Author's Note:
I was listening to Gypsies and Lovers the other day when it struck me that Raggle Taggle Gypsy would make the perfect 3x4 songfic. So, here it is. Oh yeah, stuff like this is song lyrics and stuff like *this* is thoughtsDisclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing or Raggle Taggle Gypsy, I'm just borrowing them both to suit my own twisted purposes. BUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!
The familiar strains of calliope music drifted throughout the streets of the colony. A bright procession wound its way through the tall imposing buildings from the spaceport, animals woken from cold-sleep to pace in their cages to add to the show. Two elephants humph-galumphed at the head of the parade, two more at the back. Bright cages and wagons rolled through the streets as children crowded out of doors and to windows to watch it go by. A murmur ran through the colony like wildfire.
The circus was in town.
As the circus passed by the largest building on the colony, the headquarters of Winner Enterprises Incorporated, workers stopped and glanced briefly towards the windows to catch a glimpse of the carnival. In these rough times, so soon after the Eve War, people needed things like the circus to keep their spirits up.
As people gawped at the giant elephants and the great cats in their cages, and the multitude of other sights, no one noticed the face that scanned the buildings as the lion cage rumbled by.
There were three auld gypsies came to our hall door.
They came brave and boldly-o.
And one sang high and the other sang low
And the lady sang the raggle taggle gypsy-o.
The secretary looked up, startled, as the young CEO of WEI slammed out of his office.
"Mr. Winner!" she called.
"Yes?" he asked politely, turning on his hundred-watt smile, brighter today that it usually was. He bounced on the balls of his feet like he couldn't wait to be away.
"May I ask where you're going?" she stammered.
"Nope!" Quatre replied cheerily. "Please hold my calls and reschedule my meetings for the rest of today, probably tomorrow too. Thank you! Bye!" Without waiting for an answer, he grabbed his coat and tore down the stairs. The secretary stood stunned for a moment before dashing after him. Unfortunately, she hadn't the same training as he had, and had barely reached the stairs as he ran out of the building. She watched through the large window as the tall clown beside the lion cage bent down and offered her young boss a hand up. The blonde accepted it cheerfully and swung up, disappearing between the cages.
The secretary sighed and leaned against the railing. "Not again."
It was upstairs and downstairs the lady went,
Put on her suit of leather-o,
And it was the cry all around the hall;
"She's away with the raggle taggle gypsy-o"
The secretary looked up as a large form slammed through the doors into the waiting room in front of Quatre's office.
"Hello, Miss," Rashid exclaimed jovially. "We've returned, and I would like to report to Master Quatre."
"Well, about that . . ."
"Oh, he's busy? We'll wait."
*We? Oh.....* the secretary saw the fifteen plus Magnuacs who filled the stairwell. She swallowed nervously. "A-about that, sir, well, he isn't in, actually,"
Rashid frowned. "Not in? But Master Quatre is usually in at this time. Do you know where he went?"
She swallowed again. "Uh, y-yes, sir. The, uh, circus came by today and, well....."
It was late that night when the lord came in,
Enquiring for his lady-o,
And the servant girl, she replied to the lord;
"She's away with the raggle taggle gypsy-o"
She didn't have to finish her sentence, as Rashid's eyes went flat. He turned around abruptly, a surprisingly quick movement for such a big man. He stomped through the mass of Magnuacs, barking orders.
"Faheed, find out where the circus is set up. Malik, get the truck out. Auda, I want you to accompany me."
The secretary, for the second time that day, sighed and said, "Not again."
"Then saddle for me my milk-white steed
Me big horse is not speedy-o
And I will ride and I'll seek me bride,
She's away with the raggle taggle gypsy-o"
Quatre moaned softly as Trowa pressed him gently against one of the many large packing crates that littered the private part of the circus. Trowa rained kisses on Quatre's face and neck as they desperately clutched at each.
When they finally broke apart for a brief moment, Quatre smiled up into his lover's face and murmured, "It's been too long,"
"Yes," Trowa agreed fervently (and succinctly)
"Stay with me, then!" Quatre said, burrowing into Trowa's chest. "Stay at WEI,"
"You know I can't," Trowa murmured, face buried in Quatre's hair, arms holding him tightly. "I can't just leave Catherine and the circus. I owe them that,"
Quatre sighed. "I know...." He giggled suddenly. "I'll come with you then!"
"What?!" Trowa pulled back and looked down at the blonde. "But, you've got work, and not to mention the Magnuacs would hunt me down and KILL me if they thought I took you away."
Quatre smiled wistfully at him. "I know, I know. I can still wish," he burrowed into Trowa's arms again. "I want to stay like this forever."
Trowa agreed soundlessly, leaning down for a long passionate kiss.
******
Rashid kept his eyes peeled as they prowled the colony for signs of the circus. Faheed hadn't managed to find where exactly the place was, but had a good enough idea of the colony to know where the most likely place they'd be was. He growled mentally to himself. *That damn clown is a bad influence on Master Quatre....every time he comes anywhere near Master Quatre, he drops all his work and runs off to be with that...that NOBODY!*
"There, sir!" Auda pointed to one side. Rashid smiled grimly and pulled into the vacant lot where the circus folk were bustling around setting things up. Stepping out of the truck, he scanned the field, people swarming everywhere.....except for by the lion cages. Still smiling grimly, Rashid stomped towards them resolutely, certain he had found Master Quatre.
"Stop!"
Rashid glanced to one side. A young woman with curly brown hair was barreling towards him. She stopped right in front of him and glared at him, arms akimbo. "You can't go back there. My brother's feeding the lions and he doesn't like to be disturbed." Her eyes flashed dangerously.
Rashid bowed his head politely. "My apologies then," He delicately picked her up by the waist and set her down to one side before continuing stomping towards the lion cages. Auda grinned an apology at her before hurrying after Rashid. Catherine blinked a few times before shaking her head and following them.
He rode east and he rode west
He rode north and south also,
And when he rode to the wide open field
It was there that he spied his lady-o.
"Master Quatre!"
To their credit, neither Trowa nor Quatre jumped apart guiltily as Rashid's roar burst out of the night. Trowa stepped to the side to let Quatre see, but kept an arm wrapped around his waist. Quatre tucked himself into Trowa's side, but glared at Rashid as he materialized out of the darkness.
"What are you doing here, Rashid?" Quatre's voice was calm, not a hint of the anger in his eyes showing in his voice.
"Master Quatre, when I found out you had left, I was worried . . ." Rashid began, but Quatre cut him off with a wave of his hand.
"Bullshit, Rashid," Quatre took a breath and continued. "You knew very well where I was, and you don't want me to be here. It's no surprise."
Auda and Catherine came jogging up. Cathy folded her arms and glared at the two Magnuacs. "Sorry, little brother, but these two wouldn't listen to me and came barging through the grounds,"
"It's not your fault, Cathy," Quatre replied for him. "Rashid is just being uncommonly pigheaded." This statement was punctuated by another glare in his direction.
Rahsid drew himself up angrily. "I am worried about your well-being, Master Quatre. I believe you would do better safely at WEI than running around with penniless clowns after dark."
"Why did you leave your house and your land,
Why did you leave your money-o?
Why did you leave your only wedded lord
All for the raggle taggle gypsy-o?"
Trowa tensed up and his visible eye narrowed. Quatre's glare intensified and he laid a protective hand on Trowa's arm. "You have no right nor business in how I spend my time or where I give my affections," he said coldly. "I feel safe with Trowa. I feel happy with Trowa. I would rather spend five minutes with him than five days at WEI, with all the stuffed shirts and delegates who see me as only a child."
Trowa's arm tightened around Quatre's waist as his lover continued. "Trowa knows who and what I am and was. I blew him up, for Allah's sake! And yet he stays with me. Can you say that of anyone else?"
"And what do I care for me house and me land?
What do I care for money-o?
What do I care for me only wedded lord?
I'm away with the raggle taggle gypsy-o"
Rashid opened and closed his mouth a couple of times. "We Magnuacs have always been here for you, Master Quatre. We would never let anyone harm you. Surely you can't say the same for this, this nameless bum who gleans a living by hopping from colony to colony making a fool of himself for audiences."
"It was there last night you'd a goose feather bed,
Blankets drawn so comely-o.
But tonight you lie in a wide open field
In the arms of the raggle taggle gypsy-o"
Trowa's face went flat and he took a menacing step forward. Cathy gave a little cry and ran to his side, laying a restraining hand on his arm. Muscles in his jaw worked briefly before he stepped back. Catherine kept a hold of his arm, and Quatre still had the other one. Quatre looked up into his face tenderly for a moment, holding an unspoken conversation.
Rashid snorted. "He can't even speak for himself! How can this man have a hold of your heart?"
"I speak when I must," Trowa said, voice low. "And talking to overprotective and under-intelligent giants is not that high on my list."
"He doesn't have to defend himself to anyone," Quatre put in. He turned to Auda, who was ghosting along at the edge of the scene. "Auda, surely you don't support Rashid in this ridiculous notion?"
Auda cleared his throat nervously. "Well, uh, personally, I, uh, think that Trowa is a nice young man and you have every right to happiness, but, uh, Rashid holds the purse strings, so to speak."
Quatre switched his gaze back to Rashid. "Well, then, I see what must be done." Stepping out of the circle of Trowa's arms, he moved towards Rashid. "Since you will not listen to what I say, then maybe you can watch." Spinning on his heel, he stepped back into Trowa, grabbed his collar and pulled him down for a kiss. A long kiss. A very long kiss. A very long, passionate kiss.
"And what do I care for me goose feather bed?
And what do I care for blankets-o?
What do I care for me only wedded lord?
I'm away with the raggle taggle gypsy-o"
Catherine stood back, arms folded with one eyebrow raised. "How does he love him? Let me count the ways," she (mis)quoted. Auda grinned. Rashid looked furious.
When they broke apart, Trowa looked bemused and Quatre looked triumphant. Turning back to Rashid, but with both of Trowa's arms still firmly wrapped around his waist, Quatre smirked. "You said it yourself, Rashid. I should be where I am most safe. Goodbye, Rashid." Calmly turning, he and Trowa disappeared, hand in hand, behind the random paraphernalia of the circus grounds.
"But. . ." Rashid's mouth hung open. Catherine took the opportunity to take both men by the wrist and propel them back towards their truck.
"This time, gentlemen, I trust you won't disturb my little brother," she said smugly as Auda took over the job of dragging Rashid into the truck.
"Sorry 'bout that, ma'am," Auda grinned. "Have a good night." Catherine waved as the truck backed out of the parking lot, then smiled and strode towards the main tent again.
******
Close by, in the relative comfort of the Bloom family trailer, Quatre curled into Trowa as the latter dropped kisses on his blonde crown. "Thank you, love," Trowa murmured.
"For what?" Quatre asked, looking up. "For fighting for my own happiness?" He gave Trowa a quick kiss. "Not even Rashid could make me walk away from you. Drag me kicking and screaming and biting, yes, but move under my own volition, no."
"Oh, for you rode east when I rode west,
You rode high and I rode low.
I'd rather have a kiss of the yellow gypsy's lips
Than all of your cash and money-o"