The Night After By Captain Anonymous It had been raining most of the night. Johnnie stood in front of the window, looking out into the darkness. He had thought about going out like he had done so many nights before. He couldn't bring himself to leave, there wasn't any strength left inside of him. He felt like an empty shell, there was nothing left inside of him. Last night. During his sister's wedding. He didn't want his own feelings to get in the way. He didn't want anyone to know how he felt. Catherine was there. Marlene was there. Marlene had come over to see him right after the wedding, on the stairs of the church. She looked so lovely, Johnnie every detail, how her hand felt against his own, how soft her voice was, how she looked to in the sunlight. It was one the few times he had seen her during the daytime hours, most of the time he saw her at night, on the streets, only in the pale light. To be there with Marlene, and for Catherine to see them together. He didn't want Catherine to see them together, not after what he had done. Maybe being with Marlene wasn't the right thing. There was no way for him to forget his feelings about her. He closed his eyes, he was breathing heavily. He loved Marelne. He wanted to be with her. Still, his soul would never be cleared of his sins, he would be able to forget what he had done. That man, Major Robert. S. Ordway. That name, Johnnie knew him while he was alive, but that would haunt him. The sounds of his comrades dying in the warehouse, the sound of the shot Johnnie had fired into Ordway, the sound of Ordway's arm smashing against the skull of one his comrades. It would echo through his mind. Johnnie and Trowa were the only two to survive, everyone else was dead. There were times at night when Johnnie wished that he was one of the ones who didn't survive. But seeing Cathy, seeing her in pain over what he had done, it was too much for him. He didn't want to cause anyone else any sort of pain, like the pain he had caused her. He had killed the man that Catherine loved, how he could he fall in love after that. How could he love someone, and be with them, after he took that away from someone else. Johnnie opened his eyes, ignoring the tears that fell down his face. He could hear the wind outside. -------------------- Mitchell sat up in bed, feeling the cold sweat drip down his skin. He stared at the window looking the flickering flashes of lightning, followed by the crash of the thunder. There was silence for a moment, the room grew dark. He could himself breathing heavily. The sound, the light, it seemed all too familiar. The sound of the shells, the flashes light, followed by the pale silence. He could feel a warm hand against his cool skin. "Joel, are you all right?" Mitchell looked at Sylvia as he tried to regain his composure. "I'm all right." Sylvia put his arms around her husband, Mitchell laid his head against Sylvia's shoulder. "There's nothing to worry about, I'm here with you." Mitchell breathed deeply. "I know, I'm sorry that I woke you up Sylvia." Sylvia touched Mitchell's hair, "Its all right, I was already awake anyway." Mitchell closed his eyes as he laid in Sylvia's arms. "What were you thinking about tonight Sylvia?" Sylvia laid her cheek against his black hair, "I was thinking about the wedding yesterday." Mitchell said softly, "It was nice, I know that Midii and Trowa will be happy together." Sylvia felt herself breathing deeply. "I'm glad that Midii and Trowa are together, after everything that she's been through, I'm that they are together." Mitchell moved in Sylvia's arms as the room was shaken by the sound of thunder. He could feel the long strands of her hair against his face. "The thunder." Sylvia rubbed her hands along her husband's skin, letting him go on. "I'm sorry Joel." "I'm just glad your here with me. " Sylvia closed her eyes, she understood how Joel felt. The thunder, the war was still in his mind, it would be a part of him, the burden he would have to carry for the rest of his life. She loved him, she wanted to be with him. Sylvia knew what he had gone through, she knew Joel still carried the scars from the war. The mental scars, she knew that they would fully heal, but she wanted to be with him, and face that pain by his side. She had lost him once during the war, when he was captured by OZ, she was never going to lose him again. She closed her eyes, and held him in her arms. ----------------- Midii opened her eyes, and stared into the darkness. It was late, she wasn't sure of the time. She had spent the past few hours holding Marie, trying to get her to fall back asleep. The storm outside had wakened the small angel. Midii had heard the sound of her soft cry, and went into her room, picking up the small angel, and comforting her, rocking her in her arms. Finally she had fallen asleep, Midii held her before placing her back in her crib. She had looked at her as she slept in her arms, touching the fine strands of her blonde hair. Midii had finally laid the small angel down to sleep in her crib, covering her with her pink blankets. Midii laid her head back, resting it on Trowa's chest. She could hear the sound of Trowa's heart beating, as she closed her eyes. This was the second night they would be together as a married couple. Midii could feel Trowa move slightly, as he touched her long blonde hair. Midii heard his voice, "Everything all right?" Midii said softly, "Everything's fine. Marie was just upsetted by the storm, she's settled down now." Trowa touched his wife's hand, feeling her soft skin. "The storm should pass soon." Midii closed her eyes, trying to ignore the sounds of the thunder. "I'm glad we're together." Trowa closed his eyes. He spoke softly. "Midii, I........I wanted to be with you for so long. Before I was with you again......I was alone. I wanted to be with you, nothing else to matter. I wanted to be with you." Midii moved her body along his, and put her cheek against his. She could feel tear drop against his skin. He lost the mask that he wore, that mask that never cried. Trowa went on, whispering, "I loved you. I love you." Midii said softly, "Were together now." The were almost meaningless, they both felt the same way. The past didn't seem to matter any more. Midii could feel Trowa's lips as they met hers. Midii could feel Trowa touching her warm skin, as he held her in his embrace. ------------------ Lady walked down the dark halls, passing by Mariemaia's room. She stopped at the door, quietly opening it. She looked into the dark room, at the sleeping red head child. Mariemaia slept silently in the room, as she rain fell outside. Lady had been up most of the night, she hadn't slept much since her cousins wedding. She looked down at her adopted daughter as she slept. The daughter of his Excellency. She was starting to get older, she could see some of Trieze's features in her. After the end of the Second Eve War, Lady had taken in Mariemaia and began to raise her as her own. Mariemaia was alone, her grandfather was dead, she alone and wounded, Lady felt that this was what she had to do. Trieze was gone, the only man she would ever love. She would raise Mariemaia She closed the door silently. Lady had never known Midii when she was the age that Mariemaia was now. She walked into the kitchen and took a bottle of red wine out of the cupboard. It was the first time in almost ten years she had seen Midii and her brothers in person. Midii looked so much older, even more like her mother. She never said a word, never made her presence known. She knew the day was important to Midii, she didn't want the blood and guilt from her hands staining it. But still, part of her wanted to stay there, to see Midii, to tell her how she felt. How much she looked like her mother, how proud she was. How sorry she was for everything that she had done to her. She poured the red liquid into a glass. She sipped the wine, feeling the bitter taste on her lips. It would be morning soon, the rain would finally end. To be continued.