We're close to over, guys... The party doesn't end with Midii's death, folks.
* * * * *
Past, Present, Future
by Grace Musica
Chapter Twelve
Why Lizzy Winner Should Be A Speachwritter
* * * * *
The funeral was bigger than the wedding, Trowa realized bitterly halfway though the service. Midii was lying in her casket as if asleep, dressed in an ivory sundress, one that she had bought on their last shopping trip together. She had made him wait and wait and wait while she tried on dress after dress, until she finally walzed out of the dressing room. She had looked so beautiful Trowa seriously considered taking her back into the small cubicle and making love to her. Unfortunately, before he could act, Midii just spun around, asked him how she looked, laughed at the look on his face, and simply stated, "This'll do, then."
Trowa looked up and down the pew at his children, positioned as he was in the middle of the four of them. First was Alex, now seventeen; the poor girl had lost another mother. Then Jessica, an exact copy of the way her mother loooked at eleven. The boys Chris and Steven could pass as twins, both little Trowa clones, but their eyes were different--Chris, now ten, had his father's brilliant green eyes but eight-year-old Steven had his mother's deep, blue eyes. Alex and Jessica were crying quietly, the boys looking somber, Chris holding little Steven's hand. Trowa reached out and touched their heads gently, comforting as best he could at the moment.
Trowa looked up when he realized the preist had stopped talking to see Lizzy walking calmly up the aisle. He faintly remembered asking her to give the euology. The church was dead quiet as she asccended the shallow stairs to the podium and looked out at the gathered friends and family. Finally, she cleared her throat.
"Gathered friends and family, on behaf of the Barton family, I would like to thank you for attending this somber affair today. For those of you who don't know me, my name is Elizabeth Winner, and for many years I was one of Midii's closest friends." Here, she paused and swallowed. "So, when her husband--and one of my husband's close friends as well--Trowa--asked me to speak today... I really wanted to turn him down."
Trowa raised an eyebrow. Elizabeth Winner, not want to speak? He shot a puzzled look across the aisle at Quatre, who was with this own children. Quatre smiled, winked and motioned for Trowa to keep listening.
"But my husband reminded me of something--that there was a huge gap in the Barton family, a hole that had to be filled. A few years ago, his two nieces and nephew--and himself as well--were put in the same position; his oldest sister died in a car accident, and he was the de facto guardian of her three children. That first night, I taught him a very important lesson--when people see strength, they live strength.
"So I decided I would speak, if only to try my hardest to ease the pain, the loss, of all here. The way I can do that is to tell a few stories that showed the real Midii, the totally, insane, nutso side of her... The side that precious few were allowed to really see.
"So..." Lizzy rubbed her hands together and put them on each side of the wooden rectangle. "Let's start at the beginning. Good place to begin, if I do say so myself. Midii and I met during the war, on Peacemillion. I was working as the head mechanic, and Midii worked down in purchasing, meaning whenever I really, really needed something, I had to go though Miss Midii Une.
"Now, for reasons that would take way to long to explain at the moment, I had to live out most of my childhood cross-dressed as a man, and I found it convinent to do so during the war." She paused to give Duo a dirty look, who had begun to snicker in a most impolite way. "Apparently, I played this role a little too well, because the first time I met her, Lizzy asked me out on a date."
The entire chuch snickered. The idea of Midii asking this pretty woman, dressed elegantly in a simple black dress, her long hair braided back and a string of pearls around her neck, out on a date was laughable.
"Needless to say, I politely turned her down, but Midii was never one to back off when spurned, as her husband can attest."
Trowa chuckled, nodding, remembering fondly her pushing him head-over-heels into a half-full bathtub.
"She continued to hound me about a date with her. She would just keep at it and keep at it... I don't know, maybe she liked the fact that I could be sensitive..."
Another round of chuckles.
"So, finally I told her the truth... That I was gay."
Laughter resounded from the rafters, the loudest from the Gundam pilots who knew Lizzy best. That was just the typical Maxwell in her.
"Here's the really, really sad part--she didn't believe me." Lizzy chuckled along with the rest of the church, remembering the outcome of the story. "I had to go out with a gay man to prove it. Now, it really shouldn't be THAT HARD to gind a single gay man, but I couldn't. Guess I don't have the radar or something," Lizzy mused, using her hands to zoom out, as if she was pinpointing people. "So anyway, I managed to 'find' a 'gay man' to go out with me... with much cajoling and fake-crying and most of two month's paycheck. That man, ladies and gentlemen was one of my closest friends, and still is... Duo Maxwell."
Laughter exploded within the tiny church, even the priest laughing in what he mentally thought was a sacreligious manner. Hilde, sitting in the front pews with her husband and children, crossed her arms and legs and looked at her husband, who was laughing and ducked his head to try to avoid his wife's rath.
"Yes, Mr. Maxwell... Quite possibly the straightest, most girl-crazy man on the Earth Sphere--with a braid, that is... And the man who threatened to kill me if I ever told this story... Thank God he's not like Heero Yuy, a man who would back up that promise, even for the sake of a good story."
More laughter, even from Heero, who had turned up to pay his respects to a fellow co-worker.
"Oh, and by the way, Duo, darling... That dress looked stunning on you."
Even more laughter, Duo turning bright red and laughing so hard he was wiping his eyes. He waved a playful fist at Lizzy, then flipped his braid in a feminine manner, causing more laughter.
"Oh, guys, you would have loved it!" Lizzy told everyone, waving her hands around excitedly. "It was black, and nice and short... Showed off his legs perfectly... With long sleeves, and netting right around here..." Her hands went to her own waist, then started pointing at various parts of her body. "And there were circles right here..." She pointed at the insides of her elbows. "And here..." Her hands flew to her shoulders. "And here..." She pointed to the center of her chest. "And here..." Back to her stomach. "And..." Then she made a face. "I'm sorry, I forgot this was a church." She crossed herself as everyone was laughing at the mental image of Duo in such a thing.
Trowa then realized what was happening. She was making everyone laugh to keep them from crying. It was quite a signature Lizzy Maxwell Winner move, something he knew she would want at her own funeral. It was appropriate for Midii, too. Show that there were good memories to think about instead of just missed opportunities and wishful thinking. Damn, but Lizzy should be a public speaker.
"But anyway, we went out on a 'date', which was rather disturbing for both of us--Duo and I both grew up together on L2, and we're very close, closer than some brothers and sisters. Well, at the end of the date he kissed me--rather convincingly at that."
"And I got paid extra for that, too!" Duo supplied, mostly for Hilde's benefit, making everyone laugh even harder.
"Oh, shut up, Maxwell. You know you liked it!"
"Oh yes..." Duo rolled his eyes, and continued sarcastically, "I've been in love with you for years! Oh, Elizabeth!"
Trowa and Quatre looked at each other. Both were in tears from laughing, and Quatre wiped his eyes. "That's our Liz," Quatre mouthed to Trowa.
"And Duo," Trowa mouthed back, nodding.
"ANYWAY!" Lizzy slammed her hands on the podium to stop the catfight between herself and her brother. "After our... lovely..." She shuttered. "Lip-lock, I invited him in for coffee. Midii, who had been following the entire thing and had a very dirty mind, thought we were doing something else." Lizzy tsked and shook her head. "Bad, bad Mid. In reality, Duo changed into more appropriate clothing for a nice, straight man--in record time, I might say, although he did keep the stilletos--" She stopped as laughter threatened to drown out her voice. "--and the two of us shared a huge pot of coffee and laughed hysterically over what had just happened... And took turns gargling with mouthwash.
"However, Midii was so very depressed when I saw her the next day that I told her the truth... That Duo was a lousy lover, and it hadn't even been worth the dinner that he had payed for."
More laughter at that, Hilde nodding furiously from her head and making Lizzy laugh as well.
"And let's face it, he had to pay, because I was broke!
"I continued the facade for a few more months, until the two of us started to become close friends, and I could trust her. So, I told her the truth, the real truth this time, and we became even closer after that." Here, she paused, wiped a tear that was trickling down her cheek and cleared her throat.
"Now, sisters are a rare thing." She smiled at Natalie and Audrey. "As are brothers, don't get me wrong, but there's something different about sisters. Brothers are comforters, the ones who jump up and beat up someone whenever you cry. Sisters are the ones who plot to posion their food so they won't make you cry again."
Lizzy gripped the sides of the podium tightly and grinned like the fool she was. "Now, the story I just told you was our first contact with one another. She was fifteen, I was fourteen. After the war, we continued to be friends. We watched each other grow in our own ways, get married, have children, and steadily became as close as sisters.
"Which means I've got a ton of stories just like the one I've told you. And... If no one has anything else better to do..." She stared at everyone in the church in a manner that said 'and you'd better not'. "I'd like to share each and every one of them with you."
* * * * *
After Midii had been laid to rest in the ground, and dirt was piled high on her casket, Trowa turned to his children and gave them each a huge hug.
"It'll be okay, guys, we'll be all right."
Jessica was crying. "But it hurts, Dad."
"I know, baby, I know it does. But the pain will ease, I promise you."
He stood and looked past his children at the Winners, standing in the background. Lizzy was sniffling and wiping her eyes with a hankerchief, Quatre's arm around her waist, holding her tight, comforting her. Trowa walked up to her and gave her a huge hug.
"Thank you," Trowa wispered in her ear, still hugging her tight. "Thank you for making us laugh and for giving us such beautiful stories, little sister-in-law."
That made the tears, held back at the church, flow down her cheeks in crystal streams. "Oh, Trowa..." She sniffed, pulled back and wiped at her face, at a loss for words.
"Look, Trowa. You can't go back to the house tonight, we understand," Quatre told him gently. "Go on to our house. You and the kids stay as long as you want."
"Thank you, Quatre, Lizzy."
Quatre smiled and put a sympathetic hand on his shoulder. "Friends do what they can for each other in times of need."
"Could you take the kids?" Lizzy asked, finding her voice. "I'd like to stay here a little longer, tell her good-bye in my own way..."
Trowa nodded. Suddenly, he couldn't stand to stay in the graveyard anymore, and he turned to the cars with the children. Natalie and Thomas, now 25, both put an arm around their Uncle Trowa, Natalie's husband Dennis holding their three-month-old daughter Christina. Audrey, at 20, had one arm around Alex, who was still crying. Marianna, 14, was doing the same thing to comfort Jessica. The triplets, Anthony and the boys were walking quietly behind them all, old enough to understand what had happened, but still just a little too young to understand why everyone had been laughing at the funeral.
As they reached the car, a faint sound drifted to Trowa's ears--Lizzy's voice. She was yelling, crying, Quatre holding her hand as she shook the other at the grave in the form of a fist. He could hear the words, but not understand the language. "What in the Earth Sphere is Lizzy doing?"
Natalie chuckled a bit dispite herself. "She's cursing in Arabic. Uncle Quatre and the Maganacs taught her a few choice words, and she uses them fluently. Uncle Quatre's had us in lessons since we're three, so we're fluent."
"What's she saying?"
"She's... Damn, she's gotten good, sis," Thomas said, straining to hear. "She's asking how Aunt Midii could do this to her, you, the family, how God could allow it, you know... And she's cursing at her." He grinned. "It's a Lizzy move, you have to admit, Uncle Trowa.
Trowa nodded. It was a Lizzy move.
And he loved her for it.
* * * * *
* * * * *
Past, Present, Future
by Grace Musica
Chapter Twelve
Why Lizzy Winner Should Be A Speachwritter
* * * * *
The funeral was bigger than the wedding, Trowa realized bitterly halfway though the service. Midii was lying in her casket as if asleep, dressed in an ivory sundress, one that she had bought on their last shopping trip together. She had made him wait and wait and wait while she tried on dress after dress, until she finally walzed out of the dressing room. She had looked so beautiful Trowa seriously considered taking her back into the small cubicle and making love to her. Unfortunately, before he could act, Midii just spun around, asked him how she looked, laughed at the look on his face, and simply stated, "This'll do, then."
Trowa looked up and down the pew at his children, positioned as he was in the middle of the four of them. First was Alex, now seventeen; the poor girl had lost another mother. Then Jessica, an exact copy of the way her mother loooked at eleven. The boys Chris and Steven could pass as twins, both little Trowa clones, but their eyes were different--Chris, now ten, had his father's brilliant green eyes but eight-year-old Steven had his mother's deep, blue eyes. Alex and Jessica were crying quietly, the boys looking somber, Chris holding little Steven's hand. Trowa reached out and touched their heads gently, comforting as best he could at the moment.
Trowa looked up when he realized the preist had stopped talking to see Lizzy walking calmly up the aisle. He faintly remembered asking her to give the euology. The church was dead quiet as she asccended the shallow stairs to the podium and looked out at the gathered friends and family. Finally, she cleared her throat.
"Gathered friends and family, on behaf of the Barton family, I would like to thank you for attending this somber affair today. For those of you who don't know me, my name is Elizabeth Winner, and for many years I was one of Midii's closest friends." Here, she paused and swallowed. "So, when her husband--and one of my husband's close friends as well--Trowa--asked me to speak today... I really wanted to turn him down."
Trowa raised an eyebrow. Elizabeth Winner, not want to speak? He shot a puzzled look across the aisle at Quatre, who was with this own children. Quatre smiled, winked and motioned for Trowa to keep listening.
"But my husband reminded me of something--that there was a huge gap in the Barton family, a hole that had to be filled. A few years ago, his two nieces and nephew--and himself as well--were put in the same position; his oldest sister died in a car accident, and he was the de facto guardian of her three children. That first night, I taught him a very important lesson--when people see strength, they live strength.
"So I decided I would speak, if only to try my hardest to ease the pain, the loss, of all here. The way I can do that is to tell a few stories that showed the real Midii, the totally, insane, nutso side of her... The side that precious few were allowed to really see.
"So..." Lizzy rubbed her hands together and put them on each side of the wooden rectangle. "Let's start at the beginning. Good place to begin, if I do say so myself. Midii and I met during the war, on Peacemillion. I was working as the head mechanic, and Midii worked down in purchasing, meaning whenever I really, really needed something, I had to go though Miss Midii Une.
"Now, for reasons that would take way to long to explain at the moment, I had to live out most of my childhood cross-dressed as a man, and I found it convinent to do so during the war." She paused to give Duo a dirty look, who had begun to snicker in a most impolite way. "Apparently, I played this role a little too well, because the first time I met her, Lizzy asked me out on a date."
The entire chuch snickered. The idea of Midii asking this pretty woman, dressed elegantly in a simple black dress, her long hair braided back and a string of pearls around her neck, out on a date was laughable.
"Needless to say, I politely turned her down, but Midii was never one to back off when spurned, as her husband can attest."
Trowa chuckled, nodding, remembering fondly her pushing him head-over-heels into a half-full bathtub.
"She continued to hound me about a date with her. She would just keep at it and keep at it... I don't know, maybe she liked the fact that I could be sensitive..."
Another round of chuckles.
"So, finally I told her the truth... That I was gay."
Laughter resounded from the rafters, the loudest from the Gundam pilots who knew Lizzy best. That was just the typical Maxwell in her.
"Here's the really, really sad part--she didn't believe me." Lizzy chuckled along with the rest of the church, remembering the outcome of the story. "I had to go out with a gay man to prove it. Now, it really shouldn't be THAT HARD to gind a single gay man, but I couldn't. Guess I don't have the radar or something," Lizzy mused, using her hands to zoom out, as if she was pinpointing people. "So anyway, I managed to 'find' a 'gay man' to go out with me... with much cajoling and fake-crying and most of two month's paycheck. That man, ladies and gentlemen was one of my closest friends, and still is... Duo Maxwell."
Laughter exploded within the tiny church, even the priest laughing in what he mentally thought was a sacreligious manner. Hilde, sitting in the front pews with her husband and children, crossed her arms and legs and looked at her husband, who was laughing and ducked his head to try to avoid his wife's rath.
"Yes, Mr. Maxwell... Quite possibly the straightest, most girl-crazy man on the Earth Sphere--with a braid, that is... And the man who threatened to kill me if I ever told this story... Thank God he's not like Heero Yuy, a man who would back up that promise, even for the sake of a good story."
More laughter, even from Heero, who had turned up to pay his respects to a fellow co-worker.
"Oh, and by the way, Duo, darling... That dress looked stunning on you."
Even more laughter, Duo turning bright red and laughing so hard he was wiping his eyes. He waved a playful fist at Lizzy, then flipped his braid in a feminine manner, causing more laughter.
"Oh, guys, you would have loved it!" Lizzy told everyone, waving her hands around excitedly. "It was black, and nice and short... Showed off his legs perfectly... With long sleeves, and netting right around here..." Her hands went to her own waist, then started pointing at various parts of her body. "And there were circles right here..." She pointed at the insides of her elbows. "And here..." Her hands flew to her shoulders. "And here..." She pointed to the center of her chest. "And here..." Back to her stomach. "And..." Then she made a face. "I'm sorry, I forgot this was a church." She crossed herself as everyone was laughing at the mental image of Duo in such a thing.
Trowa then realized what was happening. She was making everyone laugh to keep them from crying. It was quite a signature Lizzy Maxwell Winner move, something he knew she would want at her own funeral. It was appropriate for Midii, too. Show that there were good memories to think about instead of just missed opportunities and wishful thinking. Damn, but Lizzy should be a public speaker.
"But anyway, we went out on a 'date', which was rather disturbing for both of us--Duo and I both grew up together on L2, and we're very close, closer than some brothers and sisters. Well, at the end of the date he kissed me--rather convincingly at that."
"And I got paid extra for that, too!" Duo supplied, mostly for Hilde's benefit, making everyone laugh even harder.
"Oh, shut up, Maxwell. You know you liked it!"
"Oh yes..." Duo rolled his eyes, and continued sarcastically, "I've been in love with you for years! Oh, Elizabeth!"
Trowa and Quatre looked at each other. Both were in tears from laughing, and Quatre wiped his eyes. "That's our Liz," Quatre mouthed to Trowa.
"And Duo," Trowa mouthed back, nodding.
"ANYWAY!" Lizzy slammed her hands on the podium to stop the catfight between herself and her brother. "After our... lovely..." She shuttered. "Lip-lock, I invited him in for coffee. Midii, who had been following the entire thing and had a very dirty mind, thought we were doing something else." Lizzy tsked and shook her head. "Bad, bad Mid. In reality, Duo changed into more appropriate clothing for a nice, straight man--in record time, I might say, although he did keep the stilletos--" She stopped as laughter threatened to drown out her voice. "--and the two of us shared a huge pot of coffee and laughed hysterically over what had just happened... And took turns gargling with mouthwash.
"However, Midii was so very depressed when I saw her the next day that I told her the truth... That Duo was a lousy lover, and it hadn't even been worth the dinner that he had payed for."
More laughter at that, Hilde nodding furiously from her head and making Lizzy laugh as well.
"And let's face it, he had to pay, because I was broke!
"I continued the facade for a few more months, until the two of us started to become close friends, and I could trust her. So, I told her the truth, the real truth this time, and we became even closer after that." Here, she paused, wiped a tear that was trickling down her cheek and cleared her throat.
"Now, sisters are a rare thing." She smiled at Natalie and Audrey. "As are brothers, don't get me wrong, but there's something different about sisters. Brothers are comforters, the ones who jump up and beat up someone whenever you cry. Sisters are the ones who plot to posion their food so they won't make you cry again."
Lizzy gripped the sides of the podium tightly and grinned like the fool she was. "Now, the story I just told you was our first contact with one another. She was fifteen, I was fourteen. After the war, we continued to be friends. We watched each other grow in our own ways, get married, have children, and steadily became as close as sisters.
"Which means I've got a ton of stories just like the one I've told you. And... If no one has anything else better to do..." She stared at everyone in the church in a manner that said 'and you'd better not'. "I'd like to share each and every one of them with you."
* * * * *
After Midii had been laid to rest in the ground, and dirt was piled high on her casket, Trowa turned to his children and gave them each a huge hug.
"It'll be okay, guys, we'll be all right."
Jessica was crying. "But it hurts, Dad."
"I know, baby, I know it does. But the pain will ease, I promise you."
He stood and looked past his children at the Winners, standing in the background. Lizzy was sniffling and wiping her eyes with a hankerchief, Quatre's arm around her waist, holding her tight, comforting her. Trowa walked up to her and gave her a huge hug.
"Thank you," Trowa wispered in her ear, still hugging her tight. "Thank you for making us laugh and for giving us such beautiful stories, little sister-in-law."
That made the tears, held back at the church, flow down her cheeks in crystal streams. "Oh, Trowa..." She sniffed, pulled back and wiped at her face, at a loss for words.
"Look, Trowa. You can't go back to the house tonight, we understand," Quatre told him gently. "Go on to our house. You and the kids stay as long as you want."
"Thank you, Quatre, Lizzy."
Quatre smiled and put a sympathetic hand on his shoulder. "Friends do what they can for each other in times of need."
"Could you take the kids?" Lizzy asked, finding her voice. "I'd like to stay here a little longer, tell her good-bye in my own way..."
Trowa nodded. Suddenly, he couldn't stand to stay in the graveyard anymore, and he turned to the cars with the children. Natalie and Thomas, now 25, both put an arm around their Uncle Trowa, Natalie's husband Dennis holding their three-month-old daughter Christina. Audrey, at 20, had one arm around Alex, who was still crying. Marianna, 14, was doing the same thing to comfort Jessica. The triplets, Anthony and the boys were walking quietly behind them all, old enough to understand what had happened, but still just a little too young to understand why everyone had been laughing at the funeral.
As they reached the car, a faint sound drifted to Trowa's ears--Lizzy's voice. She was yelling, crying, Quatre holding her hand as she shook the other at the grave in the form of a fist. He could hear the words, but not understand the language. "What in the Earth Sphere is Lizzy doing?"
Natalie chuckled a bit dispite herself. "She's cursing in Arabic. Uncle Quatre and the Maganacs taught her a few choice words, and she uses them fluently. Uncle Quatre's had us in lessons since we're three, so we're fluent."
"What's she saying?"
"She's... Damn, she's gotten good, sis," Thomas said, straining to hear. "She's asking how Aunt Midii could do this to her, you, the family, how God could allow it, you know... And she's cursing at her." He grinned. "It's a Lizzy move, you have to admit, Uncle Trowa.
Trowa nodded. It was a Lizzy move.
And he loved her for it.
* * * * *