Title: Christmas Shoes
Author: Me, duh (Sutefu)
Rating: PG
Paring: None
Warns.: None....Might seem like yaoi or shounen-ai at the end, but it's not.
Summary: I heard this song on the radio today and almost started crying. It's really simple...Quatre's in a store buying last minute gifts, a year after the war's over. Something unexpected happens.
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Quatre sighed. He had bought gifts for everyone, all of his friends, his sisters, Heero, Duo, Wufei...everyone except for Trowa, who had left without a word nearly a year ago. He only received one letter from Trowa the whole year he had been away. It stated that he would be living with Cathrine and live in the circus, doing his lion act. Quatre was sad, and missed his comrade deeply. But that wasn't the important thing. The only thing he had left was to get an outfit for his family's annual Christmas party. All he needed to buy was shoes, for the family tailor would take care of his outfit.
It was almost Christmas time
There I stood in another line
Tryin' to buy that last gift or two
Not really in the Christmas mood
He had picked up a nice pair of black penny loafers, which just happened to be on sale. There were three people in front of him in line, an older woman, a middle-aged man, and a small girl. When the first two had taken their turns, bought their gifts, and left, it was the little girl's turn. She had a pair of shoes in her arms, which were obviously much too big for her to ever wear. Her outfit was a dirty pink shirt and torn jeans. Her hair was a rich brown, which was tasseled and messed up. Her eyes were emerald green, but were full of sadness and worry.
Standing right in front of me
Was a little boy waiting anxiously
Pacing 'round like little boys do
And in his hands he held a pair of shoes
She slowly walked up to the counter, as if she was scared, and set the shoes on the counter. The shoes were grayish-blue, with a zipper up the middle. They reminded Quatre a lot of Trowa's shoes. The little girl was shaking slightly, but asked the clerk "Can I buy these shoes, sir? It's Christmas Eve, and I need a present for my friend..." The clerk smiled. What kind of friend could such a small girl have that would need shoes like this.
Quatre sighed impatiently. This was going to take forever! He wasn't really in the Christmassy mood, and he had had quite a stressful day. All he wanted to do was buy his shoes, go home, have a nice cup of hot cocoa, take a hot bath, then go to bed.
And his clothes were worn an old
He was dirty from head to toe
And when it came his time to pay
I couldn't believe what I heard him say
"Of course you may," the clerk replied. "If you have enough money, that is." The little girl nodded.
"I've been saving," she said, "so I hope to have enough. My friend's been sick for a long time, and he keeps getting worse. His old shoes are just like this, but they're old and worn, so I want to buy him some new ones. Cathey doesn't know how much longer he'll be alive, so I want to buy him a present...That way, when he meets God, his feet'll be warm." The little girl forced a smile, and reached to her pocket to pull out a small pouch full of money.
Sir, I want to buy these shoes
For my mama, please
It's Christmas Eve and these shoes are just her size
Could you hurry, sir?
Daddy says there's not much time
You see, she's been sick for quite a while
And I know these shoes will make her smile
And I want her to look beautiful if Mama meets Jesus tonight
Quatre stared, dumbfounded at the little girl. It made him feel sad inside that the girl had a friend who would die soon, yet here she was, spending all of her money to selflessly buy him a pair of shoes.
The girl poured the money out of the pouch and onto the counter. There was paper money and coins alike, and a lot of each from the looks of it. The man counted the money, which seemed to take forever. Then he looked down at the girl and frowned sadly.
"I'm afraid you're short by $10.00, miss. Unless you have the $10.00, I'll have to ask you to put these back where you got them, leave, or find a new pair that's cheaper."
The little girl looked like she was going to cry. "But sir..." she said. But the clerk only shook his head. Quatre felt so sorry for her. Reaching into his pocket, he took out a $10 bill and set it on the counter.
They counted pennies for what seemed like years
Then the cashier said 'Son, there's not enough here'
He searched his pockets frantically
Then he turned and he looked at me
He said 'Mama made Christmas good at our house
Most years she just did without
Tell me sir, what am I gonna do?
Somehow, I've gotta buy her these Christmas Shoes'
So I laid the money down
I just had to help him out
And I'll never forget the look on his face
When he said 'Mama's gonna look so great'
The cashier smile warmly at Quatre, a happy look softly filled the man's eyes. He rang up the girl's purchase, gave her the receipt, and the shoes in a box, in a bag. Taking the bag from the clerk, she turned around and hugged Quatre tightly, although her head barely reached above Quatre's hip. She smiled widely at him.
"Thank you, sir...I know Trowa will love them!" And with that, she turned around and happily started walking away. Quatre's eyes opened wide.
"Did you just say 'Trowa'??" he asked, stepping out of line. The girl nodded, and then tilted her head to the side. Holding his hands about above his head, he asked "Is he about this tall, with brown hair and emerald eyes?"
The girl nodded frantically. "Do you know him?" she asked.
"Yes....yes I do..." he said quietly. He then asked the girl for a favor. "I know you don't know me at all...but could you maybe take me to him?" he asked. The girl thought about it for a second, but nodded again and grabbed Quatre's hand.
"Follow me," she said. Handing the shoes he was going to purchase to the clerk and telling him he'd be back for them later, he headed out the door, his hand held tightly by the little girl.
"By the way, sir, my name's Gabby," she told Quatre in a cute little voice.
Quatre smiled. "And mine's Quatre...how'd you meet Trowa?"
"He helped volunteer at the orphanage, where I live. A few months ago, though, he got really sick, and hasn't gotten any better. He won't let anyone take him to the hospital, and even if he did, we don't think he'd have enough money to pay for anything to help him get better..."
Quatre shook his head. "He's still stubborn, I see. But Trowa should know better. It's against the law to prohibit anyone, rich or poor, from medical help and support.
The girl was leading him down a street Quatre had never been down. The streets were slick with ice, and most of the light bulbs on the streetlights had burned out, and the ones that weren't out yet were flickering with their last struggle of life.
Then he glanced at the girl's bag. Shoes...why shoes? Trowa didn't need shoes, he needed medical help. But then he remembered what the girl had said. 'That way, when he meets God, his feet'll be warm.' Sorrow filled his heart. Trowa was going to die soon, if he didn't get help. Cathrine obviously knew about Trowa being sick, but didn't bother to contact anyone? Had Trowa died without Quatre meeting Gabby, he would have never known.
Sir, I want to buy these shoes
For my mama, please
It's Christmas Eve and these shoes are just her size
Could you hurry, sir?
Daddy says there's not much time
You see, she's been sick for quite a while
And I know these shoes will make her smile
And I want her to look beautiful if Mama meets Jesus tonight
The little girl paused in front of an old, run-down building. "We're here!" she said, and yanked Quatre's hand, leading him up the marble stairs and through the front wooden doors. The inside was much more appealing then the outside. At the front desk, there was a woman Quatre hadn't seen in a long time. Cathrine Bloom. He stormed up to the front desk, furious.
"Cathrine, I demand an explanation!" he pounded his fist on the countertop. "Trowa's ill and you didn't tell us?!"
Cathrine just blinked at him. "Quatre, is that you?" she asked.
Nodding angrily, Quatre glared at her. "Why didn't you contact us??"
"I thought something had come up between you and Trowa. I didn't know if you'd care or not..."
"Of course I'd care! I have fe--" Quatre stopped. He couldn't tell Cathrine that he actually had a crush on Trowa. It was kind of pointless though, that Quatre still liked him, even though he hadn't spoken to Trowa in over a year.
"How did you find out Trowa's sick?" Cathrine asked, just as confused as Quatre.
Pointing behind him, he said, "She told me."
Raising an eyebrow, Cathrine stood up and looked over Quatre's shoulder. "Who told you?" Quatre sighed and turned around, rolling his eyes.
"Gabby to-" he stopped, mid-sentence.
"Did you say Gabby?" Cathrine asked.
"Yes, Gabby, about this tall..." he held his hand up to his hip, "...and the same color hair and eyes as Trowa."
Cathrine shook her head. "There's no Gabby here...but...there was...about six months ago. She died though, of the same disease Trowa's suffering from...How'd you know about her...??"
"I was in the department store, and there was this girl in front of me, buying shoes. She said it was for a sick friend. She was ten dollars short, though, so I gave her the ten dollars, feeling sorry for her. She hugged me, saying that 'Trowa will love them'...I knew it had to be the same Trowa."
Cathrine stood there, shocked. "That's weird...Gabby died, six months ago, like I said...her and Trowa were good friends...Trowa took some of the kids to the park one day, and they played kickball...he kicked the ball and his shoe flew off, and they couldn't find it...Gabby swore she'd get Trowa a new pair of shoes as a present.."
Quatre looked around, and saw the bag that Gabby had been holding. Running over to it, he picked it up, and carried it to Cathrine. "Look," he said, "here's the proof. These are the shoes she bought." Taking the shoes out of the box that was inside the bag, he handed them to Cathrine.
Cathrine's jaw dropped. "Why, these are the exact same shoes that Trowa lost! I can't believe it..."
Quatre was growing even more impatient. "Listen, enough about the shoes, take me to see Trowa...Now."
Cathrine nodded slightly, and walked out from behind the desk. She led him through the orphanage, upstairs, and down a long corridor.
"What are you two doing at an orphanage, anyways? I thought Trowa said in the letter he sent me a year ago that you were going to stay in the circus?"
Cathrine sighed. "The circus disbanded, and we all went our separate ways. Trowa and I, seeking work, took up jobs here, until the owner died, leaving the place to us. Not soon after, Trowa and several of the children here became deathly ill. All of them have died, save Trowa."
Quatre nodded slightly. "He's lucky then...?"
"Very...it's a miracle he's still alive."
Finally, they reached a door at the end of the corridor. Knocking on it, Cathrine cracked it open slightly. "Wake up, sleepyhead," she said quietly. "You have a visitor."
Quatre heard a slight rustling from inside the room. Opening the door and stepping back to let him inside, Quatre made his way in. All the lights in the room were off, but he could make out a hand reaching over to the lamp stand and turning the light on. As soon as the light filled the room, Quatre easily recognized Trowa. He looked the same, only is skin was much paler, and his eyes had lost their shine.
"Trowa..." he whispered quietly.
"Quatre..?" Trowa asked. "I haven't seen you for a while...where have you been..?"
"Worrying about you...obviously with good cause.." Quatre tried to force a smile.
A soft smile slipped across Trowa's lips. "Merry Christmas..." he said weakly.
"What's so merry about it..?? You're dying...I can't be merry knowing you're in a condition like that!"
Trowa shook his head slightly. "That's not was Christmas is about, Quatre...my one Christmas wish was that I'd see you one last time...and it came true...Christmas is about hope, dreams, love...friends and family...togetherness..."
I knew I'd caught a glimpse of heaven's love
As he thanked me and ran out
I knew that God had sent that little boy
To remind me what Christmas is all about
Quatre just stood there. "Togetherness........................That's why she brought me here..." Quatre's face turned slightly white. "She was an angel…wasn't she…" he moved and sat down in the chair on the opposite side of Trowa's bed so he wouldn't pass out.
"Who was an angel?" Trowa asked quietly.
"Gabby...she...she brought me here..."
"You met Gabby? Guess Guardian Angels help out in more ways then one..." Trowa smiled.
"She's your guardian angel?"
"I believe so, yes.."
Then it clicked in Quatre's head. Although he wasn't of the Catholic faith, he knew all about Christmas, it's story, and it's traditions. "Gabby...Gabriel.." he said quietly...
"The messenger angel.." Trowa finished for him. "Sent to Earth to deliver good news to mankind...or in my case, deliver you to me..." Trowa smiled and slowly grabbed Quatre's hand. Quatre shivered. Trowa's skin was freezing!
Sir, I want to buy these shoes
For my mama, please
It's Christmas eve and these shoes are just her size
Could you hurry, sir?
Daddy says there's not much time
You see, she's been sick for quite a while
And I know these shoes will make her smile
And I want her to look beautiful if Mama meets Jesus tonight
About two hours later, Heero, Duo, Quatre, Wufei and Cathrine were all gathered in the waiting lounge, located right next to Trowa's hospital room. A doctor came in, his face sad. He sighed.
"I'm afraid Mr. Barton was in horrible condition when he came in. If he had gone another week without medical care, he would have died for sure. I am happy to say though, that the medicine we've given him is working already..." with that a smile broke out across his face, "...and Mr. Barton is going to recover and will hopefully be just fine."
Everyone smiled and stood up. "Are we allowed to go in and see him?" Quatre asked the doctor, who nodded in response.
"One person at a time, though," he added.
Quatre stood. "I'll go first," he said, and headed out of the waiting room, into Trowa's room. There Trowa was, laying in the bed, half asleep, half awake. He diverted his attention from the wall to Quatre the moment he saw him enter the room. Quatre quietly closed the door behind him, and stepped over by Trowa's bed.
He handed him a card and smiled. "This is from Duo, really, but we all signed it.." Trowa opened envelope and removed the card. On it, there was an elephant in a hospital gown thing, in a hospital bed, with a elephant nurse coming in the door with a bottle in her hand. Trowa read the card aloud.
"'Next time the nurse brings the rubbing alcohol...drink the alcohol and rub the nurse!'?" Trowa laughed quietly, then red the signatures. "'Get well soon or else - Heero,' 'It wasn't brave or courageous not to come to the hospital, it was stupid, but get well anyways, signed Wufei,' 'Take my advice, follow the card's advice, they've got hot nurses here - Duo,' and 'Please feel better, Love always, Quatre'? You guys didn't have to get me a card you know...or sign it...but thanks.." Quatre had never seen Trowa smile so much.
Quatre grinned, and glanced at the door. "Want me to call the nurse?" he asked jokingly.
Trowa smiled even wider. "No, that's okay…I'd rather just have you guys stay here," he replied. Quatre leaned over the bed and hugged Trowa, who hugged him in response, even though he was still weak. Given, it would take him a while to fully recover, but Quatre promised he'd visit him every single day.
"Merry Christmas, Quatre...thanks...for everything…" Trowa said, growing tired. He yawned tiredly, causing Quatre to yawn. Trowa soon dozed off, and Quatre pulled the covers up over him. He walked over to the door, and right before he opened it he turned around.
He whispered, "Merry Christmas to you too, Trowa...and don't thank me…thanks Gabriel…"
I want her to look beautiful if Mama meets Jesus...tonight...