Disclaimer: I don not own Gundam Wing or any of the characters. That
means you can't sue me if you find this offensive. But if it's so
offensive, why are you reading it in the first place?
The wind whispered quietly. Quatre turned his head slowly, certain he had her a girl giggle. Blinking, he turned back to fixing the engine on his car. The wind gusted again. There, he thought, glancing down the street, I'm sure I heard it that time. He slowly straitened, wiping his grimy hands on a rag. Who was there?
He tossed the rag into his car, his hands now clear of most of their oil stains. He grabbed the keys from the ignition and slammed the door, locking it behind him. He placed his hands in the pockets of his leather jacket, having abandoned his usually formal attire for a more comfortable T- shirt and jeans. It made a world of difference, as no one had come up to him asking for money for some charity or another. It made enjoying life so much easier, especially after the end of the war. And the end of Sandrock. That had been a bitter pill to swallow, destroying his greatest friend to appease the mind of the people about starting wars. But to preserve peace, he had done it.
Peace. It meant so much to him. Almost everything close to him had been or nearly been taken away by fighting. The colonies he had destroyed, the murder of his father, and the near deaths of his friends and allies were all hard to bear, especially since he knew he was the cause of some of it. But now peace had come. Miss Relena had done superbly in keeping check of the violent tendencies of the War Hawks of the government, people who thrived on fighting and death. But life was, for him at least, normal. Live with a couple of friends, complete his education, drive his new car. Everything was worth living for. It felt so good to have survived and be alive. It allowed his curiosity to blossom, which was probably why he wanted to know who was giggling. That and his recent entrance into the realm of adolescence and male hormones. It was a woman's giggle, of course. Why else would he be so curious?
He walked slowly towards the sound. "Hello? Is anybody there?"
The sounds stopped as if thinking how to respond. "If I'm not mistaken, that is the voice of Master Winner. How have you been?" He started. Who was calling him Master? "Who are you?"
"I believe the more serious question is, 'Who was I?'" There was a swishing in the shadows, as a person bent down to do something, smooth their clothing, perhaps. She stepped out of the shadows, emerging with a speed that startled the young man. She stood proudly, offering herself for inspection. "I was once Dorothy Catalonia, servant to the great Treize Khushrenada and Relena Peacecraft. Oh, but the how mighty have fallen."
"Dorothy? What are you doing out here? Don't you live somewhere?"
"I live here," she said, motioning to the shadows from which she had emerged. "I live here because there is no where else." She turned to go back into the crowded area.
"Wait." She stopped, almost reluctantly, and turned. "You don't have to live here. Come live with me. I live with a couple other friends but I think we have room for one more."
She sighed softly, a very feminine sound. "Why would you take me in, even after I have caused so much harm to people? Are you not at heart a pacifist? I am, after all, one who laughs at the sight of death, enjoys the killing of war. Why?"
"Because I believe in honor. You did what you deemed necessary to achieve your goals, even if they were the death of others. I also believe the Dorothy I fought is dead, in her place a more gentle person, one who understands the pain of others. Now please, will you come with me?" He stretched out his hand in the offer of a gentleman, trying to assuage any fears she might have. Gingerly she placed her hand in his and allowed him to pull her to his car. She glanced around the street, noticing the bustle of people. She turned to see him unlocking the front doors. He noticed her glance. "You can sit in the back if it makes you feel more comfortable."
"No, no. It's just I've never met someone be so polite, so respectful outside of my colleagues. I also have never been given a choice to where to sit in a car before. I've always had to sit where I was told."
She slipped into the front and gently closed the door so not to break it. She watched him climb in next to her and start the engine. He drove to a department store then, wanting her to buy more clothes. What she had seemed so meager compared to everything she received. Her eyes filled with tears, grateful for his kindness. She got out and stood, blinking slowly to adjust to the relative dimness of the mall. Quatre came out and fished his wallet out of his pocket. He pulled his credit card out and handed it to her, along with several twenty dollar bills. "The credit card is for the clothes you want to buy. You can also buy some books or something at the bookstore since it's right next door to the clothing store. The cash is for anything else you might need or want to buy, just for you." Seeing her look, he added, "Don't worry about it. Even though I'm only in college, I already make a lot of money through the family business. I can afford it. Wait, you can afford it, since the cash is yours now. I will want the credit card back."
There was a twinkle in his eyes. He pushed her gently to the door. She began to stammer, unable to thank him enough. She slowly walked into the store while he watched her. After she disappeared into the first store, he turned to find a phone before remembering the cell phone is his pocket. He pulled it out and dialed his apartment's phone. Please say someone's there, he thought. It picked up on the other end.
"Hello?" It was Trowa. There was soft violin music playing in the background. It sounded like the very old classical music he preferred.
"Trowa, its me, Quatre. We need to talk." Meaning, of course, that Quatre would talk and Trowa would listen. "Is the place presentable? And is the guest room available?"
There was a pause. Finally the answer, "Yes to both. Wu-fei left some of his stuff on the couch in there, but he'll clean it. I can guarantee that. Why'd you ask?"
"We're going to be having a guest for a while, until she can get her life straitened out. Trust me on this."
Trowa paused a moment before asking, "Who?"
"Dorothy Catalonia. She was living on the street before I picked her up."
"Dorothy? No problem. Wu-fei won't have a problem either, since she is one of the few women on his 'strong' list."
"Cool, thanks. But don't forget to tell him she's coming, just to make sure." He hung up and waited. It was only a couple of minutes before she reappeared. She had a rosy tinge to her cheeks, like she was blushing. She was also carrying several bags over her arms, some large and a couple smaller ones. He decided not to ask. "Did you find everything you needed?"
"Yes. Why are you doing this for me?"
He didn't answer, only smiling. He motioned her to the car and got in. After starting it, he finally spoke. "I have a couple of roommates. They won't bother you and I called them to say you're coming."
"Roommates? Who are they?"
"Trowa Barton of the circus and Chang Wu-fei. As long as you give them space when they want it, they're really good people."
"Ah.two more of the famous Gundam pilots. Tell me, how is it that the three of you managed to get an apartment together? Is it coincidence or merely good fortune?"
"We actually came out of the war wanting to know each other a little better. We figured the best way would be to live with each other. But since we're all kind of quiet, we haven't progressed very far."
Dorothy was silent after that, clutching her bags to her chest as she lost herself in thought. She emerged only when Quatre pulled up to a tall building and got out of the car. He waited for her to get and offered to take some of her bags for her. He grabbed a pair of the larger ones and led the way in. He headed to the elevator, weaving through the crowd of people, making sure she could always see him. After he got in and she caught up, he pushed the button to his floor, the fifth. There was a comfortable silence until the door opened, when an argument erupted between several of the hotel patron a floor below. Shaking his head, Quatre led the way to his room. It was unlocked so he pushed the door open with his shoulder and waited for his guest to come in. She stood quietly while he locked the door and followed him to the guest bedroom, where Trowa stood waiting. He raised his visible eyebrow.
"Good evening, Dorothy. I hope you've been well."
"Thank you, Master Barton. I am very well. I hope the same is likewise."
He only smiled before turning and entering another room.
"So Dorothy, this is the room you will be using while you stay here. It has a bed, nightstand, and closet. If there's anything else, just ask. I'll let you get set up." He placed the bags he was carrying down and turned to leave. "And one more thing."
Dorothy looked up from inspecting the sheets. "Yes, Master Winner?"
"None of that. We're all friends here, so it's strictly first name. I'm Quatre and my friends are Wu-fei and Trowa."
"Yes, Master Winner. Uh.Quatre." She seemed delighted, however, by the informality of the situation. She turned back to the bed and Quatre took it as sign to leave. He pulled the door closed gently and headed to his room.
He closed his door and began to change into something cleaner. His jacket had oil stains on it, and his pants weren't much better. Just as he was pulling on new pants, there was a knock on the door. He quickly threw on a clean T-shirt and opened the door.
"What can I do for you, Dorothy?"
She looked up, startled he had come so quickly. "I was wondering if you have any coat hangers. I need them for some of my clothes."
"Ya, right here." He got a handful from his closet and gave them to her. She smiled and walked back to her room. Quatre could not help but feel enchanted by her smile. He found it to be very pretty.
He was still staring where she had been when the front door barged open and Wu-fei stalked in, muttering about some outrage.
Quatre snapped out of his reverie. "What's up, man?"
He turned and glared. "I just ran into Maxwell. He's invited all of us over tomorrow."
"What's so bad about that?"
"He wouldn't let me answer, saying he'd say us tomorrow around noonish. Now we don't have a choice."
"Actually, yes we do. Did you get Trowa's message?"
"Message? Oh, yes I did. Miss Catalonia will be staying with us indefinitely." He grunted. "Better her than Maxwell."
"Oh, really now? Thank you Wu-fei, I'm flattered."
He jumped slightly. "Hello, Dorothy. It is good to see you in such good health. A pleasure to have you with us. We'll show you true living when we're not busy with our schoolwork."
It was Dorothy's turn to raise an eyebrow. "Oh, really now? True living? Does that consist of fighting the injustice of the world and making sure the weak don't fight in the 'game' of life?"
Wu-fei smiled. "I'm going to enjoy this very much. Now what were you saying about the Maxwell problem?"
"We can tell him we need to show her around. He'll understand."
"Actually, I have no objections to meeting this Maxwell person. We can go tomorrow."
Wu-fei groaned, closing his eyes and rubbing his face with both hands. "Great. A day with Maxwell and his family. Just what the doctor ordered."
Quatre turned. "Duo finally had some kids? Took him, what, a year and a half after getting married?"
"One, actually. The twins are six months old now."
"Twins? I'll have to bring some flowers or something as a little congratulation. It must make him proud."
"Proud like you wouldn't believe. He wanted to them both Duo, but Hilde had a word in it. So now the boy is little Duo, Jr. while the girl is Samantha Nicole."
Dorothy commented. "Such beautiful names, the girl's at least. The boy's could be a little more imaginative. But Duo was never one for imagination, always going straight for the goal. You had to be to be a Gundam pilot."
Her comment caused Quatre and Wu-fei to bristle. "While we're over there, don't mention the Gundams. It's a really sore spot for Duo. And how did you know his name, anyway? You said you wanted to meet him."
She smiled, her feminine one she used to charm men. "I like to see what people will tell me about someone if I don't 'know' who they are. I can compare it to what I know and create a probable first impression he had on the other person. You, Wu-fei, first thought he was energetic and a little too happy-go-lucky. As time passed, he gained your trust with his courage in the battlefield."
He just gaped at her, open-mouthed. "That's amazing. Those were my thoughts exactly. You'll have to show me how to do that someday."
She smiled her secret smile. "Someday."
Quatre just smiled, then glanced at his watch. "It's almost time to eat. Anyone wanna cook, or should I?"
Dorothy timidly raised her hand up. "I'll cook. I have a couple of recipes I want to try."
"That works. I'll show you where everything is. Come on." He led her into the kitchen as Wu-fei went into his room. The kitchen was clean, almost sterile. Everything was put in its place so that it could be easily found. He turned around, propping himself against the counter, waiting for her to get situated. When she was done he began.
"Everything in this kitchen has a place where it goes. It makes it easier to find. For example, the pots are in the cupboard next to your foot so even short people like myself can reach them. The utensils are next to the sink, in the drawer. Cooking utensils are in the jar next to the sink. It has everything like cooking spoons, whisks, and ladles. Some stuff that even I don't know what it does. Then there's the fridge itself." He walked over to it and opened it, pointing to each area as he named it. "In the lower right drawer is the meats and cheeses. They're separate in case they go bad. Next to them on the left are the vegetables. Lettuce, tomatoes, squash. You name it, it's probably there. In the door are all the different sauces like garlic, salad dressing, mayonnaise, and steak house sauce. Finally, in the middle are all the leftovers we still have to eat. They're color-coded by who made them. Trowa is the red marked ones, Wu-fei is the green marked ones, and I have the blue marked ones. If there's any of yours left, we'll mark it in purple or something. Need anything else?" He glanced around. "There shouldn't be."
She was very quiet in responding, almost inaudible. Her head was down and she was mumbling. "Can you stay in here with me." She looked up, staring into his surprised eyes. "It would make me feel just a little safer."
He thought about it before answering. "Okay. Is there anything you need to talk about?"
Again, she was mumbling. "Yes. I just want to tell you a little about myself, that's all. It might help you understand why I came with you instead of staying in the street, where I rightfully belong."
"What are you talking about? You are a decent person. No one like you deserves the street."
As she began to root through the fridge, she began her story.
The wind whispered quietly. Quatre turned his head slowly, certain he had her a girl giggle. Blinking, he turned back to fixing the engine on his car. The wind gusted again. There, he thought, glancing down the street, I'm sure I heard it that time. He slowly straitened, wiping his grimy hands on a rag. Who was there?
He tossed the rag into his car, his hands now clear of most of their oil stains. He grabbed the keys from the ignition and slammed the door, locking it behind him. He placed his hands in the pockets of his leather jacket, having abandoned his usually formal attire for a more comfortable T- shirt and jeans. It made a world of difference, as no one had come up to him asking for money for some charity or another. It made enjoying life so much easier, especially after the end of the war. And the end of Sandrock. That had been a bitter pill to swallow, destroying his greatest friend to appease the mind of the people about starting wars. But to preserve peace, he had done it.
Peace. It meant so much to him. Almost everything close to him had been or nearly been taken away by fighting. The colonies he had destroyed, the murder of his father, and the near deaths of his friends and allies were all hard to bear, especially since he knew he was the cause of some of it. But now peace had come. Miss Relena had done superbly in keeping check of the violent tendencies of the War Hawks of the government, people who thrived on fighting and death. But life was, for him at least, normal. Live with a couple of friends, complete his education, drive his new car. Everything was worth living for. It felt so good to have survived and be alive. It allowed his curiosity to blossom, which was probably why he wanted to know who was giggling. That and his recent entrance into the realm of adolescence and male hormones. It was a woman's giggle, of course. Why else would he be so curious?
He walked slowly towards the sound. "Hello? Is anybody there?"
The sounds stopped as if thinking how to respond. "If I'm not mistaken, that is the voice of Master Winner. How have you been?" He started. Who was calling him Master? "Who are you?"
"I believe the more serious question is, 'Who was I?'" There was a swishing in the shadows, as a person bent down to do something, smooth their clothing, perhaps. She stepped out of the shadows, emerging with a speed that startled the young man. She stood proudly, offering herself for inspection. "I was once Dorothy Catalonia, servant to the great Treize Khushrenada and Relena Peacecraft. Oh, but the how mighty have fallen."
"Dorothy? What are you doing out here? Don't you live somewhere?"
"I live here," she said, motioning to the shadows from which she had emerged. "I live here because there is no where else." She turned to go back into the crowded area.
"Wait." She stopped, almost reluctantly, and turned. "You don't have to live here. Come live with me. I live with a couple other friends but I think we have room for one more."
She sighed softly, a very feminine sound. "Why would you take me in, even after I have caused so much harm to people? Are you not at heart a pacifist? I am, after all, one who laughs at the sight of death, enjoys the killing of war. Why?"
"Because I believe in honor. You did what you deemed necessary to achieve your goals, even if they were the death of others. I also believe the Dorothy I fought is dead, in her place a more gentle person, one who understands the pain of others. Now please, will you come with me?" He stretched out his hand in the offer of a gentleman, trying to assuage any fears she might have. Gingerly she placed her hand in his and allowed him to pull her to his car. She glanced around the street, noticing the bustle of people. She turned to see him unlocking the front doors. He noticed her glance. "You can sit in the back if it makes you feel more comfortable."
"No, no. It's just I've never met someone be so polite, so respectful outside of my colleagues. I also have never been given a choice to where to sit in a car before. I've always had to sit where I was told."
She slipped into the front and gently closed the door so not to break it. She watched him climb in next to her and start the engine. He drove to a department store then, wanting her to buy more clothes. What she had seemed so meager compared to everything she received. Her eyes filled with tears, grateful for his kindness. She got out and stood, blinking slowly to adjust to the relative dimness of the mall. Quatre came out and fished his wallet out of his pocket. He pulled his credit card out and handed it to her, along with several twenty dollar bills. "The credit card is for the clothes you want to buy. You can also buy some books or something at the bookstore since it's right next door to the clothing store. The cash is for anything else you might need or want to buy, just for you." Seeing her look, he added, "Don't worry about it. Even though I'm only in college, I already make a lot of money through the family business. I can afford it. Wait, you can afford it, since the cash is yours now. I will want the credit card back."
There was a twinkle in his eyes. He pushed her gently to the door. She began to stammer, unable to thank him enough. She slowly walked into the store while he watched her. After she disappeared into the first store, he turned to find a phone before remembering the cell phone is his pocket. He pulled it out and dialed his apartment's phone. Please say someone's there, he thought. It picked up on the other end.
"Hello?" It was Trowa. There was soft violin music playing in the background. It sounded like the very old classical music he preferred.
"Trowa, its me, Quatre. We need to talk." Meaning, of course, that Quatre would talk and Trowa would listen. "Is the place presentable? And is the guest room available?"
There was a pause. Finally the answer, "Yes to both. Wu-fei left some of his stuff on the couch in there, but he'll clean it. I can guarantee that. Why'd you ask?"
"We're going to be having a guest for a while, until she can get her life straitened out. Trust me on this."
Trowa paused a moment before asking, "Who?"
"Dorothy Catalonia. She was living on the street before I picked her up."
"Dorothy? No problem. Wu-fei won't have a problem either, since she is one of the few women on his 'strong' list."
"Cool, thanks. But don't forget to tell him she's coming, just to make sure." He hung up and waited. It was only a couple of minutes before she reappeared. She had a rosy tinge to her cheeks, like she was blushing. She was also carrying several bags over her arms, some large and a couple smaller ones. He decided not to ask. "Did you find everything you needed?"
"Yes. Why are you doing this for me?"
He didn't answer, only smiling. He motioned her to the car and got in. After starting it, he finally spoke. "I have a couple of roommates. They won't bother you and I called them to say you're coming."
"Roommates? Who are they?"
"Trowa Barton of the circus and Chang Wu-fei. As long as you give them space when they want it, they're really good people."
"Ah.two more of the famous Gundam pilots. Tell me, how is it that the three of you managed to get an apartment together? Is it coincidence or merely good fortune?"
"We actually came out of the war wanting to know each other a little better. We figured the best way would be to live with each other. But since we're all kind of quiet, we haven't progressed very far."
Dorothy was silent after that, clutching her bags to her chest as she lost herself in thought. She emerged only when Quatre pulled up to a tall building and got out of the car. He waited for her to get and offered to take some of her bags for her. He grabbed a pair of the larger ones and led the way in. He headed to the elevator, weaving through the crowd of people, making sure she could always see him. After he got in and she caught up, he pushed the button to his floor, the fifth. There was a comfortable silence until the door opened, when an argument erupted between several of the hotel patron a floor below. Shaking his head, Quatre led the way to his room. It was unlocked so he pushed the door open with his shoulder and waited for his guest to come in. She stood quietly while he locked the door and followed him to the guest bedroom, where Trowa stood waiting. He raised his visible eyebrow.
"Good evening, Dorothy. I hope you've been well."
"Thank you, Master Barton. I am very well. I hope the same is likewise."
He only smiled before turning and entering another room.
"So Dorothy, this is the room you will be using while you stay here. It has a bed, nightstand, and closet. If there's anything else, just ask. I'll let you get set up." He placed the bags he was carrying down and turned to leave. "And one more thing."
Dorothy looked up from inspecting the sheets. "Yes, Master Winner?"
"None of that. We're all friends here, so it's strictly first name. I'm Quatre and my friends are Wu-fei and Trowa."
"Yes, Master Winner. Uh.Quatre." She seemed delighted, however, by the informality of the situation. She turned back to the bed and Quatre took it as sign to leave. He pulled the door closed gently and headed to his room.
He closed his door and began to change into something cleaner. His jacket had oil stains on it, and his pants weren't much better. Just as he was pulling on new pants, there was a knock on the door. He quickly threw on a clean T-shirt and opened the door.
"What can I do for you, Dorothy?"
She looked up, startled he had come so quickly. "I was wondering if you have any coat hangers. I need them for some of my clothes."
"Ya, right here." He got a handful from his closet and gave them to her. She smiled and walked back to her room. Quatre could not help but feel enchanted by her smile. He found it to be very pretty.
He was still staring where she had been when the front door barged open and Wu-fei stalked in, muttering about some outrage.
Quatre snapped out of his reverie. "What's up, man?"
He turned and glared. "I just ran into Maxwell. He's invited all of us over tomorrow."
"What's so bad about that?"
"He wouldn't let me answer, saying he'd say us tomorrow around noonish. Now we don't have a choice."
"Actually, yes we do. Did you get Trowa's message?"
"Message? Oh, yes I did. Miss Catalonia will be staying with us indefinitely." He grunted. "Better her than Maxwell."
"Oh, really now? Thank you Wu-fei, I'm flattered."
He jumped slightly. "Hello, Dorothy. It is good to see you in such good health. A pleasure to have you with us. We'll show you true living when we're not busy with our schoolwork."
It was Dorothy's turn to raise an eyebrow. "Oh, really now? True living? Does that consist of fighting the injustice of the world and making sure the weak don't fight in the 'game' of life?"
Wu-fei smiled. "I'm going to enjoy this very much. Now what were you saying about the Maxwell problem?"
"We can tell him we need to show her around. He'll understand."
"Actually, I have no objections to meeting this Maxwell person. We can go tomorrow."
Wu-fei groaned, closing his eyes and rubbing his face with both hands. "Great. A day with Maxwell and his family. Just what the doctor ordered."
Quatre turned. "Duo finally had some kids? Took him, what, a year and a half after getting married?"
"One, actually. The twins are six months old now."
"Twins? I'll have to bring some flowers or something as a little congratulation. It must make him proud."
"Proud like you wouldn't believe. He wanted to them both Duo, but Hilde had a word in it. So now the boy is little Duo, Jr. while the girl is Samantha Nicole."
Dorothy commented. "Such beautiful names, the girl's at least. The boy's could be a little more imaginative. But Duo was never one for imagination, always going straight for the goal. You had to be to be a Gundam pilot."
Her comment caused Quatre and Wu-fei to bristle. "While we're over there, don't mention the Gundams. It's a really sore spot for Duo. And how did you know his name, anyway? You said you wanted to meet him."
She smiled, her feminine one she used to charm men. "I like to see what people will tell me about someone if I don't 'know' who they are. I can compare it to what I know and create a probable first impression he had on the other person. You, Wu-fei, first thought he was energetic and a little too happy-go-lucky. As time passed, he gained your trust with his courage in the battlefield."
He just gaped at her, open-mouthed. "That's amazing. Those were my thoughts exactly. You'll have to show me how to do that someday."
She smiled her secret smile. "Someday."
Quatre just smiled, then glanced at his watch. "It's almost time to eat. Anyone wanna cook, or should I?"
Dorothy timidly raised her hand up. "I'll cook. I have a couple of recipes I want to try."
"That works. I'll show you where everything is. Come on." He led her into the kitchen as Wu-fei went into his room. The kitchen was clean, almost sterile. Everything was put in its place so that it could be easily found. He turned around, propping himself against the counter, waiting for her to get situated. When she was done he began.
"Everything in this kitchen has a place where it goes. It makes it easier to find. For example, the pots are in the cupboard next to your foot so even short people like myself can reach them. The utensils are next to the sink, in the drawer. Cooking utensils are in the jar next to the sink. It has everything like cooking spoons, whisks, and ladles. Some stuff that even I don't know what it does. Then there's the fridge itself." He walked over to it and opened it, pointing to each area as he named it. "In the lower right drawer is the meats and cheeses. They're separate in case they go bad. Next to them on the left are the vegetables. Lettuce, tomatoes, squash. You name it, it's probably there. In the door are all the different sauces like garlic, salad dressing, mayonnaise, and steak house sauce. Finally, in the middle are all the leftovers we still have to eat. They're color-coded by who made them. Trowa is the red marked ones, Wu-fei is the green marked ones, and I have the blue marked ones. If there's any of yours left, we'll mark it in purple or something. Need anything else?" He glanced around. "There shouldn't be."
She was very quiet in responding, almost inaudible. Her head was down and she was mumbling. "Can you stay in here with me." She looked up, staring into his surprised eyes. "It would make me feel just a little safer."
He thought about it before answering. "Okay. Is there anything you need to talk about?"
Again, she was mumbling. "Yes. I just want to tell you a little about myself, that's all. It might help you understand why I came with you instead of staying in the street, where I rightfully belong."
"What are you talking about? You are a decent person. No one like you deserves the street."
As she began to root through the fridge, she began her story.