Author's Note: Gundam Wing is 25 years old this year and, in order to celebrate this special occasion, a group of very devoted fans have come together to resurrect the 'Church of Lemons'. Whilst I wasn't a part of the original CoL and I am far too squeamish to write actual graphic lemons, this fandom has played too big a part in my life as a writer for me to stay out of the commemorations. I make this not-so-little one-shot, based on the amazing series Downton Abbey, my humble contribution. Hope you enjoy! :)

Sanc Manor

PART I

Early autumn

The maid's hurrying footsteps were like a train rattling down the wooden steps to the servants' quarters, but in the bustling kitchen nobody seemed to hear. Mrs Sally Po – the cook – was shouting orders left and right in preparation for the dinner Lord Peacecraft would be hosting that night; a celebration of his younger sister's return from the continent.

'Is Duo here?' Hilde – the maid – burst into the busy kitchen.

'Does it look like he is?' the cook fixed her with an impatient look.

'Nevermind. I can see he's not.' She rushed off before anyone could say another word, but could still hear someone shouting behind her that he'd been spotted smoking behind the house and, indeed, that was exactly where she found the long haired footman. He looked up only half-startled when the door banged against the outer wall. The family's driver – Trowa Barton – stood there beside him, a cigarette mid-way to his lips. 'Did you hear?' the maid asked them excitedly.

'Ear wha'?'

'The new valet's here; for Lord Peacecraft!'

'Twas about time already.' Trowa dismissed her gossip nonchalantly, blowing a cloud of smoke into the quickly cooling air. He was practically a new comer himself, having arrived not long after the war had ended. 'How long's it been since the other one died?'

'Quinze?' Duo blew raspberries at the driver. 'Die… If only! Retired, that's wha' 'e is, the bloody bastard!' the footman then turned back to the black haired maid. 'Was that it?'

'What else d'you need?' she demanded shirtily. 'It doesn't get much more exciting than this here at Sanc Manor.'

'Indeed not.' The driver chuckled humourlessly.

'Where's your sister?' Hilde turned on him. 'I bet she'd know how to appreciate some scalding-hot news.'

But she dashed off again before any of the men could protest. 'She sure is excited about this.' Trowa frowned.

'S been too quiet 'ere since the end of the war.' Duo flicked his cigarette butt away. 'We should tell Quatre. E'll be 'appy not to 'ave to do the extra work anymore.'

'Knowing Quatre, I don't think he really minds.'

'Should get back to work anyway… Before Mr Chang notices I'm gone.'

'You just want to gossip. May as well come right out and say it.' The driver's voice chased the footman as he made his way back inside. Well, could he be blamed? Hilde was right. Gossip was as exciting as it got, being a servant in a big house in the countryside and he sensed she hadn't told them the whole story. Hadn't Trowa been around he would have reacted a lot more exuberantly to the maid's news and then she wouldn't have punished him by withholding precious information.

He ran into Quatre as he veered into the kitchen. 'Did you 'ear? New valet's arrived.'

'I did.' The blonde footman nodded. 'Mr Chang was the one to receive him and he made sure to inform me that… My services as valet are "no longer needed."'

'Just like tha'?'

'He did tell me he hoped I'd focus on my duties as footman now as I no longer had any excuse to be slacking…'

'Now you sound like Mr Chang alright!' Duo slapped the other man on the back merrily.

'Will you two stop chattering and take this tea upstairs?' Mrs Po leaned over the food covered table to stare more closely at them. 'Lady Peacecraft is waiting for her tea to be served and it wouldn't harm you to do something before Mr Chang has to order you to.'

'If we start doing stuff without being ordered, Mr Chang will lose 'is purpose! We don't want 'im to feel unneeded now, do we, Quatre?' Duo stole an olive from one of the larger silver plates and popped it into his mouth before Sally's whip-like tea towel could hit him.

'Unneeded, is it?' Mr Chang – the honourable butler of Sanc Manor – stood ramrod straight at the threshold, his hands clasped behind his back. 'Well, let me inform you, Duo Maxwell, that if you keep neglecting your duties it'll be you who will soon become unneeded… Or should I say redundant?' The long haired footman chuckled a bit uneasily, but his clever words of appeasement died in his throat when he spotted the unknown man standing half-behind the butler. Mr Chang cleared his throat. 'This is Mr Yuy, Lord Peacecraft's new valet. Ah, back from your smoke break, Mr Barton? Certainly took your time. Would you mind showing Mr Yuy to his room? I believe we have a tea to serve, don't we, Duo?'

XXX

'I hear he and Lord Peacecraft fought together during the war.' Ms Catalonia – Relena's lady's maid – was telling her about the new valet, who had arrived that afternoon, as she helped fix her hair for dinner. Relena wasn't particularly interested, she hadn't even seen the man, really, but she thought it nice to be informed on the servants' gossip as it helped them all bond and feel more like a family than an outdated model remnant of a feudal class system.

'My brother must really care for the man if he brought him all the way here just to serve us…'

'Au contraire, my lady!' Dorothy spun around hammily, her skirts swishing about her ankles. 'Catherine heard Mr Chang tell Mrs Po that, apparently, they could never see eye-to-eye; Mr Yuy and Lord Peacecraft.'

'Oh, really? And still my brother would hire this man to be his own valet? That doesn't seem very likely now, does it, Ms Catalonia?'

'Maybe not, my lady, but it does sound quite juicy.'

'Maybe Milliardo owes him then; for some reason.' Relena offered half-heartedly.

'Or maybe he made him a promise!' The lady's maid whispered conspiratorially.

'Oh no, that does not sound like my brother at all. I've never seen him promise anything to anyone; with the exception of Lady Peacecraft…and Father, of course.' Relena touched her hair gingerly appraising Dorothy's handiwork with the tips of her fingers, then dropped her hands so the other woman could fasten a golden necklace around her neck. 'I wonder what this dinner tonight is all about… I've been back for more than a month already; surely everyone knows by now.'

'I could not say, Lady Relena. I really haven't heard a thing.'

For some reason, Relena did not believe her, yet it was not as if she could make Dorothy talk. Well, she supposed she could order her to, but… That just did not sit well with her. She'd rather treat the help as her equals if nothing else. 'Has anyone arrived yet?'

'Yes, I think I may have heard voices coming from the sitting room as I made my way upstairs.'

The young lady sighed. 'I should probably go down then.'

'Oh, you definitely should, my lady. Look at you! You'll be the light of the party!'

'I highly doubt that, Ms Catalonia, but thank you for the compliment.'

'Just stating the facts, my lady.'

With another sigh, Relena pushed herself off her chair and stepped away from the vanity. If people had already arrived when Dorothy made her way up to help her get dressed then the dinner party was probably well on its way by now and her brother would be sending someone to fetch her anytime. If he did not come himself, huffing and puffing with impatience.

She did not envy his many responsibilities as the heir and eldest son of the Peacecrafts, always striving to keep up appearances and please all those noble sycophants that visited them day in and day out. She missed France and her godparents – the Darlians – with whom she had so much more freedom than anywhere else.

'Ah! Relena.' Milliardo spotted her as soon as she stepped into the sitting room. Two men stood with him and he briefly introduced them as Marquis Treize Kushrenada and Lord Christopher Southgate.

'Pleased to meet you, gentlemen.' She smiled politely. The first man was about her brother's age and she soon learnt they had served together in the war. The second was younger, probably her own age, he'd come accompanied by his parents who were Marquis Kushrenada's distant relations.

At first it seemed to Relena like any other of her brother's dinner parties. She greeted people, mingled, sipped her drink, exchanged exasperated glances with Quatre or Duo as they went about the room with silver trays, and laughed politely at other people's dull jokes. And yet, at some point, something began to smell fishy…

It was when Mr Chang announced that dinner was served and she suddenly found herself flanked by Marquis Kushrenada on one side and the pompous Lord Southgate on the other that she replayed all their conversations and interactions so far in her head and realised, with no small amount of outrage, that she had been set up. Those two men were there to try and win her favour.

'So, your brother tells me you've been to the continent recently.' The marquis waved Duo's boat of gravy away. 'Whereabouts did you stay exactly? If you don't mind me asking.'

'Just south of Paris.'

'How is it there?' Lord Southgate quickly tried to bring her attention back to himself. 'After the war, I mean…'

'Not as bad as one might think, really, but the people still need a lot of help, especially those less fortunate; to rebuild their lives, you see.'

'So very noble of you to take the pains of the great unwashed so personally, Lady Relena, but do not concern yourself with the rabble. They are like wild animals who know, far better than us – civilised men – how to fend for themselves.'

She stared at the blonde man beside her as she debated on how best to reply to that given how horrified she felt at his words. She could sense the marquis waiting for her reaction, quite amused by his rival's faux pas. 'Well, quite frankly, Lord Southgate, it sickens me to hear you feel that way. But then perhaps I have fooled myself into believing people of our generation were more forward thinking, more…kind-hearted.'

The whole table had fallen silent at her increasingly clipped tones. Lord Southgate gaped at her, flabbergasted, yet Marquis Kushrenada let out a bark of laughter intentionally saving her from what promised to be quite a venomous retort. 'Very well said, Lady Relena.' The marquis raised his glass at her. 'Very well said indeed. I think, Lord Peacecraft, that your sister is quite the activist. She would make a wonderful head of parliament if women were allowed to take part in any sort of politics.'

'As they very well should be!' Relena added her two pennies. Maybe she had spent too much time in France being pampered or maybe it was just her age catching up with her but – at that particular night – she found she could not stand any of those men's ridiculous presumptuous nonsense.

'Please, excuse my sister, gentlemen.' Her brother sent her a warning look across the table. 'She is still rather tired from her trip.'

She opened her mouth, ready to shoot down his lies, but caught her sister-in-law's understanding, albeit forbidding, gaze. Lady Peacecraft shook her head discreetly and Relena thought better of starting a war with her brother. Instead, she moulded her grimace into a civil smile and seizing on Milliardo's explanation, excused herself for the rest of the night. Not wanting to make any more of a fuss, nor outright contradict himself, her brother was forced to let her go.

Still hungry and, most of all narky, Relena turned away from the grand staircase leading up to the bedrooms and towards the winding wooden one which took her down to the servants' quarters and the kitchen. 'Lady Relena!' Mrs Po froze, a baking tray in her hands, when she saw the young lady walk in.

'Sorry to disturb you, Mrs Po. I just need some air and I cannot be seen.'

Not needing any further clarification the cook smiled amiably. 'I'll bring you some leftover pudding.'

'Thank you so much.' Relena was truly grateful as the mere thought of something sweet melting in her mouth was enough to make her feel better.

She strolled down the short corridor and exited the house through the back, stepping into the moonlit courtyard. The chilly night air hit her like a bucket of cold water, making the breath catch in her throat. When she finally let it out it was shuddery and curled out of her lips in a white misty cloud, yet – despite the fact that she was suddenly shivering – she felt only relief to be out of the house and away from all those awful people and her brother's veiled plans for her future.

'Not the ideal night to be out without a coat.'

An unknown voice floated out of the darkness beside her. Relena's eyes took a moment to adjust, but she could see him well enough sitting on a crate against the wall only a couple steps away. 'You must be the new valet, Mr Heero Yuy.'

'And you must be Lady Relena.' He sounded predatory, almost as if all he wanted was to let her know that he knew as much about her as she knew about him, yet after all the dishonest flattery she had had to endure that night she did not find herself intimidated by him at all. In fact, she found herself feeling rather curious.

'Is it true you served under my brother during the war?'

He met her eyes, but there was no suspicion in his gaze or any remaining trace of hostility, only the merest hesitation. 'Yes.'

'Lady Relena!' Sally was out the door with the promised pudding. 'You're going to freeze out here in that dress! Let me get Ms Catalonia to fetch you a coat.'

'It's alright, Mrs Po. Mr Yuy has just offered me his.' She took the proffered bowl between her hands and smiled as the cook glanced sceptically from one to the other of them.

'It's on the first peg on the right, if you wouldn't mind getting it for me, Mrs Po.' The valet was up on his feet but his even tone betrayed nothing of the spontaneity of their arrangements.

Still unconvinced, Sally stepped inside for a second and returned with a heavy black woollen overcoat which she wrapped around the young lady's naked shoulders. 'Should I keep you company?' she wondered, sending Heero a wary glance before meeting Relena's eyes.

'It's alright; you have dinner to take care of.'

'Shall I call for Ms Catalonia then? Or one of the maids? Hilde maybe?'

The young lady chuckled reassuringly. 'I'll be fine, Mrs Po. You don't really believe Lord Peacecraft would bring a dangerous man into his own house now, do you?'

'Oh, no, my lady! Of course not.'

'Then?'

'Very well, my lady, but you need only shout if you need me.'

After Sally left, Relena dug into her pudding. It was truly divine. 'I missed Mrs Po's cooking.' She sighed contentedly, settling down on one of the nearest crates. Heero watched her quietly, yet unobtrusively, as the silence of the night enveloped them. 'Was it bad out there? In the war.'

The valet gave his answer some thought. 'It was worse than anything you could ever imagine.' She nodded gravely, knowing that to be the truth. 'There is one good thing about the war though.' He continued, surprising her.

'Which is…?'

'It gives men purpose.'

'To fight for their lives?' Relena wondered sceptically.

'In some cases, yes.'

'What was your purpose?'

'I had a mission to fulfil.'

'And did you?'

'I wouldn't be here if I hadn't.'

She held his gaze for a long time, pressing the back of the silver spoon against her lips, but he refused to offer anything else, which did not mean she wasn't willing to ask. 'And what was it about?'

'That, my lady, is a secret.'

'Lady Relena!' Dorothy stepped out before Relena could stare the valet into spilling out his secrets – not that she truly believed he would – and reached out for the coarse woollen overcoat at the same time as she enveloped the young lady in her own heavy fur long coat. 'Mrs Po told me you were out here, my lady. Shall we go back in?'

'Yes, I believe that might be a good idea, Dorothy. Thank you.' She held Mr Yuy's gaze for as long as she could, yet was at last forced to accept he was not an easily solved riddle and turned around to follow her lady's maid back inside. 'Thank Mrs Po for me, would you?'

'Oh, no, Lady Relena…' Dorothy immediately abandoned the crystal bowl she had been given on the nearest piece of furniture. 'I'm coming upstairs with you, my lady; to help you undress!'

'You only wish to hear about dinner, Dorothy. We both know that.' She teased the other woman good-naturedly.

'I never said I didn't. Would, my lady, not like to talk about it?'

At that Relena could not hold back a sigh. 'Of course I would. Who else have I got to talk to in this house?'

XXX

'Mr Yuy.' Milliardo turned away from his reflection for a moment to acknowledge his new valet's entrance, then returned his focus to undoing his cufflinks.

'Zechs.'

'It's Lord Peacecraft here.'

'Yes…my lord.'

'Do not forget I am only giving you this job because you saved my life.' He reminded the proud younger man as he shrugged off his tailcoat.

'And now you're saving mine.'

Milliardo wasn't entirely sure why the other man had even accepted his offer when all he seemed to convey was bitterness and resentment, maybe he had felt obligated to – after all they had been through – yet he saw it fit to remind Heero of his reasons to be grateful. 'And now I'm saving yours. Yes, exactly. This is good, decent work and you'll still be very grateful it's been offered to you. Men like you, with no home to return to and a past of military bloodshed, do not exactly have an easy time of it keeping the wolf from the door these days.'

Heero said nothing but he was as careful and flawless in the performance of his duties as he had always been, and Milliardo promptly excused him for the night. His mind was still racing after what his sister had done, completely ruining whatever chances she had of making a good match that night.

'I've tried, Lucrezia.' He complained to his wife as, too restless to go to bed, he sneaked into her bedroom once her lady's maid had retired. 'Again and again I have tried, but Relena always finds a way to scare them away.'

Lady Lucrezia, who was already in bed, propped up against a pile of soft pillows, merely smiled and straightened the bed spread as she listened patiently. 'She's a free spirit, Milliardo. You've always known that. She may have been born in a cage but you won't be able to keep her chained forever. She's a strong woman with a mind of her own.'

'I know she is; Father knew it too. That's why he made me promise to look after her, which includes making sure she marries well and, preferably, up.'

'Does it really? This is the time for strong women. So maybe the best thing you can do for Relena is let her find her own path, fight her own battles and just…be there for her if she needs you.'

He stopped pacing for a moment and finally looked at his lovely wife; the portrait of calm and serenity she was, sitting there in her white night dress against her white pillows… Milliardo sighed. 'Very well… I'm giving up on this whole marriage thing…for now.'

Lady Peacecraft chuckled and opened her arms to him. 'You do deserve a break, my love. I'm sure – wherever he is – your father has seen all you've been doing and he is very proud and very grateful.'

Even as he settled in the warm and comfy circle of her arms, he could not help but snort. 'What makes you so sure?'

'Because I am.'

XXX

It wasn't that Heero was ungrateful per se, it was just that he felt like Zechs had trapped him somehow. It was true that he had saved the man's life, but that had simply been his mission, his assignment. Most important or illustrious men had especially trained agents like himself guarding their backs. Keep Lord Milliardo Peacecraft of Sanc safe. Those had been his orders and he had stuck to them because it was what he had been brought up to do. There had never been need for thanks or maudlin inconvenient debts of honour before… And maybe it was exactly because this was a first and because he had had no idea what to do with himself once the war was over that Heero had said yes once the letter came. Of course he'd never anticipated how stifling it'd all feel.

It was the suit, the many pointless titles and rules, the other servants' suspicious glances and the way they whispered about him behind his back. In the military, all suits and titles had a purpose; structure, organisation and adherence to the rules were what made an army efficient and efficient armies won wars. But, most importantly, no one had time to gossip in the military. Not in the midst of a war anyway. In war, everyone was far too busy minding their own business, which was mostly trying to stay alive.

'It's only your first day, you know.' He looked up from the table, where he sat in the kitchen long after all the other servants had retired to their beds, to find her leaning against the threshold in a flimsy nightgown that must have cost more than he made in an entire year. 'Cannot sleep?' she wondered.

'It takes me a while to get comfortable in new places.' He wasn't sure why he felt the need to reveal so much or be so open with someone he had just met… Maybe he felt bad for not being able to reveal to her the nature of his mission or maybe it was just that he'd never seen eyes as clear and open and bright as hers… They drew him in like quicksand.

'I can understand that.' She nodded, moving around the kitchen, searching the shelves. 'I'm still hungry. It seems pudding does not replace an entire meal.'

'Maybe you shouldn't have skipped dinner then.'

'In that sort of company?' she finally pulled a white painted earthenware biscuit jar out of one of the cupboards, a triumphant smile on her lips. 'I wouldn't hesitate to skip it again. Even if it meant going to bed hungry.'

She settled down across from him with her prize and took a bite off one biscuit after offering it to him. 'Should I put the kettle on?' he wondered. What were the rules of decorum he should be following in this particular situation? Had this ever happened to any servant before? Sharing a midnight snack with a proper lady?

'I'm sure it is quite obvious that I couldn't fry an egg to save my own skin, but I can put the kettle on, you know.' She kept reading his mind and teasing him with her smiles.

'I'm sorry, my lady, if I've offended you.'

'Oh, don't be silly. There's no need for any of that; not when it is just the two of us in here.'

'It's just Lord Peacecraft's not very pleased with me at the moment.'

'Well, that makes two of us.' Lady Relena smiled conspiratorially at him before popping another biscuit into her mouth. 'You shouldn't mind my brother. He is just another prisoner of this world of marvel and splendour that he's built for himself.'

Heero could not help raising an eyebrow at her tone. 'Surely you don't condemn him for trying to protect your father's legacy?'

'Of course not. Not for protecting it, but for not seeing that things need to change. The whole world is changing all around us. The common man is starting to speak up and even women have found their voice! Soon we'll all be equal and then where will my brother stand in all this? What arguments will he be able to use to justify preserving his beloved legacy? His lifestyle?'

'Your lifestyle.'

'Yes… I suppose so. Though I like to think of myself as someone who could very easily adapt to a new way of life, a new way of doing things! Don't you find it refreshing?'

'What? Change?' he could not stop himself from chuckling at her childish enthusiasm. 'Hardly.'

'Why not?'

'Well… Change means uncertainty. How can you prepare yourself for anything when you don't know what's around the corner?'

'Why, that's simple enough. You just don't.' she shrugged, biting into yet another biscuit. She feared she might end up eating the entire jar, but she could not bring herself to care… If she stopped eating, what reason would she have to stay there with her brother's valet conversing at the kitchen table? None that could be deemed reasonable, surely…

'You cannot simply contemplate the future and not make plans.'

'Maybe not you or my brother, but then you are both men and you feel like you ought to be in control of everything and everyone all of the time. I'm a woman. We are much more resilient and adaptable to change and that is why we will be playing much more important roles in the future than you are.'

He studied her quietly, pensively, and Relena knew at last she had scared him away – much as she did every man she had ever held a long conversation with – but then he surprised her by shrugging and leaning further back against his chair. 'You're probably right there.'

'Am I?'

'You don't sound so sure all of a sudden.' Heero allowed the faintest trace of a smile to creep over his face.

'I certainly hope I am.' She straightened her back, regaining her composure. 'Wouldn't that bother you? If women should rule?'

'We've had queens before, haven't we? I dare say they left more of a mark in this country than any of our kings ever could.'

Relena reached into the jar and, alas, her fingers closed around thin air. She slowly placed the wooden lid back on as the quiet settled between them. Then met the valet's eyes again. He was watching her, always watching, yet instead of threatened by his staring she felt only… Seen. As if, for the first time in her life, someone could see the true Lady Relena Peacecraft and actually appreciate her for all her assets and her foibles.

'You are different than anyone I have ever met.' She breathed out at last, no longer able to contain her awe of that strange, mysterious man.

'I'll take that as a compliment.'

'As well you should.'

His eyes followed her as she stood and stashed the now empty biscuit jar back behind the few remaining packages of sugar. She lingered by the door but for a moment, knowing they were both quite conscious that she had to leave and that, therefore, parting words were not really needed, yet her brief pause made the words spill out of his mouth as if he hadn't given them a single thought.

'I'd never met a lady like you before either.'

Relena nodded, glancing one last time over her shoulder at his dark deep eyes. 'I'm glad.'

PART II

Mid-autumn

'There, my lady.' Ms Sylvia Noventa – Lucrezia's lady's maid – gave her lady's raven hair a final touch.

'You look lovely, sister.' Relena noted. She had been sitting on the canopied bed, exchanging the occasional interesting fact about the lives of the aristocracy, as her brother's wife got ready for that day's lunch.

'So do you. You've been looking quite lively lately, haven't you?' Lady Peacecraft turned around in her chair, waving a hand to dismiss Sylvia, and smiled fondly at her sister-in-law.

The young lady blushed lightly. 'Have I? It must be your eyes.'

'Either way your brother will be happy to see you attend one of his lunches with a genuine smile on your face for a change…'

At that Relena could not help but sigh. 'It's not my fault I wasn't born with his patience for putting up with dishonest flattery and who knows what.'

'No. But you could make more of an effort.'

'I try, Lucrezia. You know I do, but Milliardo just makes it so difficult at times… I'm glad he's given me a break lately from all the…potential suitors he likes to bring in to try and earn my affections.'

'Well…' the black haired lady looked suddenly contrite. 'About that…'

'Oh, no. Don't tell me today's lunch…'

'I'm sorry, Relena. That's actually why I called you here. I've tried to dissuade him, but your brother is very fond of the marquis and, as he did not seem to be particularly offended by your rather conflicting opinions the last time he was here… I thought it was only fair that you be warned Marquis Kushrenada is going to be joining us for lunch today. You've been so cheerful these last few weeks; please, do try to keep him in a good mood, if only to make your brother happy. You don't need to do more than that.'

'Marquis Kushrenada is it? And I suppose my brother would be very pleased to see us married.'

'Well…'

'I cannot believe it!' The young lady did not bother hiding her incredulity as she pushed herself off the bed and moved towards the door.

'Relena, please. If you do not choose someone soon, your brother will see it fit to do it for you and then things will only get worse between you. I really don't want that to happen.'

'What if I already have someone in mind?' Relena turned back around, sounding half-doubtful half-hopeful.

'Well, then why not invite him over for dinner? Introduce him to your family?'

'What if…' she bit her lip, not sure whether to voice her thoughts, but at last saw no harm in it. 'What if my brother would not approve of him?'

'Oh…' Lucrezia froze; her mouth open as if she wasn't quite finished but had no idea what else to say.

'Exactly.' The young lady whispered and fled from the room.

She was lucky to run into Dorothy on her way down the stairs or she would have allowed her legs to carry her all the way down to the servants' quarters, to the only person whose opinion she truly valued, the only one who would be able to give her sound advice… She kept reminding herself that she would see him later that night, but the few hours they spent chatting under candle light never seemed to be enough anymore.

He was the only one who listened to her, actually listened, like nobody else would and, not satisfied with just listening, he also gave her opinions and ideas serious consideration and responded in kind, surprising her time and again. They picked each other's' brains and she had never felt as stimulated by any conversation as she did when she was with him. Their time together was never enough and she felt constantly, nearly permanently, in need of more. She knew he felt the same way; they pervaded one another's thoughts throughout the day and the hours could not go fast enough.

Still, much unlike herself, she had been holding back… Something had been holding her back and that something was – in all likelihood – her feelings for her brother who she knew would not approve. No, that was an understatement… He would be furious, she knew. And yet what was she supposed to do when he kept pressuring her?

XXX

Heero tried to distract himself with work. He pressed Lord Peacecraft's shirts, polished his boots and mended his coats all with military precision, yet the truth was he hated his job and he would have probably quit after the first week if not for her… No matter what he might be doing, in the back of his mind, he was counting the minutes until he saw her again.

They had, without a single word of agreement, made it a fixture of those midnight chats over biscuits. Their own little secret. Except they could both tell it wasn't little at all… They were drawn to each other like a moth to a flame and not even the imminent threat of death by fire had been able to stop them thus far. For the first time in his entire life, Heero was jumping blindly into something. He had a vague idea of what the possible outcomes would be if they were found out or if they decided to take things a single step further, yet he could not bring himself to stop. Not even his cast-iron self-control, on which he'd always prided himself, could keep him away from her.

Still, there was a line neither of them would dare cross…

He maintained some sliver of restraint grounded solely on the immeasurable respect he held for her and, despite any appearances to the contrary, for her brother. She, regardless of her rebel ways, was still far too rooted in the values and teachings that had been passed down to her by her late parents. It did not stop them from meeting every night, however, and Heero knew the day would come when they would be forced to take the next step be it forwards or backwards… He'd just never expected that day to come so soon.

He mooned around his tiny bedroom for as long as he possibly could before making his way to the kitchen. He knew it would probably still be a couple of hours before Relena came down, but his anxiety seemed to build up more and more each day, the longer he was away from her the more he felt like a caged animal in that house.

It surprised him to find her already there, sitting at the table, waiting for him. She twisted her hands restlessly, as if she feared he would not show up. Did she not realise how early she was? The lady jumped to her feet as soon as she spotted him, her face lighting up in relief.

'There's something I need to tell you.' There was an edge of desperation to her voice that the valet wasn't sure what to make of, so he merely waited, giving her the room she needed to speak. 'I am sure this doesn't really come as a surprise, but I fear I… I have developed feelings for you.' She glanced away, yet it was only a second before she recovered her poise and met his eyes again. 'Am I right in assuming that you feel the same way?'

'You're not wrong.' He said simply, quietly and let his eyes wander as he ran his hand over the rough edge of the wooden table; he could sense where this was going and he already knew he would greatly disappoint her, despite the fact that that was the very last thing he wanted to do.

'Heero…'

'No.'

'Why?' she asked leaning on her hands over the table; their eternal divide. 'Why won't you talk to my brother?'

'Because it isn't right. You, me… Us. As much as we may wish it so, Relena, we do not belong together, we never could; not in this world we live in.'

'But that is my point exactly! If we do nothing about this world – our world – how can we expect anything to change?'

'We can't.'

'You see now?' her eyes flashed with sudden hope.

But he shook his head soberly. 'I don't expect things to change, Relena. I never have. Not as quickly as that…'

'Then why? Why have you come? Why are you here every night when I walk down those steps? Why do you come here to see me? You should have just let sleeping dogs lie.'

'I wish I could have.' He confessed; more angst and desperation in his voice than she'd ever heard, more than he'd ever let show.

They fell silent. If only… But then choice was swiftly taken away from them as Mrs Po walked into the kitchen; a flickering candle in her hand. 'I knew I'd heard voices in here! What are you doing here, my lady?'

'I just came down for a glass of water and happened to run into Mr Yuy.' Relena lied easily, her angry eyes still holding the valet's sorry gaze.

'Well…' the cook, obviously sensing the tension in the room, cleared her throat. 'Let me get that water for you, Lady Relena.'

'It's fine, Mrs Po. My thirst has suddenly gone.' She finally forced herself to turn fully towards the older woman; her usual sweet smile back in place. 'But thank you so much for offering. I shall retire now, if you don't mind. Have a good night.'

'Good night, my lady.' As soon as the young lady was gone and she had overcome her shock, the cook fixed the valet with a warning look. 'You better watch yourself, Mr Yuy, if you don't wish to make trouble for the young lady. Or yourself.'

'I'm well aware of that, Mrs Po.' He informed her acrimoniously. 'I shall turn in my resignation in the morning.'

Sally suddenly looked sad. 'That may be for the best.' She tried to reassure him, but – though on the outside he looked completely unmoved – deep inside he was inconsolable.

XXX

The following day dawned a lot sooner than Heero would have wanted. There was also something terribly miserable about it, as if the whole world had suddenly lost its colour and fallen completely and sullenly silent. He opened the curtains expecting to see snow blanketing everything, yet was immediately reminded that, though whatever trace of joy had been extinguished from his life, outside Sanc Manor the sun still shone and the trees remained vibrantly alive with autumnal colours.

He had barely slept, having written a short resignation letter as soon as he had returned to his room; he was grateful and sorry, but it was time he moved on. No more explanations were needed. The few remaining hours until the first sunray touched the skies he had spent sitting on his narrow cot, staring at the bare wood walls, trying hard not to think and even harder not to feel.

There would never be anyone else like her and he knew it. It was surprising enough that one woman had been able to care for him – broken and damaged as he was – and he wasn't foolish enough to believe it would happen again. This was his odd chance at happiness and he was about to put an end to it.

Still, he did not wish to postpone things; as used as he might be to pain and longing, angst and frustration, he would not willingly prolong his own suffering, not even if it meant holding on to a beautiful but impossible dream. He left his single suitcase already packed and took the stairs to Lord Peacecraft's room just as the sunrays spilt through the windows and into the foyer.

As he reached the top of the stairs, however, he heard Lord Peacecraft's heightened voice. 'What do you mean she's gone?' he demanded.

'I mean my lady Relena is not in her room, my lord.' Ms Catalonia's voice did not reveal as much emotion as their lord's, but Heero could tell she was troubled a clear sign that she was not in on Relena's plans. 'Nor does she appear to have been there at all since last night.'

A frown marred the valet's forehead at that; it was all his fault. If only he had been able to handle things more smoothly, reasoned with Relena until she had seen his point… No, there was no reasoning with her and he knew. The reason this bloody mess was his fault was because he had not been able to stop himself from getting close to her despite knowing they had no future together. Now she had done – was doing – something hasty and foolish and it would ruin all of their lives if something happened to her.

Heero turned around and dashed back the way he had come, nearly knocking Duo down the stairs to the kitchen. 'Look after Lord Peacecraft.' He said shoving the shirt he had been carrying into the dazzled footman's arms.

'Where are you off to? What's going on?' Duo shouted after him, but the valet was already grabbing his overcoat and stepping out the door.

'Duo?' an alarmed Quatre walked out of the servant's dining room glancing from the banging door to the other footman. 'What happened? What are you doing with Lord Peacecraft's shirt?'

'Ell if I know! 'Ere. Just tell 'im Mr Yuy's gone.'

'Gone?' the blonde man tried in vain to make his friend expand on it, but – for once – Duo did not have anything else to say. Still, Quatre pressed on. 'For the day?'

'Maybe. Maybe forever.'

As he climbed the stairs, trying to stop all the questions running through his head, Quatre ran straight into Lord Peacecraft himself; in his beige-coloured nightgown with golden trimmings, his hair – which he allowed no one to touch but himself – a mess of tangled knots. 'Where's Yuy?' he demanded.

'He-he's gone, my lord.'

'Gone?' Milliardo's surprise turned to understanding in the blink of an eye as all the urgency melted away from his face. 'They've run away together then.'

'Oh, he's just left, my lord. In a bit of a hurry too… Maybe he had some sort of emergency to attend to? He asked Duo to assist you in his stead, but…'

'He just left?'

'Yes, Lord Peacecraft. Not five minutes ago.' That seemed to visibly reassure the nobleman or, at the very least, it made him pause long enough for Quatre to suggest. 'Shall I help you get dressed then, my lord?'

'Yes, I suppose. Time is of the essence if we mean to catch up with Lady Relena.'

'My Lord.' They both stepped back into the foyer to find a grim looking Mr Chang. In his black butler robes he looked like nothing but the bearer of ill news and, despite the fact that Quatre had no idea what he was about to say – the blonde footman had to stop himself from intervening. It wasn't his place…

'What is it, Chang? Can you not see I'm in a hurry?'

'I have reason to believe Mr Yuy knows where Lady Relena has gone, my lord, and I can only hope he has left to fetch her.'

Milliardo frowned suspiciously. 'And what reasons would Mr Yuy have for knowing where my sister was headed?'

'No reason, my lord.' Mrs Po was suddenly behind them. It wasn't usual to see her out of the kitchen, least of all away from the servants' quarters, a fact that only fed Lord Peacecraft's suspicions. 'Mr Chang has misinterpreted something I told him, is all, my lord. Isn't that right, Mr Chang?'

The cook and butler stared each other down over Quatre's and their lord's shoulders, but at last Mrs Po's hard gaze failed to have the intended effect and Mr Chang turned to meet Lord Peacecraft's raised eyebrows. 'Mrs Po ran into the pair of them last night, my lord. They were in the kitchen, talking.'

'Just talking.' Milliardo tried to make sense of the situation.

'From what she's told me, my lord, they appeared to be very well acquainted. I thought it only fair for you to know. After Mrs Po found them, Lord Peacecraft, Mr Yuy said he would turn in his resignation, so I had considered the matter solved.'

'Well, if you had come to me with this as soon as Mrs Po told you, Mr Chang, we might not be in the middle of a muddle right now.' Milliardo raged. 'Have Barton bring the car around. I will be down in five minutes. And find me someone who's seen which way Yuy went; someone must have!'

'He took the car, my lord.' Trowa who had stepped into the room just as the commotion began, felt forced to inform.

'He took the…' Lord Peacecraft was livid. 'Have someone saddle my horse then.' He bellowed. 'And ready my hunting rifle!'

XXX

The sun was high up in the sky when she got off the train, she had been lucky it had left York early or she was sure her brother would have caught her before she could embark, especially with the automobile at his disposal. Relena too had used it the night before, convincing Mr Barton – rather more easily than she had anticipated – to drive her to the station so she could get the earliest train to York. They had been just in time and then again she had just made it in time to secure herself passage on the one bound for the Scottish border. Now she still needed to hire a cab to take her the rest of the way, not that she minded; she felt safe now, with so many miles and hours between her and Sanc Manor.

Heero would probably know where she had gone, he had been the one to tell her about this place after all, yet she did not expect him to confide in her brother, not even under threat of death. She did wonder, though, if he might come after her himself… Not bloody likely, she reasoned, given the things he had said about them being together. Still, she entertained that thought again and again, whenever her gaze got lost in the endless fields along the way and her mind began to wander.

The cab ride took another couple of hours, the horse's hooves thudding against the unpaved country roads, and she wondered briefly what she would do afterwards… She had not really made any plans before she left, her only priority being to avoid the humiliation of seeing Heero again or having to deal with her brother's nagging for her to marry one of his suitors. Plenty of times had she given him a piece of her mind, she was not sure how much clearer she could have possibly been, yet he did not seem to understand; he was far too caught up in his own world. Maybe now, that she had done something so extreme and out of character, he would finally see how serious – and also desperate – she really was.

'Here we are, miss.' The cabbie halted his horse in front of the tiny village inn and hopped down to assist her with her luggage.

Glancing at the unfamiliar place, Relena suddenly felt a pang of loneliness and longing, but took a deep breath and stepped out as soon as the door had been opened for her. This was her life now. 'Thank you.'

When she looked up, however, she had to stop herself from falling, for standing right at the door was none other than Heero himself. He looked as tired and dishevelled as she felt, clearly having slept as little as she had. She gapped at him as he approached and shook her head, utterly speechless.

'I took the car.' He said simply, reading her mind. 'I somehow knew you'd come here.'

'Are you here to take me back?' she wondered, unable to stop herself from pouting like a spoilt child.

'No.' he shook his head, his voice – so abnormally altered the night before – had regained its quiet, warm undertones. 'I'm here to talk.'

'Does my brother know?'

'Where we are? No, but he will track you eventually. I'd say sooner rather than later.' Relena sighed as her tiredness caught up with her… She looked down at the single case she had managed to pack in her hurry; so much effort for nothing. 'We've still a couple hours of sunlight… What do you say we go for a walk?'

Looking up, she found Heero's placid gaze and, at least for the moment, was able to forget anything but the present. She nodded and simply stood there as he carried her luggage into the inn. 'Do you know the owners?' she wondered when he returned and promptly started making his way down the street.

'Not really.'

They walked in silence away from the main streets of the village, leaving the houses behind as they made their way towards the woods and the river. At some point, Heero offered her his arm, which Relena took gratefully. It was the closest they had ever been to one another, her first – and maybe only – chance of being in physical contact with him. It also gave her hands something to do other than fidget.

She only let him go once they reached the margins of the river Tweed so she could get a closer look at the water. There was enough space between the greyish clouds for the sun to shine through even if for the briefest of seconds and it was all so beautiful and perfect Relena suddenly knew this was exactly what was meant to happen, this was exactly where she was supposed to be.

'You told me about this place… You said it was the place where you had been happiest.' She turned around to look at Heero and had to push a stray lock of hair behind her ear as the wind suddenly started blowing.

'It was.' He conceded. 'I don't blame you for coming here.'

'You don't feel like I… Invaded your privacy or something to that effect?'

'No.' at that he actually chuckled, which made her blush. 'This place has changed so much since my mother's time… It is no longer the same to me. It never will be.'

'Maybe…' Relena hesitated but for a moment. 'Maybe your mother's what's missing.'

'Maybe, but then I too have changed almost completely. The man I am today could never have appreciated the things the boy I was then did. The things I've seen… The things I've done…' Heero shook his head as if to bring himself back to the present. 'Nothing can ever be as it once was. That is also why I don't think we should be together.'

'Why? I don't understand, Heero. Don't tell me you cannot see how unique, how special this thing we have between us is.'

'Of course I can see it. I can see it far too clearly, just as clearly as I see all that you'd have to give up in order to be with me and I don't want you to wake up one day and realise that you resent me for it. Because, once you've given it up, there is no going back.'

'I'd never wish to go back. Can you not see?' she stepped forward, closing the distance between them so she could look deep into his eyes. 'I was never satisfied with my life. None of this is your doing. I would have eventually run away anyway. I could never submit myself to my brother's wishes. I want so much more, Heero. So much more.' As she paused for a breath she searched his face, but he looked slightly taken aback by her passion if nothing else. 'I want to be able to work, to actually make a difference and help people.'

'You do charity work.' He reasoned, however uncertainly.

'Yes, but I want to do active work. I don't want to just organise tea parties and raise funds for charity, I want to be there with the poor, the hopeless and downtrodden. I want to take their hands in my hands and tell them that things are going to get better because there are people fighting for them. Influential people.'

'You might not retain any of your influence… Surely you realise that? Relena, marrying me would not just lead your family away from you, it would lead everyone else as well; all the aristocrats, the powerful and influential people.'

Her smile widened and she shook her head. 'No. As much as you may think you know the aristocracy, Heero, you are generalising. I know people who'll stand by me – by us – and who will help me fight for this cause.' The wind blew again and, before she had even raised her hand to do so, he pushed that stray lock behind her ear for her. 'Don't you trust me?' she whispered. 'I could never resent you… This is my decision, after all.'

'I can see it now.' He smiled gently, his hand still cupping her cheek.

'Will you talk to my brother then?'

'What would be the point?' he laughed, amused by her hopefulness. 'You know he is only going to oppose us.'

'Still, I think we must show him that we are willing to do things his way. Well, some things at least.' She gave him a roguish smile.

'Fine.' Heero sighed. 'I will talk to your brother.'

Relena beamed. 'So what now?' she wondered coyly.

'Now…' he caressed her cheek with his thumb. 'Something I've been dreaming of for a long time.'

The singing of birds and the rustling of the leaves of nearby trees all faded away as his lips descended upon hers and suddenly there seemed to be nothing left in the world but the two of them.

XXX

Heero's eyes met Relena's as soon as he stepped into the inn the following morning. She was sitting at the single window table in the wide dining room just off the reception and her lips immediately curled up around her cup at the sight of him. He made to make his way to her, his own lips twitching upwards in response, but a young boy's voice stopped him in his tracks.

'Mr Yuy! A telegram for you, sir.'

He threw the lad a coin and turned away to inspect the message. 'Spotted man from description. STOP Arrived in the 0745. STOP' It read, which meant Lord Peacecraft was not only on the right track but that he should catch up to them soon enough. Heero took a deep breath, steeling his nerves before he resumed making his way to Relena.

'What is it?' she asked worriedly, nodding at the telegram in his hand.

'Your brother's on his way here. We should prepare.'

'Who told you?'

'I have an acquaintance who works at the train station, Howard. He owed me a favour so I asked him to let me know if anyone who looked like Lord Peacecraft got off any of the trains coming from York. Apparently, he arrived in the early train this morning.'

'Then he should be nearly here!' Relena jumped to her feet, but Heero, who had just pulled up a chair, motioned for her to remain calm.

'It must have taken him some time to figure out where you went, that should give us a couple extra hours.'

'Not if I know Milliardo. He's smarter than he looks, Heero.'

'I know your brother.' He chuckled at her vehemence. 'And as clever as he may be, he is still just a man. Even if his intuition told him you'd travelled west, he'd still need proof before jumping into a cab and making his way here.'

'You're probably right.' With a huff, she settled back down, but a glance at her tea made her realise she had lost her appetite completely. 'So what will we do?'

'Wait for him. There's little else we can do. And once he gets here… We'll talk.'

XXX

Milliardo jumped off the carriage before it had even stopped and marched into the inn without pausing, rifle in hand. He had been lucky enough to locate the very driver who had brought his sister all the way to the Scottish border and across the river Tweed. The cabbie was, of course, quite pleased by the sum he had been offered to take the young lord to the place where he had left his sister the day before. He was also willing to share all he knew, including the fact that a man, whose description matched Heero's quite perfectly, had been waiting for the lady upon her arrival and that the two had been seen walking together through the town and towards the river not long after.

The driver knew no more, but that was irrelevant as Milliardo felt he had enough information to keep his rifle locked and loaded. No handgun would be enough for Heero Yuy. Not if the man really had defiled his little sister and, especially not if he had hurt her so badly she had seen the need to flee all the way to Scotland.

The old hag behind the reception's desk raised her eyebrows at him, annoyed yet unimpressed. 'Lady Relena Peacecraft, where is she?'

'The Lady Relena…' the woman's gaze fell back down to her lap as she resumed crocheting. 'Asked me to tell ye' that she's waitin' by the river.'

'What about the man who's with her?'

'Aye, Mr Yuy will be there too, he will.' She nodded, not raising her gaze again. She need not have anyway, as the rude gentleman was already gone.

XXX

Relena wringed her hands as she glanced across the waters at the country she had left behind. Though she pretended to be admiring the view all she could think of was her brother and how he was closing in on them. Heero, thankfully, appeared to be a lot calmer than she was. He sat on the trunk of a fallen horse chestnut, his hands hanging between his knees as he watched her. She could feel his gaze, as discreet as it was, and could not help but wonder – glancing briefly at his slouched posture – how he could be so at ease.

In no time, however, she realised he was actually faking it, for as soon as the sound of footsteps came within earshot he was on his feet and ready to do battle with her brother, even if only verbally. Relena was just as quick to turn around and then, when she saw the gun, her body seemed to move by itself and she stepped in front of Heero, her arms open wide.*

'Milliardo, don't!' she warned. 'He has done nothing wrong!'

'Out of the way, Relena.' He motioned her away with the barrel of the rifle, which he held level with their heads.

'No. Not before you put that thing away.'

His eyes narrowed for a moment, but at last – with a frustrated sigh – he relented and lowered his rifle. 'I give you a decent job, not only that, but a whole second chance at life. I let you into my home and this is how you repay me? By breaking up my family? Disgracing my sister and leading her away from me?'

'The only reason you offered me that job was because you felt you owed me something and not being square with a fellow man would not sit well in your book.' Heero barked back, stepping around the young woman before her lowering arms had even reached her sides. 'Besides, I came here after your sister with every intent to convince her to go back to Sanc Manor.'

Caught off-guard, Milliardo shifted somewhat awkwardly on his feet as Relena watched their exchange, dumbfounded. The haughty lord cleared his throat. 'And how are you going to prove that? She does not look like someone who's planning to go home anytime soon. Or have you changed your mind and decided to seduce her after all?'

'I never intended for any of this to happen.'

'Didn't you now? Because it seems to me it would be quite convenient for you to marry Relena. You would go straight from being an obsolete killing machine, a man of no worth, to being a nobleman, a lord, someone with a position and status.'

Heero's jaw visibly tightened, forcing Relena to step forward. 'How can you say such things?' she wondered painfully, shaking her head. 'My own dear brother… If you really do feel you owe Heero for whatever reason, this is never how I would have expected Lord Milliardo Peacecraft to return a favour. Father would have been appalled.'

'I know he would have.' The lord smiled bitterly. 'Trust me, Relena, there isn't a single day in which I do not feel Father's disappointment hanging over me. And now this.' He motioned towards the two of them as if he could not quite comprehend what was going on and yet was still disgusted by it.

'Well, I think Father would have been proud of me for standing up to what I believe in, for fighting for those in need, for the underdogs; the way Peacecrafts have always done, the way we all are supposed to.'

'Is he an underdog now?' Milliardo scoffed.

She glanced at the man beside her, but for a moment, before stepping further forward. 'Yes, he is! It is not just because he wasn't born into a prestigious family or into a fortune that he must bow his head and do what you want! He is a good man, Milliardo, and that makes him noble enough.' She turned back to Heero, took his hand in hers and looked him in the eyes before glaring at her brother once more. 'At least for me.'

The Peacecraft lord let out a weary chuckle as he glanced up at the sky in search of answers. 'What am I to do with you?' he wondered at last.

'Heero's asked me to marry him.' Relena informed him, her voice wavering slightly as her cheeks turned pink, but she knew her brother could see her determination. 'Give us your blessing.' She suggested at last, a peace offering.

Milliardo stared at the unlikely couple for a long moment and, suddenly, it was as if his wife was standing right beside him, whispering her wise words to him once again.

She's a free spirit, Milliardo. You've always known that. She may have been born in a cage but you won't be able to keep her chained forever. This is the time for strong women. So maybe the best thing you can do for Relena is let her find her own path, fight her own battles and just…be there for her if she needs you.

And, at last, he realised this was – after all – what their father would have wanted…for the both of them.

He let out a deep sigh.

'Very well. You have my blessing, as long as you come home, back to Sanc Manor, where you belong.'

Overwhelmed with joy, Relena could only beam through a curtain of tears at the two stubborn men she loved most in the world.

EPILOGUE

'Well, it was a lovely wedding.' Relena commented as she sat at her vanity and pulled off her shoes. Heero closed the door behind him, already tugging at his necktie. 'I still can't believe Quatre turned out to be the lost son of a marquis…'

'I still can't believe Ms Catalonia married him.' Heero scoffed.

'It's Mrs Winner, now.' She reminded him, gently placing her jewellery back into their box.

'It must have been the money.'

'Oh, don't be that way. I'm sure Dorothy cares for him.'

He snorted. 'She's always had ulterior motives. You said yourself you did not trust her with your secrets.'

'Not with the important ones, I didn't, but then if you share your secrets with anyone they instantly stop being secrets, don't they?' Relena moved away from the vanity and towards the full length mirror, inspecting her dress. 'I wonder what I should wear the rest of the day…'

Heero approached and his reflection met her eyes over her left shoulder. 'Are you sure you don't want to hire a new lady's maid?'

'Why should I? You don't have a valet and it's not like I really need help getting dressed now, is it?'

'I think you could use some help getting undressed though.' He whispered as he got closer and laid a tentative kiss where her exposed shoulder met the line of her neck.

'Heero…' she made a half-hearted attempt to protest as he slowly trailed kisses all the way up to her ear. 'It's still light out and there is so much to be done… We've only just moved in.'

'Then let me tell you what I think you could wear.' He met her eyes in the mirror again, his pupils already shiny and dilated.

'What?' Relena shuddered.

'You could wear nothing.' He suggested simply, his breath tracing the shell of her ear as he uttered each word. 'And we could spend the rest of the day in bed. Let Pagan sort everything out.'

She spun around and surprised him with a passionate kiss. 'As if I could ever refuse you.' She smiled and he returned it wholeheartedly.

'This is our life now.' He reminded her.

'To do with as we see fit.' Relena agreed. 'Our new world.'

'Yes.'

'For you…' her smile widened as she held his gaze. 'And me.'

'So it is.'

*That scene! Yes, I know. I just couldn't resist. I can see it in my mind: Relena in her blue dress, her skirts and pearl necklace swishing as she steps in front of a wounded Heero with her arms outstretched... So fierce!*

TRIVIA

Duo's accent: I gave Duo a working-class cockney accent, which I thought would be a good equivalent to his American accent, whatever that is. XP

Disney's Aladdin reference: yes, there is an Aladdin 'Easter egg' right at the end there... Again, I just couldn't help myself and you have my apologies.

A.N.: I believe I owe you apologies for the epilogue as a whole, really... That was as close to a lemon as I could get. Ha! Plus, real life caught up with me, and I nearly abandoned this story... Hopefully, I can write a better ending when I come back to revise this in the future. Thanks for reading!