Close Past Encounters

They arrived at New Port City at 3 o'clock sharp.

Both Winner siblings were in awe, staring excitedly at the sunlit blue ocean, gasping and squealing at the sight.

"Mommy, the oshan, it's the oshan!"

"It's ocean, sweetie. Do you like it?"

"Yes, Ocean! It's pretty! Daddy, daddy! I want an ocean!"

Quatre's eyes bulged and Dorothy broke into laughter, while their girl continued to stare outside the plane's window.

"Don't be silly Fadilah, you can't have an ocean!" Halim retorted.

"Yes I can! Daddy can buy it! Daddy can buy anything! Right, daddy?"

"Eh…, w-well you see, s-sweetheart-"

"See? You can't have one!"

"I will!"

"No, you won't!"

"Dummy!"

"You are the dummy!"

Quatre fought down the urge to slap his face, instead looked at his wife for help, but she was still giggling over the issue. He was alone in this.

"Okay, okay. Stop it, Halim."

"But Dad! She started it!"

"And you should end it; that is why you are the older brother."

The boy crossed his arms and sat back in his chair, murmuring about the unfairness of silly sisters.

Fadilah chose that moment to stick her tongue out, but smiled sweetly as her father turned to look at her. Quatre Raberba Winner sighed and looked back at his wife, "She's just like you." He whispered. The Duchess smiled at him pinched his cheeks.

"Ow…."


"Hey man, what's wrong! You look tired!"

The Arabian turned swiftly to look at the owner of such a familiar voice with a smile on his handsome face, "Hey, Duo! How have you been my friend?"

"Apparently better than you! Hahaha!" The tall man grabbed a flute of champagne from a passing waiter. "You want one?"

"Yes, please."

Duo chuckled, "I thought you'll want a non-alcoholic one."

"Well you see, I'm no longer underage."

Both laughed.

"Where's Hilde? And your kids?"

"Oooh, they are somewhere around here, gossiping and jumping around I guess. Where's your wifey?"

Quatre had just taken a sip of his glass, so he nodded in her direction and his friend turned his head.

"Whoaa dude! She looks…so different. I don't know but-"

"She's pregnant."

"What? Again!" The braided man stared back at him with such intensity, he blushed and averted his eyes. Duo started laughing, but stopped himself abruptly, "Wait, you said she's pregnant?"

"Yeah…"

"Uh…um, should she be drinking?"

WHAT! His neck almost snapped at his sudden turn of head. There she was, happily chatting with the hostess, Relena Darlian-Yuy, both holding a pair of sparkling wineglasses. "What is that woman thinking?" Muttered under his breath and stomped his way towards them, leaving a snorting Duo behind.

If someone could make his tranquil friend lose his temper, that would be the wife: Duchess Dorothy Catalonia. Ah, Quatre…man, had he found his counterpart! Duo Maxwell kept on chuckling until he spotted his own lady talking with some older women. Hilde noticed him too and waved happily; then his chuckling turned into a silly smile.

Well, they all had found their respective counterparts.

"Dorothy!"

Both women looked at him with a smile, Relena taking a step forward to properly greet him with a hug, effectively disarming him.

"Quatre! It's so good to see you! Oh, congratulations! You must be really excited about the baby!"

"I-I, yes, t-thank you Relena, I-"

"Oh no, I must thank you for coming! Have you seen Heero?"

"Uh, n-not yet, I-"

"Ah I know why. He's being dragged around by our Cedric. Honestly, he just can't let go of his dad, I'm so jealous!" The ex-Foreign Minister laughed and took his arm.

"Eh, y-yes but- Do-Dorothy-"

"Uh? Ah! Oh, please don't worry, it's just grape juice. Don't worry, don't worry."

"J-juice?"

"Yes. Now come, you must meet little Cedric. It's been a while since you last saw him, yes?"

"E-eh? Wh-Ah-Y-Yeah…"

Dorothy waved at them, and silently thanked her friend for her help. Relena discretely winked back at her and politely dragged the ex-gundam pilot with her…because Relena Darlian-Yuy knew better than anyone about overprotective husbands, oh didn't she know…


It was growing colder as the sun set behind the mountains. But the view was gorgeous so it was worth the momentary chill. The Yuy's garden was extremely beautiful, the roses tinted with the yellowish hue of dying sun light, everything growing quieter as she went farther from the manor; the children's squeals and adults' murmurs dissolving into the coming darkness.

She remembered the first time she came to New Port City, as her grandfather's spy. She remembered the first time she saw Relena…and the first time she saw the gundam pilots in the flesh. The first time she saw him. Her left hand came to rest on her swollen belly and she smiled sweetly.

"You always had such a beautiful smile."

Turning towards the familiar voice, Dorothy's smile formalized.

"Why, hello Count Roche-Lloyd. It has been a while."

"Duchess." He nodded.

"Oh please, I believe we are past that. Aren't you a friend?"

He bowed, "If you say so, Miss Catalonia."

A raised eyebrow was her reply. "Are you mocking me, Mr. Lloyd?"

"No, I am just wondering where your husband is."

"Somewhere inside…hopefully." She waved her hand towards the mansion.

"Running away?"

"I just wanted some fresh air." Her formal smile twitched into one more sincere.

"Which means that you are escaping."

"Maybe." She chuckled. "How have you been?"

"So so, I cannot complain."

"Business is good, I've heard. You were always fit for politics."

"Everything is satisfactory, I must say. I too, have heard pretty good news about your husband's newest colony project."

"It's a joint project."

"Oh really? Who is the other party?"

"I am."

The man seemed surprised, but then he laughed heartily. "Always the capable businesswoman."

"But of course."

Silence descended upon them, but was short-lived since the man chose to speak up.

"By the way Ms. Winner, congratulations…again."

"Why, thank you Victor. We seem to coincide whenever I'm in this state."

He smiled briefly, "You should go back inside, it's getting colder."

"I will…in a couple of minutes."

He chuckled and she smirked, but then distant laughter became louder and children's voices could be clearly heard, as a pair of girls ran down the stone stairs leading towards the central fountain. The Duchess recognized her daughter and the Maxwell's girl, Rachil. A couple of meters behind them, Halim and the eldest Yuy, Jeden, were desperately chasing them.

Dorothy sighed and after rearranging her shawl, turned to look at her companion.

"Excuse me, Count, I must attend an urgent matter."

"Of course Duchess." He outstretched his hand and saw the woman hesitate for a fraction of a second, before giving hers. Victor Lloyd touched his lips to the back of her hand and delicately let go.

"Goodbye."

"Wait,"

She looked back, her formal expression back in place. "Yes?"

"You look happy."

"I am."

The dazzling smile he received then was more than enough and he nodded his farewell. She turned on her heels, her pace quick but careful in the grass-covered stone floor, and reached the fountain seconds before the pair of youngsters could.


"What is that man doing here?"

Quatre's sudden low voice confused Heero, so he turned to look over his shoulder and caught sight of his friend's wife in the company of an unfamiliar but not unknown person. "Victor Roche-Lloyd."

"Yes. Do you know him?"

"Not really, he's an acquaintance of Relena. Worked together when she was on duty."

"Oh, I see."

"Do you?"

"Mm?"

"Do you know him?"

"Eh…just an acquaintance."

Heero's stared back at him, with eyes that clearly asked what was wrong and the blond man sighed.

"Am I too transparent?"

"Hn."

"He…he's a friend of Dorothy."

Yuy quickly studied the situation down at the garden and nodded, but once more stared back at his companion. There was something else…

Of course Heero would notice, Quatre thought, and decided to tell the rest. "Ex-fiancé, to be precise. He kept on…he kept on asking for her until before Halim was born, so…"

Ah, Heero nodded in understanding. Quatre's turmoil… he could relate to it. Somehow… Not really. If it was him and Relena, that man would have been sent to hell earlier on. Discretely of course. Relena would have never forgiven him.

He saw the Arab's hand tremble just as Roche-Lloyd kissed Dorothy's.

Hn. He patted his friend's shoulder, "You should go." He waited for Quatre to move some steps forward and then -feeling a tad bit unnerved-, Yuy went to look for his own wife.


The mischievous girls stopped dead on their tracks at the sight of the blonde woman, and the two boys finally caught up with them, a little out of breath.

"And just what were you two trying to do, if I may ask?"

"Uh…hi mommy!" "Hi auntie…", came the girls reply. Dorothy smiled sweetly to her daughter and Rachil visibly winced. Somehow, her auntie's smile was a bit scary. Worried, the girl turned to look at her friend, and saw an innocent smile that closely resembled that of Dau, her own older brother... Rachil bit her lip and looked away. Uh oh.

"Care to explain, Halim?"

"T-they…f-fountain…tried…s-stop…wouldn't…listen…running…", panted the blond boy, all the while waving and glaring at his sister. Jeden Yuy chose to speak then,

"B-but-" pant, "we," gasp, "we caught up." Dorothy just nodded.

"Very well boys, you did great. Though I doubt you would have stopped them on time." Both grimaced and apologized, but the Duchess smiled and dismissed them with a wave, "Alright, you can go now, I'll take care from here. Young ladies, you are coming with me."

"Mommy…mommy won't tell daddy, right?"

"Please Tante… a-auntie, we won't do it again, right?"

"We will see…"

Suddenly, she felt him. Dorothy raised her eyes and there he was, standing just atop of the stairs, quietly smiling back at them. No. He was quietly staring at her. Somehow…somehow she felt a speck of nervousness rise from her chest and unexpectedly, embarrassingly…she stammered.

"I-I think your father already knows, sweetie."

"Eeek! Daddy, daddy, I won't do it again!" "Onkel, please don't tell my Papa!" both girls ran towards the Arabian man and he crouched to speak to them, while his wife turned to call the boys. He spoke so low, the Duchess couldn't hear, but she could feel his aquamarine eyes boring holes on her neck. Her eyes darted back to the spot she had been previously, and caught sight of Victor Roche-Lloyd's retreating back. Oh.

Ohhh, it was going to be endless…


Ok, so I decided to add a few droplets of drama…hope you don't mind, but apparently I cannot live without a little angst. D: But that's it, next chapter the story will go back to its happy fluffy nonsense. :D
I'm writing a short prequel for this story, called Defiance, about Quatre and Dorothy's reencounter after the war and the early peaceful years of the rest of the Gundam Pilots. It can be read separately, since it won't affect the direction of this story anyway, te-hee. There I'm letting my angsty drama self run rampant!

See you next chapter! :D