AN: This idea just sort of popped into my head when I thought about how Gracia always seemed (to me, anyway) to have trouble copping with the loss of her husband. That and I really wanted to write something where the focus point would lie on Gracia and not Maes or Elicia. It's true that even in the manga she was little more then a background character but if you know anything about me, you know that I absolutely adore this family. I also adore writing about horrible things happening to good people, so don't expect any fluff in this story.
If you want a longer, more Hughes related story then allow me to humbly offer you my newest story called The Price Of Life. It's about Hughes' return three years after the events of episode 10.
Thank you and enjoy!
It was March, again. The weather was in the process of changing and in this process it had developed the nasty habit of flip flopping between bitter cold and sauna hot. That was the way it had been two years prior. It had been torn; unsure of what to do.
That's precisely how Gracia felt. Two years ago she had lost her husband. She had never been properly informed as to who was responsible for his death; she was told only by Roy that he had successfully found the killer. No more was ever said on the matter but Gracia had since become suspicious and had reached the silent conclusion that Roy had killed Maes' murderer for revenge.
Two years ago, her daughter had turned three. A party had been held in their apartment and while Elicia had yet to attend school, she had already built up a substantial network of friends. Elicia had met her friends from various places but mainly through daycare and from taking trips to the park. Gracia had always been proud of her daughter's natural social abilities. She herself had always had such difficulties meeting new people but her daughter shinned boldly in the public eye.
Maes had been coddling her throughout the night; so afraid to let her wonder off with those her own age; afraid of being separated from her for more then a few minutes. When some boys had shown up and had pulled Elicia away from him, he had overreacted and threatened them. Gracia had to talk him into putting his gun away. Reluctantly he did so and he watched idly by as Elicia walked off with them.
He had been afraid to lose his daughter; afraid to see her get hurt. While some wives may have been angered or felt put of by their husbands freely wielding a gun at a party, Gracia took it as another reminder of how lucky she and Elicia were to have Maes in their lives.
The very next day her husband was shot down in a phone booth.
Now her daughter would be turning 5 and while she smiled and happily prepared for her daughter's big day, she would catch her self staring off into space and thinking longingly of her husband. Once more he would not be there. Once more she would grin and bear it all for her daughter's sake and the next day she'd be free to mourn.
Her daughter's birthday would be in two days and they had spent the greater part of the afternoon shopping for last minute party supplies. Elicia herself was in the midst of flip flopping. She'd gotten into a fight a few weeks prior with her friend, Diana and was still unsure as to whether or not she should invite her.
when they arrived back in their building, Gracia went to unlock the door but she found that was already open. She thought that perhaps in her frazzled mindset she had mistakenly left the door unlocked. Elicia held open the door for her mother, who was carrying several bags of groceries. She always went all the way with food whenever guests were coming.
Gracia placed the bags on top of the kitchen counter; then she heard something glass fall onto the floor and shatter. It had come from her bedroom. They both turned to the direction of the bedroom door and froze.
"Mommy...?" asked Elicia, wishing that her mother would be able to provide her with a less frightening answer then what she already feared to be truth.
They were not alone.
Two men casually strolled out of the bedroom. They held no qualms about having their faces seen, nor did they find any need to conceal their guns, or for that matter the jewelry that they had just stolen from Gracia's room.
"Mommy!" Elicia darted towards the safety of her mother but one of the men grabbed hold of her wrist and pilled her closely to his side. She was squirming and fighting with no results.
"Please let her go! Take what you want just leave her alone!"
The man who held onto Elicia nudged the other and he pointed over to Gracia with a nod of his head. The other smiled, devilishly, as he understood.
"Your ring." was all he said, yet it felt like the weight of a thousand words.
"What?" they weren't serious, right?
"Give us your ring and we won't blow your kids' head off."
Now Gracia was a loving mother and always had been. She was not going to let any harm come to her daughter. The last thing she wanted was to lose her only family.
But it seemed to Gracia that these men were forcing her to choose between her husband and her daughter.
Gracia held her hand nervously; twisting her ring back and forth. When they had buried her husband, they had buried every last physical trace of him. The only thing left of him that she had to hold onto was her wedding ring.
Twist. Twist.
Gracia could remember how sure of himself Maes had been on their wedding day; he had never had a trace of doubt that she was the one he was meant to be with. Gracia wished that she could feel such confidence.
Her ring popped off. She handed it to the men. They wordlessly released Elicia back into her mother's care and walked out the door with the last piece of her husband.
She was torn no longer. She began to cry as she held onto her daughter's small frame for support.
It seemed that this year she would be allowed to mourn first and celebrate later.