Christmas Reunion

Christmas is around the corner so my brain racks up with many ideas I just need to start putting into words. Story is about another Christmas year for the Winner Household and later would involve all the other characters. One-shot.

Artificial snow was falling on the colony cluster of L4. The citizens were all out and happy celebrating the joyous season of the year or remained in doors in their cozy warm homes. Dorothy looked out the expanse window where she had a fantastic view of the colony being situated at the heart of the L4. Having grew up from Earth, it never seek to amazed her how the colonies had done everything they can to imitate life on earth in the colonies. And yet, she thought bitterly, they had to battle it out in war. Having lived a couple years in the colonies now, Dorothy truly did feel the previous wars were totally unnecessary. The colonies were just as normal people as the inhabitants from earth themselves were they migrated from. Perhaps she only drew this conclusion because she now lived in the colonies and knew very little about it before on earth, before she married the Winner heir and her life was changed.

The Winner Residence, by far the largest if not the largest home on the colony could match her home down on earth. But she opt to live with her husband who corporate headquarters were situated on L4 though they did do much traveling among the colonies and down to earth throughout the year where they stay at her home if they were in Europe. Granted she and her husband had homes throughout the whole Earth Sphere that everyone would be jealous of though her husband did not enjoy flaunting his wealth and prefer to have just enough to suit his purposes as his stays were usually temporarily. Their combined wealth made them the wealthiest couple in ESUN. Relena had joked before did they even need to combine their assets? Dorothy replied that they really only merged one of their several accounts together and emphasized that is was one of their biggest accounts. They did that because Quatre wanted a sense of unity between them.

Life was something different with Quatre. It brought about new change and new warmth she greatly craved having been so isolated in the Romerfeller regime and Quatre was certainly a great man any women would want. Dorothy knew how lucky she was as it is a rarity for wealthy men to be so kind-hearted and genuinely good natured without doing anything bad or abusing their power. Probably the only bad thing Quatre ever did was go against his father wishes for his ideals on obtaining peace by piloting a gundam which could hardly be considered a terrible choice for the outcome it had achieved. It should be considered a saving grace for Dorothy for she would have never met him if he had not pilot a mobile suit.

Dorothy heard some racketeering noise downstairs and headed for the stairs. In the main hall and off to the right was a large spacious living room with a big Christmas tree all decorated and lighted and took a good chunk of the corner. They had a big Christmas tree for a reason, so its shrubbery tree branches can reach out and hover over the overwhelmingly number of presents underneath it. An overwhelmingly number of presents. Dorothy was still adapting to the exceedingly number of presents she felt she could start handing out to the children foundations instead every year. Quatre had usually smile and shrug to say he could not stop the inflow of presents which was nothing bad at all in their contexts, but plenty for the parents to handle and set aside after unwrapping and certainly delighted smiles from their two young children each year.

When Quatre had first asked her out she was every bit surprised and he had blushed shyly. She thought he would have hated her after she had stabbed him thoroughly with her fencing foil at the end of the war. She didn't even visit him when he was recovering from the stab wound to even mention her guilt. She had only heard news that he had fully recovered from his fellow pilots, mainly Duo, and had resumed handling operations of his father mass company and fortune. Certainly she heard of the Winner Enterprises when she was young. They invested in all major sectors and owned plenty of resources and properties around the solar system but not like any of that matter to her when she was young. After all, his father was adamant in investing in any or having any relation with warfare materials while her family was all pro headed on that. So it was somewhat ironic that he had asked her out of all the women in the world. Still it took months, even a year over when he finally took up the nerve to ask. She had said doesn't she represent the antithesis of his family ideals? He said that hardly counted at all with his part in the war, and he was honest to say that he knew how much she actually hated war and wanted it to stop. That was gathered from their fencing exchange match back on Libra. He had time to observe her movements after the war that she wasn't aware he kept tracked of her after the war.

They did not completely stop seeing each other after the war. Due to his prominent status and influential powerhouse he attended charities and delegations on Earth from time to time where she attended as well. Usually she attended it for Relena sake who had quickly become one of her best friends after the war much to her surprise as well. Relena would always insists and tell her she had all the time in the world so come out from her "dark mansion," so Relena put. She was bored of functions though she never did fail to notice, unconsciously, when Quatre was at the meetings as well. It was probably her unconscious guilt of stabbing him that she would always turn her head to his way where a crowd of ladies always swoon over him and he smiled nicely in return. Sometimes she felt they had a telepathic connection, perhaps brought on by the zero system, that he would automatically turn his head to her way in which she immediately look away and walk off and miss his lingering gaze on her after that. When they first met after a colony-earth meeting, she had rack up the nerve and approached him single handedly to apologize for her actions back on Libra. He had simply smiled and brushed it aside saying that was long pass and hope she was enjoying her post-war life. At that point she wasn't enjoying her life; it had become dull, meaningless and lonely though she put forth a strong exterior.

Then the day came all of a sudden after another meeting, Quatre strode up to her with somewhat hesitant movements and asked. She was taken aback though she had always dream of her boyfriend having the nerve to ask. She knew she terrified men even when she knew some were interested in her. Her status and outspoken attitude had somewhat of an intimidating effect though it seems Quatre saw through all of it. So to make her dull life a bit more interesting she at first told him she will think about it where she saw a little sadness pass through his eyes and he said he give her time to think about it. What she did not tell him was that she was already planning on accepting and was simply going to reassess her life involving him. And she did enjoy having an upper hand in men.

She never expected the tables to run on her so fast. At first she thought she would just go out one a couple dates as she never actually had. Though she had noticed and like him, going out made her fall in love with his natural good human natured-self that she never felt so loved, even by her own parents who had very little time for her and had all deceased. The loneliness evaporated and overtaken with a warm feeling she never felt in her life. Much later she learned from Duo that Quatre had purposely arranged to go to meetings he knew she was going to attend the past years. Duo had been chiding poor Quatre to make a move soon because he thought she did not notice him. Heero had then given his one and only expertise advice on 'follow your emotions' as if all the answer is already known in the heart which Quatre had finally followed through with Heero replying, "told you so."

Dorothy remembered when they were far into their relationship; she realized she did not know enough about Quatre's family at all while he knew everything about her. He was quite a brilliant and knowledgeable man for his young age. Signs that war do quickly mature people. She loved how he easily matched up her intelligence and wit and osmosis follow on. So she asked during one of their dinner. She knew he had sisters, she didn't know the total till he said it. "Twenty-nine!" she had exclaimed where he went and confirmed it was twenty-nine. To contrast, she had no siblings.

"But they are all born from test-tubes babies. For majority of my youth, I thought I was one of them too. I found out much later, after my father passed away, that I was born naturally," he said with a sorrow expression. "Regardless, I consider them all my sisters and I do keep in contact with them. I will introduce you to them one day."

Introduce he had, on their engagement dinner. Dorothy remembered how overwhelm she was at first. They were in the dining room in Quatre's mansion with a much needed long table stretching across the whole room with all twenty-nine sisters present with Quatre and her seated at the head of the table. She had met a couple of his siblings throughout but she never fully met all of them at once as Quatre introduced her and boggle her head with all twenty-nine sister names and where they currently resided and worked. Quatre was well loved in the family; he was considered the head of the family being the only male and gender mattered in the Arabian culture though he barely over reach his powers and he treated all his siblings the way he treated her. Dorothy had received plenty of congratulations from her siblings and knew they were all assessing her worthiness to their dear brother. It did not escape her attention that any sadness Quatre ever expressed about her would no doubt have twenty-nine protective sisters hounding her back. Though only a few really knew where the decorative scar on the left side of Quatre's body really came from, Dorothy wondered would she be hunted down for damaging their dear bother if they all knew the story. She had also asked Quatre why her? He had laugh and said it's hard to forget about her when he see his scar just about every time he pulled off his shirt. She had blushed and he moved in to steal a kiss and said now it was much better to see the real person every day and not just the scar.

Which come back to somewhat pleasant problem at hand. Twenty-nine sisters equated to twenty-nine presents on hand every year, multiply by two for their current two children equaled fifty-eight presents. It is only around Christmas time where Dorothy had second thoughts of having any additional children to the Winner household. Quatre was a wonderful father and would not mind having another child though plans had not been discussed. Not to mention another twenty-nine presents for the parents from Quatre's siblings where at this point, Dorothy was glad that some had one instead of two presents for the both of them. To add on was another thirty-forty odd so from the Maganac Corps members who was basically Quatre's second family. Dorothy liked how Arabian culture involved close-knit families even if not of blood, something entirely missing from Dorothy side. Dorothy had insisted they simply buy for their children so multiply that by two too. And of course the presents that came from their fellow Gundam pilots and friends met during the war. The count for that already exceeded a hundred and fifty presents a year, more than she ever received in her youth, and it did not stop there. Quatre's business partners and fellow companies sent presents as well, and hers too though a bit less. Their two children was probably the luckiest and happiest kids in the whole earth and solar system.

They received gifts all over the ESUN just as much as they sent gifts out as well. Christmas felt more of a chore for Dorothy. She always had a list of people to buy gifts for. She never really thought of this as a new duty of being a wife. The family did spend a good few thousands buying gifts for the very same people who had given to them. Then it came to hosting parties and receptions. At least that was more familiar with Dorothy.

The only other person Dorothy can think of in a similar situation was Relena but that was still far cry short because Relena did not have enough siblings to form ten different families on their own. Relena hardly counted except for business relations presents. It was 29:0 ratio for Dorothy and sometimes she did wonder whether to feel sad on having no siblings at all. To add on top of all the presents, Dorothy and Quatre bought something for their children as well. Life certainly had changed with Quatre, and for majority of it was positive that Dorothy had nothing to complain about.

Rashid was sitting on one of the couches carefully watching out for their two year old Quaterine Winner looking up at the massive trees with all the presents around it like a perfect display case, except this was real. What strike Dorothy even more so was that some presents were just as big as their children if not bigger. Music was coming from the other room next door. Quaterine turn at the sound of footsteps and exclaimed, "Mother is that all mine!" Dorothy wondered did they understand the meaning of Christmas yet. She came over and swept up her daughter who had blond hair like her kiss her on the brow. "A good chunk of it is yours." The tree was divided already for each area pertaining to whom. She can already imagine her daughter happily ripping up presents this year that she couldn't do as much last year.

The music stopped next door and out ran four year old Qadir Zayeed Winner who was bouncing with delight at the colorful wrappings of presents. "Can we unwrap them now mama?" He was an adorable short blond platinum blond hair and looked very much as young Quatre back in the days. He enjoy playing with Rashid and the Maganac Corps members and receive plenty of love from Quatre's siblings.

"I suppose it is time," said Quatre walking out from the room next door where he was teaching his son how to play the piano. He walked up to Dorothy and give her brief hug and kiss to his wife and daughter.

"Now?" inquired Dorothy with raised eyebrows in question. Quatre knew what she meant. The floor would be litter with wrapping paper and presents strewn everywhere afterwards. It had been like that since the birth of Qadir.

"Better do so now when we have the time. We are leaving for Earth in three hour time," Quatre said.

Dorothy knew what he was thinking. Let the children unwrap and bring all their favourite selected toys down to earth to play with their fellow friend's children. Every year, since the end of the war, the Gundam Pilots reunited at certain times of the year and catch up with each other, Christmas being one of the biggest one as war ended then. They have all moved on with their lives and became grown up men though they still remained in contact for the most part it was always fun to have an official gathering that wasn't related to politics and business. She knew reuniting his other fellow gundam pilots and friends from the war was one of Quatre most happiest and favourite times that she certainly would never take that away from him. This was the second thing that came closest to family for them since they experience so much in the war together. After the family feast with his twenty-nine siblings and Maganac Corps they would have the Gundam reunion so they called it. It never failed to escape Dorothy thoughts that Quatre still had quite a taste for excitement in naturally good way for war buddies even with is generally good natured. It was a side of him that Dorothy much enjoyed because she would have found him too boring if he just sipped tea everyday.

The hosting of the party alternated between the Winner Household on L4 to Relena's residence on Earth because they were the two among the pilots who had a big enough house to host a reception. Relena wasn't a pilot, but she was now married to Heero Yuy. Dorothy had never failed to poke Relena about her chasing success in which Relena reminded her she stopped chasing him since sixteen and though she had always harbour a secret love to the pilot, she said Heero was the one who finally broke the tension. "I also heard he was the one to convince Quatre to make a move on you," Relena would always reply back and Dorothy would shut up because she understood the grounds for privacy in relationships. Since Quatre and Dorothy hosted it last year in their house, this year was going to be at Relena's place. They were talks of changing their reunion up and meeting up at a resort to spend the holidays with but that was most likely going to happen in future years when their children were a bit more grown up.

So Dorothy give the rights for their children to start unwrapping. She put Quaterine down and she happily jump over to the tree. Quatre and she instinctively walked closer too as their children needed supervising. She had to remind and scold Qadir when he frantically ripped apart presents. Quatre would laugh. He sat cross legged down on the ground while Quaterine would struggle and push over the bigger presents for him to help her unwrap together. She would point to Rashid which next present to bring down that were out of her reach. Dorothy happily watch her husband interactions with their daughter and knew she married the right man as she often reminded herself, someone totally opposite from her father. It was the morning and the servants would bring over their early lunch before heading on Quatre's latest model of the fastest spacejet to Earth. Qadir got tired of unwrapping presents and went over to the tray of food; he still had a good half to go. By the floor was filled with confetti and is a delightful sight. Quatre hadn't moved much from his spot and had a ring of wrapping paper around him being crushed by their daughter. Qadir who normally enjoy unwrapping himself started to ask his mom to help out. He made many exclamations at certain presents and already made the pile of the ones he 'liked' to the ones he 'disliked'.

Dorothy and Quatre did not bother unwrapping theirs. They didn't want to add more items on the ground till after their children. They usually unwrap theirs alone together at night after the Christmas party when their children had gone safely to bed.

Afternoon was approaching and Quatre stood up and brush the wrapping paper away from him. "We better get going." The staff would be cleaning up the mess soon after they left. "Pick out ten items you want to bring over to Earth," Quatre started saying before both their children started whining. "Ten." Quatre said again to make sure the children had heard him clearly. "You have all the fun next year again when you can show all the other your presents at our house."

Qadir look over his stash of favourite and grudgingly chose out ten. Dorothy helped Quaterine pick out ten to bring on board as cargo. The servants carted out the toys to the awaiting car. Both parents made sure to dress their children warmly for the weather outside and the Winner family headed out to the awaiting limousine that would drive them to the airport.

Dorothy and Quatre felt they finally had time to relax once they were in the air and their children chatter had finally subsided and they went to sleep. Sighing Dorothy dropped beside Quatre in bed they had in the spacejet. "I thought they would not stop being noisy till they reached earth," expressed Dorothy. Quatre chuckled and slipped his arms around her. "Imagine how many more years there still be," he said and kiss her cheek. "At least now they would have lots of energy once reach Relena's manor." She smiled. They can both already imagine what would happen. Capture in his warm embrace, the couple let sleep over take them as well.

Dusk was approaching and snow still steadily flow down from the heavens. The driveway was shovel off as the Winner family approached the entrance to Relena's manor for the Gundam reunion Christmas Dinner. The outside of the house was decorated with Christmas lights and was a pretty sight.

"Dorothy!" exclaimed Relena as she walked over and hugged her friend. Quatre followed behind her with Quaterine on his hip and Qadir in toll. Relena welcome her guests and servants ushered in the suitcases as everyone usually stayed for the night or a couple of days following the reunion. Only the Winner family and Relena's ever had bodyguards accompanying them wherever they go as well in addition and rooms were prepared for the guards as well.

Relena said, "Everyone is here now."

Dorothy said, "We aren't late-"

"Certainly not," Relena said, "Just that everyone else arrived early or some days before. Just go to the grand hall, everyone is mingling there."

The family went over to the grand hall and Quatre smiled as greeting was shouted all around. Quatre let his son run off immediately no doubt to show his toy collection to Maxwell's son and two daughters. Trowa came over and greeted him; he was the only one who wasn't married among the five gundam pilots. Quatre looked over to Wufei and Sally who give a wave and was currently pregnant with the couple's first child. Then he turned towards where Heero stood who looked back and give him a silent nod in greeting. He stood proudly as any soldier would but with a softer touch of a protective father holding on his seven month year old son. Quatre never thought he see the day in which he see the serious soldier out of all them holding an infant in his arms in the world of peace among them. He knew he must have been quickly adapting to all the changes in life like all five of them had. Looking towards his son and daughter, he saw that the elder Peacecraft-Yuy was already among the crowd of children all showing off their Christmas present toys. The Peacecraft-Yuy's also had a big Christmas tree and a fire was crackling from the hearth next to it. The room was bathed in a warm light creating much of a homey feel.

Everyone gathered around the long table for the festive dinner no five Gundam pilots had thought they will one day live to experience after the war in peaceful time with friends and family. They all shared this understanding and treasured it every moment. Who knew they would end up having annual reunions? Life was certainly moving in brighter for them. Relena had started it off toasting the group to a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. Dorothy and Quatre had given a ten time free meals voucher for everyone to Dorothy's recently opened chained of high class fine dining restaurant.

"Free ten times?" exclaimed the happy Maxwell family. "Free," confirmed Dorothy, "so feel free to order the most expensive items on the menu and sample it all at a nearby location. If you like it so much afterwards, I personally provide you a fifty percent VIP discount card if you ask."

Infant Yuy was troublesome to feed and Duo remarked across the table his son give him just as much pain back then. Once dinner ended the usual break off where the pilots gather to chat and the women together while the children play in the living room.

"So Heero, how does it feel like being a relative of Milliardo now than enemy?" Duo asked. He asked the same question before when he recently married Relena. The solider reply was one who remark respect and said, "I think he likes me enough," seeing how Millardo had allowed the wedding to proceed. Duo always said he probably allowed Heero over any guy because he knew no one could be a better safe guard his sister than Heero while he was off in Mars for half of the year.

Milliardo was there tonight as well but he was by the Christmas tree with his children who were unwrapping presents as well with the other children around to see what they got.

"Heard about your latest acquisition in the security field," Wufei told Quatre. He replied, "Yes, me and Heero acquired the rights for it but he really programming it all. It's going to be implemented in our homes and be the head of security program for Preventers." Wufei remarked he basically fought and rule the world now. Might have been a sarcastic remark but Quatre knew he had high respects for him. Wufei and Sally were both Preventer agents. "Think I can have the security system too?"

"Sure. No charge necessary too for old time sake," Quatre replied. "I notify you when we have it ready."

The boys chatted on home stories and whereabouts of other people. The women were having a wonderful chat about their husband and children and how much they have all grown while the children played on happily on the side.

Then it came for time for the awesome question and answer challenge where each family was a group of their own except Trowa who joined Wufei and Sally with Duo saying "yeah, go join them and see how much a difference it makes anyway." They sat near the fire place like one big family where the blazing fire was providing adequate warmth all around. The game really was to see which family answers the number of questions correctly with easy children questions cards to harder adult question cards. The questions varied in all subjects and fields. It was quite surprising to see who in the group was knowledgeable though at times it was quite obvious it was until you play these games that you know who was well versed. No prizes were involved, just a fun relaxing time.

Duo always felt he had a good level of intelligence, war taught them lots, but playing with the boys made him feel dumb. He had the biggest family too. Mostly it was the adults who provided the points for their respective families. They were all intellectual couples, just wondering who had just a tad bit more.

The Winner family excelled follow by Heero's though the points were pretty close-knit and high. Due had asked, "What do you feed your kids Quatre?" as their two children, even the two year old understood basic life concepts. Quatre had laugh and Dorothy said, "Normal nutrition diet." Duo further exclaimed when a question was given to Quatre about gundam operative system, Qadir had quickly said, "Daddy, the zero system" in which all heads turn to the four year old, "Your son knows about the zero system?" Quatre had replied he just told him about how dangerous it can be on the human brain where Heero and Millardo snorted. "I like to see that conversation," Hilde pipe in.

"Just educating my son in all areas as he will be my heir," Quatre said. Dorothy laugh and hugged him. She loved how he was not ashamed of talking about the war to his kids but openly spoke about it, spreading the Winner family philosophies and principles, and why they should avoid war at all costs to their children. "He spends all his available time with his children, do you?" replied Dorothy. Quatre also excel in a variety of subjects having the need to know basic foundations for his Enterprise captured just about every market sector. Being knowledgeable on all fronts was definitely a needed asset for a CEO.

The Peacecraft-Yuy family fare well for a three person team without their infant son that Relena had tucked to bed an hour beforehand. Anytime a militaristic question popped up, Relena would simply turn to Heero who would answer promptly like a spoken order. Dorothy was happy she knew more about warfare than Relena. Wufei had muttered under his breath how Heero must read the War Encyclopedia where Relena chuckle and said he did.

Not outmatch was the Peacecraft family where Millardo and Noin had the two eldest children of them all. The Wufei team was just as strong seeing it was three adults, but that meant they always had adult card questions.

The children started to show signs of weariness by eleven and Dorothy announced it was time for bed though her children quickly covered up their sleepiness and said they were not tired. But Dorothy word was final and she said she already given them an extra hour and led her children upstairs where everyone's children tagged along. Before the break off, Duo had announced he was taking his kids to ski tomorrow if anyone wanted to come along. Everyone was planning to stay a couple of days at Relena's manor and a few arrangements were made.

Back in their bedroom, Dorothy and Quatre turn down for the night. Dorothy felt her life was complete. These events usually reminded her that her life now have a purpose. Quatre climb into bed and said, "What you thinking?"

"Just admiring you."

"We can stay here till New Years, but I will need to work here for two days."

"I know."

"So we are planning to stay?"

"Yes. You would like that too right?"

"Yes, at least the children can get to play with the other kids and get to know them better." Quatre trusted his fellow gundam pilot's children the most for playmates for his children.

"Alright then it's settled."

"Our presents will be waiting a little longer then," Quatre reminded her of their mountain of presents waiting for them at home to be unwrap. The two enjoyed each other company at night unwrapping presents than caring for what exactly the present they got. Dorothy thought to herself she will be having to decide again how to store all the gifts away or sometimes give away to charities or auctions. Their two children had enough toys to last them for another year.

Quatre wrapped his arms around Dorothy and drew her close. "Merry Christmas and goodnight dear," he said above her head and she sensed the tiredness from his words.

"Goodnight, Quatre. Ana bahebak." and she turn her head up and kiss him on the lips.

Snow continue to fall outside the house as all occupants inside soon drifted into sleep on Christmas Day.

A/N

Ana bahebak is I love you in Arabic.

Originally, I never planned to write the scene where The Winner family heads over to Relena's place and actually end of there because it was supposed to be strictly 4XD hence most pointers are about their family, even at Relena's place. But I just gradually wrote on. It is somewhat anti-climatic but I was basically writing out scenes I wish I can find more in fanfics that play in my head where I can picture happening without characters going ooc. R&R.

Merry Christmas ~ Dec 2012.