~Disclaimer~ All characters and such original to Gundam Wing belong to Sunrise, Bandai, etc., etc., etc.... and not me... *wipes tears* All the rest belongs to me... including two poems: With This Rose and Semper Fi.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This has nothing to do with the little mini-series I am doing... it is just a little run off a saying that I learned from a true friend (who yes, happened to be a Marine) and thought I would use it for this story line. This story is based on true events of a life I watched from a distance away and the title is very fitting to what truly happened. The only difference is that I turned it into a GW story. It takes place -after- Endless Waltz time frame but I have never seen it so nobody shoot me, k!:) Also, the scenery takes place in a place where I used to live in Washington state on a small island called Whidbey. It is a military base but I took that away. There is a mention of a place called "Calypso's Pass" which in reality is called "Deception Pass." I just thought I'd throw this little bit of information in for you.
WARNING: It may be a little... angst? Depressing but life is not always a bed of roses and it does have a wonderful ending... as I said before... this is based on true-life events.
SEMPER FI
AC 199
Always Faithful. That's how they were referred to as. No matter what the topic was about concerning the five young men, the reply was always the same. Semper Fi.
The wars had long since been over. Now two and half years later the five young men truly worked for the sake of the people.
There was no fear of war, no fear of battles to come-- no fear of losing themselves to the endless saga of the plagues of war. Now, they had lives to live. Lives with people they could truly believe in and trust... even love. People they called on in times of need, people they called on in times of... peace. Friends.
These people were a part of each other. Each their own person, fighting a battle much like the other, almost exactly for the same reasons. They fought to ensure their ideals of peace. They each fought for the safety of someone- even if they didn't rightly know in the beginning who that someone was.
The blood they shed, the battles fought and won-- the dangers they faced and encountered together gave them something that nothing could break. It gave them a comfort, a feeling of a tight bond. A closeness that could not be torn apart. Each to the other, they were like brothers.
It had come time for each of them to show just how truly faithful they were to the one who needed their strength. He had silently called up on the assistance of the ones who were known as Semper Fi. His friends.
AC 197 (November 21)
A young girl had come from the battlefield of L3 just after the wars had ended. On her arrival, the poor thing ran first into Wufei and then into Duo. A combination that was not healthy for anyone to encounter.
"Watch where you're going," Wufei yelled at the disheveled girl.
He continued on, ignoring the looks of the people around them.
"I'm sorry... Sir..."
He turned to look at her. Her light eyes glimmered back at him. They sparkled with tears.
-Great... now I made her cry. Well -who- cares! She should watch where she's going and then she wouldn't run into people! "If you would walk with your head up instead of studying the concrete perhaps you would not have this sort of problem!" he yelled at her.
Tears fell silently down her face. She didn't understand his hostility toward her.
"-What are you looking at?-"
The girl flinched at his words to her and ran away crying harder still.
-Women are so weak!
Duo came out of a coffee shop with a small bundle in his arms. He looked down into the bag, digging for a piece of crumb cake, knowing that Quatre was going to have his head when he saw the piece missing.
-Ah who cares! You only live once!
Just as he popped the morsel of moist cake into his mouth he was hit from the side. It was a blow that sent his little bag flying into the air and himself falling to the ground.
-What the... ohhhh someone is going to Pay!
He scrambled to his feet and rushed to the bag he had been carrying. Coffee was everywhere, crumb cake was everywhere and not only that but it was being gobbled up by a lock of pigeons that had been waiting on the rooftop of the building for an occasion such as this!
"Shoo... shoo... get away," he yelled but the birds did not leave. He picked up the bag and what he could of the cake and spilled coffee before turning around to see what it was that had hit him in a frenzy.
"Who is going to clean up my store front," yelled a man who stood in a wife-beater and an apron all covered in bloodstains.
"Who cares," Duo yelled back. "That's what you get paid to do!"
The man walked away from his door, giving Duo an imaginary shove and reappeared with a broom as he swept out the ground coffee and crumbs from the cake.
"Hey Lady! What is your problem?" he asked harshly at the girl who was sitting on the ground holding her ankle. "Why don't you watch where you're goin, next time!"
She looked up at him; more tears had saturated her face. She couldn't seem to be doing anything right. First the oriental looking man and now this one... with a braid to the floor!
-Ok, so it's not to the floor but damn well if it was -He- would be down with it! Her eyes could not hold the destructive glare she gave him. Instead she fell to pieces, just like the cake that he was obviously so upset about.
He left her alone and went back into the coffee shop.
"Can you believe that girl? Good grief! It's people like that who drive me crazy," he griped.
The man behind the counter wiped the surface clean of any speckle of anything that may have been left behind and listened to Duo's complaining.
"At least when -I- run, I do it where I won't face the danger of running someone down! Know what I mean?"
The man grunted. After putting the towel away and pulling out the last of his crumb cakes, he looked up at Duo.
"So you want another pound and a half of coffee too?"
Duo looked out the door but the girl was gone. He nodded and waited.
"You know, Mr. Maxwell... that wasn't very kind of you, not even checking to see if she was alright."
Duo could feel a guilt trip coming along.
"What would your friends think about you doing something like that?"
Duo smacked his tongue in frustration. "If they don't like it they can kiss my aaaa..."
The stern look he received back caused him to hold his tongue on the rest of his thought.
"You could have at least helped her up."
"Yeah, like she would have let me! I yelled at her!" At the sound of his own words he grimaced in irritation. "Oh Man! Look! Now you got me feeling guilty!"
"I--" the man pointed at his chest.
"Man! And now I'll Never see her again and I won't even get the chance to apologize! Thanks a -LOT- Joe!"
Two Days Later
Trowa sat on a park bench looking out over the rail at the rushing waters. They threatened to come up over the barrier as they slapped the concrete with complete force. The wind blew hard, causing him to pull his jacket closer to him. He was not one who cared much about the cold or the heat but this day he did care. The temperatures were slowly dropping day by day as December approached. Soon it would be snowing and then there would be more cold temperatures to dread.
He stood up and walked to the edge of the rail and peered down into the waters. They were dark and icy, just the way he felt his own heart. Cold and uninviting. Not ever knowing the warmth and happiness of love. He thought about his friends.
Heero undoubtedly had Relena's love. He could wrap himself in her warmth any time he wanted to but he chose not to. She loved him so much that she eventually let him go from her grip. It was a love that knew nothing of surrendering or dying. It was a feeling of purity that she held on to. She knew that there was no one in the world that would be able to touch his heart the way she had. No one in the world would be able to penetrate the thick wall he had barricaded around himself the way she could. The problem with that was that he knew it too.
Trowa didn't understand why he would not embrace that love. It was a love that he would have died to have. He had even said so at one point in a conversation to Heero.
--"I wanna be loved like that and you can't even accept the fact that it is for you. She is so easy to love and you don't!"
"If she is so easy to love, then why don't -you- get with her?"
"Because, Heero. That love is for you and for you alone! She was not thrown into my world... or rather; I was not thrown into hers. Why is it so difficult for you to admit that you love her?"
"What makes you think that I -Do- love her?"
"Because if you didn't she would have been dead by now."--
He thought of Wufei and Sally. Now there was a couple that he could not understand. Clearly they had affection for each other but their demonstration of it made even married couples cringe. They were continually at each other's throats, dogging each other, complaining about this, that or the other that one had done or griping that the other was insensitive or weak. But nobody would ever guess what went on behind closed doors. It was a privilege that no one would know about.
In public, you would never pick them out as being an item. He was far too arrogant and she was too liberal. There was no way in all the world that these two should rightly have been together.
In private... there were very rare moments that the others were so privileged to see. Like at a dinner that Quatre held for no reason a couple of weeks ago. They had all been seated around the massive table in Quatre's dining room. After everyone was served, Sally gently ushered the server out and took it upon herself to pour the drinks. She offered a toast and then kissed Wufei lightly on the cheek. No one could blame the alcohol because it was the first drink of the night. He returned it full on her lips. It was a very rare moment that all had cherished.
Trowa had swore that if ever he had a woman to love that she would know it every second of the day, as would the whole world.
He thought about Quatre. Quatre had managed to find love in a brown-eyed girl that he met three months after the wars were over which gave them only four months together. Yet it seemed as though they had known each other for ages. For a while everyone thought that he and Dorothy were going to hit it off forever but their relationship changed in a mutual manner. They eventually split up, going their own ways. She met a man named Jake Warring who took her off to L5 and Quatre met his beautiful, little Tenice Anderson.
-That- was a love he wanted.
They were so affectionate and caring. It didn't matter to them that their display of emotion seemed to spark a negative return from Heero or Wufei. It didn't matter to him that Irea and three of his other sisters didn't approve of her. He loved her and had told his sisters that when they dated her, then they could complain.
Trowa admired that about Quatre. He always seemed to have his wits about him and never lost his head when it came to her. His heart? Perhaps that was a different story. Trowa smiled at the thought. It was a fleeting smile. He envied Quatre and Tenice.
Then there was Lucrezia Noin and Milliardo Peacecraft. Everyone had been bustling around them as their wedding was approaching. It was going to be in seven weeks on December thirty-first.
It would be a wedding that no one would forget. The planning -alone- was something no one would forget! Renting of the reception hall, setting caterers and getting the dress style that fit Lucrezia's ever changing mind was enough to make even the most patient person go mad! Then there were the color schemes. Black and purple, black and red, red and silver, silver and teal and the many other colors that she went through! Maddening!
The only thing that was certain was that they would both be wearing white, Heero -who somehow managed to get himself elected as best man, would be in black and the others would be in gray. Relena didn't even have a dress to start! Neither did Tenice or Catherine because Lucrezia was unable to decide which she liked better. Long or short, ankle length or above the knee, strapless, spaghetti strap, cap sleeve, long sleeve… Trowa shuttered. He didn't believe he knew so much about sleeves of a dress!
But he knew that they loved each other. Despite the constant whining that Milliardo did, he knew that he wouldn't have traded in this moment with Lucrezia for anything in the world.
That's what Trowa wanted. Someone that he could trade in all his memories of pain for. Someone who could make him smile even when he felt to kill. Who could take away his pain and replace it with love and peace.
Was she out there?
His attention then went to Duo. Since Hilde left, he'd been the resident bachelor, next to Trowa. He stated that it would take some time to get over her leaving and for the time he was going to just leave well enough alone. Two weeks later he was out playing the field. That was almost two weeks before Tenice came into Quatre's life.
All was fun and games until Duo's playing field started getting a bit too close for comfort. Trowa was uncomfortable with it, but it had only happened twice in the past six weeks. He had a hard time picturing his loving sister who was so kind and caring, dating Duo. Duo who was so... full of hormones and being rather obnoxious lately.
But, so long as it had not blossomed into anything further, Trowa felt ok with it. It wasn't that he didn't want her to be happy... he just didn't want her to be happy with Duo! He had a secret wish that Hilde would come back and take Duo away. Or at least relieve him of a -few- of the hormones that raged within. He chuckled dryly. It didn't seem likely.
Once he realized that he was concentrating on Duo's sex life, he knew it was time to go.
-So long as his sexual drive does not include my sister! Other wise...
Trowa pushed away from the railing and walked down the path. People passed him, smiling at him. Couples smiled at him... or at each other. It didn't matter to him, though. He kept walking.
As he continued on the path, he spotted a young woman huddled beneath a tree. She was wrapped in an oversized sweater and stretch pants. Terribly under dressed for the weather, he noted. He could see that she held her ankle near her body, almost protecting it from the cold.
He continued walking but didn't stop looking at her. A sudden sense of concern washed itself over him.
She stared off into the distance, seeing nothing or no one. Only the blank space before her knew her thoughts.
Slowly the shops grew nearer in his path. The warm aroma of coffee, cider and cinnamon caught his thoughts but did not entice him. And then he had an idea.
Without even thinking twice he walked back to the park. The girl still sat there oblivious to the world or the cold around her. Quickly, he removed his jacket and walked up to her. Her skin was soft and pale. The color of her eyes permeated through his. They were the color of a soft summer sky hazy blue. Her hair was a golden brown, wrapped in a braid at the back of her head. She was beautiful.
"Excuse me... Miss...."
He wrapped her in his jacket, enveloping the heat from his body around the cold of hers. At first she struggled against him but the sensation of the heat around her calmed her instantly.
She looked up into deep green eyes. Caring eyes, sensitive eyes... troubled eyes. These eyes were unlike the dark eyes of the oriental man she had first ran into two days ago. Unlike the blue eyes that yelled down at her even before the voice did that same day when her ankle suffered its damage. In turn, that day had brought her to her current condition and situation.
"Can I buy you some coffee," Trowa asked.
"No," she replied. "I mean... I'd love nothing more..." she moved slightly hoping not to reveal her circumstance but was unaware that he had already noticed.
"You can't walk?"
She turned red at his words, as did he for having little consideration for her feelings.
"I'm sorry..." he said.
"No... no, it's um..." she avoided his eyes now.
"If you could... could I buy you some coffee? Dinner perhaps?"
Who was this guy? She stared up at him, snuggling into his jacket.
"Well..."
He smiled at her. Actually smiled at her and her radiating beauty. Without hesitation, he picked her up not feeling her weight. To him she was lighter than air. She screamed in shock and wrapped her arms around his neck.
"You aren't with... someone...?"
She giggled. "No!" He was dreamy. "I better not be," her voice chimed. She was filled with a touch of excitement.
He carried her all the way to the Coffee shop and set her up in a corner booth where she could sit with her leg up.
"Hey Joe, can I have a couple of pillows and a compress?"
The man on the other side of the counter moved and pulled out two pillows from underneath the cash register. "Hot or cold, Sir?"
Trowa looked at her ankle. "Both."
After setting her up with her own cup of coffee and the first ten minutes of changing the compresses, he finally sat down to drink his with her.
"You are a really sweet person," she spoke softly.
Four hours later they had talked about everything they could think of. He told her about being a Gundam pilot and she told him about her own days as a pilot of a Mobil suit and how honored she was to know him. They talked about their friends and favorite music and food and what they liked to do in their spare time. She told him of the incident two days ago that caused her to be the little invalid she was now. He reproached whoever these nameless fools were and swore to her that he would never have done anything like that to her and if ever he saw them that he would let them know that it wasn't right to treat a lady that way. If he only knew. The only thing they did not talk about was the pain behind the other's eyes.
"What's your name?" His voice was soft and obviously felt time to ask.
She stared at him. That was a piece of information she was reluctant to give. Sharing the name meant stepping further into a relationship, regardless of what it was.
"Mine's Trowa. Trowa Barton."
-No! You're not supposed to do that!
"Myrna. Myrna McPierson."
"Well, Myrna McPierson... it is my pleasure to know you!"
She smiled at him. Sharing, she realized, wasn't such a bad thing after all!
AC 199 (November 19)
Tears fell from Trowa's eyes as he stared at the motionless body that lay in the bed in front of him. He remembered the day he met her and had been thinking about it all evening. In four days it would be two years since that day and in three months they would celebrate their first year of marriage. In the last six weeks, she had been the victim of a random shooting where she worked with Relena as the secretary of the Vice Foreign Minister.
Trowa was still going through anger issues. He had even told Heero that he wished it was Relena and not Myrna. Hero was angered and upset by it but he never took it past that.
Three weeks ago, Myrna's body could no longer sustain the life inside of her. The doctors performed an emergency cesarean in an attempt to save the child who was only five months mature within her womb. A week ago, they lost the little boy.
His son, whom he named in honor of Myrna's wishes, lived only to be two weeks old. She wanted him to be named after the man who broke her of her treacherous pain of the past and then in memory of her father. Hence the child's name, Trowa Adan Barton.
Heero walked into the room where Trowa sat. Machines hummed around the body of his friend's young wife.
"Trowa," he whispered.
He hoped to be able to lure Trowa out of the room in an attempt for him to get some rest.
"I'm -not- leaving," he said roughly. "She -needs- me."
It had been six weeks and he had not once left her side for more than minutes at a time. He was faithful. Heero pleaded a silent prayer of forgiveness from Myrna and did the unthinkable. He grabbed Trowa from behind and in two swift and violent moves he had his friend pinned to the bathroom door.
"She -needs- you to be strong, Trowa! Right now... you are not..."
The two stared at each other, both holding a death wish to the other.
"You can't make me leave," Trowa seethed.
Heero stood his ground with Trowa still pinned to the door behind him. As he was unmoving, two others walked into the room. When they stood firmly behind him, he loosened his grip on Trowa, letting him go.
"No, but -we- can," Heero spoke.
Trowa looked up to see Duo and Wufei staring at him from behind Heero.
"We will not let anything happen to her, Trowa, but we are looking out for our own first."
Trowa held Duo in a vice grip with his eyes.
"Is -that- your wife lying there, Duo? Did your -son- die because his mother could no longer sustain him thanks to some bastard who decided to open fire in hopes to kill..."
"Say it, Trowa. You haven't let it go by since it happened," Heero breathed without emotion. He was angry but knew that if Trowa sensed it that he would go into a rage.
"Are you -that- weak, Barton? That you can't even -see- that you are dong no good by her side with the condition you're in?" Wufei stepped closer to Trowa with Heero holding him back. "Can you not -see- that she is still lying there because she can feel -your- weakness? You -lost- your child, Trowa. Nothing will ever change that. Be thankful that you haven't lost her too!"
Trowa stared at her through his tears. Her golden colored hair surrounded her like an aura. Even in this state, she was beautiful. It was the machines that took away from her.
Quatre walked in the room. His eyes were soft and sad.
"Trowa... she -does- need you... to be strong."
Trowa tore his eyes away from the sculpture of beauty that lay lifeless in front of him.
"Come with me, Trowa. Nothing is going to happen to her."
Reluctantly he moved toward Quatre. When he made a move toward Myrna, Duo stopped him by placing a hand on his shoulder.
"That's my wife! Can't I even kiss her good-bye?"
He stared into Duo's eyes, trying to understand why he would keep him from her.
"Why don't you wait and kiss her hello, my friend."
"Let's go," Quatre insisted.
Trowa looked at her lovingly and then at these four young men with ravishing anger. Why would they do this to him? He didn't understand. Seconds later he was walking down the hall in tow of Quatre, Duo and Wufei.
~Early a.m. the next day~
Catherine and Duo stared at the sleeping boy on the bed.
"Hardly a boy anymore," she whispered as she walked over to Trowa's side and sat down gently on the edge of the bed. He didn't move. How long had it been since he last slept?
-Really- slept? She brushed his hair away from his face. He stirred but only briefly. She could tell that he was exhausted.
"Myrna..." he whispered in his sleep.
A tear escaped Catherine's eye as she watched her baby brother struggle in his dreams to save the life of the woman he loved.
"Cat...we should leave him..."
Duo stared at the vision of loveliness sitting on the bed. Everyday he noticed something new about her. One day it was how beautiful she looked in jade green. Another it was how the color of her lipstick, strange as it was, brought out the color of her eyes. Still on another day, he noticed how delicate her hands really were. Today it was how her red curls fell down the length of her back but managed to frame her face in front.
How long could he go on like this? He knew Trowa's feelings concerning the two of them. It hadn't changed in the past two years or so. And even if it had, did -she- think of him that way?
-That way? -What- way? This isn't a sexual thing!
"Duo!" Catherine stood in front of him, smiling with a look of surprise. "Let's go," she whispered as she pushed him out the door gently latching it behind her.
"Any change?" Quatre made his inquiry of the two who entered the kitchen.
"No," Duo replied.
"Poor thing. He's completely drained," Catherine added.
"What about Myrna?"
Quatre shook his head. "Heero called about ten minutes ago... nothing."
"Give it some time," Wufei suggested. He walked in to the bay area of the kitchen and sat down. "She'll come around," he stated as he lifted up the paper and began silently reading.
Quatre and Duo stared at each other, confused at Wufei's words. Catherine arched her eyebrows at him. No one said anything.
Heero and Relena had finally come to terms with each other's feelings. It didn't happen at her brother's wedding as it was hoped; instead it happened at Trowa's. For the moment, acknowledgement was as far as they were willing to take it. Relena stared through the tempered glass at Heero. He sat in the chair next to Myrna. It was not -that- that bothered her. It was the fact that he was holding her hand. She left not wanting to see anything more. Heero's heart belonged to her and she knew that.
"Myrna," Heero spoke softly. "Sweetheart, I know you and I haven't been the best of friends all this time..."
He sighed. This was new to him... talking to someone at their bedside in the hospital.
-Can you even hear me? Do you -want- to hear me? You'd rather be listening to Trowa, I'm sure but... we had to do it.
"Myrna... you've been a wonderful friend to Relena and... I know she..."
He fidgeted in his chair. He was about to audibly say something that he didn't think he could say. It was to his advantage that the person he chose was incoherent and incapacitated.
His eyes fell upon her as a whole being. She was like an angel. He could see why Trowa had fallen for her as quickly as he did. If his feelings for Relena had not been what they were, he might have fallen for her as well.
"Well... you already know that I am in love with her... but less known... Myrna, you have to wake up."
He caressed her hand. The smoothness of her skin made him want to leave her side and go to Relena but he wouldn't do that to Trowa.
"See... because I know that my Sweetness is going to want you as her matron of honor. And I can't marry her until you are able to fulfill that position. So... selfish as it is... I really need you to wake up! Well... so does Trowa. He is a mess Myrn!
"If you don't wake up soon, I may just have to see to it myself that he is set up right next to you."
It was more of an attempt to cheer himself up because there was nothing else that he could think to do.
~LTSD~
Wufei walked in to find Heero asleep on the chair. He still held her hand.
"Heero," he announced.
Heero opened his eyes and lay her hand on the flat surface beside her body.
In his move to exit he asked about Trowa and then left Wufei to begin his shift.
Wufei stared at the girl. She was so tiny without the melon in her belly. They had often teased that even at five months she had appeared to have swallowed a watermelon. She would retaliate with a punch to their arm when they inflicted pain on her self-esteem but she knew they were harmless as they knew the same of her.
He remembered his first two encounters with her. The first being the day she literally ran into him. His voice had shattered more of her world than he knew.
The second time was when Trowa introduced her a week later. It was a memory he could laugh at now.
-NOW-, he thought with a smirk.
--"Hey guys... this is Myrna McPierson. Myrna..."
A girl standing in crutches stood slightly behind him.
"You!" she yelled. "-You- are such a jerk! I cannot believe this is actually happening to me!"
"Excuse me?" Wufei demanded.
"You two have met," Trowa offered.
"Remember the... -jerks- I mentioned?" Trowa nodded. "He's one of them!"
"No!" Trowa remarked playfully. "Not our happy little Wufei!"
"Laugh it up, Small Fry," Wufei sneered at Trowa.
"I will have you know that even though you are - obviously - a man with no sense and without a -clue- of the directions of the future... you are STILL a pompous, arrogant man who gives no thought or consideration to others!" She paused after yelling at him and took another leap. "_JERK_!"- -
It was then that he had realized who she was. He remembered Sally's reaction to her. It took him -and- Heero to calm her down at the words of this girl that Trowa had brought around. It wasn't until Duo came around that Heero realized that -they, Duo and Wufei- were the ones who would be needing protection from her.
--"Who do you think you are, coming in here and talking to my man that way?" She reached for the girl who was at least a foot shorter. "You little wench! Nobody talks to him that way..."- -
Heero and Wufei jumped in, holding her back. Nobody knew what had come over her that day but afterward; hers and Wufei's feelings became more open. He wasn't so worried about what others thought anymore, that was for certain.
As he watched her breathing, he thought back to the days of his piloting Nataku. It was a time he did not want to remember but somehow the stored memories opened themselves up to him.
Trowa sat up in bed with a great urgency to have to go to the bathroom. As he relieved his bladder of the pressure, he thought about his wife. Myrna lay in the hospital with someone -else- by her side.
He turned on the shower and dropped his pajama pants to the floor. He water was hot but not comforting on his body. The water rushed over him, drenching him. He felt its attempt to wash him clean and free of the pain he felt but it could not take the pain away. It could not wash away the fact that his son was lost forever and his wife seemed to be following him.
They had only begun their life together and now it was being shattered. For Trowa it was not enough that the perpetrator had been caught and now awaited his execution for what the courts called premeditated murder of an innocent bystander who happened to be a five-month-old fetus. That fetus which was his son. His mission was to kill Vice Foreign Minister Darlien but he failed miserably.
In all his life Trowa had never wanted to die so much as he did at this moment. It had even crossed his mind to take her life as well as his own so that they could be forever together with their son. Heero and Quatre talked him down from the edge of death where he had been standing since the news of the death of little Trowa Adan.
It had only been a week but they had managed somehow to convince him that suicide wasn't the way to go.
--"Trowa. You lost your son! Your wife is still holding on and when she wakes up she is going to need you to help her heal the pain in her heart!" Heero had said this while shaking him by the shoulders.
"And when that pain is healed, perhaps then God will bless you and give you another one to love and enjoy." Quatre said softly.--
They were both only trying to help. His pain wrenched itself in his chest and to ease it he punched the ceramic tile. He shattered the composition of glass and color that was the wall of the shower. In so doing, he broke skin, sending blood splattering all over the wall and on his body. He watched as it mixed with the water and washed down the drain. There was no pain in his fist.
Seconds later there was a knock at the bathroom door.
"Trowa... are you ok?"
-No I am not ok.
"What the hell do you think," he yelled above the water.
He knew Quatre was concerned but he was tired of everyone asking him that senseless question.
Finally, he shut off the water and toweled off as best he could. Wrapped in a towel, he stepped out of the bathroom letting the steam escape from its tiny cell.
Quatre turned away allowing him to get dressed before taking it upon himself to tend to Trowa's bloody fist. Neither said a word as Quatre bandaged the weapon that had destroyed the bathroom wall.
When Quatre was finished Trowa stood up, put on a shirt and walked out. Down stairs he ran into Duo who -again- asked if he was alright.
Trowa took a giant leap to Duo, grabbed him by the shirt collar and despite the pain he now felt in his hand and ignoring the ripping of the bandage, tackled and pinned the long haired man to the floor.
Now it was Trowa's eyes that were consumed with the evil of death.
"No!" he banged Duo on the hardwood floor. "I am NOT Freakin' alright! Do you understand? I- am- not- Alright! So stop asking!"
Duo was not going to be the victim in this. He wrestled Trowa off of him and both headed at each other in rage.
"All you Flppin' do is think about yourself, Trowa! You are so self absorbed that you can't even see who your friends are!" Duo yelled as he and Trowa threw punches at each other and were wrestling in the middle of the front room.
Heero and Quatre came scrambling into the room pulling the two apart.
"That's enough! -Both- of you," Heero yelled.
Duo struggled against Heero's grip and finally succeeded at freeing himself.
"Ya know what your problem is, Barton? You are a -Real- asshole," he fumed before storming off.
Trowa ignored him; turning around he opened the door and left the house.
"Heero," Quatre admonished, "he can't go to the hospital."
Heero knew he was right. The purpose of getting him away from there was so that she would not feel his fleeing energy and negative emotion. And so that -he- could rest and regain his strength. So that he could focus on helping her to come back instead of pushing her further into the dark confines of the come she was in.
"Wufei's there. He'll take care of it."
Quatre looked at his watch. "It's my turn anyway... I'll go too," he impelled.
Heero acknowledged and went in the opposite direction to find Duo. He had half the mind to hit the man himself.
Fifteen minutes later, Heero found Duo standing on a hill staring down at the crashing waters below. It was getting late.
Heero walked up and handed his friend the jacket he had left behind. In Duo's rage he walked out without it not feeling any of the coldness that nipped at his skin in forms of drizzle.
"Thanks," he managed as he drew it over his shoulders and slipped it on.
"He's hurting, Duo."
Duo felt a sudden feeling of being attacked.
"Don't you think I know that, Heero?" He looked at his friend now. Heero stared into the darkness of Duo's eyes. -He- was hurting also. "All I did was ask if he was alright."
Heero looked away.
"He doesn't need that right now. He needs us to be strong so that he can feed off of it and if we pour out negative emotion -that- is what he'll take in and neither of them need that."
Duo felt sudden defeat. He didn't know what to do. And on top of the concern he felt for his friend, there was anew emotion. It was not something he could describe or even remember feeling, not even with Hilde. It was a feeling he had to brush aside because this time was about Trowa, not himself.
"Let it go," Heero advised as he sensed the self-conflict going on inside Duo. "One thing at a time," he added.
It was now eight p.m. Quatre had relieved Wufei hours ago and had warned that Trowa was on the rampage. He passed on the details of Trowa's shower wall and Duo's broken pride. Wufei had replied that he would take care of it and Quatre guessed that he had since Trowa had not shown up.
Now it was Quatre who watched the seemingly lifeless body of his best friend's wife.
"You know, Myrna..." he laughed slightly. "Trowa is a real pain without you by his side! Look... not that I want to rush you or anything..." he thought about his words. "Well... ok, yes I do... because we really need you to come rescue us from him! He's making us all crazy!" Though he was highly serious, he spoke to her in a jovial manner. "You missed it this afternoon," he laughed. "I thought Duo was going to lose his head!"
He thought of the enmity between herself and Duo. Harmless as it was, they each got on each other's nerves and after a while sort of became the other's lead in harassing the other. Trowa didn't like that they continually bickered back and forth in each other's presence but they acted as though they were related.
--"How could siblings act like that? Look at Catherine and myself! We don't go on and around like that!"
"Maybe they're distant cousins," remarked Quatre with a smile.
"Ah... you guys just don't know how to have fun," Duo chimed.--
It was a charm Duo had to invoke evil in others through the power of mischievous words. Those very words had started another bout between the two.
Quatre laughed to himself as the memory flooded away.
"Where are you Myrna? Come back... Trowa is lost without you. Besides," he cautiously looked around, "you -have- to be able to make it to the wedding! I don't think Heero can hold out much longer," he prodded Myrna's arm, "if you know what I mean!"
That was a thought that made him laugh out loud. Relena drove Heero up the wall in more ways than one! They all knew, even if it was Heero's desire to keep it from them, that he was planning on asking her. It was a given and they led him to believe that they knew of no such intention on his part.
The others; himself, Trowa, Duo, Wufei and even Milliardo had a bet going to see if they would wait for the actual wedding night. Quatre and Trowa felt almost certain that they would but Milliardo and Duo gave him to the night before. Trowa, in observing Heero's reaction to her, changed his mind and agreed with Wufei that they wouldn't even wait till he -asked- her much less the day itself. It would be too much for Heero, they had said.
Lucrezia snapped Milliardo into place reminding him that they were talking about the purity of his baby sister.
--"Yeah! Don't talk about my sweet, little innocent sister like that!"- -
Quatre laughed at the memory.
"Do you remember their enchanted moment, Myrna? Heero refusing to dance with her until you insisted that Trowa take a spin with her?" He was amused at this new memory that was forming in his head.
The wedding had been beautiful. Tenice, Relena and Sally were decked to the hilt in strapless gowns that had dazzled their figures, enticing -all- the men. Myrna was in a more extravagant style dress, fitting to her own contours, shaping her in all the right places.
At the reception, they had music and food and fun. Duo had managed to bring in a live band; Quatre paid for the cake and caterers as his gift to them. Heero brought plenty of champagne and Wufei rented the limousine that carried them away at the end of the night.
The band had just finished a song to the newly married couple and now started a song for all the lovers, wannabe's included, that were waiting for their chances to dance. Heero did not ask Relena to dance. The next song was also a slow song, mainly for Trowa and Myrna. Heero still did not ask Relena to dance.
Finally with her own request, Myrna left the dance floor to ask the band if they knew the music to a song she had heard once called "Where Are You?" When they replied that they did, she walked over to Trowa and whispered something in his ear. The others watched. In the middle of the room, beneath the music of the band, Trowa laughed.
As the current song ended, she gave Trowa a loving kiss and walked up to the stage and incorporated the lead singer into a duet of her requested music.
Seconds after she began singing, Trowa remembered his orders and walked over to Relena. He bowed to her and extended his arm to her. She wore a clear look that stated her feelings. -Finally!
As Trowa led her to the floor, all could see Heero in a sort of protest. He watched Trowa hold her close and swing her around gently and dance gracefully with her in his arms.
-And Myrna's -singing- to them? This is unfair ploy of tactics, he thought to himself.
In the middle of the song, Quatre caught on and cut into Trowa's dance. By the end of the song, all the Gundam pilots had danced with her. When the song was over, Heero tapped Milliardo on the shoulder, who was now hugging his little sister. When Milliardo turned around, Heero gave him a confrontational glare and grabbed Relena's arm. He pulled her away from the group and stopped shy of a wooden beam that divided the dance floor from the tables. He looked into her eyes. The band had begun plying one of their own favorite hits of love, undoubtedly by Trowa's or Duo's request, and all eyes watched as Heero, in slow motion, moved forward. He embraced her and mouthed something to her. As tears fell from her eyes he leaned in and kissed her.
Quatre shook the memory away. It had been a very amusing night. But now, he stared at the reason behind the memory. He hadn't noticed the doctor come in and now stared up at the man who checked her vital signs.
"How is she, doctor?"
The man scratched his head and then rubbed his chin.
"Well... she's not getting any worse... but not better either," was the reply as he left the room.
Quatre looked back down at her.
"Myrna... come back," he commanded softly.
Trowa stood by himself at the bridge over Calypso's Pass. The night winds burned against him. A full day had passed and he hadn't gone to see her. Now that he was away from her side, he couldn't bring himself to go back. He was broken enough with he events of his most recent past. It was hard enough knowing that she lay in a fight for her life and he was helpless in that battle. He wanted to win this war for her but he couldn't.
-Why do I feel so useless now? Myrna! You can't leave me!
Tears fell from his eyes, streaming endlessly from some opened tap deep within. All the days of his life came crashing down on him. Every bitter memory he had of all the pain he had ever endured resurfaced, clouding him with even more darkness.
The piece by piece show in front of his mind's eye revealed to him every single ounce of endless agony that he went through in his life.
He cried out in response to those graphic pictures that taunted him. The sound of his plea disappeared in the chasm of water below. It had become the sound of the howling winds and crushing waves three and a half miles below.
"-Myrna------," he cried out and fell to his knees against the rail. The pain consumed him, over took him. He no longer felt the winds or saw the stars between the passing clouds. Now there was only darkness.
Wufei kicked the door open, carrying a heavy burden on his shoulders.
"Get a blanket," he called to Heero and yelled for Duo to grab some dry clothing.
The two had entered the front room a the sound of the crashing door and were now scrambling at Wufei's orders.
Moments later they were stripping Trowa of his wet garments, giving little thought to what he was going to feel like when he learned that three of the closest people in his life were seeing a part of him that had been reserved for Myrna.
Duo brought this thought to the others' attention.
"Well Duo, it's not like we're looking to engage in that reservation," Heero replied dryly.
To this, Duo stepped back; appalled that Heero would say such a thing and then remembered that -he- was the one who brought it up.
Seconds later, he was clothed in dry sweatpants and a sweatshirt and wrapped in a blanket. Wufei laid him on the couch and threw another log on the fire.
"What good are you to her now," he spoke harshly and left his side as he muttered under his breath.
An hour later, Catherine kneeled in front of him. She wiped the sweat and moved to let him out of the blanket but was stopped by Wufei's harshness.
"What are you doing, Woman?"
She looked up at him.
"He's burning up! I was just..."
"Leave him! If you take off the blanket, he -will- get sick. Let him sweat it out. Trust me, by morning he'll be fine," he snarled at her.
"But..."
"-Leave- him, I said. Damn Women! That's all you ever think about is the comfort of the weak! Perhaps if they were more -uncomfortable- they would be stronger!"
Catherine looked into his dark eyes. At one point she would have had no problem punching those words out of his vocabulary. The look in his eyes revealed deep concern and emotion that must have only been for Sally and his four comrades because it was a new look for her.
She did as he commanded and left the blanket alone. He watched silently as she patted the sweat away and then took his leave from the room.
~Next Day~
Quatre had fallen asleep resting his head on the edge of the bed. He was shaken awake, lightly by Duo's hand.
Opening his eyes, he sat up slowly and stretched. He looked at his watch, rubbed his eyes and then looked at Duo.
A small bruise on Duo's cheek was all that remained of the quarrel of fists he had with Trowa.
"Go home. Rescue Trowa from Catherine and Wufei," Duo urged. Quatre's eyes widened in confusion. "They'll explain," he said as he ushered the sleepy-eyed young man out the door.
"I'm sure Myrna would want -you- to stick up for him."
Quatre left hurriedly as he took in Duo's tone. Between Catherine and Wufei, the only things keeping them apart from the person between them were the words: HELP ME.
Duo took his place by the bed, sitting himself in the now vacant chair. Almost as quickly as he sat down, a young woman followed by two orderlies entered.
"Sir, You'll have to step out for a moment," she commanded.
Duo hesitated at first but at the sight of a large needle and some gauze, he knew that they needed to run a test on her or do something that consisted of medical stuff. He shuttered and left. Out side he waited patiently for them to be done. Seconds later, two more orderlies, pushing a gurney with sheet folded on it, entered.
"Good! They're changing her sheets."
After another five or six minutes they left, assuring him that it was safe to enter.
He walked back in and sat down in the chair.
"Hey," he said half expecting her to answer. "You're looking rather well, today!"
-Sheesh! That's comforting! Can't I even think of something else to say?
"I bet you're wondering what I'm doing her, huh? Me, of all people!" He smiled at her. She did not return the smile. He was somewhat disheartened.
"I never knew Trowa had such a good left hook," he mused. "You're lucky to have never encountered it!"
-Duh! He mentally kicked himself at his words.
"Well... you know what I mean! So..." He sat back in the chair and looked around the room. It was bare accept for the machines. There were no flowers, no pictures, and no cards- nothing.
"Your room is nice!" He rolled his eyes.
For countless minutes he sat in silence, listening to the hum of the machines, hearing her heart pattern on the monitor and watching the even rhythm of the rise and fall of her chest.
-Duo! Stop looking at her chest!
-What? I was watching her Breathe!
This was too much. He was having an argument with himself. He knew that he wasn't doing anything -wrong- it was just the thoughts that raced through his head.
The window called to him. He got up and walked to it. Outside the room were doctors and patients, visitors and staff; your everyday hospital scene.
"Myrna... you can't leave us! Once you came into Trowa's life, you came into our world."
It made him feel like she was there when he imagined something that only she would say.
-"Well then..." he heard her voice in his mind, "serves me right for all the wrong I've done!"
It was not helping. No matter what he did, he could not bring himself to imagine her sitting up and smiling at him. Much less arguing back.
"Perhaps I shouldn't be here... I -am- the god of Death, after all."
Again, he imagined her rebuttal.
-"You? Despite what little efforts you pulled in the war, there is no way that -you- could even kill a fly!"
-Yeah... a fly.
He stepped away from the window and turned to her. Her form seemed to be at peace with the universe. She was out there somewhere. Waiting, hoping... searching. Searching for her child and husband. One who left and the other who had been taken from her.
-No... that wasn't right. They were -both- taken from her. One by death and the other by force.
"He has to be strong for you Myrna. Right now..." it was an ever passing phrase about Trowa. "He's not."
He obeyed the chair that called to him and returned to a seated position. Elbows resting on the arms of the chair, fingers clasped in front of him, eyes staring at the seemingly lifeless object in front of him; he remembered their second encounter.
He walked into the foyer of the house after hearing Sally go off about someone talking to Wufei in a manner that she had reserved for herself.
Upon the sight of Sally's adversary, he almost choked.
--"-YOU-!" he yelled.
The girl looked up trying to remove Trowa's protection away.
"Me? What do you mean -ME-?"
Duo forced his way past Sally and Wufei and Heero and stood in front of Trowa's glare.
"You! You're the one who ran into me the other day! You ruined a perfectly good cake, I'll have you know!"
"Oh suck it up and stuff it, Braid boy! You got another one... I saw you!" she yelled at him.
Trowa smirked and had to clear his throat to keep from laughing.
"Let me guess... jerk number two?"
"I can't believe you know them -both-," she muttered.
"What?" Duo exclaimed in fury. Then he noticed her stance. "Why the crutches?"
"You didn't bother to help her up or see if she was ok," Trowa said. "She told me all about it. Not very nice, Duo." He would have taken it upon himself to do just as he told her he was going to do if his thoughts hadn't been interrupted.
"So wait..." Wufei glowered at her. "You're saying that you ran into Duo too? Damn woman! I told you to LOOK where you were going!"
Trowa stood ready to defend her but had not need. Sally stepped back into her less than loving self at Wufei, staring him back away from the girl.
"Is that the way you treat a perfect stranger?" Her growl at him made the others flinch.
"And you!" She thumped Duo on the shoulder. "I'd expect that you wold have had mores sense than that! Both of you are egotistical, self-centered, introverted jack-asses!"
She screamed at them with full force and then turned to Wufei. "And -because- you do not know how to treat civilians with -respect-..." she glared at him. Ignoring the other's look of sheer shock at her, in front of them all, she punched him. Then she turned to Duo who put his hands up in front of him to show his surrender and stepped back from her.--
Duo received a striking blow from her, much worse than Wufei's, he thought. Wufei's pride had been broken, knocked less than to significant proportions but Duo...
Sally had grabbed his braid and yanked hard on it until he was at a kneeling position.
--"Look at what you've done, Duo!"
Duo looked at the wrapped ankle and then up at the startled eyes of the girl. He remembered his words to Joe. -"Now I'll Never get to apologize."-
"I... I'm sorry!" He would have much rather been struck in the face instead!
At the escape of the words, Sally let go of his braid and eyed the girl.
"They ever treat you like that again, you come see -ME-!"
With that said, she stormed off, disgusted and retreating at the violence she had just given birth to.--
It was later learned that she killed that very violence with tears of pleading forgiveness to a black-eyed Wufei.
Duo momentarily remembered the pain at the back of his neck and then remembered Myrna's words that she had spoken some time later.
--"Damn well that it wasn't me because believe me! I wanted to!"-
He laughed.
"Myrna... how -did- you get mixed up in all of this anyway?"
Quatre had walked into the sitting room where Wufei and Catherine glared at each other over a sleeping Trowa.
"What's going on?"
Catherine stood unmoved- unmoving-, as did Wufei.
"Nothing," he answered with a fierce growl.
"Oh no?" Catherine's harsh tone revealed a no-nonsense attitude. "Then you will have no problem in my taking him to see her when he wakes up!"
"-Woman-!"
"Uh... guys... Catherine..."
"Shut Up, Quatre," she yelled.
"You -aren't- taking him anywhere! I -told- you, Woman! He is WEAK! -She- needs strength, not this," he pointed down at the defeated body wrapped in blankets.
"His -WIFE- is lying in the hospital! Or perhaps you don't remember what that felt like!"
It was an extremely low blow, even for her.
"Catherine!" Quatre chastised her. "You are shooting from the hip!" His words demonstrated his shock.
"-I- didn't have the opportunity to -sit- with my wife in the hospital," he returned. And if he had... what would have come of it anyway?
For a fleeting second Catherine saw his defenses fall but when she blinked, they were up again.
"Catherine... we took Trowa away from her because he needed to focus on becoming
-strong- for her. She can -feel- him and if she feels defeat..." Quatre trailed off.
Catherine fell beside her brother. Tears fell from her eyes. Wufei left the room in bitter silence and Quatre did nothing to stop him as he stared at the woman on the floor next to the couch.
"Ca... thrin..."
She looked up to see Trowa staring at her dazed and confused. At the sight of her tears he bolted upright and made a move to get up but the blankets tangled him.
"What is it," he demanded not really wanting the answer.
"Nothing, little Brother."
"Myrna..." he called.
Catherine reached up, placing a soft hand on his arm. "She's fine, Trowa. These tears..." she felt embarrassed now, "are because I'm and idiot."
"What?" Trowa was confused.
"No you're not, Catherine. You thought you were doing the right thing..." Quatre walked around the couch and stood in front of them. "It was a perfectly normal gesture on your part... unfortunately, not one that we, as his friends, can allow."
Trowa lay back on the couch and once again closed his eyes. Immediately his fatigued body rested back into its dark world, not fighting- only resting.
For days it went on like this. Each one took turns sitting with Myrna while the another sat with Trowa.
Very rarely did any of them see their significant other; causing a bit of hostility as Catherine was the only female allowed in to see him. Quatre, the others thought, was lucky because Tenice was very understanding. She had taken this time away from him to visit relatives in the L1 Cluster.
Relena and Sally weren't so forgiving. They each knew that their respective men had only eyes for them but it was hard to understand -why- exactly the men couldn't sit with Trowa and the women, or at least Catherine or Relena, couldn't sit with Myrna.
Milliardo did his best in trying to explain.
"Relena… Trowa -needs- their strength and if that means that they have to sit with her for him to grow stronger then that's what they have to do. If Heero took time away from the mission he chose to accept just to satisfy your needs… Trowa would begin picking up on negative emotion.
"When that happens, the others become frustrated, sending out more negativity causing for a much worse scenario. Fire doesn't work against itself, it grows." He sighed. "The flames become stronger, thicker… more deadly than if it was being quenched with water."
Relena cried. She didn't want to be the growing flames.
"Sal… Wufei is having a difficult moment right now. He is consumed with the need to kick Trowa in the head because of his weakness but at the same time protect him from that very same thing."
Lucrezia tried to help Sally come down from her irate state of mind.
"He's not like that, Lucrezia. Wufei doesn't concern himself with the trifling things."
"Do you think that Trowa's condition is trifling? If it was you on that bed and you could sense Wufei's weakness, would -you- not want his FRIENDS to do something to snap him out of it?"
Sally was angered by Lucrezia's words. Not the fact that she spoke from her heart but the fact that it was true. She was angered at herself.
"Besides… you KNOW how he feels about Catherine right now."
Sally gave a light sigh. "It'll pass."
~November 30~
Thanksgiving Day had came and went. Lucrezia and Milliardo held a small, informal gathering just to lighten the tension. They had given room for everyone to take a deep breath and just breathe.
Now, three days later, the tension was up again. The men with Trowa and Myrna and the women at their jobs.
Wufei sat across the table from Trowa, watching him stir his food. He was not interested in eating.
"What would Myrna say right now?" He asked the question to Trowa who stopped the movement of his fork on the plate.
Without giving thought, Trowa automatically responded as Wufei mouthed the words with him.
"If you don't eat, you damn well better not complain that you're hungry."
Trowa looked up at Wufei. Their eyes met and locked.
"So are you going to eat," he said to Trowa, "or would you prefer that I shove it down your throat?"
At the first bite Wufei could see that -now- Trowa was on his way to positive strength.
As more days passed by, the guys sat with Myrna, each one telling her a story of the day's events or their feelings; revealing their secrets to her, their true confessions of love and desire. She was the best target for such ranting because she could not tell the others, nor could she chastise, ridicule or advise them- the latter of the three being the down side.
Heero confessed his burning desire for Relena. He urged Myrna to wake up for his own selfish needs. Duo admitted his feelings for Catherine, or "Cat" he called her. Reminding her that Trowa would never allow such a thing, he sighed and pleaded for Myrna to talk to him about it… to no avail, as she was still unconscious.
Wufei defended himself against her silent accusations that he wanted to marry Sally. He did love her, but to take it that final step? He openly, with Much disgust, admitted his weakness. Fear that she would refuse him in that manner.
--"She loves you… that is certain."--
He heard her words in his mind of a conversation they had once had.
-Yeah, I know.
Quatre confided in her about his feelings for Tenice. He loved her and respected her. Stated that after two years of courtship, they should be ready for the next step but neither of them were. He asked Myrna what he should do and heard her silent response but felt that he could not do that.
Each one had at one point or another shared something with Trowa, feeding him with positive re-enforcement, building his strength back up. They could see that it was difficult for him at times because he envied their time with her. He had grown to understand that they kept him from her for both their sakes. Both he -and- his wife were getting stronger from this time apart. Her body was healing, as was his heart. It would be a difficult road when she woke because of the loss from within her motherly chamber but they could see that Trowa would be prepared for that moment.
~December 23~
Trowa and Duo sat in the living room. Trowa read a book on dealing with the loss of a child and Duo sat on the floor playing a video game on the TV.
An occasional outburst caused Trowa to look at the screen and then turn back to his reading.
"NO… no, no, no, no… Man!"
Trowa looked up at the screen. Duo had been playing some space warrior game and had lost. The words: "Deathscythe Hell Gunned Down- GAME OVER" blinked on the screen, flashing images of a battleship falling from the sky.
"And there you were… a big shot in that machine of yours! -Ch-… For shame, Duo!"
Duo turned off the screen and game turning to look at his friend.
"So how are ya, Pal?"
Trowa stared at him over his book.
"I don't know. Are you going to call me 'self absorbed'?"
"Are you going to hit me," Duo replied.
They both laughed. Trowa -laughed-. Duo blinked.
"T-Man! I think you're ready!"
"Ready for what," Quatre asked as he entered the room followed by Heero.
"He laughed," Duo said.
Hearing Duo's words, Quatre dramatically put a hand over his chest and stumbled backwards, gasping.
"What? Not Trowa!" he chided playfully.
Heero stared not amused at Quatre and then turned to Trowa.
"Well then… perhaps it is time."
~AC 200 June 5~
Trowa stared down the aisle at the angel that walked up form the back of the church. He waited patiently for her to arrive opposite him. When she did, he took in her beauty and held her in his mind. She was -his- angel.
The music that had been playing in the background had suddenly come to a screeching interruption. He could see her redness of embarrassment and could feel his own burning cheeks.
"Uh… oh… damn it… oh, sorry… wait… if I… OWE!"
"Duo… let me… stop! Duo!… Ugh!… Will you…"
"No, Cat… I got it… OoooW!"
"Ahem… sorry ladies and gentlemen…"
"Give me that…"
"Duo… I'm warning you!"
Everyone in the building laughed at the people behind the soundboard in the balcony or hid their faces of embarrassment for the people at the altar.
"Woman!"
Things just got worse.
"No… Hey! Don't do.."
"Let go, Woman!"
"Don't talk to her… Owe! Man, that hurt!"
"Good! It was supposed to!"
"Hey…"
"Shut up, Duo. Woman! Let go!"
With those words came the music right where it had left off.
"Continue," Wufei seethed on the intercom and left the balcony.
"Hey…" Duo cried out once more in protest to the loud *thump* they heard on the speaker. "That was my ear!"
"I know."
Everyone then turned their attention once again to the back of the church. Trowa looked up at his friend who stood almost ready to fall over either in agony or with excitement. He laughed to himself of the fact that Quatre had won the bet. His eyes wondered back to the -other- angel that approached. -She- was Heero's angel.
Milliardo walked her down the aisle and then handed her over to Heero with much joy.
Originally, Duo was supposed to be best man but he confided in Heero that he wouldn't feel right standing with Myrna and felt that he should ask Quatre or- who better, Trowa.
--"Besides," he had said, "I got this really cool system that I want to work… so I'll be in charge of the music!"
"Oooh… can I help?"-
It was a decision Heero was greatly regretting.
At the reception, they each said their piece to the newly-weds in which Myrna gave Relena a hug and whispered something in her ear.
Relena laughed with excitement and stood up. With as much of her gown as she could carry, she left Heero's side and ran to Lucrezia and Milliardo with Sally in tow.
Milliardo got up and left with Sally, causing a great disturbance in the room. Finally, Milliardo and Sally reappeared pushing in a giant cake and stopped it in front of the four chamberlains and groom who sat at the table. Relena stood next to Myrna, giddy as cold be, giving Heero a very intense feeling of suspicion. Then he noticed that -all- the young women were standing on the other side of the table.
Sally, Tenice and Catherine stood on opposite sides of Relena and Myrna. Lucrezia walked around the table and handed each of them a rolled paper tied with a purple string.
Relena spoke:
"I know this is mine and Heero's day," she looked around at all the guests who had joined them for this blissful event. "But Myrna has something she would like to say."
Milliardo had just handed all five girls a single red rose and then followed -his- wife back to their table.
Relena handed over the mic. and an envelope to Myrna and stood quiet.
Almost immediately, Myrna began to cry. Everyone waited. Heero coughed uncomfortably, still suspicious. Trowa wondered what they were going to do. Wufei eyed Sally with much interest in her moves, Quatre simply stared at the love of his life. Duo sat back, contemplating Catherine's thoughts, silently thanking both Trowa -and- Myrna for the privilege of Catherine's hand.
"Courtship ONLY, Duo!" Trowa was very adamant about that decision they day he gave his ok, to Duo.
"Ahem… it has come to my attention that Trowa went through a very rough stage when I… well… anyway," she paused staring into Trowa's eyes. "I learned that each of you," she began sobbing again and spoke in a high pitch, "took it upon yourselves," deep breath, "to take care of him. When I learned of the actions," sniff, "you took… my heart was filled with a sense of loyalty and respect to each of you."
Relena rubbed her friend's back as she tried to regain composure.
"And so… each of you has a piece of paper in your hand, a special thank you from the bottom of my heart because I am certain," many shallow breaths, "that if it had not been for you… I would not be here right now." She looked at the girls by her side. Deep breath, "It has also come to my attention that these four young ladies to my right and left," she paused taking a tissue from the box that had been mysteriously passed around and continued. "Have acted in less than formidable manners concerning those very actions… and so…" sniff, "I have them standing next to me with their own words to you."
She passed the microphone down to Sally who took it and stared into Wufei's eyes.
Sally began:
"With this rose
I offer you My heart.
I plead for forgiveness of the fool I've been
It is my desire to start fresh with you again."
She passed the mic to Tenice and walked up to Wufei, giving him the rose. Her eyes pleaded with his. He stood up, embraced her and kissed her. Leading her back to the place beside him, she cried and he forgave her.
Tenice began:
"Though it seems that I have been calm,
It has come down to God only knows…
It is the desire of my heart to be forgiven of my thoughts
And this is what I ask with this rose."
She passed the mic to Myrna who handed it to Relena. Tenice walked up to Quatre and gave him the symbol of her plea. His blue eyes were filled with tears as he accepted it and waited for her to come around the table. He stood up and hugged her, forgiving her of these thoughts that she hid from him so well.
It was Relena's turn.
-Ahem…
"I have been a jealous fool,
Envying your time for a friend.
I offer you this rose in hopes
That your heart you will let me mend."
Heero didn't care. He jumped over the table to her and held her close to him, kissing her. Tenice eyed the footprint on the tablecloth with much concern and stared curiously at the man who left it.
"I love you," he whispered and walked her around to be seated next to him where she belonged all the while holding the rose next to his heart.
Catherine and Myrna giggled and then Catherine began.
"It is with this rose that my heart demands of me
To seek out your Forgiveness for the way I tried to be.
So I ask you now
-If you can find some how…
The Strength to accept my apology."
Duo smiled his mischievous little grin, causing Trowa to tense ever so slightly. He edged her around the table and pulled her into his lap and kissed her passionately.
"HEY! That's NOT courting," Trowa protested.
Myrna giggled at the sight as everyone else gasped in sheer shock.
When he was finished he looked into her eyes and smiled. "I love you."
People were coughing, whispering, muttering and laughing at Trowa's look of complete shock.
"WHAT?" Trowa shouted.
Catherine, arms wrapped around Duo's neck, eyed him thoughtfully, considering his words and then looked at Trowa. "He said he loves me, Little Brother! And I love him back!"
Milliardo had just taken a sip of champagne and out it came as he leaned over trying not to get anyone, or himself, with it.
"Honey," Lucrezia chided giggling at him.
Wufei had almost pulled the same thing and now stared at the opposite end of the table with wide eyes.
Duo's eyes were wide also and his mouth was wider.
"Wha…"
She kissed him back and then smiled.
"Ahem…" Myrna interrupted.
All eyes were now on the center of the room, staring at the girl who stood alone.
"This cake is my thanks to ALL of you- and yes Duo, it has raspberry filling." This statement received laughs from a few of the guests and a thumbs up from Duo. "But there's one more things." She opened the envelope carefully. A tear streamed her face as she stared into the eyes of each of the young men, who in their own way saved both her own and her husband's lives.
"Wufei, Quatre… Heero… Duo… this is for you, and my thanks to the ladies for dealing with it." She took a deep breath and cleared her throat.
"What it meant to be a friend
You knew without the question's end.
It wasn't enough to watch him go
Into the pits of despair alone.
You took him on, challenging him to stay.
Assuring him that it would be better some day.
You grabbed hold of him seemingly lost at sea
Because he mourned a loss for me.
I could never thank you enough
For I'm sure the time with him was rough.
"What it meant to be his friend
I thank you for being there to the end.
His green eyes might now be blue
If, I know, it weren't for you.
You stayed so true, lending him your strength
Because you saw that he was losing faith.
In silence never leaving him alone
You watched and helped him to cry at home.
I am glad that you remained by his side-
Loyal and true… being Semper Fi."
She walked up to Trowa and laid the piece of paper down with two pictures. One was of the five young men together and the other… he took it and held it up to the light.
-A negative?
His eyes widened and -he- pulled a "Heero" move, jumping over the table. Relena burst into tears and had not been the only one.
Trowa hugged his wife holding the picture close and then kissed her. For a long moment they stood in this embrace before he pulled away from her, looking at the people in the crowd and then turning back to face his friends. With tears in his eyes he looked at each of them.
"We're having Twins!"
Except for Relena, nobody, Trowa included, knew that Myrna was three and a half months pregnant.
It had come time, once again, for each to show just how truly faithful they were to the one who needed their strength. He had joyfully called upon the assistance of the ones who were known as Semper Fi. His friends.
THE END
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This has nothing to do with the little mini-series I am doing... it is just a little run off a saying that I learned from a true friend (who yes, happened to be a Marine) and thought I would use it for this story line. This story is based on true events of a life I watched from a distance away and the title is very fitting to what truly happened. The only difference is that I turned it into a GW story. It takes place -after- Endless Waltz time frame but I have never seen it so nobody shoot me, k!:) Also, the scenery takes place in a place where I used to live in Washington state on a small island called Whidbey. It is a military base but I took that away. There is a mention of a place called "Calypso's Pass" which in reality is called "Deception Pass." I just thought I'd throw this little bit of information in for you.
WARNING: It may be a little... angst? Depressing but life is not always a bed of roses and it does have a wonderful ending... as I said before... this is based on true-life events.
SEMPER FI
AC 199
Always Faithful. That's how they were referred to as. No matter what the topic was about concerning the five young men, the reply was always the same. Semper Fi.
The wars had long since been over. Now two and half years later the five young men truly worked for the sake of the people.
There was no fear of war, no fear of battles to come-- no fear of losing themselves to the endless saga of the plagues of war. Now, they had lives to live. Lives with people they could truly believe in and trust... even love. People they called on in times of need, people they called on in times of... peace. Friends.
These people were a part of each other. Each their own person, fighting a battle much like the other, almost exactly for the same reasons. They fought to ensure their ideals of peace. They each fought for the safety of someone- even if they didn't rightly know in the beginning who that someone was.
The blood they shed, the battles fought and won-- the dangers they faced and encountered together gave them something that nothing could break. It gave them a comfort, a feeling of a tight bond. A closeness that could not be torn apart. Each to the other, they were like brothers.
It had come time for each of them to show just how truly faithful they were to the one who needed their strength. He had silently called up on the assistance of the ones who were known as Semper Fi. His friends.
AC 197 (November 21)
A young girl had come from the battlefield of L3 just after the wars had ended. On her arrival, the poor thing ran first into Wufei and then into Duo. A combination that was not healthy for anyone to encounter.
"Watch where you're going," Wufei yelled at the disheveled girl.
He continued on, ignoring the looks of the people around them.
"I'm sorry... Sir..."
He turned to look at her. Her light eyes glimmered back at him. They sparkled with tears.
-Great... now I made her cry. Well -who- cares! She should watch where she's going and then she wouldn't run into people! "If you would walk with your head up instead of studying the concrete perhaps you would not have this sort of problem!" he yelled at her.
Tears fell silently down her face. She didn't understand his hostility toward her.
"-What are you looking at?-"
The girl flinched at his words to her and ran away crying harder still.
-Women are so weak!
Duo came out of a coffee shop with a small bundle in his arms. He looked down into the bag, digging for a piece of crumb cake, knowing that Quatre was going to have his head when he saw the piece missing.
-Ah who cares! You only live once!
Just as he popped the morsel of moist cake into his mouth he was hit from the side. It was a blow that sent his little bag flying into the air and himself falling to the ground.
-What the... ohhhh someone is going to Pay!
He scrambled to his feet and rushed to the bag he had been carrying. Coffee was everywhere, crumb cake was everywhere and not only that but it was being gobbled up by a lock of pigeons that had been waiting on the rooftop of the building for an occasion such as this!
"Shoo... shoo... get away," he yelled but the birds did not leave. He picked up the bag and what he could of the cake and spilled coffee before turning around to see what it was that had hit him in a frenzy.
"Who is going to clean up my store front," yelled a man who stood in a wife-beater and an apron all covered in bloodstains.
"Who cares," Duo yelled back. "That's what you get paid to do!"
The man walked away from his door, giving Duo an imaginary shove and reappeared with a broom as he swept out the ground coffee and crumbs from the cake.
"Hey Lady! What is your problem?" he asked harshly at the girl who was sitting on the ground holding her ankle. "Why don't you watch where you're goin, next time!"
She looked up at him; more tears had saturated her face. She couldn't seem to be doing anything right. First the oriental looking man and now this one... with a braid to the floor!
-Ok, so it's not to the floor but damn well if it was -He- would be down with it! Her eyes could not hold the destructive glare she gave him. Instead she fell to pieces, just like the cake that he was obviously so upset about.
He left her alone and went back into the coffee shop.
"Can you believe that girl? Good grief! It's people like that who drive me crazy," he griped.
The man behind the counter wiped the surface clean of any speckle of anything that may have been left behind and listened to Duo's complaining.
"At least when -I- run, I do it where I won't face the danger of running someone down! Know what I mean?"
The man grunted. After putting the towel away and pulling out the last of his crumb cakes, he looked up at Duo.
"So you want another pound and a half of coffee too?"
Duo looked out the door but the girl was gone. He nodded and waited.
"You know, Mr. Maxwell... that wasn't very kind of you, not even checking to see if she was alright."
Duo could feel a guilt trip coming along.
"What would your friends think about you doing something like that?"
Duo smacked his tongue in frustration. "If they don't like it they can kiss my aaaa..."
The stern look he received back caused him to hold his tongue on the rest of his thought.
"You could have at least helped her up."
"Yeah, like she would have let me! I yelled at her!" At the sound of his own words he grimaced in irritation. "Oh Man! Look! Now you got me feeling guilty!"
"I--" the man pointed at his chest.
"Man! And now I'll Never see her again and I won't even get the chance to apologize! Thanks a -LOT- Joe!"
Two Days Later
Trowa sat on a park bench looking out over the rail at the rushing waters. They threatened to come up over the barrier as they slapped the concrete with complete force. The wind blew hard, causing him to pull his jacket closer to him. He was not one who cared much about the cold or the heat but this day he did care. The temperatures were slowly dropping day by day as December approached. Soon it would be snowing and then there would be more cold temperatures to dread.
He stood up and walked to the edge of the rail and peered down into the waters. They were dark and icy, just the way he felt his own heart. Cold and uninviting. Not ever knowing the warmth and happiness of love. He thought about his friends.
Heero undoubtedly had Relena's love. He could wrap himself in her warmth any time he wanted to but he chose not to. She loved him so much that she eventually let him go from her grip. It was a love that knew nothing of surrendering or dying. It was a feeling of purity that she held on to. She knew that there was no one in the world that would be able to touch his heart the way she had. No one in the world would be able to penetrate the thick wall he had barricaded around himself the way she could. The problem with that was that he knew it too.
Trowa didn't understand why he would not embrace that love. It was a love that he would have died to have. He had even said so at one point in a conversation to Heero.
--"I wanna be loved like that and you can't even accept the fact that it is for you. She is so easy to love and you don't!"
"If she is so easy to love, then why don't -you- get with her?"
"Because, Heero. That love is for you and for you alone! She was not thrown into my world... or rather; I was not thrown into hers. Why is it so difficult for you to admit that you love her?"
"What makes you think that I -Do- love her?"
"Because if you didn't she would have been dead by now."--
He thought of Wufei and Sally. Now there was a couple that he could not understand. Clearly they had affection for each other but their demonstration of it made even married couples cringe. They were continually at each other's throats, dogging each other, complaining about this, that or the other that one had done or griping that the other was insensitive or weak. But nobody would ever guess what went on behind closed doors. It was a privilege that no one would know about.
In public, you would never pick them out as being an item. He was far too arrogant and she was too liberal. There was no way in all the world that these two should rightly have been together.
In private... there were very rare moments that the others were so privileged to see. Like at a dinner that Quatre held for no reason a couple of weeks ago. They had all been seated around the massive table in Quatre's dining room. After everyone was served, Sally gently ushered the server out and took it upon herself to pour the drinks. She offered a toast and then kissed Wufei lightly on the cheek. No one could blame the alcohol because it was the first drink of the night. He returned it full on her lips. It was a very rare moment that all had cherished.
Trowa had swore that if ever he had a woman to love that she would know it every second of the day, as would the whole world.
He thought about Quatre. Quatre had managed to find love in a brown-eyed girl that he met three months after the wars were over which gave them only four months together. Yet it seemed as though they had known each other for ages. For a while everyone thought that he and Dorothy were going to hit it off forever but their relationship changed in a mutual manner. They eventually split up, going their own ways. She met a man named Jake Warring who took her off to L5 and Quatre met his beautiful, little Tenice Anderson.
-That- was a love he wanted.
They were so affectionate and caring. It didn't matter to them that their display of emotion seemed to spark a negative return from Heero or Wufei. It didn't matter to him that Irea and three of his other sisters didn't approve of her. He loved her and had told his sisters that when they dated her, then they could complain.
Trowa admired that about Quatre. He always seemed to have his wits about him and never lost his head when it came to her. His heart? Perhaps that was a different story. Trowa smiled at the thought. It was a fleeting smile. He envied Quatre and Tenice.
Then there was Lucrezia Noin and Milliardo Peacecraft. Everyone had been bustling around them as their wedding was approaching. It was going to be in seven weeks on December thirty-first.
It would be a wedding that no one would forget. The planning -alone- was something no one would forget! Renting of the reception hall, setting caterers and getting the dress style that fit Lucrezia's ever changing mind was enough to make even the most patient person go mad! Then there were the color schemes. Black and purple, black and red, red and silver, silver and teal and the many other colors that she went through! Maddening!
The only thing that was certain was that they would both be wearing white, Heero -who somehow managed to get himself elected as best man, would be in black and the others would be in gray. Relena didn't even have a dress to start! Neither did Tenice or Catherine because Lucrezia was unable to decide which she liked better. Long or short, ankle length or above the knee, strapless, spaghetti strap, cap sleeve, long sleeve… Trowa shuttered. He didn't believe he knew so much about sleeves of a dress!
But he knew that they loved each other. Despite the constant whining that Milliardo did, he knew that he wouldn't have traded in this moment with Lucrezia for anything in the world.
That's what Trowa wanted. Someone that he could trade in all his memories of pain for. Someone who could make him smile even when he felt to kill. Who could take away his pain and replace it with love and peace.
Was she out there?
His attention then went to Duo. Since Hilde left, he'd been the resident bachelor, next to Trowa. He stated that it would take some time to get over her leaving and for the time he was going to just leave well enough alone. Two weeks later he was out playing the field. That was almost two weeks before Tenice came into Quatre's life.
All was fun and games until Duo's playing field started getting a bit too close for comfort. Trowa was uncomfortable with it, but it had only happened twice in the past six weeks. He had a hard time picturing his loving sister who was so kind and caring, dating Duo. Duo who was so... full of hormones and being rather obnoxious lately.
But, so long as it had not blossomed into anything further, Trowa felt ok with it. It wasn't that he didn't want her to be happy... he just didn't want her to be happy with Duo! He had a secret wish that Hilde would come back and take Duo away. Or at least relieve him of a -few- of the hormones that raged within. He chuckled dryly. It didn't seem likely.
Once he realized that he was concentrating on Duo's sex life, he knew it was time to go.
-So long as his sexual drive does not include my sister! Other wise...
Trowa pushed away from the railing and walked down the path. People passed him, smiling at him. Couples smiled at him... or at each other. It didn't matter to him, though. He kept walking.
As he continued on the path, he spotted a young woman huddled beneath a tree. She was wrapped in an oversized sweater and stretch pants. Terribly under dressed for the weather, he noted. He could see that she held her ankle near her body, almost protecting it from the cold.
He continued walking but didn't stop looking at her. A sudden sense of concern washed itself over him.
She stared off into the distance, seeing nothing or no one. Only the blank space before her knew her thoughts.
Slowly the shops grew nearer in his path. The warm aroma of coffee, cider and cinnamon caught his thoughts but did not entice him. And then he had an idea.
Without even thinking twice he walked back to the park. The girl still sat there oblivious to the world or the cold around her. Quickly, he removed his jacket and walked up to her. Her skin was soft and pale. The color of her eyes permeated through his. They were the color of a soft summer sky hazy blue. Her hair was a golden brown, wrapped in a braid at the back of her head. She was beautiful.
"Excuse me... Miss...."
He wrapped her in his jacket, enveloping the heat from his body around the cold of hers. At first she struggled against him but the sensation of the heat around her calmed her instantly.
She looked up into deep green eyes. Caring eyes, sensitive eyes... troubled eyes. These eyes were unlike the dark eyes of the oriental man she had first ran into two days ago. Unlike the blue eyes that yelled down at her even before the voice did that same day when her ankle suffered its damage. In turn, that day had brought her to her current condition and situation.
"Can I buy you some coffee," Trowa asked.
"No," she replied. "I mean... I'd love nothing more..." she moved slightly hoping not to reveal her circumstance but was unaware that he had already noticed.
"You can't walk?"
She turned red at his words, as did he for having little consideration for her feelings.
"I'm sorry..." he said.
"No... no, it's um..." she avoided his eyes now.
"If you could... could I buy you some coffee? Dinner perhaps?"
Who was this guy? She stared up at him, snuggling into his jacket.
"Well..."
He smiled at her. Actually smiled at her and her radiating beauty. Without hesitation, he picked her up not feeling her weight. To him she was lighter than air. She screamed in shock and wrapped her arms around his neck.
"You aren't with... someone...?"
She giggled. "No!" He was dreamy. "I better not be," her voice chimed. She was filled with a touch of excitement.
He carried her all the way to the Coffee shop and set her up in a corner booth where she could sit with her leg up.
"Hey Joe, can I have a couple of pillows and a compress?"
The man on the other side of the counter moved and pulled out two pillows from underneath the cash register. "Hot or cold, Sir?"
Trowa looked at her ankle. "Both."
After setting her up with her own cup of coffee and the first ten minutes of changing the compresses, he finally sat down to drink his with her.
"You are a really sweet person," she spoke softly.
Four hours later they had talked about everything they could think of. He told her about being a Gundam pilot and she told him about her own days as a pilot of a Mobil suit and how honored she was to know him. They talked about their friends and favorite music and food and what they liked to do in their spare time. She told him of the incident two days ago that caused her to be the little invalid she was now. He reproached whoever these nameless fools were and swore to her that he would never have done anything like that to her and if ever he saw them that he would let them know that it wasn't right to treat a lady that way. If he only knew. The only thing they did not talk about was the pain behind the other's eyes.
"What's your name?" His voice was soft and obviously felt time to ask.
She stared at him. That was a piece of information she was reluctant to give. Sharing the name meant stepping further into a relationship, regardless of what it was.
"Mine's Trowa. Trowa Barton."
-No! You're not supposed to do that!
"Myrna. Myrna McPierson."
"Well, Myrna McPierson... it is my pleasure to know you!"
She smiled at him. Sharing, she realized, wasn't such a bad thing after all!
AC 199 (November 19)
Tears fell from Trowa's eyes as he stared at the motionless body that lay in the bed in front of him. He remembered the day he met her and had been thinking about it all evening. In four days it would be two years since that day and in three months they would celebrate their first year of marriage. In the last six weeks, she had been the victim of a random shooting where she worked with Relena as the secretary of the Vice Foreign Minister.
Trowa was still going through anger issues. He had even told Heero that he wished it was Relena and not Myrna. Hero was angered and upset by it but he never took it past that.
Three weeks ago, Myrna's body could no longer sustain the life inside of her. The doctors performed an emergency cesarean in an attempt to save the child who was only five months mature within her womb. A week ago, they lost the little boy.
His son, whom he named in honor of Myrna's wishes, lived only to be two weeks old. She wanted him to be named after the man who broke her of her treacherous pain of the past and then in memory of her father. Hence the child's name, Trowa Adan Barton.
Heero walked into the room where Trowa sat. Machines hummed around the body of his friend's young wife.
"Trowa," he whispered.
He hoped to be able to lure Trowa out of the room in an attempt for him to get some rest.
"I'm -not- leaving," he said roughly. "She -needs- me."
It had been six weeks and he had not once left her side for more than minutes at a time. He was faithful. Heero pleaded a silent prayer of forgiveness from Myrna and did the unthinkable. He grabbed Trowa from behind and in two swift and violent moves he had his friend pinned to the bathroom door.
"She -needs- you to be strong, Trowa! Right now... you are not..."
The two stared at each other, both holding a death wish to the other.
"You can't make me leave," Trowa seethed.
Heero stood his ground with Trowa still pinned to the door behind him. As he was unmoving, two others walked into the room. When they stood firmly behind him, he loosened his grip on Trowa, letting him go.
"No, but -we- can," Heero spoke.
Trowa looked up to see Duo and Wufei staring at him from behind Heero.
"We will not let anything happen to her, Trowa, but we are looking out for our own first."
Trowa held Duo in a vice grip with his eyes.
"Is -that- your wife lying there, Duo? Did your -son- die because his mother could no longer sustain him thanks to some bastard who decided to open fire in hopes to kill..."
"Say it, Trowa. You haven't let it go by since it happened," Heero breathed without emotion. He was angry but knew that if Trowa sensed it that he would go into a rage.
"Are you -that- weak, Barton? That you can't even -see- that you are dong no good by her side with the condition you're in?" Wufei stepped closer to Trowa with Heero holding him back. "Can you not -see- that she is still lying there because she can feel -your- weakness? You -lost- your child, Trowa. Nothing will ever change that. Be thankful that you haven't lost her too!"
Trowa stared at her through his tears. Her golden colored hair surrounded her like an aura. Even in this state, she was beautiful. It was the machines that took away from her.
Quatre walked in the room. His eyes were soft and sad.
"Trowa... she -does- need you... to be strong."
Trowa tore his eyes away from the sculpture of beauty that lay lifeless in front of him.
"Come with me, Trowa. Nothing is going to happen to her."
Reluctantly he moved toward Quatre. When he made a move toward Myrna, Duo stopped him by placing a hand on his shoulder.
"That's my wife! Can't I even kiss her good-bye?"
He stared into Duo's eyes, trying to understand why he would keep him from her.
"Why don't you wait and kiss her hello, my friend."
"Let's go," Quatre insisted.
Trowa looked at her lovingly and then at these four young men with ravishing anger. Why would they do this to him? He didn't understand. Seconds later he was walking down the hall in tow of Quatre, Duo and Wufei.
~Early a.m. the next day~
Catherine and Duo stared at the sleeping boy on the bed.
"Hardly a boy anymore," she whispered as she walked over to Trowa's side and sat down gently on the edge of the bed. He didn't move. How long had it been since he last slept?
-Really- slept? She brushed his hair away from his face. He stirred but only briefly. She could tell that he was exhausted.
"Myrna..." he whispered in his sleep.
A tear escaped Catherine's eye as she watched her baby brother struggle in his dreams to save the life of the woman he loved.
"Cat...we should leave him..."
Duo stared at the vision of loveliness sitting on the bed. Everyday he noticed something new about her. One day it was how beautiful she looked in jade green. Another it was how the color of her lipstick, strange as it was, brought out the color of her eyes. Still on another day, he noticed how delicate her hands really were. Today it was how her red curls fell down the length of her back but managed to frame her face in front.
How long could he go on like this? He knew Trowa's feelings concerning the two of them. It hadn't changed in the past two years or so. And even if it had, did -she- think of him that way?
-That way? -What- way? This isn't a sexual thing!
"Duo!" Catherine stood in front of him, smiling with a look of surprise. "Let's go," she whispered as she pushed him out the door gently latching it behind her.
"Any change?" Quatre made his inquiry of the two who entered the kitchen.
"No," Duo replied.
"Poor thing. He's completely drained," Catherine added.
"What about Myrna?"
Quatre shook his head. "Heero called about ten minutes ago... nothing."
"Give it some time," Wufei suggested. He walked in to the bay area of the kitchen and sat down. "She'll come around," he stated as he lifted up the paper and began silently reading.
Quatre and Duo stared at each other, confused at Wufei's words. Catherine arched her eyebrows at him. No one said anything.
Heero and Relena had finally come to terms with each other's feelings. It didn't happen at her brother's wedding as it was hoped; instead it happened at Trowa's. For the moment, acknowledgement was as far as they were willing to take it. Relena stared through the tempered glass at Heero. He sat in the chair next to Myrna. It was not -that- that bothered her. It was the fact that he was holding her hand. She left not wanting to see anything more. Heero's heart belonged to her and she knew that.
"Myrna," Heero spoke softly. "Sweetheart, I know you and I haven't been the best of friends all this time..."
He sighed. This was new to him... talking to someone at their bedside in the hospital.
-Can you even hear me? Do you -want- to hear me? You'd rather be listening to Trowa, I'm sure but... we had to do it.
"Myrna... you've been a wonderful friend to Relena and... I know she..."
He fidgeted in his chair. He was about to audibly say something that he didn't think he could say. It was to his advantage that the person he chose was incoherent and incapacitated.
His eyes fell upon her as a whole being. She was like an angel. He could see why Trowa had fallen for her as quickly as he did. If his feelings for Relena had not been what they were, he might have fallen for her as well.
"Well... you already know that I am in love with her... but less known... Myrna, you have to wake up."
He caressed her hand. The smoothness of her skin made him want to leave her side and go to Relena but he wouldn't do that to Trowa.
"See... because I know that my Sweetness is going to want you as her matron of honor. And I can't marry her until you are able to fulfill that position. So... selfish as it is... I really need you to wake up! Well... so does Trowa. He is a mess Myrn!
"If you don't wake up soon, I may just have to see to it myself that he is set up right next to you."
It was more of an attempt to cheer himself up because there was nothing else that he could think to do.
~LTSD~
Wufei walked in to find Heero asleep on the chair. He still held her hand.
"Heero," he announced.
Heero opened his eyes and lay her hand on the flat surface beside her body.
In his move to exit he asked about Trowa and then left Wufei to begin his shift.
Wufei stared at the girl. She was so tiny without the melon in her belly. They had often teased that even at five months she had appeared to have swallowed a watermelon. She would retaliate with a punch to their arm when they inflicted pain on her self-esteem but she knew they were harmless as they knew the same of her.
He remembered his first two encounters with her. The first being the day she literally ran into him. His voice had shattered more of her world than he knew.
The second time was when Trowa introduced her a week later. It was a memory he could laugh at now.
-NOW-, he thought with a smirk.
--"Hey guys... this is Myrna McPierson. Myrna..."
A girl standing in crutches stood slightly behind him.
"You!" she yelled. "-You- are such a jerk! I cannot believe this is actually happening to me!"
"Excuse me?" Wufei demanded.
"You two have met," Trowa offered.
"Remember the... -jerks- I mentioned?" Trowa nodded. "He's one of them!"
"No!" Trowa remarked playfully. "Not our happy little Wufei!"
"Laugh it up, Small Fry," Wufei sneered at Trowa.
"I will have you know that even though you are - obviously - a man with no sense and without a -clue- of the directions of the future... you are STILL a pompous, arrogant man who gives no thought or consideration to others!" She paused after yelling at him and took another leap. "_JERK_!"- -
It was then that he had realized who she was. He remembered Sally's reaction to her. It took him -and- Heero to calm her down at the words of this girl that Trowa had brought around. It wasn't until Duo came around that Heero realized that -they, Duo and Wufei- were the ones who would be needing protection from her.
--"Who do you think you are, coming in here and talking to my man that way?" She reached for the girl who was at least a foot shorter. "You little wench! Nobody talks to him that way..."- -
Heero and Wufei jumped in, holding her back. Nobody knew what had come over her that day but afterward; hers and Wufei's feelings became more open. He wasn't so worried about what others thought anymore, that was for certain.
As he watched her breathing, he thought back to the days of his piloting Nataku. It was a time he did not want to remember but somehow the stored memories opened themselves up to him.
Trowa sat up in bed with a great urgency to have to go to the bathroom. As he relieved his bladder of the pressure, he thought about his wife. Myrna lay in the hospital with someone -else- by her side.
He turned on the shower and dropped his pajama pants to the floor. He water was hot but not comforting on his body. The water rushed over him, drenching him. He felt its attempt to wash him clean and free of the pain he felt but it could not take the pain away. It could not wash away the fact that his son was lost forever and his wife seemed to be following him.
They had only begun their life together and now it was being shattered. For Trowa it was not enough that the perpetrator had been caught and now awaited his execution for what the courts called premeditated murder of an innocent bystander who happened to be a five-month-old fetus. That fetus which was his son. His mission was to kill Vice Foreign Minister Darlien but he failed miserably.
In all his life Trowa had never wanted to die so much as he did at this moment. It had even crossed his mind to take her life as well as his own so that they could be forever together with their son. Heero and Quatre talked him down from the edge of death where he had been standing since the news of the death of little Trowa Adan.
It had only been a week but they had managed somehow to convince him that suicide wasn't the way to go.
--"Trowa. You lost your son! Your wife is still holding on and when she wakes up she is going to need you to help her heal the pain in her heart!" Heero had said this while shaking him by the shoulders.
"And when that pain is healed, perhaps then God will bless you and give you another one to love and enjoy." Quatre said softly.--
They were both only trying to help. His pain wrenched itself in his chest and to ease it he punched the ceramic tile. He shattered the composition of glass and color that was the wall of the shower. In so doing, he broke skin, sending blood splattering all over the wall and on his body. He watched as it mixed with the water and washed down the drain. There was no pain in his fist.
Seconds later there was a knock at the bathroom door.
"Trowa... are you ok?"
-No I am not ok.
"What the hell do you think," he yelled above the water.
He knew Quatre was concerned but he was tired of everyone asking him that senseless question.
Finally, he shut off the water and toweled off as best he could. Wrapped in a towel, he stepped out of the bathroom letting the steam escape from its tiny cell.
Quatre turned away allowing him to get dressed before taking it upon himself to tend to Trowa's bloody fist. Neither said a word as Quatre bandaged the weapon that had destroyed the bathroom wall.
When Quatre was finished Trowa stood up, put on a shirt and walked out. Down stairs he ran into Duo who -again- asked if he was alright.
Trowa took a giant leap to Duo, grabbed him by the shirt collar and despite the pain he now felt in his hand and ignoring the ripping of the bandage, tackled and pinned the long haired man to the floor.
Now it was Trowa's eyes that were consumed with the evil of death.
"No!" he banged Duo on the hardwood floor. "I am NOT Freakin' alright! Do you understand? I- am- not- Alright! So stop asking!"
Duo was not going to be the victim in this. He wrestled Trowa off of him and both headed at each other in rage.
"All you Flppin' do is think about yourself, Trowa! You are so self absorbed that you can't even see who your friends are!" Duo yelled as he and Trowa threw punches at each other and were wrestling in the middle of the front room.
Heero and Quatre came scrambling into the room pulling the two apart.
"That's enough! -Both- of you," Heero yelled.
Duo struggled against Heero's grip and finally succeeded at freeing himself.
"Ya know what your problem is, Barton? You are a -Real- asshole," he fumed before storming off.
Trowa ignored him; turning around he opened the door and left the house.
"Heero," Quatre admonished, "he can't go to the hospital."
Heero knew he was right. The purpose of getting him away from there was so that she would not feel his fleeing energy and negative emotion. And so that -he- could rest and regain his strength. So that he could focus on helping her to come back instead of pushing her further into the dark confines of the come she was in.
"Wufei's there. He'll take care of it."
Quatre looked at his watch. "It's my turn anyway... I'll go too," he impelled.
Heero acknowledged and went in the opposite direction to find Duo. He had half the mind to hit the man himself.
Fifteen minutes later, Heero found Duo standing on a hill staring down at the crashing waters below. It was getting late.
Heero walked up and handed his friend the jacket he had left behind. In Duo's rage he walked out without it not feeling any of the coldness that nipped at his skin in forms of drizzle.
"Thanks," he managed as he drew it over his shoulders and slipped it on.
"He's hurting, Duo."
Duo felt a sudden feeling of being attacked.
"Don't you think I know that, Heero?" He looked at his friend now. Heero stared into the darkness of Duo's eyes. -He- was hurting also. "All I did was ask if he was alright."
Heero looked away.
"He doesn't need that right now. He needs us to be strong so that he can feed off of it and if we pour out negative emotion -that- is what he'll take in and neither of them need that."
Duo felt sudden defeat. He didn't know what to do. And on top of the concern he felt for his friend, there was anew emotion. It was not something he could describe or even remember feeling, not even with Hilde. It was a feeling he had to brush aside because this time was about Trowa, not himself.
"Let it go," Heero advised as he sensed the self-conflict going on inside Duo. "One thing at a time," he added.
It was now eight p.m. Quatre had relieved Wufei hours ago and had warned that Trowa was on the rampage. He passed on the details of Trowa's shower wall and Duo's broken pride. Wufei had replied that he would take care of it and Quatre guessed that he had since Trowa had not shown up.
Now it was Quatre who watched the seemingly lifeless body of his best friend's wife.
"You know, Myrna..." he laughed slightly. "Trowa is a real pain without you by his side! Look... not that I want to rush you or anything..." he thought about his words. "Well... ok, yes I do... because we really need you to come rescue us from him! He's making us all crazy!" Though he was highly serious, he spoke to her in a jovial manner. "You missed it this afternoon," he laughed. "I thought Duo was going to lose his head!"
He thought of the enmity between herself and Duo. Harmless as it was, they each got on each other's nerves and after a while sort of became the other's lead in harassing the other. Trowa didn't like that they continually bickered back and forth in each other's presence but they acted as though they were related.
--"How could siblings act like that? Look at Catherine and myself! We don't go on and around like that!"
"Maybe they're distant cousins," remarked Quatre with a smile.
"Ah... you guys just don't know how to have fun," Duo chimed.--
It was a charm Duo had to invoke evil in others through the power of mischievous words. Those very words had started another bout between the two.
Quatre laughed to himself as the memory flooded away.
"Where are you Myrna? Come back... Trowa is lost without you. Besides," he cautiously looked around, "you -have- to be able to make it to the wedding! I don't think Heero can hold out much longer," he prodded Myrna's arm, "if you know what I mean!"
That was a thought that made him laugh out loud. Relena drove Heero up the wall in more ways than one! They all knew, even if it was Heero's desire to keep it from them, that he was planning on asking her. It was a given and they led him to believe that they knew of no such intention on his part.
The others; himself, Trowa, Duo, Wufei and even Milliardo had a bet going to see if they would wait for the actual wedding night. Quatre and Trowa felt almost certain that they would but Milliardo and Duo gave him to the night before. Trowa, in observing Heero's reaction to her, changed his mind and agreed with Wufei that they wouldn't even wait till he -asked- her much less the day itself. It would be too much for Heero, they had said.
Lucrezia snapped Milliardo into place reminding him that they were talking about the purity of his baby sister.
--"Yeah! Don't talk about my sweet, little innocent sister like that!"- -
Quatre laughed at the memory.
"Do you remember their enchanted moment, Myrna? Heero refusing to dance with her until you insisted that Trowa take a spin with her?" He was amused at this new memory that was forming in his head.
The wedding had been beautiful. Tenice, Relena and Sally were decked to the hilt in strapless gowns that had dazzled their figures, enticing -all- the men. Myrna was in a more extravagant style dress, fitting to her own contours, shaping her in all the right places.
At the reception, they had music and food and fun. Duo had managed to bring in a live band; Quatre paid for the cake and caterers as his gift to them. Heero brought plenty of champagne and Wufei rented the limousine that carried them away at the end of the night.
The band had just finished a song to the newly married couple and now started a song for all the lovers, wannabe's included, that were waiting for their chances to dance. Heero did not ask Relena to dance. The next song was also a slow song, mainly for Trowa and Myrna. Heero still did not ask Relena to dance.
Finally with her own request, Myrna left the dance floor to ask the band if they knew the music to a song she had heard once called "Where Are You?" When they replied that they did, she walked over to Trowa and whispered something in his ear. The others watched. In the middle of the room, beneath the music of the band, Trowa laughed.
As the current song ended, she gave Trowa a loving kiss and walked up to the stage and incorporated the lead singer into a duet of her requested music.
Seconds after she began singing, Trowa remembered his orders and walked over to Relena. He bowed to her and extended his arm to her. She wore a clear look that stated her feelings. -Finally!
As Trowa led her to the floor, all could see Heero in a sort of protest. He watched Trowa hold her close and swing her around gently and dance gracefully with her in his arms.
-And Myrna's -singing- to them? This is unfair ploy of tactics, he thought to himself.
In the middle of the song, Quatre caught on and cut into Trowa's dance. By the end of the song, all the Gundam pilots had danced with her. When the song was over, Heero tapped Milliardo on the shoulder, who was now hugging his little sister. When Milliardo turned around, Heero gave him a confrontational glare and grabbed Relena's arm. He pulled her away from the group and stopped shy of a wooden beam that divided the dance floor from the tables. He looked into her eyes. The band had begun plying one of their own favorite hits of love, undoubtedly by Trowa's or Duo's request, and all eyes watched as Heero, in slow motion, moved forward. He embraced her and mouthed something to her. As tears fell from her eyes he leaned in and kissed her.
Quatre shook the memory away. It had been a very amusing night. But now, he stared at the reason behind the memory. He hadn't noticed the doctor come in and now stared up at the man who checked her vital signs.
"How is she, doctor?"
The man scratched his head and then rubbed his chin.
"Well... she's not getting any worse... but not better either," was the reply as he left the room.
Quatre looked back down at her.
"Myrna... come back," he commanded softly.
Trowa stood by himself at the bridge over Calypso's Pass. The night winds burned against him. A full day had passed and he hadn't gone to see her. Now that he was away from her side, he couldn't bring himself to go back. He was broken enough with he events of his most recent past. It was hard enough knowing that she lay in a fight for her life and he was helpless in that battle. He wanted to win this war for her but he couldn't.
-Why do I feel so useless now? Myrna! You can't leave me!
Tears fell from his eyes, streaming endlessly from some opened tap deep within. All the days of his life came crashing down on him. Every bitter memory he had of all the pain he had ever endured resurfaced, clouding him with even more darkness.
The piece by piece show in front of his mind's eye revealed to him every single ounce of endless agony that he went through in his life.
He cried out in response to those graphic pictures that taunted him. The sound of his plea disappeared in the chasm of water below. It had become the sound of the howling winds and crushing waves three and a half miles below.
"-Myrna------," he cried out and fell to his knees against the rail. The pain consumed him, over took him. He no longer felt the winds or saw the stars between the passing clouds. Now there was only darkness.
Wufei kicked the door open, carrying a heavy burden on his shoulders.
"Get a blanket," he called to Heero and yelled for Duo to grab some dry clothing.
The two had entered the front room a the sound of the crashing door and were now scrambling at Wufei's orders.
Moments later they were stripping Trowa of his wet garments, giving little thought to what he was going to feel like when he learned that three of the closest people in his life were seeing a part of him that had been reserved for Myrna.
Duo brought this thought to the others' attention.
"Well Duo, it's not like we're looking to engage in that reservation," Heero replied dryly.
To this, Duo stepped back; appalled that Heero would say such a thing and then remembered that -he- was the one who brought it up.
Seconds later, he was clothed in dry sweatpants and a sweatshirt and wrapped in a blanket. Wufei laid him on the couch and threw another log on the fire.
"What good are you to her now," he spoke harshly and left his side as he muttered under his breath.
An hour later, Catherine kneeled in front of him. She wiped the sweat and moved to let him out of the blanket but was stopped by Wufei's harshness.
"What are you doing, Woman?"
She looked up at him.
"He's burning up! I was just..."
"Leave him! If you take off the blanket, he -will- get sick. Let him sweat it out. Trust me, by morning he'll be fine," he snarled at her.
"But..."
"-Leave- him, I said. Damn Women! That's all you ever think about is the comfort of the weak! Perhaps if they were more -uncomfortable- they would be stronger!"
Catherine looked into his dark eyes. At one point she would have had no problem punching those words out of his vocabulary. The look in his eyes revealed deep concern and emotion that must have only been for Sally and his four comrades because it was a new look for her.
She did as he commanded and left the blanket alone. He watched silently as she patted the sweat away and then took his leave from the room.
~Next Day~
Quatre had fallen asleep resting his head on the edge of the bed. He was shaken awake, lightly by Duo's hand.
Opening his eyes, he sat up slowly and stretched. He looked at his watch, rubbed his eyes and then looked at Duo.
A small bruise on Duo's cheek was all that remained of the quarrel of fists he had with Trowa.
"Go home. Rescue Trowa from Catherine and Wufei," Duo urged. Quatre's eyes widened in confusion. "They'll explain," he said as he ushered the sleepy-eyed young man out the door.
"I'm sure Myrna would want -you- to stick up for him."
Quatre left hurriedly as he took in Duo's tone. Between Catherine and Wufei, the only things keeping them apart from the person between them were the words: HELP ME.
Duo took his place by the bed, sitting himself in the now vacant chair. Almost as quickly as he sat down, a young woman followed by two orderlies entered.
"Sir, You'll have to step out for a moment," she commanded.
Duo hesitated at first but at the sight of a large needle and some gauze, he knew that they needed to run a test on her or do something that consisted of medical stuff. He shuttered and left. Out side he waited patiently for them to be done. Seconds later, two more orderlies, pushing a gurney with sheet folded on it, entered.
"Good! They're changing her sheets."
After another five or six minutes they left, assuring him that it was safe to enter.
He walked back in and sat down in the chair.
"Hey," he said half expecting her to answer. "You're looking rather well, today!"
-Sheesh! That's comforting! Can't I even think of something else to say?
"I bet you're wondering what I'm doing her, huh? Me, of all people!" He smiled at her. She did not return the smile. He was somewhat disheartened.
"I never knew Trowa had such a good left hook," he mused. "You're lucky to have never encountered it!"
-Duh! He mentally kicked himself at his words.
"Well... you know what I mean! So..." He sat back in the chair and looked around the room. It was bare accept for the machines. There were no flowers, no pictures, and no cards- nothing.
"Your room is nice!" He rolled his eyes.
For countless minutes he sat in silence, listening to the hum of the machines, hearing her heart pattern on the monitor and watching the even rhythm of the rise and fall of her chest.
-Duo! Stop looking at her chest!
-What? I was watching her Breathe!
This was too much. He was having an argument with himself. He knew that he wasn't doing anything -wrong- it was just the thoughts that raced through his head.
The window called to him. He got up and walked to it. Outside the room were doctors and patients, visitors and staff; your everyday hospital scene.
"Myrna... you can't leave us! Once you came into Trowa's life, you came into our world."
It made him feel like she was there when he imagined something that only she would say.
-"Well then..." he heard her voice in his mind, "serves me right for all the wrong I've done!"
It was not helping. No matter what he did, he could not bring himself to imagine her sitting up and smiling at him. Much less arguing back.
"Perhaps I shouldn't be here... I -am- the god of Death, after all."
Again, he imagined her rebuttal.
-"You? Despite what little efforts you pulled in the war, there is no way that -you- could even kill a fly!"
-Yeah... a fly.
He stepped away from the window and turned to her. Her form seemed to be at peace with the universe. She was out there somewhere. Waiting, hoping... searching. Searching for her child and husband. One who left and the other who had been taken from her.
-No... that wasn't right. They were -both- taken from her. One by death and the other by force.
"He has to be strong for you Myrna. Right now..." it was an ever passing phrase about Trowa. "He's not."
He obeyed the chair that called to him and returned to a seated position. Elbows resting on the arms of the chair, fingers clasped in front of him, eyes staring at the seemingly lifeless object in front of him; he remembered their second encounter.
He walked into the foyer of the house after hearing Sally go off about someone talking to Wufei in a manner that she had reserved for herself.
Upon the sight of Sally's adversary, he almost choked.
--"-YOU-!" he yelled.
The girl looked up trying to remove Trowa's protection away.
"Me? What do you mean -ME-?"
Duo forced his way past Sally and Wufei and Heero and stood in front of Trowa's glare.
"You! You're the one who ran into me the other day! You ruined a perfectly good cake, I'll have you know!"
"Oh suck it up and stuff it, Braid boy! You got another one... I saw you!" she yelled at him.
Trowa smirked and had to clear his throat to keep from laughing.
"Let me guess... jerk number two?"
"I can't believe you know them -both-," she muttered.
"What?" Duo exclaimed in fury. Then he noticed her stance. "Why the crutches?"
"You didn't bother to help her up or see if she was ok," Trowa said. "She told me all about it. Not very nice, Duo." He would have taken it upon himself to do just as he told her he was going to do if his thoughts hadn't been interrupted.
"So wait..." Wufei glowered at her. "You're saying that you ran into Duo too? Damn woman! I told you to LOOK where you were going!"
Trowa stood ready to defend her but had not need. Sally stepped back into her less than loving self at Wufei, staring him back away from the girl.
"Is that the way you treat a perfect stranger?" Her growl at him made the others flinch.
"And you!" She thumped Duo on the shoulder. "I'd expect that you wold have had mores sense than that! Both of you are egotistical, self-centered, introverted jack-asses!"
She screamed at them with full force and then turned to Wufei. "And -because- you do not know how to treat civilians with -respect-..." she glared at him. Ignoring the other's look of sheer shock at her, in front of them all, she punched him. Then she turned to Duo who put his hands up in front of him to show his surrender and stepped back from her.--
Duo received a striking blow from her, much worse than Wufei's, he thought. Wufei's pride had been broken, knocked less than to significant proportions but Duo...
Sally had grabbed his braid and yanked hard on it until he was at a kneeling position.
--"Look at what you've done, Duo!"
Duo looked at the wrapped ankle and then up at the startled eyes of the girl. He remembered his words to Joe. -"Now I'll Never get to apologize."-
"I... I'm sorry!" He would have much rather been struck in the face instead!
At the escape of the words, Sally let go of his braid and eyed the girl.
"They ever treat you like that again, you come see -ME-!"
With that said, she stormed off, disgusted and retreating at the violence she had just given birth to.--
It was later learned that she killed that very violence with tears of pleading forgiveness to a black-eyed Wufei.
Duo momentarily remembered the pain at the back of his neck and then remembered Myrna's words that she had spoken some time later.
--"Damn well that it wasn't me because believe me! I wanted to!"-
He laughed.
"Myrna... how -did- you get mixed up in all of this anyway?"
Quatre had walked into the sitting room where Wufei and Catherine glared at each other over a sleeping Trowa.
"What's going on?"
Catherine stood unmoved- unmoving-, as did Wufei.
"Nothing," he answered with a fierce growl.
"Oh no?" Catherine's harsh tone revealed a no-nonsense attitude. "Then you will have no problem in my taking him to see her when he wakes up!"
"-Woman-!"
"Uh... guys... Catherine..."
"Shut Up, Quatre," she yelled.
"You -aren't- taking him anywhere! I -told- you, Woman! He is WEAK! -She- needs strength, not this," he pointed down at the defeated body wrapped in blankets.
"His -WIFE- is lying in the hospital! Or perhaps you don't remember what that felt like!"
It was an extremely low blow, even for her.
"Catherine!" Quatre chastised her. "You are shooting from the hip!" His words demonstrated his shock.
"-I- didn't have the opportunity to -sit- with my wife in the hospital," he returned. And if he had... what would have come of it anyway?
For a fleeting second Catherine saw his defenses fall but when she blinked, they were up again.
"Catherine... we took Trowa away from her because he needed to focus on becoming
-strong- for her. She can -feel- him and if she feels defeat..." Quatre trailed off.
Catherine fell beside her brother. Tears fell from her eyes. Wufei left the room in bitter silence and Quatre did nothing to stop him as he stared at the woman on the floor next to the couch.
"Ca... thrin..."
She looked up to see Trowa staring at her dazed and confused. At the sight of her tears he bolted upright and made a move to get up but the blankets tangled him.
"What is it," he demanded not really wanting the answer.
"Nothing, little Brother."
"Myrna..." he called.
Catherine reached up, placing a soft hand on his arm. "She's fine, Trowa. These tears..." she felt embarrassed now, "are because I'm and idiot."
"What?" Trowa was confused.
"No you're not, Catherine. You thought you were doing the right thing..." Quatre walked around the couch and stood in front of them. "It was a perfectly normal gesture on your part... unfortunately, not one that we, as his friends, can allow."
Trowa lay back on the couch and once again closed his eyes. Immediately his fatigued body rested back into its dark world, not fighting- only resting.
For days it went on like this. Each one took turns sitting with Myrna while the another sat with Trowa.
Very rarely did any of them see their significant other; causing a bit of hostility as Catherine was the only female allowed in to see him. Quatre, the others thought, was lucky because Tenice was very understanding. She had taken this time away from him to visit relatives in the L1 Cluster.
Relena and Sally weren't so forgiving. They each knew that their respective men had only eyes for them but it was hard to understand -why- exactly the men couldn't sit with Trowa and the women, or at least Catherine or Relena, couldn't sit with Myrna.
Milliardo did his best in trying to explain.
"Relena… Trowa -needs- their strength and if that means that they have to sit with her for him to grow stronger then that's what they have to do. If Heero took time away from the mission he chose to accept just to satisfy your needs… Trowa would begin picking up on negative emotion.
"When that happens, the others become frustrated, sending out more negativity causing for a much worse scenario. Fire doesn't work against itself, it grows." He sighed. "The flames become stronger, thicker… more deadly than if it was being quenched with water."
Relena cried. She didn't want to be the growing flames.
"Sal… Wufei is having a difficult moment right now. He is consumed with the need to kick Trowa in the head because of his weakness but at the same time protect him from that very same thing."
Lucrezia tried to help Sally come down from her irate state of mind.
"He's not like that, Lucrezia. Wufei doesn't concern himself with the trifling things."
"Do you think that Trowa's condition is trifling? If it was you on that bed and you could sense Wufei's weakness, would -you- not want his FRIENDS to do something to snap him out of it?"
Sally was angered by Lucrezia's words. Not the fact that she spoke from her heart but the fact that it was true. She was angered at herself.
"Besides… you KNOW how he feels about Catherine right now."
Sally gave a light sigh. "It'll pass."
~November 30~
Thanksgiving Day had came and went. Lucrezia and Milliardo held a small, informal gathering just to lighten the tension. They had given room for everyone to take a deep breath and just breathe.
Now, three days later, the tension was up again. The men with Trowa and Myrna and the women at their jobs.
Wufei sat across the table from Trowa, watching him stir his food. He was not interested in eating.
"What would Myrna say right now?" He asked the question to Trowa who stopped the movement of his fork on the plate.
Without giving thought, Trowa automatically responded as Wufei mouthed the words with him.
"If you don't eat, you damn well better not complain that you're hungry."
Trowa looked up at Wufei. Their eyes met and locked.
"So are you going to eat," he said to Trowa, "or would you prefer that I shove it down your throat?"
At the first bite Wufei could see that -now- Trowa was on his way to positive strength.
As more days passed by, the guys sat with Myrna, each one telling her a story of the day's events or their feelings; revealing their secrets to her, their true confessions of love and desire. She was the best target for such ranting because she could not tell the others, nor could she chastise, ridicule or advise them- the latter of the three being the down side.
Heero confessed his burning desire for Relena. He urged Myrna to wake up for his own selfish needs. Duo admitted his feelings for Catherine, or "Cat" he called her. Reminding her that Trowa would never allow such a thing, he sighed and pleaded for Myrna to talk to him about it… to no avail, as she was still unconscious.
Wufei defended himself against her silent accusations that he wanted to marry Sally. He did love her, but to take it that final step? He openly, with Much disgust, admitted his weakness. Fear that she would refuse him in that manner.
--"She loves you… that is certain."--
He heard her words in his mind of a conversation they had once had.
-Yeah, I know.
Quatre confided in her about his feelings for Tenice. He loved her and respected her. Stated that after two years of courtship, they should be ready for the next step but neither of them were. He asked Myrna what he should do and heard her silent response but felt that he could not do that.
Each one had at one point or another shared something with Trowa, feeding him with positive re-enforcement, building his strength back up. They could see that it was difficult for him at times because he envied their time with her. He had grown to understand that they kept him from her for both their sakes. Both he -and- his wife were getting stronger from this time apart. Her body was healing, as was his heart. It would be a difficult road when she woke because of the loss from within her motherly chamber but they could see that Trowa would be prepared for that moment.
~December 23~
Trowa and Duo sat in the living room. Trowa read a book on dealing with the loss of a child and Duo sat on the floor playing a video game on the TV.
An occasional outburst caused Trowa to look at the screen and then turn back to his reading.
"NO… no, no, no, no… Man!"
Trowa looked up at the screen. Duo had been playing some space warrior game and had lost. The words: "Deathscythe Hell Gunned Down- GAME OVER" blinked on the screen, flashing images of a battleship falling from the sky.
"And there you were… a big shot in that machine of yours! -Ch-… For shame, Duo!"
Duo turned off the screen and game turning to look at his friend.
"So how are ya, Pal?"
Trowa stared at him over his book.
"I don't know. Are you going to call me 'self absorbed'?"
"Are you going to hit me," Duo replied.
They both laughed. Trowa -laughed-. Duo blinked.
"T-Man! I think you're ready!"
"Ready for what," Quatre asked as he entered the room followed by Heero.
"He laughed," Duo said.
Hearing Duo's words, Quatre dramatically put a hand over his chest and stumbled backwards, gasping.
"What? Not Trowa!" he chided playfully.
Heero stared not amused at Quatre and then turned to Trowa.
"Well then… perhaps it is time."
~AC 200 June 5~
Trowa stared down the aisle at the angel that walked up form the back of the church. He waited patiently for her to arrive opposite him. When she did, he took in her beauty and held her in his mind. She was -his- angel.
The music that had been playing in the background had suddenly come to a screeching interruption. He could see her redness of embarrassment and could feel his own burning cheeks.
"Uh… oh… damn it… oh, sorry… wait… if I… OWE!"
"Duo… let me… stop! Duo!… Ugh!… Will you…"
"No, Cat… I got it… OoooW!"
"Ahem… sorry ladies and gentlemen…"
"Give me that…"
"Duo… I'm warning you!"
Everyone in the building laughed at the people behind the soundboard in the balcony or hid their faces of embarrassment for the people at the altar.
"Woman!"
Things just got worse.
"No… Hey! Don't do.."
"Let go, Woman!"
"Don't talk to her… Owe! Man, that hurt!"
"Good! It was supposed to!"
"Hey…"
"Shut up, Duo. Woman! Let go!"
With those words came the music right where it had left off.
"Continue," Wufei seethed on the intercom and left the balcony.
"Hey…" Duo cried out once more in protest to the loud *thump* they heard on the speaker. "That was my ear!"
"I know."
Everyone then turned their attention once again to the back of the church. Trowa looked up at his friend who stood almost ready to fall over either in agony or with excitement. He laughed to himself of the fact that Quatre had won the bet. His eyes wondered back to the -other- angel that approached. -She- was Heero's angel.
Milliardo walked her down the aisle and then handed her over to Heero with much joy.
Originally, Duo was supposed to be best man but he confided in Heero that he wouldn't feel right standing with Myrna and felt that he should ask Quatre or- who better, Trowa.
--"Besides," he had said, "I got this really cool system that I want to work… so I'll be in charge of the music!"
"Oooh… can I help?"-
It was a decision Heero was greatly regretting.
At the reception, they each said their piece to the newly-weds in which Myrna gave Relena a hug and whispered something in her ear.
Relena laughed with excitement and stood up. With as much of her gown as she could carry, she left Heero's side and ran to Lucrezia and Milliardo with Sally in tow.
Milliardo got up and left with Sally, causing a great disturbance in the room. Finally, Milliardo and Sally reappeared pushing in a giant cake and stopped it in front of the four chamberlains and groom who sat at the table. Relena stood next to Myrna, giddy as cold be, giving Heero a very intense feeling of suspicion. Then he noticed that -all- the young women were standing on the other side of the table.
Sally, Tenice and Catherine stood on opposite sides of Relena and Myrna. Lucrezia walked around the table and handed each of them a rolled paper tied with a purple string.
Relena spoke:
"I know this is mine and Heero's day," she looked around at all the guests who had joined them for this blissful event. "But Myrna has something she would like to say."
Milliardo had just handed all five girls a single red rose and then followed -his- wife back to their table.
Relena handed over the mic. and an envelope to Myrna and stood quiet.
Almost immediately, Myrna began to cry. Everyone waited. Heero coughed uncomfortably, still suspicious. Trowa wondered what they were going to do. Wufei eyed Sally with much interest in her moves, Quatre simply stared at the love of his life. Duo sat back, contemplating Catherine's thoughts, silently thanking both Trowa -and- Myrna for the privilege of Catherine's hand.
"Courtship ONLY, Duo!" Trowa was very adamant about that decision they day he gave his ok, to Duo.
"Ahem… it has come to my attention that Trowa went through a very rough stage when I… well… anyway," she paused staring into Trowa's eyes. "I learned that each of you," she began sobbing again and spoke in a high pitch, "took it upon yourselves," deep breath, "to take care of him. When I learned of the actions," sniff, "you took… my heart was filled with a sense of loyalty and respect to each of you."
Relena rubbed her friend's back as she tried to regain composure.
"And so… each of you has a piece of paper in your hand, a special thank you from the bottom of my heart because I am certain," many shallow breaths, "that if it had not been for you… I would not be here right now." She looked at the girls by her side. Deep breath, "It has also come to my attention that these four young ladies to my right and left," she paused taking a tissue from the box that had been mysteriously passed around and continued. "Have acted in less than formidable manners concerning those very actions… and so…" sniff, "I have them standing next to me with their own words to you."
She passed the microphone down to Sally who took it and stared into Wufei's eyes.
Sally began:
"With this rose
I offer you My heart.
I plead for forgiveness of the fool I've been
It is my desire to start fresh with you again."
She passed the mic to Tenice and walked up to Wufei, giving him the rose. Her eyes pleaded with his. He stood up, embraced her and kissed her. Leading her back to the place beside him, she cried and he forgave her.
Tenice began:
"Though it seems that I have been calm,
It has come down to God only knows…
It is the desire of my heart to be forgiven of my thoughts
And this is what I ask with this rose."
She passed the mic to Myrna who handed it to Relena. Tenice walked up to Quatre and gave him the symbol of her plea. His blue eyes were filled with tears as he accepted it and waited for her to come around the table. He stood up and hugged her, forgiving her of these thoughts that she hid from him so well.
It was Relena's turn.
-Ahem…
"I have been a jealous fool,
Envying your time for a friend.
I offer you this rose in hopes
That your heart you will let me mend."
Heero didn't care. He jumped over the table to her and held her close to him, kissing her. Tenice eyed the footprint on the tablecloth with much concern and stared curiously at the man who left it.
"I love you," he whispered and walked her around to be seated next to him where she belonged all the while holding the rose next to his heart.
Catherine and Myrna giggled and then Catherine began.
"It is with this rose that my heart demands of me
To seek out your Forgiveness for the way I tried to be.
So I ask you now
-If you can find some how…
The Strength to accept my apology."
Duo smiled his mischievous little grin, causing Trowa to tense ever so slightly. He edged her around the table and pulled her into his lap and kissed her passionately.
"HEY! That's NOT courting," Trowa protested.
Myrna giggled at the sight as everyone else gasped in sheer shock.
When he was finished he looked into her eyes and smiled. "I love you."
People were coughing, whispering, muttering and laughing at Trowa's look of complete shock.
"WHAT?" Trowa shouted.
Catherine, arms wrapped around Duo's neck, eyed him thoughtfully, considering his words and then looked at Trowa. "He said he loves me, Little Brother! And I love him back!"
Milliardo had just taken a sip of champagne and out it came as he leaned over trying not to get anyone, or himself, with it.
"Honey," Lucrezia chided giggling at him.
Wufei had almost pulled the same thing and now stared at the opposite end of the table with wide eyes.
Duo's eyes were wide also and his mouth was wider.
"Wha…"
She kissed him back and then smiled.
"Ahem…" Myrna interrupted.
All eyes were now on the center of the room, staring at the girl who stood alone.
"This cake is my thanks to ALL of you- and yes Duo, it has raspberry filling." This statement received laughs from a few of the guests and a thumbs up from Duo. "But there's one more things." She opened the envelope carefully. A tear streamed her face as she stared into the eyes of each of the young men, who in their own way saved both her own and her husband's lives.
"Wufei, Quatre… Heero… Duo… this is for you, and my thanks to the ladies for dealing with it." She took a deep breath and cleared her throat.
"What it meant to be a friend
You knew without the question's end.
It wasn't enough to watch him go
Into the pits of despair alone.
You took him on, challenging him to stay.
Assuring him that it would be better some day.
You grabbed hold of him seemingly lost at sea
Because he mourned a loss for me.
I could never thank you enough
For I'm sure the time with him was rough.
"What it meant to be his friend
I thank you for being there to the end.
His green eyes might now be blue
If, I know, it weren't for you.
You stayed so true, lending him your strength
Because you saw that he was losing faith.
In silence never leaving him alone
You watched and helped him to cry at home.
I am glad that you remained by his side-
Loyal and true… being Semper Fi."
She walked up to Trowa and laid the piece of paper down with two pictures. One was of the five young men together and the other… he took it and held it up to the light.
-A negative?
His eyes widened and -he- pulled a "Heero" move, jumping over the table. Relena burst into tears and had not been the only one.
Trowa hugged his wife holding the picture close and then kissed her. For a long moment they stood in this embrace before he pulled away from her, looking at the people in the crowd and then turning back to face his friends. With tears in his eyes he looked at each of them.
"We're having Twins!"
Except for Relena, nobody, Trowa included, knew that Myrna was three and a half months pregnant.
It had come time, once again, for each to show just how truly faithful they were to the one who needed their strength. He had joyfully called upon the assistance of the ones who were known as Semper Fi. His friends.
THE END