Damning Allegations, Chapter 3

[Crystaltear]

Damning Allegations
By Crystaltear
Chapter Three
Rated R
Warnings: Brief shonen-ai reference.


Author?s Notes: This chapter is yet another that sets up the plot for all the smaller stories within this one huge story. It?s not as long as I would like, but still two pages longer than the usual four pages a chapter that I do. The next chapter will go into a lot of detail, most of it centering on Mariemeia and her personality problem and status in life, more on Duo and Hilde?s distance, and hopefully a bit more on Quatre?s escalating problem. I have no idea when the next chapter will be out, but I do not plan on postponing the story any longer. However, I *will* be writing a chapter or two for INLIL before I look at this again, unless something really good forms in my mind. Please be patient with me, I promise you won?t have to wait too long.


The welcoming aroma of a freshly cooked pancakes assault Heero?s senses until there was no denying his need for food, despite his strong desire to stay in bed and slumber. Groggy, but eager to get to the meal that he knew awaited him, Heero pushed himself into a sitting position on his bed. He began rubbing his eyes to allow his vision to right itself, and then blew a wayward lock of hair from his view. As usual, it fell back into place in a stubborn act of defiance, and Heero, as always, let it be. After a minute of gazing blankly at the floor, he willed himself to stand up, his tired legs slow and unsteady from not having been used in the hours past. He trudged over to the white bassinet on instinct to see that its tiny owner wasn?t occupying it any longer, and was presumably with her mother.

As expected, Relena was busy finishing the last touches of their breakfast, which was made up of the pancakes Heero?s nose had detected, along with fried eggs and completed with coffee for him and orange juice for herself. He automatically panned to his right into their living room, seeing the play pen being occupied by a small bundle of white blanket with a small pink head topped with dark hair peeking out.

?You fed her already??

Relena turned at the sound of his voice, still rough with sleep. ?Well, good morning to you too. Yes, I fed and burped her a little ago before I started breakfast, Mother Hen. Good God, Heero, I think you?re overdoing it a bit. I?m her mother; I?m not going to neglect feeding her.? Though looking stern, Relena?s tone was light and teasing, and Heero knew that her nagging was merely in jest. And in many ways, he knew that she was correct--he had been quite wretched with making sure that Miyo was properly taken care of at all times, even when it came to Relena. He often wondered why he was borderline obsessed with such a notion as his daughter not being taken care of; but Relena had been enlightening as usual, pointing out it probably surfaced from his lack of care during his childhood. And as always, she was understanding. It was funny how he could practically list off the names and reasons for the mental ailments of the world, yet could not identify the stem of his own, or even realize he had any at all.

He was brought out from his thoughts as Relena picked up the two large plates holding their meals and walked gracefully over to the table and placed them down. He looked to see what he could fetch from the kitchen to finish setting the table, but found that Relena had already prepared everything. It amazed him how the fiery creature that he had always known could be so domesticated at times; it seemed beyond her personality to do so, but she was always surprising him.

?You could have left something for me to do,? he muttered, and Relena huffed.

?I made you a big breakfast to get you ready for going back to work this morning, and you?re still complaining? And you can go get the baby if you feel you have to do something,? she mock whined.

?But she?s sleeping??

?She needs to sit in the seat for awhile. She can?t sleep all the time, though she seems to have picked up several of your traits, so I?m sure she would like to.?

Heero complied without anymore protest and ignored the jibe to him before Relena?s bantering turned into agitation. Her hormones seemed to still have been on a kick shortly after the pregnancy, and Heero often continued to allow the bickering between them to fade with her victory. Once she was back to her normal hormonal and emotional level, and he stood a chance against her wrath, they could playfully squabble at their full extent as they always had.

Miyoko gave a small sigh of protest as Heero carefully and slowly picked her up, blanket bundle and all, and cradled her in his well-built arms.

?Yeah, I know you don?t like it. But your mother doesn?t want you getting lazy like me, or so she says. So you?re just going to have to deal with it, because your mother cranky is a lot worse than you when you?re fussy,? he told the baby in soothing, hushed tones as though she could comprehend. The action seemed to ease her complaint, and she opened her still- barely seeing eyes to the direction of her father.

?I heard that, Heero Yuy.?

Heero cringed. He was really pushing it that morning, even he could tell. He brought Miyoko to the table without another word, sitting her in the tiny seat placed on one of the chairs so that she was close enough should she begin to cry. He fastened her in snuggly, and when she gave no crying indication that she was uncomfortable, he sat down to enjoy his meal with Relena.

The family sat in complete silence while the two adults ate, the child?s wide blue eyes moving around as the fan that whirled above their head created intriguing shadows for her new-found sight to figure out. Her father watched out of the corner of his eye, and chuckled at her simple wonder. Then he managed to slip a glance at his wife without notice, while she was delicately swirling a piece of her pancake in the syrup on her plate. A smug grin tugged at his lips. They were, in his mind, the family he had always dreamed of--the kind of family he no longer had to escape into the realm of dreams to find.


"You're definitely going to work today, right?" Relena finally broke the pleasant silence , disappointment lighting her features, not wanting him to return to work, but knowing that he would have to return. Not only because his students needed him back in order to learn the material properly, but also because one of them needed to go back to work to bring in the money. Relena would be staying out of work for a couple of months, being able to as the owner of the shop, though checking up on the store frequently to make sure that everything was running smoothly.

Heero sighed in disappointment. "Yeah, I'm going back; even though I don't want to."

"Oh c'mon, I know you miss your kids," Relena prompted, trying to cheer him up.

"I do, but I still prefer to be home." His gaze fell upon the baby seated to his left, once again dozing after growing tired of watching the shadows. "Because I like spending time with you, of course," he grinned, looking back at his wife.

"Jerk. Like hell you do," she huffed, and he chuckled in response.

"I do though," he assured. ?And you shouldn?t be discussing going back to work with me. I don?t see you hurrying back.?

?I don?t have to be all that attentive to flowers. And my girls know how to handle the store,? Relena defended. ?Anyway, you should start moving. You need to be there in forty-five minutes and you still need to shower and dress.?

?Now who?s being the Mother Hen??

?Oh, you! Get moving, before I make you stay home and clean the place from top to bottom.? She shooed him away to the direction of the bathroom with a swat of her hand, and he moved quickly to avoid her light reprimand.

-------------

Quatre was up bright and early in the morning, despite having but up all of the day before and a good portion of the night arranging and rearranging his items in his new home. Trowa was still being unusually quiet with him, but he was determined to have whatever problem that may lie between them at the moment be settled later that night. Checking his watch to try and time himself and the errands he had to run that day, he figured that he would be home around 5 PM to cook dinner for the two of them. Trowa would be home around six from work, and then they would be able to talk after dinner was set aside.

While the darker man slept in awhile longer, not being expected at the construction site he was working at that morning until a few hours later, Quatre fixed himself a quick breakfast of toast and grapefruit, completed with a glass of milk, and then was ready to head out to do his running around. He had taken the day off from work, having taken on a partnership with his older brother Millardo for a share of the Peacecraft family business after his father?s death and being quite able to take a day off when he pleased. He was first off to make a visit to his mother and check up on her as well as Sylvia, then it was off to the grocery store to do the major shopping for the week. After that he was had to run to the dry cleaners to pick up a few of his suits, and then he could finally run home to start dinner.

He glanced at his watch once again purely out of habit as he made his way down the walkway toward the parking lot the held his car. When he reached the curb, he noticed that the back end of his car was dropped down much lower than the rest of the vehicle. Taking the rest of the distance of the parking lot in longer strides, Quatre?s closer inspection of the car showed that his rear passenger side tire was completely flat.

?Damn, this is going to set me back a bit,? he mumbled unhappily, scratching his head in wonder. The tire hadn?t been that old, the car having only been bought a year prior, but he supposed driving over a nail or glass could have been to blame for the flat. Shrugging his shoulders, he made his way to the truck and pulled out the spare and the jack that was there for emergencies. He carried the two items over to the flat with ease and laid them down. He squatted down to put the jack in place, and it was then he got a better look at the flattened tire. His hand went out and grazed the surface of the tire, and anger flickered in his cerulean orbs.

The tire had been slashed.

?This doesn?t look good,? he thought apprehensively, hoping it was just a random act of foolishness from some teenagers pulling a prank. But in his heart, he knew otherwise.

-------------

Heero?s first day of returning to JFK high was one filled with excitement and never-ending repetitive questions. By the middle of first period, he had quit trying to get his class back into the work they were behind on. Between the students coming up with new questions about Miyoko every three minutes and the teachers that kept popping in to inquire, he hadn?t gotten past page one of the chapter. After six periods of answering questions over and over again, he looked forward to his break during his professional period. Collecting his grade book and a few papers together he made his was out of his room and down to the teacher?s lounge. To his dismay, once he entered the room all eyes were on him, and the questions came again this time from his co-workers that he had not encountered until then.

He was beginning to feel a little overwhelmed with the whole situation when a voice called the other teachers to silence.

?Give him a break everyone, and let him enjoy his professional period. I?m sure he?s all questioned out by now.?

The other teachers looked disappointed, but relented. To partially satisfy them, Heero handed a few pictures of Miyo to pass around, and then sat at the table where his savior was sitting.

?Thanks, I owe you,? he said in all sincerity as the two men shook hands. Heero say down in the vacant seat next to the older man, and placed his grade book on the table.

?How?s the wife??

?Pretty good. She was very happy to see you stop by the day of the delivery. I have a feeling I?ll be inviting you and your wife over to dinner very soon,? Heero replied, making his charge grin. Upon hiring and welcoming Heero into the school, Mr. Dorlian, the principal of JFK, as well as a former psychology teacher himself, had taken a personal liking to Heero and his family. Since the time of his arrival, the Dorlians and Yuys had become close over the years despite the years between them and the Dorlians were considered another extension of Heero and Relena?s odd but loving family.

The conversation of Heero?s family was placed on the back burner then, Mr. Dorlian knowing that the younger man had been speaking about them a good portion of the day already. Instead he made the subject the new mid-term plan that was about to be experimented with in a few weeks time, and what Heero?s opinion on the matter was. Usually the students were given one test in each subject going over the material they were taught at the end of each school year. That year though, it was voted that they would try the mid-term approach, where halfway through the year they would test the students on the material learned so far, and then test them again at the end of the year on the material learned from the mid-term to the completion of the class term.

?I think it can go either way. It?s a great idea, but whether it succeeds or not depends on the kids? performance. And of course, a lot of it depends on how each teacher explains the material,? Heero offered.

?I have high hopes for the midterms, I think it will do the children a world of good if the results are satisfactory,? Dorlian mused, while Heero nodded his agreement.

Glancing at his watch, Mr. Dorlian than stood up, and turned to Heero to say his farewells. ?Well Yuy, I must be going. The Board director will be stopping by shortly, and I want to make sure all the suspended students aren?t standing outside my office when he arrives. I don?t think that would impress him all that much.? Heero chuckled in response, and once again agreed. The two men shook hands once again, and then Mr. Dorlian set out of the room to clear the hallways of the troublemakers of their school. Once the older man had left to go to his business, he felt most of the eyes in the room on him, anticipating having all of their questions answered now that the psychology teacher?s only hope for peace and quiet during his professional had gone. Sensing them upon him, and knowing he had to escape before his forty-five minute break turned into the continuous madness he had put up with that day, he glanced thoughtfully at his watch. Without giving anyone the chance to even inquire how he felt, he excused himself, taking the pictures back from the last teacher that had them in her possession and was currently ogling the photo, and said his farewells. He knew well enough that they would all manage to grab him either during his eighth period class or while he was in the parking lot anyway.
-------------

Eighth period arrived, and Heero was prepared himself for another wave of the same questions that had plagued him all day. However, there was new news in that particular class. Looking at his list, he noticed that they had received a new student, Mariemeia Khushrenada. He frowned in disapproval at the idea of a new student coming during all the ruckus that his students were making over his return; the poor girl was probably completely ignore and utterly lost on her first day. He took a glance around the room to identify the new girl, and found her seated in the first row, head turned away from him while she spoke to Dylan, one of his students. By the way they were casually flirting, he thought that perhaps she had received a decent greeting after all, at least from one of the students.

Not really wanting to disturb the conversation they were having, but feeling the need to finally introduce himself, he strode over to the first row and to her desk. Dylan caught notice of him first, and smiled at his teacher before calling Mariemeia?s attention to the man. ?This is Mr. Yuy that everyone?s been talking about, Mariemeia. Mr. Yuy, she?s our new student that arrived yesterday.?

?So I saw. Welcome to JFK high. I apologize that I wasn?t here to welcome you to the class yesterday,? Heero replied, looking over at the red head.

Mariemeia merely shrugged off the apology, pretending as though the day before hadn?t bothered her in the least. ?Oh, it?s quite all right. I heard all about you and your wife having a baby--I?m sure you were very busy.? A moment of uncertainty passed for Mariemeia as she saw what she thought was annoyance pass over his features. She dismissed the notion immediately though.

?Yes, well I apologize for that too. Everyone got entirely too worked up over the matter. I hope everyone still managed to give you the proper greeting?? He glanced over at Dylan for emphasis, and the boy nodded in reply.

?Liar,? Mariemeia?s mind seethed. ?Of course they did. Dylan has been especially helpful with me, showing me where everything is and all.? At the remark, the blonde boy?s face glowed in delight at having gained the girl?s appreciation. Meanwhile, Mariemeia bit back the desire to gag and roll her eyes; the boy was so pathetic it was embarrassing.

Mr. Yuy left the two of them to get a few things in order for the new student, and in a few minutes returned with a large psychology book and a few papers in hand. He handed both to Mariemeia and briefly explained what she was to look over in order to catch up with the class.

?Everyone is pleasant around here, so I?m sure you?ll learn to like the school as well as the town,? he told her after he had finished explaining the work.

?Oh, I?m sure I will too, Mr. Yuy,? she replied, her smile inching to its full capacity.

TBC?.

[orchid]

i can see mariemeia's already starting to spin a web. and i like how you bring the reality of trowa and quatre's situation into play. good job!

[PeRiDoTs13]

wait a se, where's chapter 2?

[Kanya Barton]

Okay...I guess there was a typo...Oh Well! Is there anymore? I didn't even see this chapter...I gotta go and check and see now before I move on. Why does everything bad have to happen to Heero and Relena? Why can't Fate leave them alone and bother someone else for once!
Someone has caught on to poor Quatre and Trowa too! I sense something bad happening at their residence sometime soon...the Peacecraft family is full of sorrow and trouble isn't it? Well, I gotta go check for the rest! Seeee ya!
Peace out!

[PeRiDoTs13]

well, i decided not to wait 4 u 2 post chapter 2 and read this instead, and then i figured that it actually is chapter 2. i guess there was a typo, eh? so, is this chapter two? i mean, there can't be much between this and chapter one if it isn't.

anywayz, good chapter. i enjoyed it thoroughly. i hope chapter 3 comes out soon. i mean, u don't have any other gw fic 2 work on do u??? unless ur planning on revising "my favorite mistake". don't. please work on this. PLEASE!!!

i hate mariemeia already.