~*Eve Wars*~

By Aislin Oriel

Disclaimer: Help me! Help me! I'm drowning in the sea of obviousness!

(Authoress Note: No, not the 'Eve Wars' that took place in A.C. 196, this is much lighter and takes place on the Xmas eve of 198 after the series, Ground Zero, Blind Target and Endless Waltz . Also if you didn't know, just for further reference the dates in order are 195, 196, 196 & 197. )

The day before Christmas,

Chapter I - Proposition

'Twas the day before Christmas,

And all through the oversized estate

Ten homosapiens were stirring -

Okay, subtract eight...

A child was outside thinking

Not of world domination,

But rather a way

To pass the -

Mariemaea's thoughts were soon interrupted by an awful squealing sound. Turning, she looked in through the large bay window to see Duo whipping out of reach of Quatre who was chasing after him with an expression that would make his mother lurch from her grave. At this, she noted with her anilitical mind that only Trowa was sitting at the table that Quatre had been earlier occupying. He was also the only one stirring his tea since Quatre's had inadvertently been spilled across the table and checking, Mariemaea confirmed, the front of his pants. After a sudden movement, the door was jolted open and the loveable Duo sprinted out into the snow in his socks.

"Hey Mari- ahh!" he half got out before Quatre appeared standing in the door way, his face contorted with rage and seemingly pain.

"That was hot Duo!" He yelled.

Within moments, Mariemaea was by herself again as the two had ripped around the corner of the mansion and continued their chase into the small wooded area that existed there. Blowing a piece of her pretty red hair from her face she moved her wheelchair over to close the door that they had carelessly left open.

Just as she had reached it however, she looked up to see Relena standing there. She began in a kind, careful voice that she talked to Mariemaea with now,

"Hey, do you want to come in? It is pretty cold out there." she smiled in a radiant yet sincere way that gave plenty of warmth itself.

"No, that's really alright Relena. I want to wait for Mother." she answered and put her mittens back on.

Relena left it at that. She never wanted to make Mariemaea feel uncomfortable by babying her. Nodding, she rubbed her arms from the cold before closing the door soundly.

Mariemaea resumed her post, pointing her wheelchair in the direction of the wooded area opposite where the two guys had fled earlier, to wait. She knew she could be out of the wheelchair soon and she wouldn't feel like such a burden to everyone. She had never liked sympathy or charity. Atleast not the kind she was getting lately.

"Soon I'll be up and walking," She said aloud, 'Then I'll really make Mother proud of me.'

From around the corner, Une appeared, decked for a blizzard and dragging behind her a ten-foot evergreen.

"That'll teach Wufei to say I'm weak. I don't think he could have ever done this." she announced and stood beside Mariemaea to look at her prize.

"Wow, Mother, it's truely magnificent..." she smiled.

"And it will look even better when we go in there and show them all." Une added with satisfaction.

'You are strong, that's what I respect about you.' Mariemaea thought to herself.

The touching moment was shattered as out of the woods ran Duo, and in hot pursuit, Quatre wielding a handsaw, the metalic teeth gleaming against the white snow, with an equally piercing gleam in his eyes. But this gleam was more of a, I'm going to kill you gleam. Quatre appeared to be hyped up on the Zero System again.

"I'm taking no responsibility for this, so if anyone asks, that wasn't my saw." Une clearified.

"Of course not."

Inside, Hilde and Trowa were colaberately sopping up the spilt tea with a throw blanket that Duo had distinctively named Binky, while Heero was busying himself, untangling the knots in Christmas lights from a box clearly marked, *Tree Crap*.

"Having some trouble there? I thought you were supposed to be the technical genious." Relena teased.

Heero looked up at her from the decoration-strewn floor, "Sorry, this wasn't part of the training." he quipped.

"I can't believe it." Wufei suddenly broke in.

"What?" Relena looked over curiously to see him glancing out the window at Une, Mariemaea and most importantly, the collossus of a tree.

"What Wufei? That a woman could do that?" Sally asked in a mocking tone as everyone else saw the tree Une had cut down.

"I hope it will fit in here." Hilde added as Une pushed the door open. Atleast they thought it was Une, because it was the top of the tree that was thrust through the doorway horizontally, flinging needles in every which way as the branches were squeezed through the opening with miniscule care.

"Wowzers!" exclaimed Catherine as she came into the room only to be knocked over by the tree that was half in the room.

Dorothy stood back and laughed at her in a fiendish way when suddenly she was hit in the face with a snowball. Needless to say, she stopped laughing.

"Um, why doesn't everyone give her a hand to get this in here." Relena suggested and formed a post at the side of the tree.

Shrugging, mostly everyone complied. Once the tree was satisfyingly safe in the room, in stepped Une, wheeling Mariemaea.

"HAH! So there Chang Wufei!!!" she humphed and stuck her tongue out at him.

Hilde, Duo and Relena began laughing but were soon interrupted by the snorting noise that protruded from Wufei.

"It doesn't count, you couldn't even get it in the house without our help." he said arrogently.

"What! Why you little piece of shi-" Une stopped herself as she noticed Mariemaea was still there.

"Everyone, can we try to get along?" Relena asked.

Duo burst through the door, huffing and puffing and wearing a rediculous grin.

"I lost him." he announced proudly, while hopping around the messy, needle covered floor and finally navigating over to the table where Hilde and Trowa were. However, the state of his Binky could not be descussed because at this moment, the door was slammed shut, causing quite a ruckous.

"You won't escape me....." Quatre's eyes blazed and he began laughing in that maniacal hyenna way of his.

"Alright," Trowa whispered calmly, "This time you jump him and I'll get the rope..."

"If I have to..." Heero nodded and took a jumping stance.

Quatre sensed what was going to happen and squawked in retreat, bounding up the stairs laughing wildly like no tomorrow.

"Oh well, let him cool down." Trowa ordered.

Everyone resumed what they were previously doing, Une began trying to set up the 'little' tree, which didn't fit unless on an angle, Trowa quickly disposed of the blanket before Duo could ask any questions, Hilde destracted Duo with a shiny piece of tinsel, Wufei overlooked the rising of the tree with a sceptical eye that he was so well known for, Heero returned to the unravelling, Dorothy returned to picking ice shards from her eyes, Cathy helped Mariemaea take off her coat, hat and mittens, Relena stoked the fire and Sally snuck around in the background just to cause Wufei some greif.

"Um, Mother?" Mariemaea asked.

Une, who had successfully wedged the tree into the corner sideways responded, "Yes?"

"Wouldn't it just be easier if we just trimmed the tree to fit in here?" she suggested.

Looking up at the sad tree, Une nodded, "Good idea." She then turned to Dorothy and ordered, "Go get the saw from Quatre."

"There are some hedge trimmers in the garage-"

"NOW!" Une bellowed, releasing that side of her that had stayed dorment since the 'death' of Treize.

In a frightened manner, Dorothy began her ascent into paril, "Well, it shouldn't be that hard..." she told herself for support.

Dorothy returned, screaming and howling as she shot down the stairs. Everyone noticed that the one side of her hair was a few... well actually a whole lot shorter than it had used to be. She flew into the kitchen to hide.

Everyone else stared expectantly at the top of the staircase, awaiting the enraged Aryan child. And they waited. And waited. Well, he didn't appear.

"So, I guess that she didn't get the saw." Une said, her distaste evident in her tone.

*If you're nice to me & review, I'll give you more... huh-huh? - Aislin*