Title: One Word Joke

Chapter: 8?

Author: Dancho

Over all Rating: R

Pairings: Eventual 3+4, 5+S; Established 13x11, 6x+9, DxR+D, 2+1.

Disclaimer: Own nothing… I live in a box and wear a barrel.

Summery: The special ops unit under Colonel Une is busy working as an interstate police force, mostly dealing with criminal organization Romefeller. Things have fallen into such a routine that everyone's begun to ignore the quirks and duplicities and are accepting everything as normal. But with the new recruitment of Quatre Raberba, the former Quatre Raberba Winner, will the unit learn that normal is just a word for someone you don't know very well?

Warning: Shojo-Ai (which means Dorothy and Relena). Secretive!Quatre and Slightly dense Relena. Jealous!Dorothy and Stalker!Trowa. Yahoo!

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Know thyself. -Attributed to Thales

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Relena looked up from her book as Dorothy entered the room. Frowning, she noted that her lover was walking quietly so as not to disturb her. That could only mean one thing.

It made sense. There was a party that evening, Relena knew. Dorothy never acted this polite and considerate unless she wanted something. Relena had known Dorothy would eventually want Relena to accompany her to another one of those parties. It had been almost a month since the anniversary of her father's death and her own week-long depression. So, Relena reasoned, it would only be a matter of time before Dorothy decided she was 'better' and well enough to go to a party. Fortunately, Relena had the perfect excuse and wouldn't have to refuse point-blank, which was always rather awkward.

"Miss Relena?" Dorothy said, and Relena's frown deepened.

"You're mocking me again, Dorothy," Relena sighed, knowing what was coming.

"Would I ever do that?" Dorothy asked as she sat down next to the other girl.

"Yes. Now what do you want?"

"Always so suspicious, Miss Relena. But if you insist, I've been invited to a party tonight. It promises to be ever so boring. Won't you come with me?"

"I never do, Dorothy. You always ask and I never do."

"Are you ashamed of us?"

"I go out with you all the time, Dorothy. How can I be ashamed? It's just that I always feel outranked at your parties."

"You've never been to one, love. How can you tell?"

"I just know. Besides, I have a doctor's appointment this evening and I was planning on stopping by my apartment on my way home. Just to see if everything's okay."

"I think you just made that up," Dorothy pouted, but Relena knew she'd won. So, later, around five, Relena called the cab and went to Dorothy's room to inform her lover.

"A cab?" Dorothy asked, as she brushed her hair. "Why would you do that? I'll drive you."

"No, there's no need," Relena sighed, internally praying she could win the debate. "You should be getting ready for the party and I already phoned for a ride. Besides, showing up for such a late appointment in your car is rather embarrassing."

"What's wrong with my car?" Dorothy demanded, as Relena helped her fasten the simple silver chain necklace.

"It certainly isn't inconspicuous or restrained, is it?" Relena smiled and glanced out the window to see a traditional yellow taxi cab pull up in front of the house. "My ride's here. I'll leave my cell phone on if you need me."

"If you're sure. Last chance to go with me to the party."

"Goodbye, Dorothy."

"Bye, Miss Relena," Dorothy replied as the door closed.

"I told you to stop mocking me!" Relena shouted in reply and Dorothy allowed herself a rare smile. Hurrying out to the cab, Relena got in and nodded to the agent who was driving.

"I'm ready," Relena told the woman, who nodded and threw her cigarette out the window, before speeding off. The agent waited until they were out of sight of the house, before picking up her radio controller and calling in.

"This is Autumn, Winter. I've got the princess. Cover my tail. Autumn out," The agent reported before replacing the controller and glancing in her rearview mirrors.

Relena sighed and looked out the window. She knew it was for her own safety and the secrecy of her mission, but she thought it was a bit ridiculous. What would they do if someone followed them anyway?

It wasn't long before they reached the unit's building. Agent Autumn quickly parked the car and escorted Relena inside. From there Relena made her way upstairs to see Sally. She quickly entered the elevator and calmly waited for it to reach the next floor. It wasn't odd in itself that when the doors opened, she found herself face to face with a young man about her age. What was startling was the he was familiar.

"I know you," Relena whispered, as she stepped out of the elevator warily. "I've meet you before."

"I remember," the man replied, equally cautious. They stared at each other for a moment until Sally stepped out of her office and cleared her throat.

"Uh, Relena, if you're…"

"Relena? As in Relena Peace-"

"That's me," Relena interrupted, wincing. She hadn't expected to meet someone from her old life in Japan. This could prove to be a bit tricky. "Relena Darlian, from Japan."

"Oh? Ah. Relena!" the man cried, his face lighting up with a huge smile, pulling her forward into a hug. "It's so lovely to see you again! I haven't seen you since your mother's last party! That must have been… five years ago? Don't you remember me?"

"I'm afraid I…"

"I'm Quatre Raberba."

"Quatre Raberba? OH! Quatre!" Relena smiled returning the hug. "But I thought it was…."

Quatre looked at her silently before tilting his head meaningfully towards Sally. Relena trailed off slowly.

"… only four years since we last met. You came with your father, remember?" Relena saved, and Quatre smiled.

"It might have been," Quatre laughed and Relena smiled back.

'If he won't repeat my real last name out loud then I will return the favor,' Relena thought to herself as she talked with Quatre about the old parties they had attended together. 'I wonder why he dropped his last name though. He and his sister were always so proud of taking their mother's maiden name.'

After a few minutes of chatting with Quatre, Relena promised to find him again sometime to catch up and went off for her appointment with Sally. Quatre also left, taking the elevator down to the shooting gallery in search of Trowa.

Once the hall was vacated, Trowa stepped out of one of the examining rooms. He'd been bandaging a cut on his finger he'd gotten while in the shooting gallery when he'd heard Relena and Quatre talking. He'd glanced out into the hall, not surprised that neither of them had noticed him, and had simply watched, noting their reactions to each other.

'Now that's interesting. That one pause was just so uneasy. I wonder what it was about?' Trowa pondered, before shrugging and heading back downstairs. 'Well, it's none of my business anyway.'