And again, sorry it's taking so long. I was planning on posting the whole thing last night (yes, I have the entire thing finished), but my little brother threw a fit and got the computer... Something about homework...?
* * * * *
Past, Present, Future
by Grace Musica
Chapter Nine
Life Changes
* * * * *
The marriage was a small, quiet affair, with only family and close friends invited. Nothing flashy, Trowa in a rented tux, Midii in a simple white dress. Alex sat quietly on the front pew, swinging her feet back and forth during the ceremony, holding Lady Une's hand. After the two exchanged vows and sealed the marriage with a kiss, Alex jumped up and ran over to Midii, yelling "Mommy!" at the top of her lungs. Even the priest, a stoic ex-monk, cracked up laughing as Midii picked up the small girl and planted a kiss on her cheek.
* * * * *
Things went smoothly as Trowa and Midii settled comfortably into married life. Alex started first grade in the fall, Trowa started paying back Quatre for the house--meger payments at best, but they were payments and both Midii and Lizzy were proud of him for it.
However, life never, ever pans out the way people want it to.
Never.
* * * * *
"Trowa?!"
Trowa immediately sensed something was wrong. Even over the vidphone, he had never seen Quatre so pale. "What's wrong?"
"...It's Liz. And Midii."
"What?!" Trowa promptly knocked over his coffee mug, spilling cold coffe everywhere and causing Alex to start from her homework. The six-year-old was now eleven, and swinging her feet at the kitchen table. Her five-year-old cousin was coloring some 'homework' at the seat next to her, and her four-, and two-year-old cousins were quietly napping on the couch, tv on. Jessica, the five-year-old, looked up.
"Daddy, is something wrong?"
Trowa waved his arm in the univeral 'Shut-Up-I'm-On-The Phone' signal and looked at Quatre through the viewscreen. "Tell me."
"Th-there was a car accident..." Quatre stuttered, his worry evident in his voice, words escaping him.
"Where are you?"
"The hospital. St. Peter's. Trowa, hurry."
"I'll be there in five minutes."
Trowa hung up the phone and turned to the two girls sitting at the table. He calmly walked over and put a hand on each of their heads. "Go and get your brothers. Mom's been in an accident."
Jessica promptly burst into tears. Trowa shushed her gently and stroked her hair. "Don't cry, baby. Just go wake up Chris and Steven. Alex, I want you to put all three of them in the car. I'm going to get some paperwork the hospital might need, okay?" He kissed both of them on the forehead. "Don't worry. Now go."
* * * * *
The doctor let Trowa in to see Midii first. And it was a good thing he did. She lay on the sterile, white sheets of the hospital bed, her head bandaged and tubes in her mouth and up her nose. A heart monitor beeped faintly over her bed, and her eyes were closed. What wasn't wrapped in bandages were various shades of black, blue and purple. He gripped the chair, the closest thing to him, before his knees gave out and started blankly at his wife.
"No..."
It was a wisper, but the doctor heard it over the beeping and hissing of the machines. A very pretty middle-aged brunette with piercing blue eyes, she placed a sympathetic hand on Trowa's shoulder.
"Mr. Barton... I'm very sorry. There's a good chance she might never wake up. There is some brain activity, however, which is a good sign. But..."
She didn't even have to finish her sentence. Trowa knew what it would say.
"What about the other girl that was with her?"
"Beg pardon?"
"Elizabeth Winner. What about Lizzy?"
The doctor looked down at her clipboard, shuffling though some papers. "Liz woke up. She has a concussion, but she shattered her leg. She might never walk again."
Trowa nodded, eyes downcast. Suddenly, he couldn't stand to be in the room for one second longer. He needed to know what happened. "May I speak with her?"
The doctor looked at him, about to deny him, but something pulled at her heartstrings. "Of course, Mr. Barton. After all, I don't think my brother or sister-in-law would be able to deny you."
* * * * *
Lizzy was sitting up in bed, Quatre holding her hand when Trowa walked in the room. Quatre immediately stood up and gave Trowa a brotherly hug. "Trowa... I'm..."
Trowa simply shook his head, and Quatre understood. He released his friend and turned to the doctor. "Ivy, come out here... The kids haven't seen you in so long..."
The door shut, leaving Liz and Trowa alone in the room. Their eyes met for a second, then Lizzy looked away.
"Tell me what happened."
The dullness in his voice stung, and she flinched. Oh, God... Please, not Midii. Take me, not Midii.
"Lizzy, tell me. Please."
She flinched again. The dullness hurt more than the bullets that had threatened her life all those years ago. It'd be better if he yelled at me...
Trowa grabbed her shoulders, started shaking her, but stopped when he remembered her head injury. "ELIZABETH! PLEASE!"
She met his eyes, and he let her go. "I'm sorry. It's my fault. We should have just kicked Quatre out of the house for our Girl's Night Out..." Lizzy hung her head, tears dripping down her face, face buried in her hands. "I'm so very sorry..." she wispered between sobs.
Trowa moved to the seat Quatre had occupided previously. "Tell me what happened."
Lizzy wiped at her face, swallowing back more sobs. The least I can do is give him that. "Midii, Hilde and I went out for dinner and a movie. The movie ran really late, so we decided to stop somewhere that was open late for a quick bite before we headed on home. Hilde was driving, I was shotgun, Midii was in the seat directly behind me. Hil turned in, and..." She swallowed, having difficulty finding the words, finally spitting them out bitterly. "Some drunk bastard came flying out of nowhere, and hit my side. Right where Midii and I were sitting. Hilde just got thrown around a bit. I smacked my head against the dashboard, and the door collapsed on my leg. But Mid got the worst of it." Tears were streaming down her face again, and she threw her arms around Trowa's neck. "Tro, I'm sorry. Please, please. Forgive me. It's all my fault."
Trowa gently patted the back of Lizzy's head, and hugged her back. "No, no, it's not your fault. It was the guy who hit you. How can I forgive you for something that wasn't even your fault?"
Lizzy looked up and saw Trowa's face was just as streaked with tears as hers. "Oh... Trowa..."
There was nothing else to say. The damage was already done. And it was irreversable to everyone involved.
* * * * *
Against Ivy Winner's best judgement, the children were allowed in to see their mother. They were all told that there was a very good chance that she might never wake up. Trowa refused to sugar-coat or keep anything from the kids.
"Life's never easy," he explained to Duo when asked about his actions. "People are born and people die every day. No use hiding it from them. It's a lesson they'll have to learn eventually."
Eventually, Midii's body healed, the bandages vanishing and her bruises fading, but her eyes remained closed. Trowa began to have to go back to work, but Lizzy talked Quatre into sitting in Midii's room in the even that she awoke when Trowa was at Preventer headquarters.
Meanwhile, the children were staying at Quatre's house. Thomas was going absolutely nuts with worry over Liz, Natalie was trying frantically to calm him down, and Audrey, Marianna and Joseph--the youngest Winner at age four--kept Alex, Jessica, Chris and Steven company.
* * * * *
"Dad!"
Trowa looked at the vidscreen, Alex's face pale. He immediately sat up, his face draining of color. Alex had begged to stay with Midii on one of her holidays off from school. "What is it, Alex?"
"It's Mom, she--"
Silence.
"Alex?"
* * * * *
Ooh! Cliffhanger! Always wanted to do that.
* * * * *
Past, Present, Future
by Grace Musica
Chapter Nine
Life Changes
* * * * *
The marriage was a small, quiet affair, with only family and close friends invited. Nothing flashy, Trowa in a rented tux, Midii in a simple white dress. Alex sat quietly on the front pew, swinging her feet back and forth during the ceremony, holding Lady Une's hand. After the two exchanged vows and sealed the marriage with a kiss, Alex jumped up and ran over to Midii, yelling "Mommy!" at the top of her lungs. Even the priest, a stoic ex-monk, cracked up laughing as Midii picked up the small girl and planted a kiss on her cheek.
* * * * *
Things went smoothly as Trowa and Midii settled comfortably into married life. Alex started first grade in the fall, Trowa started paying back Quatre for the house--meger payments at best, but they were payments and both Midii and Lizzy were proud of him for it.
However, life never, ever pans out the way people want it to.
Never.
* * * * *
"Trowa?!"
Trowa immediately sensed something was wrong. Even over the vidphone, he had never seen Quatre so pale. "What's wrong?"
"...It's Liz. And Midii."
"What?!" Trowa promptly knocked over his coffee mug, spilling cold coffe everywhere and causing Alex to start from her homework. The six-year-old was now eleven, and swinging her feet at the kitchen table. Her five-year-old cousin was coloring some 'homework' at the seat next to her, and her four-, and two-year-old cousins were quietly napping on the couch, tv on. Jessica, the five-year-old, looked up.
"Daddy, is something wrong?"
Trowa waved his arm in the univeral 'Shut-Up-I'm-On-The Phone' signal and looked at Quatre through the viewscreen. "Tell me."
"Th-there was a car accident..." Quatre stuttered, his worry evident in his voice, words escaping him.
"Where are you?"
"The hospital. St. Peter's. Trowa, hurry."
"I'll be there in five minutes."
Trowa hung up the phone and turned to the two girls sitting at the table. He calmly walked over and put a hand on each of their heads. "Go and get your brothers. Mom's been in an accident."
Jessica promptly burst into tears. Trowa shushed her gently and stroked her hair. "Don't cry, baby. Just go wake up Chris and Steven. Alex, I want you to put all three of them in the car. I'm going to get some paperwork the hospital might need, okay?" He kissed both of them on the forehead. "Don't worry. Now go."
* * * * *
The doctor let Trowa in to see Midii first. And it was a good thing he did. She lay on the sterile, white sheets of the hospital bed, her head bandaged and tubes in her mouth and up her nose. A heart monitor beeped faintly over her bed, and her eyes were closed. What wasn't wrapped in bandages were various shades of black, blue and purple. He gripped the chair, the closest thing to him, before his knees gave out and started blankly at his wife.
"No..."
It was a wisper, but the doctor heard it over the beeping and hissing of the machines. A very pretty middle-aged brunette with piercing blue eyes, she placed a sympathetic hand on Trowa's shoulder.
"Mr. Barton... I'm very sorry. There's a good chance she might never wake up. There is some brain activity, however, which is a good sign. But..."
She didn't even have to finish her sentence. Trowa knew what it would say.
"What about the other girl that was with her?"
"Beg pardon?"
"Elizabeth Winner. What about Lizzy?"
The doctor looked down at her clipboard, shuffling though some papers. "Liz woke up. She has a concussion, but she shattered her leg. She might never walk again."
Trowa nodded, eyes downcast. Suddenly, he couldn't stand to be in the room for one second longer. He needed to know what happened. "May I speak with her?"
The doctor looked at him, about to deny him, but something pulled at her heartstrings. "Of course, Mr. Barton. After all, I don't think my brother or sister-in-law would be able to deny you."
* * * * *
Lizzy was sitting up in bed, Quatre holding her hand when Trowa walked in the room. Quatre immediately stood up and gave Trowa a brotherly hug. "Trowa... I'm..."
Trowa simply shook his head, and Quatre understood. He released his friend and turned to the doctor. "Ivy, come out here... The kids haven't seen you in so long..."
The door shut, leaving Liz and Trowa alone in the room. Their eyes met for a second, then Lizzy looked away.
"Tell me what happened."
The dullness in his voice stung, and she flinched. Oh, God... Please, not Midii. Take me, not Midii.
"Lizzy, tell me. Please."
She flinched again. The dullness hurt more than the bullets that had threatened her life all those years ago. It'd be better if he yelled at me...
Trowa grabbed her shoulders, started shaking her, but stopped when he remembered her head injury. "ELIZABETH! PLEASE!"
She met his eyes, and he let her go. "I'm sorry. It's my fault. We should have just kicked Quatre out of the house for our Girl's Night Out..." Lizzy hung her head, tears dripping down her face, face buried in her hands. "I'm so very sorry..." she wispered between sobs.
Trowa moved to the seat Quatre had occupided previously. "Tell me what happened."
Lizzy wiped at her face, swallowing back more sobs. The least I can do is give him that. "Midii, Hilde and I went out for dinner and a movie. The movie ran really late, so we decided to stop somewhere that was open late for a quick bite before we headed on home. Hilde was driving, I was shotgun, Midii was in the seat directly behind me. Hil turned in, and..." She swallowed, having difficulty finding the words, finally spitting them out bitterly. "Some drunk bastard came flying out of nowhere, and hit my side. Right where Midii and I were sitting. Hilde just got thrown around a bit. I smacked my head against the dashboard, and the door collapsed on my leg. But Mid got the worst of it." Tears were streaming down her face again, and she threw her arms around Trowa's neck. "Tro, I'm sorry. Please, please. Forgive me. It's all my fault."
Trowa gently patted the back of Lizzy's head, and hugged her back. "No, no, it's not your fault. It was the guy who hit you. How can I forgive you for something that wasn't even your fault?"
Lizzy looked up and saw Trowa's face was just as streaked with tears as hers. "Oh... Trowa..."
There was nothing else to say. The damage was already done. And it was irreversable to everyone involved.
* * * * *
Against Ivy Winner's best judgement, the children were allowed in to see their mother. They were all told that there was a very good chance that she might never wake up. Trowa refused to sugar-coat or keep anything from the kids.
"Life's never easy," he explained to Duo when asked about his actions. "People are born and people die every day. No use hiding it from them. It's a lesson they'll have to learn eventually."
Eventually, Midii's body healed, the bandages vanishing and her bruises fading, but her eyes remained closed. Trowa began to have to go back to work, but Lizzy talked Quatre into sitting in Midii's room in the even that she awoke when Trowa was at Preventer headquarters.
Meanwhile, the children were staying at Quatre's house. Thomas was going absolutely nuts with worry over Liz, Natalie was trying frantically to calm him down, and Audrey, Marianna and Joseph--the youngest Winner at age four--kept Alex, Jessica, Chris and Steven company.
* * * * *
"Dad!"
Trowa looked at the vidscreen, Alex's face pale. He immediately sat up, his face draining of color. Alex had begged to stay with Midii on one of her holidays off from school. "What is it, Alex?"
"It's Mom, she--"
Silence.
"Alex?"
* * * * *
Ooh! Cliffhanger! Always wanted to do that.