Lost

Trowa had told Catherine that they'd be going to see Quatre, and she assumed they were headed for L4. She had been so physically and emotionally drained that she was almost stumbling through the spaceport. Trowa handled the tickets, baggage, and guided her to her window seat on the ship. She was too tired to even notice the very tiny smile playing upon his lips. Too tired to even dream, Catherine fell asleep before take off.

A sudden rumbling snatched from her dreamless sleep. She gasped, looking to Trowa. Turbulence was never good. She had to know if he was alright. He was buckling his seatbelt. With franticly panicked movements, Catherine decided to do the same. Her mind jeered at her movements caustically. Why buckle up if you'll be tossed into the vacuum of space?

"What's going on?" She asked breathlessly. Trowa smiled. Now he smiles, she thought almost bitterly. Was he mocking her?

"We're entering the atmosphere," He replied gently. Catherine balked.

"Atmosphere? I thought we were going to see Quatre!" She exclaimed. His shoulders shook. Catherin couldn't tell if it was from the turbulence, or if he was silently chuckling. Perhaps it was a mixture of both. The ship was shaking violently and she swallowed down the urge to wretch. She would have to figure out if he was laughing at her later.

"We are," He said.

"L4 doesn't have an atmosphere, Trowa."

Catherine gripped the armrests as the turbulence became more intense. She bit her lower lip and squeezed her eyes shut. Fear and nausea fought for dominion over her body. She hoped that for Trowa's sake that fear would win.

"Earth does," He replied. Catherine envied his calmness. She focused on his voice and words to ignore the rumbling.

"Quatre's on Earth?" She questioned opening her eyes. Trowa nodded. The rumbling subsided and a voice resonated over the intercom.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have successfully entered the atmosphere. We will be landing in a few hours."

Catherine released her death grip on her armrest and sank into the cushions of her seat. She looked over at Trowa, who was putting away a small book. It resembled a notebook more than a novel, but its pages did not have lines. She was curious, but did not ask. She was more interested about how he failed to mention she'd be visiting Earth for the first time—ever.

"Where are we going? Where are we staying? Can we afford this?"

"Don't worry about it, Sis. It's taken care of, trust me."

"Trowa," Catherine began, but he shook his head once. Trowa folded his arms across his chest and closed his eyes. "Trust me," he repeated with a little bit more emphasis. Catherine sighed. For the first time in a while she felt something different. She wasn't feeling numb or angry. She was confused, curious and nervous. Instead of feeling empty, she was full of questions. Catherine had only heard second hand accounts about Earth. She had scene picture, but they did not seem real---so beautiful. What would it be like in real life? What does the sun feel like? What does the moon look like from Earth? How big was the ocean?

Catherine settled her questions, and closed her eyes. Her thoughts subsided to a dull roar, and it was not long before sleep pulled her eyelids closed again. It seemed like she had just closed her eyes when Trowa was gently shaking her arm.

"Get up, Sis, we're here."

Catherine's eyes snapped open, and she stood up abruptly. Her surroundings did not spin, but the ground seemed to lurch a bit. She faltered.

"Easy. Your body has to adjust to the gravity," Trowa admonished. Catherine nodded, but couldn't keep the smile from tugging at her lips. Earth. She was more nervous than excited, and Trowa hoped that he hadn't made a mistake in planning the vacation. After grabbing both their bags, he helped her off of the ship and into the spaceport. By the time they had made it to the end of the glass hall way into the actual port, she was able to walk on her own.

"It looks like the other spaceport," Catherine said with noticeable disappointment.

"You expected more?" Trowa asked. Catherine shrugged, reaching for her bag that hung from his shoulder. He furrowed his brow and swatted at her hand.

"Maybe, I'm not sure," She replied, "It's Earth you know. Everything's supposed to be bigger and better." She reached for the bag again, but he moved out of her reach.

"We're still inside," He pointed out.

"I'm not an invalid, you know? I can carry my own bag!" She exclaimed.

"You're tired."

"And you're not?" She countered. Trowa's lip quivered into that almost smile of his. How is that no matter how badly she feels that she still manages to look out for him? He guessed it was the big sister in her, or more likely the mother in her.

"Not as tired as you, it's your first time on Earth. Take it easy."

"I'll take the bags," A new voice said. Catherine turned around to be staring up into big aquamarine eyes. They smiled at her from under a mop of golden hair, which peeked out of a worn baseball cap. Catherine smiled—both corners of her mouth turning up for once. Quatre's smile was warm, gentle, and comforting. Her smile broadened.

"Quatre! It's good to see you!" She exclaimed. Catherine hugged him, and he embraced her warmly. Quatre lazily rubbed a circle on her back before holding her at arms length for a moment. The warmth and closeness of his body was oddly comforting. She was slightly disappointed when he released her and nodded towards Trowa.

"Trowa, Catherine, it's great to see you. How was your flight?"

"It was okay. Trowa didn't tell me we were headed to Earth, when we went through the atmosphere I thought the plane was going down." She said. Quatre chuckled.

"You didn't tell her?"

"It was a surprise," He replied. Quatre laughed, "I have a car waiting outside."

The sun's heat toed the line between comforting and oppressive. The immense beauty of the island was unlike anything Catherine had ever seen. The sky was a deep, vast blue. It went for miles in every direction, with puffs of white clouds in various places. Grass, leaves, weeds—the green was so vibrant. Robust reds, pinks and yellows spangled the area. It was like someone had taken a colony and colored it in. She swore she saw heaven, even though the sign said "Welcome to the Bahamas"

"Beautiful…" She mused quietly as she admired the scenery from the car's window. Quatre smiled, "First time?"

"Yes," She answered eyes fixed on view of the ocean. They were crossing over a bridge. Paradise Island, she read from one of the signs. In her mind, it was very aptly named. She imagined what it would be like to live and raise a family there. She began to imagine a child's laughter as they splashed in the waves. Catherine closed her eyes, and both hands drifted unconsciously to her midsection.

"This is one of my favorite places on Earth," Quatre stated warmly.

"I can see why," She said softly. Her eyes welled with tears, but she refused to cry. Not then, not in front of Quatre and Trowa. Catherine hid the sadness with a smile, but knew both had noticed when they exchanged knowing glances of concern.

"I keep meaning to buy a place here, but I've fallen in love with this hotel."

"A hotel?" Trowa asked with a cocked eyebrow.

"Yes, when you see it—you'll understand. It's themed on the ancient legend of the Lost Continent of Atlantis. The architecture is old, but stunning."

"Which one is it?"

There was a massive salmon colored building in the distance. It towered over the smaller, more reserved buildings of the island. The sun glinted in her eyes, and she could not make out anything else.

"It's pinkish one over that way," Quatre said gesturing towards large building, "It's beautiful, I think you'll both love it."

Catherine's hands did not stray from her stomach, but her smile became a little bit more believable.

"I think we all will," she whispered.

---

Sorry, about the wait. But here it is, a little less angsty than before. Things are starting to look up for Catherine.

Syl