"We're going to try the Spinning Target act tonight. That okay with you two?" The Manager peered at Catherine and Trowa.
"Sure thing, boss. I can handle it. Trowa?"
Trowa nodded.
"Oh, and Trowa...I want you to use the grease paint from now on. I liked the way it looked better than your mask."
Trowa groaned inwardly, but his face remained an impassive mask of calm. He nodded slightly.
"Good. The show starts in three hours--get going!" The Manager turned and headed in the direction of the animal cages.
Catherine turned toward her trailer, but before she did, she glanced over her shoulder at Trowa. "Don't forget our bet, little brother...because I have a friend who's just dying to meet you!"
I'm sure you do, Cathy, Trowa thought, but merely smiled slightly at Catherine. He had not forgotten.
"Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, please turn your attention to our center ring. There you will see our very own death-defying brother and sister duo...the lovely Miss Catherine Bloom, our beautiful but deadly knife-throwing star, and her brave brother, Trowa!" The Manager allowed a dramatic flourish in their direction, and the spotlight centered on Trowa's target.
Catherine stood several feet away from him, striking a dramatic pose for the audience. She held several throwing knives in her hands, and the spotlight caught hidden sequins on her costume, making her sparkle. She turned to face Trowa, brandishing the knives with practiced ease. She winked at him.
Two of the burliest circus hands stood behind the target. At the Manager's signal, each firmly grasped a handle on the back of the target and gave it a mighty tug. It began to spin lazily in a circle.
Trowa gazed out at the madly spinning world. Catherine spun serenely at the center, occasionally pausing to whip a knife at him. Each impacted with the target with an audible whump!, but none of them hit Trowa.
He remembered their bet. He had no great desire to go club-hopping with his sister. He stared out at the twirling world, trying to focus on seat A5. Finally, he found it.
A familiar figure sat there. Young, impeccably over-dressed for the circus, with short, neatly kept blonde hair...but what was Quatre doing here? True, the circus was on Quatre's colony, and the youth had already stopped by to visit a few times since they arrived, but he had the family business to worry about. However, Trowa knew that nothing was more important to the youth than keeping in touch with his friends. Trowa also knew that Quatre rarely went anywhere alone. Trowa peered as best he could to see whom Quatre had brought with him to the circus.
To his left sat a slim, graceful young woman, with long, honey-blonde hair...that must be Relena. Next to her, a dark-haired youth stared piercingly at the act unfolding before him. Heero. Heero also had a distinct look about him that he would rather be anywhere but at the circus. Trowa chuckled inwardly. And on Quatre's right... Trowa's eyes widened. That looked like...Dorothy Catalonia? But what was she doing here? Trowa knew that Quatre didn't hate her--Quatre didn't hate anyone--but he knew Quatre bore her no love nonetheless.
He was so surprised that he almost lost his stage composure as the spinning target was stopped and Trowa was helped down. He was dizzy, but camouflaged it with his usual finesse as he stepped over to where Catherine was standing to bow to the applauding and whistling audience.
"Did you see?" she murmured to him.
"Ask me later," he muttered back.
"So? Who was it, who was it? I saw who it was, but I want to know if you were paying attention!" Catherine danced around Trowa's trailer, unable to contain her excitement. She knew he hadn't been paying attention, she just knew it! Plus, the fact that the target had been spinning...that sealed the deal!
"I hate to disappoint you, dear sister...I know how much you wanted me to find the love of my life sitting in seat A5...but a young man was sitting there. A young man named Quatre Raberba Winner."
Catherine stopped her victory dance abruptly. "Damn you!" she swore. "You weren't supposed to actually look!"
"Also, Relena and Heero were with him."
"AAArghh! That's not fair! You knew the people! That doesn't count!"
"It's too late to rescind the bet. We made a deal. I kept my end, now you have to keep yours."
"It's not fair! We have to do it over during the next show!"
"So sorry to ruin your plans, sweet sister."
Catherine glared at him. "I will get you back for this. This isn't the last time you've heard of--" She was interrupted by a knock at the door. Trowa stepped away from the sink, towel in hand, to answer the door.
It was Quatre, with his guests in tow. "Hello Trowa, Catherine!" he said happily. "I wanted to stop by and congratulate you on a wonderful performance!"
"Thanks," Trowa said quietly. "Would you like to come in?"
"Certainly," Quatre answered, then turned to someone standing in the darkness, "That is, if you don't mind..."
"Actually, we need to get back to the hotel, if it's all right with you, Quatre." A female voice floated in out of the darkness. "I have a busy day ahead of me tomorrow, and I'm sure Heero would like to get some rest, too." Relena stuck her head in the trailer briefly.
"Hello, Trowa," she said evenly. "And you, too, Catherine. It's nice to see you again. Very entertaining performance. I'm glad I finally got to see this circus I've heard so much about."
Trowa nodded curtly in their direction, and caught a glimpse of Heero, a dark scowl on his face, hiding in the background. Yeah, thought Trowa, he wants to get back to the hotel, all right. He swallowed back a smirk as the pair stepped away from the pool of light spilling out of the door of the trailer and were swallowed by the darkness. He knew how much Heero cared for Relena, but he also knew how little Heero cared for Relena's political career.
"All right. Thanks for coming along..." There was a pause. "Will you be staying?" Quatre addressed another person.
"I think I shall," said a vaguely familiar voice. Dorothy stepped gracefully into the trailer, followed closely by Quatre.
Catherine sidled up next to Trowa. "Who is that?" she whispered.
Trowa shook his head almost imperceptibly. "Her name is Dorothy Catalonia." he murmured. "I'll tell you more later...all you need to know now is that she was involved in the war."
Catherine's eyes hardened momentarily. Trowa knew that she still hadn't completely forgiven Quatre for dragging Trowa back into that battle. As far as she was concerned, life would have skipped along just fine without Trowa regaining his memories, and Quatre had spoiled everything by showing up. To her, anyone who was involved in the war was a potential enemy, and a possible threat to her little brother's safety.
But, as quickly as the cloud had appeared across her face, it disappeared. Catherine was the perfect hostess, seating Dorothy on the couch and taking up a position next to her, starting up a conversation, asking her this and that. She shooed the two young men into the kitchen area to heat up water for tea.
Trowa once again leaned against the counter, waiting for the water to boil. "What brings you to the circus?" he asked Quatre.
"Well, Relena and Heero came to the colony for a political convention of some sort," he said, "and I guess Dorothy came along, too. I called to visit with Heero and Relena, and we decided to take in a show at the circus." Trowa smiled inwardly. That meant that Quatre had insisted that they go so that the former Gundam pilots could see each other again. If Quatre had his way, and Wufei and Duo had been nearby as well, he would have turned it into an all-out reunion.
"Why is Dorothy here, if you don't mind me asking? She's no politician."
Quatre squirmed uncomfortably. "She came with Miss Relena... Trowa, I feel sorry for her. She has no friends, very little social life, no family...all she has left is this one aunt. She's like a cast-off of the war. I think she's taking it harder than she lets others believe. I think that's why Miss Relena allowed her to come along to the convention."
"I find it hard to believe that Dorothy would trifle with such inconveniences such as friends and family."
Quatre rubbed his side briefly, as if to extinguish a lingering pain there. Trowa knew he was feeling the scar there...and remembering. "Trowa, I just couldn't leave her by herself. You, of all people, should understand."
Had Trowa been a less philosophical person, he would have been confused by the duality of a person who had nearly been killed by Dorothy being so concerned with her well-being. But Trowa had never been confused by duality. He nodded, understanding.
The teakettle shrieked. Trowa poured the water and handed Quatre a carrying tray. Before they left the kitchen, Quatre turned and looked at his friend. "Trowa...you know her. You understand my concerns. Will you help her?"
Trowa pondered the request. In one light, it would be sweet revenge on his sister for all the times she had told him he was incapable of having feelings for anyone but himself, and even that was sketchy. But...Trowa paused for a moment. There had been a light in Dorothy's eyes as she had walked in the door and greeted him, and it had touched him, as if it had triggered a hidden switch somewhere inside his psyche. No, this was more than simple revenge.
"I will do my best, Quatre."
Quatre's face softened into a sincere, grateful smile, and he turned to walk into the main room of the trailer.
Trowa paused for a moment, pondering his decision. He had not thought much about Dorothy since the end of the war, if at all. But now, after seeing her again, curiosity tugged at him. He had not thought it possible, but he was finding himself eager to spend time with someone other than himself.