Note: For those of you who were interested in Alexis she might return later on in this fic and she'll definitely be featured in the sequel I'm planning which will involve yet another very unusual couple heh.
Holiday With Loved Ones
Arriving in Rome the two were met by a car and Noin watched in surprise as their luggage was carried and put into the trunk for them, the driver simply ushering them into the warm car to wait with Patch who was more then a little wired after his first airplane ride. The fact that Wufei was referred to as Young Master was downright hilarious and more then a little curious. As soon as they were buckled in Noin turned to face him with a questioning look. "Master?"
"Lee has known me since I was a child." Wufei said as he shrugged, too use to the address to see anything strange about it. "He's always called me that." He added when Lucrezia continued to look at him with a curious look on her face.
"But why Master? Why not just Wufei?" Noin wanted to know as she opened Patch's carrier door a little so she could pet the puppy who obviously couldn't decide whether he wanted to sleep or attempt to run around in circles..
"He's been my grandmother's driver, body guard and personal valet since I was born. She is Madam and I'm Young Master, it's the way it's always been." Wufei explained patiently, not seeing the big deal. "You'll like him, he's an good man."
"So he's worked for your grandmother that long? Wow." Noin said as she watched Lee get behind the wheel, the car's motor purring before he capably got them through traffic and on their way. Driving in Europe was never easy but this guy handled it like a pro. "So will Lee be coming with us for the holidays?"
"No. He has family waiting for him in China that he'll be visiting as soon as he delivers us to the train that will take us to your town." Wufei explained as he leaned back against the his seat, approving the car's lines and grace. Only the best for grandmother.
)
"Your grandmother must be very well off to be able to afford to travel as much as she does, especially since she brings Lee along." Noin said carefully. She didn't want to sound like she was fishing for information on how much his grandmother was worth but this car was extremely expensive and he was starting to get the feeling that she hadn't seen anything yet.
"Well my grandfather left her well off and then she married an American millionaire she met while on one of her cruises about fifteen years ago." Wufei said with a casual shrug, not seeing the point of this conversation but willing to humor her. She did seem interested about his family for some reason. "When he passed away last year he left both of us with enough to insure our financial well being should we need to dip into those funds."
"So your grandmother remarried when you were still fairly young. How old were you when your grandfather died?" Noin asked as she took his hand in hers. She couldn't imagine not having her annoying but loving grandfathers around and in her life.
"I was about four I believe." Wufei said as he squeezed her hand, appreciating the gesture even though it wasn't necessary. He didn't remember his grandfather but everyone said that his father was just like him. That was all he'd needed to know. "He wasn't like your grandfathers, Lucrezia. He was a hard and strict man. not someone who would play Twister with his great grandchildren or read them bedtime stories. His marriage to my grandmother was arranged and I think that a part of her was relieved when he passed on. From what I understand she went from being a great deal like you to a nearly lifeless shadow of her former self while she was under his finger. Even though I didn't get to see her much as a child because of her choice to marry Cameron I'm glad she did. If you and Sally have taught me anything it's that strong women are a rare and needed addition to ones life."
)
"Why weren't you able to see her much because she got remarried?" Noin wanted to know, a soft smile on her face at his compliment though there were hints of sadness in her eyes. Wufei had mentioned on occasion that his grandfather and father had been very much alike which meant that this monster he was painting his grandfather to be was how his own father had been as well.
"My father had intended to arrange for her to marry one of his business partners to solidify the partnership and insure the other man's support on various plans and dealings. When my grandmother refused to fall into line with my father's plans and married Cameron my relatives...greatly lessened their contact with her. I only saw her once or twice a year until my family was wiped out on our colony. After that I paid her visits when I could and she helped me finance my missions."
"Were she and Cameron happy?" Noin asked, trying to understand. Her family argued all the time but she couldn't imagine her family turning their back on any member. Then again no one in her family would have ever agreed to an arranged marriage.
"Yes, very. He was a good man if a bit brash and undisciplined." Wufei said with a faint smile crossing his features. "We got along fairly well and I was sorry to see him go. I think if it hadn't been for me my grandmother would have followed after him."
"She loves you a lot."
"Yes, she does. She would always say that it was partially her fault that my father turned out the way he did and so it was up to her to see that at least I turned out all right." Wufei said with a smirk as he looked over at his Lucrezia. "I think meeting you will be a comfort to her."
)
"A comfort to her?" Noin said in surprise, not understanding how meeting her would help his grandmother at all. Wasn't the idea that some middle class soldier was going out with her grandson bound to worry her?
"Yes. She's always been afraid that I'll end up alone because she says I often have the personality of an annoyed hedgehog." Wufei said with a weary shake of his head, the comparison one he didn't overly appreciate. "It worries her to think of me being alone with no one to watch over me the way she tries to do. That and she's convinced that she needs to live long enough to supervise me until I'm married since she's worried someone will come after me for the money they think I'll inherit when she passes away."
"No offense to her but she does realize you'd eat any would be fortune hunter for breakfast, doesn't she?" Noin said with a chuckle, easily picturing any number of debutantes and society girls that had flirted with the handsome soldier beside her. Or at least tried until he spoke and told them to get lost, Noin added to herself with a smirk.
"As far as my grandmother's concerned I'm still a boy in need of a keeper." Wufei said with a smile of his own as the car pulled up to the curb. "I have yet to hit upon a way to make her see things as otherwise."
'Well my mother always says that it doesn't matter how old we get. We're her children and we'll do as she says or she'll send us to our rooms without any supper." Noin said with a laugh, turning her head when she saw that Lee had gotten out to open her door for her. Stepping out Noin stared at the huge hotel in front of her then turned to nervously smile at Lee. "Thank you."
)
"My pleasure, Miss Lucrezia." Lee said with a bow for her and then another for Wufei as he came around from the other side to stand beside Noin, taking her hand once more. "I'll wait here for your return, sir and will keep an eye on your dog.. You have her room number?"
"Thank you, Lee and yes I do." Wufei said with a bow of his own before leading Noin up the steps and into the richly decorated lobby that said plainly you had better be serious loaded if you wanted a room there. "Do you see the elevator?" Wufei asked as he scanned the area having never stayed in this particular hotel before as it was relatively new.
"Over there I think." Noin said as she motioned in the direction of several people who were standing as though they were waiting for something, luggage in hand.
"Excellent." Wufei said with a nod and joining the group found themselves in the elevator in no time, Wufei pressing the button for the top floor. Noticing that Lucrezia was holding his hand a little tighter then strictly necessary Wufei looked over at her questioningly. She was still nervous, he realized with a sigh, wishing there was something he could do. No matter what he said though she was convinced this wasn't going to end well. Finally arriving at the right floor they both stepped off and going to the correct door Wufei had been about to raise his hand to knock when she asked him to hold on a sec. "What?"
"Do I look okay and I swear if you make fun of me I'll give you a black eye." Noin said looking perilously close to ringing her hands.
"You look beautiful and there is nothing to worry about." Wufei said as he took her hands in his to keep them under control. "You're making too big a deal of this and you need to stop before you make yourself sick."
"But what if she doesn't like me? She's the only family you have. I mean with my family it wasn't such a big deal because I told you ahead of time my brothers wouldn't like you just on the principle of the point and my mom likes just about everyone but in this case there's just one person. One person to get it right or everything is screwed up."
"You will not screw up and if she doesn't like you for some reason then that doesn't matter a wit to me. Yes I won't be happy that she doesn't like you but it wouldn't be your problem but hers. I love you and she loves me. She'll have to accept you because I won't have anyone else." Wufei said forcefully, knowing she responded better to brisk, to the point speeches. "I chose you and it was my choice to make."
)
"Okay...you can knock now." Noin said with a sigh, letting go of his one hand while keeping a firm grip on the other. "And hey, if at first I don't succeeded I can try, try again."
"It will be fine." Wufei repeated then knocked on the door, the door opened seconds later by his grandmother's personal maid and companion. "Hello, Grace. Grace this is Lucrezia Noin, Lucrezia this is my grandmother's companion" Wufei said with a polite smile. "Is grandmother ready to go?"
"She's just finishing her hair, Master Wufei." Grace said with a warm, motherly smile before looking over Noin with a curious look in her blue eyes. Master Wufei had never brought a girl other then his partner Miss Po to meet his grandmother. So this girl was the reason her mistress was so nervous. Well the girl wasn't a stunning beauty but if Master Wufei was willingly holding the girl's hand in public then he must care for her deeply. "Ma'am. Pleasure to meet you" Grace quickly added as she nodded her head to the girl, realizing she hadn't acknowledged the young master's lady.
"Hello, it's nice to meet you as well." Noin said with a warm smile though it was edged with nerves.
"I'll go tell her you two have arrived. If you'd just take a seat on one of the couches?" Grace suggested and when they agreed she headed off to inform her friend that her grandson had arrived with his young lady.
)
"So they're here?" Lazuli Chang Gerard asked as soon as her companion entered the room, closing the door behind her.
"Yes they are and they're waiting for you to get done fixing your hair." Grace said with faint amusement, wondering what Master Wufei would think if he knew his grandmother had changed her outfit three times for this meeting and was acting like a new bride about to be married. Since it WAS Master Wufei he'd likely question her mental health, Grace thought with a small smile.
"Well what does she look like? Is she pretty? Polite? Did she seem overly forward to you?" Lazuli wanted to know, rushing over to take her good friend's hand. "Did she strike you as being all face and no substance or the other way around?"
"She's very pretty in an elegant, pixie sort of way. She's polite and just as nervous to meet you as you are to meet her if I'm any judge of character. Wufei was holding her hand when he came in and hasn't let go of it once." Grace added with glee, knowing that would make the biggest impression.
"Holding her hand? Willingly? Interesting." Lazuli said in surprise, doing some quick evaluating. This girl must be quite the woman if she'd gotten Wufei to actually hold her hand in public. Her Wufei wasn't exactly adverse to showing any affection in the presence of others but he usually had to feel obligated or pushed into it. "And she cares what I think, does she? Smart girl." She'd tried to find out more about this girl but as it turned out finding information on a top ranking Preventers soldier was both hard and apparently illegal. "Well I suppose it's time for me to go out there and decide for myself just what kind of person she is." With a decisive nod she opened the door and sailed out of it, a lovely older woman on a mission. "Wufei, darling." She announced as she entered the room with a wide smile, not a hint of nerves as she shrewdly watched her grandson let go of his lady's hand to come over and give her a hug as usual.
"You're looking as stunning as always, Grandmother." Wufei said as he leaned forward to place a kiss on her cheek, affection in his voice as he smiled at her.
"For the money I spend staying that way I'd better." Lazuli said with a smile before looking over at the young woman who'd gotten to her feet. Well she wasn't stunning but she was pretty, well dressed without being over dressed and there was an aura of strength and control about her. Other then the calm control those had all been aspects her late granddaughter in law had posed as well. Interesting. "Now introduce me to your young lady before I start to think my son raised a boy without any manners."
)
"Grandmother this is Lucrezia. Lucrezia this my grandmother Lazuli." Wufei said as he moved away so that Lucrezia could hold out her hand, pleased when his grandmother took the hand in a firm shake.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, ma'am." Lucrezia said with what she hoped was a calm and collected smile. Wufei's grandmother was the quintessential Asian lady from her small and frail stature to the calm serenity the woman seemed to radiating. For such a little thing she had a commanding presence that said she wasn't as frail as she seemed.
"Call me Lazuli, Lucrezia." Lazuli said with a slightly warmer smile. The girl's handshake had been firm, the eye contact there while the body language had been most telling. Her grandson had made his presence known subtly and Lazuli got the idea that he was standing guard of sorts though she didn't think his lady realized it. The girl was nervous but was standing tall none the less. She appreciated that. "It's a pleasure to meet you. Wufei hasn't told me much about you but then getting Wufei to talk about much of anything besides books is more then a little difficult and time consuming."
"Tell me about it." Noin said automatically with a grin crossing her features then realized maybe that wasn't quite the way to put it.
"So he's like that with you too huh?" Lazuli said with a knowing look in her grandson's direction. "Well we'll just have to learn all about each other on the way to your home."
)
By the time they arrived in Noin's hometown Wufei could only shake his head at the two of them. They were chatting away like they'd known each other forever and he couldn't have likely gotten a word in if he tried. So much for not getting along, Wufei thought as he herded them towards the door since they were still chatting away about this tree lighting event they were apparently going to attend tomorrow. Making their way through the crowds Wufei soon found Lucrezia's brother Lucas waiting for them and with his help they soon had all the luggage, Patch and the passengers in the car all off they went. Pulling into the correct driveway Wufei wasn't surprised at the lights in the trees or the huge wreath on the front door. He'd correctly pegged Lucrezia's mother as someone who went all out on holidays.
"Aren't those lights just stunning." Lazuli commented with delight as she looked out the window to get a better view. "You parents must out a lot of effort to get them to look so perfect."
"My father complains about having to put them all up every year but secretly I think he looks forward to it." Noin said with a grin, already feeling that much joyful and happy now that she was home for Christmas. "I can guarantee you that the inside of the house will be just as done up as the outside."
"I never really celebrated Christmas till I met Cameron but it soon became one of my favorite times of the year. It will be nice to celebrate it this way again." Lazuli said softly, her eyes far away in Christmases of the past.
"Well we're glad to have you." Noin said as she took Lazuli's hand and squeezed it in understanding. She could only begin to imagine how much it must hurt at times like this when there were so many good memories to remember. To know that there wouldn't be any more memories to make with that special person.
)
"Thank you." Lazuli said with a smile as they pulled up beside the house. Everyone getting out they were soon trooping to the house, the two women leaving it to the men to carry everything with Noin keeping a firm grip on a drowsy Patch who was bound to get excited when he found himself surrounded by so many people.