"Hello, Relena," the other woman purred, flipping her - very mussed - long blonde hair over one shoulder. "What can I do for you?"

Relena gaped at her in disbelief. "What… are you doing here?"

"I should ask the same of you…" Dorothy yawned, stretched her arms over her head and arched her back with feline grace. She smiled at Relena, looking every bit like the cat that got the canary. "Shouldn't you be with Heero?"

Relena stood staring at Dorothy, feeling several emotions surging all at once, from shock to shame and rage, and then… no, just more rage. She was sure her face was changing colors, too, if the heat lashing her cheeks was any indication.

"Wh- why… you…"

"Did you get my present?" Dorothy grinned lazily as she stretched again, her lithe frame somehow blocking the entire doorway.

Relena craned her neck and tried looking past Dorothy to see where Quatre might be; but it was clear wherever he was, Dorothy was not about to share. "What present?"

"Oh come on, Relena, have you forgotten already?" Dorothy tilted her head to the side, her eyes glittering. "Or should I send them again?"

"Them?" Relena frowned. "What are you-"

"The photos?" Dorothy grinned just as Relena caught on. And again, she knew she shouldn't have been surprised - Dorothy was indeed the culprit, who had somehow blackmailed herself. Relena gaped at her.

"How'd you do it?" She was annoyed as hell, but part of her still wanted to know. Dorothy's grin widened.

"I hired a photographer, silly. I knew Heero was flustered enough to agree to meet with me. And then he was so distracted… I had him right where I wanted him." She raised her hand to inspect her nail beds. "It was too easy, really… I knew you'd get jealous and go running back into his arms." She lowered her hand to her side, violet eyes gleaming. "And, naturally, I told Quatre all about it."

Relena wanted to smack the smug look off the other woman's face, but she was done playing into Dorothy's hand. "Where is Quatre?"

Dorothy's eyes flicked to the side, but she folded her arms over her robe and didn't otherwise move. "He's… a little tied up at the moment."

Her so-called friend's coyness was getting old. Relena crossed her own arms over her chest and began stamping one foot. "You'd better move out of my way, or I'm going to make you."

Dorothy's eyes lit up. "Ooh, Heero has been rubbing off on you, hasn't he? For your sake, I hope that's not all he's rubbing…" She cackled.

"Dorothy! That's enough," Relena snapped. "I just came here to see if Quatre was all right-"

"Oh, he's fabulous," Dorothy cut in, waving her hand. Relena's eyes narrowed.

"All right, then. I just need to speak with him, briefly, if you would be so kind." It was impossible to keep the sarcastic edge from her tone. "Then I will happily be on my way, and you can go back to… whatever it is you're doing." She gestured helplessly.

Dorothy delivered another devious smile. "I think you know perfectly well…"

"Ugh. Spare me the details," Relena sighed. "Now, may I speak with Quatre? Please?"

Finally, Dorothy stepped to the side, giving Relena just enough room to cross the threshold. "Be my guest." She bobbed her torso in a slight curtsy, the smirk never leaving her face.

"Quatre?" Relena called as she stepped further inside the suite, to a sitting room with an ornate tufted couch that complemented the rest of the tasteful decor. But her fiancé was nowhere to be seen.

"Relena?" His voice was coming from behind a closed door on the left side of the suite. It had to be the bedroom. Oh, boy…

Well, Relena wasn't about to barge in there. She paused outside the door, wringing her hands together. "Can we… talk?"

Quatre's answer was a nervous laugh. "Uhhh…"

"I told you…" Dorothy appeared behind Relena, flashing her feline smile. "He's tied up at the moment."

And then Dorothy turned the knob and let the door swing open.

"Dorothy!" Quatre yelped, but it was too late.

Relena leapt backward before she could get a full view, but she already saw far more than she wanted to. "I'm sorry!" she cried, running for the sitting room, her face burning.

"Relena, wait!"

Dorothy was snickering, but Relena could just make out the soft reprimand Quatre gave her. Politely asking her to untie him…

Well. That was not an image Relena wanted to dwell on. She supposed it was good, then, that she and Quatre definitely weren't going to be getting married. Heero Yuy had definitely ruined her for other men; he was the only one she ever wanted to see in a precarious position like that…

Which gave her a downright naughty idea for the next time she would see him….

Relena was still flushed when Quatre entered the sitting room, now fully dressed, although his hair was rumpled, his face as red as her own.

"Relena, I'm so sorry," he said, coming to a stop a few feet in front of her. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, trying uselessly to smooth it. "That was… I didn't mean for you to see that."

Relena felt her cheeks grow hotter. "No, I know… it's not your fault, Quatre." She leveled a stare at Dorothy, who was still lingering in the doorway.

"Well, you said you wanted to see him..." she started.

"Dorothy," Quatre cut in, his voice and countenance weary. "Would you mind giving us a minute?" He looked at her imploringly. Dorothy's lower lip jutted out, but she turned and sashayed into the bedroom, slamming the door behind her.

Quatre heaved another sigh and turned back to Relena. "Again, I'm really sorry…" His aquamarine eyes were pained, pleading. "I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me."

Relena sighed, too, although it faded into a hoarse laugh. "Oh, Quatre… I can't blame you for any of this. But you are sweet to apologize." She smiled and reached over to grasp his arm. "All I want to know is… are you happy with how things turned out?" She waggled her brows. "Or do you need me to help you escape from Dorothy?"

Quatre broke into a laugh. "No, that's all right… The truth is, I am happy." And he looked happy; now, his eyes were practically dancing. "Actually… I kind of always had a crush on Dorothy. But I never did anything about it because she was always involved with someone. Then once she got married, I gave up any hope that anything would ever happen between us…"

Relena nodded sympathetically. "I know exactly how that feels." Her own on and off relationship with Heero was enough to make her head spin. Only now was she starting to feel like everything they shared was enough to bind them together… forever.

The past few days with Heero had rekindled the hope she'd always harbored in her heart. Now, she needed to trust that everything was going to work out exactly as it was meant to, because they were meant to be. Now, more than ever, she truly believed she and Heero were fated… although fate had taken them on a few detours over the past several years.

Fate either had a wicked sense of humor or enjoyed playing cruel jokes; Relena didn't know whether she wanted to laugh or cry over the winding path that had led her here.

She chose… a combination of both.

Once she started laughing, it was hard to stop, until tears were mingling with her giggles. Quatre joined her, and they stood laughing for what felt like several minutes, until Dorothy emerged from the bedroom looking at the two of them as if they'd each sprouted a second head.

Eventually they were able to compose themselves. Then, after Quatre apologized several more times for losing track of time and missing their dinner, Relena was finally able to give him his ring back. It was a bittersweet moment, and Dorothy's vulturous presence made it more nerve-wracking than it would have been already. But Quatre was gracious as always, and Relena left his suite feeling more lighthearted than she had in weeks.

Although Relena had to wonder, as she turned down the hall, whether Dorothy would pounce immediately and demand Quatre give the engagement ring to her, or insist that he buy her one of her own. But, of course, she would have to finalize her divorce first… Relena did not envy the mess that Dorothy would have to clean up in that regard.

Then again, maybe some things were worth it.

Relena smiled to herself as she made her way back to the elevator, and her bodyguards fell into step behind her. She assured them that everything was all right, then placed another call to Heero.

"Did you find Quatre?"

"Yes. He's fine. Just preoccupied… with Dorothy."

"So she went for it," Heero said.

"Oh, she certainly did." Relena shook her head to the side. "Well, at least that's all over and done with… now, we can all move on."

"Good," he said. "What's your plan for the rest of the night?"

"Hmm… well, since I missed dinner I'll probably just order some room service and relax," Relena said. "It's been an… interesting day." And boy, was that an understatement…

"That sounds like a good idea," Heero said. "You should rest. You've got a busy week ahead."

"Oh, so you've hacked my itinerary again?" Relena teased.

Heero huffed a laugh. "Maybe."

Relena laughed, too, as she exited the elevator onto her own floor and maneuvered toward her room. "So, what about you? What are you up to tonight?"

There was a pause before he answered. "Not much."

"Hmm… why does that sound like you're up to something clandestine?"

He laughed again. "You know me too well."

"I like to think so." Relena fished her room key card out of her clutch, and inserted it into the slot on the door. "Then again, it has been a long time…"

"Yes, it has."

The door clicked open, and Relena gave it a push and stepped into her suite… which was dark, except for dozens of candles that cast the room in a dim, warm glow.

She gasped and took an involuntary step back, nearly dropping her clutch and her phone. "Heero?"

He emerged from the shadows, his own phone pressed to his ear, a smile playing on his lips. In his other hand, he held a bouquet of what had to be two dozen red roses.

"Surprise," he said.

A/N: Surprise, indeed! Now raise your hand if you saw that one coming...

I promise the end is nigh. One more chapter to go, lovelies! Thank you, as always, for all of your support! Please let me know what you think of the almost-ending... as Relena asked Quatre, are you happy with how things turned out? How do you think it will all end?

I hope wherever you are that you are having a blissful, restful Sunday Funday. And for my American friends: happy Super Bowl Sunday! Go Pats! ^_^

Hugs & Heero!

- RFP