Chapter 2 – The Yuy Family Arrival

 

“HURRY UP HEERO!!!”

Heero slammed his suitcase shut, turned to the other one and slammed that one shut as well.

Odin came in and grabbed the two suitcases. “Hurry up or we’ll miss our flight.” He carried the two bags from the hotel room and hurried down into the lobby.  Heero paused long enough to grab his laptop before he followed his father slowly, his face set hard as stone.

Hilde was running around the lobby, laughing at the thought that she would get to see her hero again, and this time she would be with him for 3 whole months.

Heero snorted at the very thought; Duo Maxwell, a hero?  Heero shook his head; you can’t tell young children anything.

“Mr. Yuy, your taxi is here to take you to the airport.  Your tickets,” the girl behind the desk handed the tickets to Odin.  April reached for her son and hurried him and her two daughters outside.

“Must we go?” Heero asked once again as he was pushed roughly into the car waiting for them.

“You’ll have fun,” April smiled at her son.

“Really? Why do I doubt that?”

Odin soon joined them in the taxi, and it pulled into traffic.

“I’ve ordered some water sports equipment to be sent ahead of us.  It should be there by the time we arrive.” He nodded to his family.

“Water sports?” Heero asked.

“Sailing, diving…Stuff like that.”

“Oh, Duo will be sooo good at that!” Hilde squeaked.

Heero rolled his eyes.  It really hurt to know your sister worshipped your worst enemy.

“Why 3 months, Dad?” Heero questioned.

“Cause it’s been 15 years since Solo and I have had a good holiday from work.”

Heero leaned back in the chair and looked out the window at the passing landscape.  His hands clutched his laptop like it was a lifeline, and he knew that, by the end of this holiday, it would be the only thing that kept him sane.

The Yuy Family came from Japan, although Heero and his sisters were born and brought up in America.  At that moment in time Heero was in Japan, having just finished visiting his grandparents.  Now, he was on his way to visit the Maxwell’s cabin and the boy who made his life a living Hell for 3 whole months!

Heero spent the whole car journey listening to Hilde and Dorothy arguing about what was better…Dog or Horse?  That, of course, led Hilde to yelling about Shinigami, the beast of a dog that Duo owned.

During the flight back to America, Heero slept, and on the train to Eaton he spent time updating his laptop security system.  When they arrived in Eaton, Odin was refreshed, and he drove the last few miles into the forest and into the clearing where the cabin was located.  Ten-minute walks from the Maxwell’s Cabin were two other cabins.  One belonged to the Winner Family, and the other to the Khushrenada Family.  They wouldn’t be staying there yet, but Heero knew as they drove up to the cabin that before this holiday was over he would see the blond boy Quatre and the Chinese boy that Duo liked to call Wu-man.

“Listen, Heero; I know that it isn’t just you, but will you promise me you and Duo won’t make any trouble between the two of you?”

Heero snorted.  “I’ll try.”

As soon as the car pulled to a stop, Hilde was out and running across the green grass.  The Sun was low in the sky, and it would be dark soon.

The cabin door opened, and Helen came out and hurried over to the Yuy family.

“April; Odin; it’s so good you could come.  How was Japan?”

“Perfect.  The kids really enjoyed it.” April replied, kissing Helen’s cheek.  Odin hugged Helen.

“Where is everyone?”

“Testing the water stuff you sent. They’re by the lake.”

“You kids go and see what’s going on.  I’ll take this stuff indoors and then join you.  Heero, watch Hilde by the water.”

Heero nodded his head and handed Odin his laptop.  Odin smiled at Heero and took it carefully, knowing how precious it was to his son.

Helen and April went inside, chatting away.  Heero sighed and followed Dorothy and Hilde around to the lakeside.

 

*          *          *

 

It was the engine noise that alerted the Maxwell’s to the Yuy’s arrival, but that didn’t mean they were going to go and greet them.  Well, actually, they couldn’t.  Relena was holding Baby Jane in her arms while balancing on a surfboard near the edge of the water.  Jane was nearly two years old now, but she was still called Baby Jane.  Solo and Duo were having the time of their lives sailing in the old Mary Rose boat that they had dragged out from the old garage near the Winner’s cabin.  Both were wearing wet suits and fighting over which way to turn the boat.  Basically, they were stuck in the middle of the lake.  It would be easy for Duo to swim back to the edge of the lake in a matter of minutes.  Despite the lake being about 1000 meters wide, Duo was a very strong swimmer.

It was Hilde Yuy that came into view first. 

Duo was standing up at the time, and, hearing his name being yelled wasn’t something he had been expecting.  He turned to see who had called, and, in doing so, managed to unbalance the boat, sending him and his father deep into the water.  The boat, however, remained upright.  Solo broke the surface first and clung to the side of the boat, glaring around for his son.  Duo broke the surface a few good meters away, laughing.

“DUO!” Solo yelled as his son began to swim back to land.

“I’ll go get help!” Duo shouted back as he reached Relena.  His long hair had fallen loose, and he pulled it into a rough ponytail.  He turned to watch his father sail the boat back up to the pier a few meters away from where Duo and Relena were.

“Duo!” Duo turned away and smiled at Hilde.

“Hiya Chibi.”

Hilde hurried forward to the edge and was about to put her foot into the water when a voice stopped her.

“Hilde, stay away from the water.”

Duo glared at the Japanese teenager.  Heero met his gaze with fire.

“She can’t swim very well.”

“I wouldn’t let her drown.” Duo hissed.

“Will you two stop already?!” Relena moaned, pushing at Duo with a free hand.

“DUO!” Baby Jane stretched out to her brother as he was thrown into the water.  His violet eyes danced playfully with Relena’s, and she suddenly knew she was in for it.

Baby Jane disappeared from her grip as Duo pounced at her.  The two siblings went diving into the lake, laughing.

“I wanna join! Please, Heero?”

“Another day.”

Duo was the first to resurface, and he quickly exited the lake, backing towards the cabin.

Heero couldn’t stop the gasp that passed his lips.  When had Duo become so…beautiful?  The wet suit clung to every curve of Duo’s body, and his long hair glistened with water droplets.  His violet eyes danced with playful youth.

“WOOF!”

Heero quickly backed away as the black dog jumped into the picture, tackling her master to the ground.  Heero suddenly found himself wishing it was he who was pinning Duo to the ground below him and he slapped himself mentally.  What was with him? He hated Duo!

“Solo!”

Solo, who was holding Jane, placed her on the ground to hug his dear friend. 
“Odin!”

“DINNER, GUYS!” Helen shouted from the kitchen window, and everyone hurried inside.

“You three,” Helen pointed at her husband and children, “Aren’t getting dinner until you are clean and dry.”

Duo glomped his mother, making her yell and squirm.

“Food first!”

“Okay, okay! Let go, you baka!”

The meal went without any words being exchanged between Duo and Heero.  In fact, the two youths tried to avoid looking at each other.  After all, both of them had a promise to keep, and they were both praying that they could keep it…

 

TBC…