I Dreamed of Angels
~ Part One A - F

Further down, in the dark recesses of the street, was a building standing tall and proud amidst the chaotic air that surrounded it. From afar, it seemed that it was glowing orange and yellow as if on fire. Upon close observation, though, one would conclude that the orange and yellow glow was coming from carved pumpkins lining the different windows.

Through the thick glass of the windows, cobwebs and skeletons could be seen surrounding children of different ages and sizes. They were dressed in imaginative clothing of various colors. Several adults could also be seen running around, making final adjustments to each child’s clothing. On the far corner of the room though, a child not more than five was sitting, watching the commotion going on around him with uninterested, beautiful green eyes.

“Hey Trowa, What are you doing hiding all the way over there?” asked one of the adults gently with concern written on her face.

“Nothing.” the child answered.

“Well, you don’t seem excited at all. It’s Halloween night and everybody else is getting ready for ‘trick or treat’.”

“That’s okay. I don’t want to go anyway.”

“Why not?”

“I just don’t.” The last statement was said with such a sorrowful pout that almost made the lady before him cry.

“Now Trowa, you know we’re trying to find you a family.” The child did not respond so she decided to continue.

“It’s not just that, is it?” This time, she received a nod.

“So, I’m assuming that nobody will take you in their group for the rounds we are having tonight?” The child remained silent but gave another nod.

Looking closer, one could see the sadness that filled his entire being. Trowa, unlike the rest of the children in the orphanage, was very quiet. Having this quality gave him an air of mystery that the other children did not bother discovering. They had long since decided that they would rather find fun things to do other than disturb this boy who seemed to dislike their attention. Trowa was unknowingly warding off everyone around him. It was not his fault but the caretakers in the orphanage couldn’t do anything about it. All of the children were afraid of him and they just preferred to avoid him.

“Don’t worry about it Trowa. I’ll find you a group for tonight’s activity.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Now, get in your costume so that we could start early. There are quite a number of houses in the other side of town that are willing to give out lots of candy. Wouldn’t you like that?”

Trowa didn’t answer, but as he was getting into his big, baggy, green pants, he suddenly stopped as if remembering something. He knew that he would be an outcast again just like he had always been.

Sensing his distress, the kind lady comforted him. “You’re not alone, honey. It just seems like it. I know that there’s an angel out there watching over you all the time.”

“An angel?”

“Yes. Everyone has a guardian by their side. You can’t see them all the time but they’re always there.”

Trowa listened intently, digesting everything that he heard. And so she continued with her tale of angels, almost causing an entire group of children to cry out with complaints. These kids were obviously getting impatient by the minute.

Part One B

On the other, brighter side of town, a boy with platinum blonde hair and blue green eyes about the same age as Trowa, could be seen running down a grand staircase with dozens of servants following behind.

“Master Quatre, stop running or you might hurt yourself.”

The child ignored the warning and continually ran around the house, but he was stopped in his tracks as two strong arms lifted him.

“Causing trouble again?” said his father.

“No. I just don’t wanna go this year with everybody watching me from behind. It’s not fair. I wanna go with other kids my age. And besides, I think that *they’re*...” pointing at the proud bodyguards off to the side “ ... beginning to scare people.”

“Now Quatre, you know that it’s very dangerous for you to go without them. Everyone knows who you are and they’ll come after you for sure. After all, you are the ...”

“Yeah, yeah. I’ve heard it many times before. It’s because I’m the heir. I get it.” With a sigh, he looked up at his father with clear annoyance that quickly turned into a mischievous smile.

“Okay. But first, ... they’ll have to catch me.”

With those last words, he quickly pulled away from his father’s hold and continued his little game of ‘catch me if you can’.

After an hour of nonstop running, one of the servants was able to catch him. Within the next two hours, a group of 15 very tired people were finally able to bathe and dress him in his costume. It was a simple, white outfit with matching wings and a gold circular object that hung just above his head.

“That’s our baby!”

“Now that outfit would match his room perfectly. I told you that those cloud-like pillows would look nice. It absolutely matches the scheme of the room.”

“Excuse me, but I think that we’re talking about his outfit. You’ve got to stay more focused. Now, isn’t he just adorable?”

“Awwww. Look at that. Our cute wittle brother. He’s the most precious thing on earth.”

“Correction. That’s *heaven* and earth.”

Quatre just blushed as his twenty nine wonderful sisters complemented him from head to toe. He started to fidget as if wanting to run somewhere, but he was completely surrounded on all sides. Finally, after a few more minutes of complements, his savior entered the room.

“Girls, he’ll never get enough candy if you keep him here any longer. C’mon Quatre. We better get going.”

“See you later sweety pie. Don’t forget to bring home lots of candies for your beautiful sisters.”

Finally given a chance for a moment of peace, Quatre ran to his father. They made their way down the staircase where he was handed down to the army of servants who were going to watch over him.

“Today,” Quatre thought “...is finally going to be the day I spend some quiet time alone. My plan better work this year.”

Part One C

Endless amounts of children gathered around the town from end to end as the night wore on. Trowa was making his rounds alone, probably deciding to leave his group behind to go on a solo mission. It didn’t seem like he was very successful from the look of his candy bag. Although he looked absolutely adorable in his fluffy clown costume, he didn’t make such a good impression with the frown that was plastered on his face. Not wanting to go any further because of the shame of his failure, he decided to sit on the sidewalk and start consuming the few pieces of candy he had gathered. While chewing the sweets, he kept on thinking about the phenomenon called angels.

Not far away, Quatre could be seen followed by forty hulking men. He had the whitest, brightest costume of all the kids running around. It may have been because of his bright smile as he said the words “tick or treat”, or it may have been because of the force of intimidation coming from the men behind him that he got the largest amounts of candy of all the children in the street that night. In fact, five of his servants carried bags filled with candy on both hands. He skipped happily down the street oblivious of the two men watching from the corner.

In that dark corner were two men, one larger that the other. They were currently talking about the plan they were going to execute that night.

“What? Do you know what it would be like to be beaten to death by forty large and angry men that could crush us like ants?” said the taller one.

“That’s not what I mean! Of course we won’t attack them. Are you nuts? We’re going to separate him from everyone else.” replied the smaller one.

“Fine. I don’t know how that could be possible anyway. That kid is even more protected than the sons and daughters of royalty. He better be worth all this trouble.”

“Oh, he’ll be worth it. After we get our dough, we’re going to systematically destroy Winner and his family.”

The larger, more reluctant man just gave his companion a look of disbelief as he entered the car, waited for his companion, and sped off. The smoke coming from the car was thick enough to momentarily render Trowa blind from his chosen spot on the sidewalk. He was coughing from all that smoke that had entered his lungs. Out of confusion and extreme frustration from the unlucky turn of events that day, he suddenly screamed the words “I want my angel,...NOW!”

The vibration from the speeding car, the smoke that almost choked him to death, and a very startling scream from below was enough to make Quatre loose his balance and fall from the tree he was perched on at the moment.

“Ouch!” he said as he was getting up and rubbing his behind. The smoke from the car was just starting to clear up, letting the light from a lamp post just above him shine brightly against his ruffled golden hair. He truly looked like an angel from all the angles of the light. When the smoke completely cleared, he saw the figure of a boy, about his age, in a yellow and green clown costume, with his mouth wide open and eyes filled with disbelief, shock and joy.

They just stared at each other for what seemed like forever. After a few more moments of silence, the boy dressed as a clown decided to break the silence.

“My dream came true.” he whispered. Then, he ran toward his angel and hugged him tightly, not wanting to let go any time soon.

Part One D

This time, it was Quatre’s turn to be shocked. Why was this other boy hugging him like there was no tomorrow?

“Ummm, excuse me?” No answer.

“Ummm, hello?”

“Excuse me?” he said as he tapped the other’s back.

“Yes, angel?” the clown said, still holding on.

“Ummm, sorry, but that’s not my name.”

“Of course it’s not.” and he finally released the angel. My name is Trowa. Trowa Barton. At least that’s the name that the people in the orphanage gave me. So what’s yours?” Trowa couldn’t believe that he was actually initiating the conversation.

“Quatre Raberba Winner. Nice to meet you.” He stretched out his hand for a formal hand shake just as he was taught but he was, again, shocked as the other accepted it with both hands.

“So, angels do have such lovely names!”

“Ummm, I’m not really an angel.”

Those words almost broke Trowa’s heart as he turned away tear filled eyes. He was about to run just about anywhere from shame, shock, and disappointment. As he started to move, two small hands grasped his arm.

“I’m so sorry.” Quatre said, but he knew that it wouldn’t make things better.

“He looks so sad” he thought. “I could at least make him happy. Besides, it seems like my plan to be alone for tonight wasn’t really going to happen. However, I was successful in loosing the big bodyguards for tonight.”

With his decision made up, Quatre gave Trowa his most winning smile and said “I’ll be your angel if you want me to.”

The sadness in Trowa’s face suddenly disappeared as he again, reached out and hugged his ‘new‘ guardian angel.

“I think I’m running out of air. Angels still need to breathe, you know.”

“Oh, okay.” It was clear, though, that he was reluctant.

Quatre, then ran back to the tree and when he returned, he had with him a bag of candy.

“Here, want some of my candy? You could bring the whole bag home if you want.”

“Thanks, but I have no home.”

“You live on the street?”

“No, an orphanage.”

“I’m sorry. Do you want me to find your family?”

“Really?”

“Sure, why not.” Quatre knew that he was making a very big promise but he really did plan on fulfilling that promise. Unlike a lot of other children, he was very sincere with his words. His father did have a lot of contacts so he could ask his father for a favor. He knew that everyone back home would grant his every wish.

It was just so perfect for Trowa. An angel who had fallen from the sky not only showered him with gifts of sweet candy, but also promised him a family. Plus, the angel looked so heavenly that he just started to stare, giving appropriate nods when needed.

“You don’t talk much, do you?”

When Trowa heard this question, he was alarmed. He suddenly realized that this ‘quiet’ act of his was how he lost so many potential friends. If he kept this up, his angel would get bored and decide to leave him for another. Not wanting his angel to leave, Trowa decided to talk. This was his new mission. He wanted to make his angel happy so he did something he thought he would never do. He held a conversation with someone that lasted for more than five minutes. It felt really good.

Part One E

It was getting dangerously late as Quatre and Trowa continued talking. Being so involved in the conversation, they were not aware that they were being watched by the two men who drove off in the car just a few hours ago.

“Oh my, our little rich angel has finally left his troop behind. Now’s our chance.”

“But, what about the other kid?”

“Who cares? He’s probably just some nobody. Nobody will believe a word he says. “

With that, the two moved towards the unsuspecting children. The larger man grabbed Trowa, attempting to get him out of the way. When Quatre saw this, he immediately stepped on the man’s foot, bit his arm, and grabbed Trowa’s hand. He looked back and found out that there was no place to run. Behind them was a tall, brick wall that would prove to be unbreakable and unreachable by two small kids. Not knowing what else to do, Quatre hid Trowa behind him and faced the two large figures before him in a fighting stance. He looked just about ready to fight back. After all, he did promise the other that he would be his angel. This meant that he had to protect him.

“We’re not after him, kid. It’s you we’re after. That’s very cute though. Awww, I should’ve brought a camera.” Said the smaller one sarcastically.

“Shut up and get the kid already.” The larger man was clearly getting nervous.

“No, really. Who knew little angel face here would have the guts to protect that worthless kid behind him? That’s the sweetest thing I’ve ever seen. Too bad not everything can last forever.”

“If you’re going to continue blabbering, I’ll do it.” With that, the larger man grabbed Quatre, stuffed his mouth with a rag, tied him up with a rope, put him in a large bag, and placed him inside the trunk of the car.

“All this work just because the kid’s a Winner. I’m telling you, we better not get caught.”

“For crying out loud! You can’t even see him, hear him, or smell him. I think those precautions were more than necessary.”

“I disagree. I think that we should think about this again step by step. We might’ve left some hair of his somewhere or some fingerprints.”

“You idiot! We *are* taking his hair and fingerprints with us. What the hell are you talking about?”

“I don’t know. I just don’t want to get caught. Hey, where’s that other kid?”

Because the two were too busy arguing, they never noticed Trowa run over to the public phone just beside the brick wall. He had called the authorities and they were on their way. Both men realized that they were going to get caught if they didn’t do something fast. So, they went inside the car and drove off, not remembering that they had left a witness behind.

“Hey! Give me back my angel!” Trowa cried as he ran in the direction of the car. The car was too fast for his short legs so he ended up in the middle of the street.

“So, you’ve decided to become a dog, have you? C’mon you’re in big trouble. You should know better than to separate from the group and chase cars. It’s already late and you’ve got everybody worried.” an annoyed but concerned lady said as she appeared next to him.

“But they got my angel!”

“Don’t be silly. It’s too late for this.”

The argument continued on their way home. For the first time in a long time, Trowa kept on talking. Knowing that this was such a rare phenomenon, the adults in the orphanage indulged him. They listened to everything he said, but with very little interest though. Then Trowa decided to name his angel and everyone in the building, including the children fell silent.

“My angel’s name is Quatre Raberba Winner. Hmph!”

“Oh my lord!” all the adults yelled out loud as they realized what had just happened.

Part One F

As soon as the caretakers in the orphanage found out that Trowa was serious about his encounter with Quatre and the kidnappers, they immediately sent for the authorities. The Winner family, intent on finding Quatre, decided to take Trowa in with them. He was, after all, a viable witness, putting him in danger. If he could pinpoint the criminals, then it was inevitable that they would come after him. So, the very lucky Trowa won himself a trip to his angel’s heaven.

“This is where you’re going to be staying. We were going to give you one of the guest rooms but it seems that you’re very fond of Quatre. So, my sisters and I thought that this would suit you. Besides, those guest rooms are too dull for kids.”

As the door was opened, Trowa hesitantly peered in as if making sure that he deserved to be in Quatre’s room, *the* so called heaven. Where else would an angel live, anyway?

“I hope you like the theme going on in here. My sisters and I designed everything. Get yourself comfortable and we’ll call you for dinner.” With that said, the petite young lady left without another word.

Trowa cautiously walked in and when he finally saw the room’s entirety, his jaw dropped reflecting astonishment.

“So this is heaven!” he exclaimed.

Coincidentally, Quatre’s room was decorated in a way that resembled the heaven itself. The room was filled with the rays of the sun that illuminated its surroundings. The thick blue carpet cradled Trowa’s feet like cotton soft clouds as he made his way around the room. Realistic looking clouds as well as a few angels with golden tassels were painted on the walls and in the ceiling. The sheets that lay across the large bed were of a light blue color perfectly matching the motif. There were also some cloud shaped pillows that were scattered throughout the room. It was absolutely mesmerizing. It looked like Quatre’s sisters did go somewhat too far in portraying their little brother as an angel.

“This is just too perfect, dad. I told you we’re not the only ones with an angel obsession.” The young girl who left Trowa just a minute ago approached her father, delighted with her discovery.

“Well, I wouldn’t go as far as saying that he’s obsessed. He just loves the idea, the scheme of things as they are right now. The people at the orphanage told me that he doesn’t have friends his age. Quatre was the very first. He’s just seeing things the way he wants to see them.”

The next few days that Trowa spent with the family proved to be the second best experience of his short life. The first, of course, was the meeting with his guardian angel. He enjoyed every bit of this new found heaven as much as the family enjoyed his presence. Both parties grew fond of each other, relishing in their similarities as well as their differences. Time passed by quickly, the situation at hand almost forgotten.

It was only on the tenth day since Quatre’s abduction that the kidnappers called. By the way they were handling things, it was obvious that they were not professionals. Taking ten days to actually come up with a plan had proved the theory true. The, of course, wanted a large amount of money for ransom in exchange fro Quatre. They wanted it delivered by Mr. Winner himself knowing that he would never dare jeopardize the safety of his only son. It was the usual tactic, leaving the authorities with a lot of possible scenarios to choose from.

Everything was in order the day the exchange was to be made. Everyone spent day and night constructing what looked like a flawless plan to get Quatre back safely. Trowa was surprisingly very helpful during the whole process. The suggestions he made proved, beyond a doubt, that he was very intelligent. In fact, he had even been more helpful than the people who were more than twice his age. The Winner family was thoroughly impressed at the quiet boy‘s display.

At the strike of twelve, two men, one large, the other smaller, could be seen in a dark alley holding a child still dressed in his Halloween outfit, effectively restrained.

“This better work.” said the larger man as he wiped the sweat from his forehead and fidgeted, nervous about the upcoming confrontation.

“Stop it! I already told you that I have everything planned out perfectly. Everything is under control.” The smaller man was clearly annoyed.

“But ...”

“Shhh! Here he comes.”

Quatre’s father cautiously walked towards the two men who were holding his son captive. When he was about two feet away, he was told to stop. His eyes focused on the people before him, worried that the man that held his son might pull the trigger directed on the small, delicate head.

“That distance is far enough. You know the deal. Leave the bag in front of you and move backwards, away from it ... slowly!”

Mr. Winner did as he was told. During the whole ordeal, he kept his eyes focused on Quatre who’s fear was evident in his eyes.

From the car in the far corner, a small head with brown hair could be seen appearing from the window. It had been agreed upon earlier that only Mr. Winner would meet the kidnappers to prevent any suspicion and unneeded hostility. Trowa, however, as stubborn as he was, sneaked in the car unnoticed. Here he was now, as curious as ever, watching the confrontation before him. He was delighted to see his angel once again, still looking as heavenly as they day they had met. He was starting to go into another one of his daydreams when, all of a sudden, his fantasies came crashing down. He watched as the smaller man shot his angel at the back of his head as he was walking towards his father. All he could do at that moment was scream hysterically, ignoring the arrival of the police and ignoring the events that went on afterwards.

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