Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ The Family Curse Arc ❯ Time After Time ( Chapter 10 )

Warning: Angst, Possible OCC, Yaoi

Disclaimer: Don't own `em. Don't wanna own `em. I also don't own "Time After Time" by Cyndi Lauper

~Lyrics~

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Time After Time

~Lying in my bed

I hear the clock tick,

And think of you~

Faith awoke the next morning at the crack of dawn. Reaching into her bag she removed a picture of Heero, Duo, and Karl that she had taken at a picnic a few months past. Looking at her watch she smiled and realized they were probably just getting up too. "Only gone a day and I already miss all of you." She let her finger trail down the image of Karl. "Especially you, jerk."

Putting the picture away, she got up and did her stretches before heading out to run some laps. Trowa was waiting out side the tent in running shorts and a tank top. "What are you doing here Trowa? Or is it still Uncle Trowa?" He raised his eyebrow. "Uncle Trowa and I thought we could run together this morning." Faith flashed a small smile. "Ok."

When they returned, Bella was waiting for Faith. She waved goodbye to Trowa and ducked back into the tent. Bella handed Faith a small box. "Your mom left this for you. You mentioned last night that she told you to ask me for it so I got it out." Faith hugged her grandmother, flopped down of her cot and opened the box. Inside lay an intricately made set of tarot cards. Faith turned to Bella. "Is it ok to touch them?" Bella nodded. "They're yours now. Don't worry about erasing your mother's imprint. She had these made just for you. That kind of imprint never wears away"

Faith lifted out the deck and felt a tug between them and herself. Flipping through them she was amazed at the art work. An eye of Horus (1) was printed on their backs and each face showed an image of something or someone from the war. (2)

Faith reached down and pulled a cloth bundle from her bag. Opening the bundle revealed a deck of well used tarot card. "What do I do with these now?" "Keep them for everyday use. You haven't bonded with the new deck yet and they should be for more special work." Faith nodded and put both decks away in her bag.

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The days passed and found a routine all their own. As the circus moved around, Faith found her place in the rhythm of show life. She spent mornings working out with Trowa and had him teach her to play the flute. From Bella she learned to focus her visions and control who and what she saw. In her spare time she liked to look-in on her family and make sure they were ok.

~Caught up in circles confusion

is nothing new~

Three months had passed when Bella pulled Faith aside. "We're going to L2 tomorrow. Are you going to go and see your father?" Faith shook her head. "He'd try to make me stay. I'm not ready to go home yet." "And what are you going to do if they come here?" "What I've been doing sense I got here. Hopefully my disguise will hold up."

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~Flashback warm nights

Almost left behind

Suitcases of memories,

Time after ~

The first night on L2 they came. Faith watched her family walk by from the safety of her tent. Seeing Karl again made her heart ache. She remembered all the time as children they had come to this very circus. All the lights and animals had been mesmerizing to the children. Even now, as a part of the show, the awe hadn't worn off.

Faith wasn't upset they had come. In fact she was very pleased. She was debuting her very own main tent act. She went to her bag and pulled out the new costume she had been working on. Gauzy purple harem pants and a sequined crop top with a new purple head scarf and veil. Faith quickly pull them one and headed to the main tent before the circus opened.

~Sometimes you picture me

I'm walking too far ahead

You're calling to me, I can't hear

What you've said ~

Karl walked behind his parents toward the main tent. It felt great to be back at the circus, but it just wasn't the same without Faith there to steal his cotton candy and get both of them in trouble for going where they shouldn't. He understood why she'd left. That didn't make it any easier to accept.

Settling in to the show, he forgot his problems, at least until the third act. "Ladies and gentlemen. Boys and girls. If you would direct your attention to the second ring. Tonight we have a new act for you. Hanabi (3), Mistress of the Swords of Destiny."

~Then you say go slow

I fall behind

The second hand unwinds~

A girl in a violet harem outfit stepped into the ring. In each hand she carried a sharp looking sword. By her height, Karl could tell that she couldn't be much older than himself. Eerie music filled the tent. At first Karl couldn't put his finger on where he has heard it before.

The girl bowed over the swords and touched them together. Flames began to run up and down the blades. Then she began a spiraling dance of steel and flame. The music rose and fell with her every movement.

That's when it hit Karl. The music. The sword work. It was just like a practice exercise he had watched Faith do a million times. As the last beat of the music played, the girl turned and bowed to the crowed. Karl could have sworn she looked straight at him and winked.

~If you're lost you can look and you will find me

Time after time

If you fall I will catch you I'll be waiting

Time after time~

The show went on, but Karl's mind was too occupied to notice until it was over. Walking the sideshow, Karl and his parents stopped into Bella's tent to see how she was doing. Opening the flap, they were greeted by the sight of the violet girl sitting next to Bella.

Bella stood up and smiled. "Hello." Gesturing toward the girl she introduced her. "I'd like you to meet my granddaughter and apprentice, Grace." Karl raised an eye. "I thought her name was Hanabi?" the girl rose and walked over to Karl. "That's just my stage name. Ringmaster-san wanted to use graceful in my introduction and graceful Grace sounded like too much." Karl nodded "That's understandable."

Karl noticed that she seemed to be looking at him rather intently. "Is there something wrong?" She continued to look at him. "There's something about you. I'm not sure what it is though. I'd like to do a reading on you if you don't mind." Karl shrugged. "I don't see why not. Ok." She took his hand. "Let's go back to my tent for some privacy." Bella waved him out. "Go on. She very good." Duo nodded. "Go on kiddo. Heero and I are just going to do some catching up around camp. We'll see you later."

~If you're lost you can look and you will find me

Time after time

If you fall I will catch you I'll be waiting

Time after time~

When they reached the tent, the girl withdrew a small box from a bag under a cot. She opened it and took out a very nice looking deck of cards. She handed them to Karl. "Shuffle these until you fell ready to stop." Karl shuffled the cards a few times and handed them back. The girl lay out a ten card spread face down. "Let's see what they have to say." Karl gasped.

As each card was turned over, a familiar face appeared. "Where did you get these cards?" the girl looked up at him. "My mother left them to me." She reached to turn over another card. Karl grabbed her wrist and turned it over. A cross shaped scar, so new it was still pink, sat in the center. "Faith?"

~After my picture fades and darkness has

Turned to gray

Watching through windows you're wondering

If I'm OK~

She reached up with her other hand and pulled off her veil. She sighed and plastered a smile on her face. "Ok, you caught me." He dropped her wrist. "You can drop the mask little girl. I can see right through it." Faith's face darkened. "Who are you calling little girl, little boy." Karl's face stiffened. "You try to kill yourself. Then you run away and don't even try to let us know you're ok…" Faith cut him off. "If I had stayed in that house for one more day I think I would have lost it. All the sympathy, the coddling. Dammit Karl. I couldn't keep up the act any longer. I love you. I love you with all my heart, but I couldn't take it anymore. We needed some time to sort ourselves out."

~Secrets stolen from deep inside

The drum beats out of time ~

Karl leaned forward and pulled Faith into his lap. Wrapping his arms around her he began to rock back and forth. "Ok, we've had sometime. Will you come home with me now?" she shook her head. "I can't just yet. I still have a lot to learn from my grandmother. My powers are growing I have to learn to fully control them."

~If you're lost you can look and you will find me

Time after time

If you fall I will catch you I'll be waiting

Time after time~

Karl looked at her. "Grandmother?" Faith smiled and gave a small giggle. "Yes silly. Bella wasn't lying about that. I really am her granddaughter." "But how?" Faith reached up and placed her hand on Karl's forehead. "I think the easiest way s to show you. Just close your eyes and relax. Clear your mind of all thought. This won't hurt a bit."

~You said go slow

I fall behind

The second hand unwinds ~

Karl closed his eyes. He felt something reaching into his brain. Then images began to play before his eyes. Faith's whole family history danced through his mind like a movie. When it was over, Karl opened his eyes. "Where did you learn to do that? I thought you could only hear thoughts." Faith shrugged. "Like I said. My powers are growing. I've learned to reach out to others. That was just a simple memory transfer, but there's so much more I have to learn. I swear to you on my mother's grave that I will come back to you soon." She leaned up and sealed her words with a kiss.

~If you're lost you can look and you will find me

Time after time

If you fall I will catch you I'll be waiting

Time after time~

Karl smiled at her. "Ok love, but I want you to keep in touch this time. I won't tell Dad or Otosan that I know where you are, just keep me up to date on how your doing." Faith reached into the box that had held her card and pulled out a slip of paper. "I knew you'd say that. Here's an address for a new message box. Don't give it to anyone. Setup another box that Otosan can't trace and send me the address." Karl put the paper in his pocket.

Faith leaned back into his arms. "I wish we could stay like this forever." Karl leaned in to kiss her and a somewhat clumsy make out session ensued.

~If you're lost you can look and you will find me

Time after time

If you fall I will catch you I'll be waiting

Time after time~

An hour later, Bella found the two of them curled up on Faith's cot. They looked so cute that she hated to wake them, but she had no chose. She shook Faith awake first. "Come on sweetheart. You've got to get up. Your parents are looking for Karl and I don't think you want to be found like this."

Faith sighed and woke Karl up. "Ok jerk, time to go back to the real world now." Karl sat up. "I love you." Faith smiled. "I love you too, now get going." He leaned forward and planted another kiss on her lips. "'K love. Goodbye." Faith shook her head. "Not goodbye. Just `till later." Karl smiled. "I'll be waiting for you." Turned and left.

~Time after time Time after time

Time after time~

2BC…

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1. The Eye if Horus was used as a symbol in ancient Egypt on mummies so they could "see" again. It always makes me think of the all seeing eye.

2. I know there's a version of the major Arcata out there with GW images on them. That inspired these. I have a deck of them. I'm even working on a set of the minor. (Yes I read tarot.)

3. Fireworks in Japanese. (I thought it fit)

A/N: yuck! Sap, sap, sap. Get it off, get it off, get it off.

*A little blue and white penguin waddles in.*

Love Penguin: What? I thought you wanted it to be sappy?

I: Well yeah, but did you have to keep me up all night?

LP: You said romance time, so I gave it to you. It's my job as romance muse.

I: *turns to Peace Moose who's sitting in the corner with a chocolate bar* Next time I ask your procrastinating girlfriend there for help, hit me.

PM: *looks up and sticks out tongue* At least Snowflake didn't show up.

*A while ferret peeks around the corner and just gives a little giggle.*