Chapter 16: All Good Things...

"So there you two are. Our little group was beginning to wonder what happened to you today. As if we couldn't imagine." Dorothy's most insinuating eyes and voice glance Milliardo and Lucrezia up and down. They had somehow snuck back into the villa unawares and out onto the jet's landing field. They were now changed, and ready for the flight.

And not a single hair out of place, Mr. Milliardo...

Dorothy thinks evilly to herself of the pair standing before her.

"Uh...yes...um..." Milliardo was so cute when he stumbled over words. He shook his guilty hand out of his wife's clingy one as they strolled in the sunset one last time.

Lucrezia bites her lower lip to stop the chuckles at his sweetness from ensuing.

"The scenery was very...stimulating." Noin fills in her husband's lack of words. Zechs clears his throat several times now that he was safely back in his all-business suit.

"I'm sure. Glad to be of service." Dorothy answers her in like. She too, enjoyed watching Mr. Milliardo squirm a bit.

"I'm glad y'all think so! I've got sand in places you won't believe!" Duo Maxwell drawls out in his coarse common way. He knocks sand out of his ear by smacking his very empty sounding head and lets the sand drip out the side onto the runway concrete.

"Careful, Duo! You might knock your brains out that earhole, too! Not that he has that much to start out with." Hilde shrugs her shoulders, giving Duo's "empty" head one final volleyball practice smack.

"Ouch!!" Duo shakes his now spinning skull.

"There! We don't want to get sand on Quatre's nice clean plane. Just leave what belongs here, here, Duo." Hilde says mischievously, plopping her "light" HSK (Hilde's Survival Kit) two-ton bag in Duo's empty arms. She gives Dorothy Catalonia a look from far away.

"Try and tell that to Quatre. It's good advice." Duo whispers back, catching his "boss'" drift immediately, despite the "rocks" now freely rolling around in his head.

"You got that right." A low, female voice enters Duo and Hilde's little inside joke. Sally Po, now feeling more herself back in a button up shirt and slacks, comes up from behind them with two bags in her overloaded arms.

"Hey, has anyone seen one snivelling little black snake AKA as my partner, Chang Wufei? When I didn't see him back at the villa I figured he must've high-tailed it out here to the plane already but---"

Sally walks down the steps of her craft with the question of her partner's whereabouts etched on her face.

"No, but I can't imagine that he'd want to stay on here." Trowa says quite logically. He didn't agree with Wufei's cruel assessment of Miss Catalonia but he understood the man's ways.

"You could say that again." Wufei's voice suddenly appears out of thin air from behind the roof.
Cathrine jumps a mile into the air out of fright. She was lucky Trowa's experienced arms catch her cute little self this time. Cathrine smiles up at him in that grateful, SISTERLY way again. Trowa sighs, but smiles back at her.

"Why are you all just standing there? Let's get going, woman. I'm driving." Wufei orders about in his macho way.

Sally rolls her feminine eyes, but she knew Wufei was probably planning on flooring it. He would do anything to get away from this despicable island full of despicable people to babysit, and the despicable Senator Dorothy Catalonia most of all...

And just get back to real business---

Like fighting.

Speaking of Dorothy...

"I have never seen such a beautiful shoreline, Miss Dorothy. And your villa is so very---" Relena Darlian was a politician through and through indeed. She complimented Dorothy on everything--from her house to her hospitality, and now she was moving on to the natural ocean and beach scenery. That, contrary to popular opinion, Miss Catalonia had no part in beautifying--yet.

"We've got to get going, Relena." Zechs interrupts his little sister's lap-dogging comments. He, although Noin had kept his attentions elsewhere for most of the day, had had more than enough of Treize's little cousin for one day.

Noin elbows her husband's blunt rudeness to their hostess.

Spoiled primadonna.

Noin smiles falsely at the blonde girl.

"Of course, big brother. I suppose, all good things, as they say, must come to an end..." Relena gives Dorothy, though Zechs shudders at the thought, a rather sisterly hug and kiss.

She had grown quite fond the woman, despite their past encounters. Dorothy was her friend and that was final.

"Yes, isn't it sad. You will all be gone and I will be alone in my big, empty villa. Such a shame, isn't it?" Dorothy, on the other hand, was not exactly thinking entirely of her friend. She thought she'd give cute QRW one final chance to redeem himself after today's escapades.
After all, if she could have the Winner heir all to herself, for a night or so...then maybe...she could use her undeniable powers of persuasion...to mold him into the man she wanted him to be. The one he should be...

And not the innocent child he still is....

Perhaps...

But before Dorothy gets the chance to acquisition Quatre, Relena spins around. A pleasant thought had entered her head spun out of friendship for Dorothy.

"I have a wonderful idea, Miss Dorothy! You know you're invited to the palace for next week's gethering? Well, why don't you come now and stay with me until then? I would be ever so grateful for all your exquisite taste and good advice as to putting the final touches on the decor, my dress, what's to be served...Please say you'll come and stay and help me. I do value your advice so. And with Milliardo and Noin leaving to go back to their Colony building tomorrow, I won't be lonely if you come. Please, Dorothy?" In the midst of Relena's pleading speech, Quatre had been "saved" from a fate worse than death by his friend who generally held reign over it.

Duo spirited the poor boy away by the nape of his neck and collar, pulled and dragging onto the Winner private jet. It took off into the darkening sky before Dorothy could say a word.

Fine, Master Winner. Run away. That's perfectly fine with me. It's all an illusion anyway--just a silly illusion.

Dorothy turns a smiling face back to the similarly inviting one of someone who DID want her presence.

"Thank you, Miss Relena. I pride myself on assisting anyone in need. And you are my dearest, most dearest friend. You are quite welcome to my excellent advice and services on such formal occasions and dos in advance. I'll meet you there then! See you tomorrow!"

"Miss Lucrezia, Mr. Milliardo, I'll see you off at the Sanc Kingdom on the morn. Morning is my absolute favorite time of the day. I positively shine most of all then. Ta ta!" Dorothy happily calls out, waving them goodbye as Zechs stops Noin halfway up the stairwell.

"Noin, when is our shuttle leaving for Mars?" He whispers in his stealthy voice.

"Very early tomorrow morning." Noin replies.

"Thank goodness for that." Zechs sighs. He and Noin finally board the plane as Relena waves back. The jet soon lifts off into the darkening sky towards home.