Off to Join the Circus
Author's Note: Just so you know - this story
takes place in an alternate universe. Some of the elements from the
series are in it but none of the boys are gundam pilots. I have no
idea if names are ever mentioned for any of the pilot's parents, so I have
given them names as needed. Warning: There is reference to
rape in the story - no details, and death. That is why I have categorized
the story as a drama.
Standard Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Gundam characters.
[Wish I did own one, or maybe two, or maybe three, or... of them, but doesn't
everyone? ~_^] The story plot is mine, as well as, the original characters.
Story Summery: Trowa and Catherine are born and raised in the
circus. As they travel, they come across a few interesting people
and incorporate them into their little "family" group. One of their
adopties unknowingly brings trouble that could be life threatening for
at least one of them. Can they find a way out? [That is the
future plot, but it is going to take some time to get there.]
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Off to Join the Circus!
Chapter 1 ~ Rosemary Bloom
By West Wind
Rosemary Bloom was in her early 20's enjoying life. She
had grown up in the circus with her parents and older brother Robert. She
loved the circus life and thrived on the travel and the chance to meet
new people. Wherever they stopped, she the would explore the city in her
spare time. She loved people. She loved entertaining them, making them
laugh, talking to them. She was an outgoing caring individual that exuded
joy and comfort to all that she meet. Her brother was amazed at the number
of pen pals Rose had and that she keep in touch with most of them. Her
second passion was nature and animals. She was as good with the animals
as she was with people, and she loved to stroll through the town, the park,
or the countryside where they stopped.
"Robert, I am going to the park. You want to come?" Rosemary
asked.
"I can't right now. I have to finish what I am working
on."
"I can wait," she cheerfully answered.
"Nah, go on," he encouraged. "I don't know how long I
will be."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. Maybe April or Samantha would go with you."
"I'll go see."
Robert smiled as he watched his sister bound away in search
of her friends and marveled at the child like joy she took from life.
~@~
It was nearing lunch time and Robert had not seen Rosemary
return yet. His mother had sent him to find her when he ran into her two
friends.
"Have you seen Rose?" he asked.
"Not sence she asked if we wanted to go for a walk," answered
Sam.
"You didn't go with her?"
"No, we had to finish practicing," said April.
Robert had a sinking feeling in his gut and fear shot
through him. Rose had been gone too long and she would never be late for
a meal. He thanked the two girls and made inquiries of others he ran into.
No one had seen Rose since this morning. Robert bolted for the park he
knew she liked to walk in. He ran the entire way there. His leg muscles
began to burn from the pace he had set for himself. He arrived at the park
and leaned against the entrance post gasping for breath before continuing
his search. His gulping for air slowly decreased in intensity and he sprinted
down one of the paths. He called her name as he combed the area.
A tear filled and muffled "Rob?" drifted to his ears.
He slowed his pace and looked around. By a bush, he saw the huddled form
of his red-headed sister. Her body was shaking and tears ran down her face.
He took in her disheveled appearance and there was murder in his eyes.
He did not know who had done this to his sister, but Robert would make
them pay.
He slowly approached her and began to place an arm around
her. At first she shied away from him. He could not believe it.
"It's only me. Your brother Robert," he cooed gently and
she through herself into his arms sobbing.
"He wouldn't stop, he wouldn't stop," she murmured into
his shoulder.
"It's alright. It is not your fault," he comforted as
he rubbed her back to sooth her.
"I just want to go home," she whispered.
"I think you should talk to the police first."
Panic and fear filled her eyes and face. Robert held her
close and told her it would be alright. After much coaxing, he got her
to talk to the police and their parents were called.
They finally caught the man after two more women were
attacked in the same park. Rose had been the lucky one of being
his first victim. Physically Rose was only battered and bruised but emotionally
she was a wreck and to top it off she was pregnant with the rapist's child.
The doctor that had examined her after the incident had given her the options
of adoption or an abortion, and she told the doctor that she would have
to think about it.
Two weeks had gone by and she had keep to herself. She
would sit quietly by one of the animal cages after patting them in greeting.
She would watch them move back and forth in their cage. Most people left
her alone. They did not know how to handle the quiet, withdrawn Rose. Her
friends did try, but Rose would give them a sad smile and say she wanted
to be alone. Everyone keep an eye on her to make sure she did not try anything
drastic – the benefit of having a large family.
One evening she entered the tent where Robert was working
on the generator. Robert looked up to see her approach and he noted a change.
The innocence was gone and the joy and carefreeness had not returned, but
there was a look of determination in her movements and in her face.
"I am keeping the baby," she flatly announced to him as
she protectively place a hand on her abdomen.
Robert blinked at her a few times and wondered how to
respond to the announcement. He could see there was no changing her mind
and he was not going to try. He had been pondering her options since they
found out she was pregnant, and he did not know how one could make that
decision. It was a life, but it was a symbol of what had been forced upon
her. If she gave it up for adoption, she would still have to carry it.
Surely it would be a reminder of her pain and suffering? If she keep it,
would the relationship between child and mother be tainted? Robert did
not know the answer to the questions or how a person could make the choice.
"O.K.," was all he said.
She sat down on the ground beside him with knees to her
chest. He continued working and patiently waited for her to continue the
conversation.
"Ginger had her puppies," Rose said in a distant tone.
"Five of them survived. One was dead at birth."
Rose paused and looked up at the top of the tent as if
there was nothing more to say. Robert continued to work and glanced at
his sister periodically with concern. He was relieved that she was at least
talking.
Time passed and Rose spoke again.
"Ginger nudged at the lifeless pup after it was born.
When there was no response, she seamed to morn over its loss before she
gently moved it to the side of her kennel and attended to the next offspring."
She paused again and looked at her brother. "Life is special and precious.
All things need a chance to experience life and love no matter how they
come into being. This child deserves to know life. It does not deserve
to be condemned for the sins of his/her father. It is innocent and it is
a part of me. It is just as much a part of me as it is him. For
my child I will strive to put my shattered life back together, to live
each day one step in front of the other."
She was done talking and Robert gave her a hug.
"If you need any help, I will always be there for you,"
he informed.
"I know," she replied gently a gave him a slight smile.
"You better," he teased and touched his greasy finger
to her nose leaving a black smug on its tip.
Robert laughed at her soiled nose.
"You got grease on me," she accused.
She playfully punched him and gave him a genuine smile.
It warmed his heart to see a true smile grace her face once again.
~@~
Rose watched her family perform from her post behind the
flaps in the back of the tent. Jeff Barton stood beside her after finishing
his act. Jeff had joined the circus three months ago after his circus had
disbanded. He had been smitten with Rose from the day he meet her, but
Rose held him an arms length away. Rose was slowly acting more like her
old self, but she keep strangers at a distance, especially men. Jeff had
quickly learned of her experience and was waiting with the patience of
Job for her to accept him.
"Oh…" Rose gasped as she placed her hand on her extended
belly.
Jeff looked at her with concern.
"Are you alright?" he asked.
"The baby is coming" she announced.
"Let's get you to the hospital!"
"My family…"
"They will come as soon as they finish their performance."
Rose knew Jeff was right as another spasm rolled across
her abdomen. She could not interrupt the show, and she could not wait for
them.
Jeff moved her toward the car and flagged down one of
their fellow performers. Lou promised to tell the others as soon as they
were done with their act. With that taken care of, Jeff helped Rose into
the car and headed to the hospital.
Jeff filled out the paperwork while the hospital workers
helped Rose into a wheelchair. A nurse started to wheel Rose off and she
held her hand out to Jeff.
"I don't want to be alone. Please, come with me," Rose
pleaded as panic rose within her.
"Don't worry. Your husband will be ushered to you room
as soon as he finished the paper work," said the nurse.
Rose watched as the only person she knew disappeared from
sight, and she was rolled into a room. She was moved to a bed and asked
questions by the nurse. Jeff entered just as the nurse finished.
"How are you?" he asked tentatively as he moved to her
side.
"In pain," she commented as another contraction hit.
Jeff took her hand and she held on with all her might
until the pain subsided.
"The doctor will be with you soon," assured the nurse.
"My family?" she asked.
Jeff gently brushed the bangs from her eyes.
"They are not here yet. Soon."
Rose let out a scream while the process of her child's
birth continued.
~@~
A sharp slap rang through the room followed by a baby's
wail as Rose's child took her first breath of air.
"It's a girl," the doctor announced as she handed the
baby to the waiting nurse.
Rose slumped back exhausted. Jeff was still at her side
giving her words of comfort and encouragement. She smiled up at him in
thanks. The whole process was harder than she had ever imagined, but it
seemed worth it when the nurse placed the wiggling wrinkled girl in her
arms. Rose caressed the baby's cheek with her finger in greeting. The baby
turned toward the caress.
"Do you have a name picked our?" whispered Jeff.
"Yes," she answered dreamily. "Catherine Rose Bloom."
"You might want to inform the rest of the family," said
a nurse. "They are in the waiting room. They can all see her once she and
the baby are settled in."
Jeff took his leave of Rose who's attention was wrapped
up with the bundle in her arms and did not notice his exit.
~@~
Time passed and Catherine grew. She brought a joy to all
she came in contact with. Especially her mother. Rose once again found
the joy she had been lacking since Catherine's conception.
Every one commented on how Catherine was so much like
her mother in manner and appearance, although her hair was not the fire
red of Rose's but a soft reddish-brown. Catherine was outgoing and friendly.
Very inquisitive and slightly mischievous. She absolutely adored Jeff and
Uncle Robert. If she was not with her mother, she was with one of them.
When Catherine was a little over one, Rose married Jeff
and the three became a family, and when she was three her mother was going
to have another baby.
The day came that once again Jeff and Rose found themselves
in the hospital as she gave birth. This time was harder than the first
and Rose knew something was not right. Finally, the child emerged and announced
his presence. Rose breathed a sigh of relief and asked to see him. The
nurse handed her the bundle containing her son while the doctor and nurse
continued to work.
"Welcome to the family, my dear Trowa," she whispered
in greeting. "Isn't he beautiful?"
"He definitely is," responded Jeff.
She smiled at her spouse lovingly before resting her head
against the headboard.
A continuous monotone beep filled the room. One nurse
took the baby, another escorted Jeff out of the room, while the doctor
tried to resuscitate the mother.
~@~
Jeff paced back and forth in the waiting room in fear
for his wife's life. The rest of the family sat quietly and watched. The
doctor entered.
"Mr. Barton, I am sorry. Your wife is gone. We tried everything
to save her, but there were some unseen complications…"
Jeff did not hear anything past the fact that Rose was
gone. She would never return to him, never cuddle up next to him in bed.
He felt as if his reason for living had been ripped from him as he let
out a heart wrenching scream and fell to his knees.
How he got through the next few days Jeff never knew.
He continued living because that was what Rose would have wanted plus he
had their children to look after. He could not desert them. They needed
his love and support.
~@~
The day they burred Rose was fittingly overcast. The family
stood around the casket to say their last farewell to their beloved flower.
Catherine placed a white rose on her mother's casket with the help of her
uncle.
"Good bye, Mommy," said Catherine. "Wave to me from Heaven."
Robert wiped a lone tear off his cheek after putting his
niece back on the ground. Jeff approached the casket next.
"I will always love you," he whispered. "Wait for me."
He kissed his and and placed it on the casket. He walked
back to his seat. Once seated he looked down at Trowa in his arms. His
son was quiet. The loudest protest Jeff had heard from Trowa was at his
birth. It was like he knew that his mother had died giving him life, and
he mourned her passing with the rest of them.
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Author's Note: I don't know about you as you read this, but I
cried while I wrote it. I really hated to kill Rose off. I had the story
line [including her dying giving birth to Trowa] plotted before I wrote
this section and had no idea how emotionally attached I would become to
her as I unfolded her tale. I just regret that Rose and Jeff did not have
more time together, but I have to keep Catherine and Trowa close in age
for the rest of the story to fall into place.
I will warn you now that I will probably be slow in posting chapters
for this story. Spring is here and there are things I need to tend
to outside ~ away from my computer and writing fics. = (
Plus, I have two different story lines rattling around in my head begging
to be expressed in electronic representation of words via my wordprocessor,
and maybe the brief wisps of another chapter to my
Marimeia story as well. Please be patient with me, and don't forget
to tell me what you think. Thanks for reading.