14-July-2001
Title: Chasing the Crown, an Extended Family Fic
ExFam Authors:
RavynFyre - ravynfyre@hotmail.com
von - sablexo1@yahoo.com
bonnejeanne - bonnejeanne@yahoo.com
*Special Guest Writer! Nixie the Pixie!*
Nixers - Nixerchan@aol.com
Category: yaoi, AU
Rating: NC-17 for now, that will change
Pairings: 1x2, 3+4
Spoilers: Series, Endless Waltz, Mission: Arcadia
Disclaimer: Gundam Wing characters and universe are the property of the copyright owners.
Kenny, Duan, Wufan, Tryan, Carter, Jack and the Ripper, and everything relating to Rip & Jack's universe are ours. No money being made here.
Feedback: Any and all comments, feedback, critiques welcome, be they short or long.
Please feel free to direct feedback to any or all of the authors!
WARNINGS: AU (Alternate Universe), Original Characters, LEMON in some sections. Kiddie-Angst.
General note: Due to circumstances beyond our, and her control, Diane is no longer able to participate as an ExFam writer until she gets a few major projects in her life dealt with. Fortunately, she stays with us as beta-reader-extraordinaire, and Cheerleader #1. *many smootches*
From partway through the last section (Chapter 30) on, Quatre is written by bonne, Sallah by bonne & Von, and Une by Von. I'll post an updated writer/cast list soonish for those who care about such trivia. Sankuu!
Zechs was standing a little outside of the main knots of the party, not quite at the very fringes. Dressed in a straight cut, dark cranberry suit, he had both hands behind his back as he spoke with obvious patience with three men in suits, with the air of business men.
"The bill had passed a year ago," Zechs said with the air of a point repeated more than once in vain. "But the legislation's approval doesn't mean that the technology is ready for the terra-forming yet. The support you gave to Relena is greatly appreciated, but the project would be at risk to speed through at this point."
"Yes, yes," one of the businessmen replied, "We do understand that, but moving forward will inspire more to your cause. All we're asking is to shave a few corners here and there to get things moving along a bit faster. Three years tops."
Zechs shook his head slightly. "The best estimation currently is five. And I will remind you that more than a hundred lives will depend on those corners. Perhaps your interest in the scientific areas would be of a benefit if that timeframe is your goal. We can only control the budget so much."
"As convincing as the time you destroyed me in the Pan-Alliance Forum debates at the Academy," a familiar voice cut in with a slight hint of humor. Familiar, but one he hadn't heard in some weeks. A white gloved hand fell on Zechs' shoulder as a young woman in a Preventer's dress uniform stepped into the small group. "Gentlemen, I hope you don't mind if I steal Zechs away for a little while, we have some long overdue catching up to do," said the young agent, titling her head to let the sweep of her dark bangs hide the twinkle in her eye from the business men and be seen only by the tall blond.
"But, of course," the businessman said, with a smile as he and his fellow compatriots moved away.
"Noin," The blond greeted, his voice taking a tone of unusual fondness at the name. With a slight smile he corrected her, "I'll still hold that you let up at the end. You had me in the last quarter."
Noin chuckled, leaning forward the kiss Zechs on the cheek lightly. "You can imagine whatever you like. Okay, you want to hear a little secret? I did let up at the end. I discovered that I was in the midst of an accident that only a female cadet would have understood, and if I'd fought you to the wire, I would not have been able to walk off the debate platform with my dignity intact. Now, weren't you better off not knowing the truth?" she said mischievously.
Having returned her chaste kiss with an embrace, the word caused him to back up a little, before he chuckled. "So, even nature was on my side that day?" he returned.
"That's more like the Zechs I know and love," she answered. "You can look at it that way - or She was against me... So how are you enjoying your vacation? I don't imagine it's been too restful, with the preparations for the events and all..."
Zechs nodded, in agreement with the observation. "I rather prefer it that way. I'm not sure what I would do with too much spare time. And yourself?"
Noin studied him intently. "I've been running my you know what off, but it's been rather satisfying. You'd rather be busy, hmm?" Her voice dropped to a quieter tone. "Still having... trouble sleeping?"
He inclined his head slightly. "It was a little different last night however. I'm hoping that's a good sign for the future," he replied a slight smile accompanying his words.
Her eyebrows lifted but she nodded. "I'll hope so, too," she said. Then in a more normal tone she mentioned, "I was hoping to catch Sally here tonight. I haven't gotten to see very much of her since, well, you know. You haven't happened to see her this evening, have you? And..." suddenly something caught the Preventer officer's eye. "And... my god who is that with... Wufei Chang???"
Zechs followed her gaze easily, as the couple made enough stir to be noticed. Moving to Noin's side he nodded to both across the floor. "Ms. Sallah Po. An a friend of the pilots."
Noin turned to look him square in the eye. "Sall-ah? ...Po...? Are you... serious?" she asked, her voice registering disbelief.
Zechs returned the look just as steadily, a wry smile tugging at his lips. "Absolutely. Though in all confidence, since I met her I've just caught myself nearly calling her Sally more than once."
Noin's face took on a look that Zechs recognized well. It was the 'there is something here and I am going to get to the bottom of it' look that had made her a very worthy opponent, and an incredibly valuable ally. "I see. Seems like we *do* have some catching up to do, don't we, Preventer Wind," she said. Then she held up her hand. "I know, this is not the time or place. I'll save my questions till later, but you might as well start compiling your answers in advance."
Zechs arched an eyebrow, some of the good humor in his stance taking a more teasing edge. "Already setting the terms of surrender?"
"Oh no... I never set terms until I'm prepared to accept a capitulation," Noin said, grinning back. She studied him a moment. "Um hmm... something has been going on, something more than you catching Miss Relena's overflow from the event coordination. Fine. I love a good puzzle... that is, I love solving one. Um... Zechs... do you know if... Sally... has... met this... person? I'd say they were sisters but I know Sally doesn't have one."
"Glad to be of service," he returned, then seemed to give the question some more serious attention. "Not that I'm aware of, but I can't claim to have talked with her enough to have brought up the subject." Thinking of the Alliance doctor turned rebel caused a more speculative look towards the Chinese pair. "It would be interesting to see that meeting. Now you have me wondering if Sally's here as well."
"Well I know she's not on duty or on assignment, and since everyone instrumental in the end of the war and the resolution of the Barton incident was invited, I had every expectation that she would be. Besides," she said with a soft snort. "You know Marcus would never turn down a chance like this to mingle with the well to do and influential."
"Such is the ambition of someone who doesn't know the influential or well to do well enough," he replied lightly. Studying Noin for a moment he asked, "So Une has you on coordination again. Want to get off your feet for a while?" He gestured towards some of the tables set out along the walls of the room.
"Yes, but it's just for tonight," she answered. "Because she had the guard at the Estate doubled for the occasion, she had to pull in extra people for here." She smiled impishly. "My feet are actually fine, Preventer Wind, I certainly don't need to sit in the viewing area with the matrons, but I'd accept an offer to dance if one came my way."
Offering his hand, he answered with some humor. "My friend, was that an invitation or a demand?"
Placing her hand in his, she said, "It was a not-so-subtle hint, which I am glad to see you are *finally* learning to respond to, all though you could still use a little work on the polish." As they moved towards the open dance area, she glanced back at the two they had been watching, and gasped slightly.
What appeared to be a little boy, dressed in a white tux, made his way to Wufei and Sallah, and tapped Sallah's arm to get her attention. There was a little conversation and Noin watched as Sallah bent down and embraced the little boy, lovingly. The child looked, especially at such close proximity to the elder, like a very young Wufei.
The little one then kissed Sallah's cheek and scampered away quickly.
"Who... what... who..." Noin sputtered, staring over her shoulder.
Looking at her with some sympathy he offered, "That would be Wufan Po, Sallah's son." After a moments thought he added. "You'll probably see the others here tonight as well."
Noin gaped at Zechs. "The... 'others'....?" She took a deep breath and then grabbed his hand in a firm grip and pulled him out to the dance area, clapping her hand onto his shoulder and clasping the other as she pulled him into a waltz. "You... me... talking.... very very soon...."
As Wufan returned to the little area by the window that the kids had marked as their territory, Kenny remarked, "Your m-mom looks nice, Wufan."
Wufan pushed his glasses back up on his nose and nodded a little. "Yes, she does," he said, then looked into Kenny's eyes for a moment, remembering how lucky he was. Walking over, he stood close to Kenny.
"She got a new dress," Duan remarked, taking Kenny's hand and putting the end of his braid in it.
Kenny gave the braid a very light tug. He glanced from one to the other of the boys from beneath his bangs. "I'm okay," he said, putting a bit of made-up testiness in it.
Mariemeia watched the exchange with a hint of wistfulness in her eyes. Distantly, she could feel the faintest twinge of regret rising; they would be leaving for their colonial home once again soon. With an inaudible snort at herself, she shoved the feeling away again and smiled gently at Kenny.
There was a light touch on her shoulder, and she looked up to see a pair of kind teal eyes regarding her. "You're not as alone as you think," Carter said softly.
"Not anymore," she agreed quietly, before glancing around at them all with a more cheerful expression, "None of us are!"
Carter nodded, something more in the back of his eyes but he kept it to himself for now.
"Well well, look what we have here," a merry, anglicized voice mentioned, as a tall figure stepped around a potted plant. A pair of amused brown eyes regarded the kids from on high. "Having fun at the party, are we?"
"Hi Rip!" Tryan called out.
"Yeah, we're having fun," Duan said, with a wide grin. "The music isn't as good as it was in Arcadia, but there's lots of food!"
"Indeed there is, I have been taking full advantage of that fact myself, dear boy," the tall redhead answered with a roguish grin. "So what wonderful trouble are you going to get into tonight?"
Duan shrugged. "I don't know. I guess it depends on if all of them keep behaving themselves," he said.
Wufan stepped forward and took Mariemeia's hand. "Mei, this is Rip. He's our good friend. Rip this is Mariemeia Khushrenada. She's famous. We call her Mei, though."
Mariemeia looked up at the older redhead curiously, finding herself smiling at the cheerful expression on his face. "Hi," she said, giving him a quick, but polite, curtsey.
Ripper bowed deeply from the waist. "Hallo, Mei," he said cheerfully. "Khushrenada... Khushrenada... that name sounds familiar... let me see... didn't a Khushrenada invent something useful like penicillin or self-flushing toilets or something?"
All of the kids giggled.
"Tell him, Mei," Wufan encouraged.
She stifled her own giggles after a moment. "No, no... It was the Pocket World Domination Handbook. I'm sure it was," she explained with a feigned haughty air and a small wink.
Ripper tapped his finger against his full lower lip. "Hmmm..." Then he reached into a pocket of his tailcoat and pulled out a small, new looking, only slightly used paperback book. "Now that you mention it," he said with a wicked smirk. He dropped the little paperback into the girl's hands. The artwork on the cover was quite stylish, and the title read, "How to infiltrate and take over an large organization in one day, and what to do with it once you have it" and underneath was the author's name, "T. Khushrenada."
She stared down at the book for a long moment, blue eyes darting back up to his face as she blinked in perplexity a few time. "Well... As neatly as you outmaneuvered me on that, you've been studying it, haven't you?" she finally managed, a curious mixture of amusement and regret on her face.
"Study is anathema to me, sweet child," Rip said cheerily. He pointed to the paperback book in her hands and added, "What you see... is a rabbit." He passed his hand over the book and it disappeared, and instead she was holding a soft muff of white fur with a silver tasseled loop to put around a small wrist.
Her blue eyes grew huge as saucers, and a cheerful laugh burbled from her as she looked back up at him. After a moment, she glanced around at the others and exclaimed, "You guys have the coolest friends!"
"Well, they're your friends now, too," Wufan said.
Mariemeia blinked again, looking up at Rip with a faintly hopeful expression at Wufan's declaration.
Rip gave Mariemeia a wink and then held out his hand. "All these boyfriends and none of them has asked you to dance... shocking," he declared. "Perhaps I can rectify the situation. Mei, would you do me the pleasure of joining me for a twirl around the floor?"
Once again her eyes grew large while a bright flush crept up her cheeks. Reaching up to give him her hand, she nodded at the handsome redhead before laughing.
Rip accepted her small hand in his, which was large with beautiful tapered fingers. Those fingers seemed to be covered with a fine network of tiny white lines crisscrossing the skin. "We do have a slight height discrepancy," he mentioned sotto voce, and then lifted her up with an arm under her, settling her against his shoulder and taking her other hand in a semblance of a dance pose. Then he swept onto the wide dance floor full of couples and began swaying gracefully and twirling her around as he smiled into her eyes.
Wufan looked down, frowning in concentration. "Gotta get faster," he said softly, then looked back up to the others.
"Can you do that dance?" Duan asked Kenny confidentially.
Kenny glanced at Duan and simply shook his head. "Wasn't on my training schedule," he murmured.
Tryan sighed, looking around at the others. "If you wanna know how, I can teach ya outside on the balcony," he said.
"Next time," Kenny replied deadpan.
As Dorothy led the blond business man on a slow stroll through the doors to the garden, she graced him with an amused look from the corner of her eye. "Hmmm... 'dreadfully on the outside,' Mister Bates?" she observed casually.
The green-eyed blond answered her with a lazy smile. "Perhaps I can persuade you to forgive me for a slight rearrangement of the truth?"
Dorothy indulged in a wry smile as she quirked up a single brow. "Hmm. Perhaps, though I don't persuade very easily. Although, I gather you may have some peculiar... talents... which may sway the odds in your favor?"
Jack stroked his fingers along the bare arm he was holding. "Methods of persuasion are many and varied, dear Dorothy..." he said in a low, velvet-textured voice. "And in many ways, we *are* on the outside, and always will be. Perhaps you'll understand the reason for that statement when you know me better."
"That is something I very much look forward to," Dorothy replied, leading him slowly down a deserted path.
Jack's smile curved fractionally deeper. "You are a woman who knows how to get what she wants, therefore I imagine you will succeed again. However I will endeavor to keep the game interesting for you... wouldn't do to make it too simple, don't you think?"
"That would be a pity, although being a man of your talents, I'm sure you'll have little trouble with that," she agreed, pausing to admire a sweep of Evening Primrose. "You live such an interesting life, Mister Bates. It intrigues me."
"That is the only kind of life to live, Dorothy," he returned. "The alternative is a tedium deadlier than disease or poison. Shall we start with a simple game, and work our way from there?"
"All games are simple once you know the rules," she replied, "That, of course, is the finest game of all. To learn all the rules. But, as you will." She smiled at him, blue eyes flashing with pleasure and enjoyment.
"Ask a question... I'll answer. Then you yield a concession. One for one," he said, watching her with cool amusement.
"How very fair and even. I'd never liked fair until I came here," she observed with a small sigh. "Although it does present a greater challenge in the long run. Very well." She paused, as if considering what she would ask, although the question that had been sitting on the tip of her tongue since the morning ride from the port came swiftly to mind. "How long have you known of It then?"
Cool green eyes sparked with a hint of sudden heat beneath the glacier, and a sense of appreciation for the question. "A long time," he said serenely. "I suppose you could say 'It' has influenced my entire existence. I would not be what I am without Its influence."
"One might argue that none of us would, nor would the world be what it is, although I gather that you hint of a more... personal involvement," she said, glancing at him briefly.
He sighed with a touch of mock-drama. "Questions of time are not particularly 'fair' to you... since you do *not* know the rules that govern them in this arena. If I said I have known of It for... close to ten decades, I suspect the answer might confuse you further still."
Dorothy peered at him curiously for a long moment. "There is so much more to your world than even a hidden game would account for," she mused quietly. "Why do I have the feeling that this particular set of rules was never meant to be learned?"
He smiled. "That statement is intrinsically correct and transcendently true," he murmured. "Those rules *were* never meant to be learned, by any of us, including myself. For the very reason you mentioned: knowing the rules does make the game ridiculously easy."
"Intriguing," she murmured before gracing him with an inquiring look. "What concession would you have?"
Jack's expression seemed hardly to change, but the predatory glimmer she noticed at their meeting was suddenly noticeable. He lifted her hand to his lips and brushed it with them lightly. "Before the party ends, I would like to see you go up to Miss Relena, and kiss her."
That took Dorothy by surprise, and it reflected in the brief wide-eyed look she tossed at him. She covered quickly with a small cough and another wry smile. "If that had come from anyone else, Mister Bates, I would have thought it sophomoric. Are there conditions to this kiss?" she inquired with a faint hint of bored detachment.
He chuckled. "You are paying for the answer to your question. I would think you'd return value for value," he said, watching her with appreciation. "You see... perhaps the game was not as simple or fair as you initially assumed."
"I would expect no less," she replied, "Very well then." She bowed her head slightly in thought for a moment as they continued to stroll along the quiet path. "You spoke before of Miss Relena's role. Of how simply by being who she is, she opposes..." She looked up into the darkened sky, taking in the panorama of stars against the curtain of blackness. "What sort of threat may It pose to her?"
Jack stopped, turning to look at her directly. "Every sort of threat. Threat of death, threat of corruption, threat of loss, threat of injury unrecoverable. She survives today only because of those who placed themselves in front of her, some almost inexplicably. It has sent many threats against her already and failed through a combination of chance and design, and the irony of fate that plays havoc equally with both sides of the struggle."
Her eyes narrowed thoughtfully, and for once, she was too consumed by her musings that she had no more response than a quietly indistinct murmur of polite agreement. When she at last glanced up at him again, there was a fire of determination in her pale azure eyes. "Understood. My forfeit?"
He regarded her with a slow smile, but this time she thought she detected a hint of genuine warmth, as if something again stirred beneath the green-ice glacier. His hand rose and his fingers stroked her cheek gently. "You are one of the shadowed ones, Dorothy," he said softly. "Born in the influence of the Serpent. Shaped by It, yet finding your way somehow to a place in opposition. We shadowed ones... and this is why irony is my favorite of the mad creator's gifts... tainted by venom, we can bite the deepest. Your forfeit..." his eyes drifted back to the lights and sounds of music and voices. "A dance with Heero Yuy, I think."
"How do you know them?" she asked quickly in reply, her voice lilting between wistful curiosity, and amusement. "And how much of my dignity will this night cost me?" she continued on to herself, shaking her head. "Very well. A dance with Heero Yuy. And if he refuses me?"
"You will persuade him," he answered, bowing briefly. "As for your dignity, the cost might be too high for someone else, but you have enough to spare. Was that another question for me to answer, either of them?"
"And you seem to be very sure of my own abilities, Mister Bates," she retorted. "Ah... Of my dignity? No. That was an observation. Of the pilots?" she paused and cast a curious look over him. "Yes. That is a story I would very much like to hear."
Jack inclined his head. "The full story -- or something that would pass for it -- would be best told by other voices," he answered. "The answer... they did a job for Mr. Ripley and I. A special job. Something they are well-qualified for: they helped ensure the continuance of a world."
Dorothy peered at him; his choice of words had not escaped her, particularly given the previous evening's dinner conversation. "A world?" she murmured to herself. She looked away then, admiring the evening sky once more. "I would take more credit for my... antagonistic qualities?" she said casually, "However, Miss Relena deserves most of that."
"Credit is an imaginary commodity," he returned. "The facts are sufficient for my appreciation. Perhaps if you ask other sources, you can acquire more of the story. You have a commodity which would be valuable in exchange."
"And there is far more to you, Mister Bates, than even I can begin to guess at," she replied with a wickedly amused twinkle in her eyes.
"Guesses cost nothing," he answered, returning her smile.
"Hm. Interesting to note. And what is my tally up to thus far?"
"A kiss and a dance... thus far," he said. "But I'd be happy to continue the game - now or at a later date as time or inclination permit."
"Hm. Agreed. Shall we walk, dear sirrah?" she asked archly, bringing her free hand up to rest upon his own hand on her arm, as she nodded politely back along the path they'd traversed.
Heero leaned against Duo a little as they walked. "You ok?" he asked quietly, looking up into violet eyes.
"Not too bad," Duo replied, "Wish we could be doing something else, maybe, but..." He shrugged philosophically. "How 'bout you?"
A private smile etched itself on Heero's lips. "Yes, we could be doing something else," he said, nudging Duo a little. "I was about to show you what else we could do, but I got..." he began, then stopped as he glanced to the dance floor. Suddenly, Heero's head lowered and he scowled. "Hn."
A tall redheaded man, who was becoming familiar to Heero in an unnerving way, was dancing with Mariemeia in his arms. The sight of Ripper on the dance floor with Treize's daughter was slightly disturbing to Heero, though he couldn't figure just why.
Duo quirked up an eyebrow, following his partner's sharp glance to the various couples whirling gracefully across the floor. A small, pleased smile played across his lips as he observed the delighted expression on Mariemeia's face.
"Isn't there some sort of rule of party etiquette about pairing up red-heads?" the braided pilot quipped quietly to Heero before he noted the disturbed scowl. "What's wrong?"
Heero turned to Duo. The scowl deepened as he struggled to find the appropriate words. "It's like he's a magician or something. Both of them are everywhere," Heero said.
"It's easier to cover more ground if a team splits up," Duo observed. "Besides, they both draw the eye. It's hard to miss them in a crowd..."
"It's more than that. They're enjoying themselves. They remind me of Treize. He had people dying for him. It's not right," Heero replied.
"Do you plan on dying on me during this mission?" Duo asked.
The expression on Heero's face changed. He opened his mouth to speak, then stopped as he considered Duo's question. Looking down, he shook his head. "No, I don't plan on dying," he said.
"I'm not sure I like how long it took you to answer that," Duo replied, although there was a faint hint of amusement to his voice. "What exactly is it about them that bothers you so much, koibito?"
Glancing up at Ripper and Mariemeia on the dance floor, Heero sighed. "I guess I just don't trust anyone with that much power. Personal experience," he said, thinking of his mobile suit, Wing Zero.
"Which just goes to prove what a brilliant guy you are," Duo replied, reaching out to give Heero's arm a reassuring squeeze. "It feels weird sometimes, when I think about it. Like... Almost like they've been kinda guiding our fate along or something... But I figure that if they really had that kinda control, there probably wouldn't *be* an artifact anymore. I'm probably wrong, but... I guess I'm just used to trying to find the fun in anything, myself."
"Stop saying you're wrong," Heero said, turning his gaze squarely on Duo. "You are fine. It's me that's paranoid."
Duo turned a mischievous grin on Heero. "G used to say something back when I was with him before everything hit the fan... 'Just because you're paranoid, doesn't mean that they really *aren't* out to get you.' Course G was a crazy old coot..." he said with a soft chuckle.
Heero smiled fully, taken by surprise at the humorous saying. "Then, I guess we have something in common." Visibly, Heero seemed to relax. He turned his head and looked at Ripper on the dance floor again. "I need to talk to him," he said, then looked at Duo, the expression soft and open. "You've done it again, Duo," he said.
The braided pilot blinked in confusion as he tossed Heero a questioning look. "Am I in trouble again?" he asked with a small grin.
Cobalt blue eyes dropped from Duo's eyes, to his lips, as Heero deliberately moistened his own. "Yes," he replied, quietly. "But it's in a good way."
A slow, lazy smile spread over Duo's face as he ducked his head and peered at Heero from under his lashes. "You're bound and determined to drive me insane tonight, aren't you?" he murmured. "Gonna try and make up for the last 17 years in a single day?"
Heero shrugged. "Perhaps," he said, looping his arm through Duo's. "Let's check on the kids," he said.
The tall redheaded man on the dance floor twirled a last time as the song concluded with a flourish. Then he lifted Mariemeia high in the air, and brought her swooping down to the ground, stopping to let her toes brush the floor lightly before setting her down. He bowed with exaggerated depth, but there was nothing mocking about his smile. "Merci beacoups, ma petite rose," he said.
She blushed again, laughing happily as she dropped into a flawless curtsey. "You're very welcome, Mister Rip. I'll work on growing so next time I won't be so short," she confided cheerfully.
Rip grinned appreciatively. "Brilliant," he commented. "Now off you go..." he said, and gave her an affectionate pat on the behind. More than a couple of people in the room who had recognized Mariemeia teetered on the edge of shock at the gesture.
Unconcerned by the act of familiarity, Mariemeia waved as she skipped back towards the window area the boys had scoped out earlier. Her eyes flashed brightly, and a wide smile of genuine happiness seemed to have made a permanent home on her face.
From across the room where Vice Minister Dorlan stood entertaining her guests, Lady Une watched the tall man dance with Mariemeia. Her first inclination had been to bolt over there and demand credentials, but she had to concede that her actions might be taken amiss. This was a party, after all and he was one of Relena's invited guests. More graceful, Une thought suddenly and a small smile played across her lips as she thought of Treize, her mentor and the man who represented for her the penultimate in taste and leadership. A part of her heart still ached at the lack of his presence in this new era. She felt convinced that he would be an integral part of their new found peace and would be able to bring opposing sides together with his charisma alone. This party could use your touch, she thought as she watched the dance conclude and the expression on Mariemeia's face.
Suddenly it hit her like a bolt from the blue. As Lady Une watched the guest and Mariemeia, she saw Treize in the man's position. "Oh Mr. Treize," she said softly, and with a touch of sadness, "She needs you. She needs her father... as did I at one time."
Looking back with new vision, Une watched as the little girl bounded away and the unguarded affection and delight which lit up her face. I have been so caught up in being what I thought of as a good mother to Mariemeia, that I have missed what is right before my eyes, Une thought. She needs more than simply to be corrected when she makes mistakes, or to be taught right and wrong.
More graceful, Lady Une, she thought and then smiled. "Thank you again, Mr. Treize," she said, quietly to herself. I will try and do my best for her, she thought. And I will be more graceful while I do.
TBC
End of Part 31
Please feel free to direct feedback to any or all of the authors!
ravynfyre@hotmail.com,
sablexo1@yahoo.com,
bonnejeanne@yahoo.com, Nixerchan@aol.com.