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Chapter Two "Home sweet home," Noin murmured as she began to open the last few boxes with her pocket knife. She glanced around the new quarters on the Mars colony, taking in all the details of her new home. Of their new home. It was almost sweet, their first home together. It was quite a bit bigger than the individual barrack-like rooms that they had stayed in for the few weeks or so. Once the main residence building was up, Noin immediately found quarters for her as well as Zechs on the top floor where they would have a nice view. Noin began to unpack picture frames and old books, including a yearbook from the Academy. She paged through to find pictures of them as kids. She spotted a picture of the both of them at graduation, as well as one in the miscellaneous section. It depicted the two young cadets arguing with each other as they walked away from two mobile suits. Memories flooded back to her as she flipped through the pages. Suddenly, Noin was overcome by another wave of nausea. Oh no, she thought bitterly. Not again. Will this stupid flu ever go away? She hadn't had a fever, but she had nausea and aches lately, as well as the terrible urge to sleep all day. It was aggravating to be sick, and the Tylenol she was taking wasn't helping. Her fianc�e had been bothering her to go to a doctor all week, but she had weaseled out of it one way or another each time. Noin laid down to wait it out, hoping the feeling would merely pass. For awhile, silence ruled the small apartment. Then, a voice broke the silence. "Anybody home?" Vice Foreign Minister Relena Darlian poked her head inside the door. The sixteen year old girl made her way through the living room to the small bedroom. She was followed by her older brother, who was looking concerned. Relena smiled as she went into the room and sat down beside Noin. "Not feeling well?" she asked, her smile changing into one of sympathy instead of joy. "I'll be just fine," Noin replied, pushing herself up. She spotted Zechs near the doorway, who was looking in at them as if he were trying to spy on them. Something was up, she just knew it. And then, before she knew it, another wave of nausea hit and she ran for the bathroom. Pushing past the surprised foreign minister, she ran down the hall. Relena looked confused and followed the Preventer agent. As she got closer, she could hear her brother and Noin in the bathroom. The door was closed, so she pressed her ear to the door, feeling a little guilty for listening in. "It's okay, Lu. It's going to be alright." "I don't need your help, Zechs. I'm feeling much..." From the sounds of it, Relena decided that Noin was probably throwing up. Zechs had been telling her all week how Noin had been sick and wouldn't see a doctor. He had been worried, and said that every time he suggested that she go in for a checkup, she had snapped at him and wouldn't see him or talk to him for days. He also told her that he had spent more time at the embassy hiding then he did at home. "You know, it's okay to be sick. I care about you, and I don't want you to get sick. You have to take care of yourself." "I am not sick! I just don't feel well right now. Why don't you just leave me alone? I get along just fine on my own. I managed to survive a whole year without you, you know. You can't always protect me, baby me as if I were an infant." "Please, let's not fight now. It's not good for..." The rest of the snetence was cut off, and Relena sighed and stepped back from the door. Poor Milliardo, she thought. He just doesn't understand. She thought for a while, then decided to interrupt. She opened the door, only to find Noin kneeling on the floor near the toilet, with her brother right beside the other woman, brushing her hair back. Upon seeing Relena, Noin struggled to stand, angrily letting Zechs help her up. I don't need everyone's help, she thought, annoyed that everyone was so worried over her. The nausea was over, and she was beginning to feel a little better. "Sorry about that, Relena. Guess I'm feeling a little under the weather today." Noin pointedly pulled her arm away from Zechs, trying to show him that she could stand up by herself. "I think it's over now." "Miss Noin, I was going to ask you if you would like to go somewhere with me today, if you are feeling better," the sixteen year old suggested. Noin looked a little upset at the comment, but nodded. "Just let me freshen up a bit. I can be ready to go in a few minutes," Noin explained, reaching for a hairbrush. The two Peacecrafts stepped back, and out of the bathroom, leaving Noin to clean up and complain about how stubborn they were. Once they were back in the living room, Relena turned to her brother. "So she's been like this all week?" "Yes. And you think that she was upset this time? You should have seen her three days ago. I try to be supportive and she thinks I'm sheltering her. So I try to let her have her space and she tells me that I'm insensitive!" he complained. "I meant the nausea and sickness, Milliardo." He sighed, closing his eyes for a while. "She's had this nausea thing for a while, and keeps complaining about being sore or tired. And it's not like her to complain. She just hasn't been herself lately." The two Peacecrafts waited for Noin patiently. Eventually, she came into the living room, looking much better. She had changed out of her previous attire and into a blouse and blue jeans. Her hair was neatly combed, and she did not look like someone who had just been sick. Relena smiled, and led the two out to the limousine that was waiting for them ouside the apartment. The ride was quiet for awhile, but after ten minutes or so, Noin spoke up. "Where are you taking us?" she asked, looking out the window at the Mars landscape. "Don't tell me that we've got business to take care of." "No, Miss Noin, there is no business for you today. Milliardo took care of it for you," Relena replied. "And as for where I'm taking you, it's a surprise." Zechs grinned. He and Relena had been planning this since before she left Earth. It was the only way he could ever get Noin to do it. The car ride continued in silence, with Noin just looking around at the brother and sister sitting patiently in the limo. Relena looks like she has something planned. I don't like the look on her face. Zechs is probably in on this, too. I wonder what's going on. Her question was answered when they pulled up in front of the Colony's hospital. Noin recognized the building at once, and turned to the Zechs and Relena to argue, but she was silenced. "Please try to understand, Miss Noin. Milliardo and I are only trying to help you get better. It is important that you cooperate with us and with Doctor Weber." They led her inside, and checked in with the receptionist, who greeted them kindly. "So, Agent Noin, not feeling well? You can just go on back to the appointment room, and Dr. Weber will be right back," she explained, scribbling busily on a sheet. Noin nodded her head, and made her way back to a room in the back hallway. Zechs excused himself, saying that he had some things to take care of at the office, and Relena told him to send the car back in an hour or so. He left reluctantly, but Relena had insisted that he give her some space. He kept glancing back over his shoulder as he left her with his sister. During the past few weeks, he had worried about her health. For the first few days after they got engaged, they had talked earnestly about kids and a family. Noin had wanted to go in and make sure they could have a baby. He hoped in his soul that nothing would change their dreams for the future. * Relena dropped the tired Preventer agent off at her apartment, and asked Noin to send her regards to her brother. Noin only nodded and climbed out. She made her way in, crossing through the hall and waiting in the elevator. It stalled for a while, and Noin sighed impatiently. She watched as the lights clicked down, signaling that the elevator was coming back to the ground floor. She was trying to decide on what to say when she got home, not finding the perfect words. The elevator door opened, and Zechs was waiting for her inside. He saw the look of exhaustion and despair on her face, and his good mood faded. "What's wrong, Lucrezia? Are you going to be alright?" His partner only looked at him, her face full of emotion. Her eyes started to sparkle with tears. Zechs was getting more and more worried by the second. "What's wrong?" he repeated, so quiet that his voice was barely audible. She didn't answer him, starting to cry in earnest. She just wept and wept all the way up to their apartment. They made their way inside, and he fixed her a cup of tea as she dried her tears. She opened her mouth to say something, but when she saw him, she fell quiet. Zechs was confused, and sat down beside her. "You know, I can't help you if you don't tell me what's wrong," he pleaded. Well, this is it, Noin thought to herself. You're going to have to tell him sooner or later, so just get it over with. "Zechs, I know that we... well, what I want to tell you is that..." her voice trailed off, and she lowered her head, not able to find the words she needed. "What?" he asked softly, bringing her face up so her gaze met his. "I'm going to have a baby. We're going to have a baby." His jaw dropped, and he stared for a while. Neither spoke for a few minutes, which seemed like hours. Zechs broke the silence. "Is that all? You're going to be alright?" "Yeah, I guess. But what are we going to do? Are we ready to have kids yet? It's early in the first trimester. I could have," she paused to gasp in more breath, "an abortion." "No," he said firmly, taking her hands in his. "We planned to have them eventually anyway. We might as well start now. What did the doctor say when you were at the hospital?" Noin smiled a sad smile and recounted her visit with Dr. Weber. "Well, she said it probably happened around Christmas, give or take a few days. The baby is developing normally, and should be due in about eight months. So that means it will be born in," she paused to count, "October sometime." "Let's get married next month." "What? Zechs, what are you talking about?" "Well, we planned the wedding for this summer, right?" "Yes. We had it planned for July. Why are we changing this?" "I don't think that you'll be able to fit in that wedding dress by July," he joked. Noin picked up a pillow and hit him over the head with it. He grabbed another pillow off the couch, and jumped up. Soon the little apartment was filled with the joyous sound of the two, running back and forth about the apartment having the time of their lives. |
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