The Best Winter Present
By: Firefrost
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Disclaimer: I'm sure you all know the drill... I do not own the Gundam Wing characters, nor anything else related to the original series. I own: Maggie, Theo, Nic, Skyler, Li, Shen, Mindy-Paige, Darin, Jamie, and Merishen (as well as the storyline).
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Notes: 'thoughts'
A/N: I apologize for confusion, but in "A Beautiful Life," in the year AC 208, I intended Maggie to be seven, not six (typos SUCK!). Again, my apologies! --_--*
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Along a quiet street on the L4 colony, a little girl treks through the snow. It is late December, and all around her, she hears the chiming of bells, and the laughter of other children. They rejoice that it's the beginning of winter break: December 22, AC 209. She smiles, but it fades as she pushes through a snow pile.
"If the grown-ups want to make fake snow, they could at least make it easy to walk through!" she cries, as the snow pile defeats her and she is forced to walk around it, even though it blocks the whole sidewalk!
She rounds a corner of a gigantic estate, and stomps the ground, rubbing her gloves together and puffing out visible breath, "They could turn the heat up a little, too!"
She then continues on and waits near a big gate, and a man approaches, triggering the hinges to swing open for her.
"Good afternoon, Miss Winner," he says, shivering despite his coat.
"Hi," is all she manages to reply before crossing the great yard to the front stairs. She mounts them and presses in a code on a panel by the big double doors, and they swing open like the gate, and close behind her as she enters.
She stands on pearl-coloured marble tiling, and tugs off her wet red mittens and boots. As she unwraps her scarf from around her neck, a woman with long blonde hair, and sharp blue eyes approaches her.
"Miss Margaret, how many times must I tell you: wait for the car to pick you up from school?!"
"But, it was taking too long, Nana!" Maggie protests, placing her black school knapsack on the floor beside her, "And I was cold!"
"Well," Dorothy replies angrily, "you're certainly no better off now! Look at you, shivering and wet! Hurry up with your coat, and change out of you uniform – into something warm!" She turns, and begins walking away, "By the way, your mother is waiting for you in the library."
'I wonder why,' Maggie thinks to herself, pulling off her fitted black coat and hanging it in the closet, 'Mommy's never available till after five.'
Maggie goes to her room, dragging up her bag to store in her room during the break, and changes into a green sweater and red sweats, then comes downstairs again, and down the main hall. She stops by a set of white doors. Pushing the handle, she enters, and closes it behind her.
Mrs. Winner is sitting on a couch by the lit library fireplace, sipping hot cocoa. She motions her daughter over, and Maggie sits beside her. The two are silent for a few minutes, as they watch the fire writhe under the mantle, then the talk begins.
"So, sweetheart," she says, smiling, "how was school?"
"Fine," Maggie replies timidly.
"Nana told me that you walked home today. What happened? I thought Abdul was going to pick you up?"
Maggie shrugs her shoulders, "I don't know. I guess he got held up. Besides, I felt like walking, anyway."
Mrs. Winner laughs, "Don't let Nana hear you say that! She thinks ladies ought not to walk when they can be driven!"
"But, I'm not a lady," Maggie insists, distressed.
"That's right," Mrs. Winner smiles, poking Maggie on the nose with her index finger, "You're only eight – still a kid: my little baby!"
"Well," Maggie crinkles her nose in distaste of the thought, "not that little!"
Maggie's mother laughs again, her fat tummy rumbling, "Well, which is it? Young or old? You certainly can't be both, dear!"
"I can so!" Maggie pouts, "Not too young, but not too old."
"Oh, I see...," her mother smiles, pulling her daughter into a hug, Maggie's head now resting on Mrs. Winner's stomach, "Young enough not to be a lady, but old enough to be a big sister."
Maggie sits up then, eyes flashing, "Finally, you mean! What took you and Daddy so long to get Allah to give me a new brother or sister!"
"Well, the wait will be worth it, Maggie. There are two in here, you know!" She pokes her tummy.
"Really?!" Maggie hops off the couch and dances around it, "Mommy, Mommy! I want one of both! A brother and sister!"
"We'll see very soon what they are, Maggie. Just six more days!"
"But, I can't wait that long!"
Maggie feels strong arms lift her up from behind. When the person behind her had sat on the couch, with her in his lap, he spoke, "Good things take time, Princess."
Maggie smiles, and whirls in his lap, throwing her arms about his neck, "Daddy!!"
Quatre Winner laughs at his daughter's face: round cheeks framed by platinum hair that cascades to just below her shoulders, sparkling blue eyes, and a very wide and goofy smile. Then, he looks at his beloved wife sitting beside him, "Can I get you anything, Relena?" He looks at her stomach, too.
"No, thank you, darling," she replies, "We're fine now." She rubs her stomach, and he places a hand on hers. Their eyes meet a moment, and a silent worry emerges from the memory of last time.
"Too bad Darry couldn't be here to see this!" Maggie blurts out.
Quatre and Relena stare at their daughter in disbelief.
"Maggie," Relena sounds breathless, "don't say such things!"
Maggie looks up at her, "I'm sorry, Mommy! But, I'm sure Darry would've liked to be here, if he'd been able to!"
Quatre smiles at Maggie's everlasting love of her little brother. Though the two had never met – Darin had died right after he was born – Maggie still cared as though he lived. That was almost a year and a half ago... and still tugged at his and Relena's heart. But, Maggie (probably because of her age) was able to fully let it go, and treat her brother like he was around to treat anyway.
'...He is more useful to Allah there then here,' she had said back then.
The three sit there a while, silent again. This is very common to them: everyday, after school and work (and usually dinner, too), they sit here for a half hour and just relax. They always feel better afterwards!
The silence is broken as the grandfather clock against the far wall sounds: 4:00. Once again, the silence is broken – but, this time, by the sound of a stomach grumbling.
"Oh!" Maggie cries, blushing, "I forgot to get a snack...!"
Quatre and Relena chuckle, and call for Hannah, the chef, to bring Maggie a snack.
"Right on it, Mr. Winner! What tickles yer fancy, m'dear?" she says cheerfully. She's a big woman, and jolly. Maggie really likes her. Hannah is more then the chef, though: Maggie had made it her mission three years ago to make her like part of the family – and she had!
"Cheesecake?!" Maggie asks, hopefully.
"Ah-ah, lil' miss! Not just before supper!" Hannah replies, waggling her finger at the disappointed Winner child. Then, she cocks her eyebrow, and smiles, "Maybe... after supper, instead?"
"Oh, yes, please!" Maggie bounces up and down on Quatre's knee, excited.
"Consider it done! But, for now, how's about a good bowl o' fruit?"
"That's good," Relena replies, calmly.
Hannah suddenly turns to Relena, "And, what about you, Mrs.? Anything I can get for Mommy Dearest?"
"No, thank you, Hannah," Relena smiles, "I'll be fine until dinner."
"As you wish, Mrs. But, I can't say I feel right about it – leaving a pregnant mother without food at the ready. You know how those weird cravings are," She shakes her head, and, just like that, Hannah turns on her heel, walks out, closes the door, and is off to the kitchen, bent on her snack mission!
Relena looks down at Quatre, "I swear, that woman is paranoid about me!" she starts playing with his ear, "She's almost as bad as you, beloved!"
He smiles at her, wrapping an arm around her as she cuddles in close to him, "Let us hope that it is merely paranoia."
"Mm...," She replies, gazing into the fire again, "Did you take a vacation, like I asked?"
He laughs, "Yes, dearest! I would rather face the entire red-faced board when I return than spend one evening in the company of an upset wife!"
She looks at him, "Are you implying that I have a bad temper?" When he doesn't answer, she giggles, "Because, I do: I'm just in denial!"
Quatre lets out a burst of laughter, nearly dislodging Maggie, still perched on his lap.
"Hey!" she cries, "Daddy!"
"My apologies, sweetheart!" he gasps, trying to recover from his laughing fit. Quickly, he regains his composure, and looks back at Relena, "For the next two weeks, I'm free for family duty!"
"Good," Relena tickles his side, "Because, we plan to monopolize you!"
He looks at her, raising his eyebrow, "Oh, wonderful! And... when do you monopolize me, Relena?"
She giggles again, "Once Maggie is in bed, and it's dark—!"
At this moment, Hannah makes her reentrance, destroying the lovely game of teasing! In her hands, she holds a bowl of the fruits of her labours, a spoon poking out the side. She approaches Maggie, and hands it to her.
"Perhaps, it'd be best if you went to the table to eat, Margie!" Hannah says.
Maggie wrinkles her nose at the nickname. Margie sounds so old! She prefers Maggie. Despite that, she hops from her father's lap and sits at the table. She begins to eat.
Hannah turns once more to Relena, "...You sure, Mrs.? I can make you something."
Relena shakes her head, "No, thank you, Hannah! I'm fine." She can't help but smile.
Hannah shrugs, and turns to go, but, then, is called back as she is about to leave.
"Hannah," Hannah turns, Relena's face is slightly twisted, "Maybe... peanuts?"
Hannah smiles, "All right, Mrs. Be right back."
Quatre looks at his wife and smiles smugly, "Weird cravings, indeed!"
"Oh, be quiet!" She smacks him playfully on the arm.
Then, a man enters the room, and nods to Quatre, "Excuse me, Mr. Winner, but there is a call for you."
Maggie jumps off her chair, finished her fruit, and runs to the vidphone on a long side desk, "I'll get it, I'll get it!" She presses the accept button, and the video clicks in before her parents can warn her of strangers (and perverts) on the line. She smiles widely, "Uncle Duo!!"
She doesn't see Quatre and Relena breathe a sigh of relief. Quatre stands, and begins to approach the vidphone.
"Hey, squirt!" Duo grins, "How ya been? Y'know, you shouldn't be answering the phone by yourself: it could be a stranger."
Maggie pouts, and folds her arms, "I'm a big girl, Uncle Duo!"
"Not big enough," Quatre replies, sitting in the chair in front of the phone after gently nudging her aside, "Hello, Duo!"
"Hey, Q, how's it going?!"
"All right. And you?" Quatre smiles at his old friend, hands folded politely on the desk.
"We're fine. Hilde's and my business is booming – thanks to your helpful vouching to interested companies. We're planning on a site on L4 soon – maybe next year, we'll build."
"That's wonderful, but, I can't take all the credit," Quatre laughs, nodding his head towards his wife, "Relena was the one who suggested I 'wean the industry' for you."
Relena stands from the couch and joins her husband and Maggie (who is hovering by Quatre's right shoulder), "It was nothing, Duo," she glances at Quatre slyly, "It wasn't the least bit hard to convince Quatre – he was eager to help."
Quatre turns pink around the edges, and clears his throat.
"I'm not gonna ask," Duo replies.
Maggie puts in a shot, shoving passed her father, "How's Nicky, and Theo?!"
"Fine!" he laughs, "I called to let you know that our flight leaves in a half hour. We're at the spaceport now. We should be there around eleven-thirty."
"Aw!" Maggie cries, "Not fair! I'm not allowed to stay up that late! I won't get to see them!" Maggie lowers her head onto the table top as she leans on her father's leg.
"Don't worry, kiddo!" Duo chuckles, "You'll have the next two weeks to see them! Besides, Hilde and I'll probably have to drag them in by their feet, cause they'll be asleep, too!"
Maggie stands there, fuming. Then, she pushes off her father and stomps a few feet away in defeat.
Quatre chuckles at his daughter's 'subtle' attempt to stay up late, then turns back to the screen, "Have any of the others called you?"
"Yeah," Duo nods, "Catherine called: she and Heero will be arriving early tomorrow morning. Oh, and Wufei's coming then, too, with his kids. I haven't heard from Trowa, though."
"That's all right," Quatre replies, "I have. He'll be here tomorrow afternoon. Paige has a dance recital in the morning."
"Oh, yeah! I'm looking forward to meeting her, and Wufei's kids! I've heard about them, but haven't had a chance to meet them."
"I haven't either," Quatre nods, and turns to Maggie, "I think you will like Uncle Trowa's daughter, Maggie. She's older than you, but is good company."
"Really?!" Maggie's eyes gleam with excitement, before she remembers that she's supposed to be mad at her daddy. Then, she turns away, nose high in the air.
"Anyway...," Duo's voice flips Quatre back to the call at hand, "I gotta go get Nic before he gets me into trouble: he's playing with the scanner gate – I told him not to wonder off! Plus, I gotta find Hilde and Theo: they disappeared into the snack bar ten minutes ago." He smiles cheekily, "See ya soon, Q!"
"I'm looking forward to it, Duo!" Quatre smiles back. Duo gives a quick salute, and the screen goes black.
Relena suddenly remembers, "I should go see what's taking so long with my peanuts."
"It's nearly five-thirty now, Relena. I don't think you need a snack before din—!"
Relena spins to look at him, glaring, "I said, I want peanuts!"
Quatre laughs, and follows her out of the library. Maggie lingers a little longer. She runs her finger along a low shelf of books, and pulls one out: The Winner Family Tree. She sits down at one of the three long tables in the centre of the room, and opens it.
At first, she thinks it dull, and considers returning it to its shelf. But, as she continues to pour over the descent represented by many flow charts, she became intrigued! She thought it would interest her only a few minutes, but ended up sucking her into an entire evening of study.
Quatre found her around eight-twenty, after an uneasy dinner (for she hadn't shown up, and he and Relena had servants helping them look for her). Her arms were thrown out over the table, head lying on top of the book. She was asleep. Then, he took her up to bed, after relieving a frightened wife and worried servants with a reassuring "I found her!"
Maggie opens her eyes. She stares up at the canopy of her dark oak bed. Quickly, she stands, seeing she is still wearing the same clothes, and wondering how she got there. Glancing around, she sees the book she had been reading sitting on her bedside table. She leaves her room, and closes the door.
She notices it's dark outside through the hallway windows, very dark.
'I'm hungry,' she thinks, and goes to the stairs, beginning her descent. As she reaches the main hall at the bottom, she hears voices coming from the livingroom. Light shines through the archway between hall and livingroom, announcing the house is not yet asleep.
She quietly makes her way along the hall in the opposite direction, avoiding the livingroom, and finds her roundabout way to the kitchen. No reason to bother her parents with little complaints of hunger when they're taking time out for one of the rare chances their jobs (and Maggie, herself) allow for a long, peaceful talk.
'Besides,' she thinks, grabbing some grapes, an apple, some salad, and a piece of chocolate cheesecake Hannah had made for her as dessert (that she hadn't had), 'I'm a big girl. I can make my own dinner.'
She puts the food on the counter, near a set of stools, and prepares to grab a drink from the refrigerator.
She opens the door, and tries to reach up to a juice jug on the second-top shelf, but fails. Her arms are too short, and she is too small! She tries jumping up and down, but that doesn't work either!
'I give up!' she rattles, returning to the counter and sitting on a stool.
She gobbles down the salad first – her mommy always says "Eat you vegetables, dear!" Might as well get them over with first. Then, she ate the fruit, and then came the cheesecake.
'Aw!' she grumbles, playing with her fork, 'I wish I could reach the milk! You can't have chocolate without milk! It doesn't taste right!' Despite this disappointment, she found the cheesecake excellent! Hannah had outdone herself, yet again!
As Maggie gobbles down the last piece, someone in the doorway giggles and steps out. Dorothy smiles, "Miss Margaret, you could have asked myself or your mother to fetch you food if you were hungry."
Maggie looks at her, chocolate smudges all over her face, the fork grasped in her hand, "I didn't want to disturb Mommy or Daddy. They don't get a lot of time to talk."
"Sure they do!" she replies, sitting beside Maggie, "They see each other every day!"
"I mean, alone. I'm always around. As much as grown-up talk is boring, you guys seem to need it sometimes, but you can't have it with me around."
"Touche!" Dorothy chuckles, "Smart as a whip, as ever, Miss Margaret!"
Maggie's eyes sparkle, much in contrast to her less-than-presentable face, "Nana, who are Mommy and Daddy talking to? Themselves?"
"Oh, no, not this time," Dorothy replies, "Why don't we clean up your dirty face and take you out to see who it is? You took a long nap this evening, anyway."
Dorothy takes Maggie's hand and escorts her to the sink where a clean dishcloth and Dorothy's right hand become her face's new best friends as the chocolate is scrubbed away.
Dorothy leads Maggie to the livingroom, and tells her to wait a moment.
"Who was it in the kitchen, Dorothy?" Relena asks as Dorothy takes her seat again.
"Oh," Dorothy sighs, "Just an unsatisfied stomach." Dorothy winks at Maggie, and she enters the light.
"What?" Relena replies, then notices Maggie behind her, and laughs, "Oh! Were you hungry, Maggie?"
Maggie nods. Then, she takes notice of the others in the room. Duo sits calmly, Hilde beside him, watching her with comical interest. Her father is smiling, and Dorothy simply cocks her eyebrow.
"Well," Relena chuckles, offering Maggie to sit beside her. Maggie obliges, and Relena begins stroking her hair, "What did my big girl make for herself?"
Dorothy cuts in, saving Maggie (or so she thought) from being disastrously honest: Relena preferred Maggie to eat some protein at dinner, and she hadn't, "Something a little less then appropriate, but healthy enough."
"Did you have cheesecake?" Relena asked, raising an eyebrow seriously.
Maggie did not reply. Relena looks at her shakes her head, "Maggie, you know you're not supposed to have just dessert!"
"But, I didn't!" Maggie protests, eyes wide and flailing emphatically, "I had fruit, and salad! And I tried to get a sandwich, and juice, too, but they were just too high, and I didn't want to bother you and Daddy!"
Relena looks at her, "You tried to reach the juice by yourself?"
"She did," Dorothy answered, "I saw her jumping up and down like a grasshopper and waving her arms, trying to grab the jug."
Relena suddenly laughs, "I would have liked to see that!"
Maggie blinks, "Y-You're not mad anymore?"
Relena smiles, "No, you tried! At least you had fruit and salad! Most children would have gone straight to the cake!"
Maggie stays silent: that thought had crossed her mind, too. 'Eat the cake!' it had said, but she knew what she'd have been in for if she listened.
Then, Maggie stares at Hilde and Duo, "Where's Nicky and Theo?"
"Upstairs, asleep," Hilde replies.
"Oh."
Quatre looks at Maggie, "Is this not as exciting an arrival as you had hoped, Princess?"
Maggie looks at him, "Not as exciting..."
"Well," Duo cuts in, "Take into account that you're up during adult time! We didn't expect an interloper!"
"An inter-whater?!" Maggie replies, confused. She doesn't give him time to answer, "Adult time is boring! All you do is talk! For hours and hours!"
"What, then, do you suggest we do?" Hilde asks, indulging in Maggie's childishness – not that she can blame her: she is a child.
"Play games!" Maggie laughs, "Hide 'n go seek is fun, or Twister, or Tag, or Dress-up, or Capture the Flag – that one's hard! The boys at school always win and tease the girls about losing until we get all mad and chase them!"
Everyone laughs at her statement, but soon the grown-up talk continues, and Maggie finds herself getting sleepy again. She hugs her mommy and daddy, and says goodnight, then Dorothy takes her upstairs, tucks her in, kisses her forehead, and closes the door as she leaves. Then, Maggie slips into her own little dreamworld...
The next day, Maggie got a late start. It was 10:00 were she woke up, and everyone else was already up and fed (including new arrivals). Maggie spent her morning trying to get to know the other kids: she already knew Nic and Theo Maxwell, and Skyler Yuy, but Wufei's sons were knew to her.
"You're name's what?" Maggie asks, crinkling her nose.
"Shen Wufei," the five-year-old replies.
"That's a weird name!" she stares.
"No it's not," another boy says. Eight year old Li Wufei glares, "It's a good name for my brother. Much better than Margaret!"
"Maggie!" Maggie shrieks, disgusted by the adult version of her name (even though it is true). She turns away in annoyance, but, soon, the children (excluding 1-year-old Theo, who is in the livingroom with her parents) find a sense of harmony, and play in the rec room while their parents chat in the livingroom.
As the afternoon wore on, Maggie began getting bored (that is, until her Uncle Trowa, and his daughter, Mindy-Paige, showed up around three o'clock). Maggie was enthralled by how much Mindy-Paige knew! She was eleven (and would be twelve in January), and Maggie found her excellent and enjoyable company – just as Quatre had predicted the day before!
"What do you want to play now?" Maggie asks, putting away the board game. Li and Shen and Nic (along with a tag-along two-year-old Skyler) had long before gone off to the family room a few doors down to play "something boyish," whatever that meant, and Mindy-Paige and Maggie were left to their own girl play.
"What else is there to do?" Paige replies, shrugging and smiling.
"Oh, lots!" Maggie grins, "We can make a snow fort in the garden, or watch a movie, or draw, or go in the library—!"
"A library?!" Paige is ecstatic, "Will you take me, Maggie? Please?!"
"Sure," and she proceeds, Paige close behind, to the library, "Here we are!"
"Wow...!" Paige awes, "This is amazing! So many books...! May we read a while?"
"All right," Maggie replies, "But, I don't see the excitement. They're only books!"
Paige looks up from her scanning of the shelves to look at her, "Oh, they're far more than that, Maggie! These," she pulls out one from the shelf: The Secret Garden, "are stories that tell of the lives of the people authors create! They're emotion wrapped up into a paper package! They make us scared, and angry, and sad, and happy!" "I don't get it," Maggie replies, smoothing her soft, wavy hair, "Books are for school."
"Not just school," Paige laughs, "They're meant to entertain us."
"But," Maggie opens the book Paige is holding and flips through multiple pages, "there are no pictures. How can you read with no pictures?"
Paige smiles, "Imagine what you think it should look like as you read the story."
"I can't do that!" Maggie protests, waving her arms frantically.
"Sure you can," Paige sits on the carpet by the unlit fireplace, and motions Maggie over to sit as well, "Come here, and I'll show you."
As Paige read her chapter upon chapter, Maggie felt as though she was in a trance. She felt on the verge of tears when poor Mary woke up in her nursery, and everyone had died of cholera the day before... She was excited to find out what the secret of the manor was! She pictured a great house – like hers – with thousands of rooms (most locked), gardens of flowers, trees, sunshine, fields, and especially ivy-covered walls! She felt about to burst!
"...Mary followed Martha up the stairs to her room, and—!"
"What are you two rascals doing in here?" says a voice behind them.
They turn. Duo and Quatre are standing there smiling as they look down at the two little girls sitting on the floor.
"It's dinnertime," Quatre finishes for Duo.
Maggie looks up, shaking her head, "No, Daddy! Not yet! Mary just heard about the mystery of the Secret Garden at Misselthwaite! She has to figure it out!"
Quatre looks at her, confused, then glances at the book, and laughs, "Oh, I see! Well, Mary must wait to learn the secret, and you must wait till after dinner."
"But, Daddy!" Maggie cries, on the verge of tears.
Paige marks the page of the book, places it on the table by the couch, and puts her hand on Maggie's shoulder, "I will continue after dinner, Maggie! Don't worry."
Maggie looks up at her, eyes blinking back the onslaught of tears, "Promise?"
Paige laughs and confirms with a nod of her head, "Promise!"
Maggie stands, and runs out of the room, to the diningroom. Paige laughs again, and then sees her uncles looking at her. She smiles, "I was showing her that books are entertaining, and told her to imagine scenery when there are no pictures to look at!"
"Why do you have such an interest in books, Mindy?" Quatre asks, curious.
"Not an interest, Uncle Quatre. A passion: because my mom was a writer. I think I picked up the way I talk from her."
"I never had a chance to meet your mother," Quatre replies, walking along as the three leave the library.
"She was English," Paige answers, "Very particular to grammar and sentence structure, right until the end. I learned by watching her. I'm sure you can appreciate that."
"Yes, I can," Quatre replies, "I learned that way..."
"Question:," Duo says, "If Quatre and Relena are well spoken, why isn't Maggie like that, too?"
Quatre smiles, "She hasn't come into her own yet, Duo. I wasn't like her at that age, but I wish I had been. She observes Relena and I – and probably Mindy, too, now – and will mimic us when she begins to understand the benefits of being a lady. She's still young, and I don't want to press her to grow up too soon. That will come on it's own, especially so with the title of Big Sister coming to her in less than a week."
Duo nods solemnly, remembering the last time Maggie was supposed to become a big sister, but he wisely avoids mentioning it, "True. Now, where's that food?! I'm starved!" He stomps off to the diningroom, where tantalizing smells waft out. Quatre and Paige follow silently.
Dinner goes well (for the most part). Until, the children suddenly start a small food fight on their side of the table, and seats needed to be shifted around so no two unruly children sat together. Naturally, Maggie and Paige are seated next to one another, and they chitter-chattered the rest of the meal, completely blocking out everyone else, which Relena quietly scolds Maggie for.
"You shouldn't ignore your other guests in favour of one. It's impolite," Relena had fiercely whispers in Maggie's ear.
"But, they're all boys," Maggie whispers back.
"That's no excuse," her mother snaps.
And that decided it. With one stroke, Maggie's mother scored a point. For the rest of the evening, Maggie spends her time mingling (in turns) between Paige, Li, Shen, and Skyler. A couple times, she goes to snuggle and play with Theo, but the age difference is such that Theo isn't very fun to play with. She's cute, but boring.
Only around eight-thirty do Maggie and Paige manage to sneak back into the library unnoticed, where they continue their session without interruption until nine-thirty. Then, it was bedtime for Maggie and Li. Shen and Theo and Skyler had been put to bed at nine, and Paige was older, so she could stay up till ten.
At ten, through the door of her room as she lay in her bed, Maggie hears Paige's soft, rhythmic treads to her own room. Then, sleep takes her, and she dreams...
At seven-twenty-one, the morning of December 24 dawns, and the Winner household remains asleep – at least, for the most part. Mr. Winner's white limo pulls out of the gate, and the guard waves goodbye, along with two widely-smiling women: Catherine and Hilde.
Hilde calls out as the car drives down the lane, "Good luck, Relena! We'll come as soon as everyone wakes up and eats!"
The morning wears on, and the children wake at nine-forty-three. They all rush (save Maggie) downstairs, and smile as they see a trimmed tree standing in the livingroom, with presents piled at its base, and overflowing outward.
"Ah-ah-ah-ah!" Duo wags his finger at them, stepping into the room, "not till tomorrow!"
The sound of many "Awe's" is heard as Maggie trots in sleepily. She plops into an armchair, curling up, and yawns.
"Maggie," cries Shen, "Why are you tired? Aren't you excited about your Christmas presents?!"
Duo sits, smiling at Maggie. He knew the answer. Too bad they didn't.
"I don't celebrate Christmas," Maggie replies, looking at them, "I'm Arabic. I don't get a tree, or presents."
"No way!" Li gasps, "No presents?!"
Maggie shakes her head, then considers, "Well... I will have a present."
Duo raises an eyebrow at Maggie, just as Hilde enters the room.
"I'll be getting two new brothers or sisters soon," Maggie finishes, smiling thoughtfully. Then, she spots Hilde, "Auntie Hilde, where's Mommy and Daddy?"
Hilde sits beside Duo.
"Yeah," her husband adds, suspiciously, "where are Relena and Quatre, Hilde?"
"They had to go out," answers Catherine, as she and Trowa enter and sit as well, trays of coffee in their hands.
Maggie watches Uncle Trowa and Auntie Catherine hand Uncle Duo and Auntie Hilde coffee, "Where'd they go?"
Hilde smiles, watching Duo sip his coffee out of the corner of her eye, "To go get your brothers or sisters," she giggles. It soon becomes an outright burst of laughter as Duo spits his coffee out in surprise, all over the carpet!
"Mommy's having the babies today?!!" Maggie jumps up and starts dancing around the room, kissing anyone who gets too close!
Duo coughs, and wipes up his mess as best he can with a napkin. "When did they leave?" he asks hoarsely.
"Around seven-thirty this morning," Trowa replies, sipping his coffee.
"You were up?!" Duo bursts.
"No, but Hilde and Catherine were. They saw Relena and Quatre off."
"Why didn't you girls wake us all up?!" Duo turns to his wife, glaring.
"Don't you make that face at me, Duo Maxwell!" Hilde shouts, then smiles sweetly as if nothing had happened, "Relena wanted the children to sleep. She also wanted us to sleep from all the work we did setting this up late last night," She points to the tree and presents, "It's not like Relena and Quatre put it up every year. It's just for our kids."
Maggie's smile fades a moment, but then returns as she looks at Auntie Hilde, "Theo and Nicky and Li and Shen and Skyler may have lots of Christmas presents, but they're nothing compared to my winter present!"
"No," laughs Catherine, catching the meaning expertly, "they don't come close to a set of cooing babies!"
"Can we go see Mommy and Daddy?!" Maggie asks, bouncing up and down.
"After breakfast," comes a hollow voice from the archway.
"Heero!" Catherine giggles, "how long have you been there?"
Heero looks at his son on the floor, by the presents, then at his wife, "Long enough."
Heero Yuy walks over and picks up young Skyler.
"Daddy!" Skyler gurgles, smiling wide.
Skyler's father's lips curl (ever so slightly) into a smile. He takes his son, nods to Catherine, and heads for the kitchen.
"Come on, everyone," Hilde says, finishing her coffee and helping Catherine herd the children (and the reluctant men) out of the room, "To the kitchen!"
Soon, Paige and Maggie are left alone in the room. Paige smiles as she examines the slightly uneasy look on her friend's face.
"Are you ready for it, Maggie?" she asks, putting her hand on Maggie's.
A twinkle glittered in Maggie's eye, and something so different came from her mouth, that Paige was frozen as she watched young Margaret leave the room, and she clutched her chest for fear of falling:
"It doesn't matter if I am ready or not, Paige. They are coming today... and I – and my brother, Darin, though he isn't physically with us – look forward to seeing them!"
Breakfast was finished surprisingly quick – even for the circumstances. After thirty minutes – by eleven o'clock, all the families were packed into their vehicles, and they all formed a line, four cars in a row.
Duo's minivan, packed with himself and Hilde, Nic, and Theo (in her car seat), is first, since he knows the way to the hospital: it's the same one Darin was supposed "born" in not so long ago. Next, comes Trowa's car, with himself, Paige, and Maggie (who insisted on going with her friend). Heero, Catherine, and Skyler come next in line. And, finally, Wufei and his sons follow in back.
Once they park, it takes all of ten minutes to find where Maggie's parents are. As they enter the maternity ward, memories flash into Maggie's mind. She approaches the counter, where a nurse sits.
"Excuse me," she says, politeness replacing the normal bluntness in her voice, "Would you please tell me where my mother and father are? Last name: Winner."
The nurse nods, looks on her chart, points to a door down the hall, and smiles, "You must be Maggie! You're mum and dad have been talking about you when they took walks. You'll find a surprise waiting for you in there."
Maggie looks at her, and smiles back, "Yes, my name is Margaret."
Margaret makes her way along the hall briskly, leaving all the others wondering.
"What's with the attitude?" Duo shrugs.
Paige follows Maggie more quickly then the rest of the group, "So, no longer Maggie?"
Margaret turns to look at her, "I'm Margaret, Paige." She smiles.
"As you like," Paige replies, "As long as Margaret remains as good a friend as Maggie was."
Margaret nods, and laughs, "She will. If not, Maggie will have words with her!"
Paige stops walking, and Margaret pauses to look back at her.
"Why the change?" Paige asks, sighing.
"To be a good big sister. It's high time I live up to what I'm expected – to set a good example." Margaret replies, and continues walking.
'Margaret...?' Paige thinks sadly to herself, 'You will always be Maggie to me. Just, don't lose her completely... for both our sakes.'
Margaret pushes open the closed room door, despite the sign of "Do Not Disturb." Relena and Quatre turn, and smile at her. Relena looks flushed, and Quatre is beaming. He walks to Maggie, and kneels.
"Congratulations, Maggie," he laughs, kissing her hand, "you're a big sister!"
Margaret looks at him, "Father, I'm Margaret now."
Quatre looks stunned, and Relena stops smiling.
"Sweetheart," Relena says, "You don't have to act so grown up. Call him Daddy... and you're Maggie."
Margaret watches her, then looks at the floor, feeling foolish, then up again, "... Can I still be Margaret sometimes, Mommy? I feel bigger and stronger then... to protect my little brothers or sisters."
Quatre laughs, "Of course, Margaret!" He rubs her shoulders, "But, no matter what, you're always my princess! Got it, Princess?"
Maggie laughs, "Got it, Daddy!" Then shock hits her face, "What do you mean 'I'm a big sister'?!"
"Take a look for yourself," he nods towards a small bed with glass around it.
Maggie approaches the bed, and looks in. Two, tiny babies lie there, kicking in their sleep. She smiles uncontrollably, and turns to look at her mommy and daddy.
"Boy and girl?!" she grins.
Relena nods, "Just what you wanted, my little Maggie."
"Mommy... Daddy...?" Maggie asks, looking down at the floor.
They look at her, waiting.
"... Can we... name my brother after Darin? I'm sure he'd like it, and I... I'd like it, too..."
Relena smiles, "Sweetheart..."
Quatre stands behind his eldest daughter, hands on her shoulders, looking in with her at his twins, "Of course, Princess... Say hello." He points to the baby girl, "Margaret Cassandra Winner, meet Merishen Renee Winner, and," he points to the boy, "James Darin Winner."
Maggie smiles brightly, "Hello!"
As Maggie stands there, loving each moment, she gives thanks, 'Thank you, Allah, for sending me a brother and sister. Thank you for helping Mommy and Daddy. Thank you for friends. And thank you for giving me the chance to honour Darry...!'
Moments later, the door burst open, and Duo, Hilde, Theo, Nic, Heero, Catherine, Skyler, Trowa, Paige, Wufei, Li, and Shen all crammed in the room at once! Congratulations quickly became the word of the day, and Maggie simply stood in front of the babies' bed, and watched them.
Paige approaches her, "Did your mom and dad talk some sense into you?"
Maggie turns to her friend, and laughs, "Yup, I'm back to being Maggie!"
"Don't ever go grown-up on me like that again!" Paige says with mock anger, "You scared me! I thought I'd lost the one person who was helping me to tone down my maturity!"
"Sorry!" Maggie replies, and Paige returns to mingle with the others, 'I was silly to think I was ready to be a hopeless grown-up! They're weird! And besides, I have to show Jamie and Merie how to be a kid! If I don't, who will?!' She is distracted by Duo accidentally shoving her.
"Sorry, Maggie!" he says, and continues talking to her daddy.
Duo laughs, "Hey, Quatre, where's Dorothy?! I just remembered, I haven't seen her since the night we arrived!"
Quatre smiles, "It's Christmas time. She celebrates it, so I gave her time off. She's taking a vacation."
"Funny," Duo replies, "She's never around when she should be! She's got two more future charges to be introduced to!"
Quatre laughs again, "They'll be plenty of time for that, Duo!"
Maggie loses interest in the conversation, and gazes back at Jamie and Merie. She lifts her arm and reaches in to tickle Jamie's tummy. He giggles delightfully.
"You know, you two," she whispers lowly so no one else can hear, "I think you guys are the best winter present ever!"
THE END
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Author's Note: To be painfully honest, I am not extremely proud of this one. I see the story itself as dull and pretty uneventful. Please forgive this as it is a reference for the third part I am currently working on (which should be more interesting). This one was done, mainly, to introduce characters (such as Jamie and Merie), and to bring to light the connection the Gundam Children (as I call them) are beginning to form (this connection will grow, if all goes well in my little 'World of Writing Wheels and Heels')
Please, if you have any ideas for my Gundam Children Saga, let me know (I am always willing to consider incorporating puns and/or interesting happenings into my plans) -- either e-mail me, or post your idea in a review. ^_^
By: Firefrost
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Disclaimer: I'm sure you all know the drill... I do not own the Gundam Wing characters, nor anything else related to the original series. I own: Maggie, Theo, Nic, Skyler, Li, Shen, Mindy-Paige, Darin, Jamie, and Merishen (as well as the storyline).
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Notes: 'thoughts'
A/N: I apologize for confusion, but in "A Beautiful Life," in the year AC 208, I intended Maggie to be seven, not six (typos SUCK!). Again, my apologies! --_--*
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Along a quiet street on the L4 colony, a little girl treks through the snow. It is late December, and all around her, she hears the chiming of bells, and the laughter of other children. They rejoice that it's the beginning of winter break: December 22, AC 209. She smiles, but it fades as she pushes through a snow pile.
"If the grown-ups want to make fake snow, they could at least make it easy to walk through!" she cries, as the snow pile defeats her and she is forced to walk around it, even though it blocks the whole sidewalk!
She rounds a corner of a gigantic estate, and stomps the ground, rubbing her gloves together and puffing out visible breath, "They could turn the heat up a little, too!"
She then continues on and waits near a big gate, and a man approaches, triggering the hinges to swing open for her.
"Good afternoon, Miss Winner," he says, shivering despite his coat.
"Hi," is all she manages to reply before crossing the great yard to the front stairs. She mounts them and presses in a code on a panel by the big double doors, and they swing open like the gate, and close behind her as she enters.
She stands on pearl-coloured marble tiling, and tugs off her wet red mittens and boots. As she unwraps her scarf from around her neck, a woman with long blonde hair, and sharp blue eyes approaches her.
"Miss Margaret, how many times must I tell you: wait for the car to pick you up from school?!"
"But, it was taking too long, Nana!" Maggie protests, placing her black school knapsack on the floor beside her, "And I was cold!"
"Well," Dorothy replies angrily, "you're certainly no better off now! Look at you, shivering and wet! Hurry up with your coat, and change out of you uniform – into something warm!" She turns, and begins walking away, "By the way, your mother is waiting for you in the library."
'I wonder why,' Maggie thinks to herself, pulling off her fitted black coat and hanging it in the closet, 'Mommy's never available till after five.'
Maggie goes to her room, dragging up her bag to store in her room during the break, and changes into a green sweater and red sweats, then comes downstairs again, and down the main hall. She stops by a set of white doors. Pushing the handle, she enters, and closes it behind her.
Mrs. Winner is sitting on a couch by the lit library fireplace, sipping hot cocoa. She motions her daughter over, and Maggie sits beside her. The two are silent for a few minutes, as they watch the fire writhe under the mantle, then the talk begins.
"So, sweetheart," she says, smiling, "how was school?"
"Fine," Maggie replies timidly.
"Nana told me that you walked home today. What happened? I thought Abdul was going to pick you up?"
Maggie shrugs her shoulders, "I don't know. I guess he got held up. Besides, I felt like walking, anyway."
Mrs. Winner laughs, "Don't let Nana hear you say that! She thinks ladies ought not to walk when they can be driven!"
"But, I'm not a lady," Maggie insists, distressed.
"That's right," Mrs. Winner smiles, poking Maggie on the nose with her index finger, "You're only eight – still a kid: my little baby!"
"Well," Maggie crinkles her nose in distaste of the thought, "not that little!"
Maggie's mother laughs again, her fat tummy rumbling, "Well, which is it? Young or old? You certainly can't be both, dear!"
"I can so!" Maggie pouts, "Not too young, but not too old."
"Oh, I see...," her mother smiles, pulling her daughter into a hug, Maggie's head now resting on Mrs. Winner's stomach, "Young enough not to be a lady, but old enough to be a big sister."
Maggie sits up then, eyes flashing, "Finally, you mean! What took you and Daddy so long to get Allah to give me a new brother or sister!"
"Well, the wait will be worth it, Maggie. There are two in here, you know!" She pokes her tummy.
"Really?!" Maggie hops off the couch and dances around it, "Mommy, Mommy! I want one of both! A brother and sister!"
"We'll see very soon what they are, Maggie. Just six more days!"
"But, I can't wait that long!"
Maggie feels strong arms lift her up from behind. When the person behind her had sat on the couch, with her in his lap, he spoke, "Good things take time, Princess."
Maggie smiles, and whirls in his lap, throwing her arms about his neck, "Daddy!!"
Quatre Winner laughs at his daughter's face: round cheeks framed by platinum hair that cascades to just below her shoulders, sparkling blue eyes, and a very wide and goofy smile. Then, he looks at his beloved wife sitting beside him, "Can I get you anything, Relena?" He looks at her stomach, too.
"No, thank you, darling," she replies, "We're fine now." She rubs her stomach, and he places a hand on hers. Their eyes meet a moment, and a silent worry emerges from the memory of last time.
"Too bad Darry couldn't be here to see this!" Maggie blurts out.
Quatre and Relena stare at their daughter in disbelief.
"Maggie," Relena sounds breathless, "don't say such things!"
Maggie looks up at her, "I'm sorry, Mommy! But, I'm sure Darry would've liked to be here, if he'd been able to!"
Quatre smiles at Maggie's everlasting love of her little brother. Though the two had never met – Darin had died right after he was born – Maggie still cared as though he lived. That was almost a year and a half ago... and still tugged at his and Relena's heart. But, Maggie (probably because of her age) was able to fully let it go, and treat her brother like he was around to treat anyway.
'...He is more useful to Allah there then here,' she had said back then.
The three sit there a while, silent again. This is very common to them: everyday, after school and work (and usually dinner, too), they sit here for a half hour and just relax. They always feel better afterwards!
The silence is broken as the grandfather clock against the far wall sounds: 4:00. Once again, the silence is broken – but, this time, by the sound of a stomach grumbling.
"Oh!" Maggie cries, blushing, "I forgot to get a snack...!"
Quatre and Relena chuckle, and call for Hannah, the chef, to bring Maggie a snack.
"Right on it, Mr. Winner! What tickles yer fancy, m'dear?" she says cheerfully. She's a big woman, and jolly. Maggie really likes her. Hannah is more then the chef, though: Maggie had made it her mission three years ago to make her like part of the family – and she had!
"Cheesecake?!" Maggie asks, hopefully.
"Ah-ah, lil' miss! Not just before supper!" Hannah replies, waggling her finger at the disappointed Winner child. Then, she cocks her eyebrow, and smiles, "Maybe... after supper, instead?"
"Oh, yes, please!" Maggie bounces up and down on Quatre's knee, excited.
"Consider it done! But, for now, how's about a good bowl o' fruit?"
"That's good," Relena replies, calmly.
Hannah suddenly turns to Relena, "And, what about you, Mrs.? Anything I can get for Mommy Dearest?"
"No, thank you, Hannah," Relena smiles, "I'll be fine until dinner."
"As you wish, Mrs. But, I can't say I feel right about it – leaving a pregnant mother without food at the ready. You know how those weird cravings are," She shakes her head, and, just like that, Hannah turns on her heel, walks out, closes the door, and is off to the kitchen, bent on her snack mission!
Relena looks down at Quatre, "I swear, that woman is paranoid about me!" she starts playing with his ear, "She's almost as bad as you, beloved!"
He smiles at her, wrapping an arm around her as she cuddles in close to him, "Let us hope that it is merely paranoia."
"Mm...," She replies, gazing into the fire again, "Did you take a vacation, like I asked?"
He laughs, "Yes, dearest! I would rather face the entire red-faced board when I return than spend one evening in the company of an upset wife!"
She looks at him, "Are you implying that I have a bad temper?" When he doesn't answer, she giggles, "Because, I do: I'm just in denial!"
Quatre lets out a burst of laughter, nearly dislodging Maggie, still perched on his lap.
"Hey!" she cries, "Daddy!"
"My apologies, sweetheart!" he gasps, trying to recover from his laughing fit. Quickly, he regains his composure, and looks back at Relena, "For the next two weeks, I'm free for family duty!"
"Good," Relena tickles his side, "Because, we plan to monopolize you!"
He looks at her, raising his eyebrow, "Oh, wonderful! And... when do you monopolize me, Relena?"
She giggles again, "Once Maggie is in bed, and it's dark—!"
At this moment, Hannah makes her reentrance, destroying the lovely game of teasing! In her hands, she holds a bowl of the fruits of her labours, a spoon poking out the side. She approaches Maggie, and hands it to her.
"Perhaps, it'd be best if you went to the table to eat, Margie!" Hannah says.
Maggie wrinkles her nose at the nickname. Margie sounds so old! She prefers Maggie. Despite that, she hops from her father's lap and sits at the table. She begins to eat.
Hannah turns once more to Relena, "...You sure, Mrs.? I can make you something."
Relena shakes her head, "No, thank you, Hannah! I'm fine." She can't help but smile.
Hannah shrugs, and turns to go, but, then, is called back as she is about to leave.
"Hannah," Hannah turns, Relena's face is slightly twisted, "Maybe... peanuts?"
Hannah smiles, "All right, Mrs. Be right back."
Quatre looks at his wife and smiles smugly, "Weird cravings, indeed!"
"Oh, be quiet!" She smacks him playfully on the arm.
Then, a man enters the room, and nods to Quatre, "Excuse me, Mr. Winner, but there is a call for you."
Maggie jumps off her chair, finished her fruit, and runs to the vidphone on a long side desk, "I'll get it, I'll get it!" She presses the accept button, and the video clicks in before her parents can warn her of strangers (and perverts) on the line. She smiles widely, "Uncle Duo!!"
She doesn't see Quatre and Relena breathe a sigh of relief. Quatre stands, and begins to approach the vidphone.
"Hey, squirt!" Duo grins, "How ya been? Y'know, you shouldn't be answering the phone by yourself: it could be a stranger."
Maggie pouts, and folds her arms, "I'm a big girl, Uncle Duo!"
"Not big enough," Quatre replies, sitting in the chair in front of the phone after gently nudging her aside, "Hello, Duo!"
"Hey, Q, how's it going?!"
"All right. And you?" Quatre smiles at his old friend, hands folded politely on the desk.
"We're fine. Hilde's and my business is booming – thanks to your helpful vouching to interested companies. We're planning on a site on L4 soon – maybe next year, we'll build."
"That's wonderful, but, I can't take all the credit," Quatre laughs, nodding his head towards his wife, "Relena was the one who suggested I 'wean the industry' for you."
Relena stands from the couch and joins her husband and Maggie (who is hovering by Quatre's right shoulder), "It was nothing, Duo," she glances at Quatre slyly, "It wasn't the least bit hard to convince Quatre – he was eager to help."
Quatre turns pink around the edges, and clears his throat.
"I'm not gonna ask," Duo replies.
Maggie puts in a shot, shoving passed her father, "How's Nicky, and Theo?!"
"Fine!" he laughs, "I called to let you know that our flight leaves in a half hour. We're at the spaceport now. We should be there around eleven-thirty."
"Aw!" Maggie cries, "Not fair! I'm not allowed to stay up that late! I won't get to see them!" Maggie lowers her head onto the table top as she leans on her father's leg.
"Don't worry, kiddo!" Duo chuckles, "You'll have the next two weeks to see them! Besides, Hilde and I'll probably have to drag them in by their feet, cause they'll be asleep, too!"
Maggie stands there, fuming. Then, she pushes off her father and stomps a few feet away in defeat.
Quatre chuckles at his daughter's 'subtle' attempt to stay up late, then turns back to the screen, "Have any of the others called you?"
"Yeah," Duo nods, "Catherine called: she and Heero will be arriving early tomorrow morning. Oh, and Wufei's coming then, too, with his kids. I haven't heard from Trowa, though."
"That's all right," Quatre replies, "I have. He'll be here tomorrow afternoon. Paige has a dance recital in the morning."
"Oh, yeah! I'm looking forward to meeting her, and Wufei's kids! I've heard about them, but haven't had a chance to meet them."
"I haven't either," Quatre nods, and turns to Maggie, "I think you will like Uncle Trowa's daughter, Maggie. She's older than you, but is good company."
"Really?!" Maggie's eyes gleam with excitement, before she remembers that she's supposed to be mad at her daddy. Then, she turns away, nose high in the air.
"Anyway...," Duo's voice flips Quatre back to the call at hand, "I gotta go get Nic before he gets me into trouble: he's playing with the scanner gate – I told him not to wonder off! Plus, I gotta find Hilde and Theo: they disappeared into the snack bar ten minutes ago." He smiles cheekily, "See ya soon, Q!"
"I'm looking forward to it, Duo!" Quatre smiles back. Duo gives a quick salute, and the screen goes black.
Relena suddenly remembers, "I should go see what's taking so long with my peanuts."
"It's nearly five-thirty now, Relena. I don't think you need a snack before din—!"
Relena spins to look at him, glaring, "I said, I want peanuts!"
Quatre laughs, and follows her out of the library. Maggie lingers a little longer. She runs her finger along a low shelf of books, and pulls one out: The Winner Family Tree. She sits down at one of the three long tables in the centre of the room, and opens it.
At first, she thinks it dull, and considers returning it to its shelf. But, as she continues to pour over the descent represented by many flow charts, she became intrigued! She thought it would interest her only a few minutes, but ended up sucking her into an entire evening of study.
Quatre found her around eight-twenty, after an uneasy dinner (for she hadn't shown up, and he and Relena had servants helping them look for her). Her arms were thrown out over the table, head lying on top of the book. She was asleep. Then, he took her up to bed, after relieving a frightened wife and worried servants with a reassuring "I found her!"
Maggie opens her eyes. She stares up at the canopy of her dark oak bed. Quickly, she stands, seeing she is still wearing the same clothes, and wondering how she got there. Glancing around, she sees the book she had been reading sitting on her bedside table. She leaves her room, and closes the door.
She notices it's dark outside through the hallway windows, very dark.
'I'm hungry,' she thinks, and goes to the stairs, beginning her descent. As she reaches the main hall at the bottom, she hears voices coming from the livingroom. Light shines through the archway between hall and livingroom, announcing the house is not yet asleep.
She quietly makes her way along the hall in the opposite direction, avoiding the livingroom, and finds her roundabout way to the kitchen. No reason to bother her parents with little complaints of hunger when they're taking time out for one of the rare chances their jobs (and Maggie, herself) allow for a long, peaceful talk.
'Besides,' she thinks, grabbing some grapes, an apple, some salad, and a piece of chocolate cheesecake Hannah had made for her as dessert (that she hadn't had), 'I'm a big girl. I can make my own dinner.'
She puts the food on the counter, near a set of stools, and prepares to grab a drink from the refrigerator.
She opens the door, and tries to reach up to a juice jug on the second-top shelf, but fails. Her arms are too short, and she is too small! She tries jumping up and down, but that doesn't work either!
'I give up!' she rattles, returning to the counter and sitting on a stool.
She gobbles down the salad first – her mommy always says "Eat you vegetables, dear!" Might as well get them over with first. Then, she ate the fruit, and then came the cheesecake.
'Aw!' she grumbles, playing with her fork, 'I wish I could reach the milk! You can't have chocolate without milk! It doesn't taste right!' Despite this disappointment, she found the cheesecake excellent! Hannah had outdone herself, yet again!
As Maggie gobbles down the last piece, someone in the doorway giggles and steps out. Dorothy smiles, "Miss Margaret, you could have asked myself or your mother to fetch you food if you were hungry."
Maggie looks at her, chocolate smudges all over her face, the fork grasped in her hand, "I didn't want to disturb Mommy or Daddy. They don't get a lot of time to talk."
"Sure they do!" she replies, sitting beside Maggie, "They see each other every day!"
"I mean, alone. I'm always around. As much as grown-up talk is boring, you guys seem to need it sometimes, but you can't have it with me around."
"Touche!" Dorothy chuckles, "Smart as a whip, as ever, Miss Margaret!"
Maggie's eyes sparkle, much in contrast to her less-than-presentable face, "Nana, who are Mommy and Daddy talking to? Themselves?"
"Oh, no, not this time," Dorothy replies, "Why don't we clean up your dirty face and take you out to see who it is? You took a long nap this evening, anyway."
Dorothy takes Maggie's hand and escorts her to the sink where a clean dishcloth and Dorothy's right hand become her face's new best friends as the chocolate is scrubbed away.
Dorothy leads Maggie to the livingroom, and tells her to wait a moment.
"Who was it in the kitchen, Dorothy?" Relena asks as Dorothy takes her seat again.
"Oh," Dorothy sighs, "Just an unsatisfied stomach." Dorothy winks at Maggie, and she enters the light.
"What?" Relena replies, then notices Maggie behind her, and laughs, "Oh! Were you hungry, Maggie?"
Maggie nods. Then, she takes notice of the others in the room. Duo sits calmly, Hilde beside him, watching her with comical interest. Her father is smiling, and Dorothy simply cocks her eyebrow.
"Well," Relena chuckles, offering Maggie to sit beside her. Maggie obliges, and Relena begins stroking her hair, "What did my big girl make for herself?"
Dorothy cuts in, saving Maggie (or so she thought) from being disastrously honest: Relena preferred Maggie to eat some protein at dinner, and she hadn't, "Something a little less then appropriate, but healthy enough."
"Did you have cheesecake?" Relena asked, raising an eyebrow seriously.
Maggie did not reply. Relena looks at her shakes her head, "Maggie, you know you're not supposed to have just dessert!"
"But, I didn't!" Maggie protests, eyes wide and flailing emphatically, "I had fruit, and salad! And I tried to get a sandwich, and juice, too, but they were just too high, and I didn't want to bother you and Daddy!"
Relena looks at her, "You tried to reach the juice by yourself?"
"She did," Dorothy answered, "I saw her jumping up and down like a grasshopper and waving her arms, trying to grab the jug."
Relena suddenly laughs, "I would have liked to see that!"
Maggie blinks, "Y-You're not mad anymore?"
Relena smiles, "No, you tried! At least you had fruit and salad! Most children would have gone straight to the cake!"
Maggie stays silent: that thought had crossed her mind, too. 'Eat the cake!' it had said, but she knew what she'd have been in for if she listened.
Then, Maggie stares at Hilde and Duo, "Where's Nicky and Theo?"
"Upstairs, asleep," Hilde replies.
"Oh."
Quatre looks at Maggie, "Is this not as exciting an arrival as you had hoped, Princess?"
Maggie looks at him, "Not as exciting..."
"Well," Duo cuts in, "Take into account that you're up during adult time! We didn't expect an interloper!"
"An inter-whater?!" Maggie replies, confused. She doesn't give him time to answer, "Adult time is boring! All you do is talk! For hours and hours!"
"What, then, do you suggest we do?" Hilde asks, indulging in Maggie's childishness – not that she can blame her: she is a child.
"Play games!" Maggie laughs, "Hide 'n go seek is fun, or Twister, or Tag, or Dress-up, or Capture the Flag – that one's hard! The boys at school always win and tease the girls about losing until we get all mad and chase them!"
Everyone laughs at her statement, but soon the grown-up talk continues, and Maggie finds herself getting sleepy again. She hugs her mommy and daddy, and says goodnight, then Dorothy takes her upstairs, tucks her in, kisses her forehead, and closes the door as she leaves. Then, Maggie slips into her own little dreamworld...
The next day, Maggie got a late start. It was 10:00 were she woke up, and everyone else was already up and fed (including new arrivals). Maggie spent her morning trying to get to know the other kids: she already knew Nic and Theo Maxwell, and Skyler Yuy, but Wufei's sons were knew to her.
"You're name's what?" Maggie asks, crinkling her nose.
"Shen Wufei," the five-year-old replies.
"That's a weird name!" she stares.
"No it's not," another boy says. Eight year old Li Wufei glares, "It's a good name for my brother. Much better than Margaret!"
"Maggie!" Maggie shrieks, disgusted by the adult version of her name (even though it is true). She turns away in annoyance, but, soon, the children (excluding 1-year-old Theo, who is in the livingroom with her parents) find a sense of harmony, and play in the rec room while their parents chat in the livingroom.
As the afternoon wore on, Maggie began getting bored (that is, until her Uncle Trowa, and his daughter, Mindy-Paige, showed up around three o'clock). Maggie was enthralled by how much Mindy-Paige knew! She was eleven (and would be twelve in January), and Maggie found her excellent and enjoyable company – just as Quatre had predicted the day before!
"What do you want to play now?" Maggie asks, putting away the board game. Li and Shen and Nic (along with a tag-along two-year-old Skyler) had long before gone off to the family room a few doors down to play "something boyish," whatever that meant, and Mindy-Paige and Maggie were left to their own girl play.
"What else is there to do?" Paige replies, shrugging and smiling.
"Oh, lots!" Maggie grins, "We can make a snow fort in the garden, or watch a movie, or draw, or go in the library—!"
"A library?!" Paige is ecstatic, "Will you take me, Maggie? Please?!"
"Sure," and she proceeds, Paige close behind, to the library, "Here we are!"
"Wow...!" Paige awes, "This is amazing! So many books...! May we read a while?"
"All right," Maggie replies, "But, I don't see the excitement. They're only books!"
Paige looks up from her scanning of the shelves to look at her, "Oh, they're far more than that, Maggie! These," she pulls out one from the shelf: The Secret Garden, "are stories that tell of the lives of the people authors create! They're emotion wrapped up into a paper package! They make us scared, and angry, and sad, and happy!" "I don't get it," Maggie replies, smoothing her soft, wavy hair, "Books are for school."
"Not just school," Paige laughs, "They're meant to entertain us."
"But," Maggie opens the book Paige is holding and flips through multiple pages, "there are no pictures. How can you read with no pictures?"
Paige smiles, "Imagine what you think it should look like as you read the story."
"I can't do that!" Maggie protests, waving her arms frantically.
"Sure you can," Paige sits on the carpet by the unlit fireplace, and motions Maggie over to sit as well, "Come here, and I'll show you."
As Paige read her chapter upon chapter, Maggie felt as though she was in a trance. She felt on the verge of tears when poor Mary woke up in her nursery, and everyone had died of cholera the day before... She was excited to find out what the secret of the manor was! She pictured a great house – like hers – with thousands of rooms (most locked), gardens of flowers, trees, sunshine, fields, and especially ivy-covered walls! She felt about to burst!
"...Mary followed Martha up the stairs to her room, and—!"
"What are you two rascals doing in here?" says a voice behind them.
They turn. Duo and Quatre are standing there smiling as they look down at the two little girls sitting on the floor.
"It's dinnertime," Quatre finishes for Duo.
Maggie looks up, shaking her head, "No, Daddy! Not yet! Mary just heard about the mystery of the Secret Garden at Misselthwaite! She has to figure it out!"
Quatre looks at her, confused, then glances at the book, and laughs, "Oh, I see! Well, Mary must wait to learn the secret, and you must wait till after dinner."
"But, Daddy!" Maggie cries, on the verge of tears.
Paige marks the page of the book, places it on the table by the couch, and puts her hand on Maggie's shoulder, "I will continue after dinner, Maggie! Don't worry."
Maggie looks up at her, eyes blinking back the onslaught of tears, "Promise?"
Paige laughs and confirms with a nod of her head, "Promise!"
Maggie stands, and runs out of the room, to the diningroom. Paige laughs again, and then sees her uncles looking at her. She smiles, "I was showing her that books are entertaining, and told her to imagine scenery when there are no pictures to look at!"
"Why do you have such an interest in books, Mindy?" Quatre asks, curious.
"Not an interest, Uncle Quatre. A passion: because my mom was a writer. I think I picked up the way I talk from her."
"I never had a chance to meet your mother," Quatre replies, walking along as the three leave the library.
"She was English," Paige answers, "Very particular to grammar and sentence structure, right until the end. I learned by watching her. I'm sure you can appreciate that."
"Yes, I can," Quatre replies, "I learned that way..."
"Question:," Duo says, "If Quatre and Relena are well spoken, why isn't Maggie like that, too?"
Quatre smiles, "She hasn't come into her own yet, Duo. I wasn't like her at that age, but I wish I had been. She observes Relena and I – and probably Mindy, too, now – and will mimic us when she begins to understand the benefits of being a lady. She's still young, and I don't want to press her to grow up too soon. That will come on it's own, especially so with the title of Big Sister coming to her in less than a week."
Duo nods solemnly, remembering the last time Maggie was supposed to become a big sister, but he wisely avoids mentioning it, "True. Now, where's that food?! I'm starved!" He stomps off to the diningroom, where tantalizing smells waft out. Quatre and Paige follow silently.
Dinner goes well (for the most part). Until, the children suddenly start a small food fight on their side of the table, and seats needed to be shifted around so no two unruly children sat together. Naturally, Maggie and Paige are seated next to one another, and they chitter-chattered the rest of the meal, completely blocking out everyone else, which Relena quietly scolds Maggie for.
"You shouldn't ignore your other guests in favour of one. It's impolite," Relena had fiercely whispers in Maggie's ear.
"But, they're all boys," Maggie whispers back.
"That's no excuse," her mother snaps.
And that decided it. With one stroke, Maggie's mother scored a point. For the rest of the evening, Maggie spends her time mingling (in turns) between Paige, Li, Shen, and Skyler. A couple times, she goes to snuggle and play with Theo, but the age difference is such that Theo isn't very fun to play with. She's cute, but boring.
Only around eight-thirty do Maggie and Paige manage to sneak back into the library unnoticed, where they continue their session without interruption until nine-thirty. Then, it was bedtime for Maggie and Li. Shen and Theo and Skyler had been put to bed at nine, and Paige was older, so she could stay up till ten.
At ten, through the door of her room as she lay in her bed, Maggie hears Paige's soft, rhythmic treads to her own room. Then, sleep takes her, and she dreams...
At seven-twenty-one, the morning of December 24 dawns, and the Winner household remains asleep – at least, for the most part. Mr. Winner's white limo pulls out of the gate, and the guard waves goodbye, along with two widely-smiling women: Catherine and Hilde.
Hilde calls out as the car drives down the lane, "Good luck, Relena! We'll come as soon as everyone wakes up and eats!"
The morning wears on, and the children wake at nine-forty-three. They all rush (save Maggie) downstairs, and smile as they see a trimmed tree standing in the livingroom, with presents piled at its base, and overflowing outward.
"Ah-ah-ah-ah!" Duo wags his finger at them, stepping into the room, "not till tomorrow!"
The sound of many "Awe's" is heard as Maggie trots in sleepily. She plops into an armchair, curling up, and yawns.
"Maggie," cries Shen, "Why are you tired? Aren't you excited about your Christmas presents?!"
Duo sits, smiling at Maggie. He knew the answer. Too bad they didn't.
"I don't celebrate Christmas," Maggie replies, looking at them, "I'm Arabic. I don't get a tree, or presents."
"No way!" Li gasps, "No presents?!"
Maggie shakes her head, then considers, "Well... I will have a present."
Duo raises an eyebrow at Maggie, just as Hilde enters the room.
"I'll be getting two new brothers or sisters soon," Maggie finishes, smiling thoughtfully. Then, she spots Hilde, "Auntie Hilde, where's Mommy and Daddy?"
Hilde sits beside Duo.
"Yeah," her husband adds, suspiciously, "where are Relena and Quatre, Hilde?"
"They had to go out," answers Catherine, as she and Trowa enter and sit as well, trays of coffee in their hands.
Maggie watches Uncle Trowa and Auntie Catherine hand Uncle Duo and Auntie Hilde coffee, "Where'd they go?"
Hilde smiles, watching Duo sip his coffee out of the corner of her eye, "To go get your brothers or sisters," she giggles. It soon becomes an outright burst of laughter as Duo spits his coffee out in surprise, all over the carpet!
"Mommy's having the babies today?!!" Maggie jumps up and starts dancing around the room, kissing anyone who gets too close!
Duo coughs, and wipes up his mess as best he can with a napkin. "When did they leave?" he asks hoarsely.
"Around seven-thirty this morning," Trowa replies, sipping his coffee.
"You were up?!" Duo bursts.
"No, but Hilde and Catherine were. They saw Relena and Quatre off."
"Why didn't you girls wake us all up?!" Duo turns to his wife, glaring.
"Don't you make that face at me, Duo Maxwell!" Hilde shouts, then smiles sweetly as if nothing had happened, "Relena wanted the children to sleep. She also wanted us to sleep from all the work we did setting this up late last night," She points to the tree and presents, "It's not like Relena and Quatre put it up every year. It's just for our kids."
Maggie's smile fades a moment, but then returns as she looks at Auntie Hilde, "Theo and Nicky and Li and Shen and Skyler may have lots of Christmas presents, but they're nothing compared to my winter present!"
"No," laughs Catherine, catching the meaning expertly, "they don't come close to a set of cooing babies!"
"Can we go see Mommy and Daddy?!" Maggie asks, bouncing up and down.
"After breakfast," comes a hollow voice from the archway.
"Heero!" Catherine giggles, "how long have you been there?"
Heero looks at his son on the floor, by the presents, then at his wife, "Long enough."
Heero Yuy walks over and picks up young Skyler.
"Daddy!" Skyler gurgles, smiling wide.
Skyler's father's lips curl (ever so slightly) into a smile. He takes his son, nods to Catherine, and heads for the kitchen.
"Come on, everyone," Hilde says, finishing her coffee and helping Catherine herd the children (and the reluctant men) out of the room, "To the kitchen!"
Soon, Paige and Maggie are left alone in the room. Paige smiles as she examines the slightly uneasy look on her friend's face.
"Are you ready for it, Maggie?" she asks, putting her hand on Maggie's.
A twinkle glittered in Maggie's eye, and something so different came from her mouth, that Paige was frozen as she watched young Margaret leave the room, and she clutched her chest for fear of falling:
"It doesn't matter if I am ready or not, Paige. They are coming today... and I – and my brother, Darin, though he isn't physically with us – look forward to seeing them!"
Breakfast was finished surprisingly quick – even for the circumstances. After thirty minutes – by eleven o'clock, all the families were packed into their vehicles, and they all formed a line, four cars in a row.
Duo's minivan, packed with himself and Hilde, Nic, and Theo (in her car seat), is first, since he knows the way to the hospital: it's the same one Darin was supposed "born" in not so long ago. Next, comes Trowa's car, with himself, Paige, and Maggie (who insisted on going with her friend). Heero, Catherine, and Skyler come next in line. And, finally, Wufei and his sons follow in back.
Once they park, it takes all of ten minutes to find where Maggie's parents are. As they enter the maternity ward, memories flash into Maggie's mind. She approaches the counter, where a nurse sits.
"Excuse me," she says, politeness replacing the normal bluntness in her voice, "Would you please tell me where my mother and father are? Last name: Winner."
The nurse nods, looks on her chart, points to a door down the hall, and smiles, "You must be Maggie! You're mum and dad have been talking about you when they took walks. You'll find a surprise waiting for you in there."
Maggie looks at her, and smiles back, "Yes, my name is Margaret."
Margaret makes her way along the hall briskly, leaving all the others wondering.
"What's with the attitude?" Duo shrugs.
Paige follows Maggie more quickly then the rest of the group, "So, no longer Maggie?"
Margaret turns to look at her, "I'm Margaret, Paige." She smiles.
"As you like," Paige replies, "As long as Margaret remains as good a friend as Maggie was."
Margaret nods, and laughs, "She will. If not, Maggie will have words with her!"
Paige stops walking, and Margaret pauses to look back at her.
"Why the change?" Paige asks, sighing.
"To be a good big sister. It's high time I live up to what I'm expected – to set a good example." Margaret replies, and continues walking.
'Margaret...?' Paige thinks sadly to herself, 'You will always be Maggie to me. Just, don't lose her completely... for both our sakes.'
Margaret pushes open the closed room door, despite the sign of "Do Not Disturb." Relena and Quatre turn, and smile at her. Relena looks flushed, and Quatre is beaming. He walks to Maggie, and kneels.
"Congratulations, Maggie," he laughs, kissing her hand, "you're a big sister!"
Margaret looks at him, "Father, I'm Margaret now."
Quatre looks stunned, and Relena stops smiling.
"Sweetheart," Relena says, "You don't have to act so grown up. Call him Daddy... and you're Maggie."
Margaret watches her, then looks at the floor, feeling foolish, then up again, "... Can I still be Margaret sometimes, Mommy? I feel bigger and stronger then... to protect my little brothers or sisters."
Quatre laughs, "Of course, Margaret!" He rubs her shoulders, "But, no matter what, you're always my princess! Got it, Princess?"
Maggie laughs, "Got it, Daddy!" Then shock hits her face, "What do you mean 'I'm a big sister'?!"
"Take a look for yourself," he nods towards a small bed with glass around it.
Maggie approaches the bed, and looks in. Two, tiny babies lie there, kicking in their sleep. She smiles uncontrollably, and turns to look at her mommy and daddy.
"Boy and girl?!" she grins.
Relena nods, "Just what you wanted, my little Maggie."
"Mommy... Daddy...?" Maggie asks, looking down at the floor.
They look at her, waiting.
"... Can we... name my brother after Darin? I'm sure he'd like it, and I... I'd like it, too..."
Relena smiles, "Sweetheart..."
Quatre stands behind his eldest daughter, hands on her shoulders, looking in with her at his twins, "Of course, Princess... Say hello." He points to the baby girl, "Margaret Cassandra Winner, meet Merishen Renee Winner, and," he points to the boy, "James Darin Winner."
Maggie smiles brightly, "Hello!"
As Maggie stands there, loving each moment, she gives thanks, 'Thank you, Allah, for sending me a brother and sister. Thank you for helping Mommy and Daddy. Thank you for friends. And thank you for giving me the chance to honour Darry...!'
Moments later, the door burst open, and Duo, Hilde, Theo, Nic, Heero, Catherine, Skyler, Trowa, Paige, Wufei, Li, and Shen all crammed in the room at once! Congratulations quickly became the word of the day, and Maggie simply stood in front of the babies' bed, and watched them.
Paige approaches her, "Did your mom and dad talk some sense into you?"
Maggie turns to her friend, and laughs, "Yup, I'm back to being Maggie!"
"Don't ever go grown-up on me like that again!" Paige says with mock anger, "You scared me! I thought I'd lost the one person who was helping me to tone down my maturity!"
"Sorry!" Maggie replies, and Paige returns to mingle with the others, 'I was silly to think I was ready to be a hopeless grown-up! They're weird! And besides, I have to show Jamie and Merie how to be a kid! If I don't, who will?!' She is distracted by Duo accidentally shoving her.
"Sorry, Maggie!" he says, and continues talking to her daddy.
Duo laughs, "Hey, Quatre, where's Dorothy?! I just remembered, I haven't seen her since the night we arrived!"
Quatre smiles, "It's Christmas time. She celebrates it, so I gave her time off. She's taking a vacation."
"Funny," Duo replies, "She's never around when she should be! She's got two more future charges to be introduced to!"
Quatre laughs again, "They'll be plenty of time for that, Duo!"
Maggie loses interest in the conversation, and gazes back at Jamie and Merie. She lifts her arm and reaches in to tickle Jamie's tummy. He giggles delightfully.
"You know, you two," she whispers lowly so no one else can hear, "I think you guys are the best winter present ever!"
THE END
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Author's Note: To be painfully honest, I am not extremely proud of this one. I see the story itself as dull and pretty uneventful. Please forgive this as it is a reference for the third part I am currently working on (which should be more interesting). This one was done, mainly, to introduce characters (such as Jamie and Merie), and to bring to light the connection the Gundam Children (as I call them) are beginning to form (this connection will grow, if all goes well in my little 'World of Writing Wheels and Heels')
Please, if you have any ideas for my Gundam Children Saga, let me know (I am always willing to consider incorporating puns and/or interesting happenings into my plans) -- either e-mail me, or post your idea in a review. ^_^