Gundam Wing is property of Sotsu Agency, Bandai
Studios, and TV Asahi. Sainan no Kekka and all
original characters and plot copyright 2000 by
Quicksilver and Gerald Tarrant. Please ask permission
before reposting.

SHIN KIDOU SENKI GUNDAM WING
SAINAN NO KEKKA
Wildflowers: Trowa

"So sad that you love her like the stars above�"
--Gavin Friday, Angel
*************************************

The tree branch wobbled as the little girl's grip
slipped slightly, and she clung to it, terrified.
Below, the river rushed over boulders and curved
around the bend in the rocky bed with a tremendous
roar. She couldn't scream. She wanted to, but Mama
said that bears lived in the forest, and wolves. If
she screamed, they might come and eat her. So she held
on tightly, praying that maybe Mama would come out of
the trees and rescue her, or maybe an angel. Papa had
believed in angels.

She was afraid to die.

"Mama�" she whimpered. "Mama�" The wind murmured
through the trees and the branch shook and she
couldn't help the terrified cry that escaped her
throat.

"Don't move!" a voice called behind her, and she
froze, feeling the wind dash her tears away and she
hardly dared to breathe. Was she imagining things? 

"Pa�Papa?" she whispered.

"Hold on," the voice instructed, and her heart leapt
and plummeted at the same time. It wasn't her
Papa�Papa's voice had been deeper, older. But she
wasn't dreaming. An angel? Could this be one of the
angels that he always talked about?

"I'm coming for you," the voice said, this time
closer, over the roaring of the river. "The branch is
going to move a bit. Just hold on."

"Papa," she sobbed, hugging her flimsy perch to her
chest and feeling the branch bend and shake. She
squeezed her eyes shut and waited for the angel to
come to her, waiting for him to lift her up with his
wings so they could fly to solid ground.

But instead she felt a hand reach tentatively around
her and grasp her around the waist and then she was
pulled towards land. Her hands caught on the rough
bark of the tree branch, but she let herself be
dragged along, hardly daring to look down until she
felt the firm earth beneath her fingers. Tears leaked
from under her eyelids and she hugged herself tightly,
rocking back and forth.

"Are you all right?"

She nodded mutely, and gentle hands placed themselves
on her. "Let me look at you."

Brilliant green eyes peered into her own from under
long, mussed brown bangs, and she blinked at him, her
tears ceasing. He was young�not much older than Marc. 
Not an angel after all. She felt a stab of
disappointment.

"You're not an angel," she said accusingly.

To her surprise, he smiled slightly. "I never said I
was. Are you all right?"

"I wanna go home," she said, ignoring his question,
pushing herself shakily to her feet. They were in the
field of wildflowers by the river, and they were in
bloom. 

"Where do you live?"

"That way." Pointing. "Over there behind the trees."
Reaching down into the flowers, she spotted a bright
red one and grasped it, pulling it firmly by the
roots. It came up in a shower of dirt.

"Can you get home by yourself?"

She nodded, then hesitated. "You can come if you
want."

He had a pack by his foot, which she hadn't noticed
before. He slung it on his back. "I'd better not. I
don't want to be a bother to your family."

"Mama doesn't mind," she said. Running to him, she
pulled on his hand. "And Marc is away at school."
Grasping his hand, she pried apart his fingers and
dropped the grubby flower into it. "Here. I'm giving
you a present."

He looked down at the flower in his hand, seemed to
hesitate, looking back over his shoulder, then gave
her another shadowy smile. "All right. I'll just drop
on by. I'm sure your mother is worried about you."

The sheep were bleating behind the house again as the
girl pulled open the unlocked door. "Mama! I'm home!"
There was no answer, and she signaled to the boy to
wait while she pulled off her shoes, ran through the
house. It was empty.

"Mama must have gone to market," she said, returning
to the entrance. "You can come in, I guess."

"Thank you," he responded in a low voice, placing his
pack carefully by the door. "I'll only stay a few
minutes."

The front door creaked open. "Jacqueline?"

She turned and had just enough time to see her mother
step into the house before she was engulfed in a tight
embrace.

"Jacqueline! Where have you been? I've been looking
ALL OVER for you! You made me so worried! I-"

"He's an angel, Mama," she said, struggling out of the
tight hug. "He rescued me."

The boy smiled, shaking his head. "Just a traveler
passing by. She was on a tree branch over that river,
and I thought she might need help getting back on
land."

Her mother put a hand to her heart. "Thank God�you
don't know how worried I've been these past few
hours�I was just in town looking for her. I thought
she might have gone to the market or the school�" She
turned around, waving a finger. "And you! You, young
lady! What do you think you were-"

"I was just picking flowers," the little girl mumbled,
staring at her feet. "And there was a pretty one on
the branch�"

"She's safe now, ma'am," the boy cut in, and then
smiled again, with those brilliant eyes. "I'm glad to
have been of service." He held out one hand, and she
saw that he had picked a bunch of wildflowers. "For
you, as a gift. As a lowly traveler, it's all I could
think of."

Her mother rushed over to him, engulfing him in an
embrace as well. "Thank you�thank you so much. How can
I ever repay you?" Stepping back, she examined him,
the words tumbling from her mouth. "You look
hungry�.you haven't eaten? Do you want food? You can
stay the night. Please, make yourself at home."
Rushing around the kitchen, pulling out cups and
plates. "We're just about to eat�I'd be honored if
you'd join us."

"Of course," he said. The little girl watched him. He
seemed very quiet. She scampered over to him, climbing
up into the seat of the wooden chair he was leaning
against as he watched her mother, amused.

"Mama always gets like this when she's excited," she
whispered in his ear. "She likes you."

"Oh? Well, I�m glad." He still sounded amused.

Her mother placed a block of cheese and a pitcher of
fresh milk on the table next to the vase in the
center, where she had placed the flowers. "Sit
down�sit down�what's your name, young man?"

He seemed to pause again. "You can call me Trois," he
said finally, taking the proffered chair and pouring
his glass half full of milk. "I'm just passing
through�I shouldn't be long."

"Oh no!" The aroma of stew filled the kitchen. Her
mother's face was red, the way it always was when she
was cooking. The smell of fresh grass drifted through
the open window. "No, indeed�you saved my Jacqueline.
Please, spend the night, at least. It's getting dark
and I don't want you walking out there alone!"

"Pretty sunset," she said, tugging on his sleeve and
pointing. He patted her on the head.

"Very pretty." Turning to her mother. "This is a very
nice house you have here."

"Oh�don't think anything of it. Nothing at all. My
husband's family owned it, before we were married, and
we inherited it after his mother died."

"Where's your husband now?"

"He�died. Four years ago, when Jacqueline was five
years old. Just before the War began." Her mother
hardly paused as she reached for the bowls, spooning
thick stew into each of them. The rich smell made her
stomach rumble.

"Oh�I'm sorry." The boy's tone was apologetic. "I
didn't mean to�"

Her mother waved away the apology. "You didn't know.
It's all right. We get by. Marc is at school in
Switzerland and I'm sending Jacqueline when she gets
old enough. We'll probably sell the house�" She
laughed. "I don't know why I'm telling you this."

"I'm honored that you confide in me," he said quietly,
taking the stew bowl with a little bow. "I'm always
willing to listen."

"He was trying to save a little boy, actually�and he
drowned in the river�" Her voice was distant.

"The river behind the house, ma'am?"

"The one you saved my little girl from today. Yes." A
shadow of a smile. "He was always very brave, my
Robert."

"Bravery is a wonderful thing," the boy said. "Your
husband was a noble man."

Something about his tone caused the girl to look at
him curiously, but he said nothing more, and she was
hungry. The wildflowers bobbed in the wind and she
watched them, fascinated by their merry dance.

"Eat your stew, Jacqueline," her mother said.

"Pretty flowers," she said, blinking wide-eyed at the
boy, and he smiled at her.

"I have a sister who likes flowers. Whenever we go
somewhere with lots of flowers I always try to buy her
some."

She perked up. "You have a sister? Where is she?"

His smile was a little sad. "She's at home now. I have
to make a journey, but I know she's waiting for me
when I return."

"Papa said that I had guardian angels," she said
seriously. Her spoon scraped against the bottom of the
bowl. "He said they lived in the field of flowers by
the river and that when I was in trouble, they would
come help me."

"I see," he murmured quietly. "Am I your guardian
angel, then?"

"You don't have wings," she said doubtfully. "But you
came and helped me."

"Jacqueline," her mother chided. "That's enough."

He smiled. "I don't mind." Placing a hand on her
shoulder. "It's nice to relax once in a while."

"It is," she agreed. "Say�have you heard about that
Gundam crisis? I figured you might�since you're not
from around here. We don't get much reliable news�"

"Well, it's true," he said. His demeanor hadn't
changed, but for some reason his voice seemed suddenly
cold. "If that's what you want to know."

Her mother shook her head. "Terrible, terrible. The
war's over. People should just live and let live�leave
other people alone."

"Some people don't feel that way, unfortunately," he
said quietly. "A pity. People are going to get hurt."

"Ah, well. I suppose some people will have to learn
the hard way�I feel sorry for the pilots. The poor
boys never meant any harm. Robert used to say that
unlikely heroes are always the most underappreciated."

He watched her with those green eyes. The little girl
stared, fascinated. "Do you believe that?"

"Of course I do." Her mother got up from the table,
gathering the dishes, her brusque manner putting an
end to the conversation. "But enough of that
depressing subject. Where are you from, Trois?"

"Up north," he said evasively. "I don't really have a
family�my sister and I move around a lot."

"Does she take care of you?" the little girl wanted to
know.

There was a silence. He looked thoughtful. "Yes," he
finally said. "She does."

The boy pushed his chair back and her mother hastily
placed the dishes on the counter. "Here�let me prepare
a bed for you. The house is rather small�I'm sorry we
can't-"

"That's all right," he broke in gently. "My home isn't
large either. And I enjoy your company."

Her mother beamed. "Well�that's very kind of you. Let
me get you settled�"

It took about fifteen minutes for her mother to emerge
back into the kitchen, where the little girl was
amusing herself by blowing on the petals of the
wildflowers in the vase on the table. The sun's last
rays cast long shadows on the walls and floor and her
mother moved to the sink to wash the dishes.

"It's time for bed, Jacqueline," she said. The little
girl was still playing with the flowers. The boy was
taking a bath.

"But I-"

"No buts," her mother said firmly, just as the boy
emerged into the kitchen, his brown hair wet. He had
pushed it back from his forehead and he had a towel
hanging around his neck, which flopped down over his
hair as he bent to pick up his pack.

She followed him, curiously, to her small room, where
her mother had prepared some blankets on the floor.
"Are you sleeping in my room?" she said, peeking in
from behind the door.

"Yes I am. Do you mind?"

She shook her head. "If you're my guardian angel, then
it's all right."

His brilliant eyes, the color of the grass in the
field of flowers, regarded her with that silent
amusement. "What if I'm not?"

"Well," she said, stepping out boldly from behind the
door. "If you weren't, you couldn't have rescued me,
right?"

"I suppose," he said, still watching her as she
climbed into bed. Her mother moved to her side to tuck
her in, turning out the lights and kissing her lightly
on the forehead.

"Good night, dear. Good night, Trois," she added as
she left the room. "There's some bread out on the
counter for you in the morning�in case you're awake
before we are."

"Thank you," his quiet voice murmured, and the door
closed. She looked over to see him still sitting up.

"Are you gonna go to bed?" She sat up too. "Or do you
sleep? Papa said angels don't sleep."

"I�m going to sleep," he said. "I'm just thinking."

" 'Bout what?"

The field of wildflowers was black and silver in the
darkness and the moon was reflected in his green eyes.
She could see him turning over responses in his head.
"I'm making a wish," he said at last. "For my sister.
To make sure she's ok."

"You really miss her, huh? I miss my brother too, but
I guess that's not the same."

"Why not?" he said. A rustle of cloth as he turned
over, slid in between the blankets.

"Well, it must be different when you live in heaven,
right?"

"Of course," he soothed. "You should go to bed now.
There's another day waiting for you."

She yawned and lay down obediently.

"Trois?"

"What is it?"

"You'll�be here when I wake up? Right?"

The breeze whispered gently through the open window.
"I'll always be with you," he said. "I'm your guardian
angel, remember?"

She woke in the middle of the night, knowing there was
something important that had happened that day, but
she couldn't remember what. She turned over, sat up.
The moon was still shining and the window was still
open. The heady smell of wildflowers drifted into the
room and suddenly she remembered, turned to see if he
was still asleep, and blinked as her gaze met a pile
of neatly stacked blankets.

Climbing out of bed onto the cool floor, she stood
there for a moment, looking at the blankets. The door
was still closed.

"Why did you leave?" she said out loud. Moonrays
danced across the walls. Maybe he had flown out of the
window back to heaven while she was asleep. Angels did
that, Papa had told her. 

Maybe he really had been an angel, only hiding his
wings. 

He must have been an angel.

Something out of the corner of her eye caught her
attention and it took her only a moment to realize
that it was a bunch of wildflowers, neatly arranged
beside her pillow.

END WILDFLOWERS

=====
"HOW DARE YOU LOOK SO MUCH LIKE MY SAFFIR-CHAN!"

http://www.homestead.com/quicksilverslabyrinth

http://www.method.org/gundam

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Send your FREE holiday greetings online!
http://greetings.yahoo.com
	     .---Anime/Manga Fanfiction Mailing List----.
             | Administrators - ffml-admins@anifics.com |
             | Unsubscribing - ffml-request@anifics.com |
             |     Put 'unsubscribe' in the subject     |
             `---- http://ffml.anifics.com/faq.txt -----'