Author's Notes: At first it seemed that nobody liked 4D fics. Then I looked at the reviews and each one made me feel so guilty, I finally worked my ass off on this one. - This here is a mega-update… sort of. Anyway, I'll continue this now. Just to recap: 1R, 2H, 3C, 4D and 5M have hooked up.
swt xbytchy bebz: Thanks dear. - Really, I'm the only one who likes these couples? sigh I guess people keep insisting on Midii and Sally—while we're of the opinion that Cathy and Meiran are the only way to go!! Yeah!!!
Vega03: Hell yeah!! XD I'd be like, a fangirl of Ezra if he weren't a figment of my imagination. P
recoverfromassociation: It's just my opinion, I really don't like Midii. - Well, there will be some stuff later that will address your concerns—but not in this update yet, I'm sorry. And yes, I do think that the Arabian-polygamy issue is one that is hardly discussed, if ever that's why I felt the need to write about it. As for citrusy scenes… that was my first EVER citrusy piece of writing. -; It just seemed kind of weird not to have any, because they are married and I think any 4D fan KNOWS that when they do get together, there will be a lot of passion. Since they're both so repressed and reserved, all that pent-up emotion need some release!! XD
Angel of Mirth: Ooh, thank you!! I was so afraid that the citrusy chapter wasn't good since that was my first time writing it. Yes, please keep reading!! And no, I am not annoyed about anything; I just didn't have the time to update!! So sorry!! Thank you for pointing out that I don't have my e-mail address on my page, I gotta change that. -
Disclaimer: Gundam Wing is not mine. I'll ban the mix-and-match couple doujins otherwise. People, make up your minds!! Shounen-ai doesn't belong in a shounen anime especially the really odd ones, I mean 34 fine, but 13 eh?. I feel sorry for the shounen fans who like it for the honest-to-goodness shounen part of it.
Four Weddings And A DivorceChapter 5:
She was standing in the receiving chamber of Catalonia manor, waiting for her wayward children.
"Where have you been??!"
Despite having reached their mother's height and still growing, the twins suddenly felt much, much smaller as Dorothy stood in the front of them, her hands on her hips. Ezra winced at the rage in her voice and tightened his arms around Wendy, who clung unto his shirtfront.
Yehan dared. "Mother, we—"
"Do not answer me, Yehan Joseph Catalonia Winner!!" Dorothy said in a stern tone. "It was a rhetorical question."
Yossef elbowed Yehan's ribs. It must have hurt for the younger twin's eyes bulged and his mouth was contorted in a silent howl.
"Sorry," Yehan mumbled.
"How could you skip classes, take Wendy even and then steal the car and drive to Winner Manor?" Dorothy ranted. "Whose idea was this?!"
Yossef took a deep breath and raised his hand. "Mine."
Dorothy had fixed a hard look at Yehan and was surprised to hear Yossef speak. Her head whipped towards him. "Yossef??"
Yossef looked down, unable to meet her disappointed ice blue eyes with his own ice blue stare.
"How did you get the car from Rashid?"
The three younger Winner children looked expectantly at Yossef. He suppressed a sigh.
"While he was in the parking lot waiting for our classes to finish, Yehan came to him. He said he left his homework at home. Rashid started the car but before he could leave, Ezra came and handed him a notice about getting a new car sticker. He went to the school offices and then I came with Wendy, whom I had fetched from the elementary division. Then we left."
"And who was driving?" Dorothy inquired imperiously.
"… I was." Yossef said.
"John Yossef Catalonia Winner!!" Dorothy cried. "I expected more from you."
The first-born hung his head in shame.
"And what have you to say for yourself, Ezrael Catalonia Winner?" Dorothy turned to Ezra.
"M-mom…" Ezra stammered. "I only went along because I wanted to make sure that nothing happened to Wendy…"
"Is that so?" Dorothy shook her head. "Did it not occur to you that stopping your brothers' scheme was the best way to ensure your sister's safety?"
Like Yossef, Ezra suddenly took interest in staring at the floor.
"Maria Gwendolyn, did you know that you were doing something wrong?" Dorothy looked at her daughter.
Wendy could not speak; she only nodded 'yes', her blue-green eyes full of tears.
"Mother is very disappointed. Wendy has promised to be a good girl, but Wendy did something she knew was wrong."
Wendy sniffed, but still managed to hold back her tears.
"Do you know how worried I have been?"
Dorothy was clutching at her heart and her shoulders were slumped. She hugged herself, as if trying to protect herself from something. She looked less like the willful, collected princess that everybody knew her to be and more like a frightened and lonely woman. But that can't be, this was their mother, Dorothy Catalonia Winner. That can't be, right?
Ezra looked up at his mother guiltily, his earnest green eyes sad. Wendy's tiny mouth was turned down at the corners and she started to cry. Yossef looked even more disgraced; even Yehan was sober and properly ashamed.
We have let Mom down…
"Mom, we're really sorry." Ezra said.
"I'll be more responsible." Yossef promised.
Yehan took a deep breath, looking like what he was about to do next took a lot of effort. "I'm sorry Mom. I'll try harder… not to be such an insensitive jerk."
"Oh Yehan," Dorothy hugged him and also took Yossef, Ezra and Wendy in her arms. "Yossef, Ezra… and little Wendy…"
"Sorry Mommy." Wendy sniffled.
"Just don't do that again next time, okay?" Dorothy hugged them tighter.
"We won't do it again, Mom." The boys chorused.
"I'll be good, Mommy!!" Wendy wiped her tears with the back of her hand.
"Okay then…" Dorothy nodded. "That's good…"
Rashid stood by the door leading to the grand hallway of the mansion, a teacart beside him. He had been watching the scene discreetly for at least five minutes, waiting patiently for the lady and the children to compose themselves. His heart went out to them.
The Winner children were like his own grandchildren and he loved Dorothy with the same paternal love he held for Quatre. Two decades ago, he sought to do everything in his power to keep Dorothy Catalonia away from Quatre Winner. But by serving her since her marriage to Quatre, Rashid came to know her and was eternally grateful that his master found her, a woman worthy of him. As a matter of fact, so loyal did he become towards Dorothy that he left with her when she went to Catalonia manor. He did not even consult Quatre, but he had the inkling that Quatre wanted him to do this for Dorothy anyway.
It was difficult for Rashid to see Dorothy Catalonia Winner; Romefeller princess, loving wife, caring mother and child of his heart, in such a state.
Rashid saw Dorothy straighten up, once more bringing up her calm, utterly collected façade and it was then that he made his presence known.
"Tea, Madam?"
The mother and children turned to the Arabian. Dorothy smiled at him. It was late for tea, but Dorothy had a love for tea and dainty foods that she passed on to her children. Right now, Dorothy really wanted quiche. "Tea sounds lovely, Rashid. I trust that there is a platter of hors de oeuvres at hand?"
When Rashid nodded, the twins grinned at each other. Dorothy caught it and added, "Just a single platter Rashid, I wouldn't want to spoil their appetites." The twins exchanged disappointed looks and Dorothy shook her head. Those boys would make a meal of appetizers if they had their way, but they were growing boys and Dorothy would make sure they eat a proper dinner!
Five minutes later, they were in the gazebo in the middle of the lovely flower garden. Rashid and Wendy's nanny, Bertha, were having tea as well in another gazebo, giving Dorothy and her children private family time while still being close at hand should their assistance be needed.
Yehan was telling a funny story of how his class' new student teacher at United Earth Academy was being terrorized by the extremely scholarly Chang Mei-Ling. Yossef and Ezra were laughing heartily, Li-Li—as they called Mei-Ling—was a friend of theirs but she was a real nerd. Dorothy chuckled; since being of school age, Wufei and Meiran's daughter quickly became infamous for having inherited her father's academic drive and taking it to new heights. Wendy was too young to appreciate Yehan's account, but bubbled with laughter just the same, contented to bask in the warm glow of her family's good spirits.
Or almost-complete-family rather, her daddy wasn't there.
She swung her legs; the soles of her patent-leather school shoes brushed the gazebo floor as she did so. If her daddy were here, she would be sitting on his lap instead of the wicker chair and she would be higher up that her toes wouldn't even be close to brushing the floor.
"I wish Daddy were here," Wendy piped up. "Then we'd be complete and there would be more laughter and Daddy would put me on his lap and hold hands with Mommy and cuddle with Daddy and we'd be so happy…" Her words trailed off and she looked at the now less-than-happy faces around her.
"Oh baby…" Wendy reached out one delicate hand and stroked her daughter's golden hair, a very interesting mixture of both silvery-blond and golden-blond strands. "Mommy and Daddy… we aren't together anymore. You know that."
"B-but why?" Wendy said in her childish stutter. "Don't you miss him, Mommy?"
"Darling, I do…" Dorothy swept of her chair and kneeled in front of the little girl's seat. "But… Mommy had to leave Daddy… because it seems to Mommy that Daddy doesn't really love her."
Wendy shook her head, and the twins shook theirs vehemently as well. Ezra stared at their mother with a sad expression on his face.
"No Mommy, Daddy loves you. He misses you too, he told Wendy!!" The seven year-old insisted.
Dorothy sighed. "Sweetheart… Sometimes grown-ups marry… and then after some time they realize that one of them… doesn't love the other in the way for the marriage to work."
"What do you mean Mommy?" Wendy's brows scrunched together. It was never fully explained to her why her parents separated.
"Wendy…" Dorothy didn't know how to explain all of it to her youngest child. She spared a quick glance at her sons, all of them looked worried. Her brothers knew everything of course, but Wendy was just too young… "For Mommy, a marriage is between two people only… Just your Daddy and me. But your Daddy… he… has a different idea of it. I tried… but I can't accept it. A marriage for me can't have other women and their children in it. My dear daughter," Dorothy placed her hands on her daughter's cheeks, locking Wendy's gaze to hers. "I need your father to be my partner alone… I need to be his only wife, and he didn't love me enough to give me that. So I had to leave him."
Some comprehension washed over her innocent eyes. "Mommy… So if you're his only wife—if the other babies' mommies aren't there—then you would go and be with Daddy again? We'd be family again?"
Dorothy nodded. The look in her eyes and the hurt in her voice broke her sons' hearts. "Yes Wendy. But your father would never do that—he would never do that for me."
Yehan stood up, overturning his teacup, and stepped towards his mother to envelop her in a fierce hug. His ice-blue eyes were blazing with cold fire and he spoke in harsh tones. "Mom, Dad is an idiot. He doesn't realize that he's losing the best woman in the world because of his stubbornness."
Not one of the siblings were surprised at Yehan's sudden change of heart towards their father's taking of other women. They were used to his fickleness by now. Besides, the Winner children now saw just how much it hurt their mother. That alone was enough for them to ditch the traditional Arabian way. Their mother deserved a one-woman man if that's what she wanted.
Yossef also went to hug their mother, using his silk handkerchief to dab at the steady streams of tears now flowing from her eyes. "Mom, he knows he would never find anyone who can compare to you. He will do what is right soon enough, he will prove his love to you—I just know it."
"Mommy you're the most beautiful woman in the entire world," Wendy whole-heartedly declared as she threw her arms around her mother and her two eldest brothers. "And you're the best Mommy too."
Ezra just stood at the side of the huddle, not joining in. Instead he said simply, "I'll do anything for you Mom."
Even if I have to see this family split in two.Author's Notes again : Ezrael Catalonia Winner… My favorite OC for this fic. ) He is such a messed up kid, but he is a dear sweet boy underneath it all.