[Author's Note: The much-demanded sequel to 'Cerulean and Jade'! ^_^ I hope y'all got whatcha wanted! ^_^ I just might make this a trilogy, but the last part will come much later... | Hope everyone saw "Endless Waltz"! Sorry for Mariemeia's perkiness, I can't get that dub voice out of my head... And I know Dot and Treize were cousins, but I'm not sure what that makes Marie, so I'm referring to her as 'cousin' just to make things easy. |This story takes place nine years after 'Jade'. | Okay, for most of this fic you simply must listen to Mannheim Steamroller's Christmas albums, and for the part near the end (you'll know when you get to it) you specifically need "Mannheim Steamroller Christmas" on the track "Stille Nacht" ^_^ ]
Dorothy hid beside the door, discreetly watching through the curtain, waiting for the black car to pull away. When after several minutes it finally did, she sighed and proceeded to remove her hat and shawl, draping them over the coat rack at the side of the front hall, followed by her jacket. She meticulously smoothed her black sweater, brushing her hair away, then knelt to unzip her high-top boots.
A soft feminine voice came from the top of the stairs directly across from the door. "Dorothy, is that you?"
"Miss Une?" Only half-surprised, Dorothy set her boots next to the radiator before turning to the stairs. "I didn't expect you to come by so soon."
The brown-haired woman in navy dress pants and a red Christmas-patterned sweatshirt hopped down to the first floor, holding out the spare key. "I've been calling all afternoon. I decided to stop in to check on you, I was getting worried..." Une paused, hesitation in her hazel eyes.
She wanted to say she was worried that I'd spend the entire day at the cemetery... Dorothy hid her annoyance by flashing a light-hearted look. "Oh, I'm sorry about that -- I ran into a gundam pilot at the memorial and we lost track of time while talking."
"A...gundam pilot?" Une effected a wistful smile. "I often wondered how those boys were doing..."
"They have boys of their own now," Dorothy said dryly.
"So who was it, then?" Une asked with a bright expression.
"Quatre Winner."
"Ah, I remember him. Did you have a nice time?"
"Yes," The reply was more flat than she meant it to be; fortunately Une didn't seem to notice.
The older woman smiled. "It's good to see you getting out and chatting with others. I hope next time I can have a word or two with Mr. Winner as well." She slipped past Dorothy to retrieve her jacket from the coat closet. "Now that I know you're okay, I'm going to make sure all the party preparations are done. See you later!" She beamed then disappeared out the door.
A few minutes later Dorothy waved as Une drove away. She stayed there a moment to watch the silently drifting snow. It reminded her of the look of childish delight in Quatre's eyes...She closed the door and hastily retreated to her room. She had a party to attend and there were things left to do, after all.
Nine o'clock sharp found Dorothy at the elegant doorway of a generously-sized mansion with sprawling gardens and plenty of light and music within. She paused with her white-gloved hand on the doorknocker, her other hand holding tight to the white faux fur shawl that covered most of her dark emerald green gown. She still wasn't in the mood for a Christmas party but she didn't want to disappoint her cousin. She went ahead and tapped the doorknocker against the ornately carved wood. Only a few moments passed before the lock clicked and the door edged open. A pair of sky blue eyes looked out at her from a height a foot above the doorknob.
"Cousin! I'm glad you made it!" cried a too-cheerful Mariemeia. Dorothy heard a low whirring sound and then the door opened wider, letting her completely see her wheelchair-ridden cousin. The young woman had her red hair done up in an elegant bun and she wore a modest gown the color of hollyberries with delicate lace around the collar and waist, with white stockings and matching dress shoes. She smiled, but there was something weary about it -- Dorothy supposed she could sympathize.
"Good evening, Miss Mariemeia." Dorothy curtsied while the younger woman giggled at the formality. "I don't suppose I could come in? It's rather cold out."
"Oh! So sorry." Mariemeia backed her motorized wheelchair out of the way so Dorothy could slip in and close the door.
"You look lovely," Dorothy smiled, surrendering her shawl to the servant claiming the guests' coats.
"As do you," the girl returned.
Before she could say another word a silver-clad Lady Une bustled over to them. "Mariemeia, I told you not to trouble yourself opening the door," she scolded gently.
"It's no trouble at all!" The red-head grinned broadly. "Besides, I wanted to be the first to greet Dorothy!"
"All the same..." Une let her protest fade away. She turned with a smile to Dorothy. "There is plenty of food and drink -- and people to dance with." She winked then scurried back to her hosting duties.
Dorothy had the urge to roll her eyes, but she abstained for her cousin's sake. Speaking of which, she was currently tapping on her arm with insistence. "Dorothy, I made cookies special for the party, you have to taste them!" Yet without waiting the young woman steered her wheelchair across the ballroom floor toward the food table. Dorothy was left pondering what it was about Christmas that made people act childish -- first Quatre, and now Mariemeia, who usually liked to be accepted as a proper young lady. Her comment earlier about one not having much of a childhood came back to haunt her. She quickly followed after her cousin.
After about an hour and a half Dorothy found herself milling around by the punch bowl, gazing pensively into her wineglass, her thoughts a million miles away. She had carried on a dozen or so conversations but she remembered little of them. Something was bothering her that even she couldn't name. She meandered over to the glass doors that led out into the garden, absently humming to the tune played by the small orchestra -- which ended soon after she had joined in. There was a long pause, and there seemed to be whispering, but she only swirled the contents of her glass before drinking, her gaze on the still-falling snow outside. A long succession of soft piano chords were played. And then a single violin began to sing.
Almost immediately all conversation stopped. Dorothy herself froze, unable to do anything more than be surrounded by the slow, sweet strains of this haunting version of Silent Night. The music resonated through her. It was as if the violin master was pouring his very soul into it...the pure, crystal clear beauty of a loving soul...On impulse she whirled, her eyes searching out the musician. He stood at the front of the orchestra, his eyes closed as he swayed ever so slightly in time with the melody. He was decked out in a tuxedo a shade of blue that she knew was a hue or so darker than the color of his eyes. Yet she could move no further, entranced by the music. Quatre's skill was unparalleled.
She regretted that the song had to end. When the last, long note faded, numerous guests broke into applause. Quatre set the violin on a vacant chair and, ignoring the acclamation, walked straight over to Dorothy and bowed deeply. "A Christmas present for you, Miss Dorothy. I hope you liked it." He smiled warmly, a soft light in his eyes.
"It was...beautiful, Quatre. Thank you." She met his gaze; he was pleased to see that her eyes, too, held an afterglow from the music.
As the orchestra attempted to fill the void he had left he offered his hand, sketching a half-bow. "How about it, Ms. Catalonia -- a dance or a duel?"
Her visage slipped into a faint smirk. "Is it wise to give me a choice? I suppose I shouldn't spear a musician who has had an entire room in awe. So..." She accepted his hand and swept out onto the dance floor.
"Some other time then." He grinned. "I would like to return to my son in one piece."
Seeing the light in his eyes, she realized that if any out of the group of main players was ever destined for parenthood, it was him. He had a purer soul than the world deserved. Least of all her. Oddly this thought lightened her and she laughed delicately as they moved farther across the room, caught in a lively melody.
Yet the next song was slower. Dorothy glanced uneasily at the other couples swaying close. "Quatre...let's sit this one out..."
He replied softly, "One dance won't hurt..." He smiled and then it was too late to back out gracefully. Maybe it was that mythical Christmas magic finally taking effect, but at any rate Dorothy felt peace settle over her heart for the first time in an uncountable while -- if just for this one day...
Sometime near midnight Quatre stood outside on the patio above the garden, a wineglass held forgotten in his hand as he gazed up through the drifting snow searching for the stars. He missed seeing them from earth, but the clouds were unyielding. He shrugged. He always kept a memory of them in his mind.
Someone stepped up beside him. He looked over and smiled. "Miss Une." He raised his glass a bit as if in a toast. "Thank you for allowing me in without an invitation."
"For you, Mr. Winner, anything at all. Especially after what you did tonight." He knew she meant more than the violin solo.
"I noticed she has changed," he spoke more quietly now, "Although I wasn't quite sure how. I know I haven't seen her for a while, but I remember other things that she hadn't been aware she was showing. Yet I sense this is recent."
Une nodded. "She spends every winter here and visits occasionally at other times of the year. She seemed perfectly fine up until last year. "
Quatre swirled his glass thoughtfully. "Tenth anniversary, " he murmured.
"Yes." Then Une's eyes widened slightly in realization. "Of Treize's legacy... "
Quatre took a long sip then cleared his throat quietly. "Maybe she had some unfinished business with him. "
"Perhaps... " Une gazed at the ground. "She has not spoken about him much. She has said several times that she doesn't want to live in the past anymore... " She turned to him again. "But I think you might be right. "
He regarded his glass for a long moment, saying, "I had a lot of unmended arguments with my father. I've had no choice but to accept them and put them aside, so I know how she feels." He drained the glass then held it up, looking through it at the snow. "I only hope he's watching from somewhere, and is proud of his grandson." He smiled softly and deftly caught a snowflake in the glass, watching as the crystal spread then melted.
A patch of clouds drifted so its thinnest wisps veiled only part of the moon. The gentle light washed over the white-blanketed ground, illuminating an endless number of sparkles. From another part of the mansion Dorothy gazed out a window at the delicate sight. Behind her Mariemeia piped up, "What are you looking at?"
"Stars," she replied. Stars in the sky, stars in the ground, stars in the soul... She kept the poetic words to herself, turning to go back to helping her cousin finish wrapping Christmas presents.
(c) 2000-2002 Autumn Loweck. This work may not be copied, distributed, or reprinted without the author's permission. Character of Stephen is property of Autumn (aka Shiri) and may not be "borrowed" or mentioned in other works without notifying the author first. Characters of Quatre R. Winner, Dorothy Catalonia, Treize, Hilde, Duo, Wufei, Sally, Lady Une, and Mariemeia belong to the creators of the GundamWing series, Sotsu Agency, Sunrise, Bandai, and whoever else in Japan involved in this most cool anime.