Chapter Fifty-One
Final Moments

Dorothy had thought their lunch date with Heero and Relena had gone over well. True to her word, Dorothy hadn't mentioned that she had met Serena or even that she knew her.

Normally Dorothy would have been more than happy to gossip about it, but something about Serena had her thinking twice. It wasn't that she was afraid to go head to head against Serena, it was more of their history. Dorothy had only known Serena for seven months before she disappeared, almost as fast as she had appeared.

At the time, Dorothy found it odd that someone like Michael Faulkner was dating someone like Serena as well as having her work alongside him. Dorothy had heard rumors about Michael and how he was considered an entrepreneur. He had money and he knew how to spend it. Some would think Michael was foolish with his spending, but he always managed to make back what he spent or double it. Parties, women, you name it Michael did it. So when Aria, or rather Serena came into the picture it seemed… odd. At least from what Dorothy's sources had told her.

Dorothy wouldn't admit it, but she had been pushing to meet Michael. He had money and they could always use a sizable donation. So when Serena had ruined everything, Dorothy had tried to find out even more about her. Only Dorothy's search ended as soon as it started.

The Aria Clark she had met never existed. All the credentials that Dorothy was able to find were forged. Someone had gone to great lengths to make Aria exist, even down to her background.

Aria was raised on Earth and traveled between the Colonies with her family before the wars broke out. After her father continued to work for an insurance company. But none of it was true. Aria didn't have a family and she was never born on Earth.

Why would someone go to all that trouble just to have her leave in the end?

The deeper Dorothy dug, the more strange things had become. Michael's background, what was on record at least, was spotless. But that wasn't always the case as Dorothy knew all too well herself. It was all about the people you knew and who knew you. Michael had ties to some business partners that if the police or even Preventers found out about would probably have landed him behind bars for some time and could possibly ruin Michael's stepfather Senator Robert Gates's reputation. All of it made Dorothy question if he was possibly involved again with ROE. Why risk Gates position in the senate to work for a rebel group? Unless Gates was in on it too.

Dorothy knew she would need to find out more about Michael before their meeting, but what information she was supposed to find out, Dorothy wasn't sure. It's not like she could ask him outright if he was involved in any illegal activities or if he and his stepfather were working together.

Dorothy couldn't help but wonder why Serena was so interested. Desperation could drive anyone to seek out information from any source available, but that didn't seem like Serena's style. Maybe Serena knew something? Or rather Serena knew Michael was her key to finding her Gundam.

All of it was intriguing, there was no doubt about it. It had been a while since Dorothy got to play such a role. To find out people's secrets and more often than not, use them against someone. But would any of it be beneficial to Serena, more importantly, Preventer? Dorothy would have to consult Quatre about it, which brought her to another set of thoughts.

Quatre had been quieter than he normally was. Deep in his thoughts. While he kept up with conversations, it was obvious Quatre was thinking about something or rather someone. Though Quatre had watched Heero closely at one point, most likely gauging his emotions.

But Dorothy knew Quatre was more focused on Serena. In the short amount of time Quatre had spent with Serena, he had become almost obsessed. He knew something, but what that something was Quatre wasn't sharing.

Dorothy had tried to ask Quatre but he had brushed it off, telling her that he was thinking over his meetings for the week for when they returned to L4. Dorothy wasn't foolish, she knew he was lying and she had allowed him to lie to her. Whatever it was, Quatre would eventually crack and tell her. It wasn't in him to hide things for too long.

For now, Dorothy would put it aside. She needed to figure out how to convince Michael to meet her. Hoping he wouldn't suspect anything when they did finally meet face-to-face.

It probably wasn't the smart idea, but given the afternoon they had, Catherine suggested that they go out. Or more like Catherine told them they were going out.

Serena had busied herself on her computer for a few hours. Catherine had told him not to worry and that Serena was just trying to cool off. Once Dorothy and Quatre had left, Serena's face had slipped from a mask of indifference to anger. Dorothy had likely gotten under Serena's skin and she was just now showing it.

It wasn't like Dorothy had never gotten to anyone at one point or another. But it didn't mean Trowa wasn't worried about Serena. He had given her space, spending time with his sister instead of hounding Serena about whether or not she was okay.

Trowa had checked on Serena a few times, but it seemed like she was too busy or deep in her thoughts to even acknowledge him. Serena would grunt some responses but that was the most Trowa had gotten from her until Catherine decided to step in.

Catherine calmly walked over to the breakfast bar, where Serena had been for hours, before slamming shut the screen of her laptop.

"What the hell!?" Serena glared up at Catherine.

"You've been staring at that screen for long enough," Catherine wagged a finger at her. "I think it's time you took a break."

"I don't need a break, what I need to do is find my damn Gundam," Serena growled.

"Well, I'm saying you're done. We're going to go out, enjoy ourselves and that's that," Catherine said, placing her hands on her hips.

"We went out last night."

"Not all three of us. Plus it's my last night and I say we go out. Now go change and we'll head out to dinner."

Serena looked at him and Trowa could only shake his head at her. He knew trying to argue with Catherine would be a waste and they wouldn't be able to come up with a good enough excuse to convince Catherine that they should stay in.

Sighing, Serena stood, grabbing her laptop before she headed towards the bedroom.

Dinner had gone well, or as well as Catherine had hoped it would go. The restaurant they ended up at had been a small hole-in-the-wall place. Catherine had asked the hostess for a booth, making sure Trowa and Serena sat next to each other. It had taken some time but Serena had finally lightened up a little and seemed to be enjoying herself, especially if Trowa's smile was any indication of it.

Regardless of what had transpired earlier, Catherine still stood by her words from that morning. Serena was perfect for Trowa. They complimented each other and to Catherine, they made a rather cute couple.

Serena seemed different though from when she had first met the other woman. While Catherine hadn't known Serena long, she was able to pick up the change in Serena's demeanor.

Serena had blushed a few times when Trowa had said something to her and she hadn't pulled away when Trowa draped his arm around her. Catherine thought that maybe Serena was becoming more comfortable in her presence and it seemed Trowa didn't mind showing some affection toward Serena.

They hadn't kissed since Catherine first caught them in the kitchen that morning, but even if they had, Catherine knew she wouldn't have minded it. It was nice to see her brother happy and even better to see Serena smile.

Though it could've been the alcohol.

After dinner, Catherine decided they should head to a bar. Even though Serena had protested it to the very end, it didn't stop Catherine from dragging the girl into one just a few blocks away from the restaurant they had just eaten at.

"See, this isn't so bad!" Catherine said as she leaned toward Serena.

"Yeah, a sports bar on a Sunday night is really fun," Serena said sarcastically.

"Oh stop it!" Catherine sent her a look. "Why don't you just take another shot?"

"You've already made me have two now," Serena frowned.

"You're the one who said you have a fast metabolism," Catherine pointed a finger at her. "And it's my last night, I just want to have fun."

"Your version of fun is getting others drunk while you drink water?" Serena lifted a brow at her.

"Just have one more and I'll stop bugging you," Catherine winked at her. Serena rolled her eyes before downing the last shot. "Thank you," Catherine smiled. "Now we can just hang out till those shots work their magic!"

"What!?"

Trowa tried not to laugh as he brought his glass of beer to his lips. Serena may have been calm, but she was staring daggers at Catherine. Trowa didn't know precisely why Cathy had ordered the three shots, but slowly he was starting to figure it out. And it seemed Serena was too.

It wasn't that Serena hadn't relaxed while they were eating dinner, but Trowa could still feel the tension Serena was carrying. He had purposely wrapped his arm around Serena at dinner, hoping it would help. Not to mention Catherine had ordered them all drinks when they first arrived. After that, Catherine switched to water but insisted they continue to drink.

Trowa had no intention of becoming intoxicated that evening, and he had a feeling Serena's goal wasn't to be either. But it seemed Catherine's plan was working. After a while Serena relaxed more, laughing with Catherine while they talked.

Trowa took a back seat when it came to their conversation. He was content to just listen and stare at Serena from the corner of his eye. When Catherine left them to use the restroom, Trowa turned to fully face Serena. She smiled at him before Serena placed her drink back down on the table.

"Why have you been staring at me?" Serena asked.

"Because you're beautiful," Trowa said before he leaned in to kiss her.

Nick had followed them from the restaurant to the bar. At first, he thought they were out of their minds since Delta and the redhead had been out drinking the night before.

But it seemed both were doing fine now.

The redhead hadn't been drinking anything other than what looked to be water but Delta had taken a few shots of something. Nick never knew Delta could handle her liquor so well.

He had stayed in the back of the bar watching as the three talked. Nick was hoping at one point that Delta would be left alone, but it didn't look like that was going to happen. Which meant waiting longer.

If Nick could just get close enough to Delta without her or anyone else noticing then he could leave and return to Space with her.

Nick frowned when the redhead left their table. Barton took the opportunity to kiss Delta, and it appeared Delta had no issues with him doing so. Delta had even wrapped one of her arms around his neck.

Nick watched them carefully as Delta stared into Barton's eyes, a smile on her face as if he was everything to her. It made Nick wonder how Barton might have gotten so close to her?

How did he do it? Nick thought to himself. Barton must have done something to gain her attention. But what if Delta picked him and not the other way around?

Delta might have chosen Barton for who he was, or for the convenience. Especially if she was staying with him and had been for some time now. But what was so special about Barton? Sure Barton was a Gundam pilot and that was something they had in common, but why him of all people?

None of it made sense to Nick. Delta had never so much as given anyone a second look. She practically ignored everyone around her at all times. The worst part was that Delta had more power than she would ever know. People would bow down before her and when they took over, she'd be sitting right next to Edwards. Barton had no power. He may be a Preventer, but that meant little in Nick's mind.

So why was Delta even bothering to be with Barton? It was a waste of time in Nick's eyes.

Unless Delta was planning something. Maybe she was planning to overthrow Edwards and Gavin in the end? Was that why she was with Barton now? Did Delta want him by her side? Barton was younger than both Edwards and Gavin. That part made sense, but if Delta did pull Barton in, Nick doubted that he'd be willing to go along with their plans.

Then an idea formed in Nick's mind. If he could convince Delta that she was better off with him than anyone else, Nick stood a chance at gaining power. He had always wanted a better ranking position within ROE. If he got on Delta's good side, Nick would have endless possibilities with the power he would gain from it. But then again, Nick didn't necessarily have to convince Delta.

He could just program her to be his.

Nick smiled to himself. He liked the idea and it would only be a matter of time before Delta was back with them. Barton couldn't be with her every minute of the day, which only meant that Nick just needed to wait a little longer. Tomorrow was a brand new day after all.

A/N

Happy Monday!

I know this chapter was short, sorry, but not. You'll see why on Wednesday.

So Dorothy kept her promise to not spill the beans, but it also seems like Dorothy's doing some deep thinking when it comes to Serena. Maybe Dorothy has a soft spot for the other woman that cost her, I mean Quatre's company millions of dollars. Hahah, Dorothy is bitter about that, but maybe she's done some growing and can look past some things to help aid in protecting the peace. (Or maybe those eyebrows had grown? Haha not sorry, but hopefully, my friend will get a kick out of it. We have a fantastic storyline going on just for Dorothy's brows at this point.)

What we really learn from Dorothy's POV of everything is one, she loves to gossip. The girl loves to talk mad shit. I honestly can't picture Dorothy any other way when she's doing her thing in her personal time. But don't get me wrong, when Dorothy is working and being a professional, she's on point. She is helping to run a company after all. Jokes aside, we see that Dorothy did some digging into this Aria Clark girl, aka Serena, and her background. Someone did go to great lengths to make up a story about Serena just to get her to date a man, Michael, that has a reputation for being a player in a way. But something important to note here is Michael has money because of his illegal business deals. But why would Dorothy want to get him to invest in Quatre's company? Besides the money, I think there was possibly more motive behind it. Maybe Dorothy was thinking ahead, but we'll never know. What we do know is that shady business deals happen all the time, and even if this deal had gone through, it probably wouldn't be the first or last for Winner Corp.

We also learn something interesting here. Michael's stepfather is Gates. Hm... we know a little more than Dorothy does, but maybe Dorothy has figured out something. Those eyebrows need to do some digging and get the dirt on Gates and Michael. But why didn't Dorothy voice these thoughts before? It could be because she's just learned some more information and she needs to process things more. Not to mention her whole conversation with Serena was solely about Michael.

Either way, Dorothy is figuring some things out on her own. But I guess the big question will be can Dorothy get a meeting with Michael before something happens? Can Dorothy find out more information to help not just Serena but Preventers as well? And what do you think the status of Dorothy and Serena's relationship will be? Friends or foes?

We don't get to see too much about what Quatre and Heero are thinking, but it's clear from Dorothy's perspective that they're both deep in thought, and it seems they're likely thinking about the same person. Serena. Man, she's on everybody's mind. And it doesn't stop there! Trowa's worried about Serena, Catherine is as well, but not as much as Trowa, and then you have Serena herself, being angry and looking for her damn Gundam. Can't blame her though? Things are getting more serious and while Serena has been enjoying her small amount of freedom, Serena knows she needs to refocus and find her Gundam before ROE makes a move. Time is ticking and time is very much not on Serena's side.

Moving on, somehow Catherine has the balls to walk up and slam Serena's computer closed, though I doubt Serena would honestly try anything. Catherine does throw knives for a living, hahaha. The three head out for dinner and some more drinking, though it looks like only two out of the three are really drinking. I don't know how Serena's handling three nights in a row, but more power to her. But at least it's helping to loosen her up, and I don't think Trowa's going to complain much once they get home. Maybe it was a good thing Serena enjoyed a nice night out with Trowa and Catherine...

Moving quickly onto our dear pal Nick. Nick's dreaming big here. He may be questioning why Delta is hanging out and kissing Barton, but somehow this causes him to come up with an idea. I don't blame him for thinking this way, or coming up with this brilliant plan to control Delta, I mean Serena, in theory, it's great. Why not try and overthrow some leaders and gain some power? I mean, if you had the key to doing so in the palm of your hands, wouldn't you? I guess we'll have to see if all of this pans out for Nick in the end. I'd also like to point out that I have no idea how this guy made it into the position he's in within ROE and being almost a second-hand man to Gavin... only because Nick doesn't seem like the smartest guy out there. Maybe he's really skilled in some aspects, but as far as this big idea... as I said, great in theory but can he really pull it off? I clearly don't have much faith in this guy, hahah. Maybe you all do!

Regardless of my own thoughts and feelings, we'll start to find out come Wednesday with chapter 52, The Begining of The Truth. Dun dun dun. One last thing, wasn't this title fitting, considering it's hinting at what's to come? Serena better enjoy her last night!

-MM

I just thought of something and this is why I always reread my notes before I post. What if Nick isn't as stupid as I'm making him out to seem? Wouldn't it be the perfect plan for Delta, I mean Serena, to gain the trust of all the pilots and maybe even get the only single one to fall for her and try and have him turn on everyone and join the dark side? Serena would be playing a double agent here, and if your mind is now thinking of 100 different ideas, good because mine is too!