Disclaimer: Gundam Wing and its characters belong to Sotsu, Sunrise, and Bandai. Of course, this fic belongs to me.

The Christmas Party
by Waltz195

All of them feasted with great appreciation, enjoying the savory flavors and aromas that bombarded their senses. More than once someone would turn to Hilde and compliment her, sending the woman into a pleased blush.

'By the end of the night, she'll be as red a tomato,' Duo thought, grinning at her proudly.

Soon, everyone was getting into the swing of the celebration, chatting merrily as they shared plates of food and memories of years past. Pitchers of mixed berry juice were passed around, cooling the palate with its tangy, sweet taste. More than once, Duo found himself the object of vexation, when the others almost spit up their drinks at a well placed joke, or misplaced, in his case.

Yes, it was a wonderful night to be surrounded by friends, the cheer and merriment of the occasion contagious. Even the usually stoic Trowa and Heero found themselves smiling more, even laughing in a few instances. Which surprised them and delighted their companions.

Wufei was beginning to unwind as well, and, to everyone's surprise, managed to tell a few good jokes, which he would later blame on Duo spiking the drinks. Eventually, the evening settled down, as the time began to catch up with everyone. Duo warned them not to fill themselves up too much.

"We still have the champagne to open," he reminded them with a wink. "Non-alcoholic, of course."

The others chuckled at the well-known joke and relaxed in their chairs. Many asked to be excused to the nearest restroom and were directed to one just outside the hall.

Catherine suddenly remembered the gift they had brought still in her coat. After excusing herself, she rushed back upstairs to retrieve it. She found her coat on the rack near the door. Reaching into a pocket, she carefully extracting the package within. Strong arms wrapped around her waist from behind, startling her a bit. She looked over her shoulder to find warm, emerald eyes gazing back at her.

"You think they'll like it?" she asked him, leaning back in his arms. He lowered his head to her shoulder, kissing it lightly.

"I'm sure they will," Trowa answered quietly. "Christmas is about giving, after all." He turned to smile at her. "C'mon, let's go."

They headed back downstairs, present in hand. When they got there, they found the others already gathered around the Christmas tree. Duo was passing around fluted glasses filled with bubbly, golden liquid and motioned for them to join in. Hilde was explaining how the uneaten dishes would be donated to the homeless shelter she had mentioned earlier. The others agreed the food would go towards a good cause.

Duo made sure everyone had a full glass before raising his hands.

"Not another speech, Maxwell," Wufei grumbled jokingly. "All these women are going to be crying all over our shoulders by the time you're done for the night."

The women closest to him, which happened to be Sally and Dorothy, smiled as they not-so-lightly stepped on him toes. Taking the not-so-subtle hint, Wufei promptly shut up.

Duo grinned at him knowingly. "Wufei, I didn't know you cared. No, I'm not making another speech. I just wanted to say that it was great having you all here and I hope we can do this more often. Merry Christmas!" He lifted up his glass. "Cheers!"

The others raised their glasses in salute and sipped at their champagne, clinking them together occasionally, while basking in the happiness of the occasion and the presence of friends.

Duo put his glass aside on a nearby drink stand. "Now, for the presents!" The others looked at him questioningly.

"What? You think I'd forget presents? C'mon, it's Christmas!" He turned towards the tree and slid various packages from under it. "These aren't props, you know."

The first present, a small gold and red box, went to a slightly embarrassed Quatre, who apologized for not bringing them something as well.

"That's okay," Duo assured him. "Your being here is enough."

Quatre thanked him profusely, accepting the package with a smile.

To her infinite surprise, Dorothy was handed a package as well, covered in silver and gold ribbon. She stared at it a while, before sending a questioning gaze to her host.

"It's okay," Duo stated, raising his hands to fend off further questions. "Let's just say it's an introductory prize for joining the group."

Dorothy thanked him, bowing her head a little as she clutched the gift to her chest. 'Such nice poeple...'

Next were Catherine and Trowa, who received a single green and gold ribboned package. Trowa hid their own present behind his back.

Wufei didn't put up much of a fight when he found out his gift was combined in one red and silver box with Sally's. He simply took it, thanked his host, and handed it to the woman beside him, blushing slightly.

When it was Relena and Heero's turn, they weren't too surprised that they were presented with a white and gold ribboned parcel. Relena thanked them both and Heero looked at the gift, eyeing it a bit suspiciously.

Once all the presents were distributed, Duo urged his friends to open them, smiling at their cautiousness.

"Don't worry. No gag gifts this year," he assured them, remembering the last time he had tried that with this bunch. It turned out to be quite hazardous to his health. "I promise."

"Hey, where's Hilde?" Relena asked, untying the gold ribbon from the white box.

Duo looked around, scanning the room as if he had just noticed that as well. "Gee, I don't know."

Hilde suddenly appeared next to him, coming out from a door hidden behind the tree. She was a bit flustered, but smiling. "I'm right here. I just had to go check on something. Please, open them."

The others did just that, lightly tearing away the wrapping paper and ribbons from the boxes. Once done, they lifted the lids of their presents, moving aside the tissue paper in them, and gasped in wonder at the gifts before them.

To the kind and gentle Quatre, they had given a small crystal replica of an ancient Arabian palace, its domed towers reflecting tiny rainbows in the light.

"Quatre's is suppose to symbolize strength and stability," Duo interjected, lightly rubbing the back of his head. "We thought it'd be a good representation of you."

Quatre grinned appreciatively and thanked them again.

Dorothy was quite amazed, and yet puzzled at her own gift, a small clustering of crystal palm trees surrounding a pool of clear water, tiny iced-glass flowers adorning its surface.

"It's an oasis," Hilde explained to her, a bit hesitant. "It represents life and rebirth. We...um, weren't sure if you'd like it." She gazed at her guest uncertainly.

Dorothy was silent for a moment, tears collecting in her eyes. "Thank you," she whispered. "I'll cherish it, always."

Quatre wrapped his arm around her, sensing that she needed soothingly. She didn't object, turning to bury her face into his shoulder as the tears started to stream down her face. As he comforted her, Quatre noticed a portion of her crystal oasis seemed to attach to the wall of his miniature desert palace. He looked up at Duo and raised a brow.

Duo shrugged, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "It's an oasis colony? Two for one deal?"

He was, suprisingly, telling the truth. The palace and oasis had come as a set when they had bought it. They hadn't planned on giving away the oasis as well, until they discovered who their mystery guest was. It had seemed practical at the time for Dorothy to have it. Almost like fate really.

Quatre just shook his head and lightly rubbed Dorothy's back. The others turned away politely, letting her compose herself. When Catherine and Trowa revealed their gift, they smiled in unison, looking down at the crystal figures of a lion walking beside a lamb, both calm and comforting in appearance.

"Peace and harmony," Duo explained. "That's what best describes you two."

"Are you sure?" Trowa asked, eyes twinkling with mirth. "Catherine can be quite a lioness herself, you know. Especially without her morning coffee."

Catherine elbowed his ribs lightly, but smiled. "Thank you, Duo, Hilde. It's beautiful."

Wufei looked a bit suspiciously at Duo, as Sally brought their gift out of the box. She produced the intricately designed figures of an ancient Asian dragon and phoenix intertwined in flight, yet somewhat separated by detachable bases.

"Balance and continuity," Sally stated, smiling at the meaning of the gift. "Thank you. It's perfect."

Wufei was entranced by the gift himself and gazed at Sally, a soft smile on his face. "Yes, thank you."

By this time, Relena was quite curious as to what she and Heero would receive. She carefully pulled the crystal figures from the box and gasped in delight.

Sparkling in the light were two beautiful turtledoves, perched side by side on a crystal branch. Their beaks were entwined by ribbon, attached to a small, shimmering pink heart. The representation was obvious.

Love.

"This one isn't detachable," Duo commented, gazing at Heero and Relena questioningly. "Is that a problem?"

"No," Heero answered him, his gaze directly on the woman beside him. "Not at all."

Relena blushed warmly, thanking Duo and Hilde for the gift, a radiant smile fixed on her face.

Just then, Catherine spoke up. "We have a present for you, as well."

Duo and Hilde looked at each other, a bit confused. "Was this part of the plan?" he whispered to her, as Trowa brought the simple silver and gold gift out from behind his back.

"Like you said Duo," Quatre stated, a calmed Dorothy by his side. "It's Christmas. This is just one more memory to add to it."

"During the war, you once said that it'd be nice to have something to remember all the good times by," Relena interjected. "A memento of sorts."

"She approached us with the idea, and we decided to remedy that," Sally informed him, smiling at his still confused expression. "We knew of your love for collecting."

Heero nodded, turning towards his befuddled friend. "We were able to collect some items from that time. We all contributed to the cause."

Trowa spoke up then. "Cathy and I were the last ones to get it, and we brought it with us tonight."

He held the package towards Duo, and he accepted it, a curious Hilde by his side.

"Consider it a gift from all of us," Relena commented, smiling at the two. "A token of our friendship to you both."

Duo was silent a moment, curious of what was inside, a faint stirring in his heart. Carefully, he removed the wrapping and lifted the box lid. He gasped quietly, awed as he and Hilde looked inside.

Within the soft tissue paper lay a golden book, its cover faintly gleaming in the light. Across the front, in bold, curling script was one word.

Memories.

Lifting it carefully, Duo opened it with shaking hands, leafing fervently through the pages.

On one page, there was a picture of him, grinning widely as he sat on Deathscythe's armored leg, waving at the camera. In the background, there was a faded stretch of beach, cool blue waters lapping at the shore.

That was when he and Quatre had just escaped an Oz attack and stopped for a rest, he remembered. It was beautiful there. The day had been sunny and he had been so happy, despite everything.

On another page, there was a picture of him and Heero playing basketball, at the school they had used as cover for a mission. Heero had just made a shot, beating Duo by two points, a slight smirk on his face. Duo smiled at the memory. That had been an interesting day.

Flipping through the book, he saw that each page had similar pictures, all of one time or another during and after the war. Little notes and comments from his friends were written across the pages.

There was one of Wufei, standing in his Gundam's cockpit, slightly glaring. Howard lecturing to him as he repaired Deathscythe, wrench in hand. Trowa and Catherine talking together outside the circus tent. Quatre joking along with Rashid and the Maguanacs. Sally and Noin seated at a ship's controls, laughing at something the other had said. Relena dressed in her Sanc uniform, smiling as she talked to Heero, who was sitting beside her.

He paused at one page, a picture of him and Hilde sitting together on her hospital bed. She was recovering on Peacemillion, having almost died to give them the information about Libra. That was when they'd shared their first kiss.

Hilde glanced up at Duo and was surprised to see tears in his eyes, an expression of joy and happiness on his face.

"Duo?" she whispered, lightly touching his arm.

Looking over at her, he smiled. "Look." He pointed to the page he'd turned to.

Halfway through the book, on a single page, there was a picture of all the pilots, standing in front of their Gundams. Just below it, there were small cut out pictures of each of their other friends, people who had become special to them all.

At the very top, was one word that encompassed what he'd waited a long time to find.

Family.

Duo gazed at his friends, finding it hard to speak. "You...you all did this for me?" he asked, his voice faltering.

"Of course," Heero answered, gracing his friend with a smile. "We knew how much it meant to you."

Ducking his head down, Duo nodded. "Yes, it does mean a lot to me. I...I've never had a real family," he paused, hesitating. "When I met you guys, I felt that, somehow, I'd finally found out what it's like to be in one...to finally belong."

He turned away slightly, excusing himself to the back of the tree, where he slipped through a hidden door. Hilde smiled at her guests, her own eyes misty with tears and followed him.

The others smiled amongst themselves and waited for their hosts to return.

Duo leaned his head against the cool wall of the corridor, gently holding the golden book in his hand.

"Why'd they go and do that, Hilde?" he asked, hearing her approach. "How's it going to look if the God of Death cries every time someone gives him a gift?"

Hilde wrapped her arms around him and rubbed her face against his back. "They just wanted to make sure you knew how special you are, Duo. That's all."

Duo turned around, looking down at her. He dropped a kiss onto her upturned lips and smiled. "Well, they sure as heck did that."

She smiled up at him, her eyes shining brightly. "You are very special to me, Duo. I love you."

"I love you, too," he answered, stroking her chin lightly. "More than you know."

They leaned in for a slow, sweet kiss and stayed like that for a while, enjoying each other's comforting warmth.

Duo lifted his head and broke into a smile. "C'mon. We can't let the others miss out on the fun."

Hilde nodded and they walked back to their guests, hand in hand.

"What do you mean separate it?" Wufei asked, a bit outraged. "Why, breaking apart the nobility of the phoenix and dragon would dishonor their very symbolism. Leave them be, woman. Separate them! The idea..."

Sally rolled her eyes. All she'd asked was if she could separate the figurines, so he could take the dragon for himself, if he wanted. He'd burst into a tirade about how unjust it would be to do such a thing. Though a bit annoyed, Sally was pleased by his decision.

Duo and Hilde reappeared from behind the tree, smiles wide as they greeted their guests once more.

"Thanks a lot guys," he commented, setting the album carefully on a nearby table. "It means a lot to me."

The others nodded in understanding.

"Now, before you leave tonight, we'd like for you to participate in a traditional Christmas custom, which I consider a favorite of mine." He winked at Hilde. "And hopefully you'll all be good-natured enough to join in. Hit it, babe!"

Hilde smiled widely at her guests and leaned over to grab Duo's hand. "Merry Christmas!" she called out, pressed the button on a small device in her hand.

A light popping sounded above them, and the others looked up curiously, as a multitude of metallic colored balloons and confetti rained down on them, showering the whole room in gold and silver radiance. The others cheered delightedly, laughing as they caught some of the confetti in their hands. The whole room sparkled in a swirl of glittering magical lights.

However, when the air cleared, most of them stared in shock at the surprising amount of greenery that hung all over the ceiling above them.

"Maxwell," Wufei growled threateningly, and some of the others nodded in agreement.

There, hanging from the ceiling, was mistletoe. Dozens of sprigs of mistletoe just dangling above their heads, almost mocking them to refuse the traditional protocol. The more hesitant guests turned to glare at their host, but found him deeply entangled in the embrace of his hostess, eagerly carrying out the kissing practice himself.

Quatre turned to Dorothy, who was quite calm, and hesitantly smiled. "Uh, Dorothy? Would you-? I mean, only if you want to that is. You don't have to-"

Dorothy turned to him, a bright smile on her face. "Why, Quatre Raberba Winner, I thought you'd never ask."

And with that, she took his surprised face between her hands and planted her soft lips directly on his.

Catherine didn't mind the turn of events too much, since she had enjoyed Trowa's kisses before. And, since Trowa was already skimming her lips with his, she sighed contentedly and savored his caresses.

Sally saw this as the perfect opportunity for payback, smirking as Wufei continued to glare accusingly at Duo. She sauntered up to him and draped her arms over his shoulders, grinning into his bewildered face.

"Ready for round two?" she asked smugly, and was greeted with an equally confident grin.

"Definitely." Wufei lowered his head and their lips met with gentle fervor.

Relena looked around at her friends, a bit surprised but happy for them all. When she felt a light touch at her elbow, she jumped and nervously turned to face an impatient Heero. He looked back at her expectantly, Prussian eyes dark and questioning.

Reading the message in them, she smiled and reached into her pocket, taking out the mistletoe he had requested she bring for the occasion.

"Is this what you're waiting for?" she asked, holding up the bit of greenery, her eyes twinkling.

"No," Heero stated, shaking his head. He gently took her arm and raised it above her head, placing the mistletoe directly over the both of them. "This is what I've been waiting for."

With identical smiles, they leaned into each other, closing their eyes as their lips met with sweet abandon.

The couples continued in the celebration for a while, unaware that their host and hostess had long since parted and now viewed their guests with great interest.

"That turned out better than expected," Duo commented softly. "Great work, Hilde."

The woman beside him smiled. "Well, let's just say I had a little inspiration."

Duo laughed, immensely pleased with the results of their plan. At this, their guests broke apart slowly, eyes a bit unfocused as they gazed at their kissing partners.

"Well, let's hope everybody enjoyed that," Duo called out to them, grinning when a few of them turned to glare at him. "Please, no thanks is necessary. It's all in a day's work."

The others shook their heads. Duo Maxwell was truly one of a kind.

Catching their attention, Duo mentioned that Hilde had gathered their possessions from upstairs. They picked up their presents, carefully placed them back in their boxes and carried them along, following Duo as he led them to the corridor behind the tree and explained their destination.

"There's an elevator at the end of this hall that we can take to an upper level. From there, it rises into a secluded gazebo in the park outside. We'll take this way this time. It won't seem as suspicious as passing through the wall all at once."

"You had an elevator all this time?" Wufei asked indignantly. "Then why did we nearly break our necks coming down those stairs earlier?"

Duo grinned at his irate friend. "C'mon, Wufei. Don't you have a sense of adventure?"

A few of the others chuckled. Sally just smiled at her slightly miffed partner. As they reached the end of the hall, the elevator came into view. Hilde was waiting there, their coats and possessions in her arms. She passed the belongings out to their respective owners, thanking them again for coming. Duo led them all into the elevator, pausing a moment to look at an instrument panel.

"I'm just checking to see if the coast is clear," he told them, pressing a few of the lit buttons. "Yup. Not a soul in sight."

With the customary rise and fall, the elevator was on its way. A moment later, a slight jolt signaled their stop and Duo motioned for them to stay back as the steel doors slid aside. They had been transported into the afore mentioned gazebo, which protected them from a light shower of snow. Stepping out of the elevator unit, Duo staked out his surroundings, as the others filed out behind him. They were all immensely glad for their coats, now that it had gotten a bit colder than before.

"Hmm. Maybe I should go up and check those climate controller guys out," Duo commented, standing at the gazebo steps, staring up at the artificial sky. "This is hardly enough snow. Last week the kids down the street barely got a snowman started and--"

"Duo..." Hilde warned, clutching her own coat closer to her body. "Don't even think about it."

Duo shrugged and turned back to his friends. "Well, guys, it's been great seeing you again. Maybe we can do this again some time."

"Why not have New Year's over at my place on L4?" Quatre suggested eagerly. "There'll be fireworks and everything. It'll be great! That is, if you all haven't got other plans?" He looked around hopefully.

The others were quiet for a moment, planning for the encounter. All of them were encouraged by the pleasant experience they'd shared tonight.

"Why not?" Trowa answered. "The circus is closed by six o'clock New Year's Eve, so we've got the rest of the night off."

Beside him, Catherine nodded, smiling eagerly. "That's right! I'm sure we can make it!"

"We'd be happy to attend," Sally put in, grinning widely. "It'd give us another excuse to put off our paperwork. Right, Wufei?"

Wufei raised his brow skeptically but nodded towards his blond friend. "We'll make it."

Duo nodded his affirmative before Quatre even asked. "Sure. It'd give me a chance to pry Hilde away from the stove." He grinned as Hilde elbowed him in the side once again.

Heero answered for Relena and himself, stating they'd be there for sure, as he took her hand in his. Relena smiled, enjoying how the night's events had turned out.

Gaining everyone else's response, Quatre turned to Dorothy and posed the same question. She looked over at him for a moment before answering.

"I won't be able to travel to L4 on that day," she told him, turning her head away. Quatre felt a moment of disappointment, until she turned back to him, a mischievous look on her face. "Because, I'll already be there. I have to attend a conference that day, but I will come to the party, of course. Is nine o'clock an appropriate time to arrive?"

Quatre smiled. "Perfect."

The group bid their hosts farewell, calling out best wishes to each other after promising to meet on the scheduled day. They descended the gazebo's steps and headed out into different directions of the park, waving back to their departing friends.

Quatre offered Dorothy a ride back to her hotel, which she accepted, as they walked towards the alley. Sally huddled next to Wufei, assuring him she just wanted to keep warm, as he grumbled the rest of the way back down the street. Trowa headed down the same way, listening to Catherine hum a Christmas carol. As they left, the snow quietly fell down around them.

Heero gently tugged on Relena's hand and led her deeper into the park, waving to their hosts before moving out of sight of Duo and Hilde's interested gazes.

"Well, it turned out all right, didn't it?" Duo whispered, pulling Hilde to his side. "I just knew it would."

"Hmm..." Hilde sighed contentedly, as they entered the elevator and disappeared back into the underground corridor, leaving no evidence of their presence behind.

And the snow continued to fall, on this magical Christmas night.