Epilogue

The orange haze of the evening sun cast tired shadows across the misty emerald hills. Heero smiled and walked up behind his wife who gazed wistfully out into their yard where their children played. He wrapped his arms around her from behind and rested his head on her shoulder. Relena relaxed into him with a long, contented sigh. After saving her that day at the castle, they seemed to have formed an instant connection. Heero had never been one for instant friendships, let alone love connections but with Relena it had felt so entirely right. It seemed as though he'd known her his entire life and, he later found, she felt the exact same way.

They didn't rush things. She was still in college working towards her masters and he had his career that caused him to travel a lot, but they made it work. Long conversations on late night phone calls helped her stay awake to study and him to write his stories. The two had enough in common to enjoy their time together and enough differences to keep things interesting. Relena was an extroverted introvert. He was more on strictly the introverted side. She was talkative and lively, and anyone who met her seemed to be charmed by her in an instant. However, at the end of the day, it was clear to Heero just how much she needed to be away from people. He, on the other hand, preferred to only socialize when his job demanded it, and so their quiet evenings together were more than welcome. Despite his aloof nature, she was able to get him out to do things with their friends.

Duo and his girlfriend Hilde more than approved of his choice in romantic partners and, in fact, Hilde became fast friends with Relena. Together, those two women were able to drag Heero and Duo out to just about any occasion. Of course, meeting Relena's American friends proved quite interesting as well. Silvia Novena seemed fine enough; polite and witty, but Dorothy was a friend he doubted he could truly like any time soon. Of course it didn't take long for the two women to fall madly in love with his other friends, Trowa and Quatre. It was during a celebration of Relena's graduation, however, that her two friends managed to embarrass them but also spur Heero into action...

"Well, Relena dear, it seems like I was wrong."

"Oh, boy, this ought to be good. Dorothy admitting that she was wrong about some." Silvia laughed and took a sip of her drink.

"Laugh all you want, but I am quite serious." Dorothy stroked one of her eyebrows, something that creeped everyone out.

"What do you mean?" Relena leaned forward away from her comfortable position of leaning against Heero. He selfishly pulled her back.

"Your going to Ireland to study really did pay off." The taller blonde reached beside her and wrapped her arm behind Quatre. "We all found ourselves a strapping Irish lad."

"Here here!" Silvia raised her glass. Trowa and Quatre smiled.

"Wouldn't it be amazing to have a quadruple wedding on the cliffs of Dover? It would be so romantic!" Silvia quipped. Heero felt the color drain from his face and Relena shifted in his arms. The other men seemed to squirm nervously as well. Heero had been planning to propose after she graduated. The ring had been burning a hole in his pocket for a long time.

"Wonderful and romantic would not be the words I would choose for that destination, ladies." Duo laughed. "The strong winds and the smell of the sea would most likely ruin any measures taken to celebrate. Your wedding decorations are likely to see themselves blown into the ocean!"

"Duo is correct," Heero added. "The cliff is too dangerous for such a thing." And that was the end of that discussion.

At the time, they all sort of laughed it off, but it did make Heero realize what he wanted. He knew Relena loved Ireland. He knew she enjoyed the culture and the history and meeting the people. She was up for a position as a curator at one of the local museums so it wasn't as though she wouldn't already be moving there. And he knew he loved her. So, with a little digging, he found a spot near the old marshes where the mists were thick. It was a historic piece of land rumored to once belong to one of the forgotten clans of Ireland. The moment he set foot on the land he felt as if it were home. Before he made the purchase, he'd made sure to do one very important thing…

He brought her out there to the land for a horse ride across the countryside. It was a warm, Irish summer day and she seemed to thoroughly enjoy it. Later that night, they had a romantic picnic lunch under the Irish stars. As the cuddled, he took her hand in his.

"Did you enjoy the day?" She let out a sleepy hum.

"I did. It's so beautiful here."

"I'm glad you think so." He caressed the ring finger on her hand. "Because it's for sale. And I'm thinking about making an offer." She sat up to look at him.

"You are?" He nodded.

"It's good land. Be nice for a small farm with horses and sheep."

"A city boy like you wanting a farm?"

"I just thought a place with horses would be nice. I know how much you love them."

"But you shouldn't make your decisions based on what I want." He took her hand in his, his eyes meeting hers. "Heero?"

"What you want is what I want." He reached up and caressed her cheek. "Because I want you." He pulled out the ring from his pocket.

"Heero?" He could have sworn her eyes were watering."

"Marry me, Relena." She looked at him for a long moment before a sweet smile formed on her lips. Her eyes teared up and she began to nod.

"Yes! Yes, Heero!" He felt his heart soar as he slipped the ring onto her finger.

It took six months for them to get married with the necessary legal procedures and other business to handle. The ceremony was small and intimate with close friends and family. It was a year in total to build the house, with four bedrooms, two baths and a stable for the horses. Three years later, their first child came into the world followed by their second two years after.

Their little girl was the first born of the two with his messy brown hair and her mother's determined aqua eyes. She was a fiery young lass with a mind for management and an insatiable curiosity. Their son, though younger by a year or two was quiet and clever. His hair was the same honey-blond as his mother but with Heero's commanding blue eyes. Both children were a perfect mix of the best of both of them. Something felt so familiar about all of this from the land to his very family. For some reason, he felt as though he'd lived this life before, but then, it was a good life. It was a life worth living a thousand times over with Relena by his side.

"Come and play with us!" His daughter's cheerful voice echoed up to him. He held Relena tighter and kissed her neck.

"Shall we be off to join them then?"

"Aye." Relena whispered in response before he and his wife ran to join their wee ones for some fun in the Irish countryside.