Disclaimer: Hi everyone and hope you had a great summer. BIGGEST APOLOGIES for not updating until now. I could give you a lot of reasons but really all I can do is say I'm really sorry and that it won't happen again. Thanks to all those who've waited and are going to give me a second chance. As always only the original characters and plot lines belong to moi.

Milliardo Gets A Shock

"Well this is definitely going to be a Christmas for the books." Noin said as she leaned forward to dot at Wufei's forehead, Wufei's grandmother and Noin's mother watching anxiously from behind her.

"Does it hurt, baby?" Lazuli wanted to know, ringing her hands from the sidelines. She just wasn't good with blood and she especially couldn't handle it when that blood was coming out of someone she loved.

"It's just a small cut, no big deal." Wufei reminded them for what seemed like the millionth time. "And it's only still bleeding because it's my head." He added, hoping that this time that point would get through. "Head wounds tend to bleed longer and for the smallest of wounds. It was just a small rock. A pebble really."

"Do you know which one of those idiots threw the snowball with that rock in it?" Marta wanted to know, already planning to box that person's ears or worse. Her poor Wufei.

"It was an accident and it could have been anyone's snow ball. It was a snowball fight after all. I'm sure at least one of the guy's out there has a sore head from one of my snowballs too." Wufei argued, in no rush to tell anyone he was pretty sure it had been Lucas's snowball. But since he'd given as good as he'd gotten he sure as hell wasn't going to point fingers. Besides it had been an accident. "And weren't you women going shopping?" Wufei pointed out with a rather hopeful look on his face.

"Oh but I couldn't leave you while you're hurt, sweetie." Wufei's grandmother fretted, taking her grandson's hand in hers. "Do you need anything? Some tea or hot chocolate to warm you up?"

"No, really, I'm fine." Wufei said quickly, giving his grandmother's hand a reassuring squeeze. If she thought he was even remotely hurt or ill she'd stick to him like a leech. "In fact I think I'm ready to go back outside and join the fight again. I'm on the kids team and I'm sure they're missing the help."

"Are you sure?" Noin wanted to know though she was pretty sure he was okay. He likely would have stayed outside and kept going if Tula hadn't dragged him inside to get looked at.

"I'm sure." Wufei swore, even lifting a hand to his heart to emphasis his words.

"Well if you're sure..his head has stopped bleeding." Marta agreed after leaning over to inspect the wound. When you had sons you got to be a pretty good judge of the wounds they seemed to collect like girls did dolls and clothes. "But if you feel dizzy you are to come in and rest, understand?"

"Yes, ma'am." Was his adamant agreement. He had twenty riding on his side winning and judging from the noise outside he was in danger of losing that twenty.

"Okay then. But remember to dress warmly." Marta ordered, patting his cheek affectionately before going over to assure Lazuli who still looked a little pale and unsure of her grandson's well being.

Following Wufei into the coat cubby Noin leaned against the door jam as she watched him put his boots back on before adding his coat and the scarf her mother had knitted for him. Smiling Noin moved over to adjust it for him then gave him a kiss good luck before heading back to check on the other women.

"Well look who's back." Was the first thing Wufei heard before several snowballs from the opposing team came flying in his direction as he made his way to his teams side. Managing to dodge most of them he found his mostly young team looking exhausted and very snow covered.

"Hey, are you sure you should be out? How's your head?" Tula wanted to know before she sent a large snowball in the direction of her brother's head, smirking when it hit the jerk right in the face.

"It's fine, it's already been fussed over." Wufei replied as he started to make another pile of snowballs since the kids had completely depleted his last one in his absence. "I take it we're on the losing end at the moment?"

"Uncle Michael says we're going down." Five year old Darrein informed Wufei solemnly. "That when they're done no one will be able to find us under all the snow."

"Well we'll just see about that." Wufei said with a stubborn look on his face. "Okay, listen up troops. Here's what we're going to do."

Hours later the battle was over and a draw had been called by Marta. No one had argued with her once they'd been informed it was supper time. As it was it had been sheer male pride and ego that had kept the fight going since the kids had all bailed out an hour before the dinner bell had been rung. The young men at the table were exhausted, cold and possessing only enough energy to eat and argue about who had really won.

"Like they are still little boys." Marta said as she sent her sons and Wufei censoring looks before passing the bread basket. "Your stubborn prides would have kept you out there till you all got sick and died. A fine Christmas present to your poor mother."

"Well since we pretty much had Wufei beat that wouldn't have been the case mom." Lucas began only to be interrupted when his sister punched him in the arm. "Hey."

"You wish. Wufei and I were kicking your ass. Weren't we?" Tula demanded, looking over to Wufei who nodded his answer since his mouth was full at the moment. "You missed quite the comeback, Lucy. Too bad you got dragged shopping."

Since her mother's so called shopping trip had included a stop at a bridal shop Noin could only agree. My God but they hadn't even been subtle. She knew they were disappointed when Wufei's Christmas present hadn't turned out to be a ring but she was happy with the beautiful necklace he'd given her. When and if he did pop the question she'd put done serious money no one else would be within hearing distance. That was just the way he was. "Well I can't believe we're going home tomorrow." Noin put in, hoping to change the subject. "It feels like we all just got here."

"Well I for one can't recall a nicer Christmas." Marta put in, beaming around at everyone now with good will. All her babies were happy now, happy and in love. Someday soon, perhaps the next time Wufei visited it would be as her Lucrezia's fiancee or husband. Nothing could make her happier.

"WAIT UP!" Noin called out, racing after her partner as he walked done the nearly deserted hallway. It was the first day back to work after Christmas and she'd been waiting like a cat at a mouse hole to catch him alone. No way was he leaving Preventers before she got a chance to explain things to him. She knew Duo would only be able to keep his mouth shut for so long, not to mention Relena.

"Loud enough?" Milliardo said with a raised eyebrow, a little surprised as he waited for Noin to catch up. It must be important if she was going to yell down a hallway. he'd had a feeling she'd been building up to something since she'd gotten back from her visit home. Looks like he'd been right.

"We have to talk." Noin panted out, leaning forward to catch her breath. They'd been in meetings most of the day which had made a heart to heart talk damn near impossible. Then she'd gone to get some coffee only to have Anna tell her that Milliardo had left when she got back. It was sheer luck she'd caught him in time. "Privacy." Noin gasped out. "Our office."

"Okay..." Milliardo said with a nod, shifting his coat which he'd laid over his arm. Following her back down the hall and into their office he couldn't hide his look of surprise when she actually locked the door behind her. "What's up?"

"First off..let me say that you were supposed to be the first to know." Noin began, taking a seat on her desk so that she was facing him. "Everyone else finding out before you..well that was purely accidental. I swear you weren't supposed to be the last to know."

"The last to know what?" Milliardo asked, an edge of weariness showing in his icy blue eyes, mentally bracing for whatever she was going to say.

"Well you see...the reason I've been keeping my..my boyfriend a secret is that..well I kind of stretched the truth here and there. He is a teacher..of sorts but he's also a soldier..that works here. He's..younger then I am and he's lower ranking too which is likely going to..well cause more gossip then there is now if that's possible." Noin said, her well planned speech going out the window. "The others, the others being our friends..well they all know him and they now know we're a couple through a serious of pretty unbelievable things. I mean seriously unbelievable. Once we realized some of them had caught on I tried to tell you but you were always so busy..and I guess I was just worried to tell you about it. Worried about what you would do and say. That you wouldn't approve of him."

"I know him?" Was all Milliardo really heard. He'd suspected that she might be hiding him to protect him from everyone, that he might even work here but he'd never guessed he might now the guy. Who would it be? Heero was certainly close with her but..no, no there was no way. No way in hell. But his sister and other girls were always sighing over the guy and Noin did see him a lot because they both worked as Relena's bodyguards and... and he certainly wouldn't approve of the match.

Seeing the growing look of dread on her friend's face Noin winced. "Yeah. Well you do and you don't. I know he can act like a real jerk sometimes but he's really sweet once you get to know him. Honest. I love him a lot, Zechs. More then I can say."

"But Heero." Milliardo muttered just loud enough to hear. "Sweet?"

"Heero? What's Heero got to do with any of this?" Noin wanted to know, blinking in surprise before his meaning got through her nerves. Chuckling Noin shook her head at the idea. "I wasn't talking about Heero, Zechs. What on earth would make you think I was talking about him? We're just friends and he's..well he's not my type at all."

"Well I just..okay, if not him then who?" Milliardo said with a bit of a huff, trying to think of someone else Noin had treated any differently in the last few months and coming up blank.

"Wufei."

"Wufei?"

"Yup."

"WHAT THE F#KIN HELL?"

"I can't remember the last time you swore. Not to mention using the f word..."

"How the hell can you be in love with Wufei? It's Wufei for Christ sakes! I distinctively remember you calling him a sexist, stuck up little prick. When did that change? Wulfei..you've got to be joking." Milliardo said with a shake of his head, like this was all just a bad dream or that he'd heard wrong. There was just no way.

"Well I don't remember saying that but..well obviously if I did that opinion has changed." Noin said as she nervously bit on her lip. Had she really said that? She supposed it was possible, up until she'd really gotten to know Wufei she hadn't thought he was a great catch romantically though a reasonably good friend. Now that she understood him better..well he could still be sexist but he wasn't stuck up, just weary of people and attachments. Just like Heero and Trowa only those two showed it in different ways then Wufei did. Everyone dealt with their grief and pain in different ways. "I know this is surprise but-"

"A surprise? A surprise is waking up to find your alarm clock isn't working or that it's snowed during the night. This is not a surprise. I don't know what the hell this is." Milliardo said with an agitated look, running his hand through his hair as his mind reeled. There was no way she was just joking with him. Noin was going out with, was in love with Wufei Chang. He'd lost her to a guy at least a foot shorter then him who was often referred to as one of the most sexist pigs any girl had ever met.

"Uhm well...I know you're..well you're obviously a little taken aback and upset." Noin said weakly, as shocked as he was but for different reasons. Boy must this have hit him hard if she could actually tell he was upset. "But in time..well you'll see that it's not as strange as you might think. Once everyone else figured it out they were cool with it after a few days. Well Sally is still a little steamed and Duo can't shut up about it but besides that..."

"They all know?"

"Well they weren't supposed to but well..you know how observant Heero and Trowa are. If I moved my desk over an inch they'd noticed." Noin began, sensing that this could be going from bad to worse. "And the others, well they kinda got involved in situations where there was no way they couldn't know and uhm...oh don't be mad at me. Please." Noin said with a pleading look as she walked over to take his hands in hers. "Please be okay with this."

Having recovered barely enough to see just how worried Noin was Milliardo took a deep breath and tried to think of what the hell he could say at a time like this. On the one hand this was a complete blow to his system but on the other Noin was his best friends and her happiness was important to him. If Wufei made her happy then...ah hell. "Just..be happy, Noin. That's all that's important." Milliardo finally got out, letting her hand go to carefully, affectionately brush her bangs away from her face. "If you're happy...then that's all that matter to me."

"Milliardo." Noin choked out, tears welling up in her eyes as she caught him in a big bear hug. "Thank you, thank you so much. I couldn't be completely happy until I knew you'd be okay with this."

"He hurts you and they'll never find pieces of him much less his body." Milliardo muttered into her hair, returning the hug with equal emotion and strength. He just wanted to hold onto her and never let her go. But he couldn't do that. She wasn't his to hold anymore.

"You'd have to get in line." Noin said with a teary laugh, just holding on. She'd been so worried that he'd flip or go after Wufei. It was such a big relief to know that he was okay with it. Or at least would be. "Sally and the others have already made that quite clear to him. He can't decide whether to be touched for my sake, amused or insulted. Duo has even given him hell when he heard about Wufei going shopping with this girl who was helping him figure out what to get me for Christmas."

"So now that I know are you guys going to let..everyone know?" Milliardo wanted to know, easily imaging the reaction of the Preventers community once they finally had their answers concerning Noin's mysterious boyfriend. "You know everyone is going to need therapy once this gets out, especially the ones who've been sighing over him like he's some sort of celebrity."

"I think he's almost looking forward to it. Once they know it's him they'll stop talking about him. at least to his face. He was getting so sick of having people updating him on the rumors about my boyfriend." Noin said as she pulled away, taking his hands once more as she beamed up at him, happy tears in her eyes. "So you're really okay with all this? I know it will take a while to get over the initial shock, I'm not sure Relena's recovered yet as it is."

"She did seem rather distracted over the Christmas holidays." Milliardo said with a slightly bemused look. "It'll take me a bit to get used to it but ya, I'm okay." Milliardo added with a faint smile for her benefit. Or at least he would be once he got ahold of Chang and had a little talk with him. Oh yes, that little meeting was definitely in order. Soon.