And in this chapter, we start to wonder into the religious realm. Seeing as Lizzy and Duo are (theoretically) Catholic, not to mention being raised in a church, it stands to reason that they would be religious--even if it's not immediately noticible.
But enough of me. Git! Read! Now!
* * * * *
Past, Present, Future
by Grace Musica
Chapter Five
Forgive Me Father, For I Have Sinned... Again...
* * * * *
Alex sat on the couch, watching her father run around like the proverbial chicken with its head cut off, doing some last-minute cleaning. She had been having fun 'helping' him--hauling out some new toys every time he turned his back--but he finally lost his temper and threatened to spank her before she started behaving.
"Why are we doing this again, Daddy?"
Trowa stood, his arms full of forgotten toys he had found behind a couch. "Because it's in my contract. Since we're lucky enough to have a house, someone who is less than fortunate at Preventer is going to stay with us."
"For how long?"
Trowa smiled at her. "However long they want."
Alex crossed her arms. "Does this mean I have to be good now?"
Trowa laughed at that. "You're good already."
Alex opened her mouth to say something else, but the doorbell rang at that exact moment. Trowa handed her the toys, commanded her to amuse herself, and answered the door.
And who was on the doorstep? That's right, ladies and gentlemen.
Midii Une.
If you couldn't see that comming, you need some glasses, seriously.
In the second time in about as many weeks, Trowa felt his heart almost stop. You're KIDDING...
Apparently, Midii was thinking the exact same thing. She looked down at a scrap of paper, then up at the house numbers, then out at the street sign. Then she sighed. "I'm sorry, No-name... Trowa."
Trowa stared at her some more, until he felt a tug on his shirt tails. "Daddy, Daddy, who's our new guest?" He looked down as Alex looked around his leg. As soon as her eyes hit Midii, they grew wide in surprise, and then in glee. A big grin painted her face. "Midii!"
The girl practically flew to her and gave her a huge hug. Then she took her hand. "Come in! Daddy cleaned up the house really, really good, and I want to show you MY room!"
Trowa blinked as his daughter literally pulled the female Preventer into the house, leaving her luggage on the doorstep. He sighed and started to pick up the luggage before stopping, his hand hovering inches above a suitcase handle.
Wait. I smell a setup.
* * * * *
"Can I ask you a question, Maxwell?"
"I thought you just did."
"You know what I mean."
"Okay, okay. What?"
Pause.
"Why the hell do you still wear that priest's collar?!"
"Because it's fun! And people actually think that I'm a priest. Man, you should hear some of the confessions..."
"Duo! That's a double sin! Cardinal*, at that!"
"Well, then, I'm going to the barbeque in Hell. What else is new, Liz?"
"At least I know you'll be in good company."
At that moment, Trowa walked in the double doors of the tea room.
"Speak of the devil!" Duo told his sister, smiling at his little joke.
"Oh, shut up, Duo. If anyone's going to Hell, it's just us Maxwells," Lizzy replied. She smiled at Trowa. "Care to join us?"
"Not really. But I would like to make an inquery."
Liz raised her eyebrows. "If I can help, I'll certainly try."
Trowa crossed his arms. Duo was a little surprised. He had never seen Trowa show this much of any emotion, although he had improved majorly in the years after the war. But Trowa was pissed.
"I would like to know why Midii Une, Lady Une's niece, is now in residence at my house."
Ah... There it is. Liz told me about her...
"And... Why would I know about that?"
"Because it has Elizabeth Maxwell Winner written all over it."
"Trowa, neither my husband or I work for Preventer, we never have and we proably never will. In the event of imminent war, we would proably step in, but unless that happens--which looks very unlikely--the only support we'll ever give is money."
"Money can turn heads."
"Not Lady Une's. You should know that. Une does what she wants, when she wants to. And no one can contest her when she's got her mind set on it."
Silence.
"Look, Trowa. If you can't put up with her, and I know she can be a bitch sometimes--"
"It's not that!" the brunette cried. "I'm in love with her! I have been since I was ten! And she's been in my house for less than an hour, and I'm about to die!"
The Maxwell siblings started and stared at each other, then back at Trowa.
Duo broke the silence first. "My little boy's all grown up!"
Lizzy promptly kicked him in the shin.
"Trowa, why don't you calm down, sit and have some tea with us?" she suggested gently, reaching for the teapot.
"It's good," Duo added. "We spiked it."
Lizzy kicked him in the shin again.
"No..." Trowa put a hand to his head. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to accuse you."
"It's okay. You were upset. I understand."
"I'm gonna go and find Quatre," the brunette muttered to himself. "Before I make a bigger fool of myself."
The two seated Maxwells watched as Trowa walked down the hall, and looked at each other as his footsteps faded.
"Duo?"
"Yeah, sis?"
"It's real convinent that you've got that collar on, now that I think about it."
"... Why?"
Lizzy knelt in front of Duo. "Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned!"
Duo looked upwards and folded his hands. "So have I, Liz, so have I."
* * * * *
* okay, since Liz and Duo grew up in a church, it's only natural that they would know the Catholic catechism forwards, backwards, and forwards again, even if they don't follow it like they should. For those who don't know, Catholics believe in two types of sin: Venal, a lesser offense (such as lying) and Cardinal, a higher offense (such as murder... or impersonating a priest... j/k).
But enough of me. Git! Read! Now!
* * * * *
Past, Present, Future
by Grace Musica
Chapter Five
Forgive Me Father, For I Have Sinned... Again...
* * * * *
Alex sat on the couch, watching her father run around like the proverbial chicken with its head cut off, doing some last-minute cleaning. She had been having fun 'helping' him--hauling out some new toys every time he turned his back--but he finally lost his temper and threatened to spank her before she started behaving.
"Why are we doing this again, Daddy?"
Trowa stood, his arms full of forgotten toys he had found behind a couch. "Because it's in my contract. Since we're lucky enough to have a house, someone who is less than fortunate at Preventer is going to stay with us."
"For how long?"
Trowa smiled at her. "However long they want."
Alex crossed her arms. "Does this mean I have to be good now?"
Trowa laughed at that. "You're good already."
Alex opened her mouth to say something else, but the doorbell rang at that exact moment. Trowa handed her the toys, commanded her to amuse herself, and answered the door.
And who was on the doorstep? That's right, ladies and gentlemen.
Midii Une.
If you couldn't see that comming, you need some glasses, seriously.
In the second time in about as many weeks, Trowa felt his heart almost stop. You're KIDDING...
Apparently, Midii was thinking the exact same thing. She looked down at a scrap of paper, then up at the house numbers, then out at the street sign. Then she sighed. "I'm sorry, No-name... Trowa."
Trowa stared at her some more, until he felt a tug on his shirt tails. "Daddy, Daddy, who's our new guest?" He looked down as Alex looked around his leg. As soon as her eyes hit Midii, they grew wide in surprise, and then in glee. A big grin painted her face. "Midii!"
The girl practically flew to her and gave her a huge hug. Then she took her hand. "Come in! Daddy cleaned up the house really, really good, and I want to show you MY room!"
Trowa blinked as his daughter literally pulled the female Preventer into the house, leaving her luggage on the doorstep. He sighed and started to pick up the luggage before stopping, his hand hovering inches above a suitcase handle.
Wait. I smell a setup.
* * * * *
"Can I ask you a question, Maxwell?"
"I thought you just did."
"You know what I mean."
"Okay, okay. What?"
Pause.
"Why the hell do you still wear that priest's collar?!"
"Because it's fun! And people actually think that I'm a priest. Man, you should hear some of the confessions..."
"Duo! That's a double sin! Cardinal*, at that!"
"Well, then, I'm going to the barbeque in Hell. What else is new, Liz?"
"At least I know you'll be in good company."
At that moment, Trowa walked in the double doors of the tea room.
"Speak of the devil!" Duo told his sister, smiling at his little joke.
"Oh, shut up, Duo. If anyone's going to Hell, it's just us Maxwells," Lizzy replied. She smiled at Trowa. "Care to join us?"
"Not really. But I would like to make an inquery."
Liz raised her eyebrows. "If I can help, I'll certainly try."
Trowa crossed his arms. Duo was a little surprised. He had never seen Trowa show this much of any emotion, although he had improved majorly in the years after the war. But Trowa was pissed.
"I would like to know why Midii Une, Lady Une's niece, is now in residence at my house."
Ah... There it is. Liz told me about her...
"And... Why would I know about that?"
"Because it has Elizabeth Maxwell Winner written all over it."
"Trowa, neither my husband or I work for Preventer, we never have and we proably never will. In the event of imminent war, we would proably step in, but unless that happens--which looks very unlikely--the only support we'll ever give is money."
"Money can turn heads."
"Not Lady Une's. You should know that. Une does what she wants, when she wants to. And no one can contest her when she's got her mind set on it."
Silence.
"Look, Trowa. If you can't put up with her, and I know she can be a bitch sometimes--"
"It's not that!" the brunette cried. "I'm in love with her! I have been since I was ten! And she's been in my house for less than an hour, and I'm about to die!"
The Maxwell siblings started and stared at each other, then back at Trowa.
Duo broke the silence first. "My little boy's all grown up!"
Lizzy promptly kicked him in the shin.
"Trowa, why don't you calm down, sit and have some tea with us?" she suggested gently, reaching for the teapot.
"It's good," Duo added. "We spiked it."
Lizzy kicked him in the shin again.
"No..." Trowa put a hand to his head. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to accuse you."
"It's okay. You were upset. I understand."
"I'm gonna go and find Quatre," the brunette muttered to himself. "Before I make a bigger fool of myself."
The two seated Maxwells watched as Trowa walked down the hall, and looked at each other as his footsteps faded.
"Duo?"
"Yeah, sis?"
"It's real convinent that you've got that collar on, now that I think about it."
"... Why?"
Lizzy knelt in front of Duo. "Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned!"
Duo looked upwards and folded his hands. "So have I, Liz, so have I."
* * * * *
* okay, since Liz and Duo grew up in a church, it's only natural that they would know the Catholic catechism forwards, backwards, and forwards again, even if they don't follow it like they should. For those who don't know, Catholics believe in two types of sin: Venal, a lesser offense (such as lying) and Cardinal, a higher offense (such as murder... or impersonating a priest... j/k).