A/N: A slightly delayed update. Alas, exam season is upon us, and I'm up to my ears in stuff I'd rather not be reading about, but such is life. After the next few weeks I'll have plenty more time to update again. I'm hoping for at least one more update during april, probably two.

Please read and review! I love hearing your suggestions and always respond.

-picimadar

When You Run Among Shadows

Chapter 8: The Wedding

August, AC 199: Brussels

Hilde looked down at Duo, eyes wide with shock. "Will I what?"

Duo shook his head, as disbelieving as she was. "Babe! Don't make me ask again, I already almost peed my pants the first time!"

She eyed him carefully. "Duo, how much have you had to drink, exactly?"

"Nothing!" he sputtered, running a hand through his bangs as he got up off his knee and sat next to her on the park bench. He had planned the night meticulously. For a man who was described as carefree (if not careless) Duo Maxwell had taken every precaution to make sure tonight would be perfect. He'd booked the reservation at Hilde's favorite restaurant in Brussels, Tangerine, a ritzy place they'd only been to a few times, and even then only on Relena's tab. He got them a table overlooking the city's river, out on the patio. The weather had been perfect, nineteen degrees and not too humid, and the night was a perfect, cloudless one. After dinner the two had seen the local ballet, and Duo had choked back his complaints and even kept from rolling his eyes through all three acts. Finally, they had taken a walk through the park nearby the theatre, looking at the statues and picturesque gardens. They had arrived at the little gazebo, lit with tiny imitation candles, and he had "popped the question".

What he didn't plan for was her reaction.

"So what's the joke then? Duo, this is just cruel. If I find out Heero put you up to this…" Hilde growled, standing up and balling up her fists.

"Put me up to it? What the heck are you on about? Hilde, I love you!" Duo nearly shouted, nervous now, and scared.

Hilde turned and looked back at him, her face softening, eyes welling with tears. "You mean it?" she whispered, raising her hands to his face.

"Duo Maxwell never tells a lie," he replied softly, taking her one hand in his and putting the small velvet box in her palm. She opened it again, smiling broadly at its contents.

"Duo…" she whisptered again, sighing. "Duo, it's absolutely beautiful. How on earth did you afford this?" she asked, looking worried.

Duo shrugged. "Let's just say I had some help. Don't worry about it!" he finished, "Just tell me! Will you marry me, Hilde?"

She smiled, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I'd love to."


Middie smiled, looking over her glasses at Hilde as she took her eyes of her notepad. "That's so romantic," she sighed. "He sounds like a real keeper."

Hilde gave a small, sad smile. "I think so, but lately…" she trailed off, unable to put into words what she had been feeling.

Middie interrupted the petite woman before she could fall into too much despair. "So what happened next?


Hilde and Duo had returned "home" late that night. They both walked up to the door of Relena's massive home, Duo fishing for his keys. The door swung open just as he reached for the lock, revealing Relena standing in the doorway. They were both surprised she was still awake, until Relena darted forward and grabbed Hilde's left hand forcefully, holding it up to her eye level.

Relena nearly shrieked before hauling her friend in the front door, laughing as she hugged Hilde and shouting between congratulations "I knew it! I knew it!".

Duo closed the door behind him and followed the two women in, noticing Trowa standing in the doorway to the common room, smiling smugly. The other man made the motion of a glass being drunk out of before nodding towards Relena, and Duo laughed. Relena looked toward Trowa and glared at him menacingly before taking Duo's hand and dragging both him and his new fiance into the common room.

Relena slouched down into a couch gracelessly, tucking her feet up under her. Hilde sat down next to her while Duo walked over to the bar, pouring himself a drink. Trowa sat down to watch television, and Heero was sitting behind the bar, reading.

"You man up, yet?" he asked, not looking up from his page.

Duo laughed. "I got the woman I love to marry me, pal. You can't even get the one you love to look you in the eyes. Don't give me advice." The other man simply grunted, holding out his glass to be refilled.

Relena bounced on the couch excitedly as she looked again at Hilde's ring. "Gosh, it's beautiful," she said, examining it. Hilde blushed, thanking her.

"So, have you two thought about a date, yet?" Relena asked, glancing over at Duo along with her companion. Neither of them said anything, both shrugging somewhat.

"We don't have any money saved for a wedding…" Hilde said quietly, "so probably not for a while."

Relena furrowed her brows crossly, pursing her lips. "Well, what if you could get married right now?" she asked, tilting her head slightly.

Hilde looked at her strangely. "What do you mean, right now?" Duo moved closer, perching on the coffee table nearby the ladies.

"I mean, what if, by some miracle, you were bestowed with enough money to, oh I don't know… get married this Saturday at the Gracechurch cathedral?" Relena said nonchalantly, turning away from Hilde to grab her drink off a nearby end table. Hilde and Duo gasped.

"You… you didn't," Hilde said, looking at her friend incredulously. Relena cocked her one brow, grinning. "You did? No! You didn't! Relena, we can't just—"

Relena cut her off, "What, get married? You can't just get married? Well, you just got engaged. What were you planning on doing, being engaged forever? Get married before you go back to space," she began her argument. "I have the chapel booked, and I can have all your preparations taken care of. You won't have to worry about anything but getting your dress and tux sized and the colour you want your flowers to be."

Duo looked at his future bride, taking a generous sip of his rye. "Well, babe? Sounds like an okay deal to me."

Hilde shook her head. "Oh, I don't know, Relena… We can't ask you for this," she said, shocked at her friend's generosity.

"Well, you didn't ask. That's the beauty of it. Consider it your wedding gift," Relena said, putting an arm around her friends' shoulders. "I want to see you two happy, and it's the least I can do. You've both been working like dogs lately. You deserve this," she added, smiling with her eyes as she got up off the couch.

"That said, I'm off to try and sleep. I have an address to write tomorrow," the blonde woman mused as she began climbing the stairs to her chambers, "and now a wedding to plan!"


Hilde stopped to catch her breath, having talked consistently talked for nearly half an hour. Middie let her pause, looking out the corner of her eye somewhat dreamily. "She's a pretty generous woman, isn't she?"

Hilde laughed. "Whether you like it, or not."


"Whether you like it or not, you are going to wear that suit, Duo," Relena finished, standing in front of the change-room door. The fitter had finally finished his duties, asserting it would have been finished in half the time had his charge not spent most his time complaining and the rest squirming. Duo exited the small room and looked sheepishly at Relena, running his hands over his chest.

"I feel like a penguin," he said, turning to look in in a nearby mirror.

"No, you feel like pressed Italian silk," Relena said, turning him around, "what you look like is wonderful."

Dorothy Catalonia looked over her magazine at him from her perch on the posh, velvet upholstered bench in the corner. "I have to agree. This has to be the nicest I've seen you in… well… ever, I suppose."

Duo rolled his eyes. "You had to bring her?" he said, jabbing a thumb in the offending person's direction. Relena shrugged.

"She knows the tailor and got you this appointment. Without her you would have had to wait months."

"Or I could have just rented a tux like a normal person," her reminded her, stepping back into the change-room. Relena clucked her tongue.

"Absolutely not. Every man needs a good tux. Every married man needs at least two."

They left the store, Duo carrying his suit bag gingerly. Heading out to Relena's car, they hopped inside.

"Take us to Chez Clarice please, Pagan. I've got to meet Hilde there. Take Duo home after, he's got a date with "the boys"."

Duo looked at her. "What are you talking about?"

"Oh, don't act like you don't know," Relena said, rolling her eyes. "You're the only one out of all of you that would want to go out on a Wednesday night, and you're dragging the rest of them with you."

Duo laughed, slouching back into the seat. "Guilty as charged. What, a guy's not allowed to have a little fun every now and again?"

Relena laughed, opening the door on her side of the town car as it came to a stop. "Some fun, not too much fun," she said, sliding out and closing the door behind her. Jauntily climbing the stairs, she opened the door to be boutique and beheld a slightly stunned but beautiful bride standing before her, staring at her own reflextion in a large 180 degree mirror.

"Relena, dear! So glad you could see us," Clarice, a middle aged, honey-blonde woman cooed, kissing Relena on both cheeks and offering her a glass of champagne. "Doesn't she look marvelous?" she added, sweeping an arm towards Hilde.

"Indeed, she absolutely does," Relena agreed, taking a few steps towards her friend and putting down her purse. Hilde turned slowly for Relena, raising her arms up to show the intricate, detailed beadwork on the ivory bodice, its flowing skirt reaching the floor and sleeveless top showing a tasteful amount of décolletage.

"Relena, it's beautiful, but I—"

Relena cut her off. "Look amazing? I agree." She turned back to Clarice. "Stunning work as always, cherie," she said, taking a sip of her champagne. "Pack it up for us, we'll take it home tonight."


And so came the day of the wedding. The week had been a blur of flowers, fabrics, dresses, suits, colours and phone calls, Relena orchestrating the whole thing seamlessly, leaving a shaken and bewildered couple in her wake. Before they knew it, the big day was before them. Duo's "bachelor party" had left most of her personal guard incapacitated, but after going out for the night with Hilde and a few friends Relena herself was in no place to head into work herself, calling in a "personal day" and heading back to bed.

Heading into the chapel at her queue, Relena took Heero Yuy's arm carefully, and the two began their timed and extremely awkward march up the aisle. Relena looked at Heero out of the corner of her eye, admiring his tuxedo and dark blue tie, exentuating his eyes. She smiled slightly, pulling him closer to her.

"I know about what you did," she whispered to him quietly as they continued walking. Heero grunted, looking at her with feigned ignorance.

"The tickets to Cancun? The house just down the street? You were very generous, you know. I was looking at that place for them myself."

Heero shrugged. "I had the money, and they need someplace to stay that isn't your place," he repled.

Relena giggled. "What, Duo keeping you up at night?" she asked, looking ahead to wear the groom in question stood, hands behind his back, rocking on his heels nervously. Heero said nothing, releasing Relena's arm as they approached the altar and taking his place next to Duo.

Finally, Hilde began her walk into the chapel. No one could get over how stunning the young woman looked, her short hair curled tightly and a bouquet of orchids and lilies filling her hands. Hilde looked ahead of her nervously, don't trip, don't trip, don't trip, breathe, breathe, breathe, she chanted to herself, taking each stride carefully and painstakingly. She reached the altar and stood next to her soon-to-be husband, smiling at him before they turned to face the priest.


"I do," Hilde said, sliding the band onto Duo's ring finger.

"And do you, Duo Maxwell, take Hilde Shbeiker to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

Duo grinned broadly at the woman next to him. "I do," he replied, sliding the band onto her finger.

The priest smiled, holding out his hands. "I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may—"

He never got to finish his sentence, cheers filling the cathedral as Duo swept Hilde into a deep dip, kissing her passionately.

The night passed with a flurry of congratulations, an amazing meal, terrific live music and enough wine and liquor to incapacitate a small army. Duo and Hilde lingered on the dance floor, swaying slowly in each other's arms. Most of the others had left for the night, Heero and Relena staying as they helped some of the staff of the reception hall clean up gifts and take the remaining plates to the kitchen. Heero waited until the staff were out of sight, before taking Relena's hand and guiding her out to the waiting car. Both of them had had too much to drink, and both were expected to be at work the next day.

Duo and Hilde continued dancing, smiling to each other as they danced the night away.


"Well, that's certainly a story to tell the kids one day, isn't it?" Middie smiled, crossing her legs.

Hilde sighed again. "If we ever have any. At this point I just don't see it. Ever since Heero left, Duo's just been miserable. With everything that happened… I mean, the two of them were best friends. Besides me and the rest of our crowd, Heero's the only one Duo's been truly close to since he was a kid! That kind of betrayal.. it changed him… He's not the man I married, anymore."

Middie frowned, saddened by the woman's story. "There's no way you could get him in here, hmm?"

Hilde just laughed. "Not if my life depended on it. He's bound and determined that nothing's wrong, and he'll keep saying it till the day he dies."

Middie nodded her head, making another note on her sheet. "Do you know what happened to Heero that night? Why did he leave so suddenly?"

Hilde shrugged, standing up and heading towards the office door. "I really don't know, doctor. I guess Relena was the last one to see him that night… You'd have to ask her."