Imperfect (Part 2)

Convenience Store Near Duo and Hilde's Place

"Are you done yet?" Catherine asked through the door.

"Not yet." Hilde looked at her pregnancy test. Duo never let up on her for a moment's peace, and she didn't want to stress him out any extra. Especially with all the others turning up pregnant, but so far, everyone was confirmed through hospitals.

It really was ridiculous, and she knew it. There was no way it would be anything but positive. Even Relena Peacecraft was now on the run because of her confirmation in the colonies. Still. Those had all been by blood, and by professionals.

It wouldn't hurt to just take a few minutes to see it for herself. These pregnancies were ruining lives, and just . . . exhausted every avenue. As soon as Trowa left from a tripped wire, she asked Catherine to come and buy a quick pregnancy test just down the block. It was her main purpose to get Duo to see his brother's in the first place, hoping somehow Trowa would have to leave. Once her luck was made, she wasted no time in dragging out Catherine and heading out.

They brought their phones and she was in the bathroom of the convenience store, not wanting to leave a trace of evidence to make Duo question good or bad.

And . . .

Catherine knocked on the door again. "Trowa won't take long, he won't risk us being out like this because he had promised to watch you. I really shouldn't even be here. Hilde?"

Hilde opened the door to look at her big bouncing red curls. "Catherine. Get me another test." She had to be double sure. Catherine went to pay for another test and gave it to her. Hilde took it one more time. She checked the expiration date on them.

She came back out the door and looked at her.

"Hilde?" Catherine questioned. "What is it?"

Hilde didn't answer at first.

Catherine gasped, holding her hand to her face. "That's impossible though, isn't it? Everyone else is."

Hilde went back into the bathroom and pitched them into the trash before coming back with a smile. "It's just what you'd expect!" She slapped on a smile and sighed. "I'm so relieved. Sometimes, a girl just wants to see for herself." Yet, Catherine caught that undertone. Hilde headed back straight to the apartment, Catherine right behind her.

Hilde didn't understand but she had to see Duo. If this was the case. If this was real?

Then somehow, a whole force that could overtake all the hospitals and evidence was overtaking her life, even in the colonies. Her last trip to the hospital with her fever, even they confirmed she was pregnant, but two of those cheap tests said otherwise.

Until she knew what was going on, she wasn't going to risk telling Duo over the phone or saying anything out loud. Not until they were safe and alone back at home.

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When Duo arrived back home, he wasn't in the greatest mood. One of his brothers was terrible and dead. The other was just terrible, his biological father was dead, he was shot at and to top it all off? He found Middie Une, and Trowa didn't make it to her before she left Earth.

There was a quarantine right now too. Getting through wouldn't be easy.

Yeah. Duo needed some good news. "Hey? So?" She shrugged her shoulders and gave him a little smile and a pat on the shoulder. "If it makes you feel better, I'm not pregnant."

Of course, his body shot straight up. "What do you mean?"

"Duo? How much power do you think the ones that are getting us all pregnant have?" Hilde asked first. "I mean, getting five women pregnant in one go, during one tonsillectomy surgery, is pretty impressive."

Duo didn't know how to answer that at first. "It's some kind of contraption, guarantees pregnancy the first time. The inventor must work inside RTL. That's Quatre's theory."

"If that were the case," Hilde pressed, "then are there guaranteed studies of it?"

"Quatre's heard of it." Now Duo was starting to look at her funny. "Out with it Hilde, what do you mean you aren't pregnant?"

"Duo. I don't think you . . ." No, that wasn't the way to put it. "They want to make you suffer. They want you and the pilots to feel the loss of innocence in your lives, and RTL thinks losing a friend that bore your child would be fair." Hilde didn't know how else to say it. "If we're killed before we even get big enough to justify physically than we were pregnant, than it kind of works."

Duo just gawked at her. "Hilde Schbeiker, out with it."

"I think that technology isn't quite up to speed. I ran off with Catherine while you were gone," she admitted. Before he could yell, she continued, "and I scored a negative on two cheap pregnancy tests."

Duo stopped. "What?" Anger. Boiling. "You promised you wouldn't do much while I was gone."