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.