'Lo!  'Tis me again!  By the way, if I didn't mention this before, this fic happens at about the same time as my fic Katie.  On different sides of the planet, both Trowa and Duo are having terrible luck with the ladies.

Don't ask me why this story turned into a LEMON... the others aren't going to be, this one just went that way and I followed.  I lost control of my story somewhere and the direction it turned was naughty.  >__<

WARNINGS:  As I said before, this fic does have one main made up character (Nola), Trowa and Catherine are from Gundam Wing.

Part 4 will be a LEMON.

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Nola

Part Three:  Darius

Trowa walked out of the main tent with Nola on his shoulders.  They’d finished their act, but Catherine was filling in with the trapeze act due to one of their number breaking an ankle during practice.

Nola was laughing, “I love this!  I can’t believe I stayed away from the circus for so long.”

“May I bask in the presence of a truly beautiful performer?”

Trowa turned to face the speaker, a young man with short blonde hair and bright blue eyes.  He wore a tailored three piece tan suit and held what looked like two dozen roses in his arms.

“Darius?”

Trowa looked up at Nola; she was staring at the man with wide, confused eyes.  He bent slowly at the knees and set her on the ground and she stepped away from him.

“Darius.”

He moved forward and pushed the roses into her arms, “You were wonderful, darling; I’ve never enjoyed the circus so much.”

Nola looked down at the flowers then back up at him, “You’ve never been to the circus before.”

He shrugged, grinning, “Doesn’t matter, you were great.”

Nola’s eyes watered and she blinked hard, “You… How did you…  Why are you here?”

Darius’s eyes flicked behind her and his smile faltered a little, “Aren’t you happy to see me, my love?”

Nola swallowed hard and forced a smile into place, “Of course I am…  Wha—what kind of question is that?  I just… it’s been weeks since I left, and I told you what circus I joined—”

“Yes, the circus… mother wouldn’t even talk about you with me once I told her where you’d gone.  I would have convinced her of us long ago, but you had to join the circus, of all things…”  He shook his head, laughing, “That’s my girl, never boring.  But Mother kept me so busy I couldn’t come visit you, and I’m with Dad’s firm now.  He sent me out here on business and told me I should take a couple days off while I was out here and play tourist.  He always liked you, you know.”

“So did your mother, once,” Nola said wryly.

“Now, don’t be angry with her, I think I’m wearing her down and you’ve survived, you’ve even made some… friends.”

“Friends…” Nola’s eyes widened, “Oh!  Darius, this is—” she turned and found Trowa gone, “—that was Trowa.”

“Smart man, he’s giving us time alone.” Darius said, completely oblivious to the fact that he’d just been face to face with the only other man Nola had ever kissed, “He’s seen you for the past month, I haven’t… I get first dibs.”

Nola blushed, “Of course, Darius, I told everyone I was waiting for my boyfriend to come find me… if he ever convinced his mother that I wasn’t so bad.”

“See and Mother was trying to make me angry, saying you’d probably taken up with a circus man after you joined.  I told her that you loved me and would never be happy with anyone else, but she just didn’t believe me.”

He laughed and Nola forced herself to as well though it sounded more like a cough, “Yes, isn’t she silly for thinking such an outrageous thing… me with someone else?”

Darius cupped her face with both hands and kissed her softly.  Nola’s arms were full of roses so she couldn’t cling to him nor push him away, even if she had been able to decide which she wanted to do.

There was nothing to do but kiss him back, so Nola did, tears forming under her closed lids, occasionally rolling down her face.

“What’s wrong?” Darius rubbed her wet cheeks with his thumbs.

“I never thought you’d come.”

“Missed me a lot didn’t you, I know.  I’m sorry.”

Nola’s tears fell even faster, “I didn’t even let myself hope, so that if you never came—”

“But I did come, and I’m not leaving without you.”

“Pardon?”

“Mother is coming around, I know she is.  George is in love with our new maid, the one mother hired after you.”

Nola blinked at him, “You’re joking.”

He shook his head, “She does have an uncanny ability for finding very beautiful maids.”

George was a year younger than Darius, and their mother’s favorite.  While Darius was going to be a lawyer like their father, George was going to be a doctor, like their grandfather.

Darius’s arm encircled her waist and led her away from the crowd that had started leaving the main tent, “She’ll have to accept you if she let’s George have his way… and Janet’s parents are poorer than dirt, Mother can’t hate you for not being an heiress.”

Nola shifted uncomfortably in his arms and he studied her seriously, “What’s the matter?  I thought you’d be happier than this.  A few weeks and you don’t love me anymore?”

“Oh Darius, of course not, it’s just… leaving rattled all my feelings, I felt so betrayed and alone…”

‘Until I found the circus again,’ she didn’t add.

“You’re not alone anymore, I’m here.  We can go back to my hotel right now,” Darius suggested.

“I… I, no, Darius, I should stay on grounds, we have a show tomorrow and—what’s so funny?”

He was shaking his head, laughing, “You are, I know how you feel about pre-marital sex.  You’re just fun to mess with.”

“Don’t,” Nola’s expression went back to confused.  Truth be told, she’d told him that a long time ago so he wouldn’t just use her as a fling or easy bed warmer.

“Love you.”

“…Love you too.”

“I’m expecting a call from George back at my room, but I’ll be back tomorrow, we’ll go have lunch, okay?  I’ve missed you…”  He kissed her deeply and her arms went around him without thinking, the flowers being crushed between them.

“I’ll buy you more tomorrow,” he whispered into her mouth when she made a sound low in her throat that sounded remarkably like a sob

He kissed her forehead and strode off without waiting for a reply.

Nola walked in a daze toward the costume trailer.  Why was this happening to her?  What was life trying to do to her?  Was she supposed to be with Darius or Trowa?  It was all too confusing.

Fate seemed to be leading her life, or just really good dumb luck.  When she was miserable under Madam Leona’s rein, Madam died and she escaped.  When she was alone on the streets, she found a job with a family where she met a man she could love.  When she lost her job, there was the circus in town; she caught it right before it left.  If she hadn’t joined, she’d never have known how talented a performer she was on her own, or met Catherine who was turning into the best friend she’s ever had.

Or met Trowa.

Nola stopped walking.  Where was Trowa?  She had to talk to him.

Their usual campfire was blazing brightly with Catherine sitting next to it, sipping her tea thoughtfully.

Nola tried to be nonchalant, “Have you seen Trowa?”

Catherine gave her a level stare, “Why?”

Nola sighed, “I guess he told you that Darius was at the show?”

The young woman nodded, “I saw you with him, he’s very handsome.  Would you like some tea?”

Nola sat down and hugged her knees, “Is he mad at me?  Are you mad at me?”

“Why would I be mad at you?”  Catherine poured another cup of tea and passed it to Nola.

“I know I hurt him… I didn’t mean to… I have to talk to him.”

“He’s obviously not here.”

Nola looked down into her tea, “You didn’t say whether or not you were angry with me.”

Catherine sighed and leaned back, “Of course not, Nola.  I’m not going to hate you for having a boyfriend.  I’m just worried about Trowa; I don’t know what he was thinking.  You told us the first night you were here that you had a boyfriend and that he was going to come find you if his mother came around.  Did she?”

“He seems to think she will any day.”

“Well, that’s good news for you.  You’ll be leaving the circus then?”

Silence.

“You hadn’t thought of that, I take it?”

Nola shook her head, pressing the heels of her hands to her forehead, “I can’t think!  Everything’s happening too fast.  I hadn’t thought about what would happen if I fell in love with the circus and then Darius said his mother liked me again…” she looked up, startled.

“What is it?”

“I don’t know.  All I know is that Darius loves me; he says he does all the time but… I’ve never thought about marriage.  My birthday is this week, I’m going to be 18, and suddenly I’m supposed to be married?”

“He proposed?”

“No, but… how else would we be together?  I don’t have a home except for here, and I couldn’t stay if we’re to be together… I couldn’t live with him and his family.  He’ll be moving out on his own anyway… his mother is very big on tradition and what everyone else thinks about her…”

Catherine shrugged, “You seem to have gotten yourself into a predicament.”

“I know.”

“…Trowa is in his trailer… be kind to him.  He’s hurting enough, don’t you think?”

Nola stood, “I’d do anything to keep from hurting Trowa, I didn’t mean for anything to…”

She shook her head and walked toward the brightly painted caravan trailers.  One stood away from the rest, facing a completely different direction as if it were trying not to fit in.

The door was open a crack and Nola reached from the ground to knock on it softly, “Trowa?”

It swung inward immediately and she gasped, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to barge in on your while you’re changing.”

Trowa stood wearing only his jeans, his turtleneck balled in one hand as if he’d just taken it off.  His face was deadpan blank but something in his eyes made Nola wonder if she should have waited to talk to him.

“I need to talk to you.”

He shrugged, “What is there to talk about?”

Nola lowering her gaze and noticed that the top button of his jeans was undone.  Her eyes darted back up to meet his and a hot blush crept up her neck, “I… I’m sorry about all this.”

Trowa shrugged again, “I understood this could happen.  That’s why you kept me at arm’s length, correct?”

“I never thought it would really—”

“Stop.  It won’t change anything.”  He closed the door as he stepped out onto the short stairs.

“I suppose we can’t be friends…”

“You have Darius, isn’t that what you wanted?”

Trowa brushed past her and headed toward the campfires on the other side of the grounds.

It was almost midnight and Catherine was awake, walking toward the only campfire still lit.  Trowa sat next to it alone, staring into the flames, holding a long twig of kindling in both hands, a teacup on its side in the dirt.

He didn’t seem to notice her walk up, which of course was ridiculous because he always noticed everything that went on around him.  He bent the kindling to the maximum stress point, it bowed under the pressure and Catherine stopped right next to his shoulder.

“Trowa.”

He jumped and snapped the kindling in half, looking up at Catherine, startled.

She knelt in front of him, taking the broken pieces away and tossing them into the flames, “Hey, you’re losing your touch.  That has to be, what, the second time I’ve ever surprised you?”

Trowa rubbed his eyes, “I don’t know what’s wrong with me.  I feel… funny.”

“Trowa, you have to be the least funny clown I’ve ever met.”

He glowered at her, “I mean I feel odd.”

“You mean possessive.”

“Yeah, I—NO!” Trowa’s eyes widened, “I’m not possessive, I’m… I’m…”

“In love.”

“Don’t put words in my mouth… and absolutely not.”  His eyes softened and he looked at Catherine.

“You’re jealous.”

He looked as if he wanted to argue, but he didn’t, “That’s what this is?”

Catherine nodded; a sympathetic smile touched her lips.

“Before I met you, I didn’t have a name… and that was all I wanted.  Other guys wanted girlfriends, but I didn’t even bother.  How do you introduce yourself to a girl when your name is Mechanic?”

“You don’t,” Catherine agreed.

“Now I have Heavy Arms to think of, he’s a lot to accept.”

“Leave him out of this.  Nola got under your skin, it’s a strange feeling.  You’re not the first to have it.”

“She’s had horrible experiences, and yet she still goes on.  I’m trying to have a life, but it feels like a lie.”

“Hey, that is only a small part of who you are,” Catherine said.  “You have a life and you are living it.  She has a life and she’s living hers.  She has a boyfriend; her being here did not change that, though I am aware that you tried to make her forget.”

“I did no such thing...”

“I wish I knew what you were thinking sometimes, you don’t express emotion very well with your face,” Catherine said.

“I was just thinking that I could get in Heavy Arms and step on him like a cockroach.”

She laughed, “I’m serious.”

“So am I… no.  I was just thinking that if people are that easy to get over, I should just kiss the next girl I see.”

He gripped Catherine’s arms roughly and pulled her into a kiss.  It wasn’t romantic in the least and in the rush was off target and landed more on her chin than her lips.

Nola stopped dead when she rounded a trailer and saw Trowa and Catherine.

He pushed her away roughly and looked directly at Nola.

“Sorry, Sis,” he mumbled, getting to his feet and walking toward his trailer.

Nola walked over to Catherine and sat across the fire from her, “Well, he seems to be adjusting.”

Catherine rolled her tongue thoughtfully over her bottom lip and lifted the forgotten teacup, giving it a sniff, “Nope, he’s just been into the Ringmaster’s sake.”

“He’s drunk?”

“Yeah.”

“I didn’t even know he drank.”

“He doesn’t.”

“Oh…”

“What?”

“Darius came back and proposed.”

“And?”

“I accepted… it’s the only way we can be together.”

“And you want to be with him… forever?” Catherine asked.

“Of course I want to be with him… marriage is kind of final, but I have known him for years, it’s not like I’m marrying a stranger.”

“I’m happy for you then,” Catherine said softly.

“Yeah,” she said, standing, “Thanks.”

Catherine watched Nola disappear into the night and sighed, stoking the fire, “This circus is turning into a god-damned soap opera.”

The next morning, Trowa was walking toward the animal cages, a bale of hay resting on his shoulder easily, though it must have weighed 100 lbs.

He passed Nola and Darius talking without a word or glance.

Nola watched him go.  Darius caught her looking and called Trowa back, “Did you hear our wonderful news yet… Trowa, wasn’t it?”

The Gundam pilot half-turned and stared at them.

Catherine walked up, stopping near Nola, “What’s going on?”

“I was just telling Trowa about our engagement, did you know?”

Nola winced slightly and watched Trowa who was staring at Catherine, completely blank faced.

Catherine broke the awkward silence, “Yes, Nola told me the happy news last night,” she hugged Nola and gave Darius a kiss on the cheek.  Her eyes flicked to the side, “Aren’t you going to congratulate them, Trowa?”

Her voice held an undertone of urgency that Darius seemed not to notice.

Trowa bent slowly, setting the hay down and when he straitened he shook Darius’s hand solemnly.  He kissed Nola’s cheek dryly, the way you’d kiss your great aunt, “You’ll be very happy.”

Without another word, he shouldered the bale again and continued on his way.

“I spoke to him last night,” Catherine murmured against Nola’s ear before following him.

Darius swung Nola up in his arms, “It’s officially been announced to your friends.  Mother desperately wants me to bring you home, my sister won’t be getting married for years yet, now she’ll have another daughter.  She’s planning the wedding already.  Of course she’ll want your opinion on flowers and bridesmaid’s dresses and such.”

“Oh, I was thinking of Catherine for my maid of honor, she’s the only female friend I have and I want her to be there.”

Darius’s forehead creased as he raised his eyebrows, “Oh, you see… about that, Mother wanted Janet to be your maid of honor… All of her high society friends will be at the wedding and she wants them to get to know Janet as soon as possible.  George has been spouting marriage already.”

“It’s been a month!”

“I know, but he’s always been in a rush to do everything… Mother is trying to calm him down.  It’s just… since my parents are paying for the wedding, and will most likely be paying for George’s… Mother has taken free rein, it’s her money…”

“Stop defending her,” Nola said softly, “There’s nothing to explain, I’m lucky to be marrying you at all, I’m not going to complain that I don’t have a friend in the wedding.  Just make sure Catherine is right up in the front row.”

A smile lit up Darius’s face, “I knew you’d understand!  And of course I’ll tell Mother to put her on the guest list.  But you should have at least one friend in the wedding, how about Trowa gives you away?”

Nola nearly choked on how right that was, “Um… no.  How about your father… since I don’t have one?”

Darius nodded, “He’ll be happy to do it.”

“Alright, go buy the train tickets.  But remember, I can’t leave until the day after tomorrow,” Nola told him, giving him a kiss and heading to her trailer.

“But tomorrow’s your birthday!  Why did you promise to finish the week?”

“I have shows,” she called back.

“But not anymore after this, right?” he shouted after her.

The performers were patiently waiting the audience to sit so they could start the show.

“You’re both invited to the wedding,” Nola bit her lip, “if you don’t come, I’ll be alone there.  I obviously don’t have any family coming.”

“Of course I’ll be there,” Catherine told her, checking her makeup in a mirror, “And I think the Ringmaster would like to go.  I won’t tell anyone else though; I doubt his mother would like the bearded lady showing up.”

“Of course the Ringmaster is invited…”  Nola peeked out through the flap into the main tent.

She looked at Trowa and gave a hopeful smile.

He stood with his arms crossed over his bare chest, his mask already in place, “It wouldn’t be right if I went.”

Nola stepped up in front of him, “I just thought I’d offer, I didn’t think you’d want to.”

She turned to Catherine but the lights went out and the Ringmaster’s voice echoed through the tent.

Nola yipped in surprise as Trowa hoisted her onto his shoulders without warning.

With Darius, Nola could have everything she’d ever wanted.  He was already rich, had a successful career ahead of him, and a large family.  The family meant most to Nola, she’d never had a conventional family, just a circus one.  Surrounded by people was where she felt safe.

She could be surrounded by people if she stayed with Trowa… but no.  Nola had decided not to think of things that would lead no where.  Besides, Darius loved her; he told her so on a daily basis.  Trowa just kissed her off somewhere away from everyone, rarely expressed any emotion, and took her to see the lions—

She looked up as she bound Trowa’s ankle to the target board.  He cared for Catherine, she was his family, but he had never taken her to see the lions… he cared about Nola too.

‘That idiot,’ she fumed silently, binding his hand, ‘if only he’d told me—no, no, no, it wouldn’t have made a difference… it wouldn’t.’

Nola realized she was scowling and binding his hand roughly.

Trowa’s hand was turning purple; she’d tied it too tightly.  Nola’s eyes widened and she loosened it, expression softening.  He made no move to stretch feeling back into the hand and she looked up at him again.

“Are you joining our act?”

“Huh?”

“I was just wondering, because you’re about to be added.”

Nola took a split second to stare at him before it dawned on her and she ran from the ring before the spotlight hit Trowa’s board.

She watched the act from a dark corner of the tent.  She gasped when the crowd did and ooh-ed and ahh-ed along with them.  Nola was so enthralled with the performance that she almost missed her cue to run out and take her bows with them.  She was certainly going to miss the circus.

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Onward to Part 4!

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