Categories > Anime/Manga > Gundam Wing > Child of Labored Love
(FYI, in case anyone was wondering... I don't own Gundam Wing, etc. I only claim folk like Wumei and Genji Ma. Now, go away.)
There wasn't a hell of a lot going on in Investigative that week, and the entire floor was feeling it. Bets were being taken for when the coffee filters would run out, and who would take the last one, even whether or not they would make a note to Supplies to get more. Sally had put her money on Larry two cubicles over, but Wufei was saving his money for better purposes. Not that he really knew what those were, he just knew the office pool wasn't one of them.
Suddenly, a cry went up- a deep, dark, primal battle cry- the kind that came from the reptilian brain and called out to reptile in every human for miles. It was coming from the kitchen! The entire floor rushed to the tiny room, crowding into the doorway, blocking the tiny passageway. And there, in front of the coffee maker, stood Larry... and Sally Po.
"Hey, Wufei! Sally's got the last filter!" crowed Larry's partner Alice.
"What're you talking about, Alice? Larry took the box out-"
"But Sally emptied the pot!"
"They look like they're gonna EAT each other, don't they!"
"Ten bucks says Sally kicks Larry in the nuts!"
"I'm game!"
"Me too!"
Wufei shook his head, pushing his way to the front to see for himself what his partner had gotten herself into. And she thought she had the good head on her shoulders? Maybe age was finally taking its toll... Of course, that didn't bode too well for Wufei who was barely six years younger than she was.
Sally brandished the coffee pot like a weapon. "Larry," she said sweetly. "How unfortunate... you've pulled the last filter."
"Not too unfortunate, Sally... I mean, I didn't finish the coffee, now, did I?" Larry replied cheerfully.
"I've heard there's a little wager going around the office..."
"I hear the kitty's reached over a hundred." Their eyes gleamed simultaneously, and they ignored the Preventors crowded into the kitchen doorframe. A hundred bucks would go a long way toward a CD player in someone's cockpit, or one of those massaging chairs for a cubicle...
Wufei eyed them both, taking estimates to make his own â€~bet.' A few people drifted away to answer phones and make calls. The rest stayed.
"Who'd you bet on Sally?"
"You."
"Funny- I bet on you, too."
"Then I guess there's no way we can split the prize. Somebody here has to lose..."
"I suppose they do..." He shifted his feet, and the empty box in his hand. â€"Empty? Larry blinked and looked inside the box again. "Uh..."
"Hya!" Sally's foot flew past his head, very nearly connecting. The coffee pot flew at him- shit, wasn't that thing glass? Or was it plexiglass? Either way it would come out of HIS paycheck... Larry dove for it, tossing the box at Sally, who nearly dropped it. "The hell? There's nothing in here!"
"Yes! And now you're holding it!" Larry laughed, cradling the empty pot to his chest. "SALLY LOST THE BET!" A cheer went up from their coworkers, congratulating themselves and Larry. One coffeehound beating another! Classic! Sally just stood there, staring at the empty box in her hands, speechless.
With a sigh, Wufei walked over and took it from her. "It's only a bet, Po."
"But- but-"
"Lets go get you some real coffee. From the shop on the corner." As though assisting a shocked victim- which he was- Wufei began to lead her out of the kitchen, through the throng. Wordlessly, she followed, seemingly too stricken to question him. At first Wufei was grateful for the silence, but after standing in line at Ourbucks for nearly twenty minutes without so much as a sigh from his partner, he began to worry that something inside her obscure feminine brain had snapped. Perhaps the hair was an insulator, and that was why she had kept it long until recently cutting it to her shoulders following a bad break up... Did women operate that way? He took a deep breath to say something.
"That bastard," Sally hissed through coral lips, "didn't take the last filter. It was already gone!"
Wufei blinked dumbly and irritation crossed his otherwise impressive features. "What are you talking about, woman?"
"Larry! He framed me!" she exclaimed, flinging a hand into the air and sending her hair flying into her face. She muttered and pushed it back. "How could either of us have taken the last filter if there weren't any in the box?"
Perhaps he needed a different approach. She was being irrational. Calmly, Wufei took a seat at a table in front of the shop window. "I think you're taking this too seriously." She scowled and he held out her Ourbucks Copyrighted Styrofoam Cup. "Have some coffee- you haven't had your fix for today."
"Dammit, Wufei, it's not about the coffee!" Nevertheless, Sally dropped into the other chair and cradled the cup between her hands, staring into its depths. "He must have known. He must have known it would make it look like I did it! Lying, cheating, sonuva-"
"We're still on duty, Po," Wufei reminded her, sipping his customary green tea. One of the many reasons he had not joined in the office betting pool was because he did not drink coffee unless under the most dire circumstances.
She lapsed into silence again, thoughtfully toying with the Preventor emblem on her sleeve. She didn't seem interested in her coffee, so Wufei sighed and stood. Sally read his signals and followed, her stride quickening as they approached the tall, imposing government building. On a colony where real estate was expensive, everyone built up, and no one did it better than the cheapskates from HQ. Wufei shook his head as she peeled off, on her own mission now. Baka onna, when would she learn that there were more important things in life?
He waved off the catcalls that teased him all the way back to his desk. Sally would be peeved at the attention, but it was hardly Wufei's issue if she had lost money in the pool. With all intents of returning to work, he hit the flashing button on his voicemail.
"Message from 1-6994-"From Earth? HQ? "538-"China? Wufei's ears really pricked up- he recognized the calling codes. Why was anyone from China calling his work number? Had one of Sally's friends dialed the wrong number? The monitor on his video phone flickered to life, and Wufei leaned in, trying to see the hunched figure lit garishly by fluorescent light from above. If her clothing was indication, she was still in junior high: a prank?
"Hi. Hi, um... You don't..." The red head rose to reveal a pale, round face, and for a moment Wufei's breath stopped. She had someone's profile... "Dad?... if you are my Dad..." His eyes popped, and he choked for air. Dad?! He was only 29! He couldn't possibly have a child old enough to be in junior high school, never mind that he hadn't had a serious relationship in months! "I know that's not really likely... But- you-"she began to sob and it was the most heart wrenching thing he'd even seen. "Please- please, I really, really, really need your help... I- I'm in a lot of trouble. I mean, a lot of trouble. And I didn't do anything! I mean, I was starting to do something... but I never actually DID anything, you know?! I just- God, I need a tissue... I probably look like- like a kid. Like a kid who doesn't know what the fuck she's doing... and I'm sorry I called you... You..." Again her large, deep black eyes looked into the camera, and they pierced Wufei's aching chest. "...I just really need a Dad right now... I'm sorry..." The feed ended, and was replaced by a screen of information.
"This call was made from Beijing Precinct 41 by prisoner 88219. If you would like to seek more information on prisoner 88219, make bail, press charges, or speak to a police representative, please dial 1-558-675-2814, extension 62..."
...she had called him from a PRISON? Wufei stared, slackjawed, as the recording repeated itself and his voicemail kicked in with the time and date. He hadn't heard Sally come into the cubicle, her coffee cup still in hand. "Is that the Hammerstein case?" she asked.
"Yes. Yes, it is," said Wufei, hurriedly looking for the file. "That's, uh, standard procedure, to end all calls with this..."
"Great, I was hoping for a lead." She grinned. "I'm gonna go talk to Carlotta, see if I can't convince her to change the outcome." Whistling, she left.
Wufei stared at the video phone, now asking whether or not he would like to return, save, or delete the message. Slowly, he reached for the delete command, but then he hesitated. Obviously this girl, whoever she was, was in fact in trouble. Whoever she looked like, she needed... a Dad. He had never been a Dad before... but something told Wufei this was not the time to quibble over such petty details. He cleared the space in front of his computer, and began pulling some rank.
There wasn't a hell of a lot going on in Investigative that week, and the entire floor was feeling it. Bets were being taken for when the coffee filters would run out, and who would take the last one, even whether or not they would make a note to Supplies to get more. Sally had put her money on Larry two cubicles over, but Wufei was saving his money for better purposes. Not that he really knew what those were, he just knew the office pool wasn't one of them.
Suddenly, a cry went up- a deep, dark, primal battle cry- the kind that came from the reptilian brain and called out to reptile in every human for miles. It was coming from the kitchen! The entire floor rushed to the tiny room, crowding into the doorway, blocking the tiny passageway. And there, in front of the coffee maker, stood Larry... and Sally Po.
"Hey, Wufei! Sally's got the last filter!" crowed Larry's partner Alice.
"What're you talking about, Alice? Larry took the box out-"
"But Sally emptied the pot!"
"They look like they're gonna EAT each other, don't they!"
"Ten bucks says Sally kicks Larry in the nuts!"
"I'm game!"
"Me too!"
Wufei shook his head, pushing his way to the front to see for himself what his partner had gotten herself into. And she thought she had the good head on her shoulders? Maybe age was finally taking its toll... Of course, that didn't bode too well for Wufei who was barely six years younger than she was.
Sally brandished the coffee pot like a weapon. "Larry," she said sweetly. "How unfortunate... you've pulled the last filter."
"Not too unfortunate, Sally... I mean, I didn't finish the coffee, now, did I?" Larry replied cheerfully.
"I've heard there's a little wager going around the office..."
"I hear the kitty's reached over a hundred." Their eyes gleamed simultaneously, and they ignored the Preventors crowded into the kitchen doorframe. A hundred bucks would go a long way toward a CD player in someone's cockpit, or one of those massaging chairs for a cubicle...
Wufei eyed them both, taking estimates to make his own â€~bet.' A few people drifted away to answer phones and make calls. The rest stayed.
"Who'd you bet on Sally?"
"You."
"Funny- I bet on you, too."
"Then I guess there's no way we can split the prize. Somebody here has to lose..."
"I suppose they do..." He shifted his feet, and the empty box in his hand. â€"Empty? Larry blinked and looked inside the box again. "Uh..."
"Hya!" Sally's foot flew past his head, very nearly connecting. The coffee pot flew at him- shit, wasn't that thing glass? Or was it plexiglass? Either way it would come out of HIS paycheck... Larry dove for it, tossing the box at Sally, who nearly dropped it. "The hell? There's nothing in here!"
"Yes! And now you're holding it!" Larry laughed, cradling the empty pot to his chest. "SALLY LOST THE BET!" A cheer went up from their coworkers, congratulating themselves and Larry. One coffeehound beating another! Classic! Sally just stood there, staring at the empty box in her hands, speechless.
With a sigh, Wufei walked over and took it from her. "It's only a bet, Po."
"But- but-"
"Lets go get you some real coffee. From the shop on the corner." As though assisting a shocked victim- which he was- Wufei began to lead her out of the kitchen, through the throng. Wordlessly, she followed, seemingly too stricken to question him. At first Wufei was grateful for the silence, but after standing in line at Ourbucks for nearly twenty minutes without so much as a sigh from his partner, he began to worry that something inside her obscure feminine brain had snapped. Perhaps the hair was an insulator, and that was why she had kept it long until recently cutting it to her shoulders following a bad break up... Did women operate that way? He took a deep breath to say something.
"That bastard," Sally hissed through coral lips, "didn't take the last filter. It was already gone!"
Wufei blinked dumbly and irritation crossed his otherwise impressive features. "What are you talking about, woman?"
"Larry! He framed me!" she exclaimed, flinging a hand into the air and sending her hair flying into her face. She muttered and pushed it back. "How could either of us have taken the last filter if there weren't any in the box?"
Perhaps he needed a different approach. She was being irrational. Calmly, Wufei took a seat at a table in front of the shop window. "I think you're taking this too seriously." She scowled and he held out her Ourbucks Copyrighted Styrofoam Cup. "Have some coffee- you haven't had your fix for today."
"Dammit, Wufei, it's not about the coffee!" Nevertheless, Sally dropped into the other chair and cradled the cup between her hands, staring into its depths. "He must have known. He must have known it would make it look like I did it! Lying, cheating, sonuva-"
"We're still on duty, Po," Wufei reminded her, sipping his customary green tea. One of the many reasons he had not joined in the office betting pool was because he did not drink coffee unless under the most dire circumstances.
She lapsed into silence again, thoughtfully toying with the Preventor emblem on her sleeve. She didn't seem interested in her coffee, so Wufei sighed and stood. Sally read his signals and followed, her stride quickening as they approached the tall, imposing government building. On a colony where real estate was expensive, everyone built up, and no one did it better than the cheapskates from HQ. Wufei shook his head as she peeled off, on her own mission now. Baka onna, when would she learn that there were more important things in life?
He waved off the catcalls that teased him all the way back to his desk. Sally would be peeved at the attention, but it was hardly Wufei's issue if she had lost money in the pool. With all intents of returning to work, he hit the flashing button on his voicemail.
"Message from 1-6994-"From Earth? HQ? "538-"China? Wufei's ears really pricked up- he recognized the calling codes. Why was anyone from China calling his work number? Had one of Sally's friends dialed the wrong number? The monitor on his video phone flickered to life, and Wufei leaned in, trying to see the hunched figure lit garishly by fluorescent light from above. If her clothing was indication, she was still in junior high: a prank?
"Hi. Hi, um... You don't..." The red head rose to reveal a pale, round face, and for a moment Wufei's breath stopped. She had someone's profile... "Dad?... if you are my Dad..." His eyes popped, and he choked for air. Dad?! He was only 29! He couldn't possibly have a child old enough to be in junior high school, never mind that he hadn't had a serious relationship in months! "I know that's not really likely... But- you-"she began to sob and it was the most heart wrenching thing he'd even seen. "Please- please, I really, really, really need your help... I- I'm in a lot of trouble. I mean, a lot of trouble. And I didn't do anything! I mean, I was starting to do something... but I never actually DID anything, you know?! I just- God, I need a tissue... I probably look like- like a kid. Like a kid who doesn't know what the fuck she's doing... and I'm sorry I called you... You..." Again her large, deep black eyes looked into the camera, and they pierced Wufei's aching chest. "...I just really need a Dad right now... I'm sorry..." The feed ended, and was replaced by a screen of information.
"This call was made from Beijing Precinct 41 by prisoner 88219. If you would like to seek more information on prisoner 88219, make bail, press charges, or speak to a police representative, please dial 1-558-675-2814, extension 62..."
...she had called him from a PRISON? Wufei stared, slackjawed, as the recording repeated itself and his voicemail kicked in with the time and date. He hadn't heard Sally come into the cubicle, her coffee cup still in hand. "Is that the Hammerstein case?" she asked.
"Yes. Yes, it is," said Wufei, hurriedly looking for the file. "That's, uh, standard procedure, to end all calls with this..."
"Great, I was hoping for a lead." She grinned. "I'm gonna go talk to Carlotta, see if I can't convince her to change the outcome." Whistling, she left.
Wufei stared at the video phone, now asking whether or not he would like to return, save, or delete the message. Slowly, he reached for the delete command, but then he hesitated. Obviously this girl, whoever she was, was in fact in trouble. Whoever she looked like, she needed... a Dad. He had never been a Dad before... but something told Wufei this was not the time to quibble over such petty details. He cleared the space in front of his computer, and began pulling some rank.
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