Rapiers and Scimitars
By: Figgy
Part One
It was a celebration to mark the end of the wars, the coming of peace, and those that still bore emotional and physical wounds from those wars. It was a time to smile and laugh with people who understood the pain. A time to let go and for a few hours just be yourself.
Which is why reporters swarmed around outside, trying to catch a glimpse of those coming to the gala. The first to be seen was Minister Darlian; after all it was her mansion the party was being held, then Lady Une, Preventer leader. Next came Millardo or Zechs or Wind, depending on which name caught your fancy, and his fiancée, Lucrezia Noin. The fact that many of the guests were Preventer officers did not go unnoticed by the press. The next to arrive were Sally Po and Wufei Chang; the Chinese man ignoreed the cameras while Sally laughed and smiled easily.
Duo and Hilde Maxwell walked toward the house, teasing and taunting each other. Married for three years and the love grew stronger every day. Trowa Barton and his sister, Catherine Bloom, arrived with Quatre Winner, owner of the Winner Corps, and one of his sisters, Iria Winner. Quatre smiled kindly at the reporters, calmly answering a few of their questions before excusing himself to be embraced by Minister Darlian, Sally, and Noin.
One guest arrived in the shadows and no one questioned how Heero Yuy found his way into the decorative ballroom. While he made his quiet entrance, another made her presence known instantly.
"Lady Catalonia!"
"Duchess!"
"Look this way, please!"
Dorothy smirked and tossed her long blond hair over her shoulder. The cameras flashed and she posed in the middle of the walk. Her date, a tall, handsome man with an aristocratic and arrogant look to him, waited for her impatiently. Once she joined him, Michael began to mutter under his breath about her antics.
Dorothy's long nails dug into his sleeved arm, "Do not forget yourself, Lord Michael. You are here only to be handsome and keep your mouth shut." He winced slightly, then forced a charming smile as the two entered the house and greeted the hostess.
"Miss Relena."
"Dorothy!" Relena motioned for their jackets to be taken away and she smiled widely at Dorothy. "How are you? I wasn't sure if you'd show!"
"Well, here I am." Dorothy looked around the room, "Looks like everyone showed, even the elusive Heero Yuy."
Relena nodded, watching as Michael sauntered away toward the punch bowl then she turned toward where Dorothy was looking and smiled a bit sadly. "Yes. I'm as surprised as you, Dorothy."
Dorothy raised an eyebrow, "I didn't say I was surprised. After all, anything for his princess of peace." She walked away and Relena shook her head once after the blond girl.
"Is that Dorothy Catalonia?" Trowa's eyebrows rose as he watched the girl join a handsome man near the punch and other drinks. She seemed to snarl through a smile as she spoke to the man. He rolled his eyes at Dorothy and snatched a glass of champagne from a passing tray. He shoved it toward her, smiled conceitedly, then walked off. Trowa watched as Dorothy's face contorted in rage, then she calmed her expression and raised the glass to her lips.
"Miss Dorothy?" Quatre followed Trowa's line of sight and his eyes widened. "It is her."
"Relena and Dorothy have grown somewhat close over the years. Though they both argue constantly." Noin spoke behind the two men and they turned toward her. "I think that is one of the reasons Relena sought the other woman out. Dorothy is one of the few people who says what's on her mind no matter what anyone else thinks."
"She's deeply devoted to whatever cause she believes in." Unknowingly Quatre rubbed a hand over where she'd stabbed him, leaving a permanent scar.
"And here she comes now." Noin smiled before excusing herself to go speak with Sally.
Dorothy reached the two men and smirked at them. "Was that Miss Noin?"
"Yes." Trowa answered then drank a bit of his own glass of wine.
The blond woman looked thoughtful; "I do need to talk to her… A most remarkable thing, actually." She smiled, reminding Quatre of the Cheshire cat. "Well, how are you two? Enjoying your peaceful lives?"
"Very much. You, Miss Dorothy?" Quatre returned the smile, but he was more honest and kind.
She swirled her wine around, "I find peace more enjoyable than war nowadays, but admit to a sense of boredom. Not even the constant ever-changing flow of politics can rid me of that." She raised eyes that challenged with each light caress. "I fear that I will never feel as alive as I did during the battles." Dorothy eyed them both, "Yet, this life does seem to have smiled on you two. You both have grown."
Trowa's lips twitched, "We could not remain fifteen forever, Dorothy. Neither could you, it would seem."
"Yes, we've all grown from not-so-innocent youths into adults." She glanced at Quatre, "Wound still troubling you, Mr. Winner?"
Quatre blushed as he caught himself once again rubbing the scar. "Not at all, Miss Dorothy. It healed quite well."
She flashed a smile, showing near perfect straight, white teeth. "I wonder if I could entice you into a rematch? This time with no one intent to kill the other."
He paled, "I'd…love too…"
Trowa chuckled into his wine as he watched his best friend deal with Dorothy. She turned hawk-like eyes toward the laughing acrobat. "Is something amusing, Mr. Barton? Please, share."
Quatre faced his friend, knowing full well what had caused the usually quiet and reserved man to chuckle so. "Yes, please do, Trowa."
"Trowa! I've been looking all over for you!" Catherine joined them and the acrobat thanked her in his mind. She couldn't have had more perfect timing. Catherine smiled at Quatre, a bit forced, but still a smile. She was still wary of the boy that had dragged her brother into the war so long ago. However her expression was merely curious when she turned toward Dorothy. "Will you introduce me, Trowa?"
"Catherine, this is Lady Dorothy Catalonia. Dorothy, this is my sister, Catherine Bloom."
"Please, call me Dorothy." She offered her hand to Catherine and the female acrobat quickly shook Dorothy's hand. "Formalities do not abide well with me when in the company of so many comrades." Both males knew that she never offered her first name to Quatre, but preferred the Miss… Why, neither knew… Except maybe she thought by offering all others the chance to call her merely Dorothy while forcing him to continue his 'Miss Dorothy' aggravated him… In some ways it did, but not enough for Quatre to truly show it.
"It is nice to meet you, Dorothy." Catherine smiled warmly and Dorothy returned the smile with a half-smirk, half-smile.
"Dorothy, what are you doing over here?" Michael joined them and a flash of anger crossed Dorothy's usually placid face. She nodded to each and excused herself, dragging Michael away with her before introductions could start.
Catherine took Trowa's hand and pulled him onto the dance floor. Quatre watched them, admiring their fluid and graceful moves. However, the dance held only sibling affection, which caused him to smile sweetly. Relena joined him and offered Quatre a chocolate sweet, which he took with thanks.
"Relena, do you know the man Miss Dorothy is accompanied by?" He asked as he licked the bits of melted chocolate off his fingertips.
Relena squinted then slowly nodded. "Lord Michael, a Romefeller aide I believe. He's been trying for years now to rise in the ranks. He's ambitious, annoying, and arrogant. The three vicious As one could say." She laughed at Quatre's slightly surprised expression; "If you think that's bad coming from the 'Dove of Peace' then you should hear me when I'm with Duo. He does bring the best and worst out of one."
As if her name had summoned him, the braided American appeared. "Hey! Buddy-boy and princess! Have you seen Hilde? She rushed to the food then disappeared…" He turned slightly green, "After eating lobster with chocolate sauce… She's the strangest woman, I swear… You should hear some of things she's been concocting lately. Kiwi slices dipped into hot sauce is just another example."
Relena and Quatre exchanged a look and tried to keep from laughing as they told him they hadn't seen her. Duo stared at them strangely, noticing the way their shoulders shook and tears glimmered in their eyes and walked away from them muttering about strange pacifists.
"Poor Duo. He doesn't have a clue." Relena gasped for air as she calmed her laughter.
Quatre just chuckled at the thought of a little Duo running around. "It'll be interesting." His tone turned teasing, "And that reminds me, have you spoken to Heero?"
Relena blushed, "You are a cruel man, Quatre Winner. And no… What am I to say? 'Oh, hi Heero. Yeah, it's me, Relena. You know, the girl you've rescued…um… well, too many times to count now. Guess what? Would you, um, like, want to, maybe, go out for dinner?' Oh yeah, that'd go over real well. If I'm lucky instead of just staring at me like I'm crazy. He'll probably pull out his gun and threaten to kill me."
"Oh, come on, Relena…"
"Don't oh come on me!" She shrugged, "And even if he does care… Maybe I'm tired of waiting. Maybe I'm tired of everyone staring at him and calling him my perfect knight. Maybe I'm tired of trying to open him up." Her shoulders slumped, "He doesn't want to let me in, Quatre, so I can't help him. Maybe I'm tired of failing and crying myself to sleep." She whispered and Quatre lowered his glass to place a comforting arm around her.
"Don't give up, Relena. He can be difficult, but underneath it all there's a human. A confused human that needs your love and care."
"I'm scared by the time that happens, Quatre, I will no longer have any love left…"
He laughed softly, "No love for Heero? You? That will never happen, my friend."
"Sometimes your honesty astounds me."
Quatre laughed and released the now smiling Relena. However, he knew her smiles hid the sorrow. Millardo called Relena's name and she left with a quick apology. The Arabian didn't mind. He leaned against the wall and watched the others. His sister seemed to be enjoying herself, engaging in an intelligent conversation with Sally Po, Lucrezia Noin, and Lady Une. He glanced at the dancers. Not all he knew. Some people here were soldiers that he'd never gotten the chance to speak to, to really know… But he could see Trowa and Catherine still dancing, Michael and Dorothy were also dancing. The two were also graceful, but with more refinement than Trowa and Catherine's artistic moves… Dorothy seemed to be holding back, which Quatre found odd and slightly disturbing.
Wufei was speaking to Heero across the room, though both didn't seem too comfortable in the others' presence. He didn't know what happened between the two during the Mariemeia incident, but the way those two acted sometimes… Quatre shrugged the feeling away and saw that a green looking Duo had found Hilde and was now watching her eat… A glance at her meal made Quatre's stomach do a flip-flop and he quickly turned his attention elsewhere.
Everyone seemed to be engaged in someone or other… Yet, he didn't feel lonely. He rarely did, but then again he couldn't quit glancing back at Dorothy and her date.
Dorothy Catalonia… She'd always confused him. She had been such a troubled young woman so many years ago… Now, she had grown into a woman that seemed to know herself better, but enjoyed confusing others and causing a bit of chaos. Quatre could believe that she was bored with her peaceful life.
She was beautiful, kind, powerful, rich, chaotic, refined, aristocratic, elegant, aggressive, and she'd tried to kill him.
He feared he was developing a crush on her or at least he knew he cared about her. And right now she looked ready to stab the man she was with. Quatre couldn't quite keep the smile off his face as he watched the two disappear into the shadows. He began to walk toward them, wondering if Dorothy may need some help. Unlikely, yet he wanted to help her.
"I don't know what came over me when I accepted you as my date." Dorothy hissed at Michael, tossing her hair over her right shoulder as she spoke.
"We both know why." He edged closer toward her and Dorothy's nose wrinkled.
"You've been drinking and obviously you cannot handle your liquor. I should've known better. I really should've. I can only blame myself for bringing a fool like you to this event."
Michael reached out and tangled his hand in her hair and yanked it, causing her to gasp and fall forward. "I've had about as much as I can take of your bitching."
Dorothy reached out and sank her sharp nails into the wrist of the hand holding her hair. She smiled calmly, "And I'm tired of your idiocy. Just because I am a woman does not mean I cannot protect myself. I'm quite skilled at the arts of fighting. Care for a demonstration?" She sank her nails in farther, breaking past the skin. Drops of blood welled from the wounds, pooling around her grayish blue nails.
Michael released her hair and Dorothy confidently removed her nails. She frowned at the blood under them and reached for a napkin from a nearby table and wiped the offending blood from her fingers.
"Bitch, do you want me to tell them why I'm here with you?"
Dorothy raised an eyebrow; "You are here because I needed a date that was halfway decent-looking. Sadly, your physique fits that requirement."
"That's not the only reason you came with a date. You don't want these people to know—." His statement was cut off as Dorothy grabbed his arm tightly.
"Whatever you've guessed in that empty head of yours, just forget it. You do not know me." She released him and smiled slyly. "Now, do have a good evening, Lord Michael. I suggest that you leave early. Work in the morning."
"I bet that blond fluff knows you."
Dorothy stopped in mid-turn and turned slowly to face the man. Michael paled at the expression on her face. He'd pushed her too far and suddenly realized why the press called Dorothy a woman not to cross. She purred as she approached him, stopping only when they were so close their breath mixed together. She placed a hand on his stomach, curling her fingers so her nails lightly grazed the fabric. "That blond fluff," her nails slid between the spaces left by his tailored shirt's buttons, "is Quatre Raberba Winner," they tickled against his abs, "and he is more powerful," little scratches were how she started… Little scratches that nearly caused him to moan as his nerves tingled. "Than you will ever be," her hand slid lower, "and not because of strength," warm fingertips caress, nails tease, "though he is strong," she smiled as he tensed under her hand, "but he holds power because he is kind," one last swipe, a gasp from his lips, a whisper of a name, hers of course, "and because, unlike you, he would not let passion keep him from his objective." Her nails dug into his skin and she pulled them down, four angry, red lines. "There is a fine line between pain and pleasure." Dorothy removed her hand and smiled as Michael stared at her in shock, eyes that still held hints of lust and fear and pain. He placed a hand over his bleeding skin and made a hasty retreat away from the blond.
Someone breathed behind her… A sharp intake of breath and she turned and her eyes widened as she faced Quatre. She forced her expression into one of boredom, "Mr. Winner, enjoying the party?"
"More than your date, I believe." Quatre glanced toward where the man was still walking away… Probably to grab his coat and leave.
"So, you saw the little show. How entertaining for you." She moved to walk past him, but he blocked her path.
"I heard, too."
Silence.
Then she smirked, "That's quite all right, Mr. Winner. I wasn't trying to hide that scene from anybody. If you saw it then that's your problem, not mine. Now please excuse me." This time he let her pass and watched her walk away and toward Relena.
Yeah, he'd heard it all… And he wasn't sure what to make of it… He sighed and walked over toward Trowa and Catherine who had stopped dancing.
"Miss Relena, are you enjoying yourself?"
Relena turned away from Millardo and smiled at Dorothy. "Yes, you, Dorothy?"
"This evening has been interesting, Relena." Dorothy relaxed in the company of the woman that was quickly becoming her closest friend… It was a strange feeling for Dorothy. A friend… She didn't realize that Relena felt the same. Dorothy had closed herself off, using cruel sarcasm to ward off any friendly attempts. Relena had been surrounded by people, but not a single one of them had held true friendship in their hearts. It was ironic that the two women who most considered as complete opposites would find friendship in each other.
"Where did your date run off to?" Relena asked, noticing the absence of Michael from the crowd.
"He went home." Dorothy smirked.
Relena raised an eyebrow, but a look at Dorothy's expression convinced the Minister that she probably didn't want to know what exactly had happened. "Ah. Look, Quatre and Trowa are making their way toward us." A frown flickered on Dorothy's lips and she nodded her head.
"Excuse me, Relena. I need to speak to Miss Noin." She turned and quickly walked away, a second before Quatre and Trowa reached Relena.
"Relena." Trowa smiled slightly at her and she laughed before throwing her arms around him.
"Don't act like that around me, Trowa!"
Trowa returned the hug with gentlemanly courtesy. Quatre frowned as he watched Dorothy reach Noin. "Relena, what were you and Miss Dorothy speaking of?"
Relena released Trowa and raised both eyebrows. "We didn't speak much before she excused herself to converse with Noin." She shook her head, "When she and Millardo marry I fear I will still want to call her Noin even though by then she'll be Ms. Peacecraft."
"Or Merquise." A voice spoke and they turned to see Heero staring at Relena, his usual frown on his face. Yet, there was a softening in his eyes...
Relena nodded, "Yes. Some consider him as Zechs still, but he is my brother."
Quatre nudged Trowa lightly and the two excused themselves, leaving Heero and Relena alone. Sally, however, quickly caught up with them. She smiled, but there was a tenseness to her and anger. "Have you seen Wufei? He seems to have wandered off and I cannot find him anywhere."
Heero heard her and answered from where he was speaking to Relena in low tones. "He went outside."
"Thank you." Sally left them and they saw her exit through the patio doors.
Quatre glanced over his shoulder to see Relena motion with her hands, her mouth moving as she passionately spoke. Heero's frown seemed to deepen and he suddenly turned and left her. The Minister stared after him for a second, then sighed, and grabbed a glass of wine off a tray. She gulped half of it down, then caught Quatre's worried eyes with her own and smiled reassuringly.
Music started once again. Couples stared at each other lovingly as they tightened their holds and slowed their steps. Quatre smiled as a waitress lowered her tray. She was a pretty woman with blond hair and delicate features. She swayed slightly to the music and seemed to search the crowd of men not dancing for a partner. She tossed her hair over her shoulder and Quatre chuckled at Trowa's bewildered expression as she chose him and pulled him onto the dance floor.
Millardo and Noin whispered sweet nothings as their arms fell around each other… And another chuckle escaped as he saw Duo and Hilde dance. The two tangoed by and Duo winked at the Arabian before passing. Quatre moved toward one of the large windows and did a double take at what was outside. Sally and Wufei were dancing. Quatre rubbed his eyes and looked again. Yeah, they were dancing… There was something protective in the way Wufei held Sally close.
He turned away from the happy, yet strange couple only to spot another. Somehow Relena must have convinced the sullen Heero to dance for they were on the floor… Even his sister was dancing with a man he didn't recognize.
"Care to dance, Mr. Winner?"
He started at the voice and turned slightly to see Dorothy smirking at him, as if she took joy in surprising him. He hesitated when he saw that smirk and it widened into a grin.
"I won't bite, Mr. Winner." She placed her arms around his neck and whispered in his ear. "Hard." They joined the others on the floor and Quatre placed his hands on her waist.
Perfect.
That was how this felt. They molded together perfectly… Her head rested on his shoulder and he breathed in the scent of her hair.
Perfect.
They didn't speak as the song flowed around them, but were comfortable in the steady silence. Dorothy closed her eyes and after awhile Quatre was sure she'd fallen asleep, yet her feet still moved…
The song ended and he finally dared to speak. "Miss Dorothy?"
She opened her eyes and stared up at him, for a second she looked confused… Then Dorothy stepped out of his hold and flashed her confident smile. "You smell wonderful, Mr. Winner. What cologne are you wearing?"
He blushed, "I'm not—"
He never finished as a sound broke through the peaceful party. A shattering of glass. A shout. The sound of a gun being fired, then many guns…
The bullet, he realized numbly, was coming toward him. How strange… Everything seemed to move in slow motion even though he knew mere seconds were passing…
A force shoved into him and he stumbled, nearly falling on his face.
A figure slammed backwards and he caught her before she could land on the marble floor.
"Dorothy…"
Blood blossomed across her blue dress, like a morbid flower. She struggled to breathe in his arms and stared up at him with fiery blue-gray eyes. Shock and horror played across his features as he watched Dorothy wince at the pain.
"Why? Dorothy, why?"
She closed her eyes and smiled, "You owe me a rematch, Mr. Winner." A shudder went through her body and her next words were a whisper, yet still held dry amusement. "Do not worry, Quatre… I will be well and waiting for you with my rapier."
"Move!"
Two figures joined him. Sally Po and Iria Winner, both trained and skilled doctors. He was fairly pushed out of the way as they checked Dorothy's signs.
"The ambulance is here!" Someone shouted. Relena, Quatre realized. He thanked whoever had had the sense to call the hospital.
Whereas the actual shooting had moved in slow motion, the next few seconds moved too quickly for Quatre too really accept all that was happening… Because suddenly Dorothy was in the ambulance with Sally and Iria… And he was still in the mansion, watching as they drove away.
"She shoved me out of the way… She took the bullet meant for me." The acrobat stood behind the distressed Arabian.
"I saw."
"But why, Trowa? Why did she do it?" Quatre turned, angry at himself, at the shooter, and at Dorothy for taking the bullet meant for him. "I don't believe when she says it was for some rematch! Why?"
Trowa shook his head, "I doubt even she knows all the reasons why she did it."
The Arabian looked over Trowa's shoulder and saw that many of the guests were calm… After all, they had seen worst things in the war… He saw Relena staring at the body of the dead shooter. She didn't even flinch or pale, instead she raised an eyebrow. "Firearms… I should've known that they would figure someway to get them in here without being detected…" She shook her head, then turned away from the body.
Quatre counted three shots… Heero, Wufei, and Duo… Plus the man's neck was broken… Trowa's work…
He didn't question why the man wanted him dead. He had many enemies from the war, just like the other pilots. He could handle that… What he couldn't handle was others getting hurt because of that… His sisters, his friends, Dorothy…
Dorothy… Shot… Because of an angry enemy soldier…
Quatre had thrown the vase across the room before even realizing he'd moved. He watched as it shattered against the wall and turned toward Relena… The ice in his usually warm, blue eyes froze her in place. "I'll buy you another."
They watched the Winner heir turn and walk out of the mansion.
A/N: I know I should be working on Dawn and Moon Wars, but this popped into my head and just had to be written. So, continue or not? I was thinking that maybe it could end here--- * cruel grin * What do you think? Ciao! *^_^*