Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing.

Description: Hilde Macintosh thought she had it all, until a terrible 'accident' stole her memories and she found herself living with a poor family claiming that she is their daughter, and is engaged to a charming but questionable Duo Maxwell. Under the name of Hilde Schbeiker, she begins to piece together her life with Duo and the Schbeikers, and of her 'real' life in the Macintosh estate. But which one is real? Why would the Schbeikers steal her away from her life? And what happens when her real family comes looking for her?

Genre: Mystery, romance

Author: Ashley2323

Fresh Start

Prologue 'The Party'

The wind swept up her hair around her, pulling at the ebony tresses. She raised her hand and carefully tucked them back into place. Laughter erupted from inside and she smiled.

Still a certain yearning tugged at her heart, begging her to listen to it, but she pushed it down once again, quieting it. She would enjoy this evening; it was her eighteenth birthday, her debut, and on of the most important celebrations of a well-bred girl's life.

"Hilde? Hilde, darling…"

Her head snapped up at the sound of her mother's voice.

"There you are! I've been looking everywhere for you! What were you thinking, running off out here again?" She didn't bother to wait for Hilde's answer; she just took her hand and pulled off the terrace and back into the grand ballroom.

"There's a certain young man who's been looking for you everywhere." Her mother smirked. Hilde too, smiled.

She picked up the pace, her silver heels clinking against the marble floor.

She stopped in the entrance and let her mother practically float across the ballroom to her country club friends. Hilde glanced across the room, and spotted him talking to her father and some other businessmen.

Smiling broadly, Hilde quickly made sure her long, ebony hair was still perfectly styled, gathered up the bottom of her shimmering silver dress and hurried across the room.

When he saw her, his face lit up. "Hilde!"

"Hello Jack, it's been a long time. When did you get back in the country?" Hilde asked.

"Oh please Hilde, you don't care about my business trips." He paused and studied her appreciatively. Hilde just smiled, "You know me too well, Jack."

Jack was one of her father's employees and was on the brink of a huge promotion in his company. He was tall, with wide shoulders and a gentlemanly charm that no woman could resist. He was 22, four years older than Hilde's eighteen, but it never really mattered much to them.

Jack leaned down and kissed her cheek. "If you don't mind, Sir," He said, turning to Mr. Macintosh, Hilde's father, "I'd like to ask your daughter for a dance."

Mr. Macintosh just laughed, "Please do,"

The couple was out on the dance floor in a flash.

Hilde sighed deeply as she let her head fall against his shoulder. She was so lucky, she knew women who would kill to be in this position with Jack. They danced for what seemed like hours, until it ended, and then their time was far too short.

Jack pulled away for her and gave her a swift kiss on her forehead. "I have an announcement to make." He explained, "Wait for me?"

"Always," Hilde smiled and let him go. Jack walked up to where the band was playing and took the microphone in his hand.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, please excuse my interruption, but I have something I need to say."

The people stopped dancing and gave the young man their full attention.

"As you know, Hilde Macintosh and I have been courting for two years now…" He looked through the crowd at her and smiled. Hilde smiled back, and a faint red tint hinted at her cheeks.

"In the years that I've known her, Hilde has held my absolute attention. There is no one in this world I love more."

Hilde was glowing red. He was so incredible; she couldn't believe what he was saying! She prayed to God she had guessed correctly about what he was trying to say.

"I want to spend the rest of my life with her. So Hilde Macintosh," He bent down on one knee, "Will you marry me?"

Hilde screamed with delight. "JACK!" She cried. She picked up her skirt and ran to him, throwing her arms around his neck. "Yes! Oh yes, yes, yes!" She kissed him quickly and pulled him up to his feet.

Jack was beaming and he hugged her until she could hardly breath.

She couldn't have been happier. I'm so lucky, she thought, I have it all, there's nothing I want in life. I have everything.

~***~

Crawling into bed that night, Hilde could hardly sleep. She was stuck in a dreamlike state. Everything had happened so quickly, she was beginning to ponder if it had really happened at all.

To Hilde, it was as if she had been visited by her own fairy godmother, who had given her everything she could ever think of.

"Mmm," Hilde giggled to herself as she snuggled under the covers. She got to spend the rest of her life with the most perfect man on Earth, to have and to hold so long as they both shall live…

She stopped suddenly in her musings when she thought she heard something downstairs. Holding her breath, she listened for the noise again. It came: a soft thud and a scraping noise as the back door slid open.

"Is mother sleepwalking again?" She asked herself. She slipped out of bed and stepped into her slippers.

She padded gently down the hall and stopped at the top of the stairwell. "Mom…?" Instantly the noises fell silent.

Curiosity tugged at her feet, and she began to make her way down the stairs. They creaked traitorously underneath her, and whoever was downstairs seemed to freeze.
She rounded the corner into her father's study and nearly screamed.

Two masked men, clad in black, stood rigidly beside the desk, staring at her.

"That's her," Said the taller of the two, taking a step forward.
Hilde slapped a delicate hand over her mouth and tried to keep herself from screaming. Wait a second, what am I doing? If I scream, someone will come to help me.

She dropped her hand and sucked in a deep breath, but before she could make a sound, the shorter man had slapped his big hand over her mouth.

"Come on baby, you're going to have a little accident."

"NO!" Hilde shrieked, but it only came out as a muffled "Nm!"

The man dragged her backwards out of the study, after his companion.
Hilde could feel tears springing to her eyes and she flailed wildly, trying to escape his heavy grip.

"Calm down baby," He whispered in your ear, "Don't make a sound."

Hilde's body shuddered with sobs.

The man pulled her out into the yard and threw her to the ground.

Hilde started to cry, "Please don't hurt me," She begged.

"Shut up!" The guy hissed, he pointed a gun at her, threatening her if she didn't keep her mouth shut.

The tall man returned, "Come on," He said gruffly, "Make it look like an accident. With all this ruckus the police will be here any minute."

"No…" Hilde begged, dropping her head to the ground and weeping. The men seemed annoyed.

"You're the boss," Said the shorter one, he leaned down next to her. "This won't hurt a bit," He promised her.

"Oh God…" Hilde moaned. "What did I do?" She forced herself to look up at him, but she could see nothing in his eyes.

"I'm not going to kill you." He sighed. He raised his gun and aimed it at her throat.

Hilde was consumed with despair. He pulled the trigger and she felt a sharp prick followed quickly by darkness.

The man stared at her for a moment, before he was prompted by sirens in the distance to finish what he'd come for

"You done over there, pops?" He called to his partner.

"All set," The other man replied, "And don't call me pops!"

"You got it," He chuckled and picked the girl up off the ground. "Let's get outta here then."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

That's it for the prologue. Please e-mail me and tell me if you want it to continue. REVIEWS!!!!!!