Chapter 33
"And so...that's what happened..."
Giselle refused to look at her father. Finally, she said, "And Mom?"
"Your mother knows too. I've already talked to her."
"And?"
Trowa sighed. "She...she's forgiven me...though I know I don't deserve it."
*flash*
"Reiming! Please! Why won't you listen?"
"How can you EXPECT me to listen Trowa?! You've hurt me beyond repair! How could
you possibly betray me like that?"
"Reiming, I'm sorry. I met her again before Heero's wedding and spent one night
with her as a favor. I forgot about her so quickly that-"
"Forgot? Trowa, that's not like you."
"I...I don't know. I HATED her...and I loved her too-"
"Then you have done both of us a great wrong. You should have stayed with her,
and not have then caused us both this pain."
"I know, I know. She was responsible for the deaths of my entire unit; she spied
for a living in order to survive."
"Survive...like I had to?"
"Yes...But I could never completely forgive her."
Silence. Then,
"So...you have't forgiven me either then, for my own lifestyle in the past?"
"No, I have forgiven you. That's why it's different: I loved her, but I fell IN
love with you...Reiming, I'm sorry. I KNOW I have hurt you, and I've betrayed Midii too.
I've already made one mistake. Please, don't deny me the chance to try to make things
right."
*flash*
"So, Daddy, you didn't betray Mom when you were married?"
"No. This was three years before. But I still have betrayed her. I lied to her,
and I know that it's going to be a long time before I can regain her trust...and I'd like
to ask you for forgiveness too, Giselle. I'm very sorry."
Giselle sniffled for a little bit, then said, "...Okay Daddy. I guess...then...I can
forgive you too."
"Giselle...I love you very much."
"I know Daddy. I know. And I love you too."
later...
"Giselle! Hello-oh! Come on! Time for lunch, remember?"
Clare stood outside of Giselle's room, waiting for her friend to come out. Finally, the
door opened a crack. "Clare?"
"Yup, it's me. Ready?"
"Ugh...I'm sorry, Clare, but I think I'm going to sit out on this..."
Instantly, Clare became concerned. "Giselle, are you alright? Is it true-"
"Yeah...but...I dunno...Will was born even before he even met my mom, so it's a bit
more bearable. Mom's already forgiven him, and so have I, but I'm kinda tired. Sorry to
back out on you."
"It's okay. I understand. Get some rest, and we'll talk later, okay?"
"Thanks a lot Clare. See you later," and Giselle closed the door.
Clare stood outside in the hall, looking thoughtfully at her friend's closed door. Finally,
she sighed and began walking down the hall. "Well, that's that," she mused. "Giselle's
found herself a new brother and I'm out of a lunch date. Oh well."
"Hi Clare. Want some company?"
Clare turned. "Mariemaia-san! How are you?"
Mariemaia smiled and fell into step with Clare. "Good. A bit tired though. But it's
nothing serious. So, did I hear you say that you needed some company?"
"Oh, it's okay! I'm fine by myself, and I don't want to drag you away from YOUR
friends."
"It's no problem. Jake's out training, and Mother's at a meeting with all your
parents. Plus, my Preventer friends have yet to transfer here, so I'd actually appreciate
your company. It makes me feel younger," she teased.
Clare grinned in response. "Well then, if THAT'S the case, let's go!"
later...
"Mariemaia-san, you aren't eating?"
Mariemaia wrinkled her nose. "Sorry...it's hotdog day today. I can't stand hotdogs."
Clare paused, her own hotdog halfway to her mouth. "Oh? Why? They taste good!"
"Taste good, yes. Healthy for you, absolutely not! Do you have any idea what's
IN those things?"
"Er..."
"Let me put it this way. Have you ever read 'The Jungle' by Sinclair? It's a few
hundred years old, but it describes meat packaging plants so vividly that now I can't
stand to eat that kind of meat. You know, at the plants, they-"
"No! Stop! I don't want to hear it!"
Mariemaia laughed. "Well then, now do you understand?"
"Yeah...I guess..."
A few moments passed. Then,
"Clare-chan, you're not eating?"
"Well, I'd feel bad eating in front of you..."
"Oh! Well then, if that's what's wrong..." and she stood up to get her own
food. When she returned, she smiled brightly at Clare and said, "Now, eat!"
Clare stared. "Mariemain-san...didn't you just say-"
"It's okay Clare. I mean, the book IS a bit outdated, and if this is what it's
going to take to get you to eat, well, I'm sure ONE time won't kill me!" and she bit
cheerfully into her hotdog.
Smiling, Clare said, "Well, great, now MY appetite for hotdogs is shot, but I guess I'll
start on the fruit or something," and she began to peel an orange.
Nearly half an hour passed before Clare finally said, "Well, I guess I'll start on that
hotdog now..." she said, eyeing it warily. Mariemaia laughed at her paranoia. "It's
about time, dear. I mean, I've already eaten-"
Mariemaia was abruptly cut off as she heard someone gagging. Jumping to her feet, she
hurried over to the other side of the cafeteria. She nearly vomited at what she saw.
Writhing on the floor was a Preventer agent, and he was throwing up. When there was
nothing left, he began spitting out blood. "Call a doctor!" Mariemaia shouted, then
jumped aside as the person next to her collapsed. "What...what IS this?" she whispered in
horror as people in the room all began to fall over.
"Mariemaia-san!"
"Clare! Get out of here! I don't know if this is contagious or what, but go get
my mother and the others! I'll-UGH!"
Mariemaia suddenly felt her stomach lurch and the recently eaten lunch was on the floor.
Ignoring Clare's horrified look, she suppressed another wave of vomit and snapped, "NOW!
GO!" Then she turned to attempt to help the other victims.
Clare could only nod mutely at her friend's command, then quickly turned and ran out of
the cafeteria.
elsewhere...
"Rayan? What is it?"
Out on the basketball court, Rayan stiffened. "I...I don't know...I've never felt this
before..."
Thomas carefully studied his friend. On the other side, Jerry, Wuten, Wuli, and Geoffry
exchanged glances and walked over. "Rayan...?" Wuten asked.
Rayan said nothing, only clutched at the basketball in his hands. "I...I..."
help...
"What? What is this feeling...?"
someone...help...sick...blood...
"Who...?"
cafeteria...need...help...
Rayan jerked. "Clare!"
As if on cue, Clare stumbled outside. "Rayan! Everyone! The people in the cafeteria...
they...Mariemaia-san!" she gasped, horrified.
The six boys stared at each other, then all ran inside.
"And so...that's what happened..."
Giselle refused to look at her father. Finally, she said, "And Mom?"
"Your mother knows too. I've already talked to her."
"And?"
Trowa sighed. "She...she's forgiven me...though I know I don't deserve it."
*flash*
"Reiming! Please! Why won't you listen?"
"How can you EXPECT me to listen Trowa?! You've hurt me beyond repair! How could
you possibly betray me like that?"
"Reiming, I'm sorry. I met her again before Heero's wedding and spent one night
with her as a favor. I forgot about her so quickly that-"
"Forgot? Trowa, that's not like you."
"I...I don't know. I HATED her...and I loved her too-"
"Then you have done both of us a great wrong. You should have stayed with her,
and not have then caused us both this pain."
"I know, I know. She was responsible for the deaths of my entire unit; she spied
for a living in order to survive."
"Survive...like I had to?"
"Yes...But I could never completely forgive her."
Silence. Then,
"So...you have't forgiven me either then, for my own lifestyle in the past?"
"No, I have forgiven you. That's why it's different: I loved her, but I fell IN
love with you...Reiming, I'm sorry. I KNOW I have hurt you, and I've betrayed Midii too.
I've already made one mistake. Please, don't deny me the chance to try to make things
right."
*flash*
"So, Daddy, you didn't betray Mom when you were married?"
"No. This was three years before. But I still have betrayed her. I lied to her,
and I know that it's going to be a long time before I can regain her trust...and I'd like
to ask you for forgiveness too, Giselle. I'm very sorry."
Giselle sniffled for a little bit, then said, "...Okay Daddy. I guess...then...I can
forgive you too."
"Giselle...I love you very much."
"I know Daddy. I know. And I love you too."
later...
"Giselle! Hello-oh! Come on! Time for lunch, remember?"
Clare stood outside of Giselle's room, waiting for her friend to come out. Finally, the
door opened a crack. "Clare?"
"Yup, it's me. Ready?"
"Ugh...I'm sorry, Clare, but I think I'm going to sit out on this..."
Instantly, Clare became concerned. "Giselle, are you alright? Is it true-"
"Yeah...but...I dunno...Will was born even before he even met my mom, so it's a bit
more bearable. Mom's already forgiven him, and so have I, but I'm kinda tired. Sorry to
back out on you."
"It's okay. I understand. Get some rest, and we'll talk later, okay?"
"Thanks a lot Clare. See you later," and Giselle closed the door.
Clare stood outside in the hall, looking thoughtfully at her friend's closed door. Finally,
she sighed and began walking down the hall. "Well, that's that," she mused. "Giselle's
found herself a new brother and I'm out of a lunch date. Oh well."
"Hi Clare. Want some company?"
Clare turned. "Mariemaia-san! How are you?"
Mariemaia smiled and fell into step with Clare. "Good. A bit tired though. But it's
nothing serious. So, did I hear you say that you needed some company?"
"Oh, it's okay! I'm fine by myself, and I don't want to drag you away from YOUR
friends."
"It's no problem. Jake's out training, and Mother's at a meeting with all your
parents. Plus, my Preventer friends have yet to transfer here, so I'd actually appreciate
your company. It makes me feel younger," she teased.
Clare grinned in response. "Well then, if THAT'S the case, let's go!"
later...
"Mariemaia-san, you aren't eating?"
Mariemaia wrinkled her nose. "Sorry...it's hotdog day today. I can't stand hotdogs."
Clare paused, her own hotdog halfway to her mouth. "Oh? Why? They taste good!"
"Taste good, yes. Healthy for you, absolutely not! Do you have any idea what's
IN those things?"
"Er..."
"Let me put it this way. Have you ever read 'The Jungle' by Sinclair? It's a few
hundred years old, but it describes meat packaging plants so vividly that now I can't
stand to eat that kind of meat. You know, at the plants, they-"
"No! Stop! I don't want to hear it!"
Mariemaia laughed. "Well then, now do you understand?"
"Yeah...I guess..."
A few moments passed. Then,
"Clare-chan, you're not eating?"
"Well, I'd feel bad eating in front of you..."
"Oh! Well then, if that's what's wrong..." and she stood up to get her own
food. When she returned, she smiled brightly at Clare and said, "Now, eat!"
Clare stared. "Mariemain-san...didn't you just say-"
"It's okay Clare. I mean, the book IS a bit outdated, and if this is what it's
going to take to get you to eat, well, I'm sure ONE time won't kill me!" and she bit
cheerfully into her hotdog.
Smiling, Clare said, "Well, great, now MY appetite for hotdogs is shot, but I guess I'll
start on the fruit or something," and she began to peel an orange.
Nearly half an hour passed before Clare finally said, "Well, I guess I'll start on that
hotdog now..." she said, eyeing it warily. Mariemaia laughed at her paranoia. "It's
about time, dear. I mean, I've already eaten-"
Mariemaia was abruptly cut off as she heard someone gagging. Jumping to her feet, she
hurried over to the other side of the cafeteria. She nearly vomited at what she saw.
Writhing on the floor was a Preventer agent, and he was throwing up. When there was
nothing left, he began spitting out blood. "Call a doctor!" Mariemaia shouted, then
jumped aside as the person next to her collapsed. "What...what IS this?" she whispered in
horror as people in the room all began to fall over.
"Mariemaia-san!"
"Clare! Get out of here! I don't know if this is contagious or what, but go get
my mother and the others! I'll-UGH!"
Mariemaia suddenly felt her stomach lurch and the recently eaten lunch was on the floor.
Ignoring Clare's horrified look, she suppressed another wave of vomit and snapped, "NOW!
GO!" Then she turned to attempt to help the other victims.
Clare could only nod mutely at her friend's command, then quickly turned and ran out of
the cafeteria.
elsewhere...
"Rayan? What is it?"
Out on the basketball court, Rayan stiffened. "I...I don't know...I've never felt this
before..."
Thomas carefully studied his friend. On the other side, Jerry, Wuten, Wuli, and Geoffry
exchanged glances and walked over. "Rayan...?" Wuten asked.
Rayan said nothing, only clutched at the basketball in his hands. "I...I..."
help...
"What? What is this feeling...?"
someone...help...sick...blood...
"Who...?"
cafeteria...need...help...
Rayan jerked. "Clare!"
As if on cue, Clare stumbled outside. "Rayan! Everyone! The people in the cafeteria...
they...Mariemaia-san!" she gasped, horrified.
The six boys stared at each other, then all ran inside.
