Astra: Weeee! We updated!

Shizuko: *nodnod*

Chapter Four: All According to Plan…They Wish!

"You FINALLY asked? And she ACCEPTED? SWEEEEEET!"

Heero winced at Duo's outburst. "Yeah."

"Well, I volunteer to be the PREACHER!"

"Beg pardon?"

"Well, think about it. I've got the COLLAR for the job, no?"

"Um…"

Relena forced a smile. "I don't think it's the collar that makes the preacher, Duo. But thanks for the offer."

"You could be best man," suggested Heero.

Duo thought about that for a while. "OK. That works for me!"

"I'll help with decorations," volunteered Hilde.

Duo blinked. "But, Hilde, what's so interesting about flowers?"

She glanced about and then whispered confidentially, "It's not the flowers, honey, it's the candles."

Duo grinned. "Good thinking! The best part is always FIRE!!!"

Hilde nodded energetically as Heero put his face in his hands and Relena looked a little pale. "Umm…well," she choked out, thinking fast, "how about you be Maid of Honor, Hilde? Noin declined, so we need someone, and you could go with Duo that way…"

Hilde thought about that for a while. "Fire or maid of honor…fire or maid of honor…"

"Ooh, tough decision," sympathized Duo.

There was a moment of tense silence. Heero crossed his fingers behind his back for luck.

"Well…I'll take maid of honor, for Duo!" decided Hilde, planting a kiss on her husband's cheek.

Duo turned red. "Awww…Hilde…"

Fortunately, neither noticed Heero and Relena sigh in relief.

"Hey, Heero, can we make the wedding cake?"

"Yeah? Can we? I'm really good at baking!"

"Yeah! She only blows up the kitchen every other time."

"Don't flatter me, Duo. It's more often than that."

"You're blushing, Hilde…"

Heero blinked. "Um…that's okay, you guys. I think the caterer will take care of the cake…"

"Aw, too bad. Hilde here is really good."

"I'm sure," said Relena. "Maybe another time."

"Okay!"

In short, everyone fussed over everything. Relena's dress had to be perfect, with every little bit of lace in place. Quatre was busy making sure the flower arrangements were in order, without a single baby's breath blossom out of pattern. "I think we're short on pink flowers," he informed Heero.

A slight grin twitched at the sides of Heero's mouth. "Oh no, we're not," he replied.

Trowa remained as impassive as ever, watching silently, though not unhappily, and lending a hand wherever it was needed. Catherine was his opposite, fluttering from project to project and generally spreading a calming cheerfulness. It was needed too, especially at the rehearsal.

The real problems started relatively close to the beginning, right where Zechs was supposed to walk down the aisle with Relena to give her away. When she was close enough, Heero reached out to take her hands, and she started towards him. She stopped suddenly, however, when she realized that she was only able to go so far. Zechs had a death grip on her arm, and didn't seem to be ready to let her go any time soon.

"Milliardo!" she hissed furiously.

"It doesn't feel right," he objected stubbornly, "to be GIVING you away to HIM!"

"But that's how the ceremony goes!" she said, prying her arm from his and joining Heero at the front.

Zechs was about to make a comment when Noin walked up. "Zechs, come help me with something."

"But…"

"COME!!"

The rest of the rehearsal went without incident. Afterwards, Wufei pulled Heero to the side. "Here," he murmured, pressing something into his friend's hand.

"What is it?"

"I warned you, Heero. You SHOULD have listened to me. It's too late now…but you've still got a chance."

"What are you talking about?"

"You went ahead to get married, of course! I warned you…"

"So what is this?" Heero asked, holding up the small capsule Wufei had given him.

"It's your last chance if you finally come to your senses. Sally's gonna kill me, but I wanted to give you a way out," he said with the proud, quiet air of a martyr.

"What IS it??"

"It's cyanide…just in case."

"WHAT???"

"Wufei?? Where are you?" came Sally's voice.

Wufei jumped like he had been stung, obviously debating within whether or not to respond. "Um…"

"There you are!" Sally appeared from around the corner, taking in the scene with one shrewd glance. "Don't tell me your trying to brainwash poor Heero against marriage AGAIN!!"

"Well…"

She shook her head. "Don't listen to him, Heero. He's all soft inside and doesn't even realize it. Come on, Wufei. We have to get home."

Wufei looked back one last time as he was dragged away. "Don't forget!" he called out. "I've given you a chance!"

Heero watched them leave, and then studied the capsule. He stood there for a moment, then grinned and tossed it down onto the ground, crushing it beneath his heel as he walked off to find Relena.

The wedding day was perfectly sunny, with only amiable fluffy white clouds in the sky.

Heero despised it.

It wasn't really the weather's fault. He was just so nervous, and there was the fact that the ceremony seemed to take FOREVER to start; it all just made him horribly irritated. When everything finally did start, though, all other thoughts melted away. The procession came down flawlessly, though Hilde almost tripped in her high heels. That, and one of the ribbons on the flower arrangements mysteriously caught fire (one of Relena's old school friends quickly doused it.) But when he saw Relena, nothing else mattered.

Her golden hair was loose, framing her perfect face and caressing her shoulders ever so delicately. Her dress cascaded over her frame, making a quiet hushing noise as she floated down the aisle. Her lacy veil fluttered slightly, and for a moment Heero imagined her with angel's wings…a very fitting analogy, he thought. Her azure eyes, misted with tears of happiness, sparkled as she kept her gaze on him alone, contrasting with Milliardo's fierce scowl.

She seemed to take forever to come to the end, and yet it was an eternity he enjoyed. Finally, they were face to face, and she discreetly wrenched her arm from Milliardo's so that she could hold hands with her beloved. They repeated their vows without a slip up, and the only tense moment was when Duo forgot which pocket he put the ring in. They found it, though, and the rest went without incident.

Until the very end.

Relena thought she heard a suspicious click when the minister said, "You may now kiss your bride." A glance at her brother confirmed her fears. Noin was too busy wiping her eyes on her handkerchief to notice, but Milliardo had a pistol ready in his right hand. She felt Heero's hands on her shoulders, felt him move a little closer, saw the gun rise slightly…

Suddenly, she moved just a bit to the side, turning Heero with her, so that she stood between him and her brother. Satisfied that she would shield her new husband well enough for the moment, she allowed him his rightful kiss.

Afterwards, at the reception, Heero turned to his bride with a smile. "Well," he murmured softly, "that's wasn't so bad."

Shizuko: The End!

Astra: We hope you liked our fluffy fic…and remember to keep reading our other story, Riders and Flyers!

Both: Bye!