Disclaimer: I own nothing...don't sue... blah blah blah...





"Are you NUTS??" I exclaimed as Quatre shooed me into the car. "HEERO willingly invited RELENA to come over before a MISSION?"

"For the umpteenth time, YES!" Quatre replied, a little exasperated at my complete and utter disbelief of this turn of events. In spite of myself, I giggled. Only Quatre word use the word 'umpteenth'.

Quatre rolled his eyes, "I don't want to know why you're laughing, I really, really don't."

I smiled angelically.

"...besides," Quatre continued, "Relena's really changed. She quit stalking Heero after he finally made good in his threat and shot her. She's pretty nice now."

I gaped at Quatre. "Heero... shot... Relena..." That was when I started to laugh uncontrollably. Quatre smirked in spite of himself.

"Yeah, she couldn't believe it either." He began to chuckle, "You should have seen the look on her face!" He tossed his hair, valley-girl style, and looked up at me stupidly, tear shimmering in huge, vacant blue eyes. "Oh Heero," he squeaked, "but, but why?"

I howled with laughter, tears streaming down my cheeks. My sides hurt from laughing so hard. Quatre did a DAMNED good Relena!

"But really..." Quatre added, becoming serious once again, "She's changed, I think you two will...ah! That's her shuttle now!" Quatre pulled the car smoothly into the space-port parking lot. I looked up to see how Quatre had instantly recognized the shuttle. Well, here's a big surprise. Relena flew in a pink shuttle, I sighed , rolling my eyes. I guess some things will never change.



******



Duo trailed Quatre as they entered the hanger, unsure if this was a good idea. To say Duo and Relena hadn't gotten along very well during the war was an understatement. They had hated each other. Perhaps it was simply because they were warring for Heero's attention.



"Quatre!"

"Relena!"

The Arabian ran up to embrace the petite, pretty woman who had called his name. Duo's jaw dropped. This Relena was definately not the Relena he remembered. Gone was the screeching voice, the all pink outfits, the braided hair, this Relena wore an expensive clean-cut black dress suit with matching black pumps. Her face had elegantly applied make-up and her once vacant blue eyes now twinkled with good humor and authority, and her hair was drawn back in an elegant chingnon.

Duo fidgeted a few meters behind them. In her battered black trench coat, complete with messy braid and her trademark black cap, she suddenly felt very inferior.

Pleasantries were exchanged between Quatre and Relena while Duo slowly edged backward, planning to bolt back to the safe house, or, better yet, L2.

"I have someone for you to meet again," Quatre said cheerily. "Duo!"

"Damn!" thought Duo, a meter away from the door.

"Duo!" Relena exclaimed as Duo reluctantly walked toward them. "How have you been? It's so nice to see you again....Duo?" This time, it was Relena's turn to gawk.

Duo rolled her eyes and grit her teeth. "Yes." She hissed, "It's me. Why is that so hard for everyone to believe?!"Quatre elbowed her in the ribs. Hard. "Ow! Dammit Q, that hurt! Don't you tell me you wouldn't be ticked if you came to see your closest friends after a long separation, and all they do is say; 'What the hell?'"

Relena snapped out of her trance. Several things now made sense. She grinned and cut off Duo in mid-rant. "Sorry Duo, from what I see here, you're definatrly the genuine Duo." She suddenly drew her into a hug, startling Duo. "We missed you!"

Duo awkwardly returned the hug. "Uhhh...thanks Relena..." she said slowly, since when did Relena like her? Damn, things have changed!

Quatre smiled at Duo and Relena, "Good." He thought, relieved. "That could have been messy."

"Relena?" Quatre broke in tentatively, not wanting to spoil the surprising moment between the two girls. "I have a favor to ask...." Quatre leaned over and whispered in Relena's ear. She nodded and they both turned to Duo, studying her intensely.

"What?" Duo asked, perturbed, for what seemed like the billionth time that day. "Do I have something in my teeth?"

Relena shook her head, an odd twinkle came into her eyes. She looked over to Quatre, who smiled in conspiracy at her, then turn his suddenly predator gaze on Duo.

Duo shuddered. Something told her she really wasn't going to like what came next...



*****



Trowa looked from the book he was reading, to his watch, then back to his book. He smiled minutely, and sipped at the tea Quatre had left him before leaving. "Three...two..one..."



*******





"Aggg-----h!" Duo screamed.

She looked at herself in horror. "No," She said firmly, "I am not coming out."

"Come on Duo, I'm sure it looks wonderful." Quatre encouraged.

"But...but..." Duo whimpered as she stared at her reflection in the mirror. Relena poked her head in the small room and latched onto Duo's arm, dragging her out.

"But it's so PINK!" She finished lamely.

"What's wrong with pink?"Quatre and Relena asked in unison. Duo groaned as Quatre self consciously smoothed down his pink shirt, and Relena glanced out the store window to her pink convertable. Crap. There would be no sympathy from either of them. She fidgeted nervously, pulling at the hem of the pink mini-dress, and wondered how the hell she had been convinced to put it on. No- beyond that, how Quatre and Relena had convinced me to go shopping for 'school clothes' with them.

She inched slowly her lovely, safe, black clothes....

Relena however, had other ideas as she intercepted her escape route, and, with surprising strength, yanked Duo toward the cash.

"Come on! You can wear it out of the store!" She exclaimed happily.

Duo whimpered slightly, but let herself be dragged along, only to make frantic 'help' signals to any passers-by.











heh... oh shopping... how I miss thee now that all the money from my summer job is gone... damnit! Anyway, you know the drill... Review baby!