A Gift To Her Beloved 

-----part 1----- 

"Aries fighters at eight-o-clock, Libras at six-o-clock." Heero told his fellow 
pilots as their Gundams fell into formation.

"And lunch at noon!" Duo cheerfully added as he took on the OZ fighters that 
were closest to him. "Sorry," he told the OZ pilots. "You're not invited."

"More fighters coming." Trowa pointed out. "From all sides."

"Everyone fly up into those clouds." Quatre ordered. "We'll be safe there." He 
flew Sandrock up into the clouds with Trowa close behind in Heavyarms.

"There is no justice in this." Wufei complained as he followed Quatre up into 
the clouds.

Duo turned to follow, then saw that Heero was still battling the OZ fighters. He 
turned and rushed to his friend's rescue.

The battle was fierce, Duo and Heero battling the OZ fighters, side by side, in 
their Gundams. They held off the fighters for several minutes before their fuel 
was exhausted.

"We have no choice." Heero told Duo. "I'll see you on the other side."

"You'll have to come up with something else to say when you get mad at me, ya 
know." Duo grinned. "Omae o korosu just doesn't have the right edge when you're 
already dead, ya know?"

Both pilots pressed their self-destruct buttons.

The OZ fighters were destroyed in the double explosion. Both Duo and Heero were 
thrown clear, but knocked out from force of impact as they hit the ground.

A surviving OZ pilot staggered over to Duo, who was lying there, unconscious. He 
picked up the wounded pilot and placed him into a damaged, but still flight-worthy 
Aries and flew off.


-----part 2-----

"Heero?"

Heero opened his eyes. He was lying in a bed, his body wrapped in bandages. 
Wufei was there, sitting at his bedside, while Quatre fussed with the flowers 
Relena had been sending Heero.

"The flowers...?" Heero asked, dreading the answer.

"From Relena." Quatre replied. "I know they're annoying, but they do brighten up 
the place. I think I'll use some at our wedding, Trowa. What do you think?"

"I think proposing to you was the best idea I ever had." Trowa replied, kissing 
Quatre's hair.

"Hn....." Heero complained.

Relena walked in. "How is..." she began. "Oh, he's awake! How are you, Heero?"

"Hn...."

"My poor Heero." Relena said, fussing over him. "Please don't cry. I'm right 
here now. Its okay." She hugged Heero and rocked him. "Everything is okay."

Heero almost cheered up. Then he saw what Quatre was wearing around his neck. 
Duo's cross. "Quatre..." he began, staring at it. "You and Duo...?"

Quatre shook his head, sadly. "Duo's gone, Heero." he said, solemnly. "I'm sorry."

Heero simply nodded. "Please go away. All of you. I'm tired."

Wufei took Relena by the arm and lead her out of the room with Quatre and Trowa 
following.


-----part 3-----

Heero glared at his reflection in the mirror. He was dressed in a black tuxedo. 
The others wore white, but with Duo gone, Heero was in mourning, and refused to 
wear anything but the color the lost pilot had worn nearly all his life. After a 
few minutes, he joined the others in the car.

Quatre and Trowa were exchanging kisses during the entire ride.

"Can't you two wait?" Wufei asked. "You're going to be married in an hour."


*****


Relena fussed at the reception hall over a few last minute details. She had a 
surprise for Heero, a present she was sure would make her Perfect Soldier happy.

"I love you, Heero." she told the room. "Just wait until you see what I went and 
got for you." her eyes twinkled merrily as she danced about the room, making 
sure everything was just perfect.

"As perfect as you, Heero." she laughed as she went about her tasks.


******

At the altar, after their personal vows had been exchanged, Quatre and Trowa 
leaned toward each other, their lips meeting in a soft loving kiss.

"Forever, Quatre." Trowa whispered.

"Forever, Trowa." Quatre whispered back.


-----part 4-----

The wedding reception was, in the opinion of all the guests, a huge success. It 
would be one of the most talked about parties for years to come. It was, after 
all, the heir to the Winner family who'd gotten married. Everything was elegant 
and formal.

Some of Trowa's friends from the circus performed a low-key, but still amusing 
tumbling act upon the stage, in honor of Trowa's wedding, even going so far as 
to pull the newlyweds onto the stage and make them part of the act.

Trowa and Quatre laughed as they joined in, everyone on stage having the time of 
their lives until dinner was announced and they abandoned the stage in favor of 
the exquisitely set tables.

After dinner, the band began to play. Relena was singing. Her voice was full of 
happiness as she sang a variety of songs requested by Quatre and Trowa.

"I'd like to dedicate this next song to Heero Yuy." she said, before beginning 
one final song.

"Doesn't she ever give up?" Trowa asked. 

"Guess not." Quatre shrugged, snuggling up to Trowa as they danced.

As the song hit its chorus, the room went ominously dark. Then, the spotlight 
fell upon a figure who knelt upon the floor, head bowed, clad a long hooded 
white bridal cloak, their face hidden by the hood.

Trowa and Quatre exchanged looks, then turned to Wufei, who shrugged.

Relena smiled and nodded to one of her friends, who gave Heero a push in the 
direction of the young bride-to-be.

Heero reluctantly approached the kneeling figure, then knelt down and pushed 
back the hood.

A look of pure wonder and joy came to Heero's face as the familiar face smiled 
back at him, chestnut bangs framing violet eyes.

"Duo!" he exclaimed, throwing his arms around Duo and pulling him up from the 
floor and into a warm embrace.

The other pilots soon recovered from the shock of seeing their lost friend safe 
and sound, and joined Heero in hugging Duo and showering him with affection.

"Get your own." Heero told them. "Duo's mine."

"I got my own." Quatre smiled, giving Trowa a kiss. "And he's got me."

Heero looked Duo over, then kissed him again. "Since you're already dressed for 
it..." he began, smiling a rare smile.

"I'd love to." Duo replied.


Relena watched from the stage, tears of mixed joy and sadness in her eyes. 

//See, Heero, // she thought, silently //I told you I could make you happy.// 

-----OWARI-----