Hey everyone...I'm baaaaacccccck. Enjoy!
It will be a _day in _before I _.
By goingdownhillagain
The cafeteria was a miasma of controlled humanity. Agents, as far as the eye could see, jostled each other for food and a seat with the restraint of caged hyenas after a scavenged meal of zebra hide. It had been a busy season of conferences, ESUN council meets and one pseudo- multinational attempt to take over the government. And now after numerous debriefing meetings, the Preventer population was finally settling down for …well the probability of the hypothetical next attempt.
Amongst the throng of bodies, three emerged with trays in their hands. It was deli day and Heero, Trowa and Duo walked out of the rumpled mass of men and women at the cashier with a sandwich, drink and sweet treat of their choosing. Calmly, they swam their way amongst their fellow agents to find three seats at the end of the hall. Just as calmly, they methodically worked their way through the roast beef sandwich (with real roast beef, not synth-beef) and the fruit juice. They even sat through the slice of cherry pie which was still slightly warm from the massive ovens at the back of the mess hall. As Duo scrapped up the last of the crumbs on his plastic fork and raised it to his mouth, he cleared his throat.
"I take it we all agree the bitch needs to be dealt with?"
There was absolute silence from the others; they were too intent on finishing their slices of pie. After a minute of comfortable silence, the meal was done. Heero, obsessed with precision, got up first and carefully arranging his garbage so it could be efficiently disposed of in the recycling units. Trowa joined him soon after, completing the same ritual of disposal, but with a feline grace that spoke of his infiltration skills. Duo was left alone.
He sat there, seemingly unaware that he had been abandoned. After five minutes, he too arose from his plastic seat. He casually sauntered to the exit, disposing of his own tray while talking to some of his team members from the Arms Deterrent and Mechanics Department. He too soon left.
And life in the cafeteria continued as if they were not there.
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The alarm for the incoming call ruptured the artificial stillness of Relena's office. Long accustomed to its presence, Relena reached over, and without looking up from the document in front of her, answered the call with the usual politeness.
"Good afternoon, how can I help you?"
"Hello Relena. It's so nice to hear from you."
Relena flinched at the sound of the other person's voice.
"Oh...Hello Catalonia. It's a pleasure to hear from you. How are things?"
"Oh, Relena! Why so formal! Aren't we good friends?"
Relena sighed and looked up for the first time.
"Dorothy, do remember we come from the same social bracket. Now, what can I do for you?"
Dorothy smirked.
"Well, since we are in business mode. I was just calling to see if you had all you need for the Innovation Now Exposition that is happening next week."
"Yes. I'm finishing the last of the proposals that will be discussed at the general conference."
"Delightful. I take it you are staying the entire two weeks?"
"No… I will be there for the activities of the first week, including the various tours of the industrial parks. But I will miss the last three days. I need to be back here for the final sitting of the ESUN Council for the year."
"Yes, that is coming…totally forgot about them."
Relena smiled softly at Dorothy's air of refined absentmindedness.
"How's that delightful little girl …what's her name...Schbeiker?"
Relena raised her eyebrows at the complete about face in the conversation.
"Hilde? She's fine when last I talked to her… She and Maxwell are together…but you should know that as your little interference was responsible."
"Miss. Peacecraft, you sound as if you are berating me for something."
"No Dorothy, I'm not. I'm just saying that you have a nasty habit of playing games and she nearly paid for it. I'm just wondering what game you are trying to play now."
Relena could see Dorothy was slightly shocked at her response, but soon the other woman's face settled back into its customary smirk.
"I see Mr. Yuy has been teaching you interrogation skills."
Relena rolled her eyes.
"Anyhow, I have to go." Dorothy continued, "I have a board meeting with my fellow shareholders. You know how skittish men get when there is money to be made."
"Well, I would be scared too if my boss has a nasty habit of buying companies out from underneath my control."
"Yes, but it does keep them on their toes."
Relena just shook her head in bemusement.
"Well I will see you on Monday. Oh…before I go…how is the delightful young buck?"
Relena smiled
"Heero's fine. He told me to tell you something, though."
"Oh?"
"He said he looks forward to having a long discussion with you about your interpersonal communications protocol."
Relena disconnected the call on Dorothy's startled face.
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Dorothy stared at the blank screen for a moment, then smiled knowingly
"Ah…the male gender…so easy to manipulate."
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The gala dinner for the opening of the Innovation Now Conference was a dignified collection of who's-who in technology, military and government. Company CEOs rubbed shoulders and pocket books with ESUN Councilors, university professors and graduates, leaders of small nations and Colony Presidents. In the midst of all of this were soldiers, doctors, teachers, musicians and supposed underworld don or two. It was the coming together of all worlds; and right in the center was Ms. Peacecraft-Darlian, the unofficial but recognized leader of the entire ESUN. Due to this understood fact, security was at its most anally retentive, with one Captain Heero Yuy at its core, standing like a sentinel next to the seated Vice-foreign Minister.
"Heero, please stop growling at the guests…"
"I haven't made a sound since we got here, Relena."
"Exactly…it's a silent growl…you give off an aura of teeth. Besides, you've scared off five people in succession."
"They were staring at your chest. They needed to leave."
"Three of them were women!"
"And?.. It's amazing how interesting breasts can become when they are available."
"Oh…so now my boobs are available. Thanks for letting me know."
"I never said they were."
Relena raised her eyebrow at him; he stared right back.
"Relena daaarlliiin! So nice to see you!"
Relena flinched as Heero's almost inaudible growl reached her ears. Dorothy swept out the crowd, her charcoal suit pristine even with the collective body heat of many persons. Her hair was in a sever bun, her makeup and eyebrows were still flawless from this morning's opening ceremony, and now her neck was blessed with a pristine pearl necklace.
"Dorothy, we stood together on the stage for the activation of the Innovation Clock. It has not been that long."
"Relena, you really need to review your social skills. Sharing Heero's bed has made you quite a recluse."
And there it was the issue that hung between all three of them. Relena could feel Heero's anger as Dorothy made herself comfortable next to her. Relena felt a bit annoyed herself; the strange trauma of being hunted and then claimed by Yuy still causing moments of discomfort.
"Dorothy, do ever acknowledge that there might be consequences when you play the Queen of Hearts in your own Wonderland?"
Dorothy smiled.
"Of course Relena, why do you think I've been alive this long? The world is rather contradictory …it wants peace, yet enjoyed the smell of sweat and blood, it wants understanding and unity, but enjoys suppression and control. I merely play the game that is popular with all. My only weakness is that I really good at it."
"But some games just should not be played."
Dorothy raised her eyebrow at Heero's quiet statement.
"Mr. Yuy, if the other players do not wish to play, they should not complain when someone take the pieces away from them."
The silence between Dorothy and Heero was telling, so much so that although Dorothy returned her attention to Relena, and Heero continued observing the crowd around them, Relena knew that a gauntlet had been thrown down.
"Well dear, I must be off; I am expected in a meeting with my technological advisor. He's showcasing his latest prototype for a stable molecular sleeve for our ionic engines. I trust you will give him a look in?"
"Yes, I remember him. Former OZ Lieutenant…very intelligent and royalty, if I'm not mistaken. Doesn't he own shares in your company?"
"Yes…which probably would explain why he seems to think we are equals. If not for his research I would have dumped him."
"Well, you should have thought of that before you slept with him…continuously."
"Relena, I didn't think you were a prude."
"Like Heero said, there are some games that shouldn't be played."
Dorothy looked at Relena, who merely smiled right back at her.
"Well, be that as it may, I will continue if he wants to continue. Besides I'm well protected so it will not be a loss; financially and emotionally. So, until then…"
Then she got up, noted politely to Heero and waltzed into the crowd.
Relena let out a gusty breath
"Sweet Jesus, it's like battling a Gundam, but without a laser canon. Zechs is much better at this verbal sparring than I will ever be. Should I admit defeat next time, Heero...Heero?"
He was staring after Dorothy, his face a blank mask and his body still. When he returned his gaze to her, Relena gasped in shock. Heero's face spoke of only one goal-revenge.
"Relena, you haven't eaten since this morning. Why don't you have some canapés?"
A waiter immediately appeared at her side.
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The presentation of the new sleeve for the ionic engine was hyped as one of the highlights of the entire conference. Engineers from companies both military and civilian crammed as much of their representatives into the 375-seat auditorium as possible for Count Baldwin von Coventale's demonstration. Naturally, Preventer's had front row reserved seats.
Duo and Hilde were in the third row; close enough to the stage to note the details of the prototype, yet far enough to observe the other parties interested in the technology. Seven years after Mariemaia's Rebellion (as it was called) there still occasional flare-ups of resistance to a world more interested in peace. Duo and most of the Preventer hierarchy knew that there was a high probability many of these companies having potential insurrectionists in their ranks. Better to err on the side of paranoia than hindsight.
The demonstration lasted approximately three hours with the Count fielding questions from the audience; once it was over, he invited the VIP attendees to a small meeting in one of the meeting rooms. There, many of those invited began the intense investigation of the sleeve, asking question concerning durability and cost of production. One question set off the entire party into chuckles.
"So, when can I start stealing it?"
Count von Coventale smiled in response
"I'm sorry Mr. Maxwell, but the program used to activate the sleeve is an access sensitive copyright construct. Any attempt to hack or circumvent the protocols results in an automatic freeze lock, which in turn activates a program to trace the intrusion and tag it. Simply put, it will not be worth your time."
"Awww…"
The Count laughed before continuing, "We are trying to make it more forgiving in the case of accidental access but we are moving cautiously. Any other questions?"
There were none, and soon the Count was surrounded by interested parties. Since they had seen all they needed to see to take back to their respective companies, the representatives left after five minutes, a few casting a cautious eye on Duo and Hilde.
"So Baldy von Cuddlybuns, trying to dazzle your competition into submission again?"
"Maxwell, you brat! Why am I not surprised you would be here?"
Both men greeted each other with firm hugs, which included a lot of back thumping.
"Duo, still with that imitation OZ outfit?"
Duo smirked in response.
"Ha, better than the future queen of nothing!"
The Count snorted. "Yes, her empire extendeth into the heart of Neverland. And who is this delightful young lady next to you?"
"Oh, this is Hilde Schbeiker. She is Head of Mech-Reassignment for the Preventers."
The Count smiled as he shook Hilde's hand, "Oh, you're going to be the unfortunate soul who will be re-programming the prototype to align with Preventers' Mech-System."
"Well, not just me…actually about twenty of us. But don't worry, we've been waiting for this a while now."
"Wonderful! I so love it when I make a beautiful woman happy."
"Hey! Get ya own, Cuddlybuns!"
Baldwin threw his head back laughing, his short ash-blond hair just brushing the collar of his jacket.
"Maxwell, I would never dare to poach on other lands. I'm having enough problems getting the deed to my own."
Duo smirked at Baldwin's grimace. "Take it her royal highness giving you the run around?"
"The blasted woman! Dangles her wealth and power like a bloody biscuit! Then she gives you days-old crumbs!"
Hilde looked from Duo to Baldwin, "Who are the two of you babbling about?"
"Your friendly neighbourhood match-maker."
Hilde raised an eyebrow to Duo's tone. "I'm going to give the casing a look-over. I'm not participating in this bitch fest."
Baldwin laughed, "Oh, the 'Marriage of Yuy'!"
"That's what they're callin' it?"
"Yes, with you taking the feminine role."
"Fuck it! The Catalonia bitch needs a-"
"Watch it Maxwell."
Duo glanced at Baldwin's sober face.
"Sorry, forgot. Seriously, what the fuck is going on with the two of you?"
Baldwin sighed, "I assume…or assumed it was a mutually fulfilling relationship based on respect, financial gain and some lust/love. Now…she's playing the 'Will' card again. She despises the bastard who created the damn document!"
"Grand-daddy?"
"Yes…yet she runs behind his final piece of work when I get too close."
"Fuck, that bad. Dude does she even like you?"
Baldwin looked away.
"Sometimes I believe…and other times…I…" he turned back to Duo, "I always wonder if anyone who is as emotionally damaged as she is-"
"Or conniving…"
"…or conniving could love anyone other than themselves. Or if she just does not comprehend what love entails…"
Duo didn't have the heart to interrupt Baldwin's musings with his opinion.
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The conference continued as all conferences do; groups and companies met and discussed, corporate spies stole, altered or erased information and government representatives made secret agreements with each other, agreements that in regular diplomatic circles would be frowned upon.
All in all it was business as usual. So much so that no one commented on five young men, four in variations of a uniform and one in a business suit, gathered around a pop-up tavern table.
"So I take it Operation Hell hath No Fury is dead in the water?"
Heero glared at Wufei's smirking visage.
They had gotten together to get away from the crowd and the constant power plays. Even Quatre was a little tired of the constant schmoozing. However, the other reason for their get-together reared its ugly, perfumed, aristocratic head almost immediately after they finished their order for food.
"Wufei you're not helping."
"I never said I was going to."
Quatre looked out on the faux window at the roaming masses outside in the conference hall.
"I still don't understand why you all are so obsessed with Dorothy."
"You do remember the bitch stabbed you, right?"
"Trowa! We were in a war, she was fighting like the rest of us…yes, she has some questionable psychosis issues…"
Trowa sorted.
"…But that does not excuse the rest of you from engaging in childish retribution."
"Quatre, she told our girlfriends we were gay and into each other."
"Yes…Duo, I know. Still-"
"Still nothing! The bitch has been playin' this fucking game since the wars! She needs to be put in her damned place in the most public and brutal way possible."
"The problem with that, however," Trowa began, contemplating his pint of beer, "is that Dorothy is the Queen of subterfuge. She does everything in her power to avoid confrontation. Very successfully, I might add."
"Yeah, I forgot that…hey Wufei isn't that why she avoids you like the plague?"
"Please, I had nothing to do with her loss of interest in Sally and myself."
"What? I'm confused."
"Wait you never heard of the great call to battle to Defend-Sally's-Honour-and-uphold-the Clan's-Name?"
Quatre just stared in confusion. Heero, realizing Duo would not settle enough to explain himself, took over.
"A year ago, Dorothy began encouraging Sally to visit her family. Turns out she was working ad hoc to for the family interest. Sally's mother held most of the wealth and before she died she changed her will leaving all her wealth to her 'wayward' daughter, with the provision that whoever marries Sally will become part executor."
"But...That's…"
"Remember Quatre…Sally's from aristocratic stock."
"Oh, forgot…Thanks Wufei..."
"Continuing… In exchange for a 'fee', Dorothy was to get Sally to return to the family fold and in particular a nice young lawyer who was chosen to be a suitable husband for the good doctor. Getting rid of the 'riff-raff Chinese boy' was an added plus."
"To keep this story brief," Wufei cut in, his face with a scowl, "Sally figured out what was going on when 'lawyer boy' kept showing up at family visits. She only discovered Dorothy's part of the plan when her personal relationships became 'public' knowledge amongst family, including her 'embarrassing' association with rebels."
"So what happened?"
"She cut off her uncle legally and socially, reorganized her will so that none of her wealth will ever be with her extended family and-"
"Wufei and Sally systematically and publically shamed Dorothy, by 'thanking' her for getting them together." Duo finished Wufei's telling, cackling with glee.
"Sally didn't want me to hunt her down for her 'dishonorable' acts."
Trowa watched Wufei carefully
"What exactly did you both do?"
Wufei smiled, "Do you know Sally is wonderful at politely ripping someone to shreds?"
"She had a lovely, public conversation with Dorothy about family, relationships and wills. She even hinted that she understood Dorothy's involvement in the whole confusion, considering Dorothy's own unstable hold on her family fortunes."
Duo frowned.
"Whadaya mean unstable. I thought she was the grand bitch?"
"Technically. Sally kind of explained it after. Dorothy doesn't have the majority share holding in the conglomerate her grandfather set up; she just has the highest percentage of the shares."
Quatre blinked, "Oh, so minority control"
"Exactly. Sally told me that the grandfather's will stipulated that the gentleman who obtains a higher percentage of shares, without crossing 50% and not taking any of the shares that belong to Dorothy, can claim total control of the conglomerate, unless he marries Dorothy."
"Whoa that is fucked complicated."
Wufei sighed, "Yes, Maxwell. Complicated but air tight. It ensures the company does not leave the family and Dorothy stays on her toes."
"That would explain why she always demands 51% of the shares of any company she acquires." Quatre mused, "It makes good financial sense and keeps everyone in the conglomerate off-kilter and under her control."
Trowa remained silent for a moment, "Almost makes you feel sorry for those shareholders"
"Yeah, especially Baldy…"
"What …are you talking about Maxwell?"
Duo didn't look up as he responded, "Hildey and me went to presentation on the new casing for the ionic engine. Count von Coventale is the creator. Unfortunately he is also in the most fucked up position of being a shareholder and main boy toy for Ms. Pointy Eyebrow Witch."
Quatre grimaced as he took a sip of his beer.
"Sadly, Dorothy only respects those who beat her at her own game."
Trowa shook his head at Quatre's comment. Suddenly he looked up before glancing at Quatre.
"Repeat what you just said."
Quatre looked back at Trowa.
"What…I said Dorothy only respects those who beat her at her own game. Why-"
Trowa glanced at Duo and Heero.
"Gentlemen I think I know how to deal with her now."
Wufei's gaze shifted from one person to the next.
"What?"
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That evening, after one of Quatre and Trowa's romantic interludes; with Trowa's body sprawled over Quatre's and the sound of their collective breathing coloring the air conditioned air of the penthouse suite, Trowa asked Quatre to access the bi-annual listing of shareholders for the Catalonia Holdings Inc.
"Huh?...Why?"
"Humour me."
It took the exhausted blond awhile to coherently access the information on his tablet. Being cuddled against Trowa's warm body put an almost Herculean strain on his focusing abilities. However after approximately five minutes and three passwords, the list was downloaded.
"Trowa, I take it this has something to do with Heero and Duo's need for revenge?"
"Hmmm."
Quatre turned his head to look at his boyfriend.
"You know, you shouldn't be encouraging them. Dorothy is just a creature of habit. She instinctively tries to get under people's skin to find their weakness. That's her thing. She's tried it so many times with me and I learnt to ignore her."
"Hmmm."
"If the three of you continue, you'll only be feeding her ego. And you would probably cause an international crisis."
"Hmmm."
"Trowa, are you even listening to me?"
Trowa stopped for a moment, taking his eyes off to screen to settle on Quatre. For a second Quatre saw a shadow of some dark emotion flutters across his eyes. Then Trowa turned back to the screen.
"She almost killed you."
Quatre cringed at the statement. It was an unspoken but volatile point between them.
"Trowa, she didn't. She's just a little girl who was forced to grow up."
"Well, maybe she needs to see what happens when she pays with adults."
Quatre had nothing to say after that. Trowa continued to scroll through the data, all the while smoothening his hand over Quatre's hip. Soon the motion and soft pressure of Trowa's hand lulled Quatre's senses enough that he lost track of time, so much time that when Trowa's touching turned suggestive, an hour had passed and the tablet was long gone.
"Trowa, what did you-?"
"Don't worry, everything has been dealt with. Heero and Duo will take it from here."
Quatre attempted to ask him what exactly he meant, but Trowa's hands continued to roam and after a while, they were the only important things on Quatre's mind for a long while.
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Duo scanned the bar for his guest. It was two days before the end of the expo. Relena and her entourage had left two days before; as a result the population had thinned a bit. There were still meetings taking place, but now they were between private companies and their partners.
It didn't take him very long to find his guest; as a matter of fact, said guest was waving to him from one of the booths.
"Duo, took you long enough. I've spent the last thirty minutes fending off job offers. I'm no longer in the mood."
Duo snorted as he shook Baldwin's hand.
"Come on Baldy. You're hot property with your sexy inventor mind, you."
Baldwin rolled his eyes.
"Yes well. I can't…even if I want to…"
Duo watched Baldwin carefully.
"Trouble in purgatory?"
Baldwin smiled ironically.
"Tell me, what would do if you realize that all this time, your relationship has been nothing more than a game. And you would always been the loser?"
"Shit. What did she do?"
"Not do…but said."
Duo looked on as Baldwin talked about their dinner last night. How a query into Baldwin's potential clients exploded into a refined argument about how emotion should not interfere with business.
"When I asked her if what was between us was merely business…she smiled and told me what we have is a game. A game that can start and end whenever one player is finished. She then began to ask if I think she should finish the game."
"What did you do?"
"I walked out…that was the only thing I could do…other than shoot her…I don't know…what to do anymore…I love her…I really do…and at odd moments…I know she loves me too…but she's so obsessed with winning…and right now I'm wondering if…if I really want this game as much as she wants…it…"
"So…it's over."
Baldwin smiled
"Not by a long shot…yet…"
Both men stopped talking as their drinks arrived. Duo watched Baldwin stare at his beer. Duo knew that the man would never leave the …witch. Even when they were enemies, he had respect for the man's loyalty and integrity. It almost made Duo question his and Heero final plan to deal with Dorothy.
"God…she has me so angry…so bloody obsessive about her grandfather's will…sometimes I want to take that stupid thing and destroy it in front of her face."
"You could, ya know."
Baldwin looked up sharply at the young man sitting across from him. He suddenly noticed how intently Duo was observing his own drink.
"What are you up to, Maxwell?"
Duo looked up, and gave Baldwin a smile that, a long time ago, made the hairs on the back of his neck stand.
"I have a little proposition for you…How would you like to change the game … and end it."
Baldwin raised an eyebrow in confusion.
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The board meeting was going well, Dorothy mused, gazing at the CEOs of the various companies in their appointed seats. The Expo was an adulterated success; all the associated companies received exclusive contracts from various other companies. Catalonia Holdings would continue to be one of the dominant players in interstellar trade.
And Dorothy would be still in control.
For a brief moment Dorothy's mind went to her 'boy-toy'. Baldwin was not playing nice; he refused to respond to her call last; actually for the last week. She hoped he wasn't sulking somewhere; it would really bring down her opinion of him. For a nano-second, she felt a sensation of panic at the thought of what his silence meant. She had been having a lot of those since their argument. Maybe it was the look on his face as he walked out of her room a week ago. It wasn't the look of her previous toys who were embarrassed by being played for a fool; it was one of disappointment and loss.
Her mind automatically stopped itself. Baldwin knew exactly what he was getting into when they met. Throwing a hissy fit was not going to change things and besides she had more to lose-.
Dorothy was suddenly aware how quiet the room got. Her secretary had stopped reading out the final minutes of the last meeting to star at the door. When Dorothy followed her gaze, she met the jade green eyes of Count Baldwin von Coventale.
"Good afternoon, gentlemen and Ms. Catalonia. Sorry for my tardiness."
"Count, I'm surprised to see you here. This is a meeting for major share holders."
You're absolutely correct Ms. Catalonia. That's why I'm here. Feel free to continue."
And with that he sat down at one of the free tables, a pleasant smile on his face.
Dorothy frowned.
The secretary continued her recall of the last meeting, all the while looking between Dorothy and Baldwin. She highlighted all the contracts pending from the expo, the rates of expenditure incurred during the fiscal year. She finished by doing a detail description of potential acquisitions coming up in the year.
"Finally", she concluded, "there has been reshuffle of the percentile division of shares for Catalonia Holdings. As of June 25th of this year, the division is as follows; Ms. Dorothy Catalonia is still one of the major shareholders with 45%. However she now shares minority control of Catalonia Holdings with Count von Coventale of Prime Technologies Inc…"
Dorothy stared in horror as Baldwin continued to smile at her from across the table.
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"How…did you…where did you get…"
"The shares? It really wasn't that difficult. Actually I'm really surprised you didn't see it."
They were seated in her veranda, giving a cursory watch to the city life buzzing around them. It was a sunny day, but Dorothy did not feel the heat. All she could feel was the damn, freezing cold of her shock working through her system.
"But…I have 51% control of the companies…"
"Of course you do dear, and naturally it means you have majority ownership of the shares…not a great majority but a majority nonetheless. However, you forgot two things…"
Baldwin took a moment to sip his coffee, a small part of him reveling in the building rage in Dorothy's face. When Duo offered him this boon, he wondered if this path would finally eradicate his love for this woman. He was pleasantly surprised to discover that seeing Dorothy like this inspired rather than smothered what was between them.
"Well, get on with it!"
Baldwin smiled at Dorothy's snarl.
"Like I was saying, the first thing you forgot is that while you own most of the shares in each subsidiary company, the company's board also owns shares, sometimes having co-ownership with you. Getting them to give those shares to me sometimes meant simply changing the names on the contract; with the understanding I support some of their minor interests at meetings. It's a system, if I recall correctly, you created."
Dorothy's pale face highlighted her startled blink very nicely.
"And it's not like I bought all of them. The boards do like the dividends from the shares, so they wouldn't give me all. Don't worry; you are still in control of Catalonia Holdings."
Dorothy frowned in confusion, "…so how did you get the rest…"
Suddenly her face went slack as the answer dawned on her, "…The associate companies…my grandfather's partners on the Industrial Board…"
"Exactly! Nice old men and women who have enjoyed a wonderful relationship with Catalonia Holdings…although they don't see much action. Imagine their surprise when Ms. Catalonia's 'boy-toy' came to them with a purchasing request."
"What did you…you can't buy them…"
"No, but I can offer an exchange."
Dorothy stared at him in confusion.
"Dorothy, for unlimited access and permission to improve on my research into nano- technology and all my future inventions, I got full ownership of some of their shares. Not a lot, but enough that I beat you, in shares, by .5%."
Dorothy stared at him, an almost incomprehension fluttering across her visage. She was completely and truly bested…she committed the ultimate crime and under-estimated her opponent.
Her grandfather must be smirking at her disgrace.
Baldwin rose from his chair. He knew, with great satisfaction, that he had given his…lover the worst trauma of her life. Still, he wasn't vicious enough to gloat about it in front of her. Besides, if pushed, she could retaliate with the rage of a viper. As he began to walk away, he paused by her seat. Then, with the speed normally seen in battle, he bent down, grasping Dorothy's shoulders in a firm grip, forcing her to look at him.
"You really should be careful with the lives you play with."
Dorothy looked at him, a slight sheen of fear dancing in her gaze. Baldwin smiled.
"You know this is your entire fault. If you had left Duo and Heero's respective intendeds alone, we wouldn't be here."
Her eyes widened with the realization.
"But I'm very happy you did, because the ball is now in my court. You have two options, my dear. One; you can take me to court to regain full ownership, however we both know who will lose."
Dorothy continued to stare at him.
"Or…" Baldwin's lips drew closer to hers, "we can come to some…agreement."
He kissed her and for the first time enjoyed the thrill of a true dominance over the woman he loved. He withdrew and continued on his way, leaving Dorothy to her city views and her now tepid coffee.
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Relena was into forty-five minutes of her last meeting with her administration when one of the clerks rushed into the office. Everyone looked up with varying degrees of concern and censure at the young man. He immediately began to apologize.
"I'm sorry Ms. Peacecraft, but you need to look at the business channel, now."
"Young man, we really don't have time to look at the drama of a company being bought out by someone else. It will have to-"
"Trust me, Madam. You need to see this."
Relena frowned at the man's tone and glanced quickly at the far corner of the bard room. Heero, who was standing there, calmly picked up the remote from the coffee table and turned on the screen to the Business Channel.
"…chose this sunny day in Switzerland to make their announcement. We understand that Count von Coventale and Ms. Catalonia have been in a personal and business relationship for the last three years. But many hint that the up-coming marriage is more a play by Ms. Catalonia to retain control of Catalonia Inc. than a love match. Count von Coventale has made no comment…"
On the screen, cameras flashed as Dorothy, Baldwin, members of the Catalonia Board and even Quatre, fielded question from reporters. Relena could see the slight panicked look on Quatre's face as he acted as speaker for the press conference. Dorothy stared straight ahead, glaring and refusing to look at a smiling Baldwin next to her.
Relena was speechless.
Suddenly, she felt a warm, firm hand on the small of her back. Heero's musk, which had clung to her skin only hours before, twirled its way through her senses as he came up beside her.
She looked into his eyes and Relena froze at the wildness in his gaze.
He then turned to her and smiled.
She knew…Oh, God…
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Hilde, on the other hand, could only gape in awe, while the piece of chocolate cake she was about to eat slid off her fork. She didn't even notice when it hit her work shirt before bouncing onto the plate, spreading crumbs everywhere.
"They look happy together…don't they?"
Hilde jumped at Duo's voice; completely forgetting that it was he who took her out to the dessert café she wanted to visit. As Hilde focused on him, a cold chill ran through her body. It was almost as if the …the cause of crushing defeat of Dorothy Catalonia, the one she was witnessing, was sitting in front of her.
Duo turned his gaze away from the screen to look at her.
She knew.
"Duo…what did you guys…do?"
Duo smiled.
OWARI