Business of Love - Chapter one
Looking around the blue room with its gold trim, Heero took the seat
Quatre offered him.
"So what brings you to L4?" Quatre asked with excitement dancing in
his
eyes.
Heero was not sure what to say. 'Should I even bring up her name?' he
questioned himself.
Quatre just sat patiently, he knew that when Heero was ready he would
say
what was on his mind.
"Did you see Duo? He was just here, has a new job delivering recycled
scrap to factories that will turn them into car parts and other useful
items-."
During Quatre's prattle Heero had figured out what and how to say it.
"Dorothy is making a business mistake that could cost her
everything."
Quatre blinked in surprise. "Dorothy? Is she a friend of yours?
Because
you know I'll help in any way that I can but-"
"Dorothy Catalonia," Heero said quietly.
Quatre still did not know who Heero was referring to, his blank face
saying as much to Heero.
"She was at the Sank Kingdom as a spy for Romefeller and then on Libra
had control of the mobile dolls."
Quatre's face went white. "Oh, that...Dorothy." Quatre took a moment
to
move to the seat across from Heero.
Heero had not expected this reaction. Watching his friend
subconsciously
rub at his side, Heero had no doubt where there was a scar. 'Perhaps
this
was a mistake'
"So how is Dorothy?" Quatre asked, struggling to keep his voice from
cracking.
"She's in good health," Heero said.
"So what is the business deal? How can I help?" A determined
expiration
was on Quatre's face. 'I forgave her before leaving Libra, so why not
help her?' the blond man asked of himself, even as he felt the ache in
his side at the memory of being shot and then run through with her
sword.
Quatre tried to shake the memory and focus on the task at hand, "How
can
I help Miss Dorothy?"
"By seeing her, show her around," Heero replied not able to look his
friend in the eye.
Quatre was puzzled. "How does that keep her from making a business
mistake?"
"By keeping her away from the...mmm, business deal."
Nodding Quatre asked, "Just what is the business deal?"
A slight blush came to Heero's face.
"Heero?" Quatre asked, amazed as the redness spread across all of
Heero's
face. Quatre's sides ached now from holding in his laughter, Heero had
such a serious expiration on, as though this was a life and death
situation, but was blushing! Quatre did not think he could keep from
laughing much longer.
Heero finely spoke, "To marry me."
Quatre's laugh died in his throat.
*Earth*
Dorothy drove her car down the dirt rode at top speed, her passenger
looking ill.
"What did you want to tell me?" Relena shouted over at Dorothy,
holding
onto her seat for dear life as they rounded a corner.
"A story!" Dorothy said back, her voice smooth and graceful as her
violet
eyes watched the road. "There was once a family who were quite
wealthy,
they were of royal blood and had a connection to almost all the
crowns in
Europe. But then one by one, kingdoms were deemed out of date by
countries till the family had great wealth but little political
power."
Dorothy took in a deep breath as she round another corner. Relena
barely
listened as she clenched her teeth and wished this ride would end.
"But the patriarch of this family regained power, he built up an
organization with all of the families of royalty that were left, there
was even a military for this organization first headed by his son and
then his nephew. But his death came too soon for him to carry out all
of
his plans, and the organization was soon gone. There were only two
blood
relatives left of this great man, one still a child and the other a
young
woman determined to keep her family name from becoming something of
the
past."
Dorothy pulled into a driveway; it went through a winding path that
was
shielded on either side by large trees.
"So what happened to this young woman?" Relena inquired, realizing
that
Dorothy had been speaking of her family.
"She found a young man who could match her at everything, even her own
word games. So she made a deal with him, they would be married, he
would
take on her name to replace his that wasn't really his, and they would
have tube babies." Relena stared at Dorothy in shock. "You're getting
married?"
"In name only," Dorothy stated as she parked her car.
"You mean to say you're entering a marriage without any love?" Relena
questioned, barely aware they were parked.
"There is more to life then love, we will both do our parts and love
the children that come from it," Dorothy said, turning to face the woman
she considered her only friend.
Relena felt pity for her friend, it was sad and hard to be alone, the
only one left with your family name. Still this was an extreme she had
never imagined Dorothy capable of. While Relena was not a sixteen year
old who pined for a shining knight in armor to fall in love with and
live happily ever after, Relena had seen firsthand the love her foster
parents shared and had always wanted that for herself. And her friends.
"But Dorothy-"
"We can get along so well, we know the other's moves and can always
match them." Dorothy said interrupting Relena, "We may not be in love but we
are compatible, we'll make it work."
'She won't be talked out of this,' Relena thought with a sigh. 'Perhaps
the man will.'
"Who is he?" Relena asked, expecting not to know him.
"Heero Yuy," Dorothy said as she got out of her car.
Relena's eyes went wide. "Who?" she whispered sure she had heard
wrong.
Walking over to Relena's door Dorothy repeated herself, "Heero Yuy."
She opened the door and Relena fell out head first. Too shocked to say
anything Relena stood up on shaking legs.
Dorothy felt a twinge of guilt, "When I asked you how you felt about
him
you said-"
"That...I don't love him," Relena interrupted Dorothy in a whisper.
Looking up Relena saw for the first time where she was, in front of
her
was an old castle. "Where are we?" She felt like she should be in
medieval clothing as she walked closer to the castle door.
"The Catalonia castle, it's been restored with a few modern day
conveniences," Dorothy said taking Relena by the arm and leading her
inside.
"Why Heero?" Relena asked inside of the main hall; the sight of the
castle had distracted her only for a moment.
"Like I said, we can match each other. Move for move, word for word."
Walking down the dark hall it took just a second before Dorothy found
the
light switch. The lights flickered before bright light filled the
room.
"Why go through the charade of being married? Relena asked looking
around
the large hall. "Why not just have the tube babies and raise them
yourself?"
Looking over at Dorothy, Relena say the other woman's eyes soften for
the
first time.
Childhood memories sneaking out of their hiding place in the back of
her
mind caused Dorothy to struggle to keep the tears away. "Because... I
know what it's like to long for one or both of your parents."
Stiffening, Dorothy shook the childhood hardships from her past from
her
mind with a shake of her head.
"I want better for my children. I want them to have the best, between
Heero and myself I know we can give them that. We were working on the
same case when I realized we would be compatible. The children will be
strong, smart, and talented."
"Oh... what case?" Relena questioned looking up at a painting of Duke
Dermail.
"A Preventer case." Dorothy responded vaguely.
Relena knew Dorothy did not give details on any of the Preventer cases
she worked on so did not ask anything else in that vein.
"Do you think you'll grow to love each other?" Relena asked after a
few
moments of silence.
"Why does love mean so much to you?" Dorothy asked, an edge of anger
in
her voice.
Letting go of Relena's arm she opened a door to her left.
Relena held in a sigh and followed Dorothy into a library.
*L4*
Sitting in front of Heero, Quatre puzzled over his friend's story. "So
Dorothy wants to keep her family and its name from dying out, that's
understandable. Even why she chose you, so where's the business
mistake?"
"Dorothy has been treating this like a business deal, all it is to
her is
a bargain so that she won't die the last Catalonia and provided a good
environment for the children by having both a mother and father."
Heero
gazed out a window. In truth when Dorothy had approached him he had
thought her lucky to have ever had a family, he still did not
understand
why he had agreed to it though. "A contract was drawn up and we both
signed it."
Again Quatre was caught off guard, "A contract? That's an extreme."
Heero nodded.
"So what do you want from me? This isn't the kind of business dealings
I'm used to," Quatre said with a faint smile to try and lighten things
up.
"Show Dorothy everything she'll be missing by marrying me."
Scratching his head, Quatre pushed his blond hair out of his face. "My
encounter with Dorothy on board Libra wasn't exactly friendly."
"Trowa told me."
Quatre had an image of the two most silent boys he ever met
chitchatting
over tea. But it vanished quickly as he brought his mind back to the
present.
"If Dorothy could see for herself that you've forgiven her, it might
keep
her from the biggest mistake of her life," Heero was saying.
'This isn't like Heero,' Quatre thought with an odd feeling twisting
his
stomach. 'Or maybe it's just a side of him I've never seen before,' he
reasoned.
Letting out a breath, Quatre once again rubbed at his side. "Just
what am
I suppose to show her and how will this keep her from the mistake?"
As
another thought came to him Quatre asked, "what does my forgiving her
have anything to do with this?"
Heero laced his fingers to gather and set his dark blue gaze on an
object just over Quatre's shoulder. "I want you to show Dorothy what
family really means so she'll want that and not some charade."
Quatre Looked over his shoulder, on the mantle of the fire place was
the
picture of him as a young boy hugging his father. 'What does Heero and
Dorothy know about family life?' he pondered for the first time.
He knew nothing of Heero's childhood and of Dorothy's only that her
mother and father died when she was a child.
Despite their disagreements Quatre and his father had loved each
other very much. 'It would be sad not having at least that,' Quatre
figured.
Looking back over at his friend, Quatre wondered what had made Heero
come to him and say all these things. "You still haven't told me how
forgiving Dorothy effects this situation."
"Let's just say weather or not you have forgiven her lays heavy on her
mind." 'And heart,' Heero added silently to himself.
*Earth*
"Dorothy, even you know what you are doing is wrong. So why don't you
put
it to an end?" Relena asked of her friend at the shuttle port. She was
hoping that something she said would reach Dorothy before it was too
late.
"What is so wrong about my actions?" Dorothy asked putting her full
focus
on Relena. "Heero and I are both 19, of sound minds, and understand
fully
what we are doing. It won't harm anyone."
"But yourselves and what children you have!" Relena nearly shouted in
frustration. It had been three weeks since Dorothy had taken her to
the
Catalonia castle, she had tried to see her friend and reason with her
but
things had kept coming up, leaving her with nothing more then a few
five
minute phone calls that got her nowhere with Dorothy.
"Love isn't everything but it is one of the greatest things life has
to
offer, if you marry someone you know you'll never love then what will
happen when you meet someone you do?"
Dorothy did not say anything, but her eyes hardened.
"I know you, you won't divorce Heero because no matter what else you
may
do you never break your word. You'll both be miserable, and your
children
will see it and become miserable too."
"Then I'll just have to make sure I never fall in love," Dorothy said
lightly, looking away.
It hit her, with the realization of it all Relena's blue eyes widened
in
shock. "You don't want to ever love anyone... you picked someone you
knew
you would never love!" Relena's accusation was said in a hoarse
whisper
as pity filled her eyes. "Oh, Dorothy..."
Dorothy's eyes glared at Relena, "I don't need your pity!" Throwing
her
yellow-blonde hair over her shoulder Dorothy went on. "I promised
myself
I wouldn't let others hurt me, and as you said before, I keep my
word."
"Shuttle b54 heading for L4 is now boarding! All passengers heading
for
L4 on shuttle b54 please come forward and board!" An elderly man
shouted
as he waved people forward to the shuttle's entrance.
"Bye Miss Relena," Dorothy said as she picked up her bag and got in
line.
*L4*
Quatre sat at his desk, with piles of paper piling up until only the
very
tip-top of his yellow hair was visible.
"Excuse me, sir?" Ahmad said standing in the doorway of the office in
Quatre's home.
"Hmm?" Quatre replied not looking up at the man in his early thirties
who
had been a faithful friend for five years now.
"Miss Catalonia's shuttle should be arriving in an hour, are you still
going to meet it?"
"Wha-" Jumping up Quatre shook the desk, causing some of the papers
to
fall.
"Yes! Yes! I'll go right now." Grabbing his jacket, Quatre looked at
the
mess he had made. "Just keep the door closed, and I'll clean this
up," he
said as he left the room at a jogger's pace.
"Yes sir! Shall Abdul drive you or I?" Ahmad asked easily keeping up
with
Quatre.
Stopping in his tracks, Quatre recalled Heero's last words before
leaving:
"Be sure that it's just you and Dorothy, none of your many friends."
Then
the young man had left before Quatre had a chance to question him
about
it further.
"I'll drive, thank you."
After having the keys handed to him, Quatre gave a few last minute
instructions on dinner and then left, wondering how much Dorothy had
changed since he had last seen her on Libra four years ago.
"Things have changed, she won't be stabbing you this time," he said
out loud to the butterflies in his stomach. But as he pulled out of his
driveway, Quatre realized the last thing he was feeling was fear.
Rather, excitement and an anticipation he did not quite understand coursed
through him.
Looking around the blue room with its gold trim, Heero took the seat
Quatre offered him.
"So what brings you to L4?" Quatre asked with excitement dancing in
his
eyes.
Heero was not sure what to say. 'Should I even bring up her name?' he
questioned himself.
Quatre just sat patiently, he knew that when Heero was ready he would
say
what was on his mind.
"Did you see Duo? He was just here, has a new job delivering recycled
scrap to factories that will turn them into car parts and other useful
items-."
During Quatre's prattle Heero had figured out what and how to say it.
"Dorothy is making a business mistake that could cost her
everything."
Quatre blinked in surprise. "Dorothy? Is she a friend of yours?
Because
you know I'll help in any way that I can but-"
"Dorothy Catalonia," Heero said quietly.
Quatre still did not know who Heero was referring to, his blank face
saying as much to Heero.
"She was at the Sank Kingdom as a spy for Romefeller and then on Libra
had control of the mobile dolls."
Quatre's face went white. "Oh, that...Dorothy." Quatre took a moment
to
move to the seat across from Heero.
Heero had not expected this reaction. Watching his friend
subconsciously
rub at his side, Heero had no doubt where there was a scar. 'Perhaps
this
was a mistake'
"So how is Dorothy?" Quatre asked, struggling to keep his voice from
cracking.
"She's in good health," Heero said.
"So what is the business deal? How can I help?" A determined
expiration
was on Quatre's face. 'I forgave her before leaving Libra, so why not
help her?' the blond man asked of himself, even as he felt the ache in
his side at the memory of being shot and then run through with her
sword.
Quatre tried to shake the memory and focus on the task at hand, "How
can
I help Miss Dorothy?"
"By seeing her, show her around," Heero replied not able to look his
friend in the eye.
Quatre was puzzled. "How does that keep her from making a business
mistake?"
"By keeping her away from the...mmm, business deal."
Nodding Quatre asked, "Just what is the business deal?"
A slight blush came to Heero's face.
"Heero?" Quatre asked, amazed as the redness spread across all of
Heero's
face. Quatre's sides ached now from holding in his laughter, Heero had
such a serious expiration on, as though this was a life and death
situation, but was blushing! Quatre did not think he could keep from
laughing much longer.
Heero finely spoke, "To marry me."
Quatre's laugh died in his throat.
*Earth*
Dorothy drove her car down the dirt rode at top speed, her passenger
looking ill.
"What did you want to tell me?" Relena shouted over at Dorothy,
holding
onto her seat for dear life as they rounded a corner.
"A story!" Dorothy said back, her voice smooth and graceful as her
violet
eyes watched the road. "There was once a family who were quite
wealthy,
they were of royal blood and had a connection to almost all the
crowns in
Europe. But then one by one, kingdoms were deemed out of date by
countries till the family had great wealth but little political
power."
Dorothy took in a deep breath as she round another corner. Relena
barely
listened as she clenched her teeth and wished this ride would end.
"But the patriarch of this family regained power, he built up an
organization with all of the families of royalty that were left, there
was even a military for this organization first headed by his son and
then his nephew. But his death came too soon for him to carry out all
of
his plans, and the organization was soon gone. There were only two
blood
relatives left of this great man, one still a child and the other a
young
woman determined to keep her family name from becoming something of
the
past."
Dorothy pulled into a driveway; it went through a winding path that
was
shielded on either side by large trees.
"So what happened to this young woman?" Relena inquired, realizing
that
Dorothy had been speaking of her family.
"She found a young man who could match her at everything, even her own
word games. So she made a deal with him, they would be married, he
would
take on her name to replace his that wasn't really his, and they would
have tube babies." Relena stared at Dorothy in shock. "You're getting
married?"
"In name only," Dorothy stated as she parked her car.
"You mean to say you're entering a marriage without any love?" Relena
questioned, barely aware they were parked.
"There is more to life then love, we will both do our parts and love
the children that come from it," Dorothy said, turning to face the woman
she considered her only friend.
Relena felt pity for her friend, it was sad and hard to be alone, the
only one left with your family name. Still this was an extreme she had
never imagined Dorothy capable of. While Relena was not a sixteen year
old who pined for a shining knight in armor to fall in love with and
live happily ever after, Relena had seen firsthand the love her foster
parents shared and had always wanted that for herself. And her friends.
"But Dorothy-"
"We can get along so well, we know the other's moves and can always
match them." Dorothy said interrupting Relena, "We may not be in love but we
are compatible, we'll make it work."
'She won't be talked out of this,' Relena thought with a sigh. 'Perhaps
the man will.'
"Who is he?" Relena asked, expecting not to know him.
"Heero Yuy," Dorothy said as she got out of her car.
Relena's eyes went wide. "Who?" she whispered sure she had heard
wrong.
Walking over to Relena's door Dorothy repeated herself, "Heero Yuy."
She opened the door and Relena fell out head first. Too shocked to say
anything Relena stood up on shaking legs.
Dorothy felt a twinge of guilt, "When I asked you how you felt about
him
you said-"
"That...I don't love him," Relena interrupted Dorothy in a whisper.
Looking up Relena saw for the first time where she was, in front of
her
was an old castle. "Where are we?" She felt like she should be in
medieval clothing as she walked closer to the castle door.
"The Catalonia castle, it's been restored with a few modern day
conveniences," Dorothy said taking Relena by the arm and leading her
inside.
"Why Heero?" Relena asked inside of the main hall; the sight of the
castle had distracted her only for a moment.
"Like I said, we can match each other. Move for move, word for word."
Walking down the dark hall it took just a second before Dorothy found
the
light switch. The lights flickered before bright light filled the
room.
"Why go through the charade of being married? Relena asked looking
around
the large hall. "Why not just have the tube babies and raise them
yourself?"
Looking over at Dorothy, Relena say the other woman's eyes soften for
the
first time.
Childhood memories sneaking out of their hiding place in the back of
her
mind caused Dorothy to struggle to keep the tears away. "Because... I
know what it's like to long for one or both of your parents."
Stiffening, Dorothy shook the childhood hardships from her past from
her
mind with a shake of her head.
"I want better for my children. I want them to have the best, between
Heero and myself I know we can give them that. We were working on the
same case when I realized we would be compatible. The children will be
strong, smart, and talented."
"Oh... what case?" Relena questioned looking up at a painting of Duke
Dermail.
"A Preventer case." Dorothy responded vaguely.
Relena knew Dorothy did not give details on any of the Preventer cases
she worked on so did not ask anything else in that vein.
"Do you think you'll grow to love each other?" Relena asked after a
few
moments of silence.
"Why does love mean so much to you?" Dorothy asked, an edge of anger
in
her voice.
Letting go of Relena's arm she opened a door to her left.
Relena held in a sigh and followed Dorothy into a library.
*L4*
Sitting in front of Heero, Quatre puzzled over his friend's story. "So
Dorothy wants to keep her family and its name from dying out, that's
understandable. Even why she chose you, so where's the business
mistake?"
"Dorothy has been treating this like a business deal, all it is to
her is
a bargain so that she won't die the last Catalonia and provided a good
environment for the children by having both a mother and father."
Heero
gazed out a window. In truth when Dorothy had approached him he had
thought her lucky to have ever had a family, he still did not
understand
why he had agreed to it though. "A contract was drawn up and we both
signed it."
Again Quatre was caught off guard, "A contract? That's an extreme."
Heero nodded.
"So what do you want from me? This isn't the kind of business dealings
I'm used to," Quatre said with a faint smile to try and lighten things
up.
"Show Dorothy everything she'll be missing by marrying me."
Scratching his head, Quatre pushed his blond hair out of his face. "My
encounter with Dorothy on board Libra wasn't exactly friendly."
"Trowa told me."
Quatre had an image of the two most silent boys he ever met
chitchatting
over tea. But it vanished quickly as he brought his mind back to the
present.
"If Dorothy could see for herself that you've forgiven her, it might
keep
her from the biggest mistake of her life," Heero was saying.
'This isn't like Heero,' Quatre thought with an odd feeling twisting
his
stomach. 'Or maybe it's just a side of him I've never seen before,' he
reasoned.
Letting out a breath, Quatre once again rubbed at his side. "Just
what am
I suppose to show her and how will this keep her from the mistake?"
As
another thought came to him Quatre asked, "what does my forgiving her
have anything to do with this?"
Heero laced his fingers to gather and set his dark blue gaze on an
object just over Quatre's shoulder. "I want you to show Dorothy what
family really means so she'll want that and not some charade."
Quatre Looked over his shoulder, on the mantle of the fire place was
the
picture of him as a young boy hugging his father. 'What does Heero and
Dorothy know about family life?' he pondered for the first time.
He knew nothing of Heero's childhood and of Dorothy's only that her
mother and father died when she was a child.
Despite their disagreements Quatre and his father had loved each
other very much. 'It would be sad not having at least that,' Quatre
figured.
Looking back over at his friend, Quatre wondered what had made Heero
come to him and say all these things. "You still haven't told me how
forgiving Dorothy effects this situation."
"Let's just say weather or not you have forgiven her lays heavy on her
mind." 'And heart,' Heero added silently to himself.
*Earth*
"Dorothy, even you know what you are doing is wrong. So why don't you
put
it to an end?" Relena asked of her friend at the shuttle port. She was
hoping that something she said would reach Dorothy before it was too
late.
"What is so wrong about my actions?" Dorothy asked putting her full
focus
on Relena. "Heero and I are both 19, of sound minds, and understand
fully
what we are doing. It won't harm anyone."
"But yourselves and what children you have!" Relena nearly shouted in
frustration. It had been three weeks since Dorothy had taken her to
the
Catalonia castle, she had tried to see her friend and reason with her
but
things had kept coming up, leaving her with nothing more then a few
five
minute phone calls that got her nowhere with Dorothy.
"Love isn't everything but it is one of the greatest things life has
to
offer, if you marry someone you know you'll never love then what will
happen when you meet someone you do?"
Dorothy did not say anything, but her eyes hardened.
"I know you, you won't divorce Heero because no matter what else you
may
do you never break your word. You'll both be miserable, and your
children
will see it and become miserable too."
"Then I'll just have to make sure I never fall in love," Dorothy said
lightly, looking away.
It hit her, with the realization of it all Relena's blue eyes widened
in
shock. "You don't want to ever love anyone... you picked someone you
knew
you would never love!" Relena's accusation was said in a hoarse
whisper
as pity filled her eyes. "Oh, Dorothy..."
Dorothy's eyes glared at Relena, "I don't need your pity!" Throwing
her
yellow-blonde hair over her shoulder Dorothy went on. "I promised
myself
I wouldn't let others hurt me, and as you said before, I keep my
word."
"Shuttle b54 heading for L4 is now boarding! All passengers heading
for
L4 on shuttle b54 please come forward and board!" An elderly man
shouted
as he waved people forward to the shuttle's entrance.
"Bye Miss Relena," Dorothy said as she picked up her bag and got in
line.
*L4*
Quatre sat at his desk, with piles of paper piling up until only the
very
tip-top of his yellow hair was visible.
"Excuse me, sir?" Ahmad said standing in the doorway of the office in
Quatre's home.
"Hmm?" Quatre replied not looking up at the man in his early thirties
who
had been a faithful friend for five years now.
"Miss Catalonia's shuttle should be arriving in an hour, are you still
going to meet it?"
"Wha-" Jumping up Quatre shook the desk, causing some of the papers
to
fall.
"Yes! Yes! I'll go right now." Grabbing his jacket, Quatre looked at
the
mess he had made. "Just keep the door closed, and I'll clean this
up," he
said as he left the room at a jogger's pace.
"Yes sir! Shall Abdul drive you or I?" Ahmad asked easily keeping up
with
Quatre.
Stopping in his tracks, Quatre recalled Heero's last words before
leaving:
"Be sure that it's just you and Dorothy, none of your many friends."
Then
the young man had left before Quatre had a chance to question him
about
it further.
"I'll drive, thank you."
After having the keys handed to him, Quatre gave a few last minute
instructions on dinner and then left, wondering how much Dorothy had
changed since he had last seen her on Libra four years ago.
"Things have changed, she won't be stabbing you this time," he said
out loud to the butterflies in his stomach. But as he pulled out of his
driveway, Quatre realized the last thing he was feeling was fear.
Rather, excitement and an anticipation he did not quite understand coursed
through him.