I'd love to thank those who have reviewed! Without your loving words, we would not have the motivation! Now, on to the story!
Chapter Three: Stab My Back, You Cheating Whore
-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Peacecraft Manor: Zechs and Noin's Quarters cont.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Zechs stumbled forward as he shot out of their bed, taking the bed sheet with him as he went, leaving a very naked Dorothy Catalonia sitting in bed alone. To make matters worse, the petite blonde woman didn't even bother trying to cover herself up and instead smirked at the hysterical raven hared woman.
"Noin, it's not what you think!" He yelped, tripping over the white sheet as he stumbled towards her.
She let out an angry, frustrated scream.
"NOT WHAT I THINK! Well, what exactly is it not that I'd be thinking!" a snarl ripped loose from her throat, and she whipped the tray of pasta at the blonde. "You are in bed with that hellish woman! Don't you dare try and deny anything you selfish bastard!" Noin screeched, the tears running down her face as she turned on her heel and fled from the room.
"Noin, please!" Zechs bolted after the woman, the sheet now wrapped around him much like a toga. "It was nothing. She means absolutely nothing!"
Noin spun around once more to glare at him, the tears still flowing freely down her face.
"Nothing?" she laughed at him. "NOTHING! And did that woman mean anything last year, when I thought you were dead?"
"What are you talking about?" He protested, blanching.
"Don't play dumb with me, Milliardo Peacecraft." She spat as she watched him flinch at not only her tone but also the use of his real name. "You disappeared for a year! Led me to believe that you were dead! When you returned, things were never the same. You barely touched me, except the night after the whole Mariemaia incident and to think all this time, I thought it was something that I had done, and now I come to find that you've been shacking up with Ms. Priss behind my back. Seeing that we were secluded at Mars for so long, and you rarely strayed from my sight, that year is the ONLY time you could have established this. YOU'VE BEEN LYING TO ME!"
"I wasn't with her last year!" He whined in frustration, reaching for her. "And it wasn't as if there was anywhere else for me to go on that damn ship."
"Can you even possibly prove that to me?" She pulled away quickly and slapped him, his head turning sharply to the right. He recovered quickly much to her chagrin. "You do not have any right to touch me, you leech." She paused a moment, allowing herself to calm down enough to speak again. She took a deep breath and continued. "You've never once told me where you were during that year. I never gave up hope that you were alive, but the possibility that you truly were dead was constantly tearing at me heart. After what I've seen here today… can you possibly expect me to believe that you weren't with her? Can you!" She cried, backing away from the man.
"I- I can't prove it, no, but-" He sputtered.
"Of. Course. You. Can't. Prove. It. BECAUSE IT WAS A FUCKING LIE!" She screamed throwing her hands in the air. "It's over, Zechs. I can't keep doing this to myself. Telling myself that you love me as much as I love you, and then to have to walk into that? What in the hell was I thinking?" she laughed in disbelief.
At this, Zechs snorted.
"Hell, what were you thinking is right! How can you stand by and loose it on me like this after what you yourself did in space?" He shouted, throwing his hands into the air. "What would have happened had I not walked in on you and the Winner boy? Had I stepped in at a later time, would I have caught the two of you together in an even more compromising position!"
"Oh, don't kid yourself, Milliardo, they would have been doing the exact thing we would have been doing, had you not left." Dorothy called from the bedroom, a hint of amusement laced her voice.
The hurt expression on Noin's face was enough of an answer,
"I can't believe you. You have some nerve. Accusing me…" She didn't even bother finishing her sentence and turned and ran down the hall.
"Shit…" Zechs groaned as he stood there staring after her. He knew he just blew his chance at possibly salvaging the relationship but he hoped that she could still forgive him.
"Had your cake and ate it too?" Duo perked up.
Evidently, he had witnessed the whole situation go down... having been standing a few doors down for god only knows how long.
"Shut up Maxwell." Zechs turned to go back to his room and as he entered the room, slamming the door as he went, he punched the wall.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-
The Khushrenada Estate
-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Lady Une opened her eyes, groaning as she took in her surroundings. She was no longer in the cemetery, so where-
She winced, reaching up to rub her head, a lump was already forming in a tender spot.
Then she remembered, she'd come home… the scream, and then-
Treize!
She sat up frantically and looked around the room, trying to make sense of what had happened. After a few brief moments, she concluded that
A. She had somehow been returned to her own room,
…and…
B. That she must have dreamt the entire event up, as clearly Treize was dead, and she was not crazy.
She leaned forward, preparing herself to get up, when a crash of dizziness washed over her, but steadied herself.
Perhaps moving to stand so quickly was a bad idea.
She reached to rub her temples and groaned as she felt the onslaught of a heavy migraine come over her. Today was going to get longer and she prayed to God that Mariemaia didn't slip into one of her moods.
"Take it easy. You hit your head pretty hard." Said a voice from afar.
She looked frantically around the room once more and then spotted him returning from the washroom with a washcloth in his hand. Her eyes widened, and she was unsure if the room had grown colder, or if her nerves were just shot.
"Lie back down, I do not want you falling again. You've likely given yourself a concussion from the first fall. I'm sorry I was unable to catch you in time." The man murmured.
The woman did as ordered, eyes still wide as she stared at the ceiling, willing the Treize mirage to go away. Perhaps she HAD gone crazy, and had now taken up hallucinating. Evidently she was going to have to book a few new sessions with her old therapist and pray that she didn't commit her.
The Treize mirage sat on the edge of the bed beside her and placed the cool towel on her forehead.
"You're dead." She tore her eyes from the ceiling and forced herself to look at him. Her heart was racing, much like it had when she was younger. She closed her eyes a moment.
"I believe I'm very much alive." He chuckled.
She shook her head frantically, willing the image of him to disappear from which it came...only for it to never happen.
"No, I saw your suit explode." She tried to sit up again, only to be gently pushed down back on to the bed. He took one of her hands in his and rubbed the back of it with his thumb, trying to sooth her. "I saw them bury your casket." She whispered, a tear falling down her cheek.
The man let out a heavy sigh and shook his head sadly.
"It will all be okay." He murmured. He dropped the hand he was holding and gently placed it lightly on her cheek. She leaned into it slightly. "I'll take care of things while you sleep. I can explain things in detail later you're clearly in no shape to think about things clearly." He wiped the tear from her eye and smiled weakly as he stood up. He placed a kiss on her forehead before stepping reluctantly away from the bed.
"They're yours." She murmured watching him walk to the door.
"What was that?" He turned to her, propped against the woodwork of the doorway.
"Mariemaia, and Trent, they are yours."
Treize smiled and nodded his head thoughtfully.
"Yes, I know. Mariemaia informed me." He smiled once more and then stepped from the room, gently shutting the door behind him.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Peacecraft Manor: Zechs' Quarters
-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Zechs had walked back into his room in a fuss, clearly upset, although for more than just the proper reasons. Dorothy had been smiling as he stomped through the doorway, slamming the door behind him. Once he had punched the wall, Dorothy had broken out it a fit of laughter, which Zechs answered with a snarl.
"You! This is your fault to begin with!" He yelled turning on his heel towards her. It was not only what had happened between them that had caused his argument with Noin but the fact that she had to throw in what had happened on Mars. "And why would you tell her that! Why? You were not even there when that even happened!"
"It is partially true, I mean, I was there the month before. I mean…"
"If you had any slightest bit of sense in your head, you'd be silent!" He stormed towards her.
She giggled at him.
"But alas, that was positively magnificent! What a wonderful show! The look on her face was just priceless. You could actually just see her heart split in two! Absolutely beautiful!" She smirked, running a hand down her bare form.
Zechs growled and threw the blanket back on her form, pulling on his own boxers as he did so.
"I told you to be quiet!" He growled, glaring at her. "Please cover yourself."
She smiled and slid out of the bed, strutting across the room, body bare. She stopped in the corner, retrieving her crumpled dress from the floor.
"I'd like to stay and play longer Milliardo, but I'm afraid that I have some place to be. I hope you do understand." She giggled again, slipping the dress over her head, conveniently forgetting her bra on the lampshade, and her panties on his night stand.
She pecked him on the cheek and twirled around him reaching for the door.
"I hope we can do this again sometime, now that your schedule's clear... again..." she chuckled and dove out of the way as Zechs slammed the door behind her.
He let loose a low rumble of a growl as she went.
"The nerve of that woman... coming into my house…"
-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Peacecraft Manor: Relena's Quarters
-x-x-x-x-x-x-
"You're brother's a dick." Duo muttered, stepping into the sitting area of Relena's room.
Both Relena and Hilde choked on what they were drinking and just stared at the man. Or rather, Hilde went so far as to glare.
"Duo!" She hissed, shifting her gaze to Relena. Sometimes she wished that her fiancé had picked up some manners while he lived with that nun and priest that he once told her about… but as the fates would have it… that was simply not something he had the fortune to learn.
"Duo, can't you simply TRY to get along with him? He IS my brother after all." Relena sighed and shook her head at him.
Duo rolled his eyes, and plopped down onto the love seat.
"No can do Princess. Your ass of an older brother just slept with Dorothy Catalonia, in his and Noin's bed, and had the nerve to tell Noin, who walked in on them, that it wasn't what it looked like. Psh…"
At this, both women were rendered speechless.
"He…he did what?" Relena gasped. "How could he! He has some nerve and under my roof!"
"Beats me, but he did. I was the one that escorted her to his room after she ruined my personal Duo happy time. I was thrilled to bring her to him, as he proceeded to bitch her out the moment she stepped through the door, but I see how long that lasted. Makes me feel like an ass for letting her in the house…" He huffed.
"This is horrible. I can only imagine how she must feel. It must have crushed her. She really cares for that man." Hilde murmured. "Why? I have no clue, but she does."
"Yeah…never was able to understand that relationship either, but hey. Who am I to tell people how to live their lives? Just… Don't tell Noin I let the lady in. I'd rather live to see our wedding day…" He trailed off, chuckling nervously.
"This is…just depressing…" Relena muttered shaking her head. "Milliardo may be my brother, but Ms. Noin is a dear friend… a sister almost… and I can't possibly take his side in this situation. I'm in the middle. Can't say I like that feeling." She sighed.
"Yeah well, what can you do? It's not like it's your fault he's a cheating bastard."
"Duo!" Hilde growled, smacking him on the shoulder. "Have some heart!"
"No, he's perfectly right Hilde." Relena sighed. "He deserves all the name calling one can muster up. I hate to say it you two, but I have to blow off some steam, and get the rest of my paper work out of the way. Maybe then I can relax… doubtful. Seeing as the situation of the day…" She trailed off in frustration.
"If that's what you want to do hun. Duo and I can entertain ourselves for a while. Go do what you feel is best. If you run into that man, give him the stink eye for me, 'kay?" Hilde giggled with a wink in her direction.
With a sigh, Relena managed a weak smile, and nodded once before leaving her room.
"Let's go Duo. We can watch a movie while she has some alone time." Hilde chuckled, as she stood from the floor.
"Can it involve zombies? I'm in a zombie mood."
"You would be…" She snorted playfully. "Sure, why not…"
"Yes!"
-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Peacecraft Manor: Sitting Room
-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Dorothy hummed to herself happily as she pranced down the halls. She passed the sitting room and smiled maliciously as she saw Quatre's form on the couch, no one else in sight. It was a rare chance to catch the blonde alone, and she took advantage of it.
Quatre sat curled up on the couch, knees up to his chest, head resting on them.
"Why Quatre! You look soooo upset?" she said leaning against the door frame of the entrance, the bottom of her dress rising on one side and nearly revealing her pantiless state. She watched as the boys head spun to look at her and travel up her body and turning red with embarrassment. She reveled in it.
"I can't believe you would do that." He said as he whipped his head back to rest on his knees and shut his eyes.
"What happened to the carefree boy who always looked to help others?" She ignored the comment choosing to taunt him instead. She stepped down the two steps and onto the plush white carpet of the sitting room, stopping beside the carnation and cream striped sofa. And then, as if his comment had just struck her, "I see you didn't tell Miss Noin I was up there, that wasn't helping her too much, don't you think?" She laughed as Quatre tensed at her words.
"You…you knew I saw?" He muttered with a groan, burying his face deeper into his knees.
"Why of course! Milliardo may not be so perceptive during our intimacy, but I am. I had rather hoped that you would have interrupted or at least joined, but alas you ran." She chuckled.
Quatre only managed an embarrassed whine.
"I could use a little comforting myself at the moment..." She pouted. "Milliardo is ever so upset with me, what should I do?" She giggled as she leaned on the arm of the sofa, her chest inches from his head. Her low cut dress revealing just a bit too much.
She smiled as he turned and glared at her. He was not expecting, however to come face to face with her bosom. He instantly tilted his head up towards her and continued his glare.
"That was so...wrong...Dorothy..." He whispered, shaking his head at her sadly. "You haven't the slightest clue how much she loves that man! And as for me not telling her, it was not my place! Had I butted in, it would have made her feel even more horrible!" Quatre seemed on the verge of tears and she smirked at him.
She moved around the sofa and sat across from him.
"Why Quatre, you don't seem to understand! You see, Ms. Noin had taken dear Milliardo away from me!" She sat up straight, placed her hand on her chest, and mocked a pout. "I had him all to myself for nearly an entire year as I nursed him back to health and loved him so!" She sighed, folding her hands into her lap in an attempt to appear innocent. "Then that Ms. Noin happened to find out he was alive when he decided to take it upon himself to reintroduce himself to Lady Une...and then what does she do? Assume that all is how it was, and she attaches herself to him, leaving me behind in the streets below with mere commoners!" She slumped her shoulders slightly.
Quatre stared at her.
"You...you knew he was alive? And you didn't tell anyone?" he gasped. Of all the rotten things she had done in the last few years this act surely took the cake! He couldn't believe it!
"Well of course!" She straightened up. "He was in no shape to be seen, and for a while, he quite liked being dead to the world. If little Ms. Mariemaia had kept herself out of public view, Milliardo and I would still be in space together. That little girl ruined everything." She frowned.
Quatre stood up abruptly, fists clenched at his sides. He eyes were shut, although his head was bowed to the floor.
"Dorothy...GET OUT!" He shouted, startling the woman.
She looked up at him, shocked. He had never once given her a response like that, no one really ever ordered her to do something. When it did happen it was quite rare. She stood up and straightened her skirt before she took a few steps towards him. She leaned down towards his ear.
"I'll have you know, that I'm…" She stopped short of finishing her sentence since Pagan chose that moment to step into the room and walk over to the pair.
She straightened up and walked around the blond, who continued to stare at the ground.
"Is there anything the matter Master Quatre?" The elderly man questioned.
Quatre couldn't bring himself to open his eyes and look at the man.
Dorothy only giggled.
"Of course not Mr. Pagan... I was just leaving..."
At this, Quatre's eyes opened and his head snapped up to watch her retreating form. For a brief moment she turned back towards him and smirked at him before gracefully leaving the room. Pagan watched Quatre carefully as the boy gave a huge sigh of relief and let himself fall backwards into the plushness of the couch.
"Thank you Pagan..." he mumbled.
The old man chuckled and smiled warmly at him.
"Anytime Master Quatre, anytime..."
-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Peacecraft Manor: Zechs' Quarters
-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Zechs grumbled to himself as he shuffled around the room, attempting to get dressed.
Eventually, he made himself presentable, and he made his way out of his room, and immediately started roaming the corridors in search of his sister. Hopefully she would know where the raven haired woman had gone in her rush to get away from him. He had to be given the chance to explain things to her. She HAD to listen.
Eventually, he located Relena in her office, finishing a cup of tea. However, upon finding her, he was not greeted happily like he normally would have been, he was actually quite snubbed.
"I find it hard to believe that you would be that dense to cheat on the woman in the first place." Relena said calmly as she sifted through papers on her desk and he stepped into the room. It was strange how she always seemed to know when it was him who had entered the room.
Zechs groaned and rubbed his temples.
"You already know the situation? I'm going to kill that Maxwell…" He huffed, and began to mentally think of ways to rid the universe of the trifling American pilot. "Relena, I didn't come to you for a lecture, I just need to know where she is." Zechs grumbled, leaning against the woman's desk.
Unfortunately, Relena refused to even look at him.
"I'm not sure where she is as of right now." Relena sighed, pulling a folder from the pile of papers beside her. "And even if I did know, I wouldn't bother telling you. You don't deserve her, I hope you know. She deserves someone like… like… Quatre. Someone who will treat her the way she deserves to be treated. Clearly he's shown more kindness to her than you in the last several months… more like a year now that I think about it… Now, if you will excuse me, I have a planet to run. Not to mention four out of five Colony clusters." She sniffed, walking across the room towards the door.
"A bit out of character are we?" Zechs asked, following her.
"No, I just don't feel the need to talk to someone who would cheat on the woman you supposedly love at this given moment."
"I wasn't cheating on her." he whined.
Relena paused, but did not turn to him.
She sighed.
"Oh, on the contrary, no one will agree with you on that matter. I'm not sure what else you could possibly even call what you've just done, brother. As for now I am done with you on this matter." Relena huffed, walking out of her office, leaving behind a shocked Zechs.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Khushrenada Estate
-x-x-x-x-x-x-
"His name is Trent." Mariemaia stated happily as she lead Treize back into the nursery. "He is seven months old. Bit of a shock when I found."
Treize stepped over to the crib where the sleeping blonde dreamt. He lay in his blue layette with his thumb nestled safely in his mouth. He couldn't help but smile warmly at the child.
After a moment, Lady Une entered the room behind them, watching in silence. She had honestly wondered how he would handle being a father of two, when just mere hours ago he hadn't been...to his knowledge...
Mariemaia happened to glance back and see her, and gave Une a knowing smile before leaving the two parents alone. Une had to admit... for such a young child, she knew a lot... she supposed being in a war zone had aged her some.
Treize simply just stared at the child, a small smile on his face, but he said nothing. Une let him think to himself for a few minutes before she spoke up. She came up beside him and placed a hand on his shoulder. He turned to look at her. She took her hand from his shoulder and placed it on the rail of the crib.
"Beautiful... isn't he?" She murmured, gazing up into the man's eyes. She felt him wrap an arm around her waist and pull her closer to him. She nervously rested her head on his shoulder and smiled down at their son. She could get very used to this, if the fates allowed for it.
She then ran a hand threw the sleeping boys hair.
"He is." Treize smiled at her. "We made a beautiful baby. Still hard registering it though… with both of them. It's more than I ever expected after all of this."
"I'm sure…" She sighed. She pulled away from him and started towards the door. "I'll give you time to think things over. I really must lie back down. I just wanted to see how you were coping."
"Yes… go do just that. Perhaps once you've rested some we can talk more." He smiled.
She managed to give a weak return smile, before exiting the nursery once more. Treize resumed watching the small bundle within the crib.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Peacecraft Manor: Garage
-x-x-x-x-x-x-
"Who the hell does he think he is?" Noin screamed as she stormed through the Manor, and out in to the garage hanger.
Instead of going straight for her scooter, she walked the wall of the complex, searching. She eventually found a crowbar, and she spun around back towards the middle of the large room.
Payback could be a bitch.
She was going to destroy his precious truck in any way possible... it was times like this she wished she still had a Taurus suit handy.
"How dare he!" she lifted the bar up above her head and then slammed it into the windshield, cracking it on impact. She slammed it down again, shattering the glass within the car. "I'm the best thing to have happened to him and what does he do, goes and cheats on me with that puttana!" She let out a vicious scream and inverted the front hood, embedding the bar, having to rip it out partway before moving.
She pummeled in the rest of the windows, and banged in deep welts into the doors. She turned towards the front of the car once more, and shattered his headlights.
In all of this, she failed to notice Heero staring down at her from the second floor. He watched her in silence, a large frown on his face.
Zechs had done it now.
He was just glad that he hadn't been involved. At least now he could openly hate the man without getting dirty looks from the women of the house. Once one of them became mad about something, they all did. They seemed to flock together like birds when it came to bad situations or disliked topics. He'd noticed that quickly within the first few days of him hanging around in the shadows.
He watched as Noin pulled out a large key ring, and scraped the jagged edge of the keys against the finish of the car. The metal screamed in protest, and even Heero flinched at the screech it made. She gave the car one last big hit with the bar before throwing it away from herself with a choked sob, collapsing to the ground, where she stayed for many moments.
Heero shook his head, and retreated from the shadows, deciding that the woman deserved some time to herself
-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Khushrenada Estate
-x-x-x-x-x-x-
The two walked down the corridor together toward the stairs. Une stared blankly ahead, not knowing what to say or what to think. She hadn't seen the man in over a year... and she had thought he was dead. Though there were nights that she longed for it not to be true or to have the optimism that Noin had had about Zechs' fate. Then, after the Lightning Counts return, she held a little hope that Treize had, in fact, survived.
But everyone had thought he was dead and holding out hope was like wishing for peace to be completely everlasting. Mariemaia had proven how easily broken that concept truly was.
Her nap had not lasted long, her mind too filled with worries too even fall asleep.
There was no possible way that this could all be happening. Everything in her life had revolved around this man since she was sixteen. She had only just finally started getting over him, accepting that she would never lay eyes on the man again, and now he just reappears?
"How have you been?" Treize asked her, breaking the silence.
She wanted to answer with things such as: alone, depressed, angry… even betrayed…but thought better of it. She needed to remain the confident young woman that she had always been with him... for both their sakes.
"I've been alright." She answered, quietly.
He gave a heavy sigh and draped an arm around her waist. She tensed at his kind gesture, but he did not release her.
"Lady, we both know what the answer to that question really is... Mariemaia has already told me that she has seen you suffering, in silence or not. Anytime that she has asked a question pertaining to me, she watched as you became suddenly distant or you changed the subject altogether. She is worried about you and just from what I've been told, I'm worried about you. She told me she was happy that I was home, especially since that you would now be happy. Such a wise child, especially when considering her upbringing."
Une gave a sad, ironic laugh.
"Well, I wonder why I was such a mess?" She pulled away from him and took a moment to stare at the man. "You were my life, everything that I knew, and then I watched as you blew up!" She sighed and looked away from him. "Despite knowing what a sacrifice you were making, it tore my heart in two to see things play out on screen." The tears started again, something she had difficulty controlling since she hit month four of her pregnancy. She clenched her fists at her side and looked at him. "I had to come to terms with the fact that you were suddenly dead! After you had finally accepted me... finally came to have the same feelings for me that I had for you… and then all I could think was how was I going go on without you. It took everything I had to get up in the morning and go on as if nothing had happened. Do you even understand the toll that can take on a person?" Her stare pleading with him to understand the peril she had been through over the last year and four months.
"I can only…" He started but was quickly interrupted.
"Then, the next thing I know, I'm pregnant! Pregnant with your child, a child created just hours before your sudden death! A child who would never know his father, and never know how kind a man he was, just because everything in the history books would show you as a monster. How was I to explain to him what a wonderful man you truly were, when no one is painting you as such? I had no one there to help me... it was a nightmare... Noin only barely stepped in on time to keep me sane...I owe her so much for that." she murmured.
Treize nodded in understanding.
"I'm very glad that she did, or I'd have come back to nothing. I'm pleased that you two managed to get over your differences, in such a hectic situation." He smiled weakly at her, knowing that she was far from done.
She nodded, and continued.
"Then, after everything I had been going through last year, I finally get to a point where I was recovering... started functioning as a mother, even finish setting up the Preventers, and I come to find out that your illegitimate daughter is trying to take over the world. And you didn't even know the child existed!" She took in a deep breath and released it slowly. She was starting to get angry at the man.
"Lady, I'm sure there was a logical reason as to why I was never informed- "
"Of course you weren't! If you knew she existed, you would have raised her. This is something her bastard of a grandfather did not want because he wanted to use her as a tool from the beginning. She kidnapped Relena Peacecraft, which brought out of the wood work the Gundam Pilots, and the Lightning Count, who of course had followed you to the grave, then like you, suddenly reappeared. Then, when Relena dared to defy them, Dekim tried to kill her, and your daughter stepped in front of her, taking the shot herself. I watched a poor child, one of the last remnants of you, crumple to the floor, her fate uncertain. Then before he could act out once more, Dekim was killed, by Matthews, one of our old men. Knowing she was your daughter, I couldn't live with myself if she was forced out onto the streets, or put in a children's home...and in her condition...never..." she shook her head and choked back a sob. "I immediately loved her… and couldn't bear to let her go."
"Lady, I'm so sorry." pulled her into a deep embrace, and murmured into her hair.
"Sorry, at this point, is not nearly good enough…" She pushed him slightly away from her. She shook her head, but she managed a weak smile afterwards. "But for now, it will have to do. Right now, there are other dire things to tend to other then your apologies."
"Excuse me?" Treize raised an eyebrow, clearly amused.
"You look a right mess. I cannot possibly take you seriously with you walking around looking like that. You look as though you've been living as a mountain man, with those rugged common cloths, and scruffy face. Let's not even get started on your hair…" She groaned, squeezing the bridge of her nose in annoyance. "I've already got a bath running for you, sir."
Treize only sighed.
"Very well… I must say, I do agree with you. I've had much to do besides taking care of my appearance, but if I must, I suppose I can take some time to fix myself properly Lady." He smiled, following her down the hall to the master bathroom. "However, we are long past calling me 'Sir' Lady Une." He chuckled.
She blushed, and nodded her head.
"I apologize… old habits die hard."
"That they do..." He murmured.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Peacecraft Manor: Halls
-x-x-x-x-x-x-
"I'm going out to find her." Zechs quickly informed Relena as they both headed down the halls and out the front doors. "Where might you be going?" he questioned.
'Better not be off to see that Yuy.' His eyes narrowed as he thought to himself.
"I'm going out for some much needed 'Me' time. The location is none of your concern." She answered bluntly, still not bothering to look at him.
"Oh, well have fun then." he mumbled, clearly not amused with her half-assed answer, but he dared not pry any further in her current displeased state.
Relena acting this way was rather annoying and frustrating; He hated not being paid attention to when speaking. Years of military command had him expecting eye contact.
"She is never going to forgive you Milliardo... and I can't say I blame her. I really like Ms. Noin. You had no right to treat her so. Talking to her right now will not do you any good, and will only upset her more" Relena murmured, finally looking him in the eye.
He wished she hadn't... the sadness and judgment so plainly visible on her face was unbearable...
"I have to go..." He mumbled quickly, turning away from her gaze...
He jogged quickly to the garage and opened the door. He supposed that Noin had retreated back to Preventer Headquarters. The only thing he could think of to do was to hop in his truck and race to her… only…
He froze in horror at the sight...
His truck was destroyed.
The windows were all busted out. The finish was scratched... and it looked as if someone had crashed into his car multiple times… possibly even set on fire…
It was then that Zech Marquise...Milliardo Peacecraft...let out an awfully childish cry of frustration...
-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Peacecraft Manor: Dining Room
-x-x-x-x-x-x-
"Duo!" Hilde screamed, walking down the corridor that lead to the dining room.
Duo cursed and accidentally dropped a few candies onto the lavender carpet. This was only going to slow his escape, or he could just leave them there, though that would be evidence that he had been there. And to think he'd successfully avoided her since the end of their movie, and she was beginning to get livid with him. He was supposed to be helping her!
Duo groaned as he heard her call out to him.
Might as well give it up by this point, he thought. He'd been all through the building attempting to shake her, even having witnessed Zechs' departure… on foot, and in a foul mood.
He shrugged it off.
Normally, he'd have not let Hilde catch him, but he'd become hungry, and with the dining room brought random little candies, which he had to admit, had forced him to stay in one area for far too long. Duo had been too busy stuffing his face with the candy sitting in a giant bowl on the table.
"Those are for the favors!" Hilde gasped coming into the dining room and running over to him shaking her finger at him. She smacked his hand that was still hovering over the bowl and the candy that had been in it fell into the bowl.
He chuckled and swatted her hand away, pulling the bowl into his lap.
"But they are so good!" He whined, shoveling more into his mouth. "You should try some! Really… I think… you'd really… like 'em."
"Duo Maxwell, seriously, you need to quit." Hilde growled as she sat down beside him, taking the bowl from him. "If you eat them all, we'll have nothing to give the wedding guests. And all that candy is not good for your stomach." She placed the bowl on the mahogany table, sat down and she immediately began to spoon candy into little round nets that had been laid out on the long table. "Now, help me with this."
Duo frowned.
There went his oh so nutritious lunch.
Hilde gave a heavy sigh and glared at him. He sat there and pouted like a child. He did not want to do this what so ever, this was what Wufei would call, womens work.
"Help me!" she whined, shoving a second spoon at him and a pile of small nets.
Duo groaned.
He wanted to eat the candy, not pack it away for someone else...
"Why not have Relena help you?" Duo asked, standing up from the netted mess, arms stretched up behind his head.
"She isn't home, I already checked when you ditched me earlier, and Noin is nowhere to be found, before you even go there... Poor girl. I can't believe he'd be so… insensitive and unfaithful and then to go and blame her for his infidelity." she crossed her arms and pouted at him. "Not every guy can be loyal as you."
Duo let out a long groan.
"Alright, alright... what do I do?" He sighed.
He absolutely hated the faces chicks could pull off... he was never able to resist a pout...
-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Peacecraft Manor: Sitting Room
-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Quatre had returned to the couch after Dorothy's departure.
He had stayed curled in a ball, knees up against his chest, deep in thought. He couldn't even begin to imagine how Noin felt after having witnessed that.
He had known something bad was going to happen when Dorothy had shown up in town days prior to this incident. She'd walked past him at headquarters with a cocky grin across her face. He had thought at first she had come to see him, or perhaps Relena, but after she shrugged him off, it was clear that that had not been what she had planned.
And now this had happened. He had never suspected a thing between Zechs and her.
And what was she going to tell him, what was so important that she had leaned in so close to his ear and started to whisper. Why couldn't she say it… was she afraid that Pagan would over hear? No that was impossible, the man wouldn't have heard her voice at that decibel. No, something was not right with that woman.
What was her fascination?
After the 1st 'Operation meteor', Dorothy had grown close with him. For a time at least.
She had still been in awe that he'd wanted her safe before himself, even after she had plowed her sword into his stomach. That had resulted in weeks in the hospital following the end of that battle, with constant chest and stomach pains. She had thankfully missed any vitals, but she had still poked through flesh and muscle.
He had almost missed all of the after battle celebrations, had it not been for Duo and Trowa coming by to cheer him up. Afterwards, Dorothy had even shown up to...cheer... him up... he shuddered at the memory now.
He'd been very happy to see her at first, to know she had gotten through everything alright. He'd just finished his little party with Trowa and Duo not even an hour previous, and the alcohol was still clouding his thoughts, and evidently his judgment.
Dorothy had practically strutted through the door, taking up a seat at the foot of his bed. They had talked for nearly an hour about the past day's events. It had been nice to know and understand her better. She had shifted, and it had seemed as though she was going to get off the bed, perhaps to leave, when she had crawled up over him. He'd been in shock as she had leaned forward and kissed him.
Even before this, he had owed a LOT to Trowa.
He couldn't have been more thankful that Trowa had walked through the door at that moment if he had tried... Trowa had stepped into the room, back to him for a moment as he peeked out the crack of the door.
"Duo's a right mess...drank too much won't leave me alone...something about wanting to go buy a piñata…" He'd sighed and turned to them.
His eyes had bulged as he had realized what they'd been doing, and what he had interrupted. Trowa had stuttered his apologies, blush quite evident on his face. Truth be told, he hadn't expected the situation to present itself any more than Trowa had.
Dorothy had pulled away, flicking her hair back to its original position.
She didn't like Trowa...Quatre knew that. Trowa would have rather let her die than even HOPE that she made it out of there alive. He'd been silently livid that Quatre had been hurt, and even after Quatre had plead with him to be civil, Trowa had simply stated "I don't trust her..."
"No need to apologize Barton, I was just getting ready to leave..." she glared at him before giving a huff, and speeding out the door.
Trowa's eyes had narrowed as he watched her retreating form.
"Are you alright? Trowa had asked him.
He'd taken in a deep breath and nodded.
They'd proceeded to ignore the fact that anything had happened, and Trowa had kept him company the rest of the night. He'd said he wanted to keep him company. Quatre knew that he was being honest, but also knew that he'd stayed to make sure Dorothy would not return.
Dorothy and he had never gotten like that again. Quatre supposed he had developed a little crush on the woman after two days' worth of events surrounding her, but nothing more ever came of her.
She had on occasion visited him and Relena, whether in the Sanc Kingdom, or on L4, and she only brought her cocky attitude with. He supposed she knew that he viewed her rather oddly, and she'd cook up the sweetest personality she could manage. She had changed though, and at the time he hadn't been able to understand it.
Now he knew.
She had found Zechs, and had him to toy around with while everyone, including Ms. Noin thought he had died.
He'd not been upset with Dorothy's snub, not at all. He had spent countless hours with one Ms. Noin at Preventer Headquarters after its establishment, and his feelings for the woman had progressed with time. He had still kept his distance however, knowing far too well how much the woman was grieving over the loss of her love.
After the Eves War, he'd been sure that Noin and he were back together, and they had been. No one had suspected Zechs of having a side relationship with Dorothy, and Quatre sadly wondered if he'd been two timing them both all along.
Any small bit of like he'd had for the woman had been erased, and he was thankful for that.
Quatre had sat in silence for nearly a half hour before Pagan shuffled back into the room. He glanced up at the old man sadly and gave a weak smile.
"Have you seen Ms. Noin?" Quatre asked the man.
"No, Master Quatre." Pagan shook his head sadly.
Quatre sighed and gave a slight nod.
"Thank you." he said kindly as he stood up, stretching his limbs.
He slowly walked out of the sitting room, wondering where he should start his search.
'I need to find her... I should have told her, but I didn't want to make her feel any worse... I must not tell her that I knew...it would embarrass her greatly…'
In the end, he decided to check and see if her scooter was still in the garage. He hoped that it was, as that would mean she was still on the grounds.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Preventers Headquarters: Target Range
-x-x-x-x-x-x-
"Are you absolutely sure that you want to do this your Highness." The young officer asked slowly handing her the gun and ear muffs. "After all…what use is this to you? You need not worry about your safety ma'am. Dozens of our employees would give our lives to protect you. You're perfectly safe.
"Of course I am." Relena sighed as she took the items from him. "And that's simply my point…"
The man tilted his head at her in confusion.
"Eh?"
"Oh never mind…" She sighed, shaking her head.
The man just smiled nervously as he walked her to an open stall. It unnerved him that she would come without her guards, but then again, this was the Preventers Headquarters. There was no safer place on Earth for her at the moment, so he supposed that no one bothered to watch her while in the building. He only hoped that she hadn't snuck away from her guard… as there would be hell to pay.
"Things will be fine." She assured him.
He watched her swiftly load the gun, and he visibly paled.
It unnerved him quite a bit that Queen Relena would know how to load and fire weapons, when the Peacecraft name stood for pacifism. However, times had been rough on the young woman, AND she hadn't always known of her lineage, so wanting to be able to protect herself shouldn't really come off as odd to him. Still, it confused him as to why she would still be wanting to learn such things. He figured it was her own choice though, and he then left her to deal with the next patron.
Relena gave a great sigh of relief as the soldier left her to her own devices. She never would get used to the looks on their faces as they learned that the poster child for pacifism didn't follow her own rules. She couldn't blame them. She couldn't honestly say she was doing the right thing, as far as her morals went, but if she could save just one person's life, it would be worth the hassle, and the destruction of her image in the long run. She was tired of seeing those she cared for getting hurt to protect her.
Self-defense would help protect her loved ones.
On that thought alone, she began to fire off her first clip at the paper target down her lane.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Peacecraft Manor: Foyer
-x-x-x-x-x-x-
"Good afternoon, Master Trowa." Pagan said, smiling as Trowa stepped through the entry way to the Manor. "I'll take your bags up to your room."
"There will be no need, I'll do it myself." Trowa smiled gently and walked into the foyer.
"How has your day been? I see that you've done quite a bit shopping in town. I can't imagine what you would need that we couldn't provide you with here." The man chuckled.
Trowa sighed, and leaned against the wall, bags in hand.
"I wouldn't want to trouble the staff and besides, I intended to simply purchase Duo and Hilde's wedding gift, but I'm afraid I became interested elsewhere as I rode through town."
"That happens to one rather easily. What have you picked up for the happy couple then?"
Again, Trowa sighed.
"I honestly couldn't think of what to get them. They're a rather odd pair. I decided to keep it simple, and stick with needs." He nodded thoughtfully. "A chrome toaster. Durable, so Duo can't break it, in case he drops it and such."
"So many bags for just a toaster? You must have found some locations that really interested you!"
Trowa managed a small chuckled.
"Afraid not… Quatre can't seem to keep his hands out of my bank account, and gets rather pushy if I'm not using a decent amount of money in a certain amount of time. I'm a practical person, and can't find much to spend money on, for myself that is. I came across an interesting little store, and purchased some things for him… tea, a new scarf, another throw pillow…" He mumbled, holding up a rather puffy bag.
The man raised an eyebrow at the brunette, but he said nothing more, and instead continued through the foyer.
"WILL YOU STOP EATING THE DAMN FAVORS!" he heard Hilde scream.
"But Hilde, I'm hungry." Duo whimpered.
"I should make the young master an afternoon snack." Pagan said turning toward the kitchen.
He gave a small chuckled and headed in the direction of the yell, bypassing the stairs.
Trowa watched the braided man pout as he fidgeted in his seat, reaching for the candy dish again. Hilde smacked his hand with her spoon and told him to stop messing around and work. He watched as Duo stuck his tongue out at her and she growled at him.
He sighed and decided to free her from Duo's presence.
"Get out of here; I'll help." Trowa said, stepping into the large dining room.
Duo looked up at him, eyes sparkling.
"Trowa buddy! How was your day? We've had a wild one here today, you wouldn't believe it!" Duo said, running up beside him. "You can sit here and help Hilde, I'm going to go find Quatre..." he grinned, slapping Trowa and the back before he sped out of the room.
Trowa sighed.
Duo was never one with a large attention span, nor with a will to do something boring for long periods of time. His slack attitude had led to many errors on the battlefield. Common life suited the guy much better.
"You do that, Duo Maxwell, but don't come crying to me when he tries to rip your head off!" Hilde called after him. "You wouldn't mind would you?" She turned to Trowa and smiled.
Trowa shook his head and silently took Duo's seat. He then looked to Hilde for direction.
"Alright, just tie them for me. Once we finish this part, we'll add on the bows..." Hilde trailed off, starting to spoon as Trowa began twisting the ties.
"Why would Quatre rip Duo's head off?" He asked, finishing off the first one and moving on to the second. It was unusual to hear that that blond was upset about anything really, so this interested him and Trowa figured if he kept Hilde talking, he wouldn't have to make much conversation.
Even after all this time, he hadn't gotten to know the girl very well. He had never been too comfortable carrying on a conversation with strangers, and even though he had known her for quite some time now, he had yet to find anything they had a common interest in, other than of course Duo.
Hilde let out a growl and passed a few more filled nets to him.
"Dorothy was here; to pay Zechs a 'visit' and Noin came home." Hilde started. "Let's just say that what Noin walked in on was not so pleasant, and... well, you know Quatre's attachment to Noin... He waited for the screaming to finish, decided to let Noin cool off, and then evidently Dorothy decided to piss him off as well... I'm sure everyone in the building heard him shout at her." she sighed and got to work once more.
Trowa nodded and his eyes narrowed.
He had told Quatre that there was something wrong with the woman...he was just glad that Quatre had taken him seriously.
Quatre was probably rather beat up inside about the current situation. Too many people he cared for were involved, and Quatre never let things slide when it came to loved ones. They had all learned that the hard way a couple years ago.
It was times such as these he regretted going out when they were all together… things had a tendency to hit the fan the moment he left the building
Hilde began to babble away about the day's plans, and Trowa began to wish that they'd have just stayed silent.
'Wufei is right... Women do talk too much...' Trowa sighed, earning an odd look from Hilde.
She stopped trying to talk to him from thereafter, as if sensing his discomfort, and dove back into her work.
He would have to calm Quatre down after he was done helping Hilde... this he was sure of...
-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Preventor Headquarters: Gun Range
-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Relena had been there almost an hour shooting at the black outlined target. So far she had been able to shoot everywhere but the target or she would hit the target and only barely clip the "arm". She was getting frustrated, but then she remembered that she was the one who had requested having no trainer...
She shot off another round.
It had been far easier to shoot when her adrenaline had been going...She had barely missed hitting Lady Une a few years ago...if she hadn't have moved at just the right moment...
Dr. J had not released her defenseless.
Relena shuddered at that thought... Lady Une might have been responsible for her 'father's' death, but they had long since gotten over that. They had become good friends over the last two years, and had it not been for Lady Une, the Eves War could have gone rather differently... she was quite glad she had moved out of the way of her bullet those two years ago.
The range was becoming rather empty now; most people were on their way home or back to the barracks. She slid off the ear muffs and leaned against the wall, deciding to take a break and recollect her senses.
"Is something the matter, your highness?" the young man who had helped her before asked as he walked past, checking on her.
"Nothing is the matter; I'm just taking a break." She smiled.
"Is there anything I can get you?" He asked.
"No, I'm perfectly fine." she answered.
He stared out over the range at her target and gave her an unsure look. He then sighed and nodded, walking towards the last man there besides her, and was packing up to leave.
She watched them both leave the vicinity, and then she slipped her ear muffs back on. She decided that she could fire a few more rounds, and then she could head home. Her frustration for the day already spent.