I do not own Gundam Wing or its characters.

Thank you for all the great reviews. The response to this story is quite overwhelming! I hope that you continue to find it enjoyable. RL2

Chapter Two: You Belong to Me

"Quit fidgeting."

"I am not fidgeting."

Heero glanced at his wife, bundled up beside him in his Jeep Rubicon, and watched her scoot back and forth on the seat, then adjust her dress, then touch her hair. He smirked, just a little, to show his amusement. "Love, stop it."

Relena sighed in exasperation. Yes, she was fidgety, but, she surmised, she had good reason to be. They were running late, contrary to her husband's whispered reassurances that they wouldn't. Not that she had minded at all what they had been doing that made them run late. She blushed just thinking about it. But while it had been fun, now they were rushed, and she hadn't decided yet what to tell Mike Young about helping with L-10.

The barest caress on her cheek focused her attention on Heero, and she looked at him, smiling when he winked at her. "Just relax, baby. Like I told you, tell him it's a one-time deal."

Relena frowned. "But he's just so persistent. I just know he'll end up talking me into doing more." There was genuine worry in her soft voice, and Heero felt his protective hackles rise.

"I'll stay with you while you talk to him. He won't push you into anything you don't want to do," he assured her, and Relena leaned over to kiss his cheek, drawing back a little with a small frown. Heero glanced at her.

"What?"

"I thought you weren't going to shave."

He shrugged, and she couldn't help but notice the way his big shoulders tugged at the ski coat he wore. Heero was a very powerful man, as all his past opponents had found out, and yet so gentle with her, for which she would be eternally grateful. She knew she never had to fear his strength – she had only to revel in it and marvel at it.

"I thought scruffy might not go over so well," he explained, glancing in the rearview. Not that it was necessary, it was just out of habit. Since Relena had retired, there had been only a few small skirmishes that he had taken care of single-handedly.

Relena shrugged, her movement so much more delicate than his. "I liked it, and if they didn't, well, they could just stuff it." She said it so emphatically that he had to laugh, the sound burbling up from deep within his solid chest. "Well, they could," she insisted.

"I love you, sweetheart," Heero said, giving her a fond look. They came into New York, and his attention shifted to the traffic. He mumbled a few things beneath his breath, but for the most part, didn't show his irritation. He would be happy to never come to the city at all, and stayed away as much as possible, but for big events it was unavoidable.

Relena's own attention had started to drift, as she thought about all the people she would be seeing. Some names brought a smile, like Duo and Hilde Maxwell, dear friends of theirs, and some, like Mike Young, brought a tense feeling in her stomach. She was glad Heero was planning to stay with her while she—

"Heero!"

Her husband too saw the big SUV as it crossed lanes and cut directly in front of them. He slammed on the brakes, downshifting, swearing in Japanese as the Jeep fishtailed a little and the impudent SUV sped up to get away from them. Taking a deep breath, he looked over at his wife, noting her panicked look.

"You alright, love?" he asked, reaching for her hand to give it a quick squeeze.

"Yes," she told him, but there was a rattled look in her gentian eyes and Heero touched her cheek for a moment.

"It's alright, sweetheart. I've got everything under control."

"Oh, I know you do. It's everyone else I wonder about," she said, and attempted to shake it off. She couldn't let one traffic incident ruin her night.

The rest of the ride went smoothly and Heero pulled the Jeep up to the imposing building that the Ball was held at every year. "Good evening, sir," a valet said, his dark eyes a contrast to his white blonde hair.

"Hey." Heero got out and walked around to take Relena's hand, helping her out of the Jeep. He smiled at her in reassurance as he led her up the steps, taking care not to let her slip.

They left their coats in the foyer and proceeded into the gigantic room, Relena pressing closer to her husband. He put an arm around her and gazed around, looking for a familiar face.

"Princess!" Relena barely had time to register the voice before she was pulled away from Heero and lifted into the air before being nearly crushed in a bear hug.

"D-Duo..." She could barely get his name out, because there was no air left in her lungs.

"Maxwell, put her down! Let go of her!" Heero commanded in irritation, seeing his wife's discomfort. The boisterous American with the signature chestnut braid grinned and released his captive, then turned on Heero.

"Maxwell, don't—"

Duo ignored the order and wrapped his arms around the Japanese man, squeezing hard. When there was no reciprocation, Duo let go and stepped back, shaking his head. "Aw, come on, Yuy! Lighten up a little! It's Christmas!"

Heero glared at him while he made a show of straightening his tux. He looked for Relena and saw her hugging Hilde, Duo's spitfire of a wife. Hilde's black curls danced around her sweet pixie face, and Heero gave her a smile when she noticed him.

"Heero! I'm so glad to see you!" the petite German woman said and gave him a tight hug. This time, he reciprocated, and this time, it was Duo doing the glaring.

"Not fair, Yuy."

Heero shrugged. "She's cuter than you are."

Before Duo could retort or protest, Hilde took his hand and squeezed it – hard. He scowled at her, but soon the scowl became a grin. He just couldn't stay irritated when she was around. "He is right about that, hot stuff," he whispered in Hilde's ear. "You are definitely cute."

Hilde smiled and kissed his cheek. "Just so long as you think so. I don't care what anyone else thinks." And she meant that, too. Hilde Maxwell played to no one's favor.

"Have you seen the others?" Relena asked them, meaning, of course, the other ex-Gundam pilots and their significant others.

"Nope, not yet," Duo told her, and lifted two flutes of champagne off a passing waiter's tray. He handed one to Hilde and began drinking the other himself. Hilde, very discreetly, placed hers on the tray of a different waiter. The Ball was in full-swing, and there were people everywhere. It was a security team's nightmare, andDuo was glad he wasn't working it tonight. That was a miracle, as Team Six, Heero's old team and now led by Trowa Barton, was usually pegged for assignments like this.

"Mrs. Yuy?"

Relena turned to see Mike Young and her heart began to race a little. What should I tell him? I'm so happy with my life the way it is, but I do want to help... "Senator Young. How nice to see you again," she said, knowing it was a total lie. She just wasn't comfortable being around someone who had so forcefully pursued her in the past, even after her engagement to Heero had been announced.

Mike smiled and stepped closer to her, only to find her husband suddenly between them, his Prussian eyes starting to sparkle with anger. Mike paled. Heero Yuy was not a man to tangle with, for any reason. "Mr. Yuy. So we meet again."

Heero merely stared at him, his eyes hardening ever so slightly. He had no use for Young, and a great dislike for the man. He saw no reason to be pleasant.

"Ah, well, I just need to speak with your wife for a moment—"

"If she decides to help you, it's only this one time. She's retired," Heero growled, and Mike backed away from him. The man had a temper, and Mike was afraid to see it in action. Raised as a member of the New York elite, he himself was a soft man, never having gotten his hands dirty working. Heero's height and size completely intimidated him, and he wondered why he had ever pursued Relena. Perhaps it was because he'd never taken the time to really scrutinize her husband.

"Well, yes, of course. We aren't looking to drag her back into the political arena," Mike hastened to say, trying to appease Heero.

The ex-Preventer smiled, but it held no warmth or humor. "I wouldn't let you drag her into anything, Senator," he told him, and felt a hand on his forearm. Relena gazed up at him and he eased off, having said his peace on the matter.

"Thank you, darling," she said, her voice warm and loving. She knew how hard it was for him to come to these events and put up with politicians who took every blessed thing they had for granted, like the peace they were celebrating tonight. Heero kissed her forehead and shifted so he could watch the exchange between her and the Senator.

"Mrs. Yuy, I do understand if you'd rather not get involved," Mike said, uncomfortably aware of Heero's intense gaze.

"I would like to help, Mr. Young, but as my husband clearly said, it would just be this once. What kind of problems are you having on L-10?" Relena asked, trying not to show her amusement over the Senator's predicament. While she occasionally thought Heero was too protective or overbearing, she had also come to depend on him for just those reasons.

"I would really rather discuss it somewhere quieter. Perhaps we could meet tomorrow afternoon at my office?" Mike suggested, hoping vainly that her husband wouldn't accompany her.

Relena thought ahead to Saturday. She really hated working on weekends, but if he wasn't willing to talk about L-10 here, what could she do?

"Hey, Princess, don't forget we're touring the Big Apple tomorrow," Duo cut in, smiling, but she saw the glint in his deep cobalt eyes. He recognized that she needed an out, and he was giving one to her. Even Heero was giving the American agent a semi-admiring look.

"Oh yes, that's right. We could meet on Monday, Mr. Young, if that's alright," Relena said and Duo winked at her. Heero's semi-admiring look iced over into a dark frown.

Mike, eager to get away from Heero, quickly nodded. "Yes, that would be quite alright. Say eleven o'clock."

"Perfect." Relena beamed as the Senator retreated and turned to give Duo a hug, which he eagerly accepted. "Thank you, Duo. You are a life-saver," she said warmly.

"I know." If Duo was anything, he was super confident, and that got him into trouble on occasion, as it did tonight.

"Are you done flirting now?" Hilde asked, her tone icy, her sapphire eyes flashing in temper. Duo's mouth dropped open. Where was this coming from?

"Flirting? Babe, I was just helping—"

"Save it." His young wife stalked away, leaving Duo to stare after her, completely confused.

"I don't get it. I wasn't flirting," Duo said, shaking his head. He knew Hilde had a hot switch, but she didn't usually turn on him like this, and never in public. She felt fights should be kept in the home.

"Duo, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have hugged—"

"No, Princess, it's not your fault. Don't worry about it." Duo's eyes were narrowed as he followed after Hilde. He wasn't about to let her get away with falsely accusing him, and by association, Relena.

Heero put a hand on his wife's shoulder and gently squeezed. "She's not mad at you, honey. She looked wired when we first saw them. Duo probably made her mad long before they got here," he told her gently, aware that her feelings had been hurt by Hilde's roundabout accusation.

"I know. I just hate when they fight," Relena said, sighing a little. She and Hilde were good friends, best friends, even, and she better than most knew how Hilde's temper could be. But why was she being so ornery tonight? Duo hadn't done anything other than be his normal, happy self. And come to think of it, Hilde's emotions had seemed a little wild the weekend before, when they'd gone Christmas shopping for their husbands...

"Oh!" The realization and gasp came at the same time, and Relena wasn't quick enough to stop the sound. Heero's eyes narrowed, just a tiny bit, and she knew she had to deterhim from asking what was wrong.

"What—"

"Heero, I think I saw Quatre. Come on." She grabbed his hand and tried to pull him along, but her husband could become a brick wall when he wanted to, and this was one of those times. Relena tried then to let go of his hand, but he wasn't having any of that, either. "Heero."

"What's wrong?" he asked and she knew by the tone of his voice he expected to be told. Heero was very rarely ever truly upset with his wife, but he did get irritated with her, especially when he sensed she was keeping something from him. When Relena refused to look him in the eye, he frowned and tilted her chin up. "Love, what is it?"

Relena saw the growing concern in his pretty blue eyes and felt bad for causing him to worry. "Nothing's wrong, handsome. I, um, just realized something, but I don't want to talk about it here," she said, hoping he wouldn't press the issue. If what she suspected was true, she didn't want to draw attention to it.

Heero watched her for several seconds. He knew she wouldn't lie to him, so if she said nothing was wrong, then he had no reason to believe something was. "Okay, but you will tell me later." Though his tone was gentle, she knew there was steel there as well, and she gave a quick nod. Heero leaned down to kiss her forehead, then gave her a soft smile. "Care to dance?"

"I'd love to." She beamed up at him as he grinned and led her out to the dance floor, his left arm strong and secure around her tiny waist, his right hand firm and loving around her left one. He was a graceful dancer, and Relena followed his lead with equal grace. They made a stunning pair; his six-foot-one frame towering over her five-foot-five one, her pale violet dress a vibrant contrast to his obsidian tux.

"I think everyone's looking at us," he said, a quick look confirming his suspicion. He was used to the scrutiny, having been Relena's bodyguard for several years before becoming her husband. That didn't bother him. What did bother him, however, was the fact that as soon as they stopped dancing, the crowd would pounce, and he wouldn't likely get another second alone with her.

Relena too knew her time alone with Heero was limited. She was still a favorite, still a popular component of the political circle, and whenever she made public appearances it was guaranteed that her time would be split between all of the politicians and government officials who still looked to her for advice. She sighed and squeezed Heero's waist. "I know. I do wish we could get out of here and spend the night alone."

He gazed down at his young wife and wished he could grant her desire. "If I could swing that, love, I would," he whispered in her ear, his breath warm and caressing. She shivered against him and he held her tighter, wanting the dance to continue forever, so that no one else could intrude upon them and take her away.

"Heero, I love you, so much," Relena said softly, her eyes locking with his. The music slowed and then stopped, and she saw from the corner of an eye that they were about to be mobbed.

Heero saw them coming as well and had to strongly resist the urge to scoop her into his arms and run for the exit. He saw the longing in her eyes, her desire to just be alone with him, away from the shallowness that permeated these events, and knew there was only one way to stay the onslaught, if only for a minute or so.

Tipping her head back, he bent his own, his chocolate hair falling over his eyes as his lips took possession of hers. One hand came to the small of her back, while the other found her neck, and played with the tendrils of honey-spun hair that had escaped from her chignon. When Relena sighed in contentment, he deepened the kiss, taking full control of the moment, and leaving no doubts as to who she belonged to.