(words in parentheses)=My thoughts/comments/clarifications.

words in italic=a character's lighter(logical/off-hand/automatic) thoughts OR enunciated words.

underlined AND italic words=a character's DEEPER (more emotional/from-the-heart)thoughts.

bold AND italic words=a character's ENUNCIATED(more insistent/strong/etc.) thoughts. Example: You still love him. No, I don't. Yes, you do. the voice insisted. No, I don't! Relena assured herself angrily.

Rainy Day Man

by Angel of Death

(Rainy day, rainy day, rainy day man . . .)

It was about 7:00 pm. as Catherine strolled down the road on her way back to her trailer at the circus where she worked and lived. She had two bags of groceries, one in each hand, but she wasn't in much of a hurry to get back. She decided to take the long way home, and detoured through the woods, her mind wandering to what day it was. It's been two months today since Jake and I broke up she thought. And I still feel crummy everyday. This has got to stop, somehow. I'm glad that I have Trowa to talk to, and that he will open up and talk to me. I hope it gets better soon . . .

*FLASHBACK (in italic, NOT the bold italic)*

"When I think about the first time (the first time)

I thought I found someone who cared for me

But things were not as they appeared to be . . ."

Catherine is standing in the rain a little ways away from the circus tent. She's crying as a boy with black hair and a determinedly closed face says the words that she had been praying she wouldn't hear. "Goodbye, Cathy." he says and walks away with his umbrella, leaving Catherine, still crying, to get soaked in the rain, watching him walk away . . .

*END FLASHBACK*

Catherine shakes her head slightly, as if to rid herself of the memory, a few strands of her red hair getting dampened as they brushed the tears that were falling onto her cheeks. No, no you're not gonna cry again. You've done too much of that lately, and you're gonna stop crying for good, right now! She was so deep into her thoughts that she didn't notice the three soldiers start to surround her until it was to late. "Hey pretty lady, howya doin', huh?" One of them asked, all three starting to press in on her. Catherine opened her mouth and screamed as loud as she could, hoping that she wasn't too far away from the circus for someone to hear her. Despite herself and her predicament, she continued to think about what had happed that day . . .

*FLASHBACK*

"Rainy day man

On your shoulder I cried

When my first brush with love

Left me shaking inside . . . Rainy day man(rainy day man)"

Trowa walks out of his trailer with an umbrella and a bucket of food for the animals when he sees Catherine standing out on the road away from the circus looking after an unrecognizable figure that was getting smaller by the moment. He quickly put down the bucket and ran over to Catherine. "Cathy, you're gonna catch pneumonia if you stay out here like this." he scolded gently, and turned her around to face him. He looks at her tears and at her furiously trembling form, surmises that she was looking at the retreating figure, and guesses what happened. He puts a comforting arm around her shoulders and leads her back to his trailer. "Come on, Cathy, and tell me what happened." She gave forth a strangled sob and leaned against his shoulder, letting all her tears pour out.

*END FLASHBACK*

Just as one of the men was about to grab her, Trowa came running up from behind and slammed into him, knocking him out. He then stood up and pulled a gun out of his pocket. He cocked it and pointed it towards the remaining men. "Get outta here." he said quietly, and they quickly picked up their comrade and departed the scene. Trowa put the safety lock on his gun, then walked over to a very shaken Catherine and put an arm around her shoulders. "Come on, lets go home, Cathy." he said, a small, but comforting smile on his face. Catherine nodded and leaned on Trowa's shoulder as they walked toward the circus.

"Ever since I can remember

Just like a brother you've been strong and true

Always been the one to see me through . . ."

They entered Trowa's trailer and Trowa told Catherine to sit down while he made some tea. When it was ready he poured them both a cup and sat down beside Catherine, saying, "Here, drink this. Now, tell me what happened out there." Catherine told him what had happened and he told her to be sure to be more watchful. He glanced at the calender that was hanging on the wall, then gave her a look that said he knew why she hadn't been alert. It looked as if he was going to say something else when their boss called him. "Trowa, it's your turn to feed the animals, don't forget!" Trowa got up and picked up a bucket that had been sitting on the table in the center of the room. "Be back in a few minutes, Cathy." he said and stepped out the door to feed the animals. As he closed the door, Catherine smiled at the emotions that were surfacing, and suddenly that day in the rain didn't seem so sad as she realized what had been in her heart all along . . .

"Rainy day man,

You're much more than a friend

I would give anything

Just to see you again . . . Rainy day man (rainy day, rainy day man)"

When Trowa returned, Catherine had finished shaking. They talked for a little while, then Catherine got up, saying that she had to get back to her trailer, she had to get to sleep. Trowa saw her out the door. "See you tomorrow, Cathy." "'Night, Trowa." As she walked to her trailer she reflected on what had happened , and decided that it hadn't been such a bad evening, after all. She unlocked her door and opened it, but before she walked in, she turned around to look at Trowa's trailer. She smiled at the emotions she felt, then walked into her trailer and closed the door.

"Rainy day man

On your shoulder I cried

When my first brush with love

Left me shaking inside

Rainy day man

You're much more than a friend

I would give anything

Just to see you again . . . Rainy day man(rainy day, rainy day, rainy day man)"

THE END