1 o'clock by: Transcendent.
"I want to speak these words, but I guess I'll bite my tongue
And accept 'someday, somehow' as the words that we'll hang from."
A.N.: I've had this done for a long time. I actually had it posted and about five minutes after I had submitted it, I decided it wasn't good enough so I deleted it (thanks to Lea for still reviewing, though). I went back and changed a few parts and added in others. I've changed it four or five different times, now, and I kept on having to send resend it to Liz. Anyways, I finally got her to edit (thank God, that chapter made it so obvious how tired I've been for the past few weeks). Sorry that it's taken so long. I write on my own time and at my own pace. For all of you who have put up with that, thanks.
This chapter, though, was incredibly difficult to write because I really don't have a clue how to write Dorothy and I had no clue how I would get what I had planned to happen for a good reason. Thanks to Drea, though, I finally found a little muse to go off on and that's what started this chapter. Be patient with the next one, I have a feeling it'll be as long as the chapter before this (there'll be some smut).
Dedication: Here's your dedication, Aino.
ALL STANDARD DISCLAIMERS APPLY. DRY THOSE TEARS, GIRLIES, AND BE A MAN.
Chapter Nine: A Stunning Letdown
Her eyes were fierce, glowing with anger and all of the associated emotions. With so much passion reserved for negative thoughts, he could literally see the flames of her rage and fury soar around like a hurricane. The only things that were on her mind, written so clearly on her precious features, were him and her—their relationship and supposed love—and the death of his sister. He couldn't blame her; those exact same things were on his mind, but for totally different reasons. The main one, however, was the beautiful, dark haired woman with a gaze so astounding it wounded him from the inside out. What was to come, he knew, would be words like fire and a bark that could bite.
Inwardly flinching, he noticed how her polished nails seem to dig into the palms of her petite hands. Funny, he thought grimly; he was doing the same thing. His wife-to-be was a force to be reckoned with when angered or even slightly annoyed and he held his breath, anticipating the end of her wrath. What was she waiting for? Maybe she was waiting for his chest to fall or maybe she was waiting for hell to freeze over…
The atmosphere inside was burning and cold, contemplative, and serious. Outside, leaves were flying freely from their home up in the branches of old trees. Quatre knew he couldn't leave to avoid whatever was going to happen; this was the calm before the storm, the storm of the century, the fight of their lives. They had never fought before and Quatre didn't want to start now. Weren't fights what literally broke apart the best bonds of life?
Maybe Rei didn't know that.
"We need to talk, Quatre." The words didn't catch in her throat but they managed to cause his heart to nearly jump up his. She was secure in what she wanted to say and that no matter the definite circumstances she was going to have it her way because that's how it had always been. Quatre was afraid for the day when her poise was defect.
He was careful not to trip over his words; truth be told, she made him plum nervous in these types of situations. He wasn't a fighter, he was a lover. "Okay." Breathe! "What about?"
Somehow his calm words only fueled the blazes behind her intent. "Don't play with me, Quatre Winner, and don't make me use your full name. You know what this is about! It's about your sister, your flesh and blood, the one woman you're allowed to love more than me!" She paused and he managed another breath. "She's dead, Quatre. What does that say about me?"
He twitched, but made sure it was a small enough movement so that she wouldn't pick it up. What was she talking about…? Iria. The Butcher. Yokio. The murder. Yeah, that's what she was talking about. But as for her question, he still hadn't a clue. "That you're alive…?"
"No, Quatre. I'm fucking dead." She made a movement to slap herself on the forehead and obviously succeeded. The noise was so loud, Quatre was started and felt the need to ask if she was hurt, but he held back when she continued her rampage. "Are you really that clueless? Am I about to marry a fucking moron? Quatre, you're supposed to look after her, keep her alive, you know, look out for her like a brother is supposed to do. How can I trust that you're going to keep ME alive if you can't keep your sister alive?"
Deep down, he was hurt. Quatre loved Iria with his whole heart; she had been there for him since practically day one. Without her, his sister, he doubted that he would have become half the person he was today. Without her, he would have been lost in a family disease: a desire for control, power, and wealth. It had been Iria who had taught him love, compassion, and sincerity; she knew that he wasn't going to get it from anyone else. Iria dying was like his mother dying all over again.
Rei was completely right. He had done little to prevent Iria's death. He had always thought she could handle herself in any situation, given that she always had been on top of things when he was young; she had taken care of him and managed to pursue everything she had dreamed of. It was as if she was a woman of no faults, no flaws or imperfections, but she was only human and she had died like one. However, her death was a very preventable one…and he had done nothing to save her. Even if someone could somehow convince him that it had been too late, Iria had called too late, Rei had called to inform him too late, his car had been going too slow that night, something that couldn't have possibly be controlled by him had caused it…he doubted he would have believed them.
But Iria and Rei were different; his love for the two women differed in many ways. Iria had been a mother and a companion through his years while Rei would, hopefully, be his companion until death. He yearned to live in Rei's presence, to be near or to feel her body next to his and in his arms. With Iria, he only wished for her guidance and the secure feeling her words evoked in him.
Which led him to a possible conclusion about her accusation… "Rei, you know I love you. There's no question about that-"
…But she cut him off before he could get there. "That's not what I'm getting at! Quatre, don't you see? What if I'm in real, actual, life threatening DANGER? How are you going to protect me? You wouldn't have even known she was in fucking trouble if she hadn't called me. How can I trust you with my life if …you couldn't be trusted with hers?"
He felt his heart drop into a bottomless pit. "I don't know, Rei, but there isn't a person in this world that could possibly come between my protecting you." The words soon died of an empty meaning as her hands came to her hips and the look in her eye intensified. "I don't know, Rei. I honestly and sorrowfully don't know."
"How can I marry someone who can't keep me safe? Isn't that what marriage is about, Quatre?" Her hands went to her face as her words slowed and faded. She paused to think. The dark wisps of her hair cleverly clashed with the light color of her porcelain skin. As her hands were removed from her face, the look on her somewhat dark features terrified him.
She was utterly, emotionally, no doubt about it, serious.
"It's more than that, Rei. I…don't know what you want me to say. I mean, you know I love you more than I ever have loved anyone and probably ever will," his voice shook as he spoke. Somehow he felt like he was losing the battle, like he was losing her and she wanted to be lost.
The fire was warm beside her and she took a quick glance at it and sighed, perhaps comforted slightly. Her sigh made him sigh. His, however, was mostly caused by reflex: trying to carry her burden on his shoulders. Quatre didn't think it was working this time, though. The battle had only started between them but somehow the tension had ceased. She rested an arm across her midsection and an elbow on top it, to place her elegant cheek in her hand and slouch.
"I know you love me, Quatre, but you loved Iria, too. Your love didn't protect her and won't protect me. Love isn't everything, Quatre, and if we don't have everything…if this relationship doesn't have everything, how can we manage? Together, even, how can we deal with life if we can hardly handle it by ourselves?"
Quatre was defeated by the words which his fiancée used as an arrow to lesion his heart. Without that vital piece of muscle in his body, he felt weak and useless and his bones felt like sticks, his head heavy, his feet and hands too big, and his lungs had stopped working.
"Rei…" he said under his breath. The emotion in with which he said her name was as powerful as her wrath: soft with passion, slow like pain, and as deep as the hole he found himself trying to claw out of.
Her reply, though, was softer, slower, and deeper than what he could manage. "Quatre…" Her eyes closed and her hands went to her heart as she turned to the fire. Again, she sighed, but this time he didn't repeat the action. Rei wasn't finished, though, and her aim was to thoroughly torture his useless, broken-hearted soul. "I love you more than you could ever know. But love didn't save Iria, didn't save Makoto, Usagi, or Relena, and it can't save either one of us."
He watched a tear slide down her cheek and he had to walk away. Rei's eyes neglected to watch him as she stared into the fire, hoping to gain something she could have possibly lost tonight.
In the fire she gazed, horrified at the site she saw. A blonde girl's tattered and battered form with her blue eyes wide open in agony, Usagi's frozen and bloodied figure leaning against a sacred tree, Iria stained crimson from her gun wounds with a scribbled message written in her very blood, and a madman shooting everyone in sight, including Makoto.
She had no choice. No one did…
"The city has a magical glow to it tonight, Quatre. Wipe that pout off your face and enjoy it like everyone else is. It would not be fair for me to sit here, drinking away the night, while you pretend to be having a good time," she coaxed him, pushing him to an unseen edge to make him say something or to enjoy the night when he didn't want to. Her words always had a twist; a way to manipulate a brain into doing what they ordered.
But he couldn't enjoy her company as he had before. He felt like he was being punished for something he didn't know that he had done. "I'm sorry," he heaved a sigh. "I hope I'm not ruining your night…I'm just a bit preoccupied, I guess." Damn straight he was.
Dorothy Catalonia picked up her drink, coke and rum, and eased it to her lips. "You know, Quatre, you should not let things get to you so easily; it's as if you are still a little child that needs things to be explained instead of making connections yourself." She took a sip and replaced the glass on the table. "What happens to be tormenting your mind tonight, dear friend?"
He heaved a sigh, leaning forward and placing his hands next to the full martini glass. Quatre didn't want to talk about Rei in front of Dorothy, at least…not when she had been drinking; her attitude about Rei definitely wasn't the most positive and he didn't want to fight anymore. He was tired of fighting and had been tired for a long time.
Instead, he kept his head lowered so that she couldn't see his blue eyes analyzing her. He had many fond memories of Dorothy and many not so great, but he had her exact image ingrained perfectly into his mind. She had long platinum blonde hair that never forgot to shine in even the smallest amount of light, ice blue eyes that sent chills down his back at times from their cold appearance, and a body so well sculpted it could rival that of Aphrodite or Rei.
Quatre's mouth twitched into a smile. Her eyebrows, however, were a topic all on their own. How could she look into a mirror and not feel the need to…pluck them? He had watched Rei take tweezers and pluck her eyebrows to perfection, but Dorothy never had. In fact, Dorothy probably didn't even know how to. He felt like laughing but held it back; Dorothy was beautiful despite her evil eyebrows. She was the opposite of his love and it was probably the reason why he was still friends with her. Everyone needed a change sometime.
However, Dorothy wasn't just any average company. The woman had, many years ago, been his fiancée. Of course, that was before Quatre had met Rei and truly fell in love. The fact that he had another woman, though, didn't change Dorothy's opinion. She still loved him, it was obvious, but he didn't mind or care. She was incredibly wise and always lent the advice that seemed to lead him to the best possible solution or conclusion. That was why he was with the blonde right now; he needed advice on what to do about Rei…but how could he, supposedly one of the nicest people on God's green Earth, ask for help? Could he really be as heartless as to bring up the subject of the only woman Dorothy ever had such pessimistic feelings for?
Yes, of course he could. That was why he couldn't enjoy the night; it was going to be pure hell to torture her like that…
Maybe not, though. He wasn't sure why he had called her after his fight (could he call it that?) with Rei. Quatre couldn't explain it; couldn't explain the reason why he didn't want to mention Rei but at the same time wanted to ask her for advice on the very subject. He knew Dorothy could have a very strong reaction, a very bad one, that is, to hearing anything about his fiancée. At the same time, nevertheless
He took a long, swift gulp of his martini. "I sort of…well, Rei and I had a fight, to put it shortly, and I'm kind of worried." He wondered…sympathy act? Ah, why not… "I don't know what to do." Quatre looked up, coming in eye contact with Dorothy. He didn't pull away and neither did she. Her hands, though, managed to find a way on top of his like a protective shield to keep him in place and unharmed. He could feel the heat radiating from them in an almost loving way as her fingers played with his fondly.
A small smile briefly assured him of her desire to comfort him. Dorothy blinked once and stopped finger movement. "Ah, alright. I see why you look so tense; you are worried about your relationship with Rei. Mind telling me what the fight was about?"
Quatre's hands felt uncomfortable under hers so he pulled away and encircled one around the neck of his glass and the other to scratch the back of his neck. "Well…I'm not entirely sure what's going on in her head at all times, but whatever she was thinking was triggered by Iria's murder." He had to pause, unless he wasn't afraid to cry in public. "She thinks that I can't protect her."
"Oh, Quatre, she just wants a way out of marrying you." Dorothy's hands went to her lap after taking another sip of her rum and coke. "Rei is using an excuse: you not being able to protect her. Obviously, Quatre, she does not love you enough to actually go through with the marriage. I can't see why, though. Perhaps she met another man and you are unaware? Or perhaps-"
Impossible. "Dorothy, I don't think she's having a premarital affair; Rei isn't like that. I think she's just scared…" He wasn't going to let her berate the woman his heart still sang out to no matter the circumstances. Dorothy could hate Rei, but not in front of him.
She wasn't affected by his interruption, though, and kept going strong with her assumptions and opinions. It was quite natural for her to ignore his disruption; she was Dorothy Catalonia, head of the Romefeller Foundation. She was a business woman and easily scared men much bigger and fiercer than the likes of him. In more ways than one, she was the shark in the sea and everyone else was the fish she ate. "Open your eyes. What could she be scared of? Marrying you? Nice one, Quatre, I must applaud your comedic efforts but no. Don't be so blind, Quatre Raberba Winner. Hino Rei is a who-"
His face flushed. Quatre's eyes averted and rested on the middle of the table for a moment. She might have been the shark in the sea, but he was too. Maybe he was the shark that ate other sharks. Yeah, that was him. "Stop, Dorothy, you don't know Rei."
"Maybe I don't, but maybe you don't either." Platinum strands were pulled behind her ears and she crossed her black panted legs, one over the other. "Tell me more, Quatre."
He bit his lip and tasted copper. Copper was strong, he thought, and he was, too. A shark! Quatre could play Dorothy's games. "Because Iria died and I wasn't able to protect her, to stop her murder…Rei thinks that I won't be able to protect her from anything. She says love can't protect her. She's right, Dorothy, she's absolutely right. I can't protect her."
Dorothy made a face equivalent to scrunching up her nose and furry eyebrows. "Why should you protect her? You could not have possibly saved your sister and Rei cannot expect you to be there for her like some trained dog." Her eyes reflected the lights over head, sparkling as if she absolutely knew she was right.
Quatre took in a good amount of air through his nose and didn't let it out for a while. "Yeah, but that's not the point-"
"It's not?" Dorothy's hand went up to cup her chin as if she was more bored than concerned. Her golden bracelets shimmied down her forearm. "She's trying to push you away from her. By all means, let her; if she does not want to marry you, you should not want to marry her. I knew it could not possibly work out; Rei is an inconsiderate little snob that needs to be taught a valuable lesson in life. I feel as if she has been using you this whole time for reasons neither you nor I am aware of."
Rei was not pushing him away, what an absurd idea. If she was, Quatre wouldn't feel so worried for her well-being and would feel more concerned with his own. Besides, the whole thing was about him being able to protect her, right? But, as the real question seemed to be, protect her from what, exactly? From herself, from the public…from him… It didn't make sense. Maybe she was pushing him away, trying to find a reason why they couldn't get married.
He figured, though, that it was the same for everyone else. Marriage was built on love, respect, and all that shit. None of it could protect anyone from physical harm. So what did she want from him? Did she want him to hire an elite squad to watch her every move to make sure she would be safe? That would mean money, though. It was something he had but never, not once, had it entered into the equation of their relationship. Without that factor, he believed, it made them so attracted to each other physically and mentally because they weren't thinking about the other's job or income. They had always wanted more of each other, to see the other "one last time" or to talk to the other "just for a few more minutes" and somehow that had turned into nights with no sleep just talking on the phone or breakfasts sitting at the table that lasted until lunch…not "can I borrow $1,000,000, please?".
None of that would or could protect Rei. Not his money, not her money, and the not their attraction or yearning they felt towards each other could stop someone from gang raping her or a car crashing into hers. Hell! If anything, those things only made the chance of those things happening even greater. Not one thing in this universe could one hundred percent protect anyone from anything. Not from hurt, pain, death…or happiness. Maybe that's what Rei was scared of: being happy for once. What a crazy idea! Somehow, though, he knew it was the truth.
Quatre smiled with his heart and he felt like crying. He knew what it was! Rei was scared of finally being happy, allowing him to let her be happy. So, in a way, she was trying to keep distance between him and her; trying to keep the idea of true love away because Rei didn't believe in it. She had always told him that she 'couldn't be falling in love, but it sure did feel like it'. Maybe she was just joking herself because it was obvious to him now that Rei loved him too much. That's why she had cried. She knew what she was doing. Rei had always been sentient of what she was causing.
He laughed with his final thought, "We've both been entirely wrong. I need to go, Dorothy, thank you for the talk; I really needed it." For a second, Quatre thought he could see pain on her face.
She seemed uneasy, however, but she nodded. "It's been great, Quatre. Just like old times." Her hands moved to rest on her lap.
Dorothy watched Quatre pay for their drinks quickly, placing a hundred dollar bill on the table, and leave in a hurry. Outside she could hear his car hum to life and speed away against the dying storm outside. She whispered to herself, "Yeah, just like old times, huh, Quatre? We used to do this all the time, just the two of us. We used to be in love but now you have been caught by someone else. How could you?" She blinked back the tears she had been holding in all night. "How could you so brutally batter my heart every day?"
She stood and walked outside, shrugging on her mink jacket and grabbing her genuine leather purse. A long time ago they had been crazy for each other. He would call her all the time and they'd spend days without end with each other, talking and making love. In her head, Dorothy could clearly remember the day he had proposed to her. They had spent the night in the arms of the other and he had turned around with a small box. She hadn't been the least bit surprised and accepted without a second thought.
Her doubts, though, built as he spent more time 'at work' than with her. He would forget to call or forget important dates. The time they spent together had slowly decayed to a simple greeting, a kiss or a hug, and a few rushed words of little or no meaning. Even if Quatre was a cop and Dorothy an active business woman, her schedule had always allowed a time for him but, it seemed, his couldn't. She didn't mind much because they had found time, at least once a week, to meet for a night of passion. The doubts only eased then and soared after.
Her world had shattered, however, when she saw Quatre and Rei together at the very bar she had just been in. Anyone could have simply misjudged them as friends but Dorothy had known better. The smiles and looks he gave Rei that day weren't friendly in the slightest and Dorothy hadn't seen those looks for a very long time.
In a fit of rage, Dorothy had thrown the ring at them and it landed in his drink only to be consumed by the alcohol filling the glass. She had stormed out, hurt beyond human comprehension, and cried alone in the park until midnight. Going home, though, would have meant more hurt since they had lived together, so, instead, she spent the next week or two isolated in Relena's house. Dorothy had hated life. Dorothy had hated Rei. Why?
It was all Rei's fault.
Dorothy revved her engine awake and shifted into drive before she sneered and wiped away the tears she hadn't noticed. "In God's name, Hino Rei, you will pay for everything."
Rei sat in front of the fire, basking in its brightness like it was the sun. In more ways than one, fire was her sun. It had always been there for her, telling her of the future no matter how awful it was. But at the moment, the fire was oddly silent after its previous explosion of images and it scared her. Why was it keeping information from her now, of all times?
She sighed, wiping her face again to make sure she wasn't still crying. Rei felt so weak, powerless, and more over, she felt like the dirt under Quatre's shoes. He was too good for her; he was too kind, too considerate and gentle, loving and passionate. What was she? A horrible monster too scared to love someone. Her fists found the ground in front of her angrily. She didn't have a choice; there was no way she could be with him, she didn't want to be hurt. But did Quatre deserve to be hurt instead?
"God damnit," she muttered in between choked sobs. She refused to cry, though, and only made small whining sounds that couldn't really be heard. It didn't matter, though, Rei thought, the only thing that could hear her was the calming fire. It never changed; always was the same every time she looked at it. Red and orange flames with flickers of blue or green always; it could never be different.
However, she was as inconsistent as the height the flames reached. She was either high on emotion or low to a level of hatred. Right now, though, she was low in self pity; she might have just driven the only man she could have loved away and into the arms of another. Rei could deny it, say that he loved her more than anyone else, but she would only be trying to raise her spirits. Her spirits, though, were meant to be lower than hell; why should she even try to elevate them? She wasn't worth the lift that was Quatre. Rei didn't deserve to be happy.
At least, that's what she thought. By any means necessary, she would keep it that way, but Quatre...She had been betrayed and backstabbed, what could he do to her? Whatever it was, Rei reasoned, it would have to be ten times worse because she loved him. It even wounded her to think about it. He couldn't…but the others hadn't seemed like they could either and they did. All men were the same. Dogs.
She was too far in thought to notice the man behind her until he had dropped to his knees and pulled her hair away from her right shoulder and neck. From there, he placed soft kisses and wrapped his arms around her shoulders.
"Quatre." Damn those fucking tears. Why couldn't they stop? She knew they hadn't stopped since Usagi's death and they wouldn't stop until…
He stopped kissing her and hugged her tightly, allowing her body to relax against his. "I'm sorry, Rei. You're right, love can't protect us—my love can't protect you. But you know what?" He paused for her to think and answer.
But she didn't think. She couldn't think. What was he telling her? She was right? No, she was wrong! "Quatre…" Her voice was weak, though, too weak to even be called a voice.
He placed a light kiss on her cheek and watched the fire. "We're different from everyone else, Rei. I don't care if ten thousand men were after you, I'd kill them all with my bare hands just to see you again. I love you and nothing can change that; I'll protect you from anything with everything I have."
"I don't deserve you. I don't deserve what you can give me…why, Quatre? Why do you love me?" She didn't know where all her self-doubt had come from. Rei turned to read his features—turned her back on the fire to watch it glow on his visage.
His hands cupped her face and he smiled, sincerely. "I love you because of your fiery strength and your cold desolation. I love you because of the honey laughter you create and the angered glares you could kill people with. I love you because of your intelligence and your arrogance. I love you because you're Hino Rei, my fiancée, the woman I'm going to be happily married to for the rest of my life."
Her wine eyes watered and she had to blink a few times to rid the blurriness. "I'm a horrible person, Quatre, I don't deserve you or anything."
"Au contraire, Mon amour, you deserve the whole world; stop saying you don't." Another smile graced his face. "Rei, will you marry me?"
How could he be so convincing; why could he be? For the moment, she thought, everything would be ok. Kin would be caught and life would go on. Her life would and it'd be with Quatre. Minako would move on and Ami would, too. The man in front of her was perfect and she couldn't turn him away. Rei didn't understand, now, why she had.
It didn't matter though, she knew. They were together and he hadn't been affected in the least. Most importantly, their relationship had grown stronger because this doubt had been removed. Love wasn't just a feeling, it was real and they had it in their grasp.
The fire flickered brightly behind her.
"Quatre, we're already engaged," she laughed through her tears. "But I'll still say yes. I'll marry you, Quatre. I'll marry you twice. I'll marry you three times if you want. Hell, let's go for five."
Maybe it'd be okay. No, it would be okay. She was deeply in love and no amount of digging or climbing would find a way out of it.
A.N.: Love the fluff now because I doubt there will be any more of it for a long time, if any at all. I know angst gets boring and that's why there are these types of scenes, but other than that...this isn't a happy story. Thanks for all the reviews, keep them coming and I'll love you all even more.
Needs to go start her chemistry hoemwork,
Transcendent, the almost-mighty.
Aino Yuy aka Funny Loser: Wufei is too good for condoms, didn't you know that? I guess you missed that memo. Your dedication? Up there somewhere. Hmm, yeah, enough words wasted on you.
SVZ: points and laughs hysterically at you AINO BEAT YOU! That's great. Heh, well, my ego is fairly large nowadays, and I bet Alma can reassure you about that, too. Hmm, well, no Ami or Duo in this chapter. Actually, I bet this chapter seemed pointless. YOU ARE ALL WRONG.
Tsubasa-chan: Since I know you like Rei so much, here's a nice Rei chapter. It's so sweet and snuggly, too...aweee. Heh, sorry, though, it wasn't for you. I had to...my brain made me write it. But still, that doesn't mean a single thing. I can say it was for you and ...it is now! Umm...more smut to come?
Wishful Thinking2: Hello, m'love. I think 2 milk is the best. It's not cream or like water, it's just like...milk, ya' know? I like your reviews when you should be sleeping. So I'm not going to remind you.
Inverse-chan: No action in this chapter, but you're right. Sometime soon whistles sometime soon... Minako will be paired with no one, really. I don't call it "pairing". People in real life don't "pair". They get together. In that sense, Minako does a lot of 'getting together'.
AznxAngel: Awe, you loved it? That makes me happy ;D
Black Aura-Sama: Hello, m'dearest Kna! Jiro Motesgue est le hot sex. I like that review, ya' know...I liked knowing I made you laugh/smile that much!
optional: (Review I) Eh, I guess I kept you waiting. I'm sorry, really...I am. I just have some brain disorder no one has discovered yet. AND YES, that's a damn good excuse. (Review II) Thanks for reviewing again. I'm not allowing myself to tell everyone the pairings yet. It's something for you to figure out. I'll tell you now, though: I'm really tricky; not everything is as it appears to be.
FairDrea: Yeah, I would have to agree with that "about time" shit. I can't wait for my next smut scene so you can help me improve. I'd say that would be one of the main reason why we're maired but...umm, well, there's a hell of a lot of reasons why we're married. Wouldn't you agree? Heh ;P By the way, the book I'm reading has a character with YOUR name who has blonde hair. Isn't that weird? Her initials are D.O.E.S. and if they are yours, I'm going to die. Well, it'll be fun reading about you in my new book.
SilverCaladan: FFnet sucks for being such a fucking jackass and destroying four possible reviews I could've gotten from you. Well, anyways, love you, m'dearest wife.
Transcendent is sweet 16. Horrah.
I'm growing old with this story...
"I want to speak these words, but I guess I'll bite my tongue
And accept 'someday, somehow' as the words that we'll hang from."
A.N.: I've had this done for a long time. I actually had it posted and about five minutes after I had submitted it, I decided it wasn't good enough so I deleted it (thanks to Lea for still reviewing, though). I went back and changed a few parts and added in others. I've changed it four or five different times, now, and I kept on having to send resend it to Liz. Anyways, I finally got her to edit (thank God, that chapter made it so obvious how tired I've been for the past few weeks). Sorry that it's taken so long. I write on my own time and at my own pace. For all of you who have put up with that, thanks.
This chapter, though, was incredibly difficult to write because I really don't have a clue how to write Dorothy and I had no clue how I would get what I had planned to happen for a good reason. Thanks to Drea, though, I finally found a little muse to go off on and that's what started this chapter. Be patient with the next one, I have a feeling it'll be as long as the chapter before this (there'll be some smut).
Dedication: Here's your dedication, Aino.
ALL STANDARD DISCLAIMERS APPLY. DRY THOSE TEARS, GIRLIES, AND BE A MAN.
Chapter Nine: A Stunning Letdown
Her eyes were fierce, glowing with anger and all of the associated emotions. With so much passion reserved for negative thoughts, he could literally see the flames of her rage and fury soar around like a hurricane. The only things that were on her mind, written so clearly on her precious features, were him and her—their relationship and supposed love—and the death of his sister. He couldn't blame her; those exact same things were on his mind, but for totally different reasons. The main one, however, was the beautiful, dark haired woman with a gaze so astounding it wounded him from the inside out. What was to come, he knew, would be words like fire and a bark that could bite.
Inwardly flinching, he noticed how her polished nails seem to dig into the palms of her petite hands. Funny, he thought grimly; he was doing the same thing. His wife-to-be was a force to be reckoned with when angered or even slightly annoyed and he held his breath, anticipating the end of her wrath. What was she waiting for? Maybe she was waiting for his chest to fall or maybe she was waiting for hell to freeze over…
The atmosphere inside was burning and cold, contemplative, and serious. Outside, leaves were flying freely from their home up in the branches of old trees. Quatre knew he couldn't leave to avoid whatever was going to happen; this was the calm before the storm, the storm of the century, the fight of their lives. They had never fought before and Quatre didn't want to start now. Weren't fights what literally broke apart the best bonds of life?
Maybe Rei didn't know that.
"We need to talk, Quatre." The words didn't catch in her throat but they managed to cause his heart to nearly jump up his. She was secure in what she wanted to say and that no matter the definite circumstances she was going to have it her way because that's how it had always been. Quatre was afraid for the day when her poise was defect.
He was careful not to trip over his words; truth be told, she made him plum nervous in these types of situations. He wasn't a fighter, he was a lover. "Okay." Breathe! "What about?"
Somehow his calm words only fueled the blazes behind her intent. "Don't play with me, Quatre Winner, and don't make me use your full name. You know what this is about! It's about your sister, your flesh and blood, the one woman you're allowed to love more than me!" She paused and he managed another breath. "She's dead, Quatre. What does that say about me?"
He twitched, but made sure it was a small enough movement so that she wouldn't pick it up. What was she talking about…? Iria. The Butcher. Yokio. The murder. Yeah, that's what she was talking about. But as for her question, he still hadn't a clue. "That you're alive…?"
"No, Quatre. I'm fucking dead." She made a movement to slap herself on the forehead and obviously succeeded. The noise was so loud, Quatre was started and felt the need to ask if she was hurt, but he held back when she continued her rampage. "Are you really that clueless? Am I about to marry a fucking moron? Quatre, you're supposed to look after her, keep her alive, you know, look out for her like a brother is supposed to do. How can I trust that you're going to keep ME alive if you can't keep your sister alive?"
Deep down, he was hurt. Quatre loved Iria with his whole heart; she had been there for him since practically day one. Without her, his sister, he doubted that he would have become half the person he was today. Without her, he would have been lost in a family disease: a desire for control, power, and wealth. It had been Iria who had taught him love, compassion, and sincerity; she knew that he wasn't going to get it from anyone else. Iria dying was like his mother dying all over again.
Rei was completely right. He had done little to prevent Iria's death. He had always thought she could handle herself in any situation, given that she always had been on top of things when he was young; she had taken care of him and managed to pursue everything she had dreamed of. It was as if she was a woman of no faults, no flaws or imperfections, but she was only human and she had died like one. However, her death was a very preventable one…and he had done nothing to save her. Even if someone could somehow convince him that it had been too late, Iria had called too late, Rei had called to inform him too late, his car had been going too slow that night, something that couldn't have possibly be controlled by him had caused it…he doubted he would have believed them.
But Iria and Rei were different; his love for the two women differed in many ways. Iria had been a mother and a companion through his years while Rei would, hopefully, be his companion until death. He yearned to live in Rei's presence, to be near or to feel her body next to his and in his arms. With Iria, he only wished for her guidance and the secure feeling her words evoked in him.
Which led him to a possible conclusion about her accusation… "Rei, you know I love you. There's no question about that-"
…But she cut him off before he could get there. "That's not what I'm getting at! Quatre, don't you see? What if I'm in real, actual, life threatening DANGER? How are you going to protect me? You wouldn't have even known she was in fucking trouble if she hadn't called me. How can I trust you with my life if …you couldn't be trusted with hers?"
He felt his heart drop into a bottomless pit. "I don't know, Rei, but there isn't a person in this world that could possibly come between my protecting you." The words soon died of an empty meaning as her hands came to her hips and the look in her eye intensified. "I don't know, Rei. I honestly and sorrowfully don't know."
"How can I marry someone who can't keep me safe? Isn't that what marriage is about, Quatre?" Her hands went to her face as her words slowed and faded. She paused to think. The dark wisps of her hair cleverly clashed with the light color of her porcelain skin. As her hands were removed from her face, the look on her somewhat dark features terrified him.
She was utterly, emotionally, no doubt about it, serious.
"It's more than that, Rei. I…don't know what you want me to say. I mean, you know I love you more than I ever have loved anyone and probably ever will," his voice shook as he spoke. Somehow he felt like he was losing the battle, like he was losing her and she wanted to be lost.
The fire was warm beside her and she took a quick glance at it and sighed, perhaps comforted slightly. Her sigh made him sigh. His, however, was mostly caused by reflex: trying to carry her burden on his shoulders. Quatre didn't think it was working this time, though. The battle had only started between them but somehow the tension had ceased. She rested an arm across her midsection and an elbow on top it, to place her elegant cheek in her hand and slouch.
"I know you love me, Quatre, but you loved Iria, too. Your love didn't protect her and won't protect me. Love isn't everything, Quatre, and if we don't have everything…if this relationship doesn't have everything, how can we manage? Together, even, how can we deal with life if we can hardly handle it by ourselves?"
Quatre was defeated by the words which his fiancée used as an arrow to lesion his heart. Without that vital piece of muscle in his body, he felt weak and useless and his bones felt like sticks, his head heavy, his feet and hands too big, and his lungs had stopped working.
"Rei…" he said under his breath. The emotion in with which he said her name was as powerful as her wrath: soft with passion, slow like pain, and as deep as the hole he found himself trying to claw out of.
Her reply, though, was softer, slower, and deeper than what he could manage. "Quatre…" Her eyes closed and her hands went to her heart as she turned to the fire. Again, she sighed, but this time he didn't repeat the action. Rei wasn't finished, though, and her aim was to thoroughly torture his useless, broken-hearted soul. "I love you more than you could ever know. But love didn't save Iria, didn't save Makoto, Usagi, or Relena, and it can't save either one of us."
He watched a tear slide down her cheek and he had to walk away. Rei's eyes neglected to watch him as she stared into the fire, hoping to gain something she could have possibly lost tonight.
In the fire she gazed, horrified at the site she saw. A blonde girl's tattered and battered form with her blue eyes wide open in agony, Usagi's frozen and bloodied figure leaning against a sacred tree, Iria stained crimson from her gun wounds with a scribbled message written in her very blood, and a madman shooting everyone in sight, including Makoto.
She had no choice. No one did…
"The city has a magical glow to it tonight, Quatre. Wipe that pout off your face and enjoy it like everyone else is. It would not be fair for me to sit here, drinking away the night, while you pretend to be having a good time," she coaxed him, pushing him to an unseen edge to make him say something or to enjoy the night when he didn't want to. Her words always had a twist; a way to manipulate a brain into doing what they ordered.
But he couldn't enjoy her company as he had before. He felt like he was being punished for something he didn't know that he had done. "I'm sorry," he heaved a sigh. "I hope I'm not ruining your night…I'm just a bit preoccupied, I guess." Damn straight he was.
Dorothy Catalonia picked up her drink, coke and rum, and eased it to her lips. "You know, Quatre, you should not let things get to you so easily; it's as if you are still a little child that needs things to be explained instead of making connections yourself." She took a sip and replaced the glass on the table. "What happens to be tormenting your mind tonight, dear friend?"
He heaved a sigh, leaning forward and placing his hands next to the full martini glass. Quatre didn't want to talk about Rei in front of Dorothy, at least…not when she had been drinking; her attitude about Rei definitely wasn't the most positive and he didn't want to fight anymore. He was tired of fighting and had been tired for a long time.
Instead, he kept his head lowered so that she couldn't see his blue eyes analyzing her. He had many fond memories of Dorothy and many not so great, but he had her exact image ingrained perfectly into his mind. She had long platinum blonde hair that never forgot to shine in even the smallest amount of light, ice blue eyes that sent chills down his back at times from their cold appearance, and a body so well sculpted it could rival that of Aphrodite or Rei.
Quatre's mouth twitched into a smile. Her eyebrows, however, were a topic all on their own. How could she look into a mirror and not feel the need to…pluck them? He had watched Rei take tweezers and pluck her eyebrows to perfection, but Dorothy never had. In fact, Dorothy probably didn't even know how to. He felt like laughing but held it back; Dorothy was beautiful despite her evil eyebrows. She was the opposite of his love and it was probably the reason why he was still friends with her. Everyone needed a change sometime.
However, Dorothy wasn't just any average company. The woman had, many years ago, been his fiancée. Of course, that was before Quatre had met Rei and truly fell in love. The fact that he had another woman, though, didn't change Dorothy's opinion. She still loved him, it was obvious, but he didn't mind or care. She was incredibly wise and always lent the advice that seemed to lead him to the best possible solution or conclusion. That was why he was with the blonde right now; he needed advice on what to do about Rei…but how could he, supposedly one of the nicest people on God's green Earth, ask for help? Could he really be as heartless as to bring up the subject of the only woman Dorothy ever had such pessimistic feelings for?
Yes, of course he could. That was why he couldn't enjoy the night; it was going to be pure hell to torture her like that…
Maybe not, though. He wasn't sure why he had called her after his fight (could he call it that?) with Rei. Quatre couldn't explain it; couldn't explain the reason why he didn't want to mention Rei but at the same time wanted to ask her for advice on the very subject. He knew Dorothy could have a very strong reaction, a very bad one, that is, to hearing anything about his fiancée. At the same time, nevertheless
He took a long, swift gulp of his martini. "I sort of…well, Rei and I had a fight, to put it shortly, and I'm kind of worried." He wondered…sympathy act? Ah, why not… "I don't know what to do." Quatre looked up, coming in eye contact with Dorothy. He didn't pull away and neither did she. Her hands, though, managed to find a way on top of his like a protective shield to keep him in place and unharmed. He could feel the heat radiating from them in an almost loving way as her fingers played with his fondly.
A small smile briefly assured him of her desire to comfort him. Dorothy blinked once and stopped finger movement. "Ah, alright. I see why you look so tense; you are worried about your relationship with Rei. Mind telling me what the fight was about?"
Quatre's hands felt uncomfortable under hers so he pulled away and encircled one around the neck of his glass and the other to scratch the back of his neck. "Well…I'm not entirely sure what's going on in her head at all times, but whatever she was thinking was triggered by Iria's murder." He had to pause, unless he wasn't afraid to cry in public. "She thinks that I can't protect her."
"Oh, Quatre, she just wants a way out of marrying you." Dorothy's hands went to her lap after taking another sip of her rum and coke. "Rei is using an excuse: you not being able to protect her. Obviously, Quatre, she does not love you enough to actually go through with the marriage. I can't see why, though. Perhaps she met another man and you are unaware? Or perhaps-"
Impossible. "Dorothy, I don't think she's having a premarital affair; Rei isn't like that. I think she's just scared…" He wasn't going to let her berate the woman his heart still sang out to no matter the circumstances. Dorothy could hate Rei, but not in front of him.
She wasn't affected by his interruption, though, and kept going strong with her assumptions and opinions. It was quite natural for her to ignore his disruption; she was Dorothy Catalonia, head of the Romefeller Foundation. She was a business woman and easily scared men much bigger and fiercer than the likes of him. In more ways than one, she was the shark in the sea and everyone else was the fish she ate. "Open your eyes. What could she be scared of? Marrying you? Nice one, Quatre, I must applaud your comedic efforts but no. Don't be so blind, Quatre Raberba Winner. Hino Rei is a who-"
His face flushed. Quatre's eyes averted and rested on the middle of the table for a moment. She might have been the shark in the sea, but he was too. Maybe he was the shark that ate other sharks. Yeah, that was him. "Stop, Dorothy, you don't know Rei."
"Maybe I don't, but maybe you don't either." Platinum strands were pulled behind her ears and she crossed her black panted legs, one over the other. "Tell me more, Quatre."
He bit his lip and tasted copper. Copper was strong, he thought, and he was, too. A shark! Quatre could play Dorothy's games. "Because Iria died and I wasn't able to protect her, to stop her murder…Rei thinks that I won't be able to protect her from anything. She says love can't protect her. She's right, Dorothy, she's absolutely right. I can't protect her."
Dorothy made a face equivalent to scrunching up her nose and furry eyebrows. "Why should you protect her? You could not have possibly saved your sister and Rei cannot expect you to be there for her like some trained dog." Her eyes reflected the lights over head, sparkling as if she absolutely knew she was right.
Quatre took in a good amount of air through his nose and didn't let it out for a while. "Yeah, but that's not the point-"
"It's not?" Dorothy's hand went up to cup her chin as if she was more bored than concerned. Her golden bracelets shimmied down her forearm. "She's trying to push you away from her. By all means, let her; if she does not want to marry you, you should not want to marry her. I knew it could not possibly work out; Rei is an inconsiderate little snob that needs to be taught a valuable lesson in life. I feel as if she has been using you this whole time for reasons neither you nor I am aware of."
Rei was not pushing him away, what an absurd idea. If she was, Quatre wouldn't feel so worried for her well-being and would feel more concerned with his own. Besides, the whole thing was about him being able to protect her, right? But, as the real question seemed to be, protect her from what, exactly? From herself, from the public…from him… It didn't make sense. Maybe she was pushing him away, trying to find a reason why they couldn't get married.
He figured, though, that it was the same for everyone else. Marriage was built on love, respect, and all that shit. None of it could protect anyone from physical harm. So what did she want from him? Did she want him to hire an elite squad to watch her every move to make sure she would be safe? That would mean money, though. It was something he had but never, not once, had it entered into the equation of their relationship. Without that factor, he believed, it made them so attracted to each other physically and mentally because they weren't thinking about the other's job or income. They had always wanted more of each other, to see the other "one last time" or to talk to the other "just for a few more minutes" and somehow that had turned into nights with no sleep just talking on the phone or breakfasts sitting at the table that lasted until lunch…not "can I borrow $1,000,000, please?".
None of that would or could protect Rei. Not his money, not her money, and the not their attraction or yearning they felt towards each other could stop someone from gang raping her or a car crashing into hers. Hell! If anything, those things only made the chance of those things happening even greater. Not one thing in this universe could one hundred percent protect anyone from anything. Not from hurt, pain, death…or happiness. Maybe that's what Rei was scared of: being happy for once. What a crazy idea! Somehow, though, he knew it was the truth.
Quatre smiled with his heart and he felt like crying. He knew what it was! Rei was scared of finally being happy, allowing him to let her be happy. So, in a way, she was trying to keep distance between him and her; trying to keep the idea of true love away because Rei didn't believe in it. She had always told him that she 'couldn't be falling in love, but it sure did feel like it'. Maybe she was just joking herself because it was obvious to him now that Rei loved him too much. That's why she had cried. She knew what she was doing. Rei had always been sentient of what she was causing.
He laughed with his final thought, "We've both been entirely wrong. I need to go, Dorothy, thank you for the talk; I really needed it." For a second, Quatre thought he could see pain on her face.
She seemed uneasy, however, but she nodded. "It's been great, Quatre. Just like old times." Her hands moved to rest on her lap.
Dorothy watched Quatre pay for their drinks quickly, placing a hundred dollar bill on the table, and leave in a hurry. Outside she could hear his car hum to life and speed away against the dying storm outside. She whispered to herself, "Yeah, just like old times, huh, Quatre? We used to do this all the time, just the two of us. We used to be in love but now you have been caught by someone else. How could you?" She blinked back the tears she had been holding in all night. "How could you so brutally batter my heart every day?"
She stood and walked outside, shrugging on her mink jacket and grabbing her genuine leather purse. A long time ago they had been crazy for each other. He would call her all the time and they'd spend days without end with each other, talking and making love. In her head, Dorothy could clearly remember the day he had proposed to her. They had spent the night in the arms of the other and he had turned around with a small box. She hadn't been the least bit surprised and accepted without a second thought.
Her doubts, though, built as he spent more time 'at work' than with her. He would forget to call or forget important dates. The time they spent together had slowly decayed to a simple greeting, a kiss or a hug, and a few rushed words of little or no meaning. Even if Quatre was a cop and Dorothy an active business woman, her schedule had always allowed a time for him but, it seemed, his couldn't. She didn't mind much because they had found time, at least once a week, to meet for a night of passion. The doubts only eased then and soared after.
Her world had shattered, however, when she saw Quatre and Rei together at the very bar she had just been in. Anyone could have simply misjudged them as friends but Dorothy had known better. The smiles and looks he gave Rei that day weren't friendly in the slightest and Dorothy hadn't seen those looks for a very long time.
In a fit of rage, Dorothy had thrown the ring at them and it landed in his drink only to be consumed by the alcohol filling the glass. She had stormed out, hurt beyond human comprehension, and cried alone in the park until midnight. Going home, though, would have meant more hurt since they had lived together, so, instead, she spent the next week or two isolated in Relena's house. Dorothy had hated life. Dorothy had hated Rei. Why?
It was all Rei's fault.
Dorothy revved her engine awake and shifted into drive before she sneered and wiped away the tears she hadn't noticed. "In God's name, Hino Rei, you will pay for everything."
Rei sat in front of the fire, basking in its brightness like it was the sun. In more ways than one, fire was her sun. It had always been there for her, telling her of the future no matter how awful it was. But at the moment, the fire was oddly silent after its previous explosion of images and it scared her. Why was it keeping information from her now, of all times?
She sighed, wiping her face again to make sure she wasn't still crying. Rei felt so weak, powerless, and more over, she felt like the dirt under Quatre's shoes. He was too good for her; he was too kind, too considerate and gentle, loving and passionate. What was she? A horrible monster too scared to love someone. Her fists found the ground in front of her angrily. She didn't have a choice; there was no way she could be with him, she didn't want to be hurt. But did Quatre deserve to be hurt instead?
"God damnit," she muttered in between choked sobs. She refused to cry, though, and only made small whining sounds that couldn't really be heard. It didn't matter, though, Rei thought, the only thing that could hear her was the calming fire. It never changed; always was the same every time she looked at it. Red and orange flames with flickers of blue or green always; it could never be different.
However, she was as inconsistent as the height the flames reached. She was either high on emotion or low to a level of hatred. Right now, though, she was low in self pity; she might have just driven the only man she could have loved away and into the arms of another. Rei could deny it, say that he loved her more than anyone else, but she would only be trying to raise her spirits. Her spirits, though, were meant to be lower than hell; why should she even try to elevate them? She wasn't worth the lift that was Quatre. Rei didn't deserve to be happy.
At least, that's what she thought. By any means necessary, she would keep it that way, but Quatre...She had been betrayed and backstabbed, what could he do to her? Whatever it was, Rei reasoned, it would have to be ten times worse because she loved him. It even wounded her to think about it. He couldn't…but the others hadn't seemed like they could either and they did. All men were the same. Dogs.
She was too far in thought to notice the man behind her until he had dropped to his knees and pulled her hair away from her right shoulder and neck. From there, he placed soft kisses and wrapped his arms around her shoulders.
"Quatre." Damn those fucking tears. Why couldn't they stop? She knew they hadn't stopped since Usagi's death and they wouldn't stop until…
He stopped kissing her and hugged her tightly, allowing her body to relax against his. "I'm sorry, Rei. You're right, love can't protect us—my love can't protect you. But you know what?" He paused for her to think and answer.
But she didn't think. She couldn't think. What was he telling her? She was right? No, she was wrong! "Quatre…" Her voice was weak, though, too weak to even be called a voice.
He placed a light kiss on her cheek and watched the fire. "We're different from everyone else, Rei. I don't care if ten thousand men were after you, I'd kill them all with my bare hands just to see you again. I love you and nothing can change that; I'll protect you from anything with everything I have."
"I don't deserve you. I don't deserve what you can give me…why, Quatre? Why do you love me?" She didn't know where all her self-doubt had come from. Rei turned to read his features—turned her back on the fire to watch it glow on his visage.
His hands cupped her face and he smiled, sincerely. "I love you because of your fiery strength and your cold desolation. I love you because of the honey laughter you create and the angered glares you could kill people with. I love you because of your intelligence and your arrogance. I love you because you're Hino Rei, my fiancée, the woman I'm going to be happily married to for the rest of my life."
Her wine eyes watered and she had to blink a few times to rid the blurriness. "I'm a horrible person, Quatre, I don't deserve you or anything."
"Au contraire, Mon amour, you deserve the whole world; stop saying you don't." Another smile graced his face. "Rei, will you marry me?"
How could he be so convincing; why could he be? For the moment, she thought, everything would be ok. Kin would be caught and life would go on. Her life would and it'd be with Quatre. Minako would move on and Ami would, too. The man in front of her was perfect and she couldn't turn him away. Rei didn't understand, now, why she had.
It didn't matter though, she knew. They were together and he hadn't been affected in the least. Most importantly, their relationship had grown stronger because this doubt had been removed. Love wasn't just a feeling, it was real and they had it in their grasp.
The fire flickered brightly behind her.
"Quatre, we're already engaged," she laughed through her tears. "But I'll still say yes. I'll marry you, Quatre. I'll marry you twice. I'll marry you three times if you want. Hell, let's go for five."
Maybe it'd be okay. No, it would be okay. She was deeply in love and no amount of digging or climbing would find a way out of it.
A.N.: Love the fluff now because I doubt there will be any more of it for a long time, if any at all. I know angst gets boring and that's why there are these types of scenes, but other than that...this isn't a happy story. Thanks for all the reviews, keep them coming and I'll love you all even more.
Needs to go start her chemistry hoemwork,
Transcendent, the almost-mighty.
Aino Yuy aka Funny Loser: Wufei is too good for condoms, didn't you know that? I guess you missed that memo. Your dedication? Up there somewhere. Hmm, yeah, enough words wasted on you.
SVZ: points and laughs hysterically at you AINO BEAT YOU! That's great. Heh, well, my ego is fairly large nowadays, and I bet Alma can reassure you about that, too. Hmm, well, no Ami or Duo in this chapter. Actually, I bet this chapter seemed pointless. YOU ARE ALL WRONG.
Tsubasa-chan: Since I know you like Rei so much, here's a nice Rei chapter. It's so sweet and snuggly, too...aweee. Heh, sorry, though, it wasn't for you. I had to...my brain made me write it. But still, that doesn't mean a single thing. I can say it was for you and ...it is now! Umm...more smut to come?
Wishful Thinking2: Hello, m'love. I think 2 milk is the best. It's not cream or like water, it's just like...milk, ya' know? I like your reviews when you should be sleeping. So I'm not going to remind you.
Inverse-chan: No action in this chapter, but you're right. Sometime soon whistles sometime soon... Minako will be paired with no one, really. I don't call it "pairing". People in real life don't "pair". They get together. In that sense, Minako does a lot of 'getting together'.
AznxAngel: Awe, you loved it? That makes me happy ;D
Black Aura-Sama: Hello, m'dearest Kna! Jiro Motesgue est le hot sex. I like that review, ya' know...I liked knowing I made you laugh/smile that much!
optional: (Review I) Eh, I guess I kept you waiting. I'm sorry, really...I am. I just have some brain disorder no one has discovered yet. AND YES, that's a damn good excuse. (Review II) Thanks for reviewing again. I'm not allowing myself to tell everyone the pairings yet. It's something for you to figure out. I'll tell you now, though: I'm really tricky; not everything is as it appears to be.
FairDrea: Yeah, I would have to agree with that "about time" shit. I can't wait for my next smut scene so you can help me improve. I'd say that would be one of the main reason why we're maired but...umm, well, there's a hell of a lot of reasons why we're married. Wouldn't you agree? Heh ;P By the way, the book I'm reading has a character with YOUR name who has blonde hair. Isn't that weird? Her initials are D.O.E.S. and if they are yours, I'm going to die. Well, it'll be fun reading about you in my new book.
SilverCaladan: FFnet sucks for being such a fucking jackass and destroying four possible reviews I could've gotten from you. Well, anyways, love you, m'dearest wife.
I'm growing old with this story...