Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing.

Relena's 21st birthday was going smoothly. Like any other girl before her, her girlfriends, Hilde, Dorothy and Cathy, brought her out and saw to it that within about 4 hours' time, she had downed the customary 21 shots, as well as a few yummy mixed drinks for chasers. Much to their relief, and true to character, she held her alcohol well. She stumbled as she walked and slurred when she spoke, but she avoided those things, and did not, at any point in the night, lose her lunch. She just quietly observed the growing vertigo, the changes in her various senses, and ate everything that was put in front of her. Even intoxicated, Relena was an angel.

As the group took the taxi back to her L2 hotel suite, she tried desperately to maintain logic as she listened in on the conversation.

"Well, yeah, she'd doing well, now, but wait 'til we get back to the suite," Hilde whispered.

"Miss Relena will take it like a trooper. She always does." Dorothy put her hand on Relena's knee, assuming she was oblivious.

"I don't know about this," Cathy started to reason for the younger girls.

"It's an innocent surprise, Cath!" Hilde's voice was amused. "Besides, it's not like we planned it. He just showed up."

Dorothy and Cathy shook their heads and Hilde giggled like a school girl.

Relena felt the lack of logical dexterity in her clouded mind as she tried to figure out the surprise. Somehow, she found herself picturing a dog.

They don't let dogs on colonies, she thought.

What? She answered herself. What kind of absurd logic is that? Of course they do. There's a stray dog, now! She looked out the window at the dark, shaggy mutt walking along the road. With her senses so fuzzy, she wasn't even sure he was there.

I know so many stray dogs, she thought. In her mind's eyes, she could see the soldiers who had taken refuge at the now forgotten Cinq kingdom. Quatre's smile appeared, slowly, dressed the school uniform. Then Heero faded into view behind him. She could feel herself smiling at his scowl. He didn't come against his will and she knew it. She mused on how much his dark messy exterior, along with his mysterious nature and the way he owned the shadows, were very much like her beloved. Surely he was most like her [possibly imagined] canine friend.

Then she saw her brother, his back to her.

"Will he always keep his back to me?" She wondered aloud.

The other girls looked at her, startled. It was the most she had said in hours.

"Who, Relena?" Cathy was prying to see if she'd figured them out.

"Milliardo. Every time I think of him, his back is to me." She looked back at them with sad eyes.

"Oh, baby. He loves you," Cathy reassured her, touching her knee. "It's probably all the time he spent away from you, before."

And now, Relena thought.

She sighed, putting her deeper thoughts away, again. "Is he at the suite?"

"Who?" Hilde was growing anxious.

"Milliardo, of course."

Hilde laughed nervously. She was listening. They didn't want to lie to her, but they wanted to keep her off the trail, as well.

"Milliardo or not, you won't be disappointed, Miss Relena." Dorothy smiled mischievously as the taxi slowed to a halt.

The girls stumbled to the elevator, giggling like school children, and pushed all of the buttons, confused which was actually their floor. After nearly half an hour of wandering drunkenly through the halls, they finally reached the top floor.

"Oh, yeah!" Hilde's voice was loud and shrill, again. "You're a PRINCESS!"

The boys' ears perked as they heard the cheerful shouting. Duo shook his head, pretending to be embarrassed. He opened the door and looked, to find them wandering the wrong direction.

"Maybe we should have had ya'll stay here a few days before we let you try to wander home drunk," he shouted, snatching their attention.

"Only the BEST for RELENA!" Hilde had matched Relena shot for shot, and, though she'd gone drinking before, the intoxication was becoming increasingly evident. Duo laughed under his breath. He really didn't mind. Hilde was his soul mate, sober or drunk.

The group tackled Relena, falling through the door, laughing. Relena adjusted her mid-thigh length white dress, littered with black and red large print flowers, and accented with a red bow on one hip. She then brushed her long, straight, sandy blonde hair back, in place, clearing it from her aqua blue eyes and accenting black eyeliner and eggplant smoky eye design.

Now that the faces in her guest list had doubled, Relena could not seem to make heads or tails of who was around her or what was going on. She was embarrassed at her own lack of clarity and leaned coyly against a wall, looking past the blurry faces to find the kitchen. She was hungry and thirsty. She needed a snack and something to drink. Ice water.

"She seems to be handling it well," Quatre observed, unsurprised.

The sober boys watched as she strained to focus on where she thought the kitchen was. Right when she was sure, she walked slowly in that direction, only to find a couch and TV, instead of a counter and microwave. Frustrated, she sighed as she slumped on the floor. She was trying so hard not to make a fool of herself.

Two strong hands reached down out of seemingly nothingness and lifted her back to her feet. She complied, steadying herself against her guardian.

"Where are you going, Relena?" Cathy's voice was distant.

Relena laughed at herself, blushing. "The kitchen?"

The arms holding her didn't loosen their grip as they led her to the stools at the kitchen bar. She blinked several times, focusing on the dark granite and the black leather seats. She gripped the counter, hoping to feel in control, but the hands of her helper weren't so trusting.

"Where's the food?" Her whisper was strained with desperation and urgency.

"I'll get you some," the familiar masculine voice behind her answered.

"And water?" Her whisper was more playful, now, knowing her thoughts were being heard.

"Of course."

"Ice?"

"Always."

Gripping the counter tightly, she made her way around the inside, staring into space like she was blind. Once she was leaning back, against the counter, gripping it firmly with both hands, he finally let go, busying himself with her requests.

She watched the man in front of her rustle through the kitchen, unable to focus her eyes, but impressed at how well he maneuvered, as if he'd been here before. He already seemed to know where she'd stashed her hoard of salty, starchy junk food; opening and handing her a bag of classic potato chips. Next he grabbed a large glass and filled it to the brim with ice, then doused the solid cubes with cool water.

When he turned to hand it to her, she finally made out his face, under tussles of dark chestnut hair.

Heero?

Her friends had followed the couple to the kitchen and were watching, anxiously, waiting for the surprise guest's identity to sink in.

Her eyes dropped to the water he was offering, showing no sign of a response, then slid back up to his Pussian blues. Her mouth was open, but no more so than it had been before he'd turned to face her. She was perfectly still as she silently pondered.

Heero.