“There would be no games, no lies, no getting chummy with Dorothy. [Heero would] go to Duo and set things straight. He'd quell [Duo's] doubts and tell him what really happened that night he drove them to the church. It wasn't about getting Duo back. It was matter of closure. And, if his former lover chose to take him back and drop this nonsense about children, it was perfectly fine with him. In fact, that's how he wanted it.” (Excerpt from part 2 of The Ex Factor)

Heero's a man on a mission. But what kind of reunion is on the horizon?

Duo could feel his heart clamoring. His chest continued to heave, but much to his alarm, no saving breaths could be drawn. He was suffocating and he could do nothing to stop it. But, unlike the rest of him, his eyes could move. They followed Heero's approaching figure. His mouth trembled. And his lips…they'd proven their worth. They could move as well. They parted as he managed to ask in a strained, shaky voice, “How did you get in here?” The moment the words left him, Duo regretted them. He was asking how someone who'd spent his entire adolescence breaking into military bases had managed to get into a low security, swanky hotel which greatest line of defense was a balding, simpering manager? It was a God awful stupid question. He knew it and Heero knew it and that was no doubt by his former koi disregarded it and continued to approach with slow, purposeful strides.

Heero came to a halt a full foot before Duo. Duo's eyes darted around anxiously from one captivating feature of Heero's to another. God, it had been so long since he last saw him. But nothing had changed. Heero looked the same, from his perfectly formed lips, to the stirring blue of his eyes, to the haphazard way in which his hair fell. Duo swallowed. He was all too conscious of his shirtless state. He could feel Heero's eyes on him, scouring him, eating away at him. And, he couldn't move under the sweeping penetrating gaze, which he assumed made things much, much worse. There was no escape. He could only stand like a statue and allow himself to be scrutinized.

And, then it happened. In that tight, tight atmosphere, Heero's hand suddenly darted out. Finally that breath Duo so desperately needed presented itself as a gasp when Heero's fingers grasped the ends of his loose shoulder length hair. Duo continued to emit open-mouthed gasps. He was making a fool of himself. For the love of God, Heero had only touched his hair… He managed to temper his gasps to soft pants. But at that moment, Duo's admonitions didn't fall solely on himself. He cursed Sally for making him put his hair up in a bun to keep Baozhen from yanking it. He cursed himself for releasing his hair from that tight bun as soon he left Sally's doorstep. He cursed the car ride home for causing his hair to dance on the wind. And, now that same windblown hair sat about his shoulders as an untamed mass of slightly wavy chestnut locks. It was wild and screaming to be touched.

Heero's hand rolled the silky tresses between his fingertips. His voice was husky and confused as he said, “It still isn't real to me… that you cut… your hair.”

The near halting tone cut through Duo. He was amazed his own voice didn't betray his anxiety as he asked, “Why didn't you come back, Heero?”

Heero's fingers continued to caress the fine strands. “Believe me when I say I couldn't.”

The noncommittal reply caused Duo to tense. He was finally able to move. In one fierce motion, he swatted Heero's hand away. “I waited an entire night, Heero.”

~*(Begin Flashback)*~

When he and Heero had first arrived at the bombed out ruins of the church, the sun was setting. The sky was ablaze with reds, yellows, and molten purples. And as they argued, the sky had dimmed with Duo's hopes as he considered the dwindling stability of their relationship. But even so, he was surprised when the car took off down the road without him. The expression of disbelief continued to rule Duo's features as he sat on his haunches some five minutes later. By then, it was completely dark at the ruins of the church. Not just the church but the entire area around it had been ravaged by warfare, meaning that whatever signs of life had been blown away by the blasts, by fire, by the terrible power of some machine of war. There were no lampposts to light the area, and on that night, not even a moon to break the solid plane of darkness. Duo sighed. But he did have his trusty watch, which, with a press of a simple button, lit up to tell him the time.

He hit the button… Only 40 seconds had passed since he last checked the time. Duo made a face. This was weak. He sighed. Perhaps, Heero would sulk for as long as an hour before coming back for him?

But the hour came and went. And, it was that same trusty watch Duo had come to hate by the 2nd hour. But by that time, he'd managed to blindly kick some of the rubble away so he could actually sit on the ground without bits of rock embedding themselves in his rear. But, nonetheless, at that point, he began to worry. The sounds of crickets, the scurrying of tiny animals, and the sound of the wind moving across the demolished landscape were the soundtrack for his sorry state. And as he felt something slither against him in the dark, it became real to him. Heero was trying to punish him, trying to punish him for wanting a child.
~*(End Flashback)*~

“You couldn't come back?” Duo scoffed and sought to distance himself from Heero by taking a step back. “Well, I couldn't leave.”

~*(Begin Flashback)*~

“Oh, God,” Duo murmured to himself as he spread out on the ground. He'd successfully cleared a path as big as a bed. He lay back against the cool earth and closed his eyes. But it was pointless. It was so dark; whether he had his eyes open or closed it was the same scene: endless black, thick and unmoving. It sucked. He either could stumble about blindly and possibly end up breaking some skin over a nice sharp rock (Yes, there were plenty of those to break his fall), or, he could sit still or, in this case, lay still and wait for Heero to bring his skanky ass back to retrieve him.

He sighed. He'd stopped checking the watch 3 hours ago. And as he continued to lay silently in the dark, he lost sense of time, lost sense of himself. After lying there for some time, he heard it: a light boyish giggle. Instead of fear, a wave of familiarity washed over him. It was… *his* giggle. He turned to his side and saw himself at that young tender age, running about with a long dirty mass of hair. He was seized by a sharp intake of breath as he saw the female figure chasing after his young self. The young woman wore a nun's habit. Her face was youthful and beautiful but showed a kindness that was ageless. “Sister Helen…” murmured a dozing Duo. He fell deeper into the recollection. He watched as she caught his miscreant younger self and proceeded to braid the unruly mass of hair. Duo sighed in his sleep. Such kind hands…the only hands that had ever truly appreciated his hair…
~*(End Flashback)*~

Duo swallowed as he continued to back away from Heero. He watched as Heero glanced back at the two beds that resided at the center of the bedroom Duo shared with Quatre. He knew exactly what Heero was thinking. Duo frowned. Years of living with the creep, had given him the gift of reading Heero's posture. Half  Heero's body was turned away from him while his weight rested on his back leg. Looking over his right shoulder, Heero continued to peer at the two beds. And right on cue, after three calculating seconds of assessing the width between the two beds and the unlikelihood of coupling on such a narrow space as one bed would provide, Heero returned his gaze to Duo. Whatever reservations Heero had before arriving, flew to the wind. The beds stated the obvious: Duo and Quatre were not sleeping together, and more explicitly, they weren't fucking.

Once again Duo swallowed, but this time it was at the arrogant expression controlling Heero's features. He watched as the former wing pilot began to move towards him.

“You can't do this to me, Heero,” murmured an apprehensive Duo as he once again found himself unable to move.

~*(Begin Flashback)*~

Heero didn't come back for him. It still didn't register as one loving driver pulled over to pick him up. Duo lowered his thumb from its hitchhiking position. It had taking fifteen minutes of walking to get to this road. The road that was at the side of the church hadn't seen a car all night. And, Duo had figured the same would apply for daylight. Duo eyed the pea green station wagon. He shook the dust off his legs as he tried to manage a semi-easygoing expression. He couldn't quite manage it so he settled for one of fatigue. Duo frowned as a light breeze blew a lock of bluntly cut hair into his line of vision. The frown faltered as his mouth sagged. His memory was sketchy regarding what happened to his braid. By the time he awoke from his slumber, he was covered in cut strands of hair. Had he done it to himself? As the passenger side door of the station wagon was pushed open for him, part of him realized he'd have plenty of time to recall the happenings of that night. He sank into the passenger side seat and closed the door.

Duo turned bleary eyes to the Good Samaritan who'd stopped to pick him up.

The old man's eyes took in Duo's weary form. “You look like shit. Spent the night sleeping out here?”

Correction. Duo turned bleary eyes to the *astute* Good Samaritan who'd stopped to pick him up.

“Yeah, except the 'sleeping' part didn't exactly happen the way it should have.”

The old man snorted before once again bringing his hands to the steering wheel. He directed the rather out-of-date car into the stream of traffic. “Where to,” he asked as he let a large Mack Truck barrel past them.

“…” Duo continued looking straight ahead, right through the windshield.

The old man managed a quick side-glance at Duo before returning his gaze back to the traffic. “You do have a place to go, don't you?”

“…” Duo found himself looking out the passenger side window.

The old man tsked, “A runaway at your age? Despite how dirty you appear, you're too well dressed to be homeless. So that's all I can assume.”

Duo looked back at the man's good-natured expression. Perhaps, at that moment, everything about last night became real to him. He had been abandoned. He couldn't deny that this had happened to him before… as a child. But he thought he'd left those days behind, a long, long time ago. He…thought…he thought… Duo narrowed his gaze on the old man. His tone was suddenly brusque as he said, “If running way counts as a change in residence. That's what I'm doing.” He took a deep breath and tried to sound less belligerent. “I'd really appreciate if you'd take me to the bus station.” Duo turned back to view the passing landscape. A row of green trees flitted by at an amazing speed. Duo swallowed. So much for Heero. So much for going back.
~*(End Flashback)*~

Heero was close to him now. His hands were on Duo's hair, sweeping it away from his face. Heero palmed Duo's face in his hands. And, all the while, like some enraptured fool, Duo found himself breathing heavily. He was panting. And it distressed him even more that so was Heero. His former koi's breath was just as fractured and desperate as his own. The realization came: it was the same between them, even after all those months apart... Heero's hands were warm on his face. He felt Heero's thumbs stroking the sides of his lips with tender sweeps… The thought came again. Oh, God, nothing had changed. They still had it, the same chemistry, the same fire…

“What are you doing,” asked Duo in a barely audible whisper. His breath stopped entirely as he watched Heero's face begin to move closer to his own.

The former wing pilot's voice returned in just as soft a whisper, “Just…let me…just...”

Against his will, Duo felt his eyes close. God, was he letting Heero…Dear God, he could feel Heero's breath over his lips. It was a warm sweet fan of breath. And, he was growing hot and needy waiting, waiting for Heero—

There came a sudden round of footsteps. It came from the hall outside the bedroom's door. A series of even paced steps padded past the wooden barrier. Duo's eyes flew open. Quatre. Quatre was back from his errand. Duo's eyes moved to an alarmingly close Heero. He could still feel Heero's warm hands on his face.

“Get rid of him.”

Duo cringed under Heero's terse tone. It had the same possessive inflection Heero used with him, always.

“You don't want him to find me here,” said Heero as he allowed his thumb to move over Duo's lips.

Despite himself, Duo found himself wanting to take that teasing digit into his mouth. “Quatre,” he found himself saying. His voice grew louder so that it would carry through the door. “Quatre, don't come in here…”

Outside, in the hallway, the footsteps paused.

Once again, Heero's lips moved in for the sealing act.

“Don't come in here,” said Duo in that same loud voice. “…Unless you want to see Heero.”

Heero's lips halted mid capture. A look of definite shock ruled his features.

Despite his unsteady state, Duo managed a sneer. The words fell from his lips as a gratifying reprimand. “Game over, Heero.”

Dorothy glanced down at her poached salmon before allowing her gaze to move from the plate and across a span of ornate dishes to Mariemeia's engrossed expression. Dorothy watched her divide her sirloin steak with precise cuts of her knife. She thought of her own untouched meal. She'd loss her appetite. Mariemeia always seemed to have that effect on her.

“Cousin, you've barely given your meal a second glance.”

Dorothy reached out to take a wine glass in hand. She raised it while allowing her gaze to move back to Mariemeia. “The way you were eyeing your own meal I'm surprised you've noticed anything.” Dorothy brought the glass of white wine to her lips. She frowned as it failed to land on her tongue with its usual light touch. Even that consistent occurrence Mariemeia had managed to ruin.

“Why, cousin, you seem cross…” A dainty snort escaped Mariemeia's mouth before she covered it with her hand.

“And, you seem perfectly satisfied with that.” Still frowning, Dorothy placed the wine glass back on the table. “I don't know why you come here, or rather why Une continues to allow you over here. A phone call will suffice.”

“Mother—”

Dorothy raised a forked eyebrow at the slip. “So, you're calling her mother now? How charming.” Dorothy picked up the wine glass.

A slight blush moved over Mariemeia's fair complexion. She closed her mouth as she stared cagily back at Dorothy.

Dorothy's lips turned upwards into a catlike smile. “No, it's quite alright. I'm charmed to see you form any nature of attachment.” This time when she took a sip, it was magical. The wine seemed to barely touch her tongue before leaving it in light slightly sweet rush. This time Dorothy looked back at a red-faced Mariemeia. Yes, perhaps this meal wouldn't be such an ordeal.

Mariemeia continued quite grudgingly, “Une wants me to visit family more often.”

Dorothy raised a forked eyebrow. “Even me? So Lady Une has grown soft…. Perhaps, living with Zechs and Noin has more… *conventional*…benefits.” A tiny laugh escaped Dorothy's mouth as she watched Mariemeia stiffen in her seat. “So, Une has proven me wrong on two accounts…she's not a prude and she's not entirely invulnerable.”

“That's enough.”

“You're right…it is.” Dorothy leaned forward. “I'll save us further catty retorts and cut to the heart of the matter. You came here…to tell me about Relena.”

The blush had receded from Mariemeia's face. Her usual cream complexion had returned. “She is doing quite well, better than ever…” Mariemeia brought smooth fingers to her red hair. She slowly tucked a lock of hair behind her ear before fixing Dorothy with a triumphant expression.

Dorothy sat back in her seat. Her frame rested against the cushioned back of the chair. “In the news, they said she was taking a 2 year hiatus from traveling… but they never gave an explanation as to the reason behind such a lengthy sabbatical…”

“She and uncle Tro---” Mariemeia froze in her seat.

In a soft tone Dorothy asked, “Uncle?” She saved Mariemeia further embarrassment by allowing her gaze to drift to her untouched meal. “You're very forgiving…”

There came a dainty snort from Mariemeia. “It's not about forgiveness.”

Dorothy's gaze didn't move from the dish. “Then what do you call it?”

One loose red lock fell from Mariemeia's head to land on a cream cheek. “It's nothing,” she murmured as she reached up to smooth the lock of hair in place.

“Quatre, don't come in here…”

Quatre paused before the door. Duo's voice had sounded so strained. Was there something wrong? The answer came when Duo added, “don't come in here… unless you want to see Heero.” Heero? What was Heero doing in there? Quatre's hand closed over the doorknob and turned the shiny brass fixture. With a click the door gave way, swinging wide open. He was greeted with an interesting sight. A tan, sleekly muscled back greeted him; Duo's back. His eyes moved upwards to see shoulders topped with chestnut hair; Duo's hair. Quatre walked into the room and was presented with one more colorful occurrence to mull over. He watched as Heero glared at him from over Duo's shoulder. And, from that angle in which he paused, Quatre could see that both Heero's hands were on Duo's head, cupping the young man's face. Quatre blinked back at the two. Had he interrupted something? Obviously, he had. He swallowed.

After one more death glare, Heero allowed his hands to fall from Duo's face to his sides. He continued to let assessing gazes move up and down Quatre's frame, sizing him up. The former wing pilot almost snorted in acknowledgement. Over the years, the blond had grown, in both height and build.

Quatre's gaze was also assessing. Curiously, he stared back at Heero. It had been nearly five years since Quatre had last seen him. The blonde man's gaze moved over Heero's stiff form. Fives years since that day… Five years since Heero had left Preventers…

~*(Begin Flashback)*~

He'd heard the entire insidious account from Dorothy, about how she finally managed to get under Heero's skin, finally succeeded in getting him to respond emotionally to her many teasing ploys.

Quatre sat back in his chair. His office was both orderly and airy. His eyes moved from the mug of cold coffee on his desk, to the cream walls, to a rather quiet Dorothy Catalonia. She was wearing his shirt; it was the most he could offer to cover the tatters her shirt had been left in, the shirt Heero had clawed open…in the heat of passion… Passion, could it be called that? Quatre lowered his gaze. Had she really driven Heero to that? Was it possible? Heero? Quatre suppressed a frown. He'd already reprimanded Dorothy for her behavior, but why couldn't he quite accept all that he'd heard? Quatre looked up once more. His gaze met with a pair of slightly amused azure eyes.

“Still wondering how I did it?”

Quatre coughed. He sat up straight in the chair before saying, “I don't understand what you're getting at.” He quelled another frown. He knew exactly what she was referring to.

Dorothy gave him a sly smile. “Mr. Winner, as long as I'm your 'guest' I'd appreciate some hospitality. You're being short with me.”

Quatre simply looked back at her. Guest? Yes, she would throw that back in his face. He'd insisted that she remain in his office until everyone left the Preventers building for the day as to not create more of a scandal. The blonde's gaze darted from Dorothy back to the dark mug of cold coffee on this desk. First, Miss Relena left in tears, both Heero and Duo ran off in a panic, either to find Relena or… to confront each other…at that point, the blond was sure of nothing…the last thing everyone needed was a scantily clad Dorothy Catalonia traipsing about the Preventers Agency.

Quatre managed a diplomatic expression. “You've told me enough. I'd prefer not to hear any more.”

She fixed him with an inquiring gaze. “Even as you say those words, even in that sincere tone with that reproachful look of yours, I can't be help but think you're lying to me.”

Quatre didn't dignify the accusation with a response. He simply looked at the little oval clock that rested on his desk. According to it, he'd have to spend 2 more hours in Dorothy's company before it was safe for her to leave.

“It seems like a fantasy made real,” whispered Dorothy in a deceivingly soft tone.

Quatre looked up at her and was greeted with an undeniably pleased expression. He couldn't help but sound bothered. “You're gloating? Reveling in this turmoil?”

Dorothy's smile faltered. “Even I'm not *that* callous. It's something else entirely.”

Quatre watched as she crossed her legs. The rip in her skirt allowed a view of a sleek creamy thigh. Quatre quickly found something else to rest his gaze on.

“It's you,” she murmured. “You're curious…about something someone as high-minded as yourself shouldn't consider.”

Quatre stared back at her with what he hoped was an impassive expression. “And, that is?”

Dorothy's gaze was unwavering. “You're curious about what it is that made even Heero Yuy desire me…even for that brief instant…”
~*(End Flashback)*~

Heero, Duo and Quatre were seated in the suite's living room. Heero frowned. A lot of money must have gone into the hotel stay. His eyes moved over the black leather couches, passed over an immaculate carpeted floor, and roved over a series of ornately framed paintings that decorated the walls. Was this all Winner's doing?

Quatre shifted in his position on a single couch. Heero was glaring at him with an alarming intensity. Or, perhaps, the five-year absence of Heero's dark looks had rendered him oversensitive to such a common part of Heero's repertoire. The Winner heir found something less disturbing to focus on. He stared at Duo's feet, but then his eyes moved to Heero's feet, which were right next to Duo's. Heero had planted himself right next to Duo the very moment the other man had sat down. Once again, Quatre shifted in his seat across from the pair. This time, the movement made him conscious of what he'd hastily stuffed in his pocket the very moment he'd left the store. The little velvet box was an awkward reminder of what he'd planned for Duo.

As if by reflex, Quatre's gaze returned to Duo, who had remained shirtless. Quatre's eyes moved over Duo's drawn face. It was obvious to him that Duo was having the worst of this…but the blond couldn't help but feel anxious himself…What was Heero doing here…and was it his place to inquire into such a matter?

Surprisingly, it was Heero who broke the uncomfortable silence. “I want an explanation.”

Quatre actually coughed over the hostile demand, but he managed to ask, “An explanation regarding what?”

“An explanation as to what the two of you think you're doing.”

Quatre glanced at Duo, whose hands shook in his lap. He didn't return Quatre's gaze. The silence that flooded the room was palpable.

Quatre continued to look at Duo, slowly realizing why Heero seemed ready to kill and why Duo was on the verge of turning green.

Quatre braved a glance at Heero as he spoke. He voiced the realization in a soft halting voice. “You…didn't…know. Duo didn't---”

At that moment, Duo suddenly darted out of his seat. He ran past Quatre and out of the suite's living room. From the direction of his sprint, Quatre realized Duo's destination. Both Heero and Quatre heard the door to the suite's bathroom slam shut. There came the sudden noise of violent retching. But over the stomach turning noises, Quatre continued in obvious disbelief, “He didn't tell you about our decision… to raise a child together. But, somehow, you found out…” Wide blue-green eyes looked over at an equally disturbed Heero. Duo's heaves were still audible.

The blond watched as Heero struggled to maintain control of his expression. The look of distress on Heero's face was fleeting before he hastily stood up and left the suite in a succession of hurried strides. Quatre looked around the recently deserted room. What was he supposed to do? Run after Heero? The blond felt the color leave his face. Running after Heero at the moment seemed on the lines of a death wish. Quatre rose from his seat. The only noise coming from the bathroom was the sound of running water. With hesitant steps, Quatre made his way over to the bathroom's door. He raised a hand to knock, but the hand wavered in the air before resting against the door. “Duo…” Quatre paused. He was unsure of what to ask, unsure of what he had a right to ask. He was about to make another attempt to speak when the door suddenly swung open to reveal a rather wet Duo.

“I know…I should have told you that I didn't…” Duo wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

“I suppose,” murmured Quatre. “But, Duo, you should have said *something* to him, anything. He's had quite a shock.”

Duo snorted. He moved his hand away from his mouth. “*He's* had a shock? I was the one who came to find him sitting in the bedroom with the lights off.”

“You didn't let him in…”

Duo shook his head in the negative. The wet locks barely moved with him.

Quatre was a bit mystified. There was nothing he could say.

Duo glanced back at him. “There's something else…I haven't mentioned. We didn't just split because things weren't working out.” Duo slumped against the bathroom's doorframe. “He ditched me in the middle of nowhere, left me at the dinky ruins of some church, to spend the night alone in the dark.”

“…”

Duo couldn't even look at Quatre as he said, “And yet, after nearly 6 months of silence, the prick shows up and I'm ready to drop my pants for him. What does that say about me?”

Quatre found himself staring at Duo's wet hair. The blond looked away. He didn't have an answer for Duo.

Dorothy had managed to pick through half her meal. She watched the servants clear the table for the next course: dessert. Mariemeia had served her purpose; she'd answered all Dorothy's questions about Relena, although in a haughty and roundabout manner. Dorothy's gaze followed the movement of one of the servants. But, she supposed dealing with Mariemeia was one of the drawbacks of keeping tabs on Miss Relena. She watched as the last servant walked past her to leave the dining area.

“Cousin, dinner was superb. I hope breakfast is half as enjoyable.”

With a sharp movement, Dorothy looked across the table at Mariemeia. “What do you mean…breakfast?” Dorothy turned pale at the realization. “You're planning on spending the night? Since when? I didn't invite you and Une would ne--”

At that moment the doors to the dining room swung open and a pair of footsteps were heard. They approached Dorothy from behind. She didn't bother turning around. She knew whom the footsteps belonged to: her butler Sergei. He'd only worked for her a little over 5 months, but he had a very distinct walk. For a man with long legs, he scurried. He always walked with a hurried manner, no matter what the situation.

“Mistress, there's an important matter concerning--” Sergei quickly glanced down the table at Mariemeia. She smiled cheekily at him. Sergei looked back at Dorothy. He swallowed before bending closer to her.

Dorothy couldn't hide her impatience. She fixed a stern azure gaze on the butler.

He hesitated briefly before whispering, “There is a Mister Barker on the line.” Sergei lifted a small com unit into view.

Dorothy felt her throat go dry. She took the unit from Sergei without saying thank you, stood up and walked to a corner of the dining room. She turned her back towards the table and opened out the palm-sized unit. She managed a calm expression as she said, “Mr. Barker, I'm surprised to hear from you, especially since I asked you not to contact me at this number.”

A man with short-moussed back white hair peered back at her. Despite the color of his hair, his face was youthful and vibrant. “Miss Catalonia, do you remember that man…the man you gave me a picture of…a...” Barker briefly rifled through his notes. “…A Heero Yuy… I saw him leaving The Orion, barely a minute ago. Your express words were to never distance myself form Mr. Winner and Mr. Maxwell. But I thought, you migh--”

“*Heero* was at their hotel?!”

“Should I follow him?”

Dorothy found herself hissing into the unit. “NO, no, absolutely not! Stay where you are. I'll find Mr. Yuy. Thank you, Barker.” She ended the communication before the detective could say anything else. “That conniving, sneaky…” Dorothy turned absolutely white. What if Heero had betrayed her to Quatre and told him of her plans to… The com unit fell from her hands and clattered to the ground. She spun on her heel to face Sergei. But instead of meeting the tall Russian butler she found Mariemeia first. Somehow the teenager had stolen up behind her without making a sound. Dorothy ignored her and directed her gaze on the butler. “Sergei, there's an urgent matter. Have the jet refueled and waiting for me. If anyone calls for me, be as obscure as possible about my whereabouts and take a message.”

Out of nowhere, Mariemeia walked in front of Dorothy, successfully blocking her view of the anxious butler. “You said Heero's name…you said you'd find him.”

Dorothy paled another shade. “…” Not only was Mariemeia a sassy mouthed nuisance, but she was also an eavesdropper.

Mariemeia continued in a tone full of wonder, “You know where he is…”

Dorothy could see where this was going, but she was surprised when Mariemeia reached out a hand to touch her arm. She watched the girl's lips as she insisted more than asked, “Please, let me accompany you.”

Dorothy stepped away from the light touch. Her eyes narrowed as she mulled over the sudden intimate gesture. “You're staying here. This doesn't concern you.”

Dorothy felt her skin crawl as Mariemeia purred, “Oh, it does, cousin.”

“What are you talking about?”

Mariemeia fixed unwavering blue eyes on Dorothy. Despite her ominous tone, she was smiling. “There's just something about sitting on the sidelines that makes me terribly restless…I'm coming along, even if I have to tail you there myself.”

Part 5