Have Another Cookie...

by Eikyu No Nozomi

A fleeting thought, that's all it really was. Nothing sunk in at first, the words coming out of my friends mouth would not sink in to my brain. I refused to let them sink into my brain. They could not sink into my brain. I would not let them.

"No.........." I groaned, sinking to my knees. My entire body shook as the words sunk in.

A friendly hand rested on my shoulder, and I looked up. My friend nodded, telling me with his violet eyes that it was okay to cry, that, for once in my entire life, I would be allowed to let down my defenses, and let my emotions show through. I began to cry..........

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"How....... how did Heero take the news?" Quatre asked, looking away from the window as Duo walked into the room. Duo looked sadly at his fellow pilot, and shook his head, flopping into a chair, tears running down his cheeks. He snifled, and tried to grin. It didn't work.

"Just the way we all thought he would. He couldn't handle it. I popped him some sleeping pills, he's sleeping upstairs." Duo said, looking over at Quatre. Quatre shook his head, and looked back out the window once more.

"Why did this have to happen? We are done with the war, have been for these ten years. But still, it's as if Destiny can't stand to watch us smile, and be happy." Quatre whispered, more at himself than at Duo. Duo shrugged, playing with his braid.

"I don't know. I really don't. Not even the great Shinigami can answer that question." Duo said, his spoken thoughts hanging in the air, the silence quite palpable. Duo's braid rustled as he twirled the loose hanging end, trying to control his sorrow.

"Thanks for giving me a place to crash. I'll be gone after the funeral." Duo sighed, looking over at Quatre. Quatre nodded, staring stoically out the window.

"Who....... did he say anything about..... about Kaiyo?" Quatre asked, sorrow thick upon his voice. Duo shook his head.

"Not a word. Not a syllable." Duo looked up at the ceiling, wondering what would happen to his best friend, and his goddaughter now. He failed to envision anything sunny. All he could see was a world devoid of light and happiness.

The library door opened, and someone slipped silently in. The door clicked hoarsely as the latch closed. The two ex-pilots looked over at the intruder. It was Trowa.

"Trowa, how ya' been!? Long time no see!" Duo said, wiping the tears off his face, trying to sound like his chipper old self. Trowa shook his head, and Quatre saw the briefest glimpse of dampness in the corner of his eye. He tried to smile for his old friend, and failed miserably.

"I...... I came as soon as I heard. Is.... are they okay?' Trowa asked, his voice wobbling. Duo sniffed, wiping more crystals from his eyes, and shaking his head.

"I'm sure Heero would want to say hi, but he's sleeping......" Duo trailed off, and Trowa nodded, finding himself in need of leaning against the nearest bookcase, lest he fall over in a heap of sobs.

The door opened again, and a little girl, no more than seven, skipped in. Her red curls bounced on her shoulders, against the cotten fabric of her pale yellow play dress. She giggled when she saw her Uncle Trowa, her prussian blue eyes glittering with delight.

"Uncle Trowa!" the little girl laughed, rushing up to the much taller form of Trowa. Trowa smiled weakly, and bent down to scoop her up in his arms, hugging her closely, as if he could reach back into the past through the childs form.

Kaiyo squirmed, trying to get free. Trowa let go, and let her greet Uncle Quatre and Uncle Duo.

"Uncle Quatre, where's Mama?" Kaiyo asked, pulling on Quatre's tan pants lightly. Quatre looked down at the little girl, and tears began to stream down his face.

"Oh, Kaiyo!" Quatre sobbed, crounching down, and burying his head in her shoulder.

"What's wrong, Uncle Quatre? Did you get a splinter? I can find Mama, she'll take it out for you. Mama is really good at taking out splinters!" Kaiyo said, squirming again. Her last comment made the Quatre sob harder, and Trowa to full out cry.

"Kaiyo, Ca.... you Mother won't be coming back, ever again." Quatre said, gulping the salt water as it slipped into his mouth. Kaiyo looked at him, taking a step back, and cocking her head to the side, as if she didn't believe him. She looked over at her Uncle Duo, knowing that he would never lie to her. Duo looked away, and then directly into her ocean blue eyes.

"Kaiyo, your Mother is in Heaven now. She is in a better place......." Duo started to say, but was rudly interupted as the little girl ran screaming from the room, tears streaming down her face.

Duo sat up, and made a move for the door, but Quatre shook his head as Trowa went dashing after his niece.

"Let Trowa talk to her. He may not have been the closest, but he does know what to say." Quatre said, his eyes turning red. Duo nodded, his eyes long since blood shot.

"She looks so much like her Mother, so much like Catherine. I just don't know how Heero will deal with it." Duo shook his head, looking up at the ceiling. Quatre looked out the window, and watched as Kaiyo ran across the lawn, and scrambled up a nearby tree, Trowa close behind. He sighed, sadness heavy on his throat.

A gun shot echoed through the mansion. Duo jumped up, dashing up the stairs, Quatre following. But, as they opened the plain white guest room Heero had supposedly been sleeping in, they knew it was too late. Heero was the Perfect Soldier, and when he meant for someone to die, even himself, he was successful. And there was no doubt that Heero was dead, the back of his head was spread out across the West wall, creating an odd red mosaic.

"God no! Heero, you idiot, didn't you even stop to think about Kaiyo! Couldn't you think about your own daughter!" Duo screamed, falling to his knees, weeping. Quatre collapsed against a nearby wall, sobbing. Trowa ran into the room several minutes later, and rushed out again, catching Kaiyo by the waist, and running downstairs with her, not wanting to expose her to the carnage her Father had wreaked upon himself.

"Quatre, you read it......" Duo said, handing Quatre a slip of paper he had removed from Heero's hand. Quatre looked at the black ink perfect penmanship.

"I'm sorry for what I must do, but I cannot live without her Light in my life. Tell Kaiyo that Daddy love's her always. Trowa, take care of her for us, she is our Hope." Quatre sobbed, and walked downstairs, and saw Trowa handing Kaiyo a cookie in the kitchen.

"Quatre, what's wrong?" Trowa asked, his eyes pleading with his old friend not to say the truth, not in front of the little girl.

"Kaiyo, have another cookie, it will make you feel better....." Quatre said, handing Trowa the note, and the little girl another cookie. Trowa read the letter, and a strangled gasp escaped his throat. He looked down at his niece, who was munching on a cookie halfheartedly, tears still running down her face.

"Kaiyo. It seems...... it seems that, that you're going to have to live with me now. Is that okay with you?" Trowa asked, trying to keep his voice steady. Kaiyo looked up at him, tears in her eyes.

"Papa went to Heaven too, didn't he?" Kaiyo asked. The straightforwardness of the question took Trowa off guard, and he nodded numbly.

"Yes, your Papa went to heaven too, just like your Mama. Just like your Mama......." Trowa sobbed. Kaiyo handed him one of her cookies.

"Have a cookie, it will make you feel better. Uncle Quatre said it would, so it must be true." Kaiyo mumbled, stuffing another of the sugar sweets in her mouth. Trowa nodded, and took a bite out of the cookie, tears rolling down his face.................

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So, what did you think? Majorly depressing? Thought so, I agree forth with!

But, notice the trailing ending! I have created this story as a Round Robin.

A Round Robin story is a story where someone writes the first part, and passes it on. I would dearly like someone else to finish this story, as I am at a dead end on how to do that!

e-mail at blurose@angelfire.com if you would like to continue the story!