In The Falling Snow
by
Captain Anonymous

It was clear night, as Marlene followed the fresh foot prints through the snow.
The stars were clear, and despite the light from the house, they shined brightly.
She saw Johnnie standing alone, staring the stars.
His coat hung open, the flaps moved in the cold night air.
His blue eyes were wide, as they took in the sight.

Marlene stood beside him, and looked up herself at the sky, to marvel at just how beautiful the stars were.
“I thought you might be out here.”

Johnnie looked away from the stars, and fixed same gaze on his lover.
The way she her pale white skin looked in the low light, God was she lovely.

“I just came out to do some thinking.”
Marlene said, “Oh, sorry.”

“Its all right.”

Marlene smiled at Johnnie for moment, before looking back up at the sky.
“You were looking at the stars.”

Johnnie said, “They reminded me something.”
“Really?”

Johnnie looked down at the white snow. “I remember a night like this, not too long after Christmas, back in 195. He remembered going out, and standing in the snow. We  watched the falling stars as they came down. It just seemed to be so pretty. They were the smaller parts from the Libra, and wrecked mobile suits as they fell to Earth.”

Marlene stared at the sky, trying to imagine the sight for herself.

Johnnie spoke softly, almost as if he was talking to someone else. “We thought it was all over. That everything was somehow going to be all right. That everything would be put together again. The wars were over and no one get hurt. It really didn’t happen that way.”

Marlene looked down at the snow.
“Its all changed now, they’ll be changing more and more.” Johnnie said. “I’m sorry.”

Marlene looked back at the sky. “It is a lovely sky tonight.”
Marlene scanned it for a moment. The pointed to a spot in the sky. “There.”
Johnnie looked, not seeing anything out of the ordinary. “Hm.”

“There. That star.”
Johnnie stared.

Marlene said as her soft voice carried through the cold air. “The colony where I was born. Its there.”
Johnnie said, “I keep forgetting that you were born out in the colonies.”
“It seems like its so far away.”
Johnnie looked at her, he could see the look in her eyes. “Do you miss it?”
“Some, I’ve spent a lot of time on Earth. Its different here. On the colonies, there is no night sky. The air feels different.”

Marlene said to him, “You’ve never been the colonies.”
Johnnie shook his head. “No, they’ve always seemed to be place that only existed in stories. Somewhere you’d hear about, but never dream of seeing.”
“Maybe someday we could go there together, then you could see it.”
Johnnie looked at Marlene, she stared into his eyes.

A smile came to his face. It had been one of the few times she ever seen him smile.

“Maybe someday, maybe sometime soon.”

Johnnie looked back towards the house. “Where’d better get back inside, so we don’t freeze.”
They walked back towards the house, following their footprints in the snow.


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It had started to snow early that afternoon.
The snow came down, leaving a snow blanket of snow, covering the ground.
Count Townsend paced around the room, looking from time to time towards the window, to see the falling snow.
Maybe he shouldn’t be doing this.
He’d be leaving tomorrow, for only a few days.
The invitation sat on his desk.
Seemed like his name was still on the list.
He would have ignored it in most cases.
The invitation had been sent out by an important family.
One that had been close to the Darlian family.
Maybe she would be there.
It maybe it was what he was waiting for.

Or maybe it he was just chasing a shadow, of something that wasn’t really there.

Townsend ran his hand across his forehead, his finger through his hair.

He thought about the soldiers from his last command.
He thought about the former Gundam pilot.
He hadn’t seen him for some time now.
Pretty soon he’d probably go and see him again, and his family.
Townsend couldn’t help but smile when he thought about Trowa’s daughter.
He could almost see the small Angel now, cradled in her mothers arms.
He knew lucky had been, after the battles that he had been through, and the hell he had been through.
Trowa had been able to leave, settle and start a family, create a new life.
Townsend still couldn’t help but envy him. Trowa would never be alone.
But still he was always happy for him.

Townsend sat down in the leather desk chair, and leaned forward.
He could feel a dull pain in his chest, from his old wounds.
They still came back to haunt him from time to time, to remind him.

His eyes stared at the falling snow, watching as the flakes blew in the wind.

-----------

Trowa pulled the blanket over him as he felt the chill pass through his body.
There was a sick feeling going through his body.
It almost as if he felt like he was weightless, floating.
As if he was again in space, feeling the cold emptiness.
He opened his eyes and stared into the darkness.
It was all only a dream.
Only a memory.
His body was damp with sweat.
He sat up in bed, as he calmed himself down.
Trowa looked down at Midii, who lay beside him.
In the pale light, he could see her eyes open, as she laid on her side.
Midii moved slowly, as she sat up beside him.
She sat up, seeing the pale look on his steel cold face.
“Trowa.” She spoke softly.
She sat up beside him, and touched his hand, “You’re trembling.”
The way he looked, it didn’t seem like him.
“I’m all right, just a dream.”
Midii gently guided Trowa, as she had him lay back down on the soft bed sheets.
“Just a bad dream.”
She held Trowa’s hand, she could feel the strong grip of his fingers against her skin.
“About something that happened during the war?”
Trowa moved his head slightly, “Yeah, just seemed to be so real.”
Midii said softly, comforting him like a mother would a child, “Its all right, you don’t have to worry anymore.”

She didn’t know very much about what Trowa had done during the war. She knew about what did piloting the Gundam, but beyond, most of the details were still unknown to her.

There were times when she wanted to tell him about everything she had seen during that time, the overwhelming bad memories, and the all too few good times.
Midii knew that someday, she would tell him. She’d find a way to tell him about what she had seen.
About the people who she met, about what she saw.
Maybe someday.

Trowa moved his hand along her back. “I’m all right. Really.”
Midii laid her head down on the pillow, moving on her side to face her husband.
“Okay.”

They both fell asleep together.


To be continued