DISCLAIMER: People (not me) own GW.
O_o This is getting very long… hehe, hope people like the new chappy!
No Red Letters!
A GW Christmas Tale…
Chapter Three: Always keep the receipt, 'cause no one ever likes what you get them!
"Please, Miss - Mary - Could you just call her over the PA system, please?" Quatre pleaded with the lady behind the information desk. He upped his megawatt smile a notch.
Mary looked unconvinced. "Sir, I can't call someone over the system if you don't know her name."
Wufei rolled his eyes in annoyance, he had been roaming around for a gift for Sally while Quatre had been talking to the information desk lady. He had just come back and he knew both of them had little success. Why did Quatre have to buy a doll that was the last one left? Why couldn't this lady just read the girl's description over the PA system? Why did Sally get him a gift?!
"Listen…Miss. My friend here, has lost his, his daughter. She's a very imaginative child and doesn't like to be called by her first name. If you call it over the PA system, thousands of people will hear it and she'll never come out of hiding." Wufei finished, surprised at how easily he could lie. Quatre looked even more surprised.
"Is that right sir?" Quatre turned to the person who had asked the question. Mary looked at him uncertainly.
"Uhh, yes. Yes it is. Please just read out her description."
"I would still need a name…my supervisor - "
"Call her Sally. She likes that name." Wufei supplied and Mary finally got it. 'The looks that passed between the two…' She thought, 'Why didn't she see it before! This girl…was THEIR daughter!'
She tapped the mic, she had only refused Quatre since he was handsome and she liked the way he pleaded…but now that he had this other man…She sighed, 'Why are all the good-looking ones taken?'
"Attention Level Five shoppers, can Sally, blonde hair, green eyes, forked eyebrows and pale please come to the front information desk?" She repeated the request again, before nodding to the two men. "You'll just have to wait, now."
Quatre nodded in thanks and they all waited for 'Sally' to turn up. After a few minutes, Wufei gave Quatre a look. "She's not on this level."
Quatre agreed and turned to Mary. "Do you think it would be possible if you could broadcast that message to all the levels of the department store?"
"Not from this information desk sir. If you go to our head of security on level eight, they might let you broadcast it." Mary smiled at him. "But it's highly unlikely."
Quatre thanked her for her help and the two former pilots headed to the lifts to level eight. If they had gone past the escalators going up they would have seen their 'Sally', sadly they bypassed it and missed her completely.
*******************************
"Why would he go up, Bethany? If he stole something he would be going down." Dorothy argued to her younger cousin while glaring at a man in a Santa suit.
"I just have a feeling."
"You had a feeling for the last four levels."
"You're just impatient to hit someone, Dory."
Dorothy didn't add, 'Yes I am and you'll substitute nicely,' since she had regained most of her composure but her anger was still at boiling point.
"Oh!"
"Did you see him?!"
Bethany shook her head, "No, but look at these plates! Oooh…little baby Jesus'! How cute!"
An evil death-glare answered her. Dorothy roughly pulled her cousin away from the printed plates. "There's an Information Desk. Go ask about this man."
Bethany gave her a hurt expression but did as she was told. "Hello! Umm - " She squinted down to look at the nametag on the lady sitting in the information booth. " - Merri! Hmmm, your parents must have a sense of humour!"
Merri cringed; she hated to hear Christmas jokes. "Yes, ma'am. Is there anything you would like?"
"Oh! Yes, I was just wondering if you could call someone over the PA?"
"Name?"
Bethany frowned a little. "Well I'm not sure, but I can describe what he looked like and what he was wearing!"
Merri looked bored. "Sorry, ma'am, we're not at liberty to meet such requests."
"Really?" Bethany looked slightly crushed. "Not even this once? I mean it is Christmas and all…"
A fake smile spread across Merri's face, "Sorry we can't."
Nodding in disappointment, Bethany was about to head back to Dorothy who was some ways off when she came face to face with another Information Desk lady.
"Fork eyebrows!"
Said eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Excuse me?!" Bethany exclaimed.
The lady (who was Mary, returning from her coffee break), waved her hands in front of her. "Sorry ma'am. I didn't mean any offence. Your fathers were looking for you…You're older than I thought you were, Sally."
"Sally? Fathers?" Bethany repeated rather stupidly. Dorothy came up to her and looked at the two department workers and then at her cousin's confused face.
"Excuse me, what's going on?"
Mary looked at Dorothy then back at Bethany. Both women were strikingly similar except their eyes and complexions differed somewhat.
"Ma'am, are you Sally?"
"No I most certainly am not called Sally. This is Bethany. She doesn't have fathers." Dorothy wondered if the whole world was playing a joke on her. Now everyone looked confused. "Did you see a blond, blue eyed man wearing a Christmas jumper with reindeer all over it?"
Mary nodded. "Yes, he was looking for someone looking like her and he was with a man with black hair and they went to level eight to security."
"Thank you." With that Dorothy started to pull Bethany away from them and towards the lifts. "Bethany? Are you ok?" She asked in a quiet voice. Her younger cousin had lost the cheerfulness and she had a feeling she knew why.
"Huh? Oh yeah. Ummm, Dory, I think I need to get some air." With that she disappeared into the still thousand strong crowd.
Dorothy cursed the sales lady and the blonde man who had taken her cousin's gift. Since she couldn't hit the lady for just talking she waited impatiently for the lift to open so she could vent her anger against the little blonde thief. As people crammed into the lift, Dorothy found herself thinking of someone who fit the description Bethany had described. She dismissed the thought. 'Why would he be here, of all places?'
*********************************
Heero was beginning to wonder if Relena knew any road rules at all. Not only had she sped through red lights and stop signs to get to the department store but she had parked in a no parking area. Relena didn't seem to care. 'These sort of occasions are hazardous to her health,' he thought, trying to keep people from getting hurt as she walked past with an extremely determined look on her face.
"Relena I think it would be better if..." The rest of what he was saying died in his throat.
Relena turned around impatiently, "What Heero? Heero? Heero come on!" She stalked to where he stood motionless in front of a glass window. "Heero, lets move - " The rest of what she was going to say was silenced by the cold hurt look in Heero's eyes.
"If you didn't like it, you could've just told me."
Relena's anger at WaJB Partners lessened considerably as she looked into Heero's eyes. "What are you talking about, Heero?"
He turned his gaze to the glass window and she could see a row of brand new motorised scooters on display. She was about to ask the question again when her eyesight fell on a pale pink Vespa scooter with elegant gold letters on the front. 'What was her scooter doing on display?'
"Heero I don't know how my scooter got there…you don't think I returned your Christmas gift, do you?" Relena had found Heero's present for her a week ago in one of the guest rooms. Completely by accident of course, it wasn't like she had gone looking for Heero's present and she really loved this gift. She loved the sound of the wind as she whizzed around the grounds of Peacecraft Mansion.
"It looks like you did." Heero answered coldly.
"Heero - "
"Forget it. Lets buy your dress and get out of here." With that he started to walk to the escalators. Relena jostled past shoppers trying to reach him, her want of a new gown momentarily forgotten.
"Heero! Wait! I'm telling you! I didn't return your gift!"
He ignored what she said, but still kept a watchful eye out for her, it was his job after all. Inwardly he was thinking about all that effort he had put into her gift. Getting the right colour, modifying the engine so it would go slightly slower than usual and even all that leather gear he got her! And what does she do? Returns it! He couldn't believe that it had slipped his notice. Maybe he didn't really know her well at all, if he couldn't tell she had just been pretending to be happy with her gift. While he was contemplating these grave thoughts, a trio of happier people had entered the department store.
****************************
"Wow." Duo whistled out loud at the amount of people and the sheer size of the department store.
"There's so many people…Sally do you know where the food court is?" asked Hilde looking around in awe like her husband.
"There's three…The supplier's at the biggest one…on level two. We're going up, I guess." They managed to navigate their way through the crowds with relative ease and were at the food suppliers in no time.
Duo spotted the man they were looking for nearly straight away, "Hey! There he is! Hey! Timmy! Wait!"
Timmy, a man short and slight (although appearances were deceiving) turned in surprise to face the braided man. "Duo? What are you doing here? Did you follow me?"
"Actually yes." Timmy looked up at who had spoken. Sally continued, "You have my organiser." She pointed to the palmtop in his breast pocket.
Timmy looked at it in surprise. "Really? I thought it was the manager's… So sorry, miss!"
After the whole affair was sorted out (quite easily, too) Duo offered to help him bring back the food supplies but Timmy declined, wished them a 'Merry Christmas' and was off. The trio were in the process of deciding what to do now, when Hilde's cell phone went off.
"Hello? Hi Pagan!" She walked a little bit away from the other two and Duo watched her face change. 'It's not good news.'
When she came back, Hilde's expressions confirmed his suspicions. "I can't believe it! Our luggage got damaged. The airline called Relena's to tell us; Pagan said that they would be sending over forms to sign. Great! Now we both have nothing to where for tonight's ball!"
Duo shook his head, "I could just borrow some of Heero's clothes. No biggie. You could lend some of Relena's! She won't mind."
Hilde nodded forlornly. "I know she won't mind but I wanted to wear the dress I had bought…"
"We could look for something here. Unless you want to avoid the crowds." Suggested Sally.
Hilde perked up. "Shopping? I'm always up for it! If I can find something now, it'll be great! Even if I don't find anything, I'll at least have gone shopping!"
A feeling of impending doom crept up on Duo. "Uhh…You two go ahead, I'll just see the dessert bar."
Hilde looked at her husband, "Are you sure?"
"Definitely!" With that, a kiss, a few goodbyes and an allocated time to meet up later, they separated; Sally and Hilde in the direction of woman's clothing and Duo to the ice-cream section.
********************************
A definite twitch was developing in Trowa's shoulder. They had barely spent ten minutes in this department store and he was already suffocating. Nothing he or Catherine could say would convince Midii to just borrow one of Relena's gowns for tonight's ball. Trowa would never understand women and their fascination with wearing new clothes. Midii had pointed out that she had never met Relena and it would be imprudent to just ask her to lend her a gown. So here they were, in Cinq's biggest department store looking for a gown. He knew Midii was just feeling nervous about meeting all his friends (she had only met Quatre) and she wanted to make the best impression possible. He, on the other hand, didn't know why she was so worried. They would love her like he loved her. His eyes widened as he realised what he had just thought. He loved her…
"Trowa you don't have to shop with us, you can go to the sports level or the food court," Catherine could tell her brother was at a discomfort.
He smiled at her. "Yeah, I think you're right." He waved good-bye, told them that he'll meet them at the food court in an hour and disappeared into the crowd. Unbeknownst to his two female companions he wasn't heading towards the food court but the jewellery section of the department store.
Midii frowned slightly, 'he had just left so willingly without even a goodbye kiss…' She shook away the thoughts, 'Trowa just hates crowds, that's all.' She pushed the doubts to the back of her mind and focused on the task ahead. "Ok, Cathie. We have 59minutes and 23seconds to find me a gorgeous evening gown!"
"Women's wear is on level three. Lets go!" Catherine and Midii linked arms and marched towards the escalators, to the tune of 'A Little Drummer Boy' that was being played by a motorised monkey.
********************************
'The heating in this building needs to be maimed and shot.' Wufei thought grimly. He was boiling in this elevator made for thirty people but fifty people (plus baby prams) had managed to cram in, all stopping at each level AND no one seemed to be going out!
"Wufei, what DID Sally get you, anyway?" asked Quatre who had a feeling the grandma behind him had pinched his butt but he didn't want to turn around and find out.
Wufei looked sheepish. "I haven't opened it yet." Moving around to reach into his jacket pocket he took out the gift Sally had so nicely wrapped and given to him. It was smaller than a paperback and larger than a ring box.
"Let's see what she gave you, so we can get her something along the same lines." Suggested Quatre, who pressed forward slightly his face getting redder by the second.
Wufei nodded. 'Good idea, why didn't I think of that' he muttered to himself. Just as he was about to open the present, a crackly voice was heard from the elevators speakers. "Ladies and Gentlemen, we would like to announce that level seven will have 50% off everything for the next fifteen minutes."
Before they could comprehend what was happening, everyone in the lift surged out, carrying Wufei and Quatre out with them onto level seven.
"No! MY GIFT!"
Quatre stared dazed at his friend who had been able to scream above the frenzied rush of shoppers. He could see Wufei chasing after a lady with a baby pram who was rushing towards a whole bunch of shoppers snapping up the sales.
Wufei, through years of training as a Gundam pilot and a Preventer was able to dodge, weave and still keep in eye contact with that baby pram that was now carrying his gift from Sally. Seeing an opening, he dived, his hand contacting with the metal leg of the pram. "Gotcha!"
Too bad his training didn't involve avoiding big angry mothers who think you're trying to kidnap their kid. "AAH!"
Wufei ducked the next swipe the mother had aimed at his head with her heavy as bricks bag. "Stop! Stop! I wasn't trying to - " He tried to scramble away from the woman, only to be trampled on by crazy shoppers. "Urg…help…"
"What's going on here?" A big booming voice from above said.
Wufei felt two big hands pick him up from the floor, his head felt like someone had kicked it (they probably did).
"Guard! He tried to kidnap my baby!" Followed by sounds of sobbing from the mother was heard.
Gathering most of his senses back, Wufei shook his head weakly. "I wasn't trying to steal anything! Listen, I'm a Preventer…see my badge…" Wufei felt around his pockets for his badge. It was gone. "I've lost my badge! Damn! It must have fallen - Hey!"
The security guard shook his head as he lifted him slightly of the ground. "Don't it explain it to me, son. You're coming wit me."
"Wait! I'm a PREVENTER! Hey! Are you listening to me?! I'll have your badge for this!" Wufei looked around desperately for Quatre but he couldn't spot his friend in the myriad of customers; most of them hadn't even realised a would-be 'kidnapper' had been caught.
Quatre tried to move quickly against the suffocating crowd. "Wufei?!" His voice was lost in the din. Where was he? This was impossible! I'll never find him! I'll never get that damned doll! His patience had worn so thin, it was almost non-existent that when he bumped heavily into a tall blonde woman he didn't apologise.
"Excuse me!"
Quatre was about to snap back, 'You're excused!' when he realised who it was.
******************************
"Heero! I'm telling you, I didn't return your gift!" Relena and Heero were nearly on level two since Relena had decided that she would have to go to the automobile section where her scooter had miraculously appeared and demand why it was there in the first place.
Heero just looked sullen. Secretly though, he was glad Relena had momentarily forgotten about her gown and was now trying to please him. "Fine, Relena. I believe you." He said in that cold voice.
"Heero…" Relena tried the puppy dog look that always worked for Quatre. Heero looked like he was falling for it. The moment was broken when a little kid splashed coke on the front of her jeans. "Eh…" Relena nodded to the apologetic mother, patted the unassuming kid on the head, and glanced at Heero who was trying to hide a smirk.
"Not funny, Heero." But a smile crossed her face anyway, since at least Heero didn't seem so mad about her 'allegedly' returning his Christmas gift.
They reached the front of the scooter section, just as the shop assistants were rotating.
"Hello? Excuse me? I need to know who brought that scooter in." Relena pointed to her pale pink Vespa.
The oily faced, teenage boy looked at is replacement and then back at Relena. "Ugh…ummm, ma'am that's not for sale." He choked out meekly.
"I know it's not for sale, it's MY scooter."
The boy looked petrified to be standing in front of a beautiful woman with a scary looking man hovering behind her. "…Urk…It - it was brought by a Preventer."
"A Preventer?"
He nodded so vigorously that Heero wondered if his head would roll off. "Yea..umm…A preventer, Chan? Chen? Chang…Something like that…" He seemed to shrink into himself as Relena looked at him thoughtfully and Heero glared at him.
"Wufei Chang?"
"Yeah! That's him! He said he needed to park it in here because of security reasons."
Relena had a triumphant look on her face. "Thanks, we'll be going now."
"I told you! I would never return anything you'd buy me, Heero," She mentally added, 'except for those horrible earrings you bought me last year.' She kissed his cheek. "Now lets go find my gown!"
"Aren't you even going to get the scooter back?"
"I trust Wufei. I'm sure he brought it here for a reason." Relena didn't add that she would be having a 'talk' with Wufei about borrowing things without asking her.
Heero nodded, resigned to his fate. At least he could look forward to having a little 'chat' with Wufei later.
*******************************
Duo was trying to balance a double choc with hot fudge sundae (extra nuts) and a chocolate strawberry thickshake in one arm while trying to finish his bean burrito and slice of pepperoni pizza in the other hand.
"I don't know how you can eat that together."
Duo turned around in surprise, nearly spilling his thickshake. "Trowa! Hey man! What're you doing in this crazy place?"
Trowa took the sundae from Duo, making it easier for him to balance. "I was on my way to the jewellery section. I think I took a wrong turn."
Duo nodded understandingly. "I know! This place is HUGE! So, are you getting some last minute gifts, huh?" He managed to elbow Trowa, "Didn't know you were so disorganised! I already bought Hilde gifts, ages ago!" Taking a gulp of chocolate and strawberry he continued, "I know where the jewellery section is, I passed it with Hilde and Sally," he then proceeded to tell Trowa about what had happened at the airport and the mansion.
"Really? That's why I'm here." They were now sitting down on one of the tables in the food court. Trowa had just finished telling him about the whole airport fiasco.
Duo howled in laughter. "So you and your girlfriend got banned from ever flying with Cinq Air?" He laughed so hard at the thought of uptight Trowa getting caught doing the naughty and then having a little kid vomit all over his pants, that some of the thickshake came out of his nose.
"It's not that funny, Duo." Trowa deadpanned.
"Heh, yeah it is!" And Duo continued to laugh, accidentally knocking over his choc chip hot fudge sundae on an unsuspecting passer-by.
"Hey!"
Holding his sides, Duo stood up and tried to apologise to the girl who was looking down at her smeared pants.
"Hey, sorry! Didn't mean to spill - Dorothy?!"
********************************
"What did your dress look like, Hilde?" asked Sally, as she and Hilde walked through the many evening gowns on display.
"It was off the shoulder with - Like this one!" Hilde pointed to one of the gowns, "Only it was in a dark red colour. It would've looked beautiful against the white Christmas décor." She said a little wistfully.
"Don't worry, Hil. We'll find a gown as good! Hey, how about that one over there?"
"Hmm…Duo would love the plunging neckline…" Hilde giggled, "Then again he would hate it if every guy talked to my boobs."
The two companions laughed, only to be cut short by a ringing. "Oh, excuse me, one moment," Sally flipped open her cell phone as Hilde signalled that she would walk a bit further down.
Running a hand over the flimsy material of one dress, her eyes caught sight of a gown nearly all the way on the other side of the level. From that far distance, Hilde swore that the gown was calling her. It looked like a perfect fit…Forgetting about Sally she walked quickly to the gown…
*******
"How 'bout this one?" Catherine held the gown to her chin and swayed to the right and left in front of the full-length mirror.
Midii scrunched up her face. Catherine laughed. "Ok, not this one."
"I'm never going to find anything." Midii looked despondent as she put back a black taffeta gown.
"Yes you will. Don't worry Midii, we'll find you the perfect gown for tonight." Assured Catherine. "How about that one?" She pointed to a gown a little ways off. Before Midii could agree or disagree, Catherine had gone off to get it.
'Hopeless.' Midii thought, staring at herself in the mirror. Here she was trying to find a knockout gown in a little less than half an hour. How was she supposed to impress all of Trowa's friends? How about if they didn't like her because she was disorganised enough to have nothing to wear? 'Stop being silly!' This department store was driving her to madness. She huffed upwards, making her fringe look like a cockatoo. Maybe she should just buy that black - Her eyes widened as she saw a slight glimmer at the corner of the full length mirror. Twirling around she saw her evening gown about ten metres from her. It was perfect, it would show off her curves while still making her look delicate. She already knew what jewellery to wear, thanking god that she had put her jewellery in her carry bag instead of her suitcase.
"Perfect." She tried to pull it off the hook it was hanging on when she noticed another hand holding the other side of the hanger. Grey eyes met blue ones.
"Sorry, this is my gown." Midii said with a polite smile.
The woman with short black/blue hair smiled back, "Sorry, but I had it first."
One of the shop assistants could see that a problem was about to arise and she quickly came to their aid. "Ma'am's? Is there a problem?"
"Yes this lady has my dress."
Midii's smile grew wider, "No, this is my gown, the lady is mistaken."
The shop assistant frowned. This was not going to go well. "Uhhh…If I may - "
"Mistaken? No you're mistaken. I had it first." Hilde frowned at the blonde woman. She wasn't about to lose this dress.
"I. Had. It. First." Midii gritted out. She wasn't about to lose this dress.
"It would look horrible on you!" inside Hilde felt a twinge of guilt for lying but not for long.
"Horrible on me? With your stringy black hair?!" Midii rationalised, 'If she can pick on me, than I can pick on her!'
"What?! It's mine!"
"No it isn't!"
"Yes it is!"
"Mine!"
"It's MINE!"
By this time the shop assistant had hurried back to her cashier's desk and had called security. Two security men (who looked like they had just come out of the WWF) towered over the two bickering women.
"What seems to be the problem?"
Hilde and Midii hadn't even noticed, they were too busy trying to rip the gown away from the other's hands.
"Ok, break it up! Break it up!" Each guard picked up one of the smaller females while the shop assistant grabbed the gown before it could be torn to shreds.
"Put me down!" Yelled both Midii and Hilde while still being able to glare at each other. The guards just shook their heads and hauled them off to the staff elevators to level eight.
"Hilde?" Sally called. Where was she? Sally had just gone to the restrooms at the other end of the level so she could hear the call on her cell phone and when she had gone out, Hilde was gone. 'She wouldn't have left without telling me, would she?' Sally dismissed the thought. Hilde was too nice. She tried to call her on her cell phone but there was an 'error in connection'.
"Sally?"
"Catherine?" Sally looked at the surprised woman looking back at her. "Merry Christmas!" They said simultaneously, hugging.
"What are you doing here?"
"I'm here with Hilde looking for a ball gown, but I can't seem to find her."
"Really? I'm looking for a gown as well - not for me but for Trowa's girlfriend, Midii Une." Catherine and Sally were now walking around the level. "I can't seem to find her either. She's the nicest person, Sally. You'll love her. She's really brought Trowa out of his shell."
Sally raised an eyebrow, "She seems like a nice girl, an extraordinary one if she can get Trowa to say more than two sentences!"
They shared a laugh and Catherine stopped near the end of the left side of level three. "This was where I had left her. I come back two minutes later and she's gone." Just then a shop assistant walked by.
"Excuse me miss, but do any of the levels cause interference with cell phones?"
"Oh, yes ma'am, When you pass level three, most networks can't get through, sorry."
Sally just nodded, "That's fine. Is there another women's wear department?"
"Yes ma'am, on level six."
Thanking her, Catherine and Sally went up, convinced that Midii and Hilde had gone to level six for more shopping.
*******************************
Quatre stood speechless as he stared at the woman in front of her, the retort forgotten. Dorothy looked back shocked.
"What - what - ?"
"I - What - ?"
And then they fell.
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Person who has to go back to work tomorrow *sob* :
Hmmm…I would like to point out now (since my sister asked me if this was going to get dark and angsty *cough* JtML) that this is NOT going to be dark and angsty! ^_^ I'm just showing the psychotic side of Christmas… ^_~
R&R C&C flames!! E-mail!!! Ok!! I'll stop now!!!