Chapter Five: Grieving

As predicted, Nicolas passed away within a week of their arrival in Paris. Gabrielle was not present when he died in his sleep, for which Leon was grateful. Having watched her mother fall to her death, the girl had already seen far too much tragedy in her young life.

However, that left Leon with the difficult task of telling Gabrielle her uncle had died. Pauline, who had plenty of experience in dealing with such matters in her line of work, offered Leon some advice on how to break the news to her, but it turned out he didn't need it, for Gabrielle realized what had happened the moment Leon stepped inside her room.

"Uncle Nicolas died, didn't he?" she asked from her spot on the bed, setting aside the doll whose flaxen hair she had been brushing. The doll - a final gift from Nicolas - had once belonged to Emilie when she was a little girl, and Gabrielle had given her the namesake Emmy.

Leon took a seat on the edge of the mattress and swallowed hard. Though Nicolas' death had little effect on him personally, it was tougher than expected to actually say the words in front of Gabrielle. "Yes," he said in a soft voice. "He died sometime last night."

"And he won't come back?"

"No, he won't be coming back."

For a long moment, Gabrielle sat in silence, letting the news sink in. She then reached again for the doll and hugged her close, tears running down her cheeks in tiny rivers. Leon shifted positions so that he was sitting next to her, and, in a move that surprised even himself, pulled Gabrielle onto his lap. Holding her close, he rocked her back and forth until she finally stopped crying and fell asleep in his arms.

As gently as he could, as not to awaken her, Leon laid her back down on the bed and pulled a throw blanket over her. After placing Emmy beside her, he quietly exited the room, running into Pauline in the hallway.

"How did she take the news?" the caretaker asked.

"As well as to be expected, I suppose," Leon said, taking one last look inside before shutting the door. "She's sleeping right now. I think the crying tired her out." Turning the subject to more practical matters, he asked, "What about the funeral arrangements? Did he have any special requests?" As Nicolas didn't have any other family besides Gabrielle, Leon presumed it fell to him to plan the funeral.

"Monsieur Paradis made most of the arraignments for his funeral when he decided to go into hospice care. I've already taken care of most of the necessary phone calls. The funeral will be held on Wednesday. As for Monsieur Joubert, I spoke to him a few days ago, and he asked that I -"

"Wait, the lawyer?" Leon interrupted. "What does he have to do with anything?"

Pauline frowned in confusion. "Monsieur Joubert is the executor of Monsieur Paradis' will. He was quite well-off, and, of course, he left the bulk of his estate, including this house, to Gabrielle. I thought you knew, Monsieur Oswald."

"No, I didn't." Although, now that Leon thought about it, he should have realized that Gabrielle was Nicolas' only heir.

"As I was saying, Monsieur Joubert would like to meet with you to discuss the terms of the will. Shall I set up a meeting for you?"

"Yes, I suppose you should," Leon said, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Before the funeral, if possible. Gabrielle and I will be returning to the States right after the burial."

"Yes, sir."

As Pauline walked away, Leon pulled out his cell phone and found Sora's number in the phone book. It rang a total of ten times before she finally picked up.

"Moshi moshi?" Sora mumbled in Japanese before letting out a loud yawn. It was obvious that he had woken her up, having forgotten about the nine hour time difference.

"Sorry, I'll call back later," he quickly said, wondering why he was even calling Sora in the first place. "I didn't mean to wake you."

"Wait, Leon, is that you?" She switched to English, sounding a little more alert. "Is something wrong?"

"Emilie's brother passed away last night," Leon said after a short pause. "He died in his sleep."

"Oh, I'm sorry. How is Gabrielle holding up?"

He glanced back over at the door to her room and sighed. "She's devastated, of course." Leaning back against the wall, he ran a hand through his hair. "I knew she would be, but…it's hard. I just…"

"You want to take away her pain," Sora said, voicing the words he couldn't quite seem to find.

"Yes."

"I wish I could be there with you. If you want, I can fly to Paris -"

"No, don't," Leon interrupted. Realizing that he might have sounded too harsh, he added, "I mean, I appreciate the offer, but it's not like you knew Nicolas. It's silly for you come all this way to attend the funeral of a stranger."

"I suppose you're right," she admitted. "I'll be thinking of you and Gabi, though. When will you be back?"

"Wednesday or Thursday. With the time difference, I don't know which day it'll be, but we're leaving right after the funeral. I don't want to stay here any longer than we need to. I'll be back at practice on Friday for certain, though."

"Okay, I'll see you then. Give Gabi my love. Bye."

"Good night," he said before ending the call and placing the phone back in his pocket.

The morning of the funeral, Henri Joubert came by the house to discuss the details of Gabrielle's inheritance. As Pauline was upstairs, helping Gabrielle dress, Leon answered the door and showed the lawyer to the parlor.

"My condolences for your loss," Mr. Joubert said, taking a seat on the couch and pulling out a thin stack of papers from his briefcase. "I understand that you were not on the best terms with Monsieur Paradis, but this still must be a difficult time for you and Gabrielle."

"Thank you." After offering Mr. Joubert a cup of coffee, he sat down in in a nearby armchair. "So, I assume the majority of Gabrielle's inheritance is being held in trust?" Leon asked, getting straight to business. There was only about a half-hour before the funeral was scheduled to begin, and he had little desire to prolong the meeting more the necessary.

"Yes." Mr. Joubert handed him a sheet of paper. "Shortly after his sister died, Monsieur Paradis revised his will and named you trustee of Gabrielle's financial affairs until she is twenty-five years of age."

"What?" Leon scanned the contract and frowned. Though it was written in complicated legal jargon, he understood the main gist of it. Glancing back up at Mr. Joubert, he asked, "Did you not inform Nicolas that I intend to give up custody of Gabrielle?"

"The revision was made before I brought her to you, and as of his death, you are still her father and legal guardian," the lawyer said, avoiding answering his direct question.

"Other arrangements should have been made, regardless."

"Yes, well, I must confess that I held hope you would change your mind, Monsieur Oswald. It isn't often you hear of a father willingly giving up his parental rights after he learns his daughter is an heiress to a modest fortune."

Sighing, Leon sat back in his chair. "I don't need money. I make a more than comfortable living working at Kaleido Stage."

"But -"

"Would you rather I keep custody of Gabrielle solely to get my hands on her inheritance?"

Mr. Joubert looked sheepish. "Well, when you put it that way…" He took a sip of his coffee. "Then nothing has changed? You still intend to sign away your rights?"

Leon hesitated. Up until then, whenever the question arose, he never had to think about it. Though he sometimes entertained doubts about his decision, he had always stubbornly stood by it, certain that in the end it was the correct choice. Yet…

"No, nothing's changed," he said after a long pause, digging his fingernails into the arms of the upholstered chair. "I've made up my mind."

"I see."

"Papa?"

Leon nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard Gabrielle's voice coming from the doorway. How much of that did she overhear? he wondered as he turned around in his chair.

"Forgive us for interrupting," Pauline said, coming up behind her, "but she insists that only you style her hair, Monsieur Oswald."

Leon relaxed a little when Gabrielle walked over and handed him a brush, some rubber bands, and two black velvet ribbons that matched the dress she was wearing - the one he had bought for her on their shopping spree with Sora. She wasn't acting any differently than usual, so he doubted she had heard anything damaging.

"Gabrielle, I'll braid your hair later, okay?" he said. "Monsieur Joubert and I are in the middle of a meeting."

Mr. Joubert stood back up. "Actually, perhaps we should wait to discuss things more thoroughly once more immediate matters have been resolved," he said, giving Leon a pointed look. "We'll settle these details later. Is that okay with you, Monsieur Oswald?"

Leon nodded in agreement; that seemed the most logical decision, considering the circumstances. "Yes, that's fine."

"Here, I'll show you out, Monsieur Joubert," Pauline offered, leading him out to the front door.

When they had left, Gabrielle kneeled down on the floor in front of Leon, in between his legs. "Papa, what were you and Monsieur Joubert talking about?" she asked as he began brushing her long hair.

Leon paused mid-stroke. "Nothing important," he lied. "Just some grown-up stuff you don't need to worry about." He resumed brushing her hair, hoping she would lose interest in the subject. Today was not the day to inform Gabrielle that she was living with him only on a temporary basis. "How do you want me to do your hair? French braid? Pigtails?"

"It doesn't matter."

Her voice was so soft that Leon could barely hear her. Since she had brought two ribbons, he decided to go with braided pigtails, ending each plait with a neatly-tied bow. When he finished, it was time to head to the church for the funeral.

Leon and Gabrielle took a seat in the front pew, along with Pauline. The funeral had a small but respectable turnout, consisting mostly of friends and former business associates of Nicolas's. Leon didn't know anybody else there besides Henri Joubert, who was apparently a family friend. Gabrielle sat quietly throughout the entire requiem Mass, her hands folded primly in her lap. She seemed to be trying her hardest not to cry, although Leon noticed an occasional tear rolling down her cheek, which she quickly wiped away with the back of her hand. Midway through the ceremony, he unconsciously wrapped an arm around her shaking shoulders and pulled her closer to him, allowing her to bury her face in his black suit jacket.

The burial took place immediately after in the same cemetery where Emilie and Sophie were buried. The priest kept the graveside service mercifully short, as it was a bitterly cold day. In fact, while they were lowering the coffin into the ground, it began to snow again, bringing back painful memories of the day of Sophie's funeral. When Gabrielle's tiny hand reached for his, seeking comfort, he wondered for a moment if perhaps she was the one comforting him instead.

Leon didn't bother visiting Sophie's gravesite again, although after all the mourners left, he and Gabrielle placed fresh flowers on Emilie's and her grandparents' graves. They then headed back to Nicolas's townhouse, where Gabrielle hid herself in her room while Leon finished packing their things and made the final flight arrangements.

They were flying back to California later that evening, as Leon saw no point in sticking around after the funeral. The sooner they left Paris, the better.

For both of them.

The week following their return from Paris after Nicolas's funeral, Gabrielle fell back into the same behavior she had exhibited when she first arrived in Cape Mary. She rarely spoke and only ate the bare minimum at meals, even though Leon did his best to cook foods he knew she liked. Even daily visits from Sora did little to cheer her up.

"I'm at my wit's end," Leon confessed to Sora after one such visit, seeing her out of the apartment. "I don't know what else I can do."

"I think all you can do is give her time, Leon," Sora said. "She's lost two of the people she loved the most in a very short period of time. That's a lot for a little girl to deal with. Just keep doing what you have been doing, and I'm certain she'll soon return to her normal self."

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I suppose you're right. I just hate seeing her like this."

"I know. I do, too." Sora placed a hand on Leon's arm. "In the meantime, if you ever need anything, don't hesitate to call. I mean it. Anything at all, you can count on me."

"Thank you, Sora," he said. He truly did appreciate everything she had done for him and Gabrielle. "See you tomorrow."

After Sora left, Leon went to Gabrielle's room to check on her. He found her already in bed, clutching the ever-present Emmy in her arms. It seemed the doll had become a security blanket of sorts; it was a battle every morning to convince her to leave it at home when she had to go to school. He walked over and wordlessly tucked her in, surprised when Gabrielle grabbed his hand when he turned to leave.

"What is it?" he asked, turning back around. "Do you want a glass of water?"

She shook her head. "Can I ask you something, Papa?"

Leon took a seat on the edge of the mattress. Considering recent events, he had expected Gabrielle would eventually have some questions, so he had picked up a book that explained the best ways to talk about death to children in preparation. "What do you want to know?"

"Are you going to leave me, too?" she asked. "Like Maman and Uncle Nicolas did?"

He sucked in a sharp breath. That was the one question he had hoped she wouldn't ask, although he suspected the subject would come up eventually. "I don't plan to die for a very long time, if that's what you want to know," he replied after a long pause, sidestepping the real question. "I'm a very healthy man."

"But Maman died in an accident."

"Yes, she did. Accidents sometimes do happen."

"So you could have an accident and die, too?"

"Gabrielle…" He sighed, unsure of how to respond. The book he read claimed that when children asked if a surviving parent was going to die, they usually just wanted reassurance that in the event something like that were to happen, they would be taken care of, but with her future custody in question, Leon could make no such promises. "You shouldn't worry about things like that," he finally said, brushing the hair out of her eyes. "No matter what happens, I'm sure you will be fine. For now, try to focus on the here and now, okay?"

"Okay, I'll try," she promised in a soft voice.

Leon stood back up and walked over to the door, pausing before he exited the room. "You know, if there's anything special you want to do, you should let me know. We can go to Marine Park or Disneyland or the zoo… Anywhere you want to go or anything you want to do, we'll do it."

For the briefest of moments, he thought he saw a glimmer of the old Gabrielle in her eyes. "You promise?"

"Yes, I promise," he said. "Think it over and let me know when you decide, okay?"

It wasn't until a couple of nights later that Gabrielle decided to take Leon up on his offer.

"Um, Papa?" she said, moving around the contents of her plate with a fork. Though she was beginning to regain more of her appetite, little by little, she still had left the plate half-filled. "I think I know what I want to do."

"Oh?" Leon set down his fork, giving his sole attention to Gabrielle. "What is it? Would you like to go to the zoo?"

She shook her head. "I want to have a sleepover."

"A sleepover?" Leon frowned, not exactly enthused by the thought of having to look after a group of squealing kindergarteners for the night. "Are you sure you wouldn't rather go to Disneyland?" Granted, going to an amusement park wasn't exactly his idea of a great time, either, but given a choice, he considered it the lesser of two evils.

"Papa, you promised."

"I know, but…" True, he had promised, but he never expected she would ask for something like this. "Can't you hold a sleepover at somebody else's house?"

"But all my friends are fans of yours. They want to see where you live."

Leon rubbed at his forehead, struggling to think of an excuse - any excuse! - to get out of it. "You know, some of your friends' parents might be uncomfortable with the idea of letting their daughters stay here without an adult woman present."

Gabrielle tilted her head to the side. "Why?"

"Adult reasons," he quickly replied, hoping she didn't ask for further clarification.

"Oh." For a moment it seemed as if she would give up on the idea, but then she asked, "Wait, what about Sora?"

"Sora?"

"She could sleep over that night."

"Gabrielle, I don't th-"

"Please, Papa? I promise we'll be good."

Leon sighed, realizing he couldn't break his promise. It was the least he could do for Gabrielle, considering that he would soon be signing away his parental rights. Besides, with Sora there to help him, maybe it wouldn't be so bad.

"Are you positive this is what you really want? Throwing a slumber party will make you happy?"

She nodded.

"Okay, I'll ask Sora if she can stay over that night. If she says yes, you can have your sleepover."

Gabrielle jumped up from her chair and ran over to hug Leon from behind. "Thank you, Papa!" she said, kissing him on the cheek. "I'm going to call all my friends and let them know."

"Wait, you haven't finished your dinner yet!" he called out as she ran off. "Besides, Sora hasn't agreed yet."

"She will," Gabrielle said, grinning for the first time since her uncle's funeral before going to make the calls.

"Sora, may I speak with you for a moment?" Leon asked the next day at practice, interrupting a conversation she was having with Mia and Anna. He had been trying to talk to her about the slumber party all day, but it seemed that whenever they had a break in rehearsal, Sora was chatting with one of her friends. "In private?"

"Um, okay, I guess," she said, sounding surprised. After all, it wasn't often that he sought her out at Kaleido Stage when she was around other people. "I'll catch up with you guys in a few minutes," she told her friends. "Go ahead without me." Once Mia and Anna were gone, she turned to Leon. "What's up?"

"I need you do to me a favor. It's kind of a big one."

"Sure, whatever you need," she said, wiping the sweat off her brow with the towel around her shoulders. "What is it?"

"Can you spend the night at my place on Saturday?"

"Um, wow…" A faint pink colored Sora's cheeks, giving her a rather attractive glow. "I -"

Leon, realizing how his question must have sounded, shook his head. "That didn't come out right. It's for Gabrielle. She wants to invite some of her friends over for a slumber party, but I don't think I can handle that many kids by myself, so…"

"I don't mind helping you look after them. I'd love to!"

His shoulders dropped. "You would?" He had been hoping she'd decline so he would have an excuse to cancel the party. "You don't have anything else to do that night? Plans with friends? Or maybe a date?"

Sora shrugged. "No, not really. Anna was talking about us maybe going to the comedy club to check out some new acts on Saturday, but we never made any definite plans. I'm sure she won't mind if I bow out if I explain the situation. Besides, a slumber party sounds like fun. I love kids."

"They're going to be doing crafts," Leon informed her, emphasizing "crafts" as if it was a dirty word. "With Valentine's Day coming up, they want to make special cards for the boys they like."

"Oh, how cute!"

He frowned, not finding the idea cute at all. "Since when are five-year-old girls interested in boys, anyway? Aren't boys supposed to have cooties at that age?"

Sora giggled. "You're sounding more and more like a father every day."

"It's not funny. Gabrielle told me this morning she has a crush on Sammy-the-Glue-Eater. The kid eats glue, Sora."

"Well, I'm sure he must have some good qualities, too. They say that girls look for guys like their fathers, after all."

"I have never once in my life eaten glue," Leon said, offended that Sora would even think he might have anything thing in common with the little punk who had inexplicably captured his daughter's eye.

"It'll be fine, Leon," she assured him. "It's not like she's going to marry the boy. The girls are probably just caught up in the romance of the holiday. They'll give the boys their cards, and the next day they'll go right back to thinking they have cooties."

"I hope you're right."

"In any case, it's good that she's found something new to focus on, right? It sounds like she's cheered up a little."

"Some," he agreed, glancing down at his watch to check the time. It was a little after three. "Anyway, I need to get going. School's almost out."

"Okay. Tell Gabi I said 'hi'."

"I will."

DISCLAIMER: Kaleido Star doesn't belong to me.