"Did you hear?" The soldier skipped the staircase completely, vaulting over the railing and onto the floor below without a second thought. He darted past small windows that opened up to a view of deep space, quickly running toward the senior officer. "What are you talking about?" "It just came on the wire back from Earth. Someone actually kidnapped Relena Peacecraft!" Five or six more heads turned, and other people looked around corners, all staring at the young computer technician. "No way!" "It's gotta be a hoax." "I'm not kidding. I get the live news faster 'cause of my special hookup. It's on all the channels - she's gone!" There were a few murmurs from some of the soldiers. Things weren't perfect in space or on Earth, but the situation had improved significantly since the Sank kingdom had become a prominent world power. Most of that, everyone knew, was due to Relena Peacecraft. "Hey..." One of the soldiers spoke up. "Didn't that Gundam pilot use to be part of the Sank kingdom's guard?" "Who?" The soldier rolled his eyes, smacking his tech friend lightly with a clipboard. "For having such prime info, you sure don't pay attention to the world around you much. The kid... you know, the grumpy one with the giant mecha suit?" The tech blinked, puzzled for a moment. "Sorry, I don't think I've ever seen him." No one heard the quick footsteps backtracking down an empty hallway, as Heero Yuy quickly made his way to the first available computer and started typing, panic bringing extra speed to his search. //No. How did this happen? How could they let this happen? She's so well guarded, and Quatre was there...// Heero frowned even as he thought the words. Only his own selfishness would have allowed him to view the blonde Gundam pilot as enough security for Relena. //I wanted to leave, so I used anything I could think of to justify my decision.// It didn't take much searching to discover that the computer technician had been right. Every major news service in the galaxy had a picture of Relena gracing their cover story. Each article contained the same limited information, nothing more than that she had vanished without a trace, and the Sank kingdom wasn't talking. //Who would...?// Heero tried not to think about that. The number of people willing to abduct such an important figure for their own monetary or political gains was absolutely overwhelming. The number of those people who also wouldn't have hesitated to hurt Relena if necessary made his blood freeze to his bones. //Relena... what have I done to you?// "Sir?" Heero ignored the soldier who called to him, acting on automatic as he climbed the ladder into his Gundam, slid into the seat. He didn't think about it, knowing he could pilot his Gundam while sleepwalking if he had to. The pilot was already focused on finding the fastest route back to Earth, on stoking the anger that was building inside of him, ready to annihilate whomever had dared to hurt her. "Sir?! Where are you going?" Heero looked down to the ground, to the same soldier staring up at him in confusion. "If we don't locate Relena, you're going to need an army of Gundams to keep anything safe out here. I've got to find her before it's too late." Any argument the soldier made was drowned out as the Gundam's engines powered up. Heero quickly shot out of the station, heading for Earth. ----------------------- Relena woke several times before she felt alert enough to try and get up. The brunette knew that she was safe, and that she hadn't felt so secure in a very long time. Once or twice, Relena could sense someone nearby, watching over her, and she knew, somehow, that she had nothing to fear. The bed underneath her was deliciously soft and comfortable. Relena stretched out, relaxed and warm under the blankets that covered her, the tips of the fingers of one hand peeping out, testing the temperature. It was a slightly cold morning, and that fact, mixed with the soothing sound of the rain on the roof, made for a peaceful atmosphere she did not want to abandon. Relena kept dozing for what seemed like ages, falling asleep and then waking slightly, only to fall asleep once more after a few minutes of drowsy half-awareness. Her thoughts were blurry and weak, they could not pierce the cloud of fog around them. Eventually, after quite a long time, bits of memory started to return to her, and they were very disturbing, almost forcefully pushing her awake. //I remember... a picnic? The Car. Where... where am I? What happened?// Relena blinked, hauling her mind out of sleep despite its protests, and slowly sat up. She wasn't in her own bed, and as she looked out the window, toward a horizon filled with unfamiliar mountains, she realized she wasn't in the Sank kingdom at all. //What the - how in the world?!// "I'm glad you're awake, Relena. I thought you might decide to sleep the day away." Relena turned, staring wide eyed at Dorothy, who smiled at her from the doorway. "Dorothy... what happened?" "I kidnapped you, Relena." The brunette paused, blinked, and realized that no matter how many times she let her mind run over that thought, it didn't make any more sense than the first time she heard it. "Is something wrong, Miss Relena?" "You... you kidnapped me?" "Yes. It's all over the news by now." The blonde girl lightly tossed a paper to her, Relena caught it, flipped it over. A large picture of her graced the cover, the headline 'Missing!' was more than enough to convince her that Dorothy wasn't kidding. Relena scanned the first few paragraphs, and realized that the press was completely without good leads or answers to their questions. Dorothy had gotten away with it, it seemed, and very few if any people knew what she had done. //Zechs and Noin, they must be frantic.// "Why?! Dorothy, what's going on?" The blonde girl smiled, bending down to look Relena in the eyes. The brunette felt her skin tingle, realizing how close Dorothy was, noticing too much, the way her chest rose and fell with each breath, the curve of those slightly glimmering lips, her long, elegant eyelashes. //Okay Relena, she's gorgeous, but can we stay focused here, please?// "You need a break, Relena. The job you hold is endless, and if you don't treat yourself better, it'll kill you. You're skin and bones, your eyes don't glimmer and shine anymore, not the way they used to. I've watched too many optimistic, idealistic people get swallowed up by the things they believe in. I won't let it happen to you. You're too important to me." "Dorothy?" The blonde didn't waste any more time with words, leaned in, and kissed her. It was a much more interesting, detailed kiss than their first one, mainly because the blonde had taken the lead. Before she knew what was happening, long before she could think to respond, Relena felt Dorothy's tongue between her lips, just for a moment, sliding across her own, in the same sly manner that the blonde did everything else. "Yikes!" Relena said, giggling slightly, just a little breathless, as Dorothy stood back up, staring at her with a smile. The brunette suddenly felt the need to put some more clothes on. A lot more clothes. "T-that was my first french kiss... you know that?" "Oh really, Relena?" Dorothy turned around, chuckling slightly. "I can't wait to see how you improve." Dorothy walked out of the bedroom, and after a few moments, Relena scrambled after her. ---------------------------- "This isn't going to work." "What do you mean, Relena?" Relena looked back and forth across the narrow street as they walked, expecting a cavalcade of police to appear at any moment. "I'm the most famous face in the world right now, if not more than that. There's no way we can walk around like this." She looked up at the formless black cap perched on her head. "Even if I am wearing a hat." "So you're not hoping someone sees us, and you can go back to the Sank kingdom as soon as possible?" Relena blinked, realizing that until Dorothy had said it, she hadn't even really thought about it. "You would do that, Dorothy? You'd just let me go?" "Of course, Relena. I thought, that maybe if I got you away from your old life, it would give you a better perspective on what you really wanted. But if you really want to go back, I will happily accompany you." Relena shook her head, and impulsively reached down, wrapping one of Dorothy's hands in both of her own. "You're crazy, you know that?" ----------------------- Of all the places in the world to be, they ended up at the supermarket, picking out food for the next week's worth of eating. Relena's thoughts kept drifting back to Zechs and Noin, to everyone who would be worried about her. //A week. It's only a week, and if they find out where I am, I know they won't let me stay. Besides, I like it here... with Dorothy.// "A week without you should be enough to teach them not to take you for granted," Dorothy murmured, picking up head of lettuce. "I don't remember, Relena, do you like salads?" She turned, to see her brunette friend calmly juggling three oranges, staring at her with a devilish grin. "Didn't think I could do that, didja?" Relena gently tossed two of them back into the pile with the other fruit, and rolled the third down her elbow, arcing it into Dorothy's hand cart. "Stupid human trick. It's genetic. Zechs can balance anything on his nose. Spoons vertically, and pencils on the eraser end if he tips his head back." She paused, putting her hand up to her face as if she was thinking very hard. "I wonder if that's why Miss Noin likes him so much." Dorothy had to swallow her laughter completely, or risk exploding, staring after Relena as the girl calmly walked past her down the aisle, poker faced but definitely smiling on the inside. //Ah...Relena. I knew the person I loved was still in there. I knew you just needed the chance to be free.// --------------------- "Zechs..." Noin's hands clenched in frustration as the blonde man shrugged off her touch, kept walking back and forth in front of his desk, the frown permanently carved into his face. She knew why he was upset. Every man he could afford to spare was out scouring the countryside, checking all the records for spacebound ships in the last 24 hours, searching desperately for their missing leader. The Gundam pilots had all gone out searching as well. Even Wufei had called to get the latest information, and informed them he was searching too, without ever explaining why. Nothing had helped. There had been no sign of Dorothy or Relena, no ransom demand, no triumphant call from a dictator or other prominent figurehead. Nothing. It was as if the two girls had simply vanished. "Zechs... stop pacing. It's going to be all right. We'll find Relena. I'm sure of it." "I knew her, Noin! I knew what Dorothy was capable of, and I did nothing. I wasn't /thinking/ at all, just running out like that, believing it would be all right. I knew exactly what she might try to do. I knew..." Zechs kicked the metal wastebasket at his feet, sending it crashing hard against the opposite wall. "Damn it!" Noin stepped toward him, but turned at a knock on the door. She opened it, speaking for a few minutes with the soldier outside. Zechs was preoccupied with his own thoughts, but eventually noticed the hushed, urgent conversation taking place at the doorway. "Noin? What's going on?" Noin turned to him with a scowl on her face. "It looks like Relena's disappearance is only the tip of the iceberg." ------------------------ "Holy shit! It's you!" Dorothy whirled around as they reached the corner, to see a police officer pointing at Relena, eyes wide, jaw gaping. //Oh no. Not yet.// Usually, the blonde could count on the fact that most people in the world were oblivious to almost everything that went on around them. Dorothy had been determined to give Relena as normal of a vacation as she could, and other than the hat, there was no disguise she had asked the brunette to wear. "Huh? What?" Dorothy froze, unsure of what to do, trying to come up with a clever way to run for it. She was surprised when Relena laughed, giggling and smiling as she turned to the blonde for a moment. "He really thinks I'm..." Relena turned to her, eyes calculating, and gave Dorothy a wink, speaking loud enough to be heard by everyone. "He thinks I'm /her/." Relena turned back to the policeman, setting down the bag of groceries she was carrying, and pulled off her hat. The man gasped. "You /are/ Relena Peacecraft!" A few more people had stopped, Dorothy looked around to realize they were gathering quite a crowd. //Relena, /what/ are you doing?!// "No I'm not." Relena giggled, "I'm a lookalike. But thank you very much for the compliment!" "A lookalike?" "Yes!" Relena pointed toward the blonde. "Me and her. We dress up like Peacecraft and one of her friends and do parties and stuff." She looked down, craning her head as if admiring herself. "You really think I look like her /that/ much?!" The cop frowned, staring more closely at her. "My gosh. I'm sorry, ma'am, but that's uncanny." "Hey." A muscular college-age kid in a sleeveless t-shirt called out from behind the cop. "You do parties? Either of you jump out of a cake?!" "Maybe!" Relena called back. "Naked costs extra!" The kid laughed, and Relena picked up her groceries, continued walking. Dorothy looked back one more time, to see the cop scratching his head, still staring at them. They didn't speak until they got home, and as soon as the door was shut the two girls immediately burst into giggles. "Relena! That was brilliant!" The girl raised an eyebrow. "Who's Relena?!" Relena held a hand up to her chest, batting her eyes like a movie star. "I just play her every now and again!" The brunette rolled her eyes, chuckling. "Maybe I should just be an actress, and forget about politics, huh?" Dorothy kept laughing as she started unloading the groceries, turned to see Relena staring at a ripe, red tomato like she hadn't seen one before. "Do you know how long it's been since I was actually hungry? Since I really looked forward to even eating a meal?" The brunette smiled at her, and Dorothy could barely contain her own delight. //Take it easy. She doesn't want to see you so happy. Relena wants the Dorothy she remembers... the sly, dangerous person who keeps herself at an arm's length... at least for now.// The blonde tried to remember that, all through dinner, as she watched Relena eat, those beautiful lips tantalizingly close and yet as far away as the nearest star. Dorothy was perpetually at the edge of forgetting her plans, as she watched the brunette gracefully eat her meal, perfectly polite and delicate through years of training and practice. She loved to watch the way Relena's eyebrows came together in sudden thought, the way her mouth would catch on occasion, lip sticking out in the barest hint of a pout. The blonde forgot herself, forgot everything as she watched Relena do /anything/. //You're mooning like it's puppy love, Dorothy. Don't you think this is just a little embarrassing?// The blonde ignored that thought, and smiled, as Relena blushed in embarrassment, finally noticing how closely the blonde girl was watching her. //Take it slow, just take it slowly, or you'll frighten her away. You've got all the time in the world, now.// There was a certain enjoyment in that, and the chase could be nearly as breathtaking, as exciting as the catch, if the blonde played her cards right. //It all seems like a dream, though, with you here, Relena.// Later on, Dorothy watched her sleep, mirroring Relena's smile as something in her dreams caught her fancy. //Will you be here in the morning? Will we continue this game, and will it be more than a game? Or will the Sank... and Heero Yuy drag you back no matter what I try to do?// Dorothy crossed her arms. There was always the second step of her plan, and that could be pushed up a little, if Relena seemed ready to stray, if the blonde was forced to make a move. //It's not ready yet, though. We're so close. Just a few more days, just give me a few more days.// ------------------------ //I should have never left her with Quatre.// Heero stepped into the room, and did a double take, as he gazed into the eyes of each person who looked up at him. //All right... check that. I never should have left him with Noin, Zechs, Quatre, Trowa, Duo, and Wufei.// "You still haven't found her yet." "No." Zechs replied calmly, as if he had been expecting the Gundam pilot to show up all along. The blonde man was going over reports with Noin, items that seemed to have nothing to do with Relena's disappearance. "I only got hold of the preliminary report. Do we know who might have her?" "Dorothy." Duo answered the brown-haired boy's question, and was surprised to see Heero, the usually expressionless pilot, actually go pale, and take a half step back in shock. It was the closest thing he'd seen to an actual emotion from the Japanese pilot. "Are you sure? She could have easily traded her off-planet, or given her to any number of-" "We've got our men on all the exits off-planet." Zechs murmured. "There's no indication that anyone has her. We've already gotten several claims by various smaller terrorist organizations, but none of them seem to be involved with Catalonia in any way." "Heero. Hey, Heero." Duo watched the other pilot, staring out the window, almost as if in a dream. "Heero, do you know something?" Quatre asked. The brown-haired pilot paused before responding, still staring out the window. "I don't think Dorothy's given her up. This is something more specific, something personal." Heero's own thoughts were even more grim, and also very personal. He often wished he had less than a picture-perfect memory, this moment more so than any other. He remembered precisely the way Dorothy had told him to go after Relena, the look in her eyes, the pain he had seen there. //You... you and Relena?// Heero had been given a chance, and had chosen the emptiness of space over the ruler of the Sank kingdom, and over every pleasure and pain that title entailed. The tiniest voice, deep inside his heart, told him she had been waiting all along to take his place.
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