Disclaimer: If I owned Gundam Wing, I wouldn't have accepted a job last week. Please don't sue, I own nothing, but the plot.

A/N: This idea has been on the back burner for quite some time. I kept putting it off to finish up my other three stories, but those there's no worries that I will finish them, I always know how my stories will end long before. Anyway, enjoy this please, review, ideas and suggestions welcome. Oh yes, inform me of any spelling mistakes as I beta my own work.


' ' are Thoughts

Italics are Past events


"If It Makes You Happy"

"Only one endowed with restless vitality is susceptible to pessimism. You become a pessimist-a demonic, elemental, bestial pessimist-only when life has been defeated many times in its fight against depression."


"Dorothy…" he breathed out softly, his eyes closed in ecstasy. He crushed me ever more tightly against him, basking in the full effects of our lovemaking.

I hugged him tighter to me, smiling, a long moan finally replaced with my heavy breathing.

"I love you, I love you, I love you," he murmured drunkenly into my hair, rolling onto his side with me still in his arms.

I kissed him, still smiling, having finally opened my blue-gray eyes to gaze at his angelic face intently.

He finally opened his own half-lidded blue-green depths to stare back at me, a bright smile on his slightly dazed features.

"Dorothy..."

"Yes Quatre?"

"Would you like to have a baby?" he said softly, closing his eyes once more to lean forward and brush his lips against mine.

I almost instantly stiffened within his arms. An uncomfortable silence followed.

He opened confused eyes upon me. "Dorothy?"

"Quatre…I don't…know," I said slowly, feeling now was not the best of times to reveal my true feelings on the matter—no need to ruin a previously perfect moment.

He smiled uncertainly back at me, and kissed my cheek.

"Ok," he replied simply.

That had been one year ago.

Another year gone by in our perfect life.

Almost perfect.

Well I think it's perfect, Quatre does not. He wants something I for once in our long existence of knowing one another do not want to give him—

Now or ever.

I feel so selfish when I think about it.

I met Quatre at a big turning point in my life. Miss Relena had finally convinced Heero that their brief tryst as lovers was not just a tryst, but an introduction to the destiny they had to be together.

She'd announced the day after their reconciliation that she and Heero Yuy, the head of the government's security, were engaged and would be for quite some time before any marriage date would even be mentioned.

There was of course some buzz in the media for the while about the "world pacifist" and "military enthusiast" making a paradoxical couple. Eventually they saw that their differences made them fit all the more perfectly.

Just like Quatre and me.

Well Miss Relena was hosting—no not a ball—actually a welcoming party to me. I had now become something of a sister to her, having gone through a whole war with her and spoken to her about everything and anything during that time.

I was now going to join the fight for peace with the backing of Romefeller. I no longer wanted Romefeller to represent war and an opposition to the Earth. It was now under my command and those under me were in full support of my decision and were ready to help. I would be assuming the position of head of Relena's advisory board.

Of course there were a few sour faces to Relena's decision as she once again appointed people for her new term as head of the ESUN, but what was that to a person like me?

Anyway, it was really a party for all of her new appointed members to get the chance to mingle with her old staff, but I knew somehow she was going to make it about me. To be honest, I was the greenest member and the others had already met one another in some other working environment.

Well there I was, now another Lady of Peace, doing my best not to make a scene on the corporate holiday—Valentine's. I never liked the holiday, as it represented many things that I did not association with myself: love, affection, caring, happiness, etc.

To keep myself both passive and lucid, I was downing drinks like water. Not too much of course, not saying that I couldn't hold my liquor, but I had an image to hold.

I'd finally settled on a nice glass of red wine, as I was tired of introducing and conversing with what were mostly happy, enthusiastic people, totally dedicated to Relena.

What was wrong with that? Well, just the happy part. I wasn't happy. I recalled my own words back long ago at the end of that war of having no place to go. I still didn't belong anywhere. I was still even second guessing myself at that time too if I really belong there.

But I did, because what happened next was probably the other half of the turning point of my life.


'And finally, the real entertainment is here,' she thought to herself quietly as three familiar and not so familiar figures entered the room.

She recognized the tall, slim, brown-haired young man whose hair hid half of his face. She always wondered why he felt the need to wear two masks and remembered how he'd contributed to breaking hers.

In the spirit of the holiday, he opted to wear a pastel shirt of a light gold-orange button up dress shirt, with a cream suit. It looked good with his new tan from touring in South America with his circus troop for a year.

She didn't quite recognize another slim man with a single long braid down his back. She knew who he was, yes, she knew all the Gundam pilots, but she realized she'd never spoken with him face to face; and if she had, she definitely did not remember now. He wore a white button up shirt, partly exposing his chest, with what looked to be a deep navy blue suit from the lighting.

She recognized another trim man with coal-black hair pulled back into a short and neat pony tail. She knew he was the one—the one who killed her cousin Treize. She didn't hate him for it; he'd atoned for it in his own way. He wore a deep red button up shirt and a black suit.

'But where's golden boy?' Dorothy mused once more. She knew Miss Relena wouldn't forget the kind young man from their school days and one of the most pivotal G-boys.

She was now convinced this could be fun after all. She decided it was too late to beat them to Relena and have the upper hand, so Dorothy remained in the background near the stand where the music was being played.

She watched as Relena cried out happily and was bear hugged by Duo. She moved on to gently hug Trowa, her face positively beaming with joy. She even hugged Wufei, who appeared more than taken back.

Relena herself was dressed in a long pale yellow dress, with an empire waist. embroidered throughout with swirling white roses, glittering faintly with randomly but strategically placed crystals. It was strapless and fitted her still girlish form perfectly. Her hair was up in a French bun, her bangs clipped off to the side of her face. She looked romantically cute and was rosy with her excitement and happiness

Heero followed up with his own introductions, frowning slightly but obviously biting back a smile as Duo gave him a big hug, patting him on the back. Relena had somehow managed to get him into a dark burgundy suit, with a simple white dress shirt underneath. He and Trowa exchanged companionable nods and a hand shake and he repeated the gesture with Wufei.

Dorothy watched as the predicted question came to Relena's lips. Dorothy let a slight smile grace her lips and motioned the words with her lips in sync with Relena's.

"But where is Quatre guys?"

Heero had looked to Duo for an answer, but he only shrugged. Trowa briefly answered, but Dorothy could not make out the words. Relena nodded, a smile returning to her face.

'Probably doing some work he could have relaxed and put off till tomorrow,' Dorothy thought briefly, sipping her wineglass quietly once more. She placed the half emptied flute onto a passing waiter's tray and made her way to the small group before they all disappeared into the crowd.


"Hello...friends," Dorothy said slowly, gracefully placing herself at Heero and Relena's side, a polite smile unsettling her lips momentarily.

"Hello Dorothy. I was wondering where'd you been all night. Mingling no doubt," Relena said, turning to smile at her friend.

"Relena, you look lovely," she smiled, nodding her agreement.

"And you too Heero. You look quite the dapper young man," she added.

Heero raised one eyebrow. "You'll have to thank Relena."

Trowa nodded in her direction, and Dorothy dipped her own head briefly in his direction, but even then from the corner of her eye she was assessing the rest.

Wufei blinked, obviously not quite remembering her, but Duo did and said hello for the all of them it seemed.

"Nice to see you again Dorothy. Heard you're suddenly all for peace?" Duo asked, raising his eyebrows slightly.

"When was I not...? Maxwell, is it?" And before he could reply or ask questions to the meaning of her comment, she turned her ice-blue eyes on Wufei.

He seemed to have guessed her heritage as she caught him flicking his eyes away from her eyebrows.

"And how are you Mr. Chang?" Dorothy asked, grinning at him benignly. She sensed his slight discomfort and she was enjoying this; she had unsettled a pilot she remembered Relena mentioned as being a bit of a chauvinist. She'd break him yet; or at least understand him. The latter was probably a more realistic goal.

"I'm well...and yourself?" He replied smoothly, hiding his discomfort easily, probably second nature to him from his years as a Gundam pilot.

"Well it's Valentine's Day, isn't it?" she replied, smiling, not directly answering him. She didn't want this to become about her.

"And so it is," Relena agreed, smiling, bringing everyone out of their thoughts.

"Let's stop standing around at this door and go and sit and talk, or at least dance," she exclaimed happily, linking her arm through Heero's and leading the way into the throng of people.

Duo left, asking Heero where he could hopefully find some refreshments, asking if he could catch up with Heero a bit if Relena didn't mind. She didn't one bit and she smiled at Wufei, asking him if he liked to dance and he agreed.

"Mr. Barton," Dorothy almost purred, and Trowa looked at her as he was about to follow Relena, "may I have this dance?"

She bowed slightly, her hand out and inviting, her long hair somehow managing to stay out of her face.

He shrugged. "Why not."

The two moved to join the rest of the dancers in a waltz, and Dorothy reveled in Trowa's grace.

"You're quite the dancer Mr. Barton, even if this is merely a waltz. You move with a fluidity I haven't experienced all evening," Dorothy complimented.

"That's too bad then. Glad I could oblige a lady in need. But what else do you need Dorothy?" he asked, raising his eyebrow and sensing Dorothy did not merely want to dance.

"This may surprise you, but I was wondering where that delightful, little blond fluff of optimism was this lover's eve?" Dorothy asked, continuing to move with practiced ease.

"He's finishing up some work back at the office. He couldn't locate Relena's new house number, so he called me to pass along the news. He should be here sometime soon."

"Why, speak of the devil, there he is now," Dorothy smiled, looking past Trowa over his shoulder.

The waltz ended at that moment and Dorothy slid her hands down and away from his shoulders.

"It was a lovely dance Mr. Barton. I'll be seeing you soon," and she turned on her heel to go grab another drink.

She sensed she was going to need it and she knew the blond pacifist would just be itching to try and get under her skin again. If he wanted to see her that badly, he was going to have to find her and she intended to be prepared.

If he didn't, well, whatever made him happy.


I actually wrote more to this chapter as I put it up. I decided it should be a little longer. I also decided to make the party on Valentine's Day in the spirit of the season. I don't think the story in itself will be that long; I think. But anyway, this is just an introduction, as you might have guessed, Quatre and Dorothy "talk". Next chapter will probably be the last chapter explaining how they got together in the first place, then return to the present. Alright, read and review please.

Angel of Mirth