She called. A woman’s face popped out of the kitchen.
"Indigo!" She cried. She ran down the hall and greeted Indigo with a big hug. "Where have you been, Indigo?" She cried.
"Um…working." Indigo replied uncertainly.
"Working? Where could you work that would keep you away for this long?"
"Sorry but…"
"No buts, Indigo. Come inside and eat something!"
"Um…Mom."
Midii had to bite her tongue just so she wouldn’t answer back.
"Yes dear?"
"Um…I uh…"
"She found her real parents." Trowa finished for her angrily.
"What?" She gasped. "How did you know…I mean who are they…I mean…"
"We are her parents." Midii said.
Erica Perrier gasped. "Then it was you…you were making those phone calls! And you kidnapped my daughter!"
"She’s our daughter!" Trowa roared.
"NO! I raised her for fourteen years! You abandoned her!"
Midii started to bite her lip again, but Trowa was too angry to notice. "If we didn’t she would be dead!" Trowa growled.
"Get out," Erica said hoarsely. "Get out of my house and don’t come back." Trowa grumbled and turned to leave, pulling Midii along with him. Indigo turned to follow them as well.
"Indigo! Indigo come back here!" Erica called. Indigo ignored her.
"If you go out those doors Indigo, don’t bother coming back!" Erica screamed. Indigo didn’t even look back as she closed the door behind her.
Erica watched in horror as her daughter, her only child walked out on her, the same way her husband did. She fell to her knees and started to cry. She had just lost the only thing she had left forever. Erica was sure that Indigo would choose her over the people who got rid of her. Indigo fished out her clown doll from her bag and held it tightly. She felt tears begin to stream down her face.
"You gonna be OK, Indigo?" Jasmine asked. Joel looked at her with concern from a distance. He watched her parents and his sister crowd around Indigo to comfort her as well as Sally. Joel was too shy to go up to her. It made him uncomfortable and he tried to think of how his own Mother would react.
"Don’t worry about it sweetheart." Midii cooed. "Everything will work out."
Indigo nodded and continued to stare at her doll. She followed as the others led her towards Joel’s home. He was beginning to have second thoughts about seeing his adoptive mother.
"Weak woman," Wufei muttered. "I would have shown her some respect." Joel ignored him because he was too deep in thought.
Jason and David found Dorothy and Quatre on L2.
"You know Duo lived on L2, still does occasionally." Quatre said thoughtfully.
"Why does that matter?" David asked.
"It doesn’t," Quatre said. "It just hit me that Duo lives here. It’s amazing how close some of you were and we didn’t even know it."
Dorothy nodded in agreement. "You had better live in a rich house. It wouldn’t be right for my son to live like some poor loser." She snarled. David looked at her strangely.
"Don’t worry mom," He said. "My foster parents had a good deal a money."
Dorothy smiled. "Good,"
"Never mind that though," David said. "Let’s go. We can walk, it won’t take more than five minutes."
"You live around here?" Jason asked. He stared around the neighborhood of huge homes and expensive cars.
"Yeah," Replied David, "It’s very boring."
Jason just shook his head. How could you be bored in a fancy place like this? Jason was pretty sure that each house had an indoor pool, outdoor pool and their own personal tennis courts. He followed David and his parents onto another street with even BIGGER houses. David stopped in front of one.
"David, this has got to be the biggest house on the street!" Jason cried.
"Second biggest, the Hammonds down the road have a bigger one." David replied. Jason shook his head and laughed. David bounded up to the front door and walked inside.
"Mom, Dad?" David called as he walked through the kitchen and into the living room.
"They’re probably downstairs," David thought out loud. He walked over to a set of double doors and took them all down to the basement.
"Mom, Dad?" David called again. This time there was a noise from one of the rooms. A sophisticated looking woman marched out. She was in a gray suit and her dark brown hair was cropped very short. She was trying to put on her watch when she looked up.
"David? Is it really you?" She gasped. David smiled brightly and nodded.
"Oh David, I’m so glad you’re back!" The woman cried. "Fredrick, FREDRICK! Get out here!" She screamed into the room she had just come from. A young, equally sophisticated man came out. He was also wearing a suit but his was black. He had black hair and seemed very arrogant at first sight.
"David, my boy!" Fredrick laughed. "It’s about time you came back!" David smiled at his two foster parents.
"We’ve been looking everywhere for you David, where have you been?" His mother gasped. Dorothy glared at the two people and cleared her throat.
"Oh…" David gasped as he remembered his real parents behind him. "Mom and dad, I’d like you to meet…real mom and dad."
"What do you mean David honey?" His foster mother asked. She had a puzzled look on her face.
"I know I’m adopted guys, and these are my REAL parents."
Fredrick shook his head. "I knew we should have told him sooner Anita."
Anita crossed her arms and stared at the two other adults there. "You look like David." She said. Fredrick examined them for the first time.
"Are you…Quatre Winner?" He gasped.
"Y…yes," Quatre replied. Fredrick jumped up to shake Quatre’s hand.
"I promise you Mr. Winner, we took good care of your boy." Fredrick said.
Quatre looked even more confused.
"You can’t be a major influential family and not be famous." Dorothy whispered to the confused boys. They nodded.
"Ah, guys…" David said, he didn’t wait for them to notice. "I’m going to go visit some friends." He had to scream over the noise his adoptive father was making. He grabbed Jason and ran as fast as he could. He didn’t want to listen to his foster father gawk at his real father forever.
"Where are we going?" Jason asked once they were out of the house.
"To my friend Alexis’ house." David answered.
"Oh…your so-called ‘just friend’, right?"
"That’s right. And we are JUST friends!"
"Sure…"
"We are!"
David took Jason to another large house just down the street. It wasn’t as big as David’s but it was still impressive. David bounced up the steps and rung the bell. A short girl with red hair answered it.
"David?" She gasped. David smirked at her. "DAVID!" The girl jumped into David’s arms and kissed him firmly. David stumbled backward and his arms wrapped around her to keep them from falling.
"Sure…just friends right?" Jason smiled as David and whom Jason assumed was Alexis toppled backwards down the steps and nearly ran him over.
"Oh David!" Alexis cried, breaking the kiss. "I thought you were dead!" She planted a few more quick bruising kisses on his lips and cheeks.
"Alexis," David blushed. Alexis ignored him and squeezed him tightly. "David, promise you’ll never leave again." Alexis cried.
"I, uh…I can’t Alexis." Davis stammered. Alexis pulled away from him.
"What do you mean David?" She asked.
"Um, you might want to sit down so I can explain." David stuttered. Alexis’ face lost its happy expression as she stared into his eyes.
"You’re kidding right David? I mean you’re not going to leave again are you?" Alexis tried to laugh.
"Alex…" David started again. Alexis could sense the hurt in his voice.
"Oh my god, you’re serious!" Alexis choked. "But David…" She broke off her sentence. She didn’t know what to say anymore.
"Come inside," She said. "I’ll uh…make you guys some tea."
David moped inside with Jason close behind. "Just friends…" Jason snorted.
David glared at him.
"Oh come on!" Jason laughed. "You can’t honestly tell me she doesn’t have something for you!"
"Maybe not," Replied David, "But I don’t think this is the time for jokes." Jason shut up and pretended to look at the paintings on the wall. Alexis rushed around the kitchen and David and Jason sat down at the kitchen table and waited for her. Alexis sat down a minute later and placed three steaming cups of tea on the table. Jason immediately began piling sugar into it, but David and Alexis just stared at the delicate cups blankly.
"So what’s going on David?" Alexis asked finally.
"Well uh, a few months ago I was sort-of kidnapped." David began.
"Kidnapped! So that’s what happened!" Alexis cried. David just nodded.
"Yeah, anyway, I was taken to the Preventor headquarters in outer space."
Alexis looked shocked, but didn’t interrupt.
‘I met my real parents there and…"
"Wow David! You’re real parents? You must have been so excited!"
"Yeah," David laughed.
"So who are they?" Alexis urged.
"Uh…Quatre and Dorothy Winner."
"THE WINNERS?" Alexis almost screamed. "The Winners are you parents?"
"Yeah," David laughed again. "Pretty wild hun?"
"I’ll say! Oh David I’m so happy for you!" She jumped over to David and gave him another big hug.
"There’s more," David said. Alexis let go of him and settled herself in the chair next to him.
"I am now the pilot of a new Gundam. My father piloted the Sandrock and so did the fathers of Jason here and a few other kids who were also taken there. We’ve been training for the last few months and we’re just here for a few days, then we have to get back to work. We have a new enemy to face and uh…I might be seeing you again for a while."
Alexis sat there with her mouth hanging open as David explained the situation.
"So when do you leave again?" Alexis asked quietly once he was finished.
"Friday," David replied sadly. Alexis sighed.
"My parents are throwing a formal tomorrow night." Alexis said suddenly. "I know its late notice but I hope you guys can come."
David smiled weakly. "We’ll be there." He said.
Alexis’ face brightened. "Good," she said. They sat around for a few more hours and talked with each other. Jason watched David and Alexis with growing interest. ‘Yep,’ He thought. ‘She definitely likes him.’ Jason smiled.
"We should go," David announced suddenly. "Its getting late and my parents…all four of them...will be worried."
"I doubt Dorothy would be." Jason smirked. David laughed a bit and followed him out the door. Jason waited at the end of the driveway as David and Alexis said goodbye.
"Jeesh," Jason sighed. "You’d think he was never coming back." But then again it was true that he might NOT be coming back. They were going to fight a war, people died in wars. Jason smiled as Alexis once again threw herself on David and kissed him…again, but this time with a bit more passion rather than excitement. David’s face turned bright red and he kissed her softly on the cheek and turned to leave. Alexis stood at her front door until they were out of sight.
"What?" David demanded. Jason had been smirking at him since they left Alexis’ house.
"Just friends…" Jason laughed. He shook his head at the ground. "Just friends." He mumbled. He poked at David’s ribs.
"So are you still ‘just friends’?" Jason laughed. David blushed again and refused to answer.
"Ooohhh. David and Alexis sittin’ in a tree, K.I.S.S.I.N.G." Jason sang. David growled and lunged at Jason. Jason laughed even louder and jumped out of they way. David chased him all the way back to his house. The two laughing boys barged into the big house. Four faces looked up at them from around the living room. Each adult had a cup of tea and there were little cookies on the table. David’s foster mother was trying to entertain again. They were probably talking business or stocks or some other boring things.
"David," Dorothy smirked. "We were JUST talking about you."
"No we weren’t," Quatre said.
"I know," Replied Dorothy, "It just sounded like a motherly thing to say. I’ve never been able to say that before you know."
Jason and David snorted.
"Well my boy," Fredrick laughed. "Your parents have explained your entire situation to us. I must say I am very proud of you!"
"Um…they did? You are?"
"Yeah, but I at least hope you’ll be able to stay for a little while."
"Yeah," Replied David. "Until Friday."
His foster parents nodded. "Well," said Anita, "I must be off. I have a big case I’m working on."
"She’s a lawyer," David whispered to Jason. Jason nodded his understanding.
Joel nervously opened the door to his parent’s house.
"Hello? Mom?" Joel called. His Father butted in front of him and looked around.
"Maybe she’s not home." Sally thought out loud. She was answered with the soft *click* of a gun. The group let out a collective gasp.
"Let my son go…" The angry woman behind the gun growled. Wufei stared at her blankly. He grabbed the gun from her hand and handed it to his wife. The woman gasped and started to cry. "Please, let him go. I’ll pay you anything you want." She cried.
"Mom…" Joel said, annoyed at his Mother’s outburst. "Joel honey, don’t be scared, I’m right here." She gasped.
"Mom…"
"Please don’t hurt him…" She gasped again, turning to Wufei.
"MOM!" Joel screamed. Jasmine started to snicker. "Shut up for a minute." The woman stared at Joel blankly.
"These are my parents, Mom." Joel said.
"So…so it was them on the phone?" The woman stuttered. She brushed a few strands of brown hair away from her face.
"No," Wufei snorted. "It was that annoying scientist."
Joel’s mother took a few steps back. "I’m confused," She said.
"Mom, this is my REAL mom Sally, my Real dad Wufei, and my twin sister Jasmine."
Indigo snorted from behind somewhere.
"And Indigo and her parents Trowa and Midii." Joel added. His mother looked over the people and passed out.
"Mom!" Joel cried. He winced as she made a loud THUD on the floor.
