AN: First off I would like to apologize to the readers of RELENA"S TWELVE STEPS. Having some issues and the full explanation is on my profile if you care to take a look. Also I have a favor to ask ALL of you at the end of chapter one. Happy reading and don't forget to review!!

I've had the idea for this story for awhile now and finally decided to sit and start writing. I really wanted to write a story that I could focus on ALL the character instead of just my favorite 1&R But never fear you Heero and Relena lovers....

Prologue

In all the bars in all the world you had to walk into mine.

Ok. I'll stop. That was cheesy. But that's who I am- the name's Duo Maxwell. And I think the five of us have to admit that's sort of how we felt the first time we saw her. Not the first time we saw her but the day she awkwardly stood outside that black tinted window and internally debated on whether or not to step inside. And boy step inside she did. That wide eyed innocent thing stepped inside our lives in a way we'd never forget.

We'd all be bold face lying if we told you we didn't hold a sort of school boy crush on the princess. You sorta couldn't help yourself- you didn't really want to. She had that way about her you see...that impulse that suddenly made you want to open every damn door....made you want throw your jacket on a puddle....not that it mattered any you'd find some excuse to carry her over. But you see what I mean? She brought that out in you. The best...in some cases the worst.

I'm not talking about being in love with her mind you. But I am only speaking for myself. You know what did it for me? When all my hope for survival was gone? It was the day I met her. It was that dress...never met a girl like her in a dress like that. Still haven't met a girl like her in a dress like that throw herself in between two of her would be assassins with no regard for her own life. Yeah, she stepped in front of my gun to save that god damn Yuy. But we're not talking about him right now and that's not the point. The point is- that body behind her could have been you or me. It didn't matter. I knew she was something special from the start. Just never believed she'd be that way to me. I'd bet a months wages they didn't either.

I was a lost cause. We all were in some way or another.

Nine years can do all to a person. Not her. Time hadn't touched her. Not in the way it would you or me. She was still the same Relena. What I mean is...the outside had changed but not the way she saw the world or the people in it. She only the saw the good when she looked at us through those baby blues. More than I can say for most.

Time had changed people but usually not the way they looked at the gundam pilots. Mouths kept shut because of the whole saving the world thing Heero stumbled onto...but we'd always be murder's and trained assassins. The guy's you didn't take home to mother and unless you'd had a few drinks in your system or you were...ahem...a lady of the night you didn't casually walk up to and ask for a number. But to be fair...some of my dear friends didn't exactly help their cases any. Yeah...time had only changed some things.

So there we all were. Minus one...or so we thought... on what we thought would be a normal Thursday night when that pretty little thing stood outside my bar looking for a way to change her life. And on her road to doing so...would change ours.