Disclaimer: Don't own it.
Warnings: Angst, Spouse Abuse, Future Yaoi, Language ... but not in this chapter. ^_^ Somewhat Dorothy-Sympathetic.
Author Notes: ^_^ We're finally discovering some of Dorothy's motives in this part! Yay! Damn, these chapters are short, though. ... *smirk* But that doesn't mean I'll make them longer. Hah! Do you realize that this fic isn't ANYWHERE near being halfway done? Or even half of halfway? Heh, that's right. This is gonna be kinda long. Oh, and for those of you that care ... ^_^ Once I finish this, I'll go work on the sequel for Biased. Rest assured, it will have a real ending. Heh. Yay. ... Okay, now onto the story.

Good Enough
(working title)
by: Burn


***

Dorothy didn't come home that night.

He slept alone in the bed with lonely moonlight floating in through the large window. Clutching the bed sheets to his chest, he was left to attempt to sort out the tired fragments of his mind.

Let him forgive you, Quatre.

No, couldn't do that. It wasn't even an option. It might have been, once. Not anymore.

Once…

Pale blue eyes squeezed shut.

He'd been happy, once.

He remembered black night skies with pinprick diamond stars, and a slender girl standing beneath it all with him. Velvet darkness, and then …

A beautiful smile.

"Have you ever been lonely, Quatre?"

Confused silence, then, hesitantly,

"Haven't we all?"

A sharp laugh.

"No. I mean, have you ever been really, truly lonely?" The girl's tone turned wistful, and the pale blue-gray gaze traveled from the stars to the aqua eyes watching her. "As if there's not a single soul out there willing or wanting to accept you for who you are..."

Shocked silence.

"Dorothy..."

He opened his eyes wide, drawing in a shaky breath. He hated that memory. He knew just what happened next ...

He told her that he would always accept her, he would always want her, and in his memories she always looked at him with this sad, knowing expression, and shook her head.

"No. There's just not enough room for me."

Then she would take his hand into hers, staring into his eyes pointedly.

"But I'll help you, Quatre, as you have helped me. I will show you your true self, as you showed me my kindness."

He sighed.

A woman that couldn't cry.


A cricket chirped outside his window. He shook his head to clear it of its thoughts, sighed, turned over onto his side. It was damn near impossible to sleep tonight with the empty space next to him. A floor board creaked somewhere in the house, and he knew Heero was still awake. Light flooded the hallway and creeped in from underneath his doorway.

He closed his eyes again, turning his head away from the intrusion. He was tired. He wanted to sleep. But he couldn't.

An annoyed sigh, followed by a slightly amused smirk.

A woman that couldn't cry. Hmph.

***