Chapter 2

As she left Lady Une's office, Dorothy slammed the door behind her. This caused everyone in the room to jump and glare at Dorothy. Dorothy rolled her eyes, "Get over it." she said as she sat in her chair. 'When did becoming a babysitter become my job.' Dorothy wasn't pleased at all with the turn of events. She picked up the phone and ordered someone to bring her a box, a DECENT looking box. She opened her desk drawers and took out all she had in them. Manicure kit, address book, and reports she had to file for Lady Une. 'Dorothy C. Catalonia, granddaughter of Duchess Catalonia, personal babysitter.' She thought of her new title with disgust. This job would be nothing but a pain on her behind. She was more than positive that Mr. Winner was capable of taking care of himself, he was a Gundam Pilot for goodness sakes. If anything, he should be HER body guard. Not that she needed to be protected, Dorothy could defend herself with the best of them. She was so deep in her thoughts that she didn't notice someone was staring at her with amused eyes, and a box in hand.

"Stop daydreaming about Kansas Dorothy.", the person said.

Dorothy snapped awake, and felt her blood pressure rise. Then she smirked. "Repunzel, Repunzel, let down your hair." She looked up at the man standing infront of her desk. "So what? You're the new maintenance man? Geez Maxwell, you can't hold a job can ya?". Dorothy looked at him. He wasn't an eye sore at all. He was almost godly. Almost. Duo Maxwell had grown to be a tall, handsome man. His face was more well defined than before. 'No baby-fat there.' If it wasn't for the fact that he was the prankster that he was, she might have fallen for him. Might.

"Why Duo, where is that long, beautiful, chesnut mame that usually hung from your head? Has it disappeared?" Dorothy asked innocently. She knew exactly what had happened to it.

Duo scowled. Only Dorothy could make him scowl like that. "You cut it off remember? You crazy woman."

The innocent look she had faded, and turned to a look of realization. She looked like she was having an epiphany. She was quite the actress. "Oh that's right! See? That's what happens when you tell people I offered my body to you as a birthday present."

She remembered like it had been yesterday. The day after Duo's party she had come into the Preventer building only to be greeted with whispers and pointing fingers. She had asked what all the looks and wispers were about, but no one answered. No one except one angry Hilde Schbeiker. Although Duo had broken up months before his birthday, she was obviously still in love with him. That became very obvious to Dorothy when Hilde tried to slap her. She told Dorothy of the rumors, and the next day Duo had woken up with half of his characteristic braid missing. She had left behind a note that said something along the lines of 'No need to thank me. Love, Dorothy.'

Dorothy took all that was on top of her desk and put it on the box. She picked up the box and shoved it into Duo's arms. "I'm hungry, let's go eat." With that she walked around her desk and headed for the elevators, with Duo on her tail.

Duo watched Dorothy carefully on the way down. She was certainly beautiful. She was tall, somewhere around 5'9". Her hair was no longer the platinum blonde it had been during the war, it war more of a golden color. Her hair looked like it had been kissed by the sun. She had bangs now, Relena style bangs. Only hers were more stylish to keep up with the times. Her hair was in a high ponytail that allowed everyone to admire her features, although her eyes were hidden by the bangs. Something he was sure would stay that way. Her new hair style made her look like some sort of angel. 'A devilish angel.', he thought. But an angel non the less. Her body had matured, as is to be expected. And he noticed long ago that she wore her Preventer uniform tighter than any other female officer, allowing everyone who looked at her to admire her curvacious body.

"You know you should put your hair back every once in a while. Let people look at your eyes." The same eyes he had fallen in love with two years ago. He hadn't told anyone that she was the reason he had broken off his engagement to Hilde. He wouldn't tell her of his feelings toward her until he felt the time was right, and he was sure that she would be able to return his feelings. The only person he had admitted any of this was to Heero. He had been floored by his confession, but understood him.

"It's rude to stare Maxwell." She said looking at him through the corner of her eye. "And how I wear my hair is none of your concern." She had heard that Duo had a crush on her, but she refused to believe that. She never denied that he was attractive, but she didn't care to start something that would bring about another scandal like the one that involved her and Milliardo Peacecraft. Besides, Duo was dating Sylvia Noventa. And she didn't care about pursuing anything with Duo Maxwell. While she understood why so many women were infatuated with him, she never saw him that way. He was the man she could count on to annoy her always.

Duo sighed and and leaned agains the elevator wall. "When is this thing gonna get to the last floor. I'm hungry!", Duo whined. He hadn't eaten all day and his stomach was grumbling. "If I don't eat something soon, I'm gonna get bad breath."

Dorothy looked at him."What makes you think you don't have bad breath already?" she asked innocently. Duo shot her a look.

The elevator bell rang, announcing they had reached their destination."Finally!" Duo exclaimed as he stepped off the elevator.

"Ever heard of the saying 'Ladies first'?", Dorothy asked. Her irritation shinning through in her voice. 'Idiot' she thought.

"I wasn't aware you were a lady." he said as he walked up to the front desk. He smiled at Penelope, the receptionist. "Hey gorgeous," he greeted. "Any calls for me?".

Penelope shook her head. "None handsome." She passed him the sign out sheet and smiled. "When are you finally going to take me on that date Duo. I've been waiting since forever." She gave him an enticing smile, and unbottuned the top button of her blouse.

Dorothy could have gagged. She walked toward Duo, and took the place next to him. She took the sheet from Duo's hand, almost tearing it, and signed. "Do I have to remind you, Ms. Sakamoto, that 1. you are a married woman. 2. Mr. Maxwell is dating Sylvia Noventa. And 3. It is very distasteful of you to show off your body in such a cheap way." She turned on her heel. "Let's go Maxwell" she said sternly as she left his side.

Duo apologized to Penelope and ran to catch up with Dorothy. When he finally reached her he slowed his pace. "She's divorced you know." He told her matter-of-factly. "I would never think of becoming involved with a woman who was in a relationship with someone else."

Dorothy opened the trunk of her car and motioned for him to put the box in it. "I see. But it is alright with you to be flirting with other women while you are in a very public relationship with Ms. Noventa." Dorothy walked around to the driver side and unlocked the car.

Duo walked to the passenger side, and when he heard the door become unlocked he opened it and got into the car. He continued to speak as he saw Dorothy start the car. "I can't help it if the ladies find me irresistable. Besides, if they flirt it would be rude for me to not return the favor. If I cheat, it doesn't mean i wanted to. I'd probably just get caught up in the moment. And I can't be held accountable for my passions."

"So what you're saying is that that rule doesn't apply to you?" she asked as she backed the car out.

Duo put his seatbelt on, knowing how reckless Dorothy tended to be on the road. Her license had been revoked countless times, but since she worked for the Preventers, and was a close friend of the Vice Foreign Minister, she always managed to have it un-revoked one might say. "What I'm saying is that someone's definition of what constitutes cheating is in direct proportion to how much they themselves want to cheat-."

Dorothy stopped at the red light and looked at Duo. "That's moral relativism-."

Duo shrugged and looked out the window. He took a deep breath and looked at Dorothy. "Call it whatever you want, Sylvia knows this little fling isn't anything serious. We're just having fun. And anyways, believe it or not I happen to be a man of honor, not to sound like Wufei. I would never cheat on a woman."

"You better make sure she has that crystal clear. From what I heard she's already looking at wedding dresses." Dorothy said as she pulled up into the restaurant's parking lot. It had taken her 20 minutes to get there. 'I'm getting slow. Better drive faster next time.' She looked at Duo and laughed outloud at the look on his face. The color had completely drained from his skin. "Afraid of commitment Mr. Maxwell?" she asked with a smirk on her face.

"What do you mean she's looking at wedding dresses, we've only been dating for a month." there was fear in his voice.

Dorothy laughed. "I'm just kidding. Her cousin, Helen, is getting married."

Duo sighed a sigh of relief. "That's a very cruel thing to say."

Dorothy shrugged. " So is saying I offered you my body." Dorothy found a parking space and parked her car. 'I should have just gone to the valet parking area.' she thought as she stepped out of the car.

They entered the restaurant and were made to wait over 15 minutes. "Why are these places always so full? Doesn't anyone know how to cook these days?" she mumbled under her breath. She tried blowing her bangs out of her face but failed.

"If it's such a bother for you to wait, why don't you just go cook then?" Duo asked looking around.

"Duo please. The day I step into a kitchen and cook willingly is the day you and I get married." Just as she finished her sentence the host came and showed them personally to their table.

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After the meal had been over, Dorothy and Duo drove to the apartment complex they lived in. As was stated in the Preventer Rule Book, or Bible as Dorothy called it, Preventer officers were to live in the living quarters paid by the Preventers 5 months out of the year. Duo and Dorothy parted ways there. He was headed to Trowa's place, and Dorothy had some packing to do for her trip to L4. She read in the report she wouldn't be there for more than a week because Mr. Winner had business to attend on the Earth the following week.

Dorothy entered her apartment and took off her high heels. It was also stated in the Preventer Rule Book that flat combat boots were to be worn at all times, and that clothes had to be loose in order to allow more movement when in battle. Dorothy made sure she not follow those rules. Just because she was a Preventer didn't mean she had to stop being a woman. She got special permission from Une to dress the way she did. Tight uniform, high heels.

She walked to the phone and saw the answering machine beeping, indicating she had a message. She checked the caller ID. It was grandmother Celina. Dorothy rolled her eyes. Contrary to popular belief, Dorothy was not the only member of her family left. She had countless cousins, uncles, and aunts. Not to mention one very alive grandmother. The same grandmother that forced Dorothy to wear her hair the way she did now. Dorothy picked up the phone and dialed her number. A very haughty voice answered the phone and Dorothy guessed that it was Alphonse, her grandmother's personal butler. How personal Dorothy didn't care to know, it was typical in Dorothy's family to keep secrets.

"Good afternoon Alphonse, this is Dorothy. Please put Grandmother Celina on the phone." Dorothy said as she headed to the kitchen to make some coffee. 'It's offical, I'm addicted.'

She heard some noise on the other end and then she heard a woman's voice on the other line. A high, annoying voice. "Dorothy darling, what a surprise!"

Dorothy rolled her eyes. "Grandmother how are you?" she asked politely.

"I'm quite alright dear. I'll be better if you tell me that you finally found someone to marry. Especially if it's that Peacecraft boy." her grandmother said cheerily. Dorothy's grandmother was obsessed with the idea of marrying Dorothy, being that she was the only of the females, other than Mariemaya, that was not engaged or married.

Dorothy closed her eyes and shook her head in irritation. "Mr.Milliardo is a healthy 28 grandmother, I hardly consider that the age of a boy. And no, I didn't call to announce that I'm getting married."

"Then why did you call? I'm a very busy woman you know." Her grandmother said in a stern voice. Dorothy imagined this is what her grandfather, Duke Dermail, had been attracted to. Her grandmother was a no nonsense type of woman. Always to the point, and never beating around the bush. Much like Dorothy.

"I called to tell you that I will be going to L4, which means I won't be able to attend the charity dinner you'll be hosting in 2 days. So sorry."

"Oh poo. And here I was inviting some gentlemen I would like you to meet, to see if one of them were of any interest to you. Now you won't meet them!" Grandmother Celina never gave up.

"Such a shame. So sorry to hear that." Dorothy said, trying to sound sincere. Celina was always playing matchmaker, although 2 of her matches had ended up in divorce.

"Well, what's done is done. And if you must go, go you must. What will you be doing in L4 anyways? I thought you hated traveling to the colonies." Her grandmother inquired. Celina also tended to be a busybody.

"I will be Quatre R. Winner's personal bodyguard." As soon as the words left her lips, she regreted them. She could almost see the twinkle in her grandmother's eyes.

"Personal you say? Why Dorothy, this is the best thing that's ever happened to you! Make the Winner man fall in love with you, he is a great match. Rich, good name, good family, and let's not forget his great looks. He puts that Peacecraft child to shame!" her grandmother exclaimed.

"Grandmother please!" Dorothy said with exasperation. "This is strictly work. And I have no desire to have any sort of romantic entaglement with a playboy like Mr. Winner. He sleeps with a different woman everyday!"

"Dorothy please. You can't believe everything you hear. Unless it's coming from me ofcourse." Celina chided. "Besides, I'm sure if anyone can change a man, that person is certainly you."

Dorothy sighed. "Grandmother please, get your head out of the clouds. Anyways, I need to get packing. Have a good day."

"Oh alright, do as you wish. Have a safe trip dear. I'll have suitors for you when you come back."

"Goodbye Grandmother!" Dorothy said annoyed. With that she hung up the phone. 'Quatre Winner and I in love. The idea is laughable.' Dorothy walked out of the kitchen with her cup of coffee and a danish and sat in the couch opposite the TV. She had to catch up on her stories and current events before she went to L4. Now was as good a time as any.

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-I got those quotes from sex and the city. I love that show, and that was one of my fave episodes.

I hope you guys liked it! Don't forget to review.

Ja ne!