Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing or Borrowed Hearts.

Chapter 9

The party was a success. The employees were surprised when Heero announced to them that he was having one as a thank you for all their hard work during the year. The party was held at Hilde's restaurant as planned, and with Relena and Quatre helping, there were no problems. The atmosphere was awkward when the employees found out that Relena, one of them, had planned the party. She didn't really know what to say to them. Luckily, Duo smoothed things over by telling everyone that Relena was friends with the owner, and she was simply helping. That was the truth for the most part.

Quatre didn't know what to think when he saw how indifferent Heero and Relena were acting toward each other. It was partly due to the fact that no one could know about the "arrangement" between them, but still ignoring each other wasn't helping the situation. Quatre wasn't sure how things were going to go now. He truly wished for their happiness and Evan's, but that didn't seem likely at the moment. He didn't say anything more to Heero. It was up to him and Relena to figure it out now. Sadly, Quatre could do no more.

Evan noticed Quatre's sad expression even though the older man was all smiles and laughter at the party. He didn't hear anymore music, and he was afraid it meant Quatre was leaving soon. Why else would an angel be sad? Evan still didn't have any real proof that Quatre was an angel, but he couldn't worry about that now. If Quatre wasn't going to help, then Evan was going to do it by himself.

His plan was simple: get his mom and Heero under some mistletoe. He remembered that at last year's Christmas party at Aunt Hilde's restaurant, Uncle Zechs and Aunt Lucy were mad at each other, and they were fighting, too. Evan didn't remember why, but he figured it was a grown up thing. Then everything turned out okay when Uncle Zechs kissed Aunt Lucy under the mistletoe. He saw them make up, and everyone was happy again. Now if he could somehow get his mom and Heero under the mistletoe, then everything would be okay. He'd get his dad, and all of them would be a family.

So that was what Quatre saw him doing the day after the party. Quatre had walked into the foyer, and he saw Evan trying to push a chair under the living room's doorway.

"Evan, what are you doing?" he asked the boy, coming up behind him.

Evan turned around at the sound of his voice and blurted out, "Nothing!" He quickly hid the mistletoe behind him.

Quatre smiled knowingly and crouched down until he was at eye level with Evan. "Really? It doesn't look like nothing to me."

Evan hung his head and shifted his feet nervously. Everyone except Annie and Hawthorne were supposed to be gone. He wanted make sure no one found out what he was doing, but obviously that wasn't going to happen. He mumbled something under his breath, deciding that it was okay if Quatre knew. After all, he had come to help him, hadn't he?

"What was that?"

With a sigh, Evan looked up and replied, "I need help."

"Well, I'll be glad to help you if you tell me what you're doing," Quatre declared.

Evan showed him the mistletoe and explained that he wanted to hang it up. He didn't say why he wanted to. Quatre just smiled again and took the mistletoe. He climbed up and hung it. Evan thanked him, and Quatre watched him scamper off.

'It seems that I wasn't the only who wanted to bring them together,' Quatre thought, his eyes twinkling with delight.

Evan raced up to his room and found Ebony laying on his bed again. He got in bed and started to rub her back. "I did it, Ebony. I put the mistletoe up. Well, Mr. Winner did, but it doesn't matter. Now we have to get Mommy and Mr. Yuy under it. Then everything will be great, and I'll get my daddy."

The cat purred in response and closed her eyes as she drifted off to sleep. Evan curled up against her, feeling tired all of a sudden. He pulled his covers over him and yawned.

'Yeah. I'll get a daddy. Mommy will be happy again, and we'll all be a family,' Evan thought before he went to sleep as well. 'A family.'

***

Heero was sitting in his office, going over the final papers when Duo and Trowa stepped in.

"Hey, Heero. Me and Trowa are going to head out now. You coming?" asked Duo.

Heero looked up from his work and shook his head. There was still a lot to do. Not concentrating on the merger due to his periodic thoughts about Relena wasn't helping. Yet, he couldn't help it. She would wander into his mind even if he was thinking about other things. She shouldn't, considering she and Evan were leaving soon. Heero didn't want to think about that. "No, I have to finish this," he replied, not knowing he was scowling.

Duo and Trowa exchanged a glance. They weren't oblivious as to what was happening between Heero and Relena. It was obvious that they liked each other even if they were too blind to see it and too stubborn to admit it.

"All right. We'll see you tomorrow then," Duo said and followed Trowa out to their cars. Whey they got there, he turned to the taller man and asked, "Think it'll happen?"

Trowa shrugged and said, "Who knows? It's up to them."

Ten minutes after they left, Heero's secretary came in and asked if she could leave early. "I still have some presents to buy," she explained. Heero nodded and waved her off. "Thank you and Merry Christmas." With that she left.

Heero grumbled under his breath and ran a hand through his hair. He leaned back and closed his eyes. "Merry Christmas," he muttered to himself. "Presents." Suddenly, his eyes flew open and he exclaimed, "Presents! I forgot presents!"

He grabbed his coat and rushed off the closest department store. He couldn't believe he had forgotten. He wasn't going to disappoint Evan on Christmas morning. Even though Evan wasn't really his son, Heero still wanted the boy to have a wonderful Christmas.

Later that night when everyone was asleep, Heero was in the living room with the fire roaring behind him. Unwrapped gifts, wrapping paper, and ribbons surrounded him. At the moment he was trying to put together a model of a dinosaur's skeleton, and he wasn't succeeding. Heero looked over the diagram again and mumbled to himself, "Place completed part A onto part B. What?"

Relena came downstairs with a bag of toys herself and saw him talking to himself. She smiled and quietly walked over to him. She kneeled down and said, "I think it goes this way." Relena took the part and connected it into the other part.

Heero stared at the model in wonder. "How did you know that?" He looked up at her.

"Ah, I've done this before," she replied softly.

"Well, that's enough for Mr. Dinosaur," Heero stated and placed the unfinished model aside.

An uncomfortable silence settled between them. Heero didn't know what to say. What could he say? It was nearly time for her and Evan to leave. He didn't like the way his heart tightened painfully at that thought. Life wasn't going to be the same after they left. It was going to be dark, cold, and lonely again. Heero had no real desire to go back to that life, but what could he do? 'She isn't staying,' he thought, swirling his glass of brandy.

Relena saw the emotions flicker across his face and stood up quickly to avoid thinking about them. She moved to the fireplace and began to place small toys into the stockings that were hanging. When she could find the courage to speak, she said, in what she hoped was a neutral tone, "I've never seen so many presents before. Quatre will be impressed."

Heero took a sip of brandy and stared down at the amber liquid. "They're not for Quatre's benefit. They're for Evan's. When she didn't say anything, he added casually, "I wanted him to have a good Christmas."

Relena's hand hovered over a stocking and glanced over her shoulder. He wasn't making this easy for her. She resumed placing the toys into the stockings. For some reason, Relena started to explain to him how Christmas was for her brother and her. "Milliardo and I were orphaned when we were young, and our grandparents raised us. We didn't have much money, but every Christmas, we would get one big present. I remember one year I got this elaborate paint set. I went crazy. I painted everything. I even painted the cat." She smiled at the memory and asked, "What was your favorite Christmas?"

Heero stared down at his glass again and replied huskily, "This one."

He definitely wasn't making this easy for her. Relena sighed and finished her task. She sat down next to him and placed a finger on a ribbon he was tying. "My grandmother would hang my pictures on the refrigerator all time, and it made me think I could do it professionally."

"You still can," Heero pointed out, setting the wrapped gift to the side. He turned and looked into her eyes. "If you want to."

Relena shrugged and averted his gaze by glancing over his shoulder at a picture of her and Evan. "That's the dream, but everything I do now is for Evan. He comes first."

"You're real gutsy, you know that?" Heero reached up and brushed a tendril of hair away from her face. "I've never met a woman like you before." His fingers drifted down to caress her cheek. He knew he shouldn't be doing this, but he couldn't help himself.

Relena leaned into his touch almost unconsciously. She turned, and their eyes caught. This time she didn't look away. She continued to gaze into his beautiful eyes as his thumb gently traced the shape of her lips. His eyes held such warmth and longing that Relena thought she was seeing things. What could he possible long for?

"Why haven't you gotten married yet, Heero?" she asked out of the blue.

Heero was taken back by the sudden question. His hand dropped, and he looked away. He picked up his glass and took another sip.

"Heero?"

"You really want to know?"

"Yes."

He sighed and forced himself to look at her again. He swallowed hard. "I haven't gotten married yet because I thought I wouldn't...make a good father."

"That's not true," Relena quickly retorted. "I've seen you with Evan. You would make a wonderful father." Her eyes softened as she remembered how happy her son was when he was with Heero. Evan really loved being with him. Heero would make a wonderful father to Evan if it could happen. If only things were different between her and Heero. If only...

Heero watched her intently, wondering what she could be thinking about. He reached up and caressed her face again. He saw her train of thoughts stop, and she leaned against his touch again. Heero didn't want to bring up the uncomfortable subject concerning them, but he needed to know why.

"Relena, why?"

Relena gazed at him sadly. She smiled slightly and took his hand into hers. "Because it won't work out, and there would be hurt between us. I don't want that."

His eyes narrowed. "You don't know that." Heero pulled free and grasped her chin with his thumb and finger. Relena tried to pull away, but he held firm. "Look me in the eye and tell me you don't think about me when you're in my bed at night." His voice dropped a notch. "Tell you don't toss and turn and...wonder."

"I do wonder, Heero, and sometimes I feel so close to you that it scares me," Relena replied softly. "I've already been with a man who would leave me and Evan without a thought, and I don't know what I'd do if it happens again."

"I would never do that to you," he countered quickly. "I..." Heero stopped. It came to him suddenly. He wasn't sure why he didn't see it before. He loved her. He was head over heels in love with her. He stared at her as if he never saw her before.

Relena didn't know why he stopped all of a sudden. She certainly didn't know what to make of his stare. He was looking at her as if he just had an epiphany. Did he know? Did he know she loved him? Yesterday she had to admit to herself what she was feeling. At the party she and Heero had acted coldly toward each other, and she hated it. Then she had realized why. She loved him.

Heero swallowed hard. The recognition was like a breath of fresh air. He loved her. He wanted to shout it to the world, and he didn't care if everyone knew. Heero's hand slowly moved to the back of her neck, and he leaned closer to her. He took a deep breath before he spoke.

"Relena, you know that I would never hurt you purposely, don't you?" he asked, his mood suddenly changing.

She nodded, not being able to speak with him so close. Relena stared into his eyes that were burning with intensity. He leaned in closer, and she realized he was about to kiss her. Her eyelids slowly drifted shut as she leaned in as well. She felt his lips coming closer to hers.

"I would never hurt you," Heero whispered against her lips. His eyes closed, too, and he kissed her softly at first. Then he heard her gasp, and he deepened the kiss. His lips moved leisurely over hers as he kept her close to him.

Before she knew it, Relena was gripping his shirt. She didn't want this to end. It felt good. It felt right.

Soon they had pull apart for some air. Heero rested his forehead against hers as they tried to catch their breath. "Don't make me let you go, Relena," he said as soon as he could speak.

Relena looked intently at him and tried to think of something to say. Fortunately, she didn't have to because suddenly she heard Evan shouting for her.

"Mommy! Mommy, I'm scared!" came the distant voice.

She pulled away and stammered, "Evan needs me." With that she left Heero and ran upstairs to her son's room.

Heero sat there for awhile, staring into the fireplace. He could still feel his lips tingling from the kiss. It had felt so right to kiss her, to hold her, to feel her close to him. Heero made up his mind about what to do. He loved her, and he wasn't about to let her go. He smirked to himself and picked up his glass of brandy again. No, he wasn't letting her go.