_______________________________________________________
‘Duo, seriously… there is nothing to be embarrassed about…’
‘Not even getting in to the whole mud-covered aspect of this whole debacle, you want to explain how making an entire first grade class burst into tears isn’t embarrassing?’
‘They weren’t all crying… most of them had gone home already. It was only a hand full. And that one teacher…’
‘Not helping, Yuy.'
‘And Mei-Zhen wasn’t scared; she thought it was a fun game.’
‘I threw the kid down in the mud, Heero… somehow, I don’t think this is a ‘game’ Sally is going to thank me for teaching her.’
‘You thought you were protecting her.’
‘It was a car back-firing, for God’s sake! A stupid car! I don’t even remember moving! Just *bam* and we were on the ground wallowing in the damn mud and all the kids were screaming about the crazy man!’
‘The noise scared them too, Duo… it wasn’t just you. Uh… I mean, it wasn’t just you that scared them, not that it wasn’t you that was scared. I mean…’
‘Just stop. Either way is pretty damn pathetic. Wufei is never going to ask me to pick Mei up from school again. Or anyplace else. I probably traumatized her for life. I’ll be lucky if I’m ever even invited over again.'
‘Mei-Zhen would mutiny… you’re her favorite uncle.’
‘Favorite, lunatic uncle.’
‘Stop it. Wufei understands. And Sally will get over it as soon as we finish getting the mud out of the carpet.'
‘She called me a degenerate juvenile delinquent.’
‘That was before you explained. She just thought you two tracked mud in to the house for fun.’
‘As opposed to… for not fun?’
‘You know what I mean…’
‘Fun or not fun, Wufei is going to kill me and…’
‘Uncle Duo! How come you’re sitting outside in the rain? Mommy says you can use our shower too!’
‘That’s ok, pumpkin… Uncle Heero is going to take me home in the back of his truck and I’ll clean up there.'
‘In the back of the truck? In the rain? Wow! You know the best games ever, Uncle Duo!’
‘Your Dad doesn’t seem to think so. Isn’t he coming out to… uh… talk to me?’
‘Daddy is all watery right now, but he said he’d come out in a minute and bring you some of his clothes to wear.'
‘What? Watery…?’
‘Yeah! Uncle Heero told Daddy about that scary car that made that loud noise and Daddy told Mommy you’re… a… a…’
‘Hero, I believe, is what he said, Mei-Zhen.’
‘Thanks, Uncle Heero! Yeah, Daddy said something with big words about tent… tensi… uh…’
‘Intentions, Mei. That Uncle Duo’s intentions were most honorable.’
‘Yeah! And he said he’s very lucky to have a friend who’s… uh… ‘
‘To have a friend as self-sacrificing as Uncle Duo who would put his life on the line to protect his daughter?’
‘Yeah! You ‘member good, Uncle Heero! But there wasn’t any line, so I don’t get that part. But Daddy will be out after he finishes blowing his nose.’
‘Thank you, Mei-Zhen. Why don’t you go back in where it’s warm now.’
‘Ok! Bye, Uncle Duo!’
‘W…watery?’
‘I was trying to tell you that Wufei understood. Completely.’
‘But… watery? I made Wufei get… ‘watery’?’
‘Having kids will do that to a guy.’
‘Watery. Heero… I think that’s worse than
him being mad at me…’