" Hey! Come on, calm down!" Quatre heard the voice through the
shrouded veils of his nightmare. " Please! Stop! Wake up, wake up!"
someone wrapped him in strong arms. " Come on, wake up!" whoever it
was shook him.
" Huh?" he opened his eyes. He found himself buried in someone's
uh…chest?
The girl moved back. " Good, you're awake. Welcome back to the
land of the living." She smiled.
Quatre blushed. " Um… sorry." He looked away.
" That's okay. That must've been some nightmare, from the way
you were yelling. Are you okay now?" she tilted her head to the left.
Emerald eyes met his through a curtain of russet.
" Yes, I think so. Where am I?"
The auburn haired girl laughed. " You don't know? Boy, that
crash really did a number on you. You're in the land of the little people."
" What?" he shook his head, trying to clear the fog.
" You're in Ireland." She said, in her soft Irish brogue.
" Ireland? What am I doing here?" the crash she had spoken of
must have damaged his memory.
" I don't know. Your shuttle was shot down, and crashed out in
the moors. You're lucky Peter found you when he did."
" Peter?"
" My brother. Don't you remember anything?"
An older woman walked in, with the same vibrant eyes as the girl
who spoke, but who's red hair was streaked with gray. " Abigail! Mind
yer manners!" she scolded with a thick Irish tongue.
" Sorry Mama."
Quatre looked between the two, and the older woman took notice
of him. " I see you're awake lad. Good. You gave us all quite a scare!"
" I'm sorry Ms…?"
" Mrs. O' Connor. But you can call me Nattie. Now, how're you
feelin?"
" Um… okay."
" He just woke up from another nightmare Mama. You shouldn't
be trying to put him to work in the fields!" Abigail said.
" I'm not trying to. It's not befittin' of a man of his status." Nattie
wagged her finger. " Now keep an eye on him, and make sure Scottie
doesn't see him."
" Mama! Why does it matter if Scottie sees him?"
" He could get the wrong idea!" Nattie shook her head. " What am I
gonna' do with you?" she left the room, her head still bobbing.
" What?" Quatre asked.
" Scottie is a boy from the village who wants to marry me. He's not
worth two ha' pennies. Now, tell me your name."
" Uh… um… I… I'm not sure!" he said incredulously.
" Boy, that crash really did do a number on you."
" I think my name is Quatre."
" Do you remember anything else?"
" No…" he sighed.
" Don't get sad. It's all right. You're in good hands now. Rest, and
I'll be back to check on you." Abigail stroked his forehead.
" Wait! Talk to me, please?" he asked.
" About what?" she looked at him.
" Anything. About you, your family, anything." He pleaded.
" Um… all right, but it won't be a real riveting conversation." She
shrugged. A furry weight jumped up on the bed beside him. " Bailey!
Get off of him!" she scolded the cat.
" Mreow?"
" You heard me. Get off of him." Abigail went to move him.
" It's all right Abigail. He'll be fine." Quatre stroked the cat.
" Okay. And you can call me Abby or Gail. I hate Abigail." She
frowned.
" I think it's a pretty name."
She blushed. " Shows how much you know."
" FIONA ABIGAIL O' CONNOR!" Someone outside yelled.
" Fiona?" Quatre raised an eyebrow.
" Don't ask." She sighed. " WHAT?!" she yelled back.
" MARRY ME!"
" GO AWAY!"
" NO!"
" GO AWAY BEFORE I GET MY SHOTGUN! YOU'RE GONNA FIND
TWO BARRELS WORTH OF BIRDSHOT IN YOUR FACE IF YOU DON'T
LEAVE RIGHT NOW!" Abigail yelled.
" I'LL GET MY ANSWER YET!"
" AND IT'LL BE NO IF YOU DON' STOP!"
" Who was that?" Quatre asked.
" Scottie McQueen. He's the richest boy in our town." Abigail
wrinkled her nose. " I don't want to, but it'd be good for our family if I do
marry him. I hate it though."
" Why?" the cat had climbed into his lap, and was now demanding
attention from both of them.
" I don't want to marry for money. I want to marry for love." She
said earnestly.
" That's sweet."
Abigail blushed again. " Eh, maybe it's foolish."
" It's not!" Quatre protested.
" Sure seems like it sometimes." She confessed…
[Six months later…]
" Quatre! Come quick, she's almost ready!" Abigail yelled from the
stables.
" Coming!" he ran. Essie, the prize mare of the O' Conner family,
was about to give birth. Quatre reached the barn and took the towel
Abigail handed him.
" You're cutting it kind of close."
" I was helping Peter shear the sheep."
" That's all right. Oh, she's ready!" Abigail knelt beside him and
helped.
" That's it girl, we're here to help. Come on now, that's my girl,
that's my beautiful Essie, come on now, come on." Quatre coaxed the
horse.
" Hard to believe you didn't know what you were doing six months
ago." Abigail laughed.
" Ha, ha." He smirked. " And voila. You have a healthy, happy
foal. Good job Essie." He patted the horse's side.
" Okay, you birthed her, you name him." She pointed to the foal.
" How about…" he paused for a moment. " Lucky?"
Abigail thought about it. " Sounds good to me. Now get washed
up. Mama was making dinner when I left, and she's about done by now."
As if to prove her point, Mama Nattie yelled.
" Okay." Quatre followed her. But something bothered him. Had
life been this good before the crash? He vaguely remembered… metal,
and battles, and four other people like him, but not like him. Something
called Sandrock, someone named Rashiide. That was it. He looked at
his hands. New calluses. His skin had been so soft before, so…
aristocratic. He knew that he hadn't exactly worked, not like this, in his
other life, but did it matter? He was giving serious consideration to
asking Fiona Abigail O' Connor to marry him. He shook his head. Now
was not the time to ponder it. Perhaps after supper, when he sat by the
fire with Abigail, then he could speak of it…
Quatre wiped up the last dish, and put it away. Abigail patted him
on the shoulder. " You're so much more reliable than Peter." She told
him.
" Eh. He's a moron to turn down helping such a pretty lass."
" You're learning your Irish well. Now you just need to know who
to say that to." She blushed.
" And I do."
" Do what?" Mama Nattie walked in.
" She says I don't know who to call a pretty lass. Well, she's just
like her mother. You two must drive the men of the town wild." He
winked.
" Quatre!" Mama Nattie flushed. " Shame on you! You could turn
a girl's head with that talk." She said, not upset, just pleased. " Why,
just look at Abigail!"
" Mama!" Abigail buried her head in his shoulder.
" Enough. I have to go into town for um…"
" To visit Mr. McCray?" Abigail winked.
" None of your business. You two behave." Mama Nattie left.
" Can I talk to you?" Quatre asked Abigail.
" You know you can."
" Good. Come on, I'll light a fire." He moved her to the living room,
and bent to get the wood and kindling…
[Later that evening…]
" But I can't make sense of it all." He finished.
Abigail thought. " Do you want to go back to the desert? To sort
this out?" she asked.
" I don't know. I love Ireland, and I love staying here with you all.
If I go back to the desert, I may not come back."
She shrugged. " You should do what makes you happiest." She
said simply.
" I think what would make me happiest is to stay here in Ireland."
He replied.
Abigail hid a smile. " Good." Someone knocked on the door. She
frowned. " You mind if I shoot them if it's Scottie?"
" A lady shouldn't get her hands dirty. Let me do it." He smiled.
" No ladies around here, just little old me."
He shook his head. " You won't take a compliment, will you?"
" No. And I'm not a lady, just another hardy Irish moor lass." She
opened the door. " Can I help you?"
" Have you seen this guy?"
The voice! That voice was one of the ones from his dreams! A link
to his past! " Ah!" he cried out, keeling over.
Abigail looked over. " Excuse me!" she ran to his side. " Quatre,
Quatre! Quatre, what is it? Are you all right?"
He looked up, and saw one of the faces from his dream! The one
who looked like a girl, but he knew it wasn't. " Yes, I'm fine."
" Quatre!" the guy yelped. " Man, am I glad to see ya! Rashiide's
so sure that you're dead and everybody else is losing it!"
" Who are you?" he asked in a weak voice.
" Quatre? Whoa, what's with that face?" Duo scratched his head.
Abigail's face contorted in rage. She grabbed the shotgun off the
rack near them. " Get out! Get out of here now! Don't make me shoot
you!" she shouldered the gun.
" Hey! Calm down lady!" Duo held his hands up.
" GET OUT!" she cocked the hammer.
" Okay, I'm gone!" he yelled, running out the open door.
Abigail followed him. " AND DON'T COME BACK!" she returned,
and set the shotgun down. " Are you okay?"
" Yes, I'm fine. But… I think I know him."
" Then I'm sorry I threatened to shoot him."
" No, you had a right. It's okay. I only think I know him, I'm not
sure."
" All right. Are you sure you're okay?"
" Yes. Abigail, I have a question for you."
" What?"
The small diamond he had purchased burned in his pocket. " Will
you marry me?"
Her eyes opened wide. " Did you just ask me what I think you
asked me?"
" Yes."
" Oh Mother McCready!" she yelped.
" Will you?"
Abigail looked into those big blue eyes. " Lord help me." She
sighed. " Yes."
Quatre smiled, and slipped the diamond on her finger. It was
small, and in no comparison to her. He smiled again. He could get the
biggest diamond in the world, with the finest cut, and it wouldn't do.
She noticed his smile, and laughed. As always, she knew what he
was thinking. She laughed…
[At the Shamrock Hotel…]
" Did you find him?" Hiiro asked, looking up from his laptop.
" I think." Duo flopped onto the bed.
" It didn't go too well, did it?" Trowa asked.
" Well, he looks really good for a supposedly dead guy. He's
outside the town, living with some family. The chick he was with was
hot, but man! Quatre keeled over, and she threatened to shoot me. I
don't think he remembers anything."
" You're kidding, right?" Wufei raised an eyebrow.
" Nope."
" This isn't good." Hiiro frowned.
" Tell me about it. What's your new plan?" Duo asked.
" We'll pay him another visit tomorrow. All four of us. I doubt
she's a good enough shot."
" I don't know. She looks like one of those down home moor girls."
Duo said.
" Hn. Let's not give up." Trowa said, finishing their conversation…
[The next day…]
Hiiro knocked on the door. He heard someone inside yell, 'I've got
it!' and Quatre opened the door.
" …!" he gasped.
" Quatre."
A red headed girl peeked over his shoulder. " Who are you?"
" None of your business. I've come to take him home."
The girl pushed Quatre from the doorway and pointed a shotgun at
him. " I don't want to have to shoot you. Now take your friends and go!"
she cocked the hammer.
" Hn." Hiiro dove for the gun; they fought over it, and he pinned
her to the ground with the gun out of reach.
She bucked and thrashed. " GET OFF OF ME!"
" Stop it, both of you!" Quatre grabbed Hiiro's shoulders, and
yanked him off! " Please, don't fight. Abigail, I'm sure he has a good
reason to be here."
Abigail frowned. " Please Abby."
She frowned more, but conceded. " Fine. You have three minutes
to explain yourself."
" My name's Hiiro Yuy." He introduced himself. " And Quatre is
another Gundam Pilot. He doesn't belong here. He belongs back in the
desert taking care of the Winner Fortunes."
" No! Quatre belongs in Ireland, with his family!"
" You can't keep him here."
" It's his decision."
" He's needed back home."
" He's needed here."
" He's a friend."
" He's my fiancé!" she yelled.
Trowa and the others appeared at the door. Abigail recognized the
one she had threatened to shoot. " I thought I told you to stay away."
She narrowed her eyes.
Duo shrugged. " Hey, had to come back to pick him- Quatre?
Hiiro, am I losing it, or does he have you off the ground?"
Hiiro glared at him. " Hn."
" I'll take that as a yes."
" Quatre." Trowa said quietly. All eyes rested on him. " Put him
down."
Quatre consented. Trowa spoke again. " I don't know what the
crash did to you, but listen. You're desperately needed back home. The
company is falling apart, and the Maquanacs are panicking because of
your absence. I realize that you have a fiancé now, but please. You're
needed back home. Take her with you if you need to."
Quatre blinked, and whispered in Abigail's ear. She looked to
them. " Come back later. He isn't feeling up to a visit right now; give
him an hour at least. Please?" she added softly.
Hiiro straightened his shirt. " We'll be back in two hours." He said,
pushing through the others and leaving. The others followed.
Abigail looked at Quatre. " You need to go home." She said,
turning away.
" I will, but not without you." He grabbed her.
" We can't be together, I know it now." She sighed.
He kissed her on the cheek. " We can! I don't care what happens,
I love you."
" I love you too, but is love enough?"
[A year later, back in the desert…]
" Quatre! You've had enough time to readjust, you must realize
that you can not marry that girl!" Iria yelled.
" Why not? You can't determine who I love, and you won't force me
to marry someone I don't!"
Abigail peeked in the door, her Irish face pinched and worried.
"Quatre, I have to talk to you." She said softly.
Iria frowned. " Not right now."
Abigail sneered back. " I wasn't talkin' to you." She turned to
Quatre. " It's important, please?"
" Go ahead and tell me now." He sighed. The battles with Iria had
gotten fiercer; she objected so strongly to Abigail, because of her common
background.
" I'd really rather tell you in private." She pleaded.
" Oh just spit it out!" Iria yelled.
" Shut the hell up!" Abigail shrieked. " You selfish domineering
bitch! You can't stand that your brother's found someone to love, and
you're still just sleeping around! Why don't you just keep your clothes
on for once, and maybe you could be happy too!" she leaned against the
doorframe.
" Ladies, please! Abby, honey, what is it?" Quatre rushed to her
side.
" I'm pregnant." She said.
Iria jumped up. " WHAT!"
" I'm pregnant." Abigail repeated.
" …!" Iria gasped.
" How long?" Quatre grasped her tighter.
" About three months… can we talk some where else, please?" she
begged.
" All right. Iria, we'll talk later." Quatre and Abigail rushed from
the room.
" Rashiide!"
" Yes Mistress Iria?"
" You know what you must do."
" But Mistress Iria!"
" I know it seems harsh, but he can't marry her. You know what to
do."
" Yes ma'am."
[Four months later…]
Quatre banged on the window, trying to get her attention. He was
on house arrest until she was gone.
Abigail looked up, but the hot sun bounced of the windows,
creating a horrific glare. It also caught the solitary tear that ran down
her cheek.
Quatre banged harder, and yelled. She couldn't hear him through
the tempered glass, but she knew it had to be him. She waved, one last
time, and allowed herself to be escorted to the car.
Iria stood beside it, looking supreme and self satisfied. She must
have said something horrid, because Abigail hauled off and slapped her.
Hard. A red handprint flamed on his sister's cheek. Rashiide stepped
between the two before they could fight, and helped Abigail into the car.
She waved one last time, and the rain began…
The End… for now.
There's a sequel on the way.
shrouded veils of his nightmare. " Please! Stop! Wake up, wake up!"
someone wrapped him in strong arms. " Come on, wake up!" whoever it
was shook him.
" Huh?" he opened his eyes. He found himself buried in someone's
uh…chest?
The girl moved back. " Good, you're awake. Welcome back to the
land of the living." She smiled.
Quatre blushed. " Um… sorry." He looked away.
" That's okay. That must've been some nightmare, from the way
you were yelling. Are you okay now?" she tilted her head to the left.
Emerald eyes met his through a curtain of russet.
" Yes, I think so. Where am I?"
The auburn haired girl laughed. " You don't know? Boy, that
crash really did a number on you. You're in the land of the little people."
" What?" he shook his head, trying to clear the fog.
" You're in Ireland." She said, in her soft Irish brogue.
" Ireland? What am I doing here?" the crash she had spoken of
must have damaged his memory.
" I don't know. Your shuttle was shot down, and crashed out in
the moors. You're lucky Peter found you when he did."
" Peter?"
" My brother. Don't you remember anything?"
An older woman walked in, with the same vibrant eyes as the girl
who spoke, but who's red hair was streaked with gray. " Abigail! Mind
yer manners!" she scolded with a thick Irish tongue.
" Sorry Mama."
Quatre looked between the two, and the older woman took notice
of him. " I see you're awake lad. Good. You gave us all quite a scare!"
" I'm sorry Ms…?"
" Mrs. O' Connor. But you can call me Nattie. Now, how're you
feelin?"
" Um… okay."
" He just woke up from another nightmare Mama. You shouldn't
be trying to put him to work in the fields!" Abigail said.
" I'm not trying to. It's not befittin' of a man of his status." Nattie
wagged her finger. " Now keep an eye on him, and make sure Scottie
doesn't see him."
" Mama! Why does it matter if Scottie sees him?"
" He could get the wrong idea!" Nattie shook her head. " What am I
gonna' do with you?" she left the room, her head still bobbing.
" What?" Quatre asked.
" Scottie is a boy from the village who wants to marry me. He's not
worth two ha' pennies. Now, tell me your name."
" Uh… um… I… I'm not sure!" he said incredulously.
" Boy, that crash really did do a number on you."
" I think my name is Quatre."
" Do you remember anything else?"
" No…" he sighed.
" Don't get sad. It's all right. You're in good hands now. Rest, and
I'll be back to check on you." Abigail stroked his forehead.
" Wait! Talk to me, please?" he asked.
" About what?" she looked at him.
" Anything. About you, your family, anything." He pleaded.
" Um… all right, but it won't be a real riveting conversation." She
shrugged. A furry weight jumped up on the bed beside him. " Bailey!
Get off of him!" she scolded the cat.
" Mreow?"
" You heard me. Get off of him." Abigail went to move him.
" It's all right Abigail. He'll be fine." Quatre stroked the cat.
" Okay. And you can call me Abby or Gail. I hate Abigail." She
frowned.
" I think it's a pretty name."
She blushed. " Shows how much you know."
" FIONA ABIGAIL O' CONNOR!" Someone outside yelled.
" Fiona?" Quatre raised an eyebrow.
" Don't ask." She sighed. " WHAT?!" she yelled back.
" MARRY ME!"
" GO AWAY!"
" NO!"
" GO AWAY BEFORE I GET MY SHOTGUN! YOU'RE GONNA FIND
TWO BARRELS WORTH OF BIRDSHOT IN YOUR FACE IF YOU DON'T
LEAVE RIGHT NOW!" Abigail yelled.
" I'LL GET MY ANSWER YET!"
" AND IT'LL BE NO IF YOU DON' STOP!"
" Who was that?" Quatre asked.
" Scottie McQueen. He's the richest boy in our town." Abigail
wrinkled her nose. " I don't want to, but it'd be good for our family if I do
marry him. I hate it though."
" Why?" the cat had climbed into his lap, and was now demanding
attention from both of them.
" I don't want to marry for money. I want to marry for love." She
said earnestly.
" That's sweet."
Abigail blushed again. " Eh, maybe it's foolish."
" It's not!" Quatre protested.
" Sure seems like it sometimes." She confessed…
[Six months later…]
" Quatre! Come quick, she's almost ready!" Abigail yelled from the
stables.
" Coming!" he ran. Essie, the prize mare of the O' Conner family,
was about to give birth. Quatre reached the barn and took the towel
Abigail handed him.
" You're cutting it kind of close."
" I was helping Peter shear the sheep."
" That's all right. Oh, she's ready!" Abigail knelt beside him and
helped.
" That's it girl, we're here to help. Come on now, that's my girl,
that's my beautiful Essie, come on now, come on." Quatre coaxed the
horse.
" Hard to believe you didn't know what you were doing six months
ago." Abigail laughed.
" Ha, ha." He smirked. " And voila. You have a healthy, happy
foal. Good job Essie." He patted the horse's side.
" Okay, you birthed her, you name him." She pointed to the foal.
" How about…" he paused for a moment. " Lucky?"
Abigail thought about it. " Sounds good to me. Now get washed
up. Mama was making dinner when I left, and she's about done by now."
As if to prove her point, Mama Nattie yelled.
" Okay." Quatre followed her. But something bothered him. Had
life been this good before the crash? He vaguely remembered… metal,
and battles, and four other people like him, but not like him. Something
called Sandrock, someone named Rashiide. That was it. He looked at
his hands. New calluses. His skin had been so soft before, so…
aristocratic. He knew that he hadn't exactly worked, not like this, in his
other life, but did it matter? He was giving serious consideration to
asking Fiona Abigail O' Connor to marry him. He shook his head. Now
was not the time to ponder it. Perhaps after supper, when he sat by the
fire with Abigail, then he could speak of it…
Quatre wiped up the last dish, and put it away. Abigail patted him
on the shoulder. " You're so much more reliable than Peter." She told
him.
" Eh. He's a moron to turn down helping such a pretty lass."
" You're learning your Irish well. Now you just need to know who
to say that to." She blushed.
" And I do."
" Do what?" Mama Nattie walked in.
" She says I don't know who to call a pretty lass. Well, she's just
like her mother. You two must drive the men of the town wild." He
winked.
" Quatre!" Mama Nattie flushed. " Shame on you! You could turn
a girl's head with that talk." She said, not upset, just pleased. " Why,
just look at Abigail!"
" Mama!" Abigail buried her head in his shoulder.
" Enough. I have to go into town for um…"
" To visit Mr. McCray?" Abigail winked.
" None of your business. You two behave." Mama Nattie left.
" Can I talk to you?" Quatre asked Abigail.
" You know you can."
" Good. Come on, I'll light a fire." He moved her to the living room,
and bent to get the wood and kindling…
[Later that evening…]
" But I can't make sense of it all." He finished.
Abigail thought. " Do you want to go back to the desert? To sort
this out?" she asked.
" I don't know. I love Ireland, and I love staying here with you all.
If I go back to the desert, I may not come back."
She shrugged. " You should do what makes you happiest." She
said simply.
" I think what would make me happiest is to stay here in Ireland."
He replied.
Abigail hid a smile. " Good." Someone knocked on the door. She
frowned. " You mind if I shoot them if it's Scottie?"
" A lady shouldn't get her hands dirty. Let me do it." He smiled.
" No ladies around here, just little old me."
He shook his head. " You won't take a compliment, will you?"
" No. And I'm not a lady, just another hardy Irish moor lass." She
opened the door. " Can I help you?"
" Have you seen this guy?"
The voice! That voice was one of the ones from his dreams! A link
to his past! " Ah!" he cried out, keeling over.
Abigail looked over. " Excuse me!" she ran to his side. " Quatre,
Quatre! Quatre, what is it? Are you all right?"
He looked up, and saw one of the faces from his dream! The one
who looked like a girl, but he knew it wasn't. " Yes, I'm fine."
" Quatre!" the guy yelped. " Man, am I glad to see ya! Rashiide's
so sure that you're dead and everybody else is losing it!"
" Who are you?" he asked in a weak voice.
" Quatre? Whoa, what's with that face?" Duo scratched his head.
Abigail's face contorted in rage. She grabbed the shotgun off the
rack near them. " Get out! Get out of here now! Don't make me shoot
you!" she shouldered the gun.
" Hey! Calm down lady!" Duo held his hands up.
" GET OUT!" she cocked the hammer.
" Okay, I'm gone!" he yelled, running out the open door.
Abigail followed him. " AND DON'T COME BACK!" she returned,
and set the shotgun down. " Are you okay?"
" Yes, I'm fine. But… I think I know him."
" Then I'm sorry I threatened to shoot him."
" No, you had a right. It's okay. I only think I know him, I'm not
sure."
" All right. Are you sure you're okay?"
" Yes. Abigail, I have a question for you."
" What?"
The small diamond he had purchased burned in his pocket. " Will
you marry me?"
Her eyes opened wide. " Did you just ask me what I think you
asked me?"
" Yes."
" Oh Mother McCready!" she yelped.
" Will you?"
Abigail looked into those big blue eyes. " Lord help me." She
sighed. " Yes."
Quatre smiled, and slipped the diamond on her finger. It was
small, and in no comparison to her. He smiled again. He could get the
biggest diamond in the world, with the finest cut, and it wouldn't do.
She noticed his smile, and laughed. As always, she knew what he
was thinking. She laughed…
[At the Shamrock Hotel…]
" Did you find him?" Hiiro asked, looking up from his laptop.
" I think." Duo flopped onto the bed.
" It didn't go too well, did it?" Trowa asked.
" Well, he looks really good for a supposedly dead guy. He's
outside the town, living with some family. The chick he was with was
hot, but man! Quatre keeled over, and she threatened to shoot me. I
don't think he remembers anything."
" You're kidding, right?" Wufei raised an eyebrow.
" Nope."
" This isn't good." Hiiro frowned.
" Tell me about it. What's your new plan?" Duo asked.
" We'll pay him another visit tomorrow. All four of us. I doubt
she's a good enough shot."
" I don't know. She looks like one of those down home moor girls."
Duo said.
" Hn. Let's not give up." Trowa said, finishing their conversation…
[The next day…]
Hiiro knocked on the door. He heard someone inside yell, 'I've got
it!' and Quatre opened the door.
" …!" he gasped.
" Quatre."
A red headed girl peeked over his shoulder. " Who are you?"
" None of your business. I've come to take him home."
The girl pushed Quatre from the doorway and pointed a shotgun at
him. " I don't want to have to shoot you. Now take your friends and go!"
she cocked the hammer.
" Hn." Hiiro dove for the gun; they fought over it, and he pinned
her to the ground with the gun out of reach.
She bucked and thrashed. " GET OFF OF ME!"
" Stop it, both of you!" Quatre grabbed Hiiro's shoulders, and
yanked him off! " Please, don't fight. Abigail, I'm sure he has a good
reason to be here."
Abigail frowned. " Please Abby."
She frowned more, but conceded. " Fine. You have three minutes
to explain yourself."
" My name's Hiiro Yuy." He introduced himself. " And Quatre is
another Gundam Pilot. He doesn't belong here. He belongs back in the
desert taking care of the Winner Fortunes."
" No! Quatre belongs in Ireland, with his family!"
" You can't keep him here."
" It's his decision."
" He's needed back home."
" He's needed here."
" He's a friend."
" He's my fiancé!" she yelled.
Trowa and the others appeared at the door. Abigail recognized the
one she had threatened to shoot. " I thought I told you to stay away."
She narrowed her eyes.
Duo shrugged. " Hey, had to come back to pick him- Quatre?
Hiiro, am I losing it, or does he have you off the ground?"
Hiiro glared at him. " Hn."
" I'll take that as a yes."
" Quatre." Trowa said quietly. All eyes rested on him. " Put him
down."
Quatre consented. Trowa spoke again. " I don't know what the
crash did to you, but listen. You're desperately needed back home. The
company is falling apart, and the Maquanacs are panicking because of
your absence. I realize that you have a fiancé now, but please. You're
needed back home. Take her with you if you need to."
Quatre blinked, and whispered in Abigail's ear. She looked to
them. " Come back later. He isn't feeling up to a visit right now; give
him an hour at least. Please?" she added softly.
Hiiro straightened his shirt. " We'll be back in two hours." He said,
pushing through the others and leaving. The others followed.
Abigail looked at Quatre. " You need to go home." She said,
turning away.
" I will, but not without you." He grabbed her.
" We can't be together, I know it now." She sighed.
He kissed her on the cheek. " We can! I don't care what happens,
I love you."
" I love you too, but is love enough?"
[A year later, back in the desert…]
" Quatre! You've had enough time to readjust, you must realize
that you can not marry that girl!" Iria yelled.
" Why not? You can't determine who I love, and you won't force me
to marry someone I don't!"
Abigail peeked in the door, her Irish face pinched and worried.
"Quatre, I have to talk to you." She said softly.
Iria frowned. " Not right now."
Abigail sneered back. " I wasn't talkin' to you." She turned to
Quatre. " It's important, please?"
" Go ahead and tell me now." He sighed. The battles with Iria had
gotten fiercer; she objected so strongly to Abigail, because of her common
background.
" I'd really rather tell you in private." She pleaded.
" Oh just spit it out!" Iria yelled.
" Shut the hell up!" Abigail shrieked. " You selfish domineering
bitch! You can't stand that your brother's found someone to love, and
you're still just sleeping around! Why don't you just keep your clothes
on for once, and maybe you could be happy too!" she leaned against the
doorframe.
" Ladies, please! Abby, honey, what is it?" Quatre rushed to her
side.
" I'm pregnant." She said.
Iria jumped up. " WHAT!"
" I'm pregnant." Abigail repeated.
" …!" Iria gasped.
" How long?" Quatre grasped her tighter.
" About three months… can we talk some where else, please?" she
begged.
" All right. Iria, we'll talk later." Quatre and Abigail rushed from
the room.
" Rashiide!"
" Yes Mistress Iria?"
" You know what you must do."
" But Mistress Iria!"
" I know it seems harsh, but he can't marry her. You know what to
do."
" Yes ma'am."
[Four months later…]
Quatre banged on the window, trying to get her attention. He was
on house arrest until she was gone.
Abigail looked up, but the hot sun bounced of the windows,
creating a horrific glare. It also caught the solitary tear that ran down
her cheek.
Quatre banged harder, and yelled. She couldn't hear him through
the tempered glass, but she knew it had to be him. She waved, one last
time, and allowed herself to be escorted to the car.
Iria stood beside it, looking supreme and self satisfied. She must
have said something horrid, because Abigail hauled off and slapped her.
Hard. A red handprint flamed on his sister's cheek. Rashiide stepped
between the two before they could fight, and helped Abigail into the car.
She waved one last time, and the rain began…
The End… for now.
There's a sequel on the way.