Rouge Angel

Before Kari and the others walked through the huge double doors, they were expecting something unusual. Instead, what they saw blew them away. The large ballroom was decorated with roses of multiple colors, but used sparingly, candles lined the walls, the tables, and a few other places. A crystal chandaleir hung from the ceiling, which had a scene of heaven painted on it. Cherubs and angels danced in the clouds, the light of their God shining onto their beautiful faces. The only light came from the candles and the full moon, which shone outside. It was a breathtaking setting.

The flickering candlelight reflected everyone's costumes, jewels, and other finery. Kari clutched her jacket even more tightly around her body. Her brothers' and friends had yet to see her dress, and she was nervous and, in incredibly, self-consiounce. A man came up behind her, startling her slightly. Heero and Trowa frowned at her; she was acting strangly. When she felt the fabric slip from her shoulders, she crossed her arms over her chest, feeling the heat rise to her face. She was grateful that there wasn't that much light, but had a feeling that the boys knew she was blushing. Duo grabed her arm and pulled her to an area where they could get a better look at her. His tuxedo was in his favorate color, black, but his bow tie, belt, and the handkerchief in his right breast pocket were a deep violet. Once he was able to see, he looked over her once, then laughed and twirled her around. She was a little confused, but didn't complain. She smiled up at him.

The others nodded their approval of the dress, thinking. Heero walked silently up to her, offered her his arm, which she accepted, and led her to one of the tables set out. It was too early for dancing, but everyone was getting into the romantic mood. Heero's tux was also black, but his bow tie and other comodities were a hunter green, setting of the blue of his eyes nicely. Quatre's tuxedo, as well as Trowa's and Wufei's, were a different color. Quatre's was marine blue, the comodities a lighter shade of sky blue. Wufei's was a deep crimson red, his shirt a lighter shade of that color, with his bow tie, belt, and handkercheif being black. Trowa had also chosen blue, but a dark shade of midnight blue, dark enough to make it appear green, but light enough to make sure it seemed blue. His shirt was white, and while the others were wearing bow ties, he was wearing a tie that was the same color as his jacket and pants. Everyone sat down, waiting to see what would happen.

Queen Relena welcomed her guests, but spoke breifly. The musicians began playing a soft melody, like a music box. The piano was soft and sweet, being countered by violins and flutes, brass instruments sounding in the background. Slowly, one by one, the guests began to dance. Waltzs, slow dancing, you name it, they did it. Before long, a singer had come up, her voice soft and seductive, luring everyone into the spell of love. Kari danced with all of her friends, and her brothers, even a few strangers. But, Heero had yet to ask her to dance. In a way she was disapointed, but it didn't matter. She was actually having fun.

It was almost eleven in the evening when Heero took her to the dance floor. The music still played softly, the singer still singing of love and heartache. Kari smiled gently at him, and he gave a small smile back at her. The tempo and beat of the music changed, and the singer moved more freely to the music. On the corner of the stage, a guitar player strummed and picked at the strings. The haunting alto voice allowed the words to flow over the room.

"If there were no words No way to speak I would still hear you If there were no tears No way to feel inside I'd still feel for you"

Kari started at the words. She turned her head towards the singer, curious. Heero gently cupped her chin with his hand and turned her face back to him. Slowly they moved to the love song.

"And even if the sun refused to shine Even if romance ran out of rhyme You would still have my heart until the end of time You're all I need, my love, my Valentine"

Kari would like to say she was in love with Heero, but she wasn't. She thought. She hoped. She prayed. It would hurt too much to fall in love and then have your heartbroken. But she did care about him, in a way that was different than a friendly kind of caring. Her face became downcast for a second when she knew that Heero wouldn't care for her like that. That thought hurt slightly. Kari would love to say that the song could fit her life somehow, but at the moment she couldn't think of a single thing; she was too busy thinking of the warmth that radiated between their bodies.

"All of my life I have been waiting for All you give to me You've opened my eyes And showed me how to love unselfishly"

Heero caught the look of pain on the woman's face. He frowned. Then he sucked in his breath when she laid her head on his chest. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer. It felt right, for the first time in his life, something felt right. It was perfect. He could have kicked himself. Nothing was perfect. That he had learned years ago. A little girl in a white sundress with a floppy white hat popped into his mind. He flinched. Kari gazed up at him questingly but he just shook his head. She still seemed uncertain, but followed his lead anyway. Heero just wanted this to last, wanted to keep it like this. No war, no fighting, no killing, no nothing except her and this moment. Who the hell was he fooling!

"I've dreamed of this a thousand times before But in my dreams I couldn't love you more I will give you my heart Until the end of time.
You're all I need, my love, my Valentine"

The other Gundam pilots watched the two dance, intrigued. The pair cared for each other deeply but couldn't express it, or didn't want to express it. Trowa's smile only altered a little, when he saw the queen and her brother walking toward the dancing couple. Tapping Wufei on the shoulder he indicated the problem, Wufei growled his displeasure. They knew what the two had in mind and didn't like it one bit. Quatre and Duo stood to intervien but, were pulled down by Trowa and Wufei.

"There's no point in trying to step in," said Trowa. "It cause a scene and we'd get thrown out."

"As long as those two got their dance," repiled Quatre angerily.

"And even if the sun refused to shine Even if romance ran out of rhyme You would still have my heart until the end of time 'Cause all I need is you, my Valentine You're all I need, my love, my Valentine"

"Heero," Relena said softly, "dance with me?"

"I'm already dancing with someone," Heero said in response with a certain amount of aggrivation. Kari felt him tense up and knew he was going back into his shell. She frowned, wishing and silently willing for Relena to leave. Suddenly a pair of hands grabbed her shoulders and she was wisked away from Heero's arms and pulled into the arms of another. She looked up in a silent rage and saw the famouse blue eyes of the Peacecrafts.

"But you haven't danced with me yet," Relena purred as she put her arms around his neck.

'For good reason,' thought Heero. He looked around for Kari, but she was nowhere to be seen. The singer had gone into another song. Heero didn't register what song it was. He didn't care. He pushed away from Relena and began walking to find the girl he wanted to dance with. Queen Peacecraft gripped his upperarm and her eyes sent a silent message pleading for him to stay. The look his eyes made her drawback and stay rooted in place even as he walked away.

Kari was still glaring at Zechs. He chuckled at her. He was sweeping her around the dance floor, a fastpaced waltz that didn't match the time and rythm of the music. He loved the look on her face. She was pissed, he was the cause, but he loved it.

"So, you're the one that hit me with that rock," he joked. He laughed out loud as her eyes widened. "You look lovely in that dress, you know." He let his hand fall from her shoulder to her waist. She slapped at the offending hand and it returned to his proper place.

"I thought you were familiar. And I would say thank you for the compliment, but in your case I'll have to pass that up." Kari tried to pull away but Milardo's grip was tight. She felt sick.

"That's rather rude. Wouldn't Winner have taught you better manners than that? Wait, you're with Maxwell and Chang more than Winner, so I suppose you'd act more like them." It was a challenge. The bastard was challenging her to make a comment to his.

"I don't act like anyone but myself. Why are you bringing my friends and family into this?"

"Because, in combat, you want to hit your enemy were it hurts the most. In your case, it's your family."

Kari stomped on his foot, then pulled away. He watched her. She was pale and shaking. Good, she'd caught onto his meaning.

"You wouldn't do anything to them. You better not do anything to them."

"Or what? Or else you'll hurt me?" He sighed and shook his head. "Let's not go into a cliche, melodramatic scene here. It will only waste time, something nobody has enough of."

"So, what do you want me to do?"

"I thought I said we weren't going to get into the cliche stuff?"

"How is my asking that cliche?"

"It never fails. Any time a bad guy threatens loved ones, the good guys ask what they can do to stop that from happening."

"Then, you're the bad guy?"

"No, and you're changing the subject. In any case, stay away from those boys." He was gone. The sudden breeze on Kari's skin made her realize that he had lead her to a balcony. She shivered from the cold and headed back inside. Heero found her, pulled her body close to him, and felt like cursing when he felt her shiver. He motioned for the others to follow, grabbed their jackets, and strode out the door.

Kari was fairly quiet on the way back to Quatre's mansion. When they did get back Duo and Wufei both questioned her but she wouldn't answer any of thier questions.
Quatre watched as Duo came down the stairs and hour after Wufei. He looked at them all as Duo sat down. "Did you guys get her anything"
When everyone but Heero nodded, he smiled. "Then I got the perfect way to cheer her up." They all went to thier rooms and brought thier presents down. Quatre then sent Duo back up.

Duo knocked on Kari's door. "Hey, Ari come on out, we have a surprise for you." Duo heard the lock on the door come undone and the door opened and Kari stuck her head out. "Duo Maxwell just what are you planning?"

"Just come down, please?"

Kari opened the door more and walked out. She began following Duo down the stairs, but half way down Duo slipped behind her and covered her eyes. "Duo"
Duo didn't speak but got her down the stairs and steered her to a chair. When he uncovered her eyes, Kari saw all the guys sitting around, all but Heero. Wufei was on her right, while Duo had taken the seat on her left, Quatre and Trowa were across from her. Wufei handed her a small package. "Happy Valentine's sis."

Kari smiled at him a little, and took the box. She pulled away the white bow and red paper, to find a box containing a beautiful chinise made necklace. She smiled at Wufei lightly and hugged her older brother. Duo then handed her his present. It was a black choker with a golden cross. She smiled a bit more when she read the back of it. Trowa gave her a pot of poinsettas. Quatre to her surprise had given her a teddy bear holding to cds. She had giggled a little at them when she found out who was on them.

The guys were happy that she was cheering up, but wondered at what had upset her but didn't dwell on it.

"Okay I got gifts for you too." She went to the stairs and hurried into her room pulling out a bag from her closet. She then went back down the stairs. She handed Trowa a green wrapped box, Wufei a red one, Quatre gold, and Duo purple. She looked around for Heero and spotted him coming down. She smiled a little and met him halfway handing him his present wrapped in silver paper.

When they had all sat down everyone opened thier gifts. Trowa had been given a catholic prayer book, and rosary He also had a small sliver dog tag with the arch angel Gabriel on the front and Silence in japanese on the front. Duo got a latin prayer book for catholics he had the arch angel Uriel on his dog tag and death. For Quatre she got him a dog tag with Haniel and the prince of light.He also got a book of Edgar allen poe poetry. Wufei's read Dragon and had Raphael on it, a book on Philosphy and shakesphere, and Heero's said protector, and had the arch angel Michael on the front, Heero found under that a picture frame and a thick book that held a series of books. Kari hugged them as they thanked her for thier gifts. Kari grinned at them and wished them goodnight as everyone headed to thier rooms. When Kari entered hers she saw a box on her bed. She tilted her head and moved to the box and pulled her gun from a drawer in her desk.

She moved closer and tiped the lid off and pointed the gun into the box looking in. She blinked in surprise and her face softened. She set her gun on the bed and picked the puppy up from the box she was German shepard. She laughed lightly as the puppy wirrigled and tried to lick her face. It had a red bow around its neck and a collar. Reading the tag she laughed aloud at the puppy's name. Dory. She put the puppy down and looked at the box for a card, and found a simple white card.

Hope you like her. Heero.

Kari smiled and changed into a pair of gray cotton pajama pants, and a black tank top. She yawned and looked at the puppy who was looking up at her whining. Kari picked her up and found a basket right next to her bed. She put the puppy there and crawled into bed only to have the puppy jump into her arms. She sat up and picked her up looking the dog in the eye. "Why won't you sleep in your bed?" she asked it petting its head.

"You didn't tell her to sleep."

Kari turned and saw Heero at the door to her room. Kari put the puppy down and moved to Heero, hugging him. Heero moved back and looked into her eyes. Giving into the impulse he had all night, letting his instincts tell him what to do he lowered his head to hers and kissed her.

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cliffie, R&R for more guys!