Fall Beside Her
By Jillian Storm
(Disclaimer: Many things in life were meant to be together. Still if small
variations were not made, monotony might settle in! Therefore, I've decided to
do a little mix and matching with anime characters, Catatonia lyrics and
establishing it all in an alternate reality. Near the end are lyrics from a song
played during the trailer to the German film, "The Princess and the Warrior"-
which I marked differently. I dunno who sings it, but they deserve a lot of credit
for a pretty cool song. All I can claim really is the chaos and the idea.)
Growing up, Juri had been a solitary child and an only child. Her father had
worked for the government causing them to move every few years and it wasn't
until he settled down to take a professorship that she began to feel any stability
to her life. Then there had been joining the high school theater. She'd met Ruka
when she was fifteen, and they'd become close friends. Sharing similar past
feelings and future potential.
She'd known him longer than anyone besides her parents. He was her friend, her
brother, her lover.
When she bothered to think about it, his loss was a deeper cut than would heal in
a matter of months. Even her relationship with Spike Spiegel had been a brief
flirtation by comparison.
Agreeing to accompany Trowa Barton to visit his sister, Juri easily slipped into
the observer's role. Speaking when she was called upon or when the flow of
conversation made it a necessity. Watching her friend skirt around his primary
concern as they followed Catherine Bloom on an initial tour of the new home. It
was a spacious apartment and surprisingly enough, it was looking well lived in
rather than a new place. It already smelled like peppermints and was decorated
in rich autumn colors.
"And I'm glad that you brought Juri with," Catherine smiled, her blue eyes
softened to a grey silver texture as she glanced at Juri. "Did you know, Trowa,
that we met once?"
"Really?" Trowa lifted an eyebrow, the significance clearly lost on him as he
watched his sister with more than a little anxiety. He was reassuring himself
that she was at ease. That Cathy was happy. That she was safe.
"Yes," Cathy laughed lightly, teasing. "We had quite a few things in common
that day." Her eyes narrowed mirthfully as her words failed to sink in with
Trowa. Catherine was aware that he was assessing her and glanced over at Juri
again with a questioning glance. Shaking her curls with amusement, Cathy
pulled at her three quarter sleeves, trying to make them stretch closer to her
wrists and said, "Well, let me finish up lunch and we can chat over pasta.
Should at least try to get one decent meal in you, skinny." She plucked at the
bottom of Trowa's shirt, holding on to the hem.
She didn't let go until they separated in the kitchen. Trowa slipping into one of
the chairs by the dinner table. Juri sat in the seat next to him. Appreciating how
Cathy glided around the kitchen having already made it her sanctuary as a chef.
"You'd think that I'd hate cooking since I do it all the time," Cathy continued
chatting, carrying the entire conversation effortlessly at that point. Her voice
light, "But I can't help but enjoy cooking for company. I have this white sauce
that has such a cool and refreshing flavor . . ."
Juri smiled for the moment that Cathy glanced over her shoulder, then let her
lips relax into a natural line as Cathy turned back to hum busily. Trowa had
rested his chin in his hand and seemed to sink with affection and deliberation.
Juri wondered if perhaps coming along had made things more difficult.
"Here, for you. And you." Cathy put plates in front of them and began to serve
the meal with maternal gusto. She didn't take anything herself however, which
Juri noticed after complimenting the special sauce. It was easy for Jury to see
why Sano could have been charmed by Trowa's sister. Catherine was
independent and beautiful, but something in her every movement was vibrantly
seductive. Her clothing tastefully revealing and her form modestly full with
long, almost tomboyish limbs.
"Do you like it?" Cathy leaned forward, watching Trowa solemnly chew. "I left
it on a bit too long."
"It's great, Cathy . . ." Trowa said simply, letting the phrase end hesitantly.
Knowing that he wasn't saying a fraction of what he was thinking. Catherine
sensed that and brought her fingers up to worry her lower lip.
"Still . . ." Catherine's brow furrowed, in an expression of loving concern that
unnervingly mirrored Trowa's own.
"Cathy, I got a call from Sano yesterday."
Juri put down her fork and turned to watch the siblings pulled into each other's
perspective. Sudden understanding for Catherine as her grey-blue eyes turned a
stormier color.
". . . And he was concerned for you."
"Yes." Catherine said. Not hopeful, not frustrated . . . Juri couldn't ascribe a
feeling to it at all.
"Did you?" Trowa spun his fingers through his hair as he did whenever he was
seriously nervous.
"Did I what?" Cathy's tone turned guarded, but without anger. "Trowa, it's not
like . . . I'm committed to somebody. Right now." She leaned back at that
moment, mask after mask beginning to erase her original expression. The
moment of sincere regret.
"I . . . know." Trowa mirrored her distance, tipping back in his chair. "I just
wanted to make sure that you're alright."
"I'm fine."
Juri could feel the walls rising and wondered what, if not her own presence,
could divide the siblings so much. Although, within a few minutes, it was
almost as if nothing of conflict had passed between them at all.
Take my word I'll try to make it clear, yeah
You could never be like you'd been then
Have you never tried to stay behind?
"Aha, Faye." Shin glanced up to gather her attention, his reading glasses
slipping down his nose as he turned to browse the paperwork again. Faye came
back from where she was leaning in his office doorway, watching the other
newspaper staff members hovering about like hectic worker bees. "I thought I'd
heard the name Catherine Bloom before. She married Duo Maxwell back in,
let's see, it would have been about eight years ago now."
"Duo Maxwell?" Faye shrugged, "I don't remember this at all." Then Faye
squeaked, "Eight years ago?? What the heck! Sano only would have been a
little kid then . . . she's that much older?"
Shin shrugged, still perusing the articles, "But these are more recent articles.
See Mr. Maxwell was the heir to his father's firm, as well as being one of the
best young lawyers to pull through the system. He's being courted to be a judge
or to run for congress even; although, it seems that his first love is the firm.
Hmm. They have a kid." Shin tipped the folder to one side so that Faye could
see the publicity shot. An exuberant young man holding a toddler, a girl with
brown curls and her fingers firmly stuffed into her mouth. At his arm was a tall
woman with a beautiful smile.
"That's her, huh?" Faye snorted, "What the heck was my brother thinking?"
"She is beautiful." Shin mused, taking another look at the picture as he took the
folder back. Faye whacked him affectionately on the back of his head.
"I wonder what went wrong with their marriage? That seems such a fairy tale
life." Faye said after a solemn pause.
One touch, and they all fall beside her, yeah
It's said that you're the kind to run and hide, yeah
Is it better then to leave it all inside?
Juri reclined in the love seat as she watched Trowa and Catherine on the couch.
A few hours after lunch they all had begun to feel warm and sleepy. The
reconciliation simple enough as Trowa sat at one end of the couch, his sister
resting against his shoulder. Hearing the truth and confirming her security was
enough for Trowa to let the subject rest. Whatever happened next would be up
to his sister.
And they had begun to share pieces of their childhood. Of how Catherine's
mother had actually worked at the circus, and that Catherine was never truly
certain who her real father was. Hoping against hope that it wasn't the Monkey
Man as her mother had teased. And how Trowa's mother had passed away after
a sudden complication to her diabetes.
"Dad was a doctor, and it really made him doubt his abilities." Trowa clarified,
"He said that Cathy's mom was the enthusiasm he needed to realize how
valuable life still was."
"So valuable that they're both living in Australia right now." Cathy chuckled.
"They're living this second youth the post cards say."
"What's it like having them so far away?" Juri asked politely. The only family
the two of them had nearby really was each other.
"They still keep some tabs on us." Trowa said, "But I don't think I've seen them
since . . . well, since I was in college and did a show on the Aussie stage."
"And Trowa filled them in on everything. Let me tell you, the string of bad
childhood boyfriends Trowa kept pointing out that I had, Juri, was *nothing*
compared to watching my brother pine after Heero Yuy . . ."
"Speaking of Heero . . ." Trowa said quickly but didn't get another word out as
Cathy elbowed him in the stomach.
"I'm not the only one who keeps secrets." She murmured. "I heard. And just
when we thought he'd gone."
Trowa laughed reluctantly, "You knew he was back in town. And, well, it's not
really a secret to be kept anymore."
Catherine sat upright, "I remember, something like this 'Guess what, Cath!
Heero's back. I think we might start seeing each other again.' and now . . . you
have."
"Yeah," Trowa tucked his chin, sinking into the cushions of the couch. "I think
it might actually work out this time."
"You two can't stay just friends." She sighed, taking his hand and intertwining
their fingers. Staring into her lap. "Keep an eye on him for me, Juri. Don't let
him get hurt."
Juri watched Trowa place an affectionate kiss into his sister's hair and missed
the rest of that conversation as she began to wonder. Began to wonder if
Catherine could be just as possessive of her brother as Heero was.
Slow down, you're racing fast for now
You'd shine with half your given power
You see my hands I've been caught at it again, yeah
"You're doing a great job, Utena, keep it up." Faye said quickly, breezing past
the stage manager turned fencing master.
"You too, Faye." Utena grinned back, watching Faye try to juggle all the jobs
and responsibilities that Utena had learned to handle with ease.
Jobs that Faye found a quite simple trouble compared to watching her brother
act as if nothing had changed in his life at all. She'd found him before rehearsal
began that Monday and tried to mention the few things that she and Shin had
found at the paper. The thick quarrel surrounding a messy divorce that took too
long to settle all because Duo Maxwell loved Catherine Bloom too much to let
her go. Sano needed to know that letting this woman go would be best for him
as well.
Except, he suddenly seemed not to care.
"I'm fine," Sano shrugged, "I shouldn't have been so surprised. A bit of over
*acting* on my part." He chuckled strangely at his own joke and left his sister
to chat with Kenshin about the opening number. She had watched him, leaving
him in the care of the red-haired writer and wondering if it was for the best to let
him believe that he could simply move forward. But she knew her brother well
enough to understand that he'd let himself become over invested in relationships.
It was something Sanosuke would have to work through on his own then.
Bulldozing through the hallway more times that she'd like to count, and mostly
because of her own forgetfulness—Faye caught glimpses of her brother and
Kenshin continuing in a engrossed conversation. She wished Kenshin luck.
It was while she was peering in on her younger sibling again when she ran right
into Shiori.
"Oh! I'm sorry." Faye said, over apologizing. Mostly because she'd managed
to scratch the other girl with the edge of one of the many rapiers she was hauling
back to have unbent and polished from rehearsal use. "I didn't even see you
coming out of there."
"It's okay." Shiori shrugged, analyzing the damage and dismissing it.
"I'm, ah, still getting used to your hair." Faye said, realizing that she hadn't
spoken at length with Shiori for some time. "I know that Saionji wasn't too keen
on dyeing his, except that his fan club things it's all cute and darling now.
What'd you think?"
"It's part of the character." Shiori said simply, a bit distracted.
"Are you alright?" Faye wondered, studying the girl's absent-minded
expression.
"Yeah," Shiori blinked a few times, "I haven't been sleeping much . . .
rehearsing."
"Rehearsing?" Faye started, "More than you are here? Why?"
"Just rehearsing." Shiori said distantly.
Before Faye could probe further, Nichol appeared from the same doorway.
Glancing at Faye he smiled with his characteristic aristocracy and said, "Well,
this makes things easy. Faye, Saitou was asking for the foils if you want to
toddle off to him. And Shiori, I was meaning to ask you something. Excuse
us."
Faye missed most of what he said, growling, "I haven't even gotten started on
these yet!" And promptly sprinted down the hall.
Another finger serves to single out the blame
Have you never tried to stay behind?
One touch and they all fall beside her, yeah
"Thanks for the ride, Sano." Juri said, stepping out from the car.
"No problem." The boy smiled back, preparing to park in the lot before going to
his own building.
She watched him drive down a ways before turning to unlock her apartment
door. The rooster head had seemed content enough, not seeming to suffer any
outward effects from his brief rendezvous with Trowa's sister. But he'd hidden
things so well before, she couldn't be sure.
And for some reason she wasn't terribly surprised to have a message on her
answering machine either, "Hello, Juri. This is Catherine Bloom. I was
wondering if I could talk with you again. Not at the Velvet, I don't want to run
into Trowa. Maybe someplace else? I often went to this place called the
Karaoke Queen if you're interested."
And she still wasn't very surprised as she stepped into the warm pulsing
vibrations of the Karaoke Queen. Something inevitable always happened at that
club, and she felt oddly detached even as she used her physical senses to scan
the dancers up to the tables where she saw Cathy give a slight wave.
"I've only been here once before." Juri said, sending the waitress away for her
drink.
"I came here quite a bit during the divorce." Catherine admitted, "But I
associate it with the escape. Not the pain."
Juri pursed her lips, a bit intrigued. "Escape, that's a good way to put it." Also
not surprised that the conversation skipped the formalities for the heart of the
conversation.
"But I could never sing." Laugher causing Catherine's red-brown curls to quiver
around her ears, cheeks and chin. "Escape can only go so far, it can't give you
abilities you never had."
Juri watched off the balcony of tables to the sea of movement. The karaoke
stage empty, waiting for something, for someone, to come to it. It felt like a
lifetime ago that she'd stood on that stage.
"Come back." Catherine said, with a curious lift to her tone. "Where did you
go?"
"Just thinking," Juri took a deep breath, and just then accepted her drink eagerly.
"Perceptive aren't you?" She added after taking a moment to get used to how
frankly the silver-blue eyes studied her movements.
"I think it's the alcohol talking for me. I came early to get a table and didn't
wait." She leaned over to watch the dancers. No one in particular standing out
from the others. "It's easy for them to get lost while they're drinking. Which is
why I try it, but instead . . . I seem to gain moments of insane clarity. I take it
you like to get lost in your drinks?"
"I only drink in moderation," Juri commented, "It's too easy to get intoxicated in
other things to complicate it all."
"Complications. Yes," the smile left Catherine's cheeks, "I-I feel odd admitting
this, but I have to tell someone. And you were so kind before." Catherine
paused, fixing Juri's attention on her words, "I truly, truly feel nothing. Nothing
for Sano. Nothing for Duo. Nothing for Helen."
"And Trowa?" Juri inquired.
"With Trowa," Catherine leaned her head to one side, stretching out her neck.
Then the other direction, as she thought. "Well. It doesn't matter what I feel for
Trowa, does it? He can only give me so much, he's my brother after all."
"I suppose that even things with Trowa are rather different when Heero's
around." Juri observed, sensing as her fingers left prints on the glass. .
"There's that too." Catherine nodded, brushing at the front of her crimson
blouse where it gathered at the first button scattering sparkles that had fallen
from the decorations above. They were falling everywhere, into her hair, her
drink. "It wasn't always like this, really. Heero and I got along well enough
years ago. I suppose we still might, but I haven't seen him since they've become
involved romantically. Sure, I always knew that Trowa had this thing for Heero,
but it seemed like a phase, y'know? Or I wouldn't have encouraged it in the
slightest." Trowa's sister examined her glass and drank from it anyway, "But
look at them, both horribly imperfect and somehow they keep getting pulled
back together. And they struggle through it."
Juri raised her eyebrows, equally mystified, "I'm not one to really give advice on
how to make a relationship work."
Catherine paused, then exclaimed, "I'm so sorry! I didn't realize that talking
about this might hurt you in someway . . ."
"No." Juri smiled sympathetically, "You're not troubling me. I just don't know
how reassuring or comforting that I can be. My first suggestions might be to
expect pain and dissatisfaction. The only question that remains is should we go
back to the old relationship or move forward?"
"I don't know the answer to that. I've tried both."
"Me too."
They chuckled in mutual dismay.
"I used to talk to Trowa like this," Juri commented, "Before he was focused in
on Mr. Yuy, and never suspected all that he had done and felt. I suppose I'm not
even beginning to understand your situation either, but if you're searching for
honesty in your own life, Catherine-then you'll find better contentment with
others. That's what I'm striving for anyway . . ."
"Honesty?" Catherine said quietly. "Honestly, then--I love Helen. And, damn
it, I love Duo. And Sano. And Trowa most of all. It's quite simply that I'm
terrified of damaging them."
"Hmm." Juri nodded, swirling the remains of her drink around the bottom of the
glass. "What you need is someone strong and devoted. Sano couldn't do that?"
"He's so young, Juri." Catherine said, perplexed.
"And it didn't work with Duo?"
"We were falling apart at the seams and Helen didn't help matters. So many
things, the pressure to be the perfect wife, the perfect mother and then the
reversed expectation to be none of those things. It was all about what I couldn't
do."
"And Trowa?"
Catherine frowned, "Trowa will always be my brother. I only want what's best
for him."
"Alright," Juri stopped surveying the crowd, and turned back to Catherine,
watching the sparkles scattered on her face, highlighting her hair in the
reflecting pulse of the dance lights. "I think it's time for you to move forward
without looking back."
After a blank look, Catherine suddenly eased into a dazzling smile. One of
relief. "I need to do that. I need to hear it's okay."
"Well, then," Juri waved at the floor, "Want to dance?" She invited, standing
and giving a bit of a bow. "I'm not exactly a prince, but I won't ask you to sing."
"Alright," Catherine smiled wryly and accepted Juri's hand.
The song began and the woman on the stage sang in a sorrowful voice to the fast
pace of the music. Her performance not distracting from those who wanted to
continue their dance. Keeping swift with an old step, or experimenting with one
new.
*I walk in the sunlight
*Your shadow resists
*My shame wants to follow
*And tries to kiss
*If I am your princess
*Then where is my crown?
*I should feel protected
*But I still feel alone
*I won't give you anger
*I won't give you fear
*I'll just think of some where
*Different from here
*Why don't you fly with me?
*Fly with me
Breathless, Juri reluctantly followed Catherine toward their table. She hadn't
been so free to relax in some time, enjoying each other's company and accepting
everything without creating any new apprehensions. She wanted Catherine to
know as much, "I-That was so much fun." Juri said, watching Catherine bend
over to pick up her things and gracefully finishing off what remained of her last
drink.
Catherine didn't say anything for a minute, just watching Juri with a content
expression. "I'm happy too, that was thrilling."
"If it wasn't a Monday, I'd stay longer." Juri apologized, "I need to be somewhat
alert for tomorrow's rehearsal. But I'd like to come back here. Practice that
moving forward thing again."
"Yeah," Catherine agreed, as they walked down the stairs, stretching her limbs
to put her leather bike jacket on. "And I'll let you do a little talking yourself . . .
thank you. For everything. You don't happen to like to ride do you?" She
asked, pointing at the Harley design.
"I might, I haven't . . ." Juri said, "I'd like to." She settled at that and found
herself constantly smiling, "If I hadn't borrowed a car, I'd have you give me a
ride home tonight."
"Next time, then. Should we try a Friday night?" Catherine suggested, putting
on her gloves after tying her hair back. They were hovering just outside the
Karaoke Queen's front doors. The chill evening cooling their overheated skin.
The front light brilliantly still after the dancing lights. But Juri hadn't heard her.
"Juri?"
Slipping past, and hardly giving them a glance, was Shiori. Deeply in a
conversation with another woman as they opened the doors to the bar. Catching
up to them at just that moment was Nichol. He pulled the door from their hands
and held it open as he half bowed, allowing them to enter first.
"Juri?" Catherine noticed her companion's distraction and looked beyond to the
now empty doorway.
"Friday?" Juri half-repeated, her spirit sinking again. Sinking the way it had
when she had noticed Shiori with Nichol before. And when Dorothy had
pointed out the rules of the game. And now.
"Friday, yes. I was asking if you wanted to do this again on Friday?" Catherine
spoke quickly without thinking, "You know, I'd say something bad just
happened. Maybe you shouldn't be driving home like this, huh? What if you
come with me and I take you home? Or call Trowa's place, he does live closer?
Juri, love? What's the matter?"
And if Juri were to be honest. She still couldn't quite say what.
*Don't fly
*Don't you fly
By Jillian Storm
(Disclaimer: Many things in life were meant to be together. Still if small
variations were not made, monotony might settle in! Therefore, I've decided to
do a little mix and matching with anime characters, Catatonia lyrics and
establishing it all in an alternate reality. Near the end are lyrics from a song
played during the trailer to the German film, "The Princess and the Warrior"-
which I marked differently. I dunno who sings it, but they deserve a lot of credit
for a pretty cool song. All I can claim really is the chaos and the idea.)
Growing up, Juri had been a solitary child and an only child. Her father had
worked for the government causing them to move every few years and it wasn't
until he settled down to take a professorship that she began to feel any stability
to her life. Then there had been joining the high school theater. She'd met Ruka
when she was fifteen, and they'd become close friends. Sharing similar past
feelings and future potential.
She'd known him longer than anyone besides her parents. He was her friend, her
brother, her lover.
When she bothered to think about it, his loss was a deeper cut than would heal in
a matter of months. Even her relationship with Spike Spiegel had been a brief
flirtation by comparison.
Agreeing to accompany Trowa Barton to visit his sister, Juri easily slipped into
the observer's role. Speaking when she was called upon or when the flow of
conversation made it a necessity. Watching her friend skirt around his primary
concern as they followed Catherine Bloom on an initial tour of the new home. It
was a spacious apartment and surprisingly enough, it was looking well lived in
rather than a new place. It already smelled like peppermints and was decorated
in rich autumn colors.
"And I'm glad that you brought Juri with," Catherine smiled, her blue eyes
softened to a grey silver texture as she glanced at Juri. "Did you know, Trowa,
that we met once?"
"Really?" Trowa lifted an eyebrow, the significance clearly lost on him as he
watched his sister with more than a little anxiety. He was reassuring himself
that she was at ease. That Cathy was happy. That she was safe.
"Yes," Cathy laughed lightly, teasing. "We had quite a few things in common
that day." Her eyes narrowed mirthfully as her words failed to sink in with
Trowa. Catherine was aware that he was assessing her and glanced over at Juri
again with a questioning glance. Shaking her curls with amusement, Cathy
pulled at her three quarter sleeves, trying to make them stretch closer to her
wrists and said, "Well, let me finish up lunch and we can chat over pasta.
Should at least try to get one decent meal in you, skinny." She plucked at the
bottom of Trowa's shirt, holding on to the hem.
She didn't let go until they separated in the kitchen. Trowa slipping into one of
the chairs by the dinner table. Juri sat in the seat next to him. Appreciating how
Cathy glided around the kitchen having already made it her sanctuary as a chef.
"You'd think that I'd hate cooking since I do it all the time," Cathy continued
chatting, carrying the entire conversation effortlessly at that point. Her voice
light, "But I can't help but enjoy cooking for company. I have this white sauce
that has such a cool and refreshing flavor . . ."
Juri smiled for the moment that Cathy glanced over her shoulder, then let her
lips relax into a natural line as Cathy turned back to hum busily. Trowa had
rested his chin in his hand and seemed to sink with affection and deliberation.
Juri wondered if perhaps coming along had made things more difficult.
"Here, for you. And you." Cathy put plates in front of them and began to serve
the meal with maternal gusto. She didn't take anything herself however, which
Juri noticed after complimenting the special sauce. It was easy for Jury to see
why Sano could have been charmed by Trowa's sister. Catherine was
independent and beautiful, but something in her every movement was vibrantly
seductive. Her clothing tastefully revealing and her form modestly full with
long, almost tomboyish limbs.
"Do you like it?" Cathy leaned forward, watching Trowa solemnly chew. "I left
it on a bit too long."
"It's great, Cathy . . ." Trowa said simply, letting the phrase end hesitantly.
Knowing that he wasn't saying a fraction of what he was thinking. Catherine
sensed that and brought her fingers up to worry her lower lip.
"Still . . ." Catherine's brow furrowed, in an expression of loving concern that
unnervingly mirrored Trowa's own.
"Cathy, I got a call from Sano yesterday."
Juri put down her fork and turned to watch the siblings pulled into each other's
perspective. Sudden understanding for Catherine as her grey-blue eyes turned a
stormier color.
". . . And he was concerned for you."
"Yes." Catherine said. Not hopeful, not frustrated . . . Juri couldn't ascribe a
feeling to it at all.
"Did you?" Trowa spun his fingers through his hair as he did whenever he was
seriously nervous.
"Did I what?" Cathy's tone turned guarded, but without anger. "Trowa, it's not
like . . . I'm committed to somebody. Right now." She leaned back at that
moment, mask after mask beginning to erase her original expression. The
moment of sincere regret.
"I . . . know." Trowa mirrored her distance, tipping back in his chair. "I just
wanted to make sure that you're alright."
"I'm fine."
Juri could feel the walls rising and wondered what, if not her own presence,
could divide the siblings so much. Although, within a few minutes, it was
almost as if nothing of conflict had passed between them at all.
Take my word I'll try to make it clear, yeah
You could never be like you'd been then
Have you never tried to stay behind?
"Aha, Faye." Shin glanced up to gather her attention, his reading glasses
slipping down his nose as he turned to browse the paperwork again. Faye came
back from where she was leaning in his office doorway, watching the other
newspaper staff members hovering about like hectic worker bees. "I thought I'd
heard the name Catherine Bloom before. She married Duo Maxwell back in,
let's see, it would have been about eight years ago now."
"Duo Maxwell?" Faye shrugged, "I don't remember this at all." Then Faye
squeaked, "Eight years ago?? What the heck! Sano only would have been a
little kid then . . . she's that much older?"
Shin shrugged, still perusing the articles, "But these are more recent articles.
See Mr. Maxwell was the heir to his father's firm, as well as being one of the
best young lawyers to pull through the system. He's being courted to be a judge
or to run for congress even; although, it seems that his first love is the firm.
Hmm. They have a kid." Shin tipped the folder to one side so that Faye could
see the publicity shot. An exuberant young man holding a toddler, a girl with
brown curls and her fingers firmly stuffed into her mouth. At his arm was a tall
woman with a beautiful smile.
"That's her, huh?" Faye snorted, "What the heck was my brother thinking?"
"She is beautiful." Shin mused, taking another look at the picture as he took the
folder back. Faye whacked him affectionately on the back of his head.
"I wonder what went wrong with their marriage? That seems such a fairy tale
life." Faye said after a solemn pause.
One touch, and they all fall beside her, yeah
It's said that you're the kind to run and hide, yeah
Is it better then to leave it all inside?
Juri reclined in the love seat as she watched Trowa and Catherine on the couch.
A few hours after lunch they all had begun to feel warm and sleepy. The
reconciliation simple enough as Trowa sat at one end of the couch, his sister
resting against his shoulder. Hearing the truth and confirming her security was
enough for Trowa to let the subject rest. Whatever happened next would be up
to his sister.
And they had begun to share pieces of their childhood. Of how Catherine's
mother had actually worked at the circus, and that Catherine was never truly
certain who her real father was. Hoping against hope that it wasn't the Monkey
Man as her mother had teased. And how Trowa's mother had passed away after
a sudden complication to her diabetes.
"Dad was a doctor, and it really made him doubt his abilities." Trowa clarified,
"He said that Cathy's mom was the enthusiasm he needed to realize how
valuable life still was."
"So valuable that they're both living in Australia right now." Cathy chuckled.
"They're living this second youth the post cards say."
"What's it like having them so far away?" Juri asked politely. The only family
the two of them had nearby really was each other.
"They still keep some tabs on us." Trowa said, "But I don't think I've seen them
since . . . well, since I was in college and did a show on the Aussie stage."
"And Trowa filled them in on everything. Let me tell you, the string of bad
childhood boyfriends Trowa kept pointing out that I had, Juri, was *nothing*
compared to watching my brother pine after Heero Yuy . . ."
"Speaking of Heero . . ." Trowa said quickly but didn't get another word out as
Cathy elbowed him in the stomach.
"I'm not the only one who keeps secrets." She murmured. "I heard. And just
when we thought he'd gone."
Trowa laughed reluctantly, "You knew he was back in town. And, well, it's not
really a secret to be kept anymore."
Catherine sat upright, "I remember, something like this 'Guess what, Cath!
Heero's back. I think we might start seeing each other again.' and now . . . you
have."
"Yeah," Trowa tucked his chin, sinking into the cushions of the couch. "I think
it might actually work out this time."
"You two can't stay just friends." She sighed, taking his hand and intertwining
their fingers. Staring into her lap. "Keep an eye on him for me, Juri. Don't let
him get hurt."
Juri watched Trowa place an affectionate kiss into his sister's hair and missed
the rest of that conversation as she began to wonder. Began to wonder if
Catherine could be just as possessive of her brother as Heero was.
Slow down, you're racing fast for now
You'd shine with half your given power
You see my hands I've been caught at it again, yeah
"You're doing a great job, Utena, keep it up." Faye said quickly, breezing past
the stage manager turned fencing master.
"You too, Faye." Utena grinned back, watching Faye try to juggle all the jobs
and responsibilities that Utena had learned to handle with ease.
Jobs that Faye found a quite simple trouble compared to watching her brother
act as if nothing had changed in his life at all. She'd found him before rehearsal
began that Monday and tried to mention the few things that she and Shin had
found at the paper. The thick quarrel surrounding a messy divorce that took too
long to settle all because Duo Maxwell loved Catherine Bloom too much to let
her go. Sano needed to know that letting this woman go would be best for him
as well.
Except, he suddenly seemed not to care.
"I'm fine," Sano shrugged, "I shouldn't have been so surprised. A bit of over
*acting* on my part." He chuckled strangely at his own joke and left his sister
to chat with Kenshin about the opening number. She had watched him, leaving
him in the care of the red-haired writer and wondering if it was for the best to let
him believe that he could simply move forward. But she knew her brother well
enough to understand that he'd let himself become over invested in relationships.
It was something Sanosuke would have to work through on his own then.
Bulldozing through the hallway more times that she'd like to count, and mostly
because of her own forgetfulness—Faye caught glimpses of her brother and
Kenshin continuing in a engrossed conversation. She wished Kenshin luck.
It was while she was peering in on her younger sibling again when she ran right
into Shiori.
"Oh! I'm sorry." Faye said, over apologizing. Mostly because she'd managed
to scratch the other girl with the edge of one of the many rapiers she was hauling
back to have unbent and polished from rehearsal use. "I didn't even see you
coming out of there."
"It's okay." Shiori shrugged, analyzing the damage and dismissing it.
"I'm, ah, still getting used to your hair." Faye said, realizing that she hadn't
spoken at length with Shiori for some time. "I know that Saionji wasn't too keen
on dyeing his, except that his fan club things it's all cute and darling now.
What'd you think?"
"It's part of the character." Shiori said simply, a bit distracted.
"Are you alright?" Faye wondered, studying the girl's absent-minded
expression.
"Yeah," Shiori blinked a few times, "I haven't been sleeping much . . .
rehearsing."
"Rehearsing?" Faye started, "More than you are here? Why?"
"Just rehearsing." Shiori said distantly.
Before Faye could probe further, Nichol appeared from the same doorway.
Glancing at Faye he smiled with his characteristic aristocracy and said, "Well,
this makes things easy. Faye, Saitou was asking for the foils if you want to
toddle off to him. And Shiori, I was meaning to ask you something. Excuse
us."
Faye missed most of what he said, growling, "I haven't even gotten started on
these yet!" And promptly sprinted down the hall.
Another finger serves to single out the blame
Have you never tried to stay behind?
One touch and they all fall beside her, yeah
"Thanks for the ride, Sano." Juri said, stepping out from the car.
"No problem." The boy smiled back, preparing to park in the lot before going to
his own building.
She watched him drive down a ways before turning to unlock her apartment
door. The rooster head had seemed content enough, not seeming to suffer any
outward effects from his brief rendezvous with Trowa's sister. But he'd hidden
things so well before, she couldn't be sure.
And for some reason she wasn't terribly surprised to have a message on her
answering machine either, "Hello, Juri. This is Catherine Bloom. I was
wondering if I could talk with you again. Not at the Velvet, I don't want to run
into Trowa. Maybe someplace else? I often went to this place called the
Karaoke Queen if you're interested."
And she still wasn't very surprised as she stepped into the warm pulsing
vibrations of the Karaoke Queen. Something inevitable always happened at that
club, and she felt oddly detached even as she used her physical senses to scan
the dancers up to the tables where she saw Cathy give a slight wave.
"I've only been here once before." Juri said, sending the waitress away for her
drink.
"I came here quite a bit during the divorce." Catherine admitted, "But I
associate it with the escape. Not the pain."
Juri pursed her lips, a bit intrigued. "Escape, that's a good way to put it." Also
not surprised that the conversation skipped the formalities for the heart of the
conversation.
"But I could never sing." Laugher causing Catherine's red-brown curls to quiver
around her ears, cheeks and chin. "Escape can only go so far, it can't give you
abilities you never had."
Juri watched off the balcony of tables to the sea of movement. The karaoke
stage empty, waiting for something, for someone, to come to it. It felt like a
lifetime ago that she'd stood on that stage.
"Come back." Catherine said, with a curious lift to her tone. "Where did you
go?"
"Just thinking," Juri took a deep breath, and just then accepted her drink eagerly.
"Perceptive aren't you?" She added after taking a moment to get used to how
frankly the silver-blue eyes studied her movements.
"I think it's the alcohol talking for me. I came early to get a table and didn't
wait." She leaned over to watch the dancers. No one in particular standing out
from the others. "It's easy for them to get lost while they're drinking. Which is
why I try it, but instead . . . I seem to gain moments of insane clarity. I take it
you like to get lost in your drinks?"
"I only drink in moderation," Juri commented, "It's too easy to get intoxicated in
other things to complicate it all."
"Complications. Yes," the smile left Catherine's cheeks, "I-I feel odd admitting
this, but I have to tell someone. And you were so kind before." Catherine
paused, fixing Juri's attention on her words, "I truly, truly feel nothing. Nothing
for Sano. Nothing for Duo. Nothing for Helen."
"And Trowa?" Juri inquired.
"With Trowa," Catherine leaned her head to one side, stretching out her neck.
Then the other direction, as she thought. "Well. It doesn't matter what I feel for
Trowa, does it? He can only give me so much, he's my brother after all."
"I suppose that even things with Trowa are rather different when Heero's
around." Juri observed, sensing as her fingers left prints on the glass. .
"There's that too." Catherine nodded, brushing at the front of her crimson
blouse where it gathered at the first button scattering sparkles that had fallen
from the decorations above. They were falling everywhere, into her hair, her
drink. "It wasn't always like this, really. Heero and I got along well enough
years ago. I suppose we still might, but I haven't seen him since they've become
involved romantically. Sure, I always knew that Trowa had this thing for Heero,
but it seemed like a phase, y'know? Or I wouldn't have encouraged it in the
slightest." Trowa's sister examined her glass and drank from it anyway, "But
look at them, both horribly imperfect and somehow they keep getting pulled
back together. And they struggle through it."
Juri raised her eyebrows, equally mystified, "I'm not one to really give advice on
how to make a relationship work."
Catherine paused, then exclaimed, "I'm so sorry! I didn't realize that talking
about this might hurt you in someway . . ."
"No." Juri smiled sympathetically, "You're not troubling me. I just don't know
how reassuring or comforting that I can be. My first suggestions might be to
expect pain and dissatisfaction. The only question that remains is should we go
back to the old relationship or move forward?"
"I don't know the answer to that. I've tried both."
"Me too."
They chuckled in mutual dismay.
"I used to talk to Trowa like this," Juri commented, "Before he was focused in
on Mr. Yuy, and never suspected all that he had done and felt. I suppose I'm not
even beginning to understand your situation either, but if you're searching for
honesty in your own life, Catherine-then you'll find better contentment with
others. That's what I'm striving for anyway . . ."
"Honesty?" Catherine said quietly. "Honestly, then--I love Helen. And, damn
it, I love Duo. And Sano. And Trowa most of all. It's quite simply that I'm
terrified of damaging them."
"Hmm." Juri nodded, swirling the remains of her drink around the bottom of the
glass. "What you need is someone strong and devoted. Sano couldn't do that?"
"He's so young, Juri." Catherine said, perplexed.
"And it didn't work with Duo?"
"We were falling apart at the seams and Helen didn't help matters. So many
things, the pressure to be the perfect wife, the perfect mother and then the
reversed expectation to be none of those things. It was all about what I couldn't
do."
"And Trowa?"
Catherine frowned, "Trowa will always be my brother. I only want what's best
for him."
"Alright," Juri stopped surveying the crowd, and turned back to Catherine,
watching the sparkles scattered on her face, highlighting her hair in the
reflecting pulse of the dance lights. "I think it's time for you to move forward
without looking back."
After a blank look, Catherine suddenly eased into a dazzling smile. One of
relief. "I need to do that. I need to hear it's okay."
"Well, then," Juri waved at the floor, "Want to dance?" She invited, standing
and giving a bit of a bow. "I'm not exactly a prince, but I won't ask you to sing."
"Alright," Catherine smiled wryly and accepted Juri's hand.
The song began and the woman on the stage sang in a sorrowful voice to the fast
pace of the music. Her performance not distracting from those who wanted to
continue their dance. Keeping swift with an old step, or experimenting with one
new.
*I walk in the sunlight
*Your shadow resists
*My shame wants to follow
*And tries to kiss
*If I am your princess
*Then where is my crown?
*I should feel protected
*But I still feel alone
*I won't give you anger
*I won't give you fear
*I'll just think of some where
*Different from here
*Why don't you fly with me?
*Fly with me
Breathless, Juri reluctantly followed Catherine toward their table. She hadn't
been so free to relax in some time, enjoying each other's company and accepting
everything without creating any new apprehensions. She wanted Catherine to
know as much, "I-That was so much fun." Juri said, watching Catherine bend
over to pick up her things and gracefully finishing off what remained of her last
drink.
Catherine didn't say anything for a minute, just watching Juri with a content
expression. "I'm happy too, that was thrilling."
"If it wasn't a Monday, I'd stay longer." Juri apologized, "I need to be somewhat
alert for tomorrow's rehearsal. But I'd like to come back here. Practice that
moving forward thing again."
"Yeah," Catherine agreed, as they walked down the stairs, stretching her limbs
to put her leather bike jacket on. "And I'll let you do a little talking yourself . . .
thank you. For everything. You don't happen to like to ride do you?" She
asked, pointing at the Harley design.
"I might, I haven't . . ." Juri said, "I'd like to." She settled at that and found
herself constantly smiling, "If I hadn't borrowed a car, I'd have you give me a
ride home tonight."
"Next time, then. Should we try a Friday night?" Catherine suggested, putting
on her gloves after tying her hair back. They were hovering just outside the
Karaoke Queen's front doors. The chill evening cooling their overheated skin.
The front light brilliantly still after the dancing lights. But Juri hadn't heard her.
"Juri?"
Slipping past, and hardly giving them a glance, was Shiori. Deeply in a
conversation with another woman as they opened the doors to the bar. Catching
up to them at just that moment was Nichol. He pulled the door from their hands
and held it open as he half bowed, allowing them to enter first.
"Juri?" Catherine noticed her companion's distraction and looked beyond to the
now empty doorway.
"Friday?" Juri half-repeated, her spirit sinking again. Sinking the way it had
when she had noticed Shiori with Nichol before. And when Dorothy had
pointed out the rules of the game. And now.
"Friday, yes. I was asking if you wanted to do this again on Friday?" Catherine
spoke quickly without thinking, "You know, I'd say something bad just
happened. Maybe you shouldn't be driving home like this, huh? What if you
come with me and I take you home? Or call Trowa's place, he does live closer?
Juri, love? What's the matter?"
And if Juri were to be honest. She still couldn't quite say what.
*Don't fly
*Don't you fly