Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing.

Relena Peacecraft would be 21 years old in only six days. It had been over three years since the Mariemaia incident, and so far, with the help of the Preventers' expertise, there had been no other threats to the peace. It was much stronger now, and much more stable, having been nurtured the entire time by the loving dedication and fiery determination of the once Queen of the World, now Vice Foreign Minister.

It was remarkable to think just how much this young woman had accomplished in just a few short years, and in the spring of her youth no less. She had rallied the People around her, lead them bravely, wisely, and above all selflessly, and, at the end of the fighting, gave them peace instead of clinging to power like the tyrants and despots of old. All this she had done on her own, and she had not even come of age yet.

Her private life was every bit as singular. During her reign, she had worked with each of the Gundam pilots individually. They had saved the world, and now, to save them, she protected their identities from the public. Their stories were tragic, she had to admit to herself, but they were courageous, righteous young men, and they were also her friends. So, with every bit of power and influence she possessed, she held their names within her knowledge and warded off the media's attempts to rob their secrets. She only wanted to ensure that they would be able to pursue the lives that they wanted to lead, make certain that they would be able to enjoy a little bit of the peace that they had fought and killed to give to the world. They were, after all, only 21 themselves; they still had their whole lives ahead of them.

But there was one other aspect about her private life that the media had successfully swarmed all over.

Currently, several close, childhood friends of Vice Foreign Minister Peacecraft's were en route to her stately, 118-acre estate for a few weeks of vacationing as well as in preparation for the grand affair that was to be her birthday. Misters Duo Maxwell, Quatre Winner, Trowa Barton, Wufei Chang, and Heero Yuy, when they arrived, would occupied five of the nine guest bedrooms of the palatial Peacecraft mansion. They would be accompanied by Misses Hilde Schbeiker, Dorothy Catalonia, and Sally Po. And finally, the Vice Foreign Minister's brother Milliardo Peacecraft and her sister-in-law Luzcrecia Noin (they have their own house in the mountains but they regularly come and go, sometimes staying half a year at a time) would round out the party. Together, these ten individuals comprised the entire roster of people whom Relena could never live without. And they had all pledged to be in attendance at her birthday party – more of a birthday ball, actually – taking place in less than a week.

But Relena had not seen the young men in quite some time. Her work was not one that allowed for much leisure time. Quatre she had seen the most often; his position as the President and CEO of the multi-million-dollar Winner Corporation brought them in constant contact and cooperation. Duo also would drop by every few weeks to say hello as he worked in the L2 colony's sweeper group and on his days off from the Maxwell Church. These two men were her closest friends and confidants. Trowa and Wufei were senior officers in the Preventers organization. They were not directly assigned to Relena, but the occasional reports and conferences kept them reasonably in touch. These two were also of a somewhat cooler demeanor, but that was only their personalities, and they were much better now than in the days of the war, Relena thought. And she also kept in mind that their line of work must take some slight sobering effect.

That left Heero.

Relena didn't know what to make of him. Truth be told, she was shocked to hear that he would be coming with all the others. She hadn't seen him since the Mariemaia incident was resolved, and she had only received a few messages from him over the course of three years – updates, warnings, and the like, nothing personal at all. Apparently, he was also one of the Preventers, but he must have been some kind of a maverick agent in order for him to continue operating apart from the main body. She supposed his skills must have been too valuable for the Preventers to drop him solely on the account of his not making appearances in the office. At any rate, it wasn't his job that confused her... it was the strange feelings they had for each other. Of the five men, he was the most important to her, not because she counted him as one of her closest friends, but because she loved him. She always sensed that he felt something for her, although she could never decipher it and he would never admit it. And then there was also the little glitch of his threats to kill her turning repeatedly into promises to protect her at all costs... Omae o korusu... She smiled inwardly every time she remembered that mysterious vow.

But then, a frown would follow right on the tail of that smile. He had not come back to see her in almost four years. She could not staunch the sadness that flowed like her heartsblood whenever she dwelled on memories of him. For almost four years, four long years, she waited for him – he still held her heart, you see. He must have known it too (there was nothing he didn't know), but he stayed away from her.

And so, on the eve of their arrival, Relena Peacecraft vowed never to let him influence her so again. She would not allow him to have his way with her heart anymore. This she vowed, while her body trembled, and then she steadied her wounded heart to receive him into her home.

AN: Hello! My name is Wings of Moonlight, and I'm a brand new author. This is the first fanfic that I have ever written, and it features my favorite anime couple: Heero and Relena. If you could take a minute to review my story, I would really appreciate it! Thank you for reading, and check back for chapter two in a few days!