Emptiness
By
Captain Anonymous

It was almost dark, as the last few minutes of sunlight filtered in through the window. He was at home, the first night that week he had taken off.
Townsend sat behind the small desk he kept, carefully filing away his papers into his briefcase for the next morning.
He snapped closed the briefcase after filing away the last of his papers, and placed the leather case on the floor next to his feet.
He hadn't had a decent night sleep in three days, only catching some time between shifts to get some rest.

He turned in his desk chair and looked outside, there was something about this time, just before the sunset.
Townsend looked back at his desk, reaching down to the bottom drawer, pulling out the box and placing it on the top of the desk, leaving the drawer open.
Townsend opened the box, looking through the photographs, and letters inside.

There was something about this time of night, something familiar.
He still could remember the time before the great war, when he was back in his nation's capital. At the time he was a young officer, often, especially in the summer months, many of the rich familles would have parties or get togethers.
Townsend had gone to so many, the memories all seemed to come back to him.

They started around this time.
God how he missed those nights. He could still remember the girls showing up, wearing the latest fashions, with their hair done up.
He could remember a night like this, the way they looked, the way the sun set over the trees, the endless green grass that surrounded the houses.

It was almost like a dream.

Those nights, they were gone, part of a time passed. The world had changed. The people he had known, were gone, the times had changed.
It would be like that again. Townsend had seen too much, and in this age of peace, everyone wanted to forget the soldiers that had fought so hard for this peace.
There had been so many times he thought about retiring from active duty, and taking up a civilian job.
There was no where to go.

He flipped through the photos and letters, all from people he had once known. The years, the distance, and circumstance had left these little more then faded memories.

Townsend looked down into the open drawer. He reached down and picked up the pistol he kept.
It had been the pistol he had carried that night, when he met up with Ralph Kurt. There was shell missing from the clip, the one that he fired. The weapon was still loaded with the high explosive ammunition, he had seen just how much damage it had done to Ralph Kurt's shoulder.

There was a round in the chamber, all it would take would be one round.

He moved his finger along the pistol, taking off the safety.

He put his finger against the trigger.

Townsend felt the cold metal in his hand as he laid the pistol on the desk, he returned the safety.
Townsend picked up the gun and placed it back into its case, before placing it back into the drawer.

Townsend collected the pieces of paper and replaced them back into the box.

He turned back in his chair towards the window as the sun was setting. He stared at the red sky.

------------------

Midii moved slowly as she could feel Trowa nuzzling against her. Trowa laid against her, his lips against her neck.
Midii laid her cheek against Trowa's hair as he slept.
It was after midnight, Midii couldn't help but notice the timing. As of now, it would be only two weeks before their wedding day.
Two weeks.
Fourteen days.
Nearly all the arrangements had been made, and the only thing that was left were minor details.

They were so close now.

The wedding was important, they had wanted to get married sooner, but the timing had never been right, with Trowa working as a Preventer, and the birth of their daughter.
It was what they both wanted.
Midii shifted her body, slowly, taking care not to make any sudden movements, moving herself under the blankets, as she made herself comfortable in Trowa's arms.

There was something still bothering Midii.

It was like the darkness of the night was coaxing the memories out of her.
It always happened at night, in the darkness
Midii could feel his warm hands on her back, being with him helped ease the pain. Knowing that someone who loved her, and wanted to be with her, it helped her escape the demons.

Midii still couldn't get that call out of her mind for the past weeks.
She couldn't forget.
Maybe something inside of her didn't want her to forget. Tears formed in her eyes, it was painful just thinking about it.
She tried to understand how she felt.
She tried to understand why she left.
When she called that night, it confirmed what Midii already knew.
Lady had fallen in love Trieze, and gave up her life, and everything she cared about for him, and the organization.
There was no limit, no end to it. Midii had read the reports about Operation Daybreak, how Lady had helped in setting up the events that would lead to the death of Field Marshal Noventa. It was because of people like her, they fuel the flames of war, and led to so much pain.
Midii would never forget she caused to her. It nearly destroyed her, physically, and emotionally.
When she met Trowa for the first time, on that cold battlefield, she remembered exactly how she felt. The cold sorrow, the fact she couldn't even express any emotion to him. She couldn't tell him, how she felt, that she loved him.
Midii never wanted to betray him, but she had no other choice.
When she confessed to Trowa about what she had done, the emotions built up inside of her. She had been forced to betray the one she loved for her family.
That night she broke down, there was one no there to comfort her, no one to tell her that it was going to be all right.
She thought about that night so many times.
No matter what she would have done that night, it never would have been perfect.

She still didn't know how to feel now, the war was over and she was with Trowa again. But the pain, and the scars were still there.
Midii had seen her during the broadcasts, seeing her in uniform, wearing those glasses, she didn't even seem to be the same person as the cousin she had once known.
She stared out from behind those glasses, that cruel unfeeling stare.

Midii was still unsure of her feelings, still torn. After seeing her again, after all these years, now she was here.
Midii could still remember when she was younger, when they been together, Lady, her mother, her father and her brothers, she always thought that nothing would come break them apart.
Those memories, she would never forget them.
What could it hurt, calling her again? To understand why she left, why she left to be with Trieze, and joined OZ. What was she feeling at the time?
Maybe the answers would help ease some of the pain.
Could she ever forgive her for what she did to her, and her brothers?

She wasn't sure how to feel, or what to do. There was no right answer.
Things would never be like they were before the war.

Midii wiped the tears from her eyes, as she laid in Trowa's embrace.
She closed her eyes.
She slowly calmed down as she rested in his arms.

------------

Lady sat behind her desk, looking over the daily reports. It was late, after midnight. She didn't work many late nights anymore, but tonight she had some paperwork to catch up on.
She'd only be working for another two hours.
She looked up as she heard a knock on the door.
"Come in."
She looked up as Lt. Norton entered the room.
Norton stood at attention in front of her desk. "Sorry to bother you, mam, just wanted to drop off this weeks reports."

Lady looked at the young Preventer Officer, she vaguely remembered him as being an aide to Trieze during the war, one of the many staff officers assigned to him.
She remembered him clearly from his time as a Mariemia soldier, one of the officers in the bunker during the final battle.

"Please stand at ease."

Lady flipped through the papers, looking at the similar forms.
She got to a certain point, looking at a certain form, the leave forms.
Count Townsend put in notice for leave and would be taking three days off, it seemed strange. Townsend almost never took time off.
Norton was taking off two days the same week.
"I see that Count Townsend will be taking some time off."

Norton said, "Yes, he's attending a wedding that week for one of his former soldiers."

Lady stared at the form, looking at the dates he would be off. "One of his former soldiers?"

Norton nodded, "Yes, Lt. Barton's wedding."

Lady stood silently for a moment, taking a deep breathe.
Norton looked at Lady, "Is there something wrong."
"No, nothing's wrong."
She carefully stacked the papers.
"Everything seems to be in order, I'll review the rest in the morning. That will be all Lt. Norton."
She watched as Norton walked to the door, closing it behind him.


-------------------

Sylvia sat beside Mitchell, as they drove home.
She could feel her husband holding her hand, she smiled at him, as they sat quietly together.
The music played softly on the radio, but was drowned out by the sounds surrounding them.
It was still early in the evening, still time before sunset. She could feel the warm air blowing through the open window against her face. She had taken the clips out of her hair, letting her hair flow to down the sides of her face.
She took her free hand and pushed the long strands away from her face.

She looked at Mitchell as he drove down the familiar streets.
She finally said, "Midii and Trowa seemed to be doing pretty well tonight."

Mitchell glanced towards Sylvia, "They seemed to be doing fine."
Mitchell made a left turn.
Mitchell looked around the streets. He had been assigned here to this city when he was a Preventer. He spent more then a year here, there something familiar about the streets. They reminded him somewhat of where he had grown up.
After what happened, there was no way for him to go back, no where to go home to. Before they had gotten married, they had talked about where they would settle down, where they would live.
Sylvia had said she wanted to stay in Sicily, near her grandmother and the rest of her family.
There was no where Mitchell wanted to go.
They were going to live in Sicily.
It was what Sylvia wanted. It didn't really matter anymore where they would be,
as long as they would be together.

He glanced at Sylvia through the mirror, looking at the way her long hair flowed in the air.
"You look lovely tonight Sylvia."
Sylvia smiled as she laid her head against Mitchell's shoulder.


To be continued.