New Haven

Chapter Forty-Seven: Groan
“Tell me again why we agreed to go to this barbeque?” Duo muttered as he followed Wufei through the throng of people.
“Because the Preventers are holding this as a fundraiser for the New Haven project.” Wufei called over the noise around him. “You promised goodies which Quatre, Heero, and Trowa brought over earlier with the teens.” He shifted Sakura on his hip as he moved steadily through the crowd looking for people he knew. “It is not like you don’t like these gatherings. Just not with this many people. You are lucky that you aren’t in the auction considering you are engaged. Heero, Quatre, and Trowa have to be auctioned and since they can’t bid on themselves they have to enlist the aid of the aid of their loved ones to ensure that they don’t end up in a situation they would not enjoy. Trowa’s sister Catherine will be biding for him. Suki is biding for Heero. And Angel is biding for Quatre. I don’t have to be apart of it because I am engaged to be married to you so I am not eligible for the auction.”
Duo grinned and quickly caught up with his lover. “See I am lucky.” He told the taller man as he wrapped an arm around his fiancé and snuck a quick tickle to Sakura’s side.
Wufei chuckled and leaned down to nuzzle cheeks. “Hmmmm,” He hummed in appreciation as Sakura giggled and curled into his side. “I guess that I am lucky to have found you.” He whispered as he nibbled on an ear.
“Hey you two!!!!” A voice called. “There will be none of that in front of the children. Behave yourself.”
Duo looked through a space in the crowd and grinned at the sight of Noin waving to them. “Yeah, yeah. As if you don’t do this all the time with that piece of eye candy you have.” Duo called as he tugged Wufei along behind him.
Noin batted her eyes innocently at him. “Who me?” She asked with an innocent look that rivaled Duo’s own mask. “Never.”
Duo grinned and gave the woman a slight hug. His face turned serious as he looked up at the woman. “Hey Noin, I never asked and I should have…” He began and trailed off slowly. “That guy that you took aside to question, whatever happened to him?”
“He is rotting in a jail cell.” Zechs’ deep masculine voice rumbled behind them. “He had very cleverly manipulated the computer system so that unless you were an expert hacker…” He trailed off suggestively.
Duo nodded. “Anne wouldn’t have expected that. She’ll be more careful from now on.
“She told me about the guy when the girls went shopping. She managed to get one of his cards somehow and did a background check. He checked out and so did the company. Heero decided to look into it and found that they were on the up and up. It seems that he was there with his daughter and just fell in love with Sakura’s looks.” He sighed as he looked at the munchkin as she hid shyly against her Baba. “I can’t blame them for wanting her to do modeling. She is vibrant and full of life like no one else. They were also interested in Katey. He said with her looks that she could pull off a designer coo.” He shrugged with a sigh. “We are going to have our hands full with the women in our house.”
Noin groaned. “I do not relish that. I mean Zechs and I plan on having children and if the girls look anything like their father…” She trailed of with a sigh.
“Or their mother.” Wufei murmured as he tickled Sakura to gain more laughter.
Duo grinned. “Gotta agree with my Wu-babe. You will be prying them off with crowbars.” He sighed and looked over the crowds to find Katey, Angel, and Damian with another group of teenagers talking a mile-a-minute. The boys were hovering over the two girls anxiously. Damian kept moving in a way that let them know that they were off limits but they weren’t taking the hint very well.
“Katey, Damian, Angel!” Wufei shouted nearly in Duo’s ear. “Over here.” He waved a hand in the air to catch their attention.
Duo grinned at the relief that spread across the girls’ features at the sight of them. He almost chortled at the mirrored relief on his brother’s face.
“Wufei since when did you shout to people to get their attention?” A voice asked behind them dryly.
“I’ve had some interesting influence.” Wufei informed the person as he turned to see who it was. He blinked when he found Dr. Sally Po behind him.
“Ohhh, Fei!” Duo simpered like teenage girl as he wrapped his arms around the lawyer. “You say the sweetest things.”
Wufei raised an eyebrow at his lover. “I didn’t say they were good.”
Duo grinned at the words. “I know.”
Katey, Angel, and Damian slid into the group effortlessly as they teased each other.
“Are they doing it again?” Katey whispered her question to Noin.
“Doing what?” Noin whispered back to the younger woman.
“Simpering and teasing and nitpicking. You know things like that.” Katey said in a stage whisper.
Noin repressed a giggle as the woman joined together in watching the two men as they teased each other. She blinked at the two men suddenly attached themselves to her husband.
“They are the sweetest, aren’t they?” Sally added as she leaned against the slightly taller woman.
Noin chortled. “You should have seen them yesterday afternoon. They drove everyone crazy. They were touching, teasing everyone, cracking jokes, and they wouldn’t stop. Quatre and Heero were fuming about something and Wufei and Duo teased them mercilessly. It was hilarious. I mean I have never seen Heero pout like a six year old. I swear it was like Sakura when Wufei tells her ‘No’.” Noin grinned as she watched Zechs try to maneuver his way out of the two men’s clasp. Sakura was aiding and abetting them and not letting go of the hair she held like a leash. “Ooh, ooh, Zechs is going to have to start braiding his hair if we have children besides the ones we have adopted.” She nearly fell to the ground as she watched Duo and Wufei tease and harangue the older man.
Sally chortled at the sight. “How do we get them to tone it down?”
“Not possible unless they get tired of it.” Damian interrupted the gaggle of women. “They sort of feed off of each other. All you can do is put up with it as long as they want to play.” He sighed as he listened to the protests Zechs was making. “It may be minutes it may be hours. We’re lucky that they weren’t like this all week. Duo got almost all the things he wanted to make done earlier this week. This morning was interesting though. It was kinda interesting to see what would happen. But Quatre, Heero, and Trowa thwarted us by hiding in their room until it was time to fill the cars and bring things here.” Damian grinned as Lady Une tried to rescue Zechs. “Do you think she will be able to rescue him?”
“Not a chance in hell.” A dry voice retorted.
The group turned to see Howard standing behind them holding a can of beer.
“The only way that anyone will get loose of them is to avoid them until they calm down.” He told them. He watched as Duo draped himself over Lady Une. His knees almost touched the ground as he made himself look like he was begging.
Sakura had a hold on Duo-Daddy’s braid, Zechs long mane of hair, and her Baba’s ponytail. She was squealing with laughter as her Baba pressed himself up against her Uncle Zechs and made silly comments.
Katey was watching it all and shook her head and gave a look to the heavens. She couldn’t believe anyone could behave like this.
Zechs threw a help me look at his wife and watchers as he tried to peel the lawyer off of him and release his hair from chubby hands.
“THAT IS ENOUGH!!!” A voice roared. Heads turned to see who had given the order. Dr. Suki Yuy stood with her hands on her hips glaring at the two men. “Look at yourselves. Is this the way you want your daughter, sister, and brother see you behave?” She demanded of them. “You should be ashamed of yourselves.”
Duo and Wufei hung their heads to hide the silly grins on their faces, as they stood at attention. They knew that Suki was playing their game and would play it with them quite well.
“You should at least show them how to do it properly.” Suki growled. She turned and draped herself over Howard and batted her eyelashes up at the man as she simpered. “You’ll do everything I ask won’t you Howard?” She asked as she rubbed her hand over the awful hawaiian shirt he was currently wearing.
Groans spilled from the watching crowd and group.
Damian, Katey, and Angel gave each other a look. “Hide?” They asked each other in unison. “Hide.” They agreed. The teens quickly departed the group leaving the others to handle the simpering teasing fools.