[Author's Note: This takes place three years after the end of the series | Mild language warning.]

At six twenty-three Quatre found himself standing outside another restaurant, this one a mere block from his hotel. He also found himself glancing at his watch every three seconds. He almost hoped he had been stood up, but twenty minutes could be explained away by a traffic jam. They had parted ways to put away their purchases and freshen up for dinner. Quatre had changed into a more formal, slate blue suit with a light gray vest and white shirt. He was now glad for the jacket, for it was much cooler as the sun finished setting.
Six thirty-two and nine seconds. Well, can't let a good reservation go to waste. Dorothy will know to come inside to look for me. He went over to the podium where the maitre d' stood. "Winner, party of two. My associate should be here soon." He was led to a table at the side of a grand ballroom-like dining area, near glass doors that exited onto a balcony. Flourishing potted plants filled the space on two sides of the table, effectively creating a small booth. Quatre settled into the left-hand seat, deciding to wait another twenty minutes for Dorothy. In the meantime he gazed around at the picturesque decor of the room. Towering pillars were linked by carvings of vines and flowers, and a checker-patterned marble dance floor took up the center of the room. A small orchestra occupied a dais beside it. Quatre let his thoughts wander as he became lost in the music. I must admit today was better than I expected. I was foolish to worry so...
He glanced toward the entranceway a second before an elegant figure entered. His eyes, along with numerous others, watched as the sapphire-clad form flowed toward his table. She had her eyes lowered demurely, although she was well aware of the attention. Her gown sparkled as if lined with real sapphires, the skirt blossoming out in scalloped tiers, and a silver-hued shawl lent a stylish and practical warmth against the night air.
Quatre rose and bowed as Dorothy came to a stop before him. "Good evening, Ms. Catalonia," he breathed. He took her white-gloved hand and gracefully kissed the back of it.
Dorothy tittered coyly. "As if we hadn't just seen each other a few hours ago." Quatre straightened, smiling, and guided her to the table, motioning for her to sit down before him. She set her shawl and purse beside her. "I hope you will forgive me for being late. Car trouble."
He nodded in understanding. Before he could speak, the waiter came over and they were busy for several moments choosing meals. As the waiter hurried away, Dorothy gazed toward the orchestra. "Care to dance while we wait, Mr. Winner?"
"I was just thinking the same," he lied. Maybe someday he would be one step ahead of her, just once... He took her hand to help her to her feet and they made their way over to where a few other couples were dancing. After several numbers they were center stage.
"Divine, Mr. Winner," Dorothy murmured as they waltzed. "Your skills are never-ending."
He blushed at the flattery even though he was suspicious of her tone. "I can't say I'm any better than you. You have much more grace."
She swept away from him as the number ended. They bowed to a scattering of applause then retreated toward their table. "Now that you mention it," Dorothy commented as she held his arm, "I wouldn't mind challenging you to another duel..." Quatre looked at her from the corner of his eyes. There was that smile again...
But this time he had a card of his own. "I think it would be fair to warn you, I've been getting fencing lessons."
Dorothy turned to face him. "Oh? From who?"
"Heero Yuy." He couldn't help a grin.
She feigned a pout. "Figures."
"Are you now retracting your challenge?"
"Perhaps. Are you in the habit of breaking face guards?"
He chuckled. "Haven't yet, nor do I plan to."
"That's good to hear." A smirk dashed across her face. "Say, how is the war wound doing?" She reached to poke his left side. Quatre caught her wrist and gave her a disapproving look. She wrinkled her nose in a laugh. "I was only kidding. Just testing to see how relaxed you are on this vacation."
Same old Dorothy, he thought with an internal exasperated sigh. And here he was thinking he had been acting childish...
"I'm sorry," she said softly, yet the sincerity in her tone shattered the annoyance stirring within him.
"Apology accepted...I...shouldn't let past incidents spoil this wonderful day, anyway," he replied gently. Dorothy smiled weakly.
"Excuse me." Someone bumped into them from behind. They turned as one, both startled. A tuxedoed man at least ten years older than Quatre smiled at them. He bowed to Dorothy, forcing Quatre to step back. "Miss, may I have this dance?" She glanced with uncertainty at Quatre, who shrugged and nodded that he wouldn't mind.
"I'd be delighted." Dorothy took the man's hand and they started back to the dance floor. Quatre followed, lagging behind a bit, to wait for Dorothy outside the floor. He could always ask someone else to dance, of course.
Dorothy fixed a mildly pleasant smile on her countenance to hide her annoyance as she danced. It would have been rude to turn down the invitation, but all she really wanted to do now was talk to Quatre. She watched the stranger's expression carefully, waiting for him to notice that she was impatient to end this dance. As she studied him, she realized his face was slightly familiar, as if they had met before...
Suddenly he pulled her a little closer and murmured into her ear, "Did you happen to be in the military a couple years back..?" She stiffened, alarmed by his tone. Before she could react, he tightened his grip on her wrist and spun her around, holding her against him. She managed to utter a scream before something cold and metallic pressed against her throat.
Quatre snapped to attention when he heard a shriek. Couples were backing off the dance floor, giving space to the man holding Dorothy. Quatre's mind flew trying to register what was happening. He started toward them, his hands in front of him in a calming gesture. He heard Dorothy snarl out, "Oh, sure, a butter knife will get you far!"
The man shouted, "Shut up!!" and tightened his grip on her arm. His eyes darted around nervously then settled on Quatre who stopped in his tracks but raised his hands slightly.
"Sir, just calm down, sir. There is no need for this. Whatever is wrong, we can talk it out. There is no need for this." Quatre took a careful step closer.
"Like hell there isn't!" the man growled. "I know her! She was on that Libra ship that fired on my colony! She gave the order for it!"
Dorothy's eyes widened in shock. This man was completely mad -- Libra hadn't fired on a colony, but Barge had! He must have been one of the people misfortunate enough to be near the wall that was hit. Yet here he was connecting her to what had also been a threat to space -- using her as a scape goat? She had little time to find out.
Quatre took another step. "There is still no need for this. Justice has already been served. Just calm down..." Another step.
"No it hasn't! She's still alive and innocent people are dead!"
"You're right. But in this time of peace force is not necessary." He edged forward again.
"Shut up!"
Dorothy looked at Quatre anxiously. Her free hand slowly moved to the second tier of her gown -- there was obviously a hidden pocket, for she pulled out something small and metallic. A gun. Quatre's expression hardened. Her eyes were pleading but he shook his head once in refusal. She scowled, although she had already known he wouldn't do it. Then she looked downward toward the knife meaningfully. Quatre made an exaggerated nod.
"What the hell are you--" The man glanced down and saw the gun in Dorothy's hand. He swore and in that instant Quatre rushed forward and grabbed the arm holding the knife. Dorothy twisted free and struck the man against the head with the butt of the gun. He swore again and dazedly tried to lunge at her. However, several other men had taken the opportunity to come help and they held the attacker at bay. With Security on the way, he had no where to go.
Dorothy retreated back a few feet before she tripped and stumbled to her knees. Quatre hurried to her side after discarding the knife. "Dorothy? Are you all right?" He had to pry the gun from her hand. "Dorothy..?"
She had a distant smile on her face as she gazed at the gun. "There are no bullets in it..." She gave a small laugh then collapsed against him, sobbing angrily, "I told you it was a weakness..."
He grasped her shoulders to hold her upright. "Dorothy..?"
"I thought we would win! I didn't think of the consequences if we lost! Now I'll never be forgiven for what I did!"
She's talking about Libra. "Shh, Dorothy, listen. I made horrible mistakes during the war, too. I was forgiven for them." He lifted her chin so their eyes met. "Listen. I forgave you for what you did to me. Now you have to forgive yourself. I had to do it, although it took me a long time. It isn't something you'll ever forget because it will stop you from repeating those mistakes. But it shouldn't haunt every moment of your life." She looked up at him with a tear-streaked face. He smiled gently. So the mighty Dorothy Catalonia can show a different side of herself...

Later, after the authorities took away the attacker and Dorothy finished answering a gazillion questions -- well, it seemed to be that many, to her -- she went to bid Quatre a good night. She found him out on the balcony, his jacket draped over one arm and a cellular phone pressed to his ear. She hung back by the doors, listening.
"Yes, I figured it would be on the news. I'm all right, no major harm was done." He laughed quietly. "Yes, I remember this is supposed to be my vacation. I'll take it easy the rest of the week, I promise. Okay. You take care, too." Quatre closed up the phone and slipped it into his jacket's inner pocket. Then he turned to the person he knew was standing there -- with a disappointed look on her face after hearing the tone he used to speak to the person on the other end of the phone. "Feeling better now, Dorothy?" he asked softly.
"This, I'll be fine." She reached up to touch the small bruise on her throat.
He came over to her, standing close. "I mean, overall." He clasped her hands in his. "Will you forgive yourself..?"
She felt a blush rise on her face. She looked away. "I...I..."
He squeezed her hands then let go. "You can. It may take a little more time, but you can." He moved away, reaching into his jacket pocket again. Then he turned back to her, holding his hand out. "Here, Dorothy, this is for you." Confused, she put out her hand to accept the small silvery pouch that dangled from his fingers by a long double string that made it a necklace. He smiled warmly. "I found it at the market. Open it."
She hesitantly obeyed, cautiously tipping the pouch onto her open palm. A pale green stone slid out. There were small flecks of dark green glimmering within it and a tiny tint of red on one side. "It's...beautiful." She gingerly placed it back in the pouch.
"It's jade. It will help." He gently took the pouch from her and slipped it over her head.
She quirked a skeptical eyebrow, but murmured, "Thank you, Quatre." She fingered the pouch as he stepped away.
"May I accompany you to your friend's house, Ms. Catalonia? I'd like to see you safely home." He went back to formality. He started toward the doors, shrugging his jacket on.
A wistful smile trickled onto her face. "I would appreciate that, Mr. Winner."

Four days later found Quatre at the aerospaceport, thinking back to the most interesting day of his vacation while he waited for his shuttle. He had seen Dorothy off at her friend's house, thanking her for the wonderful day and wishing her a quick recovery from the evening. He smiled to himself when he recalled how he told her he'd give her a distraction to think about and then kissed her on the cheek -- something she had never expected, judging by the blush on her face. He had finally been one step ahead.
Yawning, he wandered out of the waiting area to find something to eat. Instead, he found Dorothy Catalonia. I give up!! he moaned to himself. He went straight over to the magazine rack where she was casually browsing the news periodicals. "Why, Ms. Catalonia, what an amazing coincidence!"
She turned to him and smiled the little smile that he had come to recognize as her innocent-but-actually-up-to-something look. "A coincidence, indeed. My friend is back from her vacation today."
Quatre murmured frankly, "At the same time as my flight. Fascinating." Dorothy looked at him sweetly.
"An amazing coincidence," she echoed.
"Well, Ms. Catalonia, it was nice to see you again before I had to leave Earth, but if you would please excuse me, I believe they're calling tickets for my flight." He made a half-bow then turned to leave.
"Have a safe trip, Mr. Winner. I hope we can meet again some time." A note in her voice caused him to turn back around.
"There was something else I wanted to tell you, Ms. Catalonia, and I didn't think it would matter, but now I hope you will wish me well on it..." He reached into his coat pocket and took out a small box. He opened it to show her two plain gold rings. "You see, I'm not exactly the most eligible bachelor anymore."
He grinned lightly and waited for her reaction. She only smiled. "Congratulations, Mr. Winner. If I can't make it to the wedding, I wish you and your loved one a long and happy life together." Now she made a half-bow and turned to go, but looked back over her shoulder. "By the way, I wasn't looking for another kiss -- I merely wanted to reiterate the challenge for another duel." She laughed sweetly and sashayed into the crowd.
Quatre chuckled and headed back to where his shuttle waited. What was that about a long and happy life?

Extra Author's Note: In case anyone was curious about the stones Quatre picked up, here's some babble about them:
The grayish-blue one is Labradorite, for Heero. This stone "encourages one to let go of the old -- behavior patterns, habits, anxieties, grudges, beliefs, prejudices -- and motivates one to find innovative ways to attain our dreams and desires." The owl was for Heero, as well.
The clear white crystal is Selenite, for Duo. "Selenite calms the emotions and can help balance those who swing between the extremes of the emotions. Selenite encourages one to focus on the positive rather than the negative; it eases emotional pain, dispelling fears and unfounded anxieties." The cat was also for Duo.
The clear yellow stone is Citrine, for Trowa. "Citrine relieves self-destructive behavior and creates a sense of clarity within. It encourages the elimination of those things in our lives that no longer serve us well, creating space for change and growth. Citrine encourages the manifestation of our dreams." The flute, of course, is for Trowa.
The rich green stone is Adventurine, for Quatre. It is "a rejuvenating and soothing stone; it assists in self-acceptance and encourages one to find time to nurture the self. It is a crystal connected with feelings of balance, contentment, and joy, and of being receptive and sincere."
The purple crystal is Amethyst, for Wufei. "Able to dispel fears, amethyst can also sooth rage and ease the grieving process. Amethyst can provide clarity and balance where emotions may have become confused and overwhelming. The purple of amethyst can be soothing if the emotions seem unstable, swinging from one mood to another. Amethyst helps us to think beyond our own, everyday needs to higher ideals and a sense of what is beneficial to the whole community." The teacup is for Wufei.
And Dorothy's Jade: "With its calming and balancing influence, jade can be useful to those trying to resolve conflict -- either within themselves or with another person. Jade is a stone that illicits love which can then be more easily and more readily expressed."
(All quotes from The Book of Crystals, Lansdowne Publishing Pty, Ltd., 1999. Please don't sue me.)

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(c) 2000-2004 Autumn Loweck. This work may not be copied, distributed, or reprinted without the author's permission. Characters of Quatre R. Winner, Dorothy Catalonia, the Romefellar Foundation, Heero Yuy, and Quinze belong to the creators of the GundamWing series, Sotsu Agency, Sunrise, Bandai, and whoever else in Japan involved in this most cool anime.