April's Fools -- Part 3 --

The door bell rang, interrupting the conversation in the kitchen. Excusing herself, Relena rose and left Trowa and Catherine to their coffees. Running a weary hand through her hair, Relena strode to the door and opened it.

"I was beginning to wonder if you were going to be able to make it, Quatre," she stated, stepping back to allow her final guest to enter.

"To be honest, I was, too, Relena," he replied with a smile. "Am I the last one to arrive?"

She nodded, closing the door behind him. "Yes, Trowa and Catherine arrived just a few hours ago and are in the kitchen. The others are around here somewhere."

"Even Heero?"

She nodded. "I was surprised as well, but he arrived with Sally and Wufei. Let me show you to your room."

As they climbed the stairs, Relena filled Quatre in on the various pranks Duo and Hilde had pulled since their arrival. "So far, they've mainly focused on Wufei, but I doubt it will be long until we all find ourselves victims," she concluded.

Quatre chuckled. "Maybe not. It seems pretty quiet now."

However, at that moment, they had reached the second floor. Neither one of them noticed the fishing line stretched ankle-high across the hallway. With a muffled shout, Relena tripped and fell against the corner of a table before falling to the floor. In horror, she watched a valuable vase filled with fresh flowers and water crash to the floor as well and shatter.

"Relena, are you okay?" Quatre asked, stepping over the now-noticed fishing line and quickly helping his friend to her feet.

"Nothing bruised but my shoulder and my pride," she murmured.

She untied the fishing line and continued down the hall, indicating for Quatre to follow her. She paused outside the third door and knocked sharply. Her smile tightened when Duo's face appeared.

"Hey, Relena, what's up?" he greeted cheerfully.

Lifting an eyebrow, she held the coils of fishing line up. "I think this is yours, Duo."

The braided pilot looked at the fishing line for a moment before looking back at Relena, shaking his head.

"No, sorry, that's not mine. Just a second. Hey, Hilde," he bellowed over his shoulder, "did you pack any fishing line?"

There was a muffled response and he nodded before turning back to Relena. "Sorry, but it's not ours."

"No, it's mine."

Relena merely stared at Wufei as he plunked the fishing line out of her hand and returned to his room. Blinking, she turned back to Duo. "It looks like I owe you and Hilde an apology, Duo."

"Nah, don't worry about it," he replied good-naturedly. "I just wished I had thought of it, except for you falling and breaking the vase, Relena."

"Thanks, I think," she said with a genuine smile.

"Hey, Q-man," Duo cried, seeing the other man, "it's good to see ya."

"Hi, Duo. It's been a while," the Arabian stated with a slight nod.

"Well, I see you all in the morning. I'm beat." With that said, Duo stepped back into the room.

Shaking her head, Relena led Quatre to his room. The Arabian complimented her on the arrangement of the room as he left his suitcase beside the bed and followed her back into the hall. He smiled sympathetically as she tried to hide a yawn.

"Thanks for staying up and waiting for me to arrive," he said. "There's no rest for the weary, though, huh?"

Relena smiled. "Just for the wicked," she stated, inclining her head at Duo's door.

The pair laughed quietly as they descended the stairs and entered the inviting kitchen to finish the chat with Trowa and Catherine.


Part III The door bell rang, interrupting the conversation in the kitchen. Excusing herself, Relena rose and left Trowa and Catherine to their coffees. Running a weary hand through her hair, Relena strode to the door and opened it. "I was beginning to wonder if you were going to be able to make it, Quatre," she stated, stepping back to allow her final guest to enter. "To be honest, I was, too, Relena," he replied with a smile. "Am I the last one to arrive?" She nodded, closing the door behind him. "Yes, Trowa and Catherine arrived just a few hours ago and are in the kitchen. The others are around here somewhere." "Even Heero?" She nodded. "I was surprised as well, but he arrived with Sally and Wufei. Let me show you to your room." As they climbed the stairs, Relena filled Quatre in on the various pranks Duo and Hilde had pulled since their arrival. "So far, they've mainly focused on Wufei, but I doubt it will be long until we all find ourselves victims," she concluded. Quatre chuckled. "Maybe not. It seems pretty quiet now." However, at that moment, they had reached the second floor. Neither one of them noticed the fishing line stretched ankle-high across the hallway. With a muffled shout, Relena tripped and fell against the corner of a table before falling to the floor. In horror, she watched a valuable vase filled with fresh flowers and water crash to the floor as well and shatter. "Relena, are you okay?" Quatre asked, stepping over the now-noticed fishing line and quickly helping his friend to her feet. "Nothing bruised but my shoulder and my pride," she murmured. She untied the fishing line and continued down the hall, indicating for Quatre to follow her. She paused outside the third door and knocked sharply. Her smile tightened when Duo's face appeared. "Hey, Relena, what's up?" he greeted cheerfully. Lifting an eyebrow, she held the coils of fishing line up. "I think this is yours, Duo." The braided pilot looked at the fishing line for a moment before looking back at Relena, shaking his head. "No, sorry, that's not mine. Just a second. Hey, Hilde," he bellowed over his shoulder, "did you pack any fishing line?" There was a muffled response and he nodded before turning back to Relena. "Sorry, but it's not ours." "No, it's mine." Relena merely stared at Wufei as he plunked the fishing line out of her hand and returned to his room. Blinking, she turned back to Duo. "It looks like I owe you and Hilde an apology, Duo." "Nah, don't worry about it," he replied good-naturedly. "I just wished I had thought of it, except for you falling and breaking the vase, Relena." "Thanks, I think," she said with a genuine smile. "Hey, Q-man," Duo cried, seeing the other man, "it's good to see ya." "Hi, Duo. It's been a while," the Arabian stated with a slight nod. "Well, I see you all in the morning. I'm beat." With that said, Duo stepped back into the room. Shaking her head, Relena led Quatre to his room. The Arabian complimented her on the arrangement of the room as he left his suitcase beside the bed and followed her back into the hall. He smiled sympathetically as she tried to hide a yawn. "Thanks for staying up and waiting for me to arrive," he said. "There's no rest for the weary, though, huh?" Relena smiled. "Just for the wicked," she stated, inclining her head at Duo's door. The pair laughed quietly as they descended the stairs and entered the inviting kitchen to finish the chat with Trowa and Catherine.


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