by Eikyu No Nozomi

	The sunny haired ex-Gundam Pilot laughed happily as he
walked down the beach, the girls phone number still in his hands.
	"Hey, Quatre!  What's up, my merry man?" Duo asked,
leaning over Quatre's shoulder and trying to snatch the piece of
paper. "What's that?"
	"It's nothing that concerns you, Duo." Quatre chuckled,
keeping the phone number just out of the other ex-pilots reach.
Duo made the biggest violet-blue puppy dog eyes he could,
pouting in such a way that would melt stone. "Fine, fine.  If you
must know, it's a friends phone number."
	"A girl friend?  A date friend?  A k-i-s-s-i-n-g friend?  A
'first came Love, then came marriage, then came a baby in a baby
carriage' friend?  Hmm?  Hmm?  Hmm?" Duo asked, making
Quatre turn an alarming shade of red.
	"Duo!" Quatre snapped, stuffing the piece of paper in his
pocket. "It's simply none of your business!"
	"Oh yeah?  Why's that?  Do I know her?  Planning
something special?  You know Quatre, you should really stay out
of the sun, you're nearly as red as a tomato!" Duo said, smacking
Quatre as hard as he could on the back.  Quatre lurched forward,
catching Duo's hand as the braided boy tried to snip the phone
number out of the blondes pocket.
	"Isn't that Hilde over there, wearing a thong?" Quatre
asked, looking over Duo's shoulder.
	"Where!?" Duo asked, looking around.
	"See ya later Duo!" Quatre yelled, turning around to wave
as he ran from the scene.
	"Hey!  You double crossing, no good...!" Duo shouted back
angrily, glaring at his friend.  But, as if a switch was turned in his
head, he was back to his happy go-lucky self, prancing around and
looking for girls on the beach.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
	"Bow tie, or neck tie?  Bow tie, or neck tie?  Arg!  And who
says girls have all the fashion problems!" Quatre swore to himself,
dressing nervously for his date.  Finally, not knowing what else to
do, he closed his eyes and grabbed a neck tie.  He held it up, but
kept his eyes closed, as if he were afraid to open them, and see
what fate had bestowed upon him.
	"Blue with purple space squiggles.  Not my first choice, but
it does." Quatre sighed in relief.  He was wearing a pair of black
fancy slacks, his regular shirt (AN: His shirt is white in this story,
not pink.), and a black vest.  He didn't want Emily, his girlfriend,
to think he was trying to be too fancy.  
	"Ding-dong." the doorbell rang.  Quatre bit his lip in shock,
it was seven already.  He finished tying his tie, and ran for the door,
hearing the bell ring again.
	"Emily!  You look stunning!  Come in, come in!" Quatre
smiled, opening the door for the young woman standing outside.
	"Thank you.  You don't look half bad yourself!" Emily said
with a laugh, her emerald eyes sparkling.  Her green semi-mini
dress matched well with Quatre's outfit.
	"Shall we be going?  You must be hungry." Quatre said,
opening the door once more.
	"Quatre, you're trying to hard!  Don't be so nervous, I'm not
going to bite your head off!" Emily said with a laugh, walking out
the door once more into the warm summers night.  Quatre blushed,
and opened the car door for her.  Emily smiled, and got in.
	"Sorry.  I just don't get out often." Quatre said
apologetically, starting the car, heading toward Les Miserabe, the
french restaurant. (AN:Yeah, I know the book.  I know the movie, I
actually even have a stuffed bear name Jean Val Jean!  So shut up
about coincidence!)
	"Wow!  This place looks a bit..... fancy." Emily said as they
walked in on the plush red carpet.  Qutre nodded, waiting to be
waited on.
	"Yes, but it's the best place in town.  Hope you like good food!" 
Quatre said, as the monsieur showed them to a table,
handing them the huge menu's.
	"Is it too late to say uncle!" Emily said as she scanned the
menu. "Eep!  Quatre, I cannot read one word of French!"
	"Um.... neither can I.  But, if you close your eyes and point,
it should be good!" Quatre said with a laugh, closing his eyes and
pointing.  Emily did the same, laughing all the while.
	"Are Madam and Monsieur ready to order?" the waiter
asked between the giggles.
	"Yes, yes I am.  How do you pronounce this?" Emily asked,
tears of laughter streaming down her face.
	"Are you sure that is what you wish to order?" the waiter
asked, his fake French accent very snooty.  Emily nodded, trying
not to collapse in a heap of giggles.
	"And you, Monsieur?" the waiter asked, turning to Quatre,
who was trying to keep his composure, but failing badly.
	"The same as her, please!" Quatre began to laugh again as
the waiter nodded, taking the menu's.
	"Do you think he's off to call the funny bin?" Emily asked,
wiping the tears from her eyes.  Quatre looked around at the rest of
the restaurant, and then nodded his head with a spice of laughter.
	"They would never drag such people as us from this
establishment.  They'd probably be afraid that we bite!" Quatre
said in a new hail of laughter.  Emily nodded in agreement, her red
curls bouncing merrily in the dim candle light.
	"Madam, Monsieur, your meal." the waited said, pulling up
a cart, and lighting the cake on fire.
	"Um... that's what we ordered?" Emily asked skeptically.
	"Yes, Alaska ala flambe." the waiter replied, rolling his
eyes.
	"Quatre, did I ever mention to you my fear of flaming food?"
Emily asked, stifling a titter at Quatre's shocked amazement with
burning cake.
	"No, don't think it's ever quite had a chance to come up."
Quatre smirked, looking back over at Emily. "Waiter, what's the
bill come to?"
	"$25.37, sir, without tip."
	"Here's $40, keep the change!" Quatre said, grabbing
Emily's hand as they rushed out of the restaurant.
	"Gee, now they really think we're nuts!" Emily said,
collapsing against the car in a heap of laughter.
	"But you can't say Quatre Winner doesn't take his girls on
interesting dates!" Quatre said with a smile.
	"True enough, but I'm the only girl I want you interested in
right now." Emily said, cutting off Quatre's smile with her lips.
"Oh, I'm sorry.  That must have seemed way to forward of me."
Emily stammered, backing away.
	"No, that didn't." Quatre said, cayching hold of Emily's arm
and pulling her into another kiss, all the time opening the doors to
the car.
	"Shall we head home, before we get to far ahead of
ourselves." Emily gasped, breaking contact with Quatre's lips long
enough to grab a breath.
	"Yes, let's." Quatre said, starting the car and racing toward
his house.
	Upon arrival, a very apologetic Quatre opened the passenger
side door for Emily, his head somewhat lowered.
	"I'm very sorry.  I was rude.  I shouldn't have kissed you
without permission." Quatre stuttered, not able to look at Emilys
face.
	"Quatre, it was me who kissed you first.  There's nothing
for you to apologize for." Emily said, lifting Quatre's head with a
touch of her hand.
	"You're.... you're not mad at me?" 
	"I will be if you keep acting like a guilty school boy!" Emily
said wiht a lugh, making Quatre smile sheepishly.
	"Then, would you permit me to invite you in.  Neither of us
has eaten yet, and I'm sure I can scrub up something." Quatre
smiled with relief, opening the door for Emily.
	"Sure thing.  Just no flaming food!"
	"I'm not sure I can promise that, but I'll try!" Quatre said
with a lugh.  Emily covered her mouth as she began to giggle.
	"Some great Gundam Pilot you are!"
	"That's Ex-Gundam Pilot!  Besides, Sandrock never was
good at cooking either.  Always cooked everything to to charcoal!"
Quatre said with a remembering laugh.
	"True enough.  This the kitchen?" Emily asked, opening a
door to a huge labyrinth of metal countertops.
	"Sure is." Quatre said, walking in after her.
	"Dude!  This place is huge, hey!" Emily shouted as she fell
over.
	"Emily!  You okay?" Quatre asked, rushing to her side as
fast as lightening.
	"Yeah.  Just tripped on the ladle!  Stupid ladle!" Emily said,
taking Quatre's outstretched hand, and stumbling into his arms.
"You know, I know people who would say just got to the bedroom
and quit waylaying fate."
	"So do I." Quatre said, deepening the embrace into a very
long kiss.
	"Do you normally listen to their advice?" Emily asked
between kisses.
	"No, but I think I'll make an exception this time." Quatre
said, half carrying Emily up to his bedroom.
	"I agree." Emily said, unbuttoning Quatre's shirt.
	Quatre shoved off Emily's dress, the both of them sliding
into bed......
~~~~~~~~~
(AN: I don't really have to go into detail, do I?  I'm sure
everyone can guess what's going to happen next, and if you
can't, I'm not going to tell!  So, we'll rejoin the story in the
morning, when they're both dressed half way properly!)
~~~~~~~~~
	"Ding-Dong" the doorbell rang.  Quatre rolled over,
groaning.  He reached out, thinking he would find another warm
body, but finding only an empty bed.
	"By Allah!  It was only a dream!" Quatre spoke to himself,
sitting up in bed, and finding himself not wearing anything.
	"What, wasn't I worth even a good dream?" Emily asked,
wearing Quatre's blue bath robe.
	"Emily!  Then, it wasn't a dream!" Quatre said, standing up,
and then remembering he wasn't wearing anything.
	"Uh... guess you'll be wanting this, if you want to answer
the door." Emily said, handing him the robe.  Quatre blushed and
nodded.
	"But..... what about you......" Quatre stuttered, still not sure
what he should do.
	"I just won't go downstairs.  But hurry up, you wouldn't
want me catching a cold or anything!" Emily said, kissing Quatre
once more as he headed dowstairs to open the door.
	"Quatre, my man!  You look like you didn't sleep a wink all
night!" Duo said, waltzing in, followed by the other Gundam
Pilots.
	"What are you guys doing here!?" Quatre squeaked, looking
at the pilots, and then at the stairs.
	"Duo wouldn't let up until we agreed to come here, the
baka!" WuFei snapped at Duo.
	"Hey Quatre, why so nervous?  You wouldn't happen to be
hiding someone, now would you?  Hey, you up there!  Good
Morning!" Duo shouted up the stairs, Quatre turning very pink.
	"Duo, now that you've embarrassed Quatre, do you mind
telling us why you dragged us here?" Heero demanded, trying his
best not to looked pissed off.
	"Yeah, back to business then.  Quatre, you got a computer I
can borrow for a sec?" Duo asked, holding up a disk.  Quatre
nodded, leading the others to a study.
	"Here, Duo.  What's wrong?" Quatre asked as Duo shook
his head sadly.
	"This." Duo spun the laptop around to face the other pilots.
"I suggest we all......"
	"Disappear." Heero finished, staring blank eyed at the
screen.
	"Oh God......"
	"Buddha!"
	"By Allah...." Quatre trailed off, looking at the screen.

	The screen, in all it's bright glory, read:

Operation Asteroid, eliminate all Gundam Pilots.

	Duo looked at his friends.
	"Yeah, I know.  Bit of a shock.  Q-man, I'm off to pack up
and leave.  I suggest you do the same.  Your girl may be sweet, but
is it worth dying over?" Duo asked as he left the room, the others
leaving soon after.
	"Quatre, is everything okay?" Emily asked, stepping into the
study.  She was wearing her dress from the night before.  Quatre
looked over at her, crying inwardly.
	"Em, I'm going to have to go for a while.  I'm sorry."
Quatre said, shaking his head.
	"Yeah, I know.  Job hazard, and all that.  See you around."
Em kissed him softly on the cheek, and left, slamming the front
door so Quatre would know she was gone.
	"Yeah, on the job hazard.  Oh Em, if only you knew what
you could do in one night." Quatre sighed, lurching up to his room
to get dressed, pack a small bag, and leave, locking the door solidly
behind him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Three Months Later
	"Yo, Quatre!  How's thing's going, wherever it is you are?"
Duo asked over the staticy intercom.  Quatre sighed, shaking his
head.  The beginnings of a beard were growing in, he hadn't
shaved in a week.
	"Things are fine, Duo.  Is... is Operation Asteroid over?"
Quatre asked hopefully, begging in his mind that he could go back
to loafing off on the beach.
	"You think Heero would let anything like that go on this
long!  It's all clear Quatre, you can come back home!  Actually, you
had better come back any ways." Duo said mischievously.
	"Why?  Is something wrong?  Is it..... is it Em?" Quatre
asked, hoping that Duo would just pull a 'got ya', or something
like it.
	"Yeah, it is." Duo said. "But I'll leave it to you to find out."
	"Duo?  Duo!" Quatre shouted, pounding on the phone in
rage.  But, it was no use, Duo had already hung up. "Guess there's
nothing else to do but head home, and strangle the baka with his
own braid!"
~~~~~~~~~~Quatre is now back home
	"Quatre?  Duo said you were back.  Is it okay.... is it okay if
I come over?  I have something I need to tell you." Emily sad sadly
from the other side of the phone when Quatre picked up.
	"Em?  Sure thing, I'll be waiting." Quatre said, hanging up,
wondering why Em would sound so.... so sad.
	"Maybe she broke up with me, maybe she's going out with
someone new, maybe she's going out with Duo!  Now I'll kill him
for real, touching my girl while I'm away, how dare he!  I thought
he was my friend!" Quatre shouted across the entryway, interupted
by the doorbell.
	"Em?" Quatre asked, opening the door, and shocked by
what he saw.
	"I wanted to tell you, but I didn't know where you had gone.
Quatre, please, don't be mad!" Emily said, stepping inside, and
shutting the door behind her.  Quatre stumbled into a wall, and
slide to his knees.
	"When I was trained to be a Gundam Pilot, no one ever
prepared me for this."
	"I know.  Quatre, I'm so sorry.  I didn't know what to
do....."
	"I should have been here.  I'm so sorry, it's all my fault
Em."
	"It's both of our faults, remember.  And that stupid ladle."
	"Yeah, that stupid ladle." Quatre sighed, looking over at
Emily, who had sat down beside him.  "So, when's..... when's our
child due?"
	"In six months.  Spring." Emily said, her hand resting on
her slightly swollen stomach.  Quatre gulped, and looked at it.  He
wasn't quite sure what to make of everything, of being a father.
	"Do you know what it is?"
	"No idea.  I said I wanted to be surprised.  Why, do you
want to know?" Emily asked, becoming nervous.
	"No, no.  That's okay with me.  Do you need a ride home, or
anything?" Quatre asked, still ever so slightly in shock.
	"No.  The doctor said it would be good for me to walk.  Get
some exercise and such.  Well, I'm going to let this sink in for you.
See you later." Em said, letting herself out.
	"Oh God, 18, and a father.  When they say life comes fast,
they wern't kidding!" Quatre smirked, getting up, and picking up
the phone.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
	"Yes sir.  It's all done.  Full heirship, to your child." the
lawyer said as Quatre signed the last of the papers. "Forgive me for
asking, but how old is your child?"
	"It's due in the Spring." Quatre replied. "Are you sure this
everything?"
	"Yes.  Good luck on being a parent.  It's a handful at first,
and only gets worse with age!" the lawyer chuckled.  Quatre smiled
and nodded, picking up his stuff and walking out of the office.
	As he stepped out the main doors, onto the sunny sidewalk,
he heard a familiar click at the back of his head.
	"Quatre Winner?" a voice asked.  Quatre turned around, and
found himself face to barrel with a gun.
	"Yes.  Can I help you?" Quatre asked, a thousand things
rushing through his mind at once.
	"Yeah, you can die!"
	"Why?" Quatre asked, praying silently that he would lower
the gun, that it was all just a joke.
	"Because, you are Gundam Pilot 04.  Good bye, see you in
hell!" the man shouted, pulling the trigger.  Two shots rang
through the air.
	Quatre felt the bullet scream through his chest, and watched
as the gun fell from the shooters hand, a bullet through his head.
	"Quatre!  Hang on!  You have to live to see your kid!" Duo
shouted as he and Heero ran up to him.  But Quatre shook his head
painfully.
	"Sorry.  Tell Em I'm sorry.  It hurts so much!" Quatre
winced as Heero applied pressure to the wound.
	"Duo, call 911!" Heero shouted.  Duo nodded, and ran for
the nearest phone. 
	"Tell Em that I'm so sorry...." Quatre gasped, his Life
spilling from his chest.
	"What are you going to name your child?" Heero asked,
trying to keep Quatre conscious.
	"I'm not quite sure......" 
	"Then tell me, I can tell Emily for you." Heero said, trying to
keep Quatre awake, and failing.
	"Kaiyo sounds good.  We met by the sea, you know.... the
waves were so pretty........ Heero, tel Em I loves her, will you do
that?........ Tell her that.......... I.......... Loved......... Her...
........." Quatre closed his eyes, letting the last breath leave his body.  
Heero shook Quatre, but to no avail. 
	Quatre was dead.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
	"Kaiyo, this is where your Father is buried.  Quatre, look,
this is your daughter, your beautiful little girl!" Emily cried as she
held the infant up to the sky, for all the heavens to see.......
Owari
So, what did you think?  Comments apreciated, even Flamers!
blurose@angelfire.com