Inspired in part by the screenplay, "The Sixth Sense" written by N. Night Shyamalan
DISCLAIMER: All Gundam Wing characters are property of Sunrise, Bandai Visuals, Sotsu Agency, and Asahi TV. This work is not written for profit, but for entertainment purposes only.
WARNING: shounen-ai and implied yaoi
PAIRING: 6x2/2x6
It would not have been overdoing things to say that Zechs was having a very difficult time working the sudden appearance of Dorothy Catalonia into his current understanding of How Reality Should Be. One moment he had been sitting on the sofa, with Duo Maxwell comfortably tipsy in his arms and Chang Wufei a comfortable distance away. The next moment, Dorothy was there, smiling fatuously at him, and all hell had broken loose. So it really wasn't *that* selfish of him to be thinking about grabbing the snickering Duo and getting the hell out of the room.
It wasn't to be, however, as several things happened at once to prevent it. Relena moved forward and clasped Dorothy's hand, murmuring, "Dorothy - so good to see you again." Then she muttered something in the blond girl's ear that no one else could hear but which made Dorothy raise a heavily-forked brow.
At the same time, Duo had stood up, rather unsteadily, and given the new arrival a scowl that could have rivaled one of Wufei's. "Oh, man - first it's Miss Princess, now it's Miss Warmonger. Who invited all these damn *girls*??" Admittedly it was an offensive statement, but it's sincerity was compromised by the fact that as soon as he said it the braided boy broke into laughter again and fell back onto the couch, head ending up in Zechs's lap.
"Bunny?" he said, looking up and blinking, "Did anyone ever tell you that you have very blond eyebrows? ... Hahahahahahahahah!!!"
Not quite believing the evening had taken the turn it had, Zechs smiled at his lover and gently, the way one would smile at a mentally disturbed person who might or might not be dangerous, and pushed him up to a sitting position. "Wufei? Why don't you take Duo to the kitchen and see if Hadley can get him some coffee."
The Chinese man muttered something to himself but got up nonetheless and took Duo's arm, pulling him up from the sofa. "Come on, Maxwell - let's get you sobered up." He shot Zechs a dark glance over his shoulder and the two of them left the room. The blond man stood and watched them leave, then turned to the two women who were left.
"Well, well -" he said, crossing his arms over his chest. "Dorothy... Relena... care to tell me what's going on?"
As they staggered down the hall, Wufei shook his head gravely. "Don't you ever learn, Maxwell?"
His companion snickered a bit and then looked over at Wufei affectionately. "*Damn* life is good!" he said, grinning. "Isn't life good, Wufei? I mean, there's food, and cool places to see... there's good friends like you..." The braided boy gave Wufei an affectionate punch in the arm and Wufei glared at him. "And then..." Duo went on, stopping in the middle of the hall and leaning up against the wall. "And then, there's sex. I tell ya, Wu-man, there is *nothing* better than *really* good sex."
Wufei's face was reddening and he looked down the corridor to the kitchen door at the far end. "Maxwell - I don't think -"
"Have you ever had it really good, Wufei? I mean, so good you think you're gonna *die?* 'Cause that's what it's like with Zechs. Just incredible..."
Wufei stared at his ex-colleague, open-mouthed. "Duo? Do you think I *want* to hear this? Because I do *not* want to hear this! I want to walk you down to the kitchen and get you a cup of coffee, period. Discussing your little adventures in bed is not part of that, do you understand?" His face was very red and Duo had to laugh. "Oh, man, Wufei - you are *such* a prude! Maybe you really need some, too. You know it's great for relieving stress -"
"Duo!" Wufei hissed, grabbing the American's arm and dragging him towards the kitchen.
"What?" the American asked, looking puzzled. "It's true - every time he and I have sex I feel I've been in a hot tub or something. Every last muscle just goes limp and nothing's wrong with the world." he blinked slowly at the boy opposite him. "Who can we get for you?"
"I invited her, Zechs," Relena said, attempting to head off any offensive comment Dorothy might have come up with. "She was in London and I thought..." With a great effort she fought down the impulse to say, "I thought she could come briefly for a bit of dessert but she came two hours early and now we have to feed her dinner." Instead, she smiled at the other girl and lied. "I thought it would be nice for her to come for dinner and, well... *talk* to you... maybe." With the sheer nerve that had made her a world leader at fifteen years of age, Relena looked back at her brother and silently dared him to complain.
"I see," Zechs murmured, staring back at her, his upbringing the only thing preventing him from putting his hands around one of their necks and squeezing. Hard. "Well, I think I'll go see how close we are to dinner, then," he said and turned his back on them both, needing to get out from under the scrutiny of Dorothy's searching blue gaze.
As the door closed behind him, Dorothy gave Relena a knowing look and took a seat on the sofa.
"Won't you sit down?" Relena said, peevishly and after-the-fact.
"Thank you, Relena, don't mind if I do!" he guest replied. "So, tell me all your news. How have you been handling those enormous responsibilities of yours?"
"Oh... fine."
/That's a safe topic,/ Relena sighed to herself and sat down on the opposite sofa.
"Really?" Dorothy asked, the smallest knowing smile on her face.
Relena hesitated. "Well... I suppose if I were completely honest I'd have to say that it's been a little difficult, Dorothy. Before the war ended, everything seemed so urgent - *was* so urgent - that I didn't really mind the amount of work. I wanted to be doing anything I could to help, and the diplomatic work was the best thing I could do. But now..."
Dorothy arched a severely forked eyebrow at her friend. "Now you're starting to see all the things that you've been missing?"
"How did you know?" Relena answered, more than a little surprised since she hadn't spoken to the former Romefeller girl in months.
Dorothy shrugged elegantly. "Your face, the way you hold yourself - it's obvious you've been having absolutely *no* fun at all. Has Heero been negligent in his duties?" She gave Relena a wink and sat back waiting for the reply. /I wonder what she'll answer... this could be a very important question for me..."
"Come on now, Dorothy," Relena said sternly. "You *know* what happened between Heero and me. He's staying with Quatre right now." A sad frown crossed her face and she stared down at the gauzy rose-colored fabric of her skirt. "I'm planning on going to see him, you know. On Friday."
The girl across the table leaned forward, a look of surprise on her face. "Are you *really*, Relena? How *romantic*! So are you going to propose to him - again." She smiled sweetly and sat back, waiting for an answer.
Relena's cheeks reddened but she looked up at Dorothy and the frown changed subtly to a tiny smile. "It's ridiculous, isn't it? I'm sure you think I must be mad, after what happened that weekend..." She put a small fist to her chest and her expression became determined. "But I *have* to know if there's anything there! What if he *did* feel something for me and it was just... pushed aside by his feelings for... for someone else."
Folding her arms across her chest, Dorothy brought a finger to her chin and looked thoughtful. "Hmm... are you talking about Duo Maxwell? Is *that* why he's with your brother? He and Heero were together and then Zechs broke them up and now you think you might have a chance?"
"Dorothy!" Relena complained. "Why do you have to put it so... so *crudely?*"
"I'm right though, aren't I?" the long-haired blonde smirked. "Well, good for you! You go and find out. Maybe it was just temporary insanity and he really *does* love you every bit as much as you love him. He might actually break down and *say* it this time! Wouldn't *that* be a novel experience!" The words were encouraging but her tone said, 'You go ahead and believe in your little delusions but you have about as much chance of hearing that as you do of becoming a gundam pilot.'
"I suppose it's always worth a try," Relena said, not understanding Dorothy's ironic tone at all.
"Yes," Dorothy murmured. "And what will you do if he says yes?"
Relena's fist went to her chest again and she stared out into the London dusk. "Then... then I'd take him back to Sank, I suppose... but I'd be stepping down from the throne. I've already decided that if he and I get married, I don't want to be ruler of Sank."
Dorothy looked shocked. "Relena! You can't be serious!"
"Oh, but I am," the Princess of Sank replied.,"*very* serious."
"But you're the sovereign! You're the only one who can rule."
Relena shook her head firmly. "No, that's not true, Dorothy. I was not an only child."
"But -" The long-haired blonde sat back, briefly amazed by what she was hearing. "You mean... *Milliard*? Milliard would be... what, King? Oh my goodness!" She put her hands to her mouth to cover a smile of delight. "Relena, dear! But I thought he couldn't..."
"That's only because *he* thought he wasn't worthy of it," Relena pointed out. "I think his view of himself has changed in the last couple of months, though." She wasn't going to tell Dorothy that the change had happened since Zechs had been with Duo. Some things were just too embarrassing to share, even between friends.
"And he really *wants* to do this?" Dorothy asked, leaning forward a little.
"Well, yes.... sort of." Relena felt her palms go sweaty at the persistent questions from the other girl. "I mean - it's only a hypothetical. It's only... if Heero agrees to marry me." /I sound so pathetic... what must she think of me?/
Dorothy was silent for a moment, simply smiling at the other girl, when Hadley walked in. "Excuse me, ladies, but dinner is served. The gentlemen are already in the dining room."
"Well!" Dorothy said, rising smoothly from the sofa. "Shall we go in an have a chat with the future King of Sank... and his little friend?" She took Relena's arm and the princess rolled her eyes discreetly. Somehow she knew that the evening was about to take a turn for the worse.
Dinner was tense. It was clear that Zechs was very uncomfortable, not a strange reaction give the fact that the two people he got on least well with were sitting at the table with him. Duo, unfortunately, was not much help to him because he was wavering between light-headed and nauseated, and just trying to slice his pork cutlets was a challenging proposition for him.
Wufei spent the meal divided between reluctantly helping Duo (when Zechs wasn't already doing it) and feeling completely inadequate just being in the same room with the blond man. The fact that they no longer had any reason to be rivals didn't seem to matter to him. Just the mere *existence* of Zechs Marquise, especially at this proximity, was enough to make him feel peevish and defensive.
Finally, when they'd finished the raspberry sorbet Hadley had brought for dessert, they adjourned to the drawing room where Zechs poured cognac for himself, Dorothy, and Relena. Duo, taking one look at the cognac and going a little green, pulled Zechs to the side of the room, nuzzling against the blond man's cheek and ear.
"I want to go to bed, Bunny... 'm tired and my stomach feels horrible and I want you all alone, just to myself." He closed his eyes and pressed a kiss to Zechs's neck. Across the room Wufei was scowling at the two of them.
"Why don't you head upstairs," Zechs murmured, stroking Duo's back. "I'll just stay long enough to be civil and then I'd like to catch the news on the radio before I come up. It'll be about 20 or 30 minutes, all right?"
Duo leaned back a little and stared up at the tall man. "What did you just say?"
"I said it would only take 20 or 30 minutes and then I'll join you."
Continuing to stare, Duo hesitated for a moment and then smiled faintly. "You've just given me a very good idea, Zechs..."
The man in question smirked at him and wiggled sleek, blond eyebrows. "I did, did I...?"
Duo smiled back. "Oh, that too - but first things first. There;s something I need to do. See you in the room in 30 minutes." With that, he pulled Zechs down for a long, lingering kiss, delighted that Relena was watching, and then headed upstairs - to the third floor.
/Mouse,,,, I think I know of a way to do this.../
Back in the drawing room, Wufei was looking at Zechs suspiciously. "Why did Duo leave?" he asked sharply, feeling strangely protective of the American, especially where Zechs was concerned.
"Don't worry," the former OZ officer drawled. "I haven't sent him to his room in tears. He's tired - a no doubt is feeling the effects of too much alcohol. He's turned in for the night. I'll be doing the same soon."
"You're looking a little tired, Wufei," Dorothy said. "Perhaps you should turn in now."
Wufei turned his glare on her. "I do not take orders from women, and most certainly not from *you.* I will go to bed when I wish to go to bed."
Dorothy appeared to be delighted with that comment. "Oh, *lovely*! You can stay down here with Relena and me. We were going to discuss the strange fact that our periods seem to be linked. We *both* get them on the same day. Isn't that absolutely *amazing*? I think it's very sweet of you to join in with us. Most men go all funny over that kind of thing." Her smile as she looked over at him couldn't have been sweeter.
Both Zechs and Relena were staring at her in shock, but Wufei had gone completely white. "I... I... Excuse me!!" he cried and nearly ran from the room. A few moments later they heard his footsteps retreating quickly up the stairs."
Discreetly, Dorothy gave Relena a nudge and the younger Peacecraft put down her cognac. "I think I'll go get a glass of water from Hadley!" she said a little too brightly, and before her perplexed brother could stop her, she was up and out of the room.
"Well, Mr. Milliard," Dorothy said sweetly. " It looks as if we have a few moments to ourselves..."
"Mouse? Mouse? Are you awake?" Duo was whispering harshly at the door to the boy's room. Everything on the third floor landing seemed washed in silence until the door to Mouse's room opened a crack. A pale, tear-stained face looked out. "Hello," he said, voice quiet as a whisper. "What is it, Duo?"
"Hey, buddy - you okay?" Duo asked with concern.
"Yes," came the reply, but Duo could tell that something had upset the boy.
"Listen, I wanted to ask you a couple of questions about that lawyer. Can I come in?"
Mouse swallowed hard at the mention of the specter that had terrified him earlier in the day. "All right - but just for a little while. My mom doesn't like me to be up past 9 o'clock."
He led Duo into the room, where the two of them sat on the small bed. "Tell me something," Duo began, "You told me once that this guy listens to the radio a lot - right?"
Mouse nodded.
"Well, what if we could make it seem like the news of his death is coming from the radio? That might make it seem more... more *real* to him somehow. What do you think?"
The green-eyed boy considered it for a long time. "It *could* work, but how would we do it?"
Duo grinned. "Piece of cake - we use this." he held up a small pocket recording device. "I can pretend to be a newscaster and tape it. Then we can rig up that radio so that when he turns it on, he'll hear the tape instead of the radio."
Mouse chanced a smile. "Maybe... *maybe* it'll work! Can you make up a whole news broadcast, though?"
The American pilot waved a hand at him. "Of course! I'm an expert at adopting accents and things like that, plus I can easily talk for 30-40 minutes. So, shall we start making my script?"
A moment's hesitation and then the younger boy broke into a smile. "Absolutely - let's do it!"
End of Part 11
(:./kumiko/2road28)
