Chapter 2: 5 Years later

Chapter 2: 5 Years later. AC220

            I took a sip of my tea and glanced out the window.

            "It took you this long to travel out here?" A voice asked.

            "No." I replied, "Just this long to be able to contact you, Mr. Winner."

            "Please refer to me as Quatre." The fair haired, professionally dressed man said to me, "I feel really rather silly having a Peacecraft call me that."

            "And I feel silly referring to you by your first name, you are a Winner after all."

            "Nah, don't. Consider me a friend of the family." Quatre stood up and paced around the space in back of his desk, "So, you really are the daughter of Relena Peacecraft and Heero Yuy." He smiled and laughed a little bit, "Who would have thought?"

            I shifted in my seat. The leather of my coat stuck like Velcro to the back of my sweaty legs.

            I pulled the over-read book of the War from my bag and lifted it up toward him.

            "This is what lead me to you. You are the first actual Gundam pilot I have been able to locate. Even after that it took me a long time to be able to contact you."

            "Which it shouldn't have." Quatre said somewhat angrily, "How long were you incarcerated for before somebody actually told me?"

            "Nine months." I replied, "I've been on this colony for nearly a year and a half working to be able to see you. Nobody believed who I was for some strange reason; they regarded my identification as a fake."

            "I'm so deeply sorry." Quatre shook his head, "I promise to take care of all debts owed to you and anything else you need. Whatever you want I will get for you. No questions asked."

            "Um, thank you, Quatre." I was shocked at his offer, "But…"

            "I won't have anything thanks or buts." He interrupted me; "You are now the Winner Family guest of honor. Anything you need or want; come to me. Anytime you need a place to stay, come here. I personally will help you search for your father."

            I wanted to jump up and hug him; and I did.

            Quatre accepted me into his arms as if I was his own daughter. Then I felt myself begin to cry, and then I was embarrassed.

            "It's alright now, Angelica." He said softly to me, "You no longer need to be frightened or alone."

            "I'm sorry." I sobbed out onto his shirt, "but you are the first person who ever seemed to care."

            "Regardless of what you think, I'm sure your mother cares as well."

            I looked up at him, wiping the tears from my eyes but staying silent.

            "I'll tell you what," He said, "Why don't I take you out tonight? Just the two of us alone. There is someone else in town I want you to meet."

* * * * *

            "Ladies and Gentlemen!" The Ring Master announced, "Now my talented sister Cathrine will perform or daring knife throwing act upon none other than my youngest son!" He lifted up a child of about 7 years old wearing this really rather goofy clown outfit.

            He strapped his son up on a platform with a wooden back scarred with holes from previous knife throws.

            Before this act could go fully underway, Quatre tugged on my jacket sleeve.

            "Come with me now." He whispered.

            I followed him out to the back of the big top over near a smaller tent. The Ring Master approached us from where he had exited the big top. He stopped for a moment to take off his glittery top hat and take a drink from a bottle of water.

            Quatre walked over and tapped him on the shoulder; "Excuse me sir…"

            "Yes?" The Ring Master turned around, but then he paused as his eyes widened with surprise, "Quatre!"

            "Trowa!"

            The two threw their arms around each other, laughing lightly.

            "I was hoping to see you here at least once." Trowa said.

            "Well you know I always have to come see you." Quatre smiled.

            I walked up slowly behind Quatre, catching Trowa's attention.

            "And who is this, Quatre?" Trowa asked.

            I thought for a second…was that jealousy in his voice?

            Quatre grabbed my arm and pulled me forward.

            "I'd like you to meet someone really rather special." Quatre began, "This is Angelica Darlian, Relena and Heero's daughter."

            Trowa seemed really silent, and then he heard the crowd from inside the big top, "Oops." He put his hat back on quickly.

            "We'll talk more after the show." He said as he jogged back into the tent.

* * * * *

            I sat out front of the restaurant where we went to eat with Trowa, his wife, three kids, and sister. I pulled my pack of cigarettes from my long leather coat. I got a chill across my legs so I pulled the coast across my short skirt in attempt to cover them more.

            I went to light my cigarette when I heard a soft voice speak from behind me, "Now that can't be healthy."

            I turned and saw Trowa standing there, dressed in totally normal clothes; a black turtle neck with a leather jacket over the top, and nice black dress pants. No more glittery crap.

            I kinda laughed a little, "For a few years this is all I had to keep my mental health in check."           

            He came over and sat next to me, "So you are Relena and Heero's daughter, how amazing."

            "And you're really Trowa Barton, or the one that goes by his name."

            "Something like that." He sighed, "Quatre told me about your situation, so no need to hide anything from me."

            I exhaled a puff of smoke and killed the cigarette on the ground next to me, "I hate these things."

            "Then why do you smoke them?"

            "Because I tried to hide who I was as much as possible."

            "Why try to be someone you are not?"

            "Speak for yourself."

            "Don't worry about criticizing me." He said, "It's been done and it doesn't do much good because I just deal with it. Apparently you aren't good at that yet."

            "What?"

            "Dealing with things." He looked at me with the nicest green eyes I have ever seen in my life. Damn, for a middle-aged man he looked good, but unfortunately his oldest song is 15…

            "Tell me," I demanded, "Do you teach your children about your history?"

            "Yes of course I do. They deserve to know who their father was."

            "That's what I thought." I sighed.

            "What your mother did and why in my eyes in unforgivable." He stood up, "But you cannot hold a grudge forever, and you find the hard way why."

            I looked up at him, somewhat clueless of what to say.

            "Before I go back in let me tell you this one thing," He started, "If you finally decide to stand up and be who you really are, don't make the mistake of flaunting that you are a Peacecraft. I think it's started more wars than stopped them."

            As he walked back in, my mind drifted immediately to Uncle Milliardo, my mother's older brother who fought against her in the Colonial Wars of AC195.

            I looked down at the pack of cigarettes in my lap then stuffed them back in my pocket.

            I stood up slowly and pulled the glasses from my face before I began to walk back into the restaurant.