It took the better part of the evening for Lady Une and her now expanded Preventers Team, called and streaming in, to take custody of the Epyon de Telos terrorists who had been tricked into capturing themselves below ground, by her several artful new members.

Between that orderly and under tight guard commotion, and the rather disorderly securing and release count of the relieved and anxious as heck to get home hostages, well, it was quite late into this fateful night before the Preventers team were finally able to split up. Some wanted to escape the Sanc palace more than others....

For instance, while Duo Maxwell and Trowa Barton were both anxious to get back to their own respective homes as well, (with one noisily griping about the late hour and lack of sufficient dinner, and the other silently waiting in stoic patience to return to his love, ahem, 'sis', at the circus) Chang Wufei was just itching to hoof it out of this forsaken pacifist 'hellhole' in his own words, before he hears Lady Une, Relena Peacecraft or her evil-eyed lackey, Dorothy Catalonia, make one more single fancy speech, gooey dripping over with sweet honey apology to the departing guests again.

Hmph, lucky them. Women, ick! Get me out of here!

But there was one person who didn't want to leave. In fact, he didn't want this evening to end--ever. Quatre Raberba Winner was far too lost in his own thoughts and dreams of love now awakening to feel the wear and tear of the whole tiring episode in his body.

No, Quatre's body was sure that it would never feel tired, ever again! Not after her kiss! Her exciting kiss....

"Yo! Quatre! Yo! Houston to Space Shuttle Quatre! Wake up already, buddy! Show's over tonight!" Duo wanders over to where the golden Winner heir was quietly standing, drawn into his own deep daydreams in the safety of a semi-curtained vestibule near the entrance of the large drawing room. All the while of all the commotion of shipping the baddies out and settling the hostages, sending them on their happy ways, Quatre Winner had been like a lost soul. His usually clear and attentive aqua blue eyes had long passed spaced out, as they follow---as they have been following all evening---a certain long blonde senator, who was back in full skirt and formal dress.

Quatre's eyes were filled with nothing but utter awe....and genuine attraction...

"Oh, yes, Duo...Sorry about that....It's been..."

Quatre's slight gaze in Duo's waving crazed hand direction is overtaken again by his daze at the lace skirted vixen cutting through the room and seeing the last of the grateful hostages out the front hall door like a sharpened knife. Quatre peeks out of the curtain hole he was hiding in---there was just no other word to describe what he was doing.

"...It's been...a long night..." Quatre's voice equally concludes his sentiment but Duo didn't like the way he dreamily said that as his eyes were entranced upon Dorothy Catalonia---Dorothy Catalonia's ostentatious strutting, flourishing long fingernailed hands and gracious speechifying to the final honored guests leaving.

"Quatre, buddy, you're not really contemplatin'----" Duo, concerned older brother, as he always seemed to treat 'little bro' Quatre, ignores the aching pain of his own wounds for a moment of horrified realization of what his golden haired little buddy was seeming to be growing death-defyingly interested in doing.

With her?! You're nuts! Duo cringes at the thought.

"Doesn't she move beautifully? Like an aria flowing on my piano keys..." Quatre's obviously infatuated romantic musings strike a bad chord in Duo's ears. He shakes from the depths of his soul---teeth chattering---as he watches poor Quatre's eyes light up like never before as witchy Dorothy turns around. She and Relena seemed to be coming straight in the two boys' direction. But Duo's grabbing hand doesn't reach quick Quatre in time to save him from himself.

"Oh, Quatre! I didn't see you there. How are you doing after your heroic evening? I didn't have the chance to thank you properly in all of the chaos. We owe Sanc's safety to you." Relena's beyond fatigued mind and body doesn't halt her good manners. She smiles brightly as she could muster at the blonde boy who, just as if by magic, stepped right into her pathway----

And Dorothy's.

"No, not at all, Miss Relena." Quatre, too, despite the raging emotions in his chest was still a proper gentleman when it came to the niceties. He took Relena's hand in both of his with a reassuring squeeze. "We only did what was necessary to keep the pure peace of the Sanc kingdom intact." Quatre says with a belittling smile at his own deeds.

"Now, don't be so modest! I know this palace would not still be standing here if not for you courageous young men. How can I ever thank you all?" Princess Relena bows her head in homage to her kingdom's heroes, as Trowa and even Wufei (dragged over by Sally Po) join behind Duo and Quatre.

The castle was now emptying as Lady already had whisked Mariemaia back home and Relena had dismissed all the servants for a well-deserved vacance, save for faithful Pagan ,who insisted on staying on. So, the remaining group consisted of Relena, Duo Maxwell, Sally Po, Wufei Chang, Trowa Barton, Quatre Winner, Dorothy Catalonia, and....Heero.

Relena's own misty eyes didn't have to go far. She sensed how close he was trailing her from the back wings all night. Heero, her new bodyguard....

"I dunno about you guys but a late night snack might do the trick for me! Got any juicy steak leftovers from the big shindig, good lookin', before we hit the road? Geez! I'm hungry after all that rescuin' stuff!" Duo Maxwell's voice drawls out in response to Relena's heartfelt query. She and Trowa giggle at him, as Wufei hits him on the head with the back of his hand. Sally and Heero roll their eyes.

"I'm sure we can find you some suitable repast for all your good deeds, Duo. It's the least Sanc can do for you. But you'll have to put up with my cooking, as I let the servants out already. Come along, everyone. I'm afraid we'll have to 'raid the kitchen' ourselves, tonight! Did I say that right, Duo?" Relena, rather jolly, jokes with the braided boy as she hooks her arm into his and Trowa's, leading the merry troupe along (Okay, Wufei was not merry.) down the now vacant hallways.

Relena Darlian had quite a lot to be 'jolly' about, after all. Her kingdom was saved---her innocent peoples' lives were saved, the villains apprehended and peace secured again.

And most of all, Heero was here now.

Relena's smile was from ear to ear as she and Duo skip happily to the kitchen for a triumphant midnight snack. Growling tummied Wufei and pushy Sally Po were behind well-behaved Trowa, with Heero right on their tail, silently trailing, his gun still at the ready.

Now that left two certain young people standing in the front hallway. Quatre Raberba Winner and Dorothy Catalonia were watching the happy gang skip arm in arm down the 'yellow brick road', so to speak, with Miss Relena. Two powerful influential names like theirs were certain to cross swords for starters, tonight. Their eyes meet. The tension was so high between them that it filled the room with the silence.

"What's the matter, Quatre Winner? Aren't you hungry as well?" Dorothy finally breaks the disturbing silence with a harried quip. She pasted that signature smile on her lips forcibly pulling her eyes away from his all-encompassing stare. "After all, you've had nonstop, twenty-four hours of excitement. You must be starving." Dorothy finds herself wishing that she had just let her heels take her to the kitchen with Miss Relena all of a sudden because Quatre Raberba Winner's eyes were boring down into her like---like---

Two fires blazing in the darkness.

"No, actually, I'm not. It's strange, but....food's not what I hunger for." Quatre, rather flirtatiously, says. He takes both of Dorothy's hands in his. "Dorothy...." Quatre's eyes soften as he gazes at her.

Her beautiful face, her beautiful eyes, her beautiful lips...

He could taste them all over again as he begins to lean down in towards her dazed face....

Dorothy's eyes open wider and wider, the closer his face comes to hers.

Don't feint the same way twice in battle---never lose control of the duel.

"Good night, Quatre Raberba Winner." The blonde vixen shakes herself loose from his gripping arms. She backs up to the bottom of the staircase and with that same graceful flourish, curtsies, turns and quickly dashes up the steps towards her bedroom. It was obvious even to lovestruck Quatre that the famed senator intended to go alone.

"Good night, Dorothy Catalonia." Quatre almost sadly answers in kind. His eyes were filled with that certain fire that slowly dimmed as outside the window a dark cloud passed over, shadowing the bright moonlight she had sparkled in.

Just as she was about to turn the corner to the second flight of winding stairs leading up to her lonely room, Dorothy pauses in mid step. She sensed his saddened eyes on her back, feeling his desire not to let her go---not now that they had fallen in......

The moonlight breaks through the shadows once again.

"Just don't be late tomorrow morning, bright and early! Mornings are when I'm at my best." Dorothy suddenly says.

"Huh?" Quatre was dumbfounded by his words---and excited to hear her say them to him, all at once.

"Well, if I recall our arrangement correctly, Master Winner, you have some shipments in need of my careful inspection, do you not? After all, Mr. Milliardo's wonderful terraforming project on his new Colony on Mars is in desperate need of some prohibited supplies. The transport of which only a designated delegate of the EUN must personally supervise---namely, me, Quatre Raberba Winner. I'm sure you have the arrangements made already." Dorothy takes a breath to raise one eyebrow elegantly as she looks down at him from her lofty spot. "Bright and early now. I'll be waiting." Dorothy states finally as she ascends the steps and leaves. She waved her ominous hand cavalierly towards he who those delicate hands held such infinite power over.

"Me, too, Dorothy..."

Quatre whispers to the cool wind coming in the shattered glass windowpanes.