Book 6
Part 34
Three months sifted by like flour through a colander, despite several changes. Anicka's idea to expand the back bedrooms became a reality involving Gundam pilots with sledgehammers. A very scary thought, yes, but also quite productive. The room was refurbished to harbor Anicka, Quatre and the some-day baby. Of course, the child grew substantially as well. Anicka was now quite pregnant. The room was done just in time for Quatre's birthday.
Meanwhile, in the lives of the other pilots, Wufei and Trowa grew to be good friends, although Trowa still didn't like Anicka much. Hilde learned all the details about Anicka, Quatre, Catalonia and Duo's role in the whole lurid plot. She decided to stay in the safe house on one condition – that she stayed with Duo. That single condition, of course, was graciously accepted. And as for Heero… The rumors around the Preventers that Hilde had spoken of soon traveled to ESUN headquarters – and to Relena Dorlain Peacecraft. She went to the safe house to "investigate" and soon after moved in with Heero, who insisted that she stayed in his room. The former Queen accepted the offer and was seen walking around the house the next morning in a loose-fitting green tank top. The guys congratulated Heero and the girls just smiled knowingly.
Quatre, though preoccupied with his pregnant fiancé and their upcoming wedding, did find time to enroll the pilots at Saint Gabriel's Institute in the Sank Kingdom. He made some other plans as well and life went on as usual – well, as usual as a Gundam pilot's life can be.
Part 35
"Anicka, wake up, we have class starting today." The groggy woman opened her sleep-filled eyes to see a blurred vision of Quatre sitting over her.
"Five more minutes," she half-responded.
"You said that five minutes ago."
"No, I didn't." What? I wasn't awake then?!
"Yes, you did. Now get up." She was about to say no again, when she could feel him shift his weight and stand up.
"Okay, I'm up." She slowly pulled herself into a sitting position and glanced at the clock. Six o'clock! Holy hell in a handbag! Nevertheless, school started at seven and they still had to drive the whole crew there, so she had better get her butt out of bed. Standing up, she saw that Quatre already had his uniform pants on and was putting on his shirt. With much trouble, she got dressed in the specially made, school issue maroon dress. Thank God, she found a maternity place!
"How do I look? Will I blend in?" She stood in front of him and turned from side to side.
"Ani, you look great and you'll blend in just about as much as a six-and-a-half-months pregnant woman can. We have to go since it's such a long drive. You know," he continued, holding the door open as Anicka walked out into the hall, "we're lucky to be able to live out here and not in the dorms. But we can't be late."
So he and Anicka walked out to the kitchen and grabbed a box of breakfast bars for the road. Then they all headed out to the convoy parked in the hangar. Quatre, Anicka, Duo and Hilde rode in Quatre's green Mercedes and the others took the rusty station wagon.
Part 36
The crew arrived at the school a little before the first class began. They parked in special VIP parking spaces that Relena had saved for them, or rather, according to Anicka, "shottied" for them. They walked into the school and went their separate ways after deciding to meet back at the cars ten minutes after the last class ended. Anicka and Quatre waved, locked the doors of the Mercedes and walked through the doors into the ever-moving sea of people inside the school. The crowd started to part, each student ready for the day ahead. Anicka, gripping Quatre's hand, scanned the students, smiling, until one face caught her eye. Her smile turned to an ear-to-ear grin as she pulled Quatre through the crowd.
"Evan!" she shouted at a tall boy.
"Huh?" he turned to the sound of her voice, "Anik!" She dropped Quatre's hand and threw her arms around the boy. "Oh my god! What are you doing here? I thought you…"
"There's a lot you don't know," she looked down at her growing middle and then over at Quatre.
"Who's this?" Evan and Quatre asked in unison.
"Quatre, Evan. Evan, Quatre." The two uneasily shook hands. Evan stood facing Anicka and Quatre moved protectively next to her.
"How do you two know each other?" Quatre inquired.
"Evan was Gavin's best friend and one of mine, too. He left a little after the war started."
"I came here to school. My parents are huge pacifists, so we moved to Earth. And you and him and…" he gestured at her stomach, "is whose?"
"Gavin's," she paused, "You heard?"
"About what?"
"The… explosion."
"Yeah," he looked reverently at the floor.
"I saw it, when I was leaving and it happened. Took a day for me to recover."
"You're okay now, right?"
"Yeah, you?"
"It's been almost four months. Anything interesting happen?"
"You have no idea," her hands looped beside her and found Quatre's. Just then, a bell rang.
"One minute to homeroom, little duck," Evan said with a sad note in his voice. "Who do you have?"
Anicka looked at Quatre. "Loom, we have Loom," he answered.
"Cool! So do I! We can talk more there," Evan answered, "Follow me." The trio walked down the hall, Evan leading Anicka and Quatre behind, holding hands. They arrived in the classroom to see Duo and Wufei in the aisle away from the door. Duo was amusing himself with poking Wufei in the back of the head with a pencil and grinning his big dopey grin.
"Hey, where have you been?" Duo yelled over the din of the classroom.
"The hall," Quatre and Anicka said at the same time.
"I'm Evan," he said in anticipation of their next question. "An old friend of Anicka's." He took the empty seat near them, while Quatre and Anicka took the two seats next to Duo and Wufei. Anicka introduced Evan to the others. They critically examined the tall boy with his unruly, curly, dirty blonde hair and laid-back speech. They accepted him simply as Anicka's old, old friend and classmate. She retold the story of their meeting in the hallway, and told everyone that he had been Gavin's friend and moved to the Sank Kingdom after the war started. She also recounted the story of how she is now the sole pregnant Gundam pilot and ex-captive of the illustrious Catalonia. Evan stared blankly at her for a second.
"Wait a minute. You mean to say that I'm sitting in the presence of three-"
"Shhh!" Wufei prompted, noticing the glares as Evan's voice escalated.
"- Gundam pilots?!" he continued, whispering.
"Four," Anicka and Quatre simultaneously reminded him.
"Right, umm…" an awkward silence followed, then was interrupted as their teacher, Mr. Loom, walked into the room.
"Hello, everyone, and welcome to the beginning of the term. For those of you who haven't noticed, we have," he paused and re-checked the attendance sheet, "four new students in our homeroom today. Wufei Chang, Anicka Estralla, Duo Maxwell and Quatre Winner." The four stood as their names were called, and murmurs went through the class at the sound of a Winner and the sight of the pregnant woman. "All right, class, on with the announcements. Today, we have…" the teacher droned on about the school's proceedings and some current events while Evan wrote a note and passed it to Anicka.
Anicka – I can't believe we're in the same school. I thought you were gone for sure in that explosion. I really missed you. I felt really alone here because no one else really knew anyone that lived there. Really, Anik, it was like losing a sister when I thought you had died. It's terrible about Gavin and your family. I can almost sympathize the whole Gavin thing, but not the way you do. He was my best friend, too, but you loved him.
I'm glad you found the Gundam pilots. They're a great group, from what I've heard. And that Quatre! Congrads, Anik, and I really mean it. I hope I'm invited to the wedding. Well, not much else to say. I'll talk to you later, okay? – Evan
She looked up at her oldest friend and smiled. She had missed him immensely, too, when he had left the colony years ago. It was more than just refreshing to see him again, it was relaxing and different and so many other joyful, loving feelings. She couldn't help but to let them out of her system by smiling and grinning and acting downright bubbly. She looked back over at her fiancé. He was staring right back at her. "I love you," she whispered, and he mouthed it back to her.
After class, Anicka stood up with difficulty and looked straight at Evan. "Duck," she said simply.
He looked up from his stack of books and over to her. "Yeah?"
"What are you doing the weekend after next?"
His eyes became unfocused and then he looked back at her. "Nothing, why?"
"Keep it open, you've got a wedding to go to. You'll need a nice suit, too." She smiled and looped her arm through Quatre's and walked out of the room.
The day went on much as a school day is wont to do. Anicka went to all four of her classes as if she had been doing so for years and years. She loved all of her classes and teachers almost immediately. Philosophy, Calculus, World Literature and World Wars were her classes in that order. She knew people in every class, and those she didn't know she met on the first day. World Wars was very interesting because the lesson plan included the wars that the Gundams had fought in. Duo had already volunteered to speak at it. She walked to the Mercedes after all of her classes were over and said out loud, "This is going to be a fun term."
Part 37
Two weeks passed quickly. It was now the big day of their wedding. It was a sunny, cloudless day and it wasn't too hot or too cold. And Quatre had spared no expense. It was supposed to be a simple ceremony with only a few people invited. But that was before the press got hold of the story. Two news teams were allowed to cover the "event" – the most eligible bachelor on the earth and colonies, the heir to the Winner empire, getting married. It was to be the biggest news story of the night.
Flowers were everywhere. Anicka had decided that the three main colors would be white, blue and yellow. All of the flowers followed that theme – they were arranged carefully, roses with roses, lilies with lilies and all colors mixed together. All of the wedding party's garments followed the same color scheme. Anicka had purchased a medium blue dress. It wasn't too dark or too light. It was perfect. She didn't want a white one, being seven months pregnant, for fear of looking like an iceberg. Quatre, however, bought a white tuxedo with a powder blue shirt. The wedding party was very small - only Anicka, Quatre, Duo the Best Man, Heero the Groomsman, Hilde the Maid of Honor and Relena the Bridesmaid. The 'Winners-to-be,' as they had been titled, thought it would be cute to have only couples in the wedding party. They all were dressed to fit the scheme as well. The bridesmaids wore simple, straight; light blue dresses while the groomsmen wore blue tuxedos with white shirts and light blue vests. Duo and Hilde had the added bonus of a couple of small yellow flowers pinned up in their hair. Before the actual wedding, however, everyone was nervous.
"I can't believe I'm doing this," Anicka said simply to Relena and Hilde as they adorned her brown, curly hair with an abundance of yellow flowers. The girls had claimed the huge back bedroom as the bride's dressing room before the guys could have even put up a fight for it.
Hilde smiled. "I can. You love him, Anik, and after that there's no contest. You know, I'm looking forward to the day when I'll be able to be where you are right now."
"Me, too," added Relena.
"You know what would be fun? If you two had a joint wedding ceremony," Anicka said, knowing that Heero and Duo were the best of friends. The idea must have struck true with her friends because they looked at each other and smiled.
"Now all we need is for a couple certain Gundam pilots to ask us," Relena stated, sounding almost downtrodden.
"They will. They just need to get over the jitters they're feeling right now with everything that's been happening here," Hilde said hopefully, looking at the door to the hallway.
Meanwhile, three doors down, the three main men were having a similar conversation.
"I don't know why I'm doing this," Quatre said simply to Duo and Heero. He ran his comb through his hair a couple more times. "I mean, I love her, really I do, but how am I going to do this? With the baby and the Corporation and everythi-" He was cut off when Duo promptly put a hand over his mouth.
"Quatre, do you love Anicka?" Duo asked.
"Well, yes but-"
"No buts. You love her and that's all you should be thinking about right now. You're about to pledge your life to her and it will all turn out right. No worries, Quat," he leaned back on the wall in the bathroom - The bathroom they had been sent to after the girls took the back bedroom.
Heero looked at the two almost mirthfully. He knew what they were going through as his hand danced in his pocket around a small box.
"So, Heero, how do I look?" Quatre asked, turning from the mirror to face his friend.
"Fine, Quatre, just fine," and he resumed his stoic composure and stared off into space.
"Heero, you seem spacey today, what's up?" Duo asked, noticing that his fellow pilot was a little more disconnected than usual.
"Just thinking."
"About what?" Quatre asked, also noticing the attitude change, but also that Heero had his hand in his pocket.
"Relena. I'm thinking about Relena," he said, as if to blow them off.
"You're going to pop the question, aren't you?" Duo asked point blank.
Heero looked at him in astonishment. "How did you guess?"
Duo pulled a small purple box from his pocket. "Because I was thinking the same thing," he grinned. "You know, if we plan this right, Heero, we could have both weddings at the same time."
A knock sounded on the door to the girl's room. Anicka looked up from her vanity table at it. "Come in as long as you're not Quatre," she said.
Evan walked in, clad in a charcoal colored tuxedo. "And what if I was, little duck? What if I was?"
She smiled and gave her old friend a hug. "Well, you're not so I guess that doesn't matter, now, does it?" She released her hold on him and backed away a few steps.
"All right, let me look at you. Turn around," he waved his finger in a circle. She rolled her eyes and turned around slowly. When she was back facing him, he said, "You look great. Could use a little work on that side profile, though, you're looking a little soggy around the midsection." He laughed.
"You know what, Evan Lee Ambrosia? If I weren't seven months pregnant right now I'd be forced to beat you to a pulp." She poked him a couple times in the chest to prove her point. Hilde and Relena looked on, smiling.
"And if this weren't the day of your wedding, I'd be forced to kiss you because you look so great," he grinned.
"Liar, I look like a blueberry," she stated, turning towards the mirror.
"But a cute blueberry," he countered, hugging her. "You do look good, Anik. No contest there. You'll have a great wedding." He looked down at her and kissed her cheek. "But you have to promise to save me a dance."
"Of course," she beamed up at him. "Thank you so much for being here, Evan. When we started planning for the wedding I wanted to cry because I didn't have anyone to give me away. With my dad and brother and Gavin gone and everything... I really owe you, duck. I do."
Hilde, who had been standing off to the side watching the whole exchange, said finally, "That's it. What is it with the whole 'duck' and 'little duck' thing?"
Evan and Anicka looked at Hilde, then at each other, then back to Hilde and burst out laughing. "It's kind of a long story," Evan said.
"But the short version is that I was a big klutz in my youth," Evan, Hilde and Relena scoffed, "Okay, I AM a big klutz and he was always telling me to duck. And after a while, Gavin gave us both these rubber duckies - a little one for me and a big one for Ev here. And it just became a nickname we used all of the time."
"You left out the part about the-" Evan started, but was promptly cut off by Anicka.
"Don't go down that road, duck," Anicka said sharply, waving her hand. She smiled at the girls who looked on in confusion. "You don't want to know. And I'm not telling, either."
"You know, that would be quite interesting," Quatre stated, "having both of your weddings at the same time. I'm sure the girls would have a field day with that one."
"You know they would, Quat," Duo said. He then resumed trying to put his yellow carnation corsage on his tux. Confident that he had it right this time, he stuck the pin in. The flower flipped upside-down as soon as he let go. He sighed the sigh of the defeated. "I'll just have Hilde do it when you're ready."
Heero sighed the sigh of those in the presence of idiots and shook his head. "You can defeat mobile dolls one-handed, but you can't seem to conquer a flower."
Duo grinned. "Maybe I'm just giving up because I want Hilde to do it. Maybe I have a plan of some sort now, Heero. What do you think about that?"
"What kind of twisted plan are you trying to cook up now?" Quatre asked, now trying to trounce his own yellow rose.
"You'd like to know that, wouldn't you?" At precisely that moment, there was a knock at the door. "Come in," Duo said, smiling at the others and glad for the new distraction from his own life.
Iria opened the door and looked at her little brother all decked out to get married. "Hey, there, Quatre. Just checking in to see how you're doing. I mean, if you're all ready for your wedding and everything."
Quatre looked up at his sister and smiled. "I'm all dressed, if that's what you mean. But I'm still not all ready up here," he stated, pointing to his head.
"You never will be, Quatre, you never will be. It's a feeling you'll always have."
"I'm happy you're here, Iria. I'm glad Duo found you all those months ago. My wedding would have really been a wash if I didn't have a family member give me away, knowing MY family."
"Quatre, you realize all of your sisters were invited, right?" Heero asked.
"Yes, Heero, I know. You tracked them all down on your precious laptop and sent them all invitations. Thank you. It's good to know that Anicka will have a family again..." he sighed.
"See, you should be marrying her. She's all you can think about. Everything you do is for her. And I'll bet she thinks the same. That's what love is, Quat," Duo said, thinking about his raven-haired Hilde. "That's what love is."
"All right, Duo, you have to tell us your plan," Quatre posed, prodding into Duo's business once again.
"Umm... Iria? You look great and everything in your yellow dress. Really, it matches your hair and everything. Hair is great, too, love the blue flowers. But could you leave? I have to tell the guys something," Duo said, scratching the back of his head and trying to be very polite.
"I'll leave, thank you for asking, Duo. I was just going to check on how the girls were doing anyway." She smiled and left the room.
"As you may have figured out, I'm asking Hilde to marry me today," Duo whispered to them after Iria shut the door. He motioned for them to come closer to him and murmured, "And I want to surprise her so I'm not telling anyone." He grinned.
Heero glared at him. "Angry as I am, Duo, and as tempted as I am to break every bone in your body, I won't. You need to stay looking good if she's ever to say yes."
"Why thank you for that lovely boost to my self esteem, Mr. Yuy," he looked at his watch. "Quatre, we don't have much more time to get ready, fifteen minutes tops."
"About twenty minutes, Ani," Hilde said, looking up from her watch. "Do you have everything?"
"Have everything? What do I need?" Anicka asked.
"You mean you don't know?" Relena stared in amazement. "Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue and a penny in your shoe."
Anicka looked at her clothes. "I have the blue. My dress. The something new is my necklace," she fingered a small silver cross on a silver chain, "Evan gave it to me last week. Something old, something old... hmm... What about an OLD penny in my shoe? I can do that, right?" She rushed over to her dresser and picked up a red, puffy box that looked like a pillow. She opened it and pulled out a copper penny. "From the old United States of America, look!" she showed her friends. "Twenty-first century, too. That'll count as old, right? Now I just need to borrow something."
The trio looked around the room and there was a knock at the door again. "Come in if you're not Quatre," Hilde called.
Iria entered. "How is everything going in here?"
"Just looking for the 'something borrowed,'" Hilde said, walking over to Quatre's dresser.
"Aren't you wearing Relena's shoes?" Iria asked, pointing at the simple blue slippers on Anicka's feet.
"YES!" she exclaimed, embracing Relena and Iria in one massive hug. She looked up and saw Evan standing off by the door, as if ready to leave. "Go and see how our boys are doing, Evan."
Evan smiled at the girls and left the room. He absently looked into the bedrooms as he walked down the hall and saw Trowa sitting in his room, clad in a simple grey suit. "Hello there," he said simply, addressing the boy he had yet to meet. "You look lonely. Can I come in?"
Trowa looked up at the tall Evan. "Sure."
Evan entered and sat in the unadorned chair in Trowa's plain room. "Ready for the wedding?" he asked. "The name's Evan by the way."
"Trowa," he offered his hand. "Who are you?"
"I'm an old friend of Anicka's. You?"
"Old friend of Quatre's. I'm one of the Gundam pilots."
"Really? How come I haven't seen you around here lately?" Evan had seen the pilots in classes and going to and from the house, but he had never seen Trowa.
"I had kind of a fallout with Quatre and Anicka about four months ago. Since then, we've barely spoken."
"Well that's just not right!" Evan exclaimed. He hadn't heard the whole story. He had no idea that Trowa had painfully lost his love. And he had no idea that his childhood sweetheart had taken it away. "I'm sure they understand. Are you coming to the wedding?"
"Maybe. If I do, I'll sit in the back."
"That's good. See you later, I guess," Evan said. He stood, waved and left the room. He walked down the hall and came to the door of the bathroom, upon which a piece of scrap paper had been taped. It proclaimed "Groom Room" in Duo's scrawl. He knocked and the door opened a crack. Duo's face popped out and motioned for Evan to enter. Evan tugged on the door and shimmied inside to where the men had gathered. "Hello, all," he said, giving a little wave. They all greeted him in their own little ways.
Quatre, who had been sitting in a chair in the corner of the room, stood. "Time for the big-brother type talk, huh, Evan?" he asked, smiling.
"I guess, if you could call it that," he smiled at the thought. He knew Anicka's actual brother - he was a really, really nice person, unless it came to his little sister. And then, like an animal backed into a corner, he was vicious. "But not as harsh as Rush."
"Rush..." Quatre asked with an inquiring undertone.
"Her older brother. We always called him Rush at school."
"Right." Quatre nodded. He had temporarily forgotten about what his wife-to-be had lost and instead was focusing on what she was to gain.
"I love Anicka, Quatre. I have loved her for a long time. She's a baby sister to me. She is carrying my best friend's child. And those are things I can't let go of, and I can't let them get hurt either. If Anicka ever tells me that you have hurt her in any way, I will kill you in any way I can - Gundam or no Gundam." Evan's voice had taken on a glacial quality and his eyes were focused and cold. He shook his head from side to side and returned to his normal, jovial personality. He smiled. "How was that?"
Quatre had been taken aback. He simply stared back at Evan and nodded. "That... that was good. I got the point."
Evan smiled sheepishly. "Sorry if I scared you. I guess that was more like Rush's style there. He was like that with the little duck - he scared the crap out of any guy who even came close to hurting her. Gavin was the only one who really stood up to him, though," Evan sighed in thought of his friends. "I really miss them."
Quatre watched the change in his new friend with interest. "I'm sure you're not alone, Evan. Anicka misses them, too."
"Well, I hope so! She's their blood now, both of them. Those three were my greatest friends in the world. I guess I'll talk to her later... much later... like maybe in a month or so?"
"Just don't freak her out tonight or right before the baby is born. I'd have to come after you."
"No worries, Quatre." He listened. The small band of string instruments had gone into its preparation number.
"We have to get going soon, guys," Duo said pointedly. "Two minutes till show time."
"Two minutes," Relena stated, looking over at the alarm clock by Anicka and Quatre's bed.
"Two minutes," Anicka repeated in thought, "and then I'm getting married." She looked back on the past four months she spent with Quatre. Had it only been four months? It seemed like so much more. She stood on her now fully healed leg. It was due to Quatre that she was now as healthy as a horse - well, as healthy as a pregnant horse. She laughed at the idea. There was her health, and the fact that he was so willing to be a father. Helpful didn't even begin to describe his attitude towards the situation. He had welcomed it with open arms. And he was about to be her husband. She walked over to the door and peeped out, being careful about not being seen, and watched as the men got themselves into position for the procession. She saw Evan approaching and quickly shut the door. He came and knocked, and, as before, the girls answered with, "Come in if you're not Quatre."
He entered the room and shooed Iria, Relena and Hilde out of the room to get to their places. They each wished Anicka good luck in their own fashion, whether by hug or by a last few words of advice, and went to meet the men. Anicka watched as Hilde walked up to Duo. Duo put his hand behind his head and said something to her. She shook her head and helped him with his corsage, a small grin playing on her features. Hilde gave Duo a tiny kiss on the cheek and looped her arm through his. Heero took Relena's arm and stood in front of Duo. Iria and Quatre were in the back of the whole configuration. The procession started.
Evan stood by Anicka's side as she watched her friends leave the house in their little lines. The music she had chosen had begun - Johann Pachelbel's "Canon in D," her favorite classical song. As soon as the procession was out of sight, she left the back room and felt an air of importance around her as she became situated to walk down the aisle and become Mrs. Anicka Winner.
Part 38
Everything was perfect. Anicka linked her arm with Evan's and they walked down the aisle at the climax of the song. The assemblage stood as they saw the bride and her escort step into the sunshine. Anicka walked slowly and Evan followed her lead. She looked around the small crowd gathered - at her new classmates, at her soon-to-be sister-in-laws and even at the news photographers. They reached the first row of chairs and Evan stopped her. He wrapped his arms around her, enveloping her in a hug that only a brother could give. He grabbed her shoulders and looked down at her face. "Love you, Anik. Good luck." He gave her hand to Quatre. "Take good care of this little duck for me, Quatre." He smiled at the couple and turned to sit. Anicka looked from Quatre's earnest eyes to Hilde. Hilde handed her the bouquet of white roses and smiled.
The congregation sat down with a low rustle. The minister, Wufei, started the ceremony. "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to join Quatre Raberba Winner and Anicka Estralla in holy matrimony. If there are any who oppose this union, speak now or forever hold your peace."
Trowa, in the back of the gathering, bit his lip hard enough to draw blood. It was all he could do to stop himself from speaking. He would rather 'forever hold his peace' than have five Gundam pilots out to destroy him.
Wufei smiled down at Anicka and Quatre. "The couple has chosen to write their own vows. Anicka?"
Anicka squeezed Quatre's hands. Hilde stepped over, slipped a simple piece of paper in her hand, and stepped back. Anicka opened the humble scrap of paper and read. "I will love you forever. From now until the day the world passes into nothing, I am yours. In word, flesh and spirit, I belong to you. Through everything - the bleak and the blacker, the thick and the thin, life and death... My heart is in your hands. I love you, Quatre Raberba Winner."
Quatre simply nodded and wiped the tears from her face. He took the scrap and tucked it into his pocket. He took her hands, knelt before her and spoke. "It is not so much that you are to me and I am to you, we are to each other and part of one whole. I will continue to love you to the farthest reaches of forever and beyond. I love you beyond body, spirit and soul, Anicka Estralla." He stood and solely watched Anicka's face.
Wufei again spoke. "Now for the exchanging of the wedding bands." He motioned to Duo. Duo stepped up to Wufei, handed him the two simple, white gold bands and stepped back down. Wufei handed the first ring to Anicka. "With this ring..." he started.
Anicka poised it to slip onto Quatre's left ring finger. "With this ring..."
"...I thee wed." He finished.
"...I thee wed." She slid the ring onto his finger and squeezed his hand.
Wufei turned to Quatre and handed him the second ring, which was on a chain. "With this ring..." he started again.
"With this ring..." Quatre began, holding the chain over her head. She looked up at it.
"...I thee wed." Wufei finished a second time.
"...I thee wed." Quatre placed the chain around her neck, being extra careful not to get it stuck in her hair. He let his hands fall naturally down her sides and rested them simply on her hips. He smiled and touched his left hand to her belly. He felt the baby kick and Anicka moved her left hand to meet his. Their eyes went to the baby and then to each other.
Wufei put his hand on their shoulders. They looked up at him again. Duo and Hilde stepped forward, each with a small, lighted candle. Anicka took hers, a blue one, from Hilde and Quatre took a yellow one from Duo. Wufei turned to reveal a large white candle behind him in the center of a candelabrum. No words were spoken as they lit the white candle with the two small flames of their own. They placed the small candles to either side of the white one and turned back to the congregation, hand in hand. "For the first time," Wufei stated, "I have the pleasure of announcing Mr. and Mrs. Quatre Raberba Winner." He looked at Quatre. "You may kiss the bride." Quatre looked at Anicka with pure love in his eyes and transported that love to her through the kiss. The crowd clapped. Anicka and Quatre processed to the car convoy, followed by Duo and Hilde, Heero and Relena.
Part 39
When the world is cold, and I need a friend to hold
You give me love, you give me love
And when my hope is gone, And I feel I can't go on
You pick me up
You give me love, you give me love
"You Give Me Love" - Faith Hill
Anicka and Quatre climbed into the white stretch limo and seated themselves comfortably. Duo, Hilde, Heero and Relena had a separate blue limo. Other cars followed the wedding party to the hall where the reception was to take place.
The Winners walked into the hall arm-in-arm, smiling abundantly. They sat at the head table, joined closely by the wedding party, Wufei, Iria and Evan. The guests soon came, filing into the hall. When everyone was seated and subdued, Duo clanged his fork to his glass and stood.
"Well, that was quite a show, wasn't it?" Duo said with a little smirk, eliciting a little laugh from the guests and groans from the head table. "Quatre, I've known you for a little over three years now. You've always been the practical one, the one who was always bringing us back to reality. You know what, I don't think any of us thought you'd be the first one to get married. I've just thought you'd go to work for your family's corporation. But here we are today. Congratulations, bud.
"Anicka, the first day I met you, I thought you were too nice and there had to be something wrong with you. But as I got to know you, I found out that being nice all of the time is part of your nature. I'm happy to say we've become pretty good friends in the past few months.
"I'm very happy for both of you. In fact, I do hope to have that kind of happiness in my life." He turned his gaze to Hilde and smiled. Then he looked at Quatre. Quatre shook his head and gave him a cool gesture, finally seeing Duo's intentions. "Hilde, I would be honored if you would be the one to give that to me. I want to be as happy as Quatre and Anicka."
Hilde looked up at him and grinned. She leapt from her chair and hugged him. "Of course I will!"
Anicka whispered in Quatre's ear over the cheers and applause of the guests. "You totally planned this, didn't you?"
He looked at her and smiled. "I had a feeling that it would happen anyway," he looked over at Heero and Relena. Heero had a smug, almost angry look on his face and Relena had traces of tears. He chuckled. "Look at the rest of the wedding party."
Anicka peeked over at them and couldn't stifle a little laugh. She looked at her husband with a knowing smile on her face. The smile grew when she saw the caterers bringing in carts full of dinner plates.
The head table was served first with the heaping portions of steak, honey glazed vegetables and angel hair pasta. Anicka closed her eyes in gratitude. She silently thanked her father, mother, brother and Gavin for giving her this life. She thanked God for Quatre, for her quick recovery after the death of everything she knew and for her new beginning. She opened her eyes and started to eat. Quatre looked at her, his thoughts on much the same track as hers. He was incredibly grateful for his new life. He was looking forward to spending the rest of his life with the woman sitting next to him - his wife. His wife. He smiled the smile that would stay on his face the rest of the night.
Duo sat at the table with Hilde next to him and an idea came to him. He remembered other weddings and a tricky little wedding gimmick. He tapped his fork to his glass again, and the guests and party, save Quatre and Anicka, joined in. The Winners smiled and looked at Duo. They kissed and everyone cheered. During the course of the dinner, various people continued the little gimmick and never tired of it.
Part 40
And I'm glad I didn't know the way it all would end, the way it all would go
Our lives were better left to chance
I could have missed the pain, but I'd have had to miss
The dance
- Garth Brooks, "The Dance"
Dinner went on in that fashion. The small band came and played some classical pieces until the end of dinner, at which point the dancing started. The clarinet player put her instrument away and walked over to the DJ equipment. She picked up the microphone and said a simple introduction and played a few songs. Quatre and Anicka sat quietly and watched the guests all start dancing. The wedding party paired off and Evan took Iria by the arm and danced with her. There was a break in the music and the DJ invited Quatre and Anicka down to the floor for their first dance as man and wife. Quatre stood and helped his pregnant wife to her feet. They walked gracefully from the platform to the dance floor and placed themselves in the middle of it. The song began - a trio. The duet of strong male voices started out while Quatre proved that his worth as a pilot was matched by his worth as a dancer. Anicka listened to the song attentively, finding that the lyrics fit her life almost perfectly.
Sometimes it's hard, you don't want to look over your shoulder
Because you don't want to remember where you've been
And they're'll come a time you'll die, if you could only hold her
I know that's where I am
So listen with all your heart
Hold it inside forever
You may find all your dreams have already come true
Look inside and find the part that's leading you
Cuz that's the beat of the heart
Sometimes you'll drown it out with all your rage and thunder
Sometimes you'll drown it out with all your tears
They'll come a time when you'll hear it and you'll wonder
Where in the world have I been
Listen with all your heart
Hold it inside forever
You may find all your dreams have already come true
Look inside and find the part that's leading you
That's the beat of the heart
No one can tell you how to get there
It's the road you take all by yourself
Listen with all your heart
Hold it inside forever
You may find all your dreams have already come true
Look inside and find the part that's leading you
That's the beat of...
(oh, it's the sweetest sound)
That's the beat of the heart
The song ended and Anicka and Quatre looked at each other with tears in their eyes. The song had really hit home with both of them. Then the music took a turn. Quatre changed his dancing style accordingly and swing danced like a professional. The song had a fast tempo and went by quickly. Afterwards, the DJ stopped again to speak. "For the next couple songs, we're having a Dollar Dance. Sorry, Winners, but you'll be split up for this one. First, Duo, you're going to dance with Anicka and Hilde's going to dance with Quatre. Guests who want to participate can start a couple of lines. After a little bit, Duo and Hilde, I want you to go to the fronts of the lines. Everybody who's in the lines, give either Duo or Hilde a dollar when you get to the front. Then they'll tell you when you can go dance with the happy couple. Let the dance begin," she finished.
Duo and Hilde walked up to the happy newlyweds with smiles upon their faces. The couples both kissed before pairing off with their respective dance partners. It was another slow song, but not as heavy and meaningful as the last one. The couples both struck up little conversations, of course, about their respective other halves.
Anicka laughed. "I knew you were going to do that, Duo."
His shoulders bounced with an inward chuckle. "That obvious, huh?"
"I knew it was going to happen sooner or later. Tonight, it just seemed... inevitable. I have a feeling you two aren't the only ones, either."
"And why do you say that?"
"Well you didn't see Heero giving you the full-on patented Yuy death glare through your speech, but I did. And Relena practically had stars in her eyes."
"You're right," Duo said, "and he's mad at me because I proposed before he did. We were having a sort of contest before the ceremony."
"You have no idea how alike you and Hilde are. She was talking about getting married before the ceremony, too. So was Relena. I think they've already planned on having a joint wedding."
"And who suggested that?" Duo asked, looking down at his friend, knowing that Quatre had mentioned something of the sort to him and Heero.
"I did," she smiled, "Should I apologize?"
"No, because Quatre was saying the same thing."
Meanwhile, Quatre and Hilde were having a similar conversation. "I'm very happy for the both of you," Quatre said.
Hilde looked up at him and smiled. "You totally planned that, didn't you?"
He tilted his head to the side in a gesture of guilt. "I had a hand in it. It was mostly just predicting how my two closest friends would act, and, with Duo and Heero, it was pretty easy."
She smiled up at the taller man. "Thank you so much. And good luck, Quatre. I really mean it. You're married now, bud. And there's a baby on the way." She smiled even broader. "Hell, you're lucky enough as it is."
The song ended and Duo and Hilde took up positions in the fronts of the lines. The first two were Heero and Relena, followed by Iria and Evan, and so on. The dollar dance went until the lines dwindled to nothing, and the Winners were congratulated each time they changed partners.
After the dollar dance, everyone still celebrated. Families with children left early. As it turned out, Heero had asked Relena to marry him during the wedding song. They kept it a slight secret until announcing it at the end of the night, but their engagement was obvious by the smiles on both of their faces. The afterglow of the wedding faded slowly as the minutes and hours ticked by. At around midnight, Quatre announced that he and his wife were leaving. For the next half hour, news crews interviewed him and Anicka, then they left for home.
Part 41
Quatre and Anicka's limousine pulled up to their house at one o'clock in the morning. For Anicka, it was far later than she should have been up. She was exhausted. Quatre helped her into the house, carrying her through the door. She laughed at the symbolism. "Quatre, you just took me across the threshold. What does that mean?"
"I guess it means that I'm too sentimental," he answered, carrying her all the way to their room. The room was still littered with all of the girls' things - shoeboxes, hangers, make-up kits, brushes, hair dryers and the like. Quatre finally saw why he and the boys had been exiled to the bathroom before the wedding. There simply was no room anywhere else for the girls to prepare. He laughed.
"What are you laughing at?" she asked as he set her at her chair by the vanity.
He looked at her with a smile on his face and a grin in his eyes. "What exactly were you three doing in here?" he asked, chuckling a little.
"Oh, just getting ready," she surveyed the room, thinking of how it usually looked with its normally clean spaces everywhere, "Okay, so we kind of spread out a little bit. It was worth it, though, wasn't it?"
"Yes, it was worth it. Hilde and Relena looked beautiful," he watched the face of his new wife, "and you looked absolutely gorgeous." He walked over to the bed, which was strewn with towels and hangars. He pushed them all off the end of the bed. He then walked back over to Anicka and lifted her up. "You still look gorgeous. Are you tired?" he asked her, noticing the slight lines of fatigue around her eyes.
"Very," she answered, leaning into him. He led her over to the bed and she sat down and took off her borrowed, blue slippers. She rubbed her ankles absently, becoming aware of how swollen they were from dancing. Quatre walked over to the closet, picked a hanger off of the floor and hung up his jacket. He proceeded to take off his tuxedo pieces until all that was left was his shirt and pants. Meanwhile, Anicka had peeled her nylons off and taken her hair down. Her hair hung in soft, curly tendrils around her face. Quatre turned to her and smiled again. She plopped sideways onto the bed and smiled back. "Who would have thought that we'd be so tired…"
"Not me," he answered. He walked over to her and sat on the bed near her knees. He gently combed through her hair with his fingers. Her eyes closed and her lips curved into a slight smile. She sighed. "Are you going to fall asleep, Anicka?"
"I'm trying not to but it's not working."
"You're still in your dress."
"Am I?"
"Yes, Anicka, you're still in your dress."
She opened her eyes a little. "You're still in your tux kind of."
"I know that. I thought it wouldn't be fitting of me to just undress and go straight to bed without seeing if my new wife needed any help getting out of her dress."
"I'm you're new wife, aren't I?" She opened her eyes a little more and focused the brown slits onto his face.
"If your name isn't Mrs. Quatre Winner than I don't know what is."
"In that case," she paused, "could you help me up so I can get this dress off?"
He stood and offered her his hand. "Of course, m'lady." She took his hand and pushed herself to a sitting position. He helped her stand and walk over to the closet.
"Could you unzip me?" she asked, after several futile efforts to grab the zipper behind her back. He didn't answer, simply stood behind her and unzipped the dress. She reached up in her customary manner and took the straps off of her shoulders, letting the dress fall to the floor and reveal the simple, sheer slip she had worn under it. Quatre quickly unbuttoned his shirt and let it fall to the floor with her dress. He grabbed her shoulders and turned her around, almost violently. She looked into his eyes and noticed a sort of lust there, mixed in with all of his love. She stared at him, and finally said, "I know what you're thinking, Quatre, and I'm too tired for that tonight. Tonight I just want to sleep by your side as your wife."
"For the first time?"
"And for many times after tonight," she smiled and kissed him softly.