Chapter 37:
Lilting strains of a piano echo through a long corridor of the main cabins on the large transport ship. These stateroom cabins were mostly empty, Senator Dorothy Catalonia having found that out for herself. The self-imposed loneliness that she and her catty eyes gave, made it quite clear to the 100% Maguanac crew and one other singular occupant of this vessel, that she was to be left alone for this entire trip.
Outside of her civic tour of the weapons and dangerous cargo onboard the large Winner carrier, Dorothy Catalonia intended to keep it that way. Her duty done, and properly attended to by the Senator, the 'Captain' of the transport ship, one Quatre R. Winner, was happy to give the blonde vixen a personally guided tour of the cargo hold, despite her cold shoulder. Dorothy's suspicious mind was certain that the conceited Winner heir was purposely stretching out her tour of inspections, taking his own sweet time, just so he could spend more time with her. Dorothy was sure of it, especially when Quatre Winner had 'accidentally' brushed his hand against her hair when reaching for an elevator button. Or maybe when he just HAD to physically show off his 'muscle' by hefting her up to get a better look at the reverse fissure tunnel explosion chamber, or something like that.
Dorothy had wished then, that she had worn her slacks instead. Q.R.W. had gotten a pretty good look himself at her own 'reverse fissure end', even as she didn't understand a word of all his fancy technical devices and their impressive sounding names. Still, she made a good show of knowing exactly what he was explaining with those all-knowing, crystal clear blue eyes.
How can such a cute face understand and utter all of these worthless, scientific terms?
In an embarrassed, huffy fit, Dorothy suppressed her own foolish thoughts and had refused Quatre's invitation to dinner at the Captain's table (his). Instead, she elegantly bowed to him and retreated to her room, filled now with all her golden trunks.
Dorothy was unaware that this particularly exquisite room, both large and filled with niceties, did in fact usually serve as the said Captain's own cabin. Quatre, gentleman as he was, wordlessly gave up the finest room in the vessel to the finest lady.
And so, the piano rings music beautifully through the cabin's halls, catching Dorothy's ear amidst the utter and total silence of outer space. Was it the sheer boredom that brings her out of her well stocked cabin or was it more curiosity as to what kind of unearthly creature could make those heavenly strains of music come to life?
Dorothy would never know. Her light feet already tripped, almost danced, towards the beautiful music calling to her. Before she could stop herself, both she and the melody wafted down the corridor, towards one another.
If angels could play the harp, they most certainly could play the Raberba Winner fit the bill of an 'angel' quite well, between his white silky flowing poet shirt and his golden sunshine hair, with the glow of an aura almost like a halo about him, not to mention those eyes...let's not even speak of the eyes-they were far too ethereal to be a mere human man's...
All this unbidden romantic thoughts caused by the classical music (it must be!) passed through Dorothy Catalonia's once steel trap of a 'viper woman's' mind as she quietly slips into the darkened room that was alight only by the glow of the passing stars outside the craft's window.
But the stars shone on his golden hair-they made his eyes sparkle, and the ivory keys that his lithe fingers were dancing upon fairly glittered. For Quatre felt his music-in his heart, in his soul, as he closes his eyes.
...And opens them...
Dorothy's own eyes, enraptured for that moment in the soulful, classical composition, snap open upon Quatre's halted, ceasing of the melody. His hands pause on the keys that he was so easily tinkling upon a second before, as his eyes now drink her in.
"Dorothy?" Quatre's voice wasn't much more than a whisper, as if he were feeling some awe of the very surroundings of the ominous space he and every soul on board were traversing through silently, unnoticed among the sea of countless stars.
"Please don't stop on account of me." It was strange, but Dorothy herself felt the enormity of outer space closing around them in his eyes, in the still darkness that was warm. She didn't feel so much frightened, as ashamed, to have interrupted his beautiful music. Dorothy turns on her heel to leave, feeling the sudden need to flee. The door swishes open before her again.
"Don't go!" A soft hand on her arm, a simple spoken command, stops her in her tracks. Dorothy pauses, and turns to look at him. The door swishes back closed.
"Did you like my playing?" Quatre asks, going back to his ebony grand piano, and touching the keys fondly.
"It was beautiful..." Dorothy answers truthfully, with a little tremble in her usually strong voice, that disturbed her.
"I always feel as if music could lift me out of myself. It brings every aspect of my emotions to life. There are so many wonderful classical pieces-and in each one is hidden so much feeling! As if I could reach out and touch my very soul when I play them. Don't you find that, too?" By then, Quatre was standing right in front of her. Dorothy found both his eyes and speech captivating, rooting her itchy feet that wanted to run, right to the spot, in the darkened room she was enveloped with him in.
"Well, I...I never could play an instrument as a child." Dorothy surprises herself with the frank admittance. Usually, all her words were laced with sarcasm and innuendo-especially to him. But not here, not now. This was the first genuine moment that Dorothy Catalonia had felt in a long, long time, as memories of her childhood days slip back...
"At least that's what my music teacher told me." Pulling herself back, Dorothy tries to coyly giggle the past memory off. But Quatre wasn't going to let this opportunity that she just gave him slip by. He had already sensed a soft spot in Dorothy, in the soul that was the same as his, for their must be music there...
"Then maybe you didn't have the right teacher. Everyone has music in their soul if they just reach down deep enough." Quatre takes both her hands in his, invitingly pulling her towards the one place he felt completely at ease in-his piano, his music. Gently sittting Dorothy at the bench, he slides in beside her, fingers lightly dancing across the ivories as he gives her his most reassuring smile.
"Come." He almost whispers, gazing through the inky black darkness into her startled eyes with such a light the entire room seemed to glow she didn't notice the dark anymore. Quatre turns to her with that encouraging smile of his that spoke silent volumes. He lifts her clenched palms and eases them open until Dorothy's fingers were positioned correctly upon the keys. Smiling knowingly with an inward serene glow, Quatre gently lays his hands over her uncertain ones.
In that moment, the very touch of his nimble warm hands on her cold ones causes Dorothy's to stiffen. She begins to tremble involuntarily with a tingling sensation, starting from her fingers, then her whole being reaching all the way into her once untouchable heart in a way it never has before. She looks up at him with a scared expression, only to find one of tender affection affixed upon her with his most beautiful blue eyes that even angels may envy.
"Don't worry, I'll teach you everything I know." Says Teacher to Student, he attentively instructing, each electrified ginger touch welcoming her un-musically inclined fingers into his beautiful world of pure sound. Quatre's hands glide deftly over the tinkling keys as he introduces to Dorothy, Chopin's hauntingly romantic "Fur Elise", for she was his lovelorn 'Elise'. The exquisute strains of longing seemed to accompany the awakening discovery of two young hearts for one another, Dorothy, for once, letting the beauty of both Quatre and his music sweep her away...
Dorothy's blunt fingers gave the piano quite a workout ahead for the next hour or so, before the trip's end. The poor piano, the poor walls, if not poor Master Quatre, and any spying ears, would all require a much needed rest after this 'lesson.' But undaunted, Quatre was giving Dorothy a lesson in love as well...
The next morning...
"Miss Relena! Whatever are you doing here? We certainly didn't expect this lovely surprise, did we, Quatre Winner? And how are you, Mr. Milliardo? How are YOU dealing with the surprise?" It was the inference between Dorothy's dripping words to the rolling-eyes Zechs that caused him to wish her back where she came from.
After giving Miss Relena a sister, over the top hug, Dorothy's evillest eyebrow raises at Heero Yuy's skulking presence, a few feet behind Relena, and looking rather well in his cool, dark bodyguard suit and shades.
"Well done, Miss Relena. I never thought I'd see THAT again." Dorothy said it aloud, mostly for Milliardo's sake, as if he needed the reminder. He and Heero didn't get along well, especially now when Relena and her shadow bodyguard stepped off the shuttle to Mars a few days ago.
As if I don't have enough to deal with, Treize's cousin Dorothy has to tag along with our supplies! Good going, Winner...
Zechs could almost growl at both Heero and Dorothy alike-they were both quite unwelcome guests on his Colony.
"He's going to be dealing with it just fine. Aren't you, hun?" Obviously, Miss Noin ahem Mrs. Peacecraft, has had several choice words with her hubby since Relena's long-planned trip to her brother's terraforming Colony had began.
"So, are the supplies inspected and approved, to be handed over, Quatre? I'm sure with you in charge, everything was done right through. All the papers are signed, right?" Lucrezia Peacecraft wanted to be absolutely sure of this transaction. She and Zechs both had to fight tooth and nail in the Senate, all the way, to get these dangerous explosives and the like for their terraforming project's deepest aspect.
"Inspected, approved and signed by me!" With an illustrious wave of her elegant hand, 'Senator' Dorothy Catalonia shows off her own powers of elected office. She handed Mr. Milliardo, over quaint Miss Noin's head, the final paper stack, that legally signed over the heavy machinery supplies and explosives that the Earth Sphere Unified Nation held securely, for this terraforming Colony's care.
"For use only in the construction clearing of underground mines and natural blockages with no intention of war or aggression whatsoever. Sign after the 'x' on all the dotted lines, on every page, Mr. Milliardo, if you please. What better witnesses to be present, don't you agree, Quatre?" Dorothy prattles on as Noin invites the whole group of them into her humble (she felt it very humble under Dorothy's critical eye) living room/kitchenette.
"An illustrious Earthsphere delegate Senator, a powerful Colony representative and leader, two respected Colony terraformers, the influential Vice Foreign Minister herself-soon to be President of the ESUN..." Dorothy gives the blushing Relena a credited nod and an approving smile. "...and Heero Yuy, our hero, to boot! What better names than than that to our credit as witnesses?" Dorothy eloquently wraps her speech up as Zechs really wished he could give Heero Yuy the boot.
The dark man was still silently slinking in the corner of the small abode, over his small, little sister, was really getting on the tall, blonde man's nerves.
"All right." Dorothy had a way of taking over any situation. She clapped her long nailed porcelain like hands together and pointed at the front door. "Mr. Milliardo, have your men go and get my ship unloaded, of the supplies we brought you. Remember, the sooner you unload, the sooner we're on our way. Correct, Quatre Winner? Don't make such a worried face, Mr. Milliardo! I'm sure Heero will take care of Miss Relena for you, in your absence." Dorothy shoos the blonde man away, as Quatre nods to her, and goes with him.
"That's what I'm afraid of..." Zechs murmurs under his breath, giving Heero the evil eye, as he leaves as ordered, by that woman.
Next morning...
"Are you sure I can't offer you a ride home, Miss Relena? There will be tons of room for you, on my big, empty transport. I can show you around." Dorothy seemed to have taken possession of Quatre's huge vessel. Relena almost chuckled out loud at this new fact, though in her own vast, feminine intuition, and knowledge of male/female relationships, she secretly felt certain that Dorothy might be in possession of not only his ship, but its owner's heart as well, if the way Quatre was gazing at Dorothy all evening the night before, and bowing and scraping before her like a slave at her feet, adoringly hanging on every word, was any indication.
"Thanks anyway, Dorothy...Quatre." Relena hurriedly adds his name as the dapper looking young gentleman steps out of her brother's rather small and dowdy little home. Quatre takes a rather cologne drenched, well shoe-polished step behind the sparkling and bejwelled inspector, to whom he was 'dutifully' escorting back home to earth, now that their shipment to Mars was successful and without incident.
"But I want to spend a few more days with my dear brother. Considering everything happening, and my busy upcoming schedule, I realized just how much Milliardo means to me, and how much I would've missed him if anything..." Relena trails off, the genuine tears filling her warm eyes as they glance back at the tall figure inside the darkened house.
"Understood, Miss Relena." Warm eyes meet warm eyes. Relena smiles as kind Quatre Winner squeezes her hand emotionally, as he turns to leave. Relena watches the vigorous, almost giddy way, the blonde boy skips down the steps, walking into the bright sunshine and basking in it, as if he were on top of the world, and he knew exactly why.
His eyes openly gaze back at his chosen partner with such utter hope and longing in every sunlit sparkle of them.
"It's good advice, for anyone. Don't you think, Dorothy? To realize, while you have the chance, just how much someone means to you-to your soul." Relena turns a sisterly eye upon this always surrounded, yet lonely in a crowd, young woman, one with high breeding and even higher stubborness. Relena felt that she herself had been once the same as the indigo-eyed blonde, if it had not been for...
"Now you sound like him." Dorothy smirks. Her eyes watch Quatre like a cat. "What do you think, Miss Relena? Woman to woman." Relena is caught quite off-guard by this for a moment. Dorothy Catalonia, though she considered her a dear friend, was not exactly her most forthcoming confidant. But the lonely Senator seemed to consider Relena hers, especially when it came to matters that she never before considered-matters of the heart, of love...
"I...really don't think either of you could've chosen better." Relena decides the diplomatic tact was the best one for 'sister' Dorothy. The head-over heels 'he's perfect for you' or 'I think he's wonderful' was not going to cut it for this finicky blonde at this particular moment of time. The politician as well as fellow woman that Relena had become, had given her her own feminine insight.
"Once again, I find myself in complete agreement with you, Miss Relena. Do take good care of this treasure, Heero Yuy. She is a jewel beyond comparison that our world badly needs." With a quick kiss on Relena's cheek, without even turning to look at the bodyguard she just instinctively knew was present at Relena's side, Dorothy C. pops her head in the Peacecraft's shabby front door with a harried 'farewell and adieu' to its glad to be rid of her occupants, before she elegantly descends down the steps to Quatre R. Winner's waiting arm.
He was totally unaware of the girlish talk that had just passed between the two friends about him. He was in a world all his own, and it surrounded her as the uncertainty begins to creep away from Dorothy's once closed heart.
"So where to, Dorothy Catalonia?" Quatre's eyes glisten in the bright morning sunshine as he extends an arm out to her with a flirtatious smile.
"I don't know, Quatre Raberba Winner." Dorothy coquettishly slips her arm through his. "Is there a scenic route home through all these hundreds of thousands of stars you speak so highly of?"
"I'm sure I could find one for you."
"Oh, yes?"
Relena could hear Dorothy's chuckling giggles long after the pair walks into a car and are whisked away.
One problem solved.
Relena wishes her friends good luck as they speed away.
Now, if only I could get my brother and Heero to be at least civil to one another. After all, if I love both of them, then...why can't they get along?
She sighs, and her breath was brightened by a touch of the wind under the bright sunshine.
Anything's possible under the sun, isn't it?
But Relena's hopeful smile dims as she turns to look at Heero Yuy's stone-cold, depressing pair of eyes. She could just imagine what Milliardo was going to say now that the guests were gone, and his terraforming supplies consignment was taken care of and stored away for safekeeping until needed in the mines below.
"Relena. I need to talk to you. NOW."
That didn't take long...Uh oh, big brother alert.
Relena almost wished now that talkative, bossy Dorothy didn't have to leave so soon. That girl at least had some magical way of stunning Relena's big brother into silent consternation.
It's my turn...for some good luck now, please...
Relena plants a big smile on her face, as she looks up to the sun in the clear blue sky for inspiration, when it came to dealing with overprotective, older siblings.
"Coming, Milliardo!" Relena, as pleasantly as she could muster, calls back. Her eyes meet Heero's for one split second and that gave her the courage she needed to face Milliardo's wrath, and no doubt lecture at her.
'While you've got the chance...' Relena! Listen to your own advice. There's hope in everything! It's not as if I was walking into a black hole with no way out.
"He's my brother, for Heaven sakes! If I can't talk to him, who can I?" Relena reasons the unreasonable aloud. She didn't expect an answer, nor did she even take notice that Heero had been silently listening. Her tormented mind just had to let that last sentence out into the air, before she went in, just once. After all, from now on, that's what Heero was going to be-that was what his mission was.
To be Relena's invisible, silent shadow.
Heero turns and follows her as she walks back into the little house, to face her brother, for Heero's sake.
Heero, her faithful shadow.