Interlude I: Be My Last

Disclaimer: I don't own, so don't care, don't sue, and don't give a jolly-well-damn whether you like it or not.

Note: This chapter was beta'd by one of my best friends since 4th grade. She's known a Neko Kuroban and is the one who encouraged me to write. She's one of the best writers I know, so I hope you enjoy this little interlude.

x(X)x

Kasan doushite,
ah ah ah ah
Sodateta mono made
ah ah ah ah
Jibun deko wa sanakya
ah ah ah ah
Nara nai hi ga kuru no?
ah ah ah

In just one day…everything changed.

For the worse or the better?

Only the future can decide.

x(X)x

Dorothy Catalonia was a catalyst. When she first transferred to the St. Gabrielle's institute, it felt as if a violent storm was tearing down the very structure of Relena's life. Or maybe, it was just a gently breeze that would have to take some getting used to.

Dorothy wasn't shy in least for being a new student. In fact, it was she who approached Relena first. Well, the meeting didn't really go as smoothly as one would expect…

ah ah ah ah ah ah ah
Bara, bara ni natta koraju
Sute rare nai no wa
Nani mo tsunagenai te
Kimi no tetsu nai da toki datte...

Dorothy plucked the novel from out of the girl's grasp with sly, nimble fingers. "Good book, ne?" she prompted, her lips quirking into a wry smile.

A flush graced Relena's face as the tawdry romance novel was now in the hands of another. Her father would never approve; she knew and always hid the books behind a black leather cover. Today, that leather cover hid 'A Girl's Book of Prayers.'

"Um, yes?" Relena ventured as she attempted to seize her book back from this intruder.

She may have been taller- well, maybe only by an inch or so, but Dorothy was swift, and jumped up on the cold concrete bench that Relena had been sitting on. She ripped open the book to a random page and read aloud: "'Oh, Aiden' Prudence cried aloud, her head tilted back as she offered herself to him, body mind and soul. 'If you want me, then I am yours!'" She lowered the book and cocked an eyebrow and the girl below her. Then she got over whatever she was thinking and continued. "His hands lit on either side of her corset, tearing open her bodice- Okay, wait." She halted in her reading and looked at the other once again. "Do the purveyors of this smut realize how hard it would be to rip open a corset? I mean, there's the fine stitching, maybe a few layers of fabric- oh! And not to mention the bone lining…I mean a corset is even capable of re-shaping your internal organs. A good one's not gonna just tear open like that."

Relena looked at the newcomer incredulously.

"What?" Dorothy asked with a raised eyebrow.

"N-Nothing." Relena said looking down, somewhat abashed.

Dorothy jumped down from the bench and turned to Relena, though not giving back the book. "Are you gonna come inside or not?"

"Give me a minute," Relena replied, composing herself while at the same time eyeing the book still clutched in the sly devil's nimble fingers. She wasn't really ready to face people at the moment. To own up to their stares and piercing eyes…it was a true task where only the strong could survive. She drew in a calming breath, counted to exactly seven and then let it out.

"Putting on your mask?"

Be my last...
Be my last...
Be my last...
ah ah ah ah ah ah
Be my last...
Douka kimi ga,
Be my last...
ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah-oo

x(X)x

Understanding was breached then.

Their fate sealed by the unknown.

x(X)x

Nare nai doushite
ah ah ah ah
Yoku ganbatta ne
ah ah ah ah
Machigatta koi wo shita kedo
Machigai de wa nakatta... ah ah ah ah

Dorothy, the honey blonde soon realized, was no shrinking violet. She loved to debate and was clearly enjoying herself while she and Relena verbally sparred.

She was smart, even eloquent in the subject of war to the point where Relena had to pause in her virulent defense of the queen's country in History class to remark on how impressed she was with Dorothy's knowledge.

Dorothy's slender shoulders rose and fell in a careless shrug. "It's just human nature to fight, I guess."

"I don't think so," Relena said evenly. "Conflict can be avoided. Look at it this way: if you didn't have a gun, would you think to shoot someone?"

"Guns don't kill people." Her smile turned wry. "Bullets kill people."

The other girl didn't laugh. "I mean it. If there were no mass-grade weapons-""

"There would still be war." Dorothy tossed her hair over her shoulder. "A hunter's instinct is wired into us, just like the drive to have sex or have babies, or-"

"Hunter's instinct?!" Relena's voice rose a note. "Is that what you think war is?! Individual bullets fired lovingly by skilled craftsmen?"

"Okay," their teacher broke in. "No need to get all…" he couldn't find the word.

Dorothy rolled her eyes. "Loud?"

ah ah ah ah ah ah ah
ah ah ah ah ah ah ah
ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah

Nani mo tsukamenaite
Yume miteta no wa doko made?

x(X)x

Difference and brawls.

All a part of life.

No harm done.

x(X)x

"You're following me." Relena accused in the hallway, her footsteps ceasing. She turned to glare at the other blonde.

"I think we're more alike than we are different." Dorothy said placidly. The statement sent a ripple of frustration along Relena's frayed nerves.

"How so-" she stopped, looked up as if trying to remember something, and then sighed in recognition. "Never mind."

Dorothy never does answer.

It was a Tuesday.

With my hands
With my hands
With my hands
ah ah ah ah ah ah
With my hands
Watashi no te de

Be my last...
ah ah ah ah ah ah

x(X)x

Certain habits can be lived with.

Especially when love is what holds you together.

x(X)x

Her curiosity piqued, she had agreed to meet Dorothy on the corner of Ishiyama and Yamato.

"You could have waited inside." That was Dorothy. Dorothy running up to her in jeans, a sweater, a designer bag, and not to mention no coat, gloves, or hat.

Dorothy threw her arms around Relena in a careless frozen hug. "Ooh, you're so warm!" she exclaimed.

Relena wisely removed her scarf, draping it artfully around Dorothy's neck. "And you're not. Hasn't anyone told you to wear a cost?"

"The maid threw my nice coat in the wash with exactly two cups of bleach while I was at practice," Dorothy explained in one breath.

"And you didn't have another?" Relena asked with a raised eyebrow.

"But I don't like any of the others as much as I like that one!" she whined.

Relena rolled her eyes. "Practice?"

"Yeah, gymnastics and dance. And you?" she asked.

"I'm pretty good. I practice everyday. I wake up-" she was cut off.

"At the ass-crack of dawn to practice?" Dorothy finished with a grin.

"Pretty much."

x(X)x

Common traits lead to friendship-

x(X)x

Itsuka musubareru yori...
 Konya ichijikan aitai

Nani mo tsunagenai te,
Otona butteta no wa dare?

"We are not sneaking in!" Relena hissed at Dorothy. "We both have the money to get in. It's only fifteen dollars to-"

"Get in. Yes, I know. But you heard the nice cow at the turnstiles. They're sold out."

"But.." Relena stopped as Dorothy cocked her head with en inquisitive pleading look. "Whatever. It's too hard to think when you're doing that head-tilt thing."

after the show

"That was amazing!" Relena said exuberantly as they were leaving, slipping unnoticed into the stream of leaving people. "God, I don't even want to go home!"

"Then we won't," Dorothy stated, running her fingers over Relena's scarf currently around her neck. "What is this? The fuzziest scarf in the universe?"

"I made it myself."

ah ah ah ah
ah ah ah ah
ah ah ah ah
ooh ooh ooh
ah ah ah ah
ah ah ah ah

"Well, I happen to find it wonderful." Dorothy said as she leaned in close to Relena…

…and blessed her with a kiss.

Be my last...

Be my last...

Be my last...
ah ah ah ah ah ah

Be my last...

Douka kimi ga,

Be my last...
ah ah ah ah ah ah ah-oo

x(X)x

-which eventually leads to love…

x(X)x

Please leave a review. .

Songs:

-'Be My Last' by Utada Hikaru (She is my favorite artist of all time. I've been listening to her since I was eight. )
If you can, go to youtube and watch the music video for it. It's sad in the end. I made me cry.

A big thanks to….. for all the reviews:

Al-luvs-Kitties02, TanyaPotter, yaruna, jess-eklom, AutomatedRose, Lost-Remembrance, Windy River, Jenna and Kristen Hiwatari

Answer to Questions:

Response to Kristen Hiwatari:

Yea, I know how you feel. I never really liked Relena. Relena bashing is something that I support, but in my story, I guess I just wanted to be different. I mean, what if Relena could be normal? .

Response to Lost-Remembrance

I know for a fact that Professor G will show as well as Doctor J (Heero's past arc that'll come up soon.)

Response to Jenna

hugs I MISSED YOU TOO! Lol I will be gone for the summer, but I'll try my best to update! Have a great summer!

Ai,

-Solo D. Maxwell-Yuy