Disclaimer: Gandamu Uingu (which is how the Japanese say it) does not belong to me. Wakarimasu ka? All right...moving on.

Author's Notes: Thanks for sticking with the story;) I just have a short something to say in reference to my two unfinished stories "A Thing More Precious" and "Wherever You Are." To quote Annie Dillard, they, like most works in progress, have become "a mustang on which (I) one day fastened a halter, but which now (I) cannot catch." Basically, I've let them slide and now they seem quite overwhelming to me. Still, I am making a valiant attempt to catch them and as Annie puts it, "reassert my mastery". So, look for something maybe within the next few weeks. Hopefully;)

Dedication: To cowboy Mike and his interesting picture collection.

****

Going to the Chapel
by Kristen Elizabeth

****

3:59 PM

"There you go." Hilde stepped back to admire her creation. "What do you think?"

Relena peered into the mirror over her dressing table. Her hair was now a cascade of perfect curls, spilling over her shoulders in a waterfall of gold, held back from her face by a headpiece of pearls. Her veil, a very simple, very long fall of sheer white tulle ememnated from the crown of pearl. She took a deep breath, scarcely believing she was looking at her own reflection. "Hilde..." she whispered. "It's perfect. Oh, thank you! Thank you so much!"

Hilde blushed. "I'm glad you like it. I knew this style would be perfect with the veil."

The bride stood up, clad in a silky dressing gown. Her wedding dress was carefully hung on the wardrobe, just waiting for her to put it on. Relena looked down at her hands. "I'm shaking. Is this normal?"

"Of course it is." Hilde reached out to adjust a fold in Relena's veil. "You were there just before my wedding. I almost threw up!"

"I don't feel nauseous," Relena said, thoughtfully. "I just have this....feeling." She shook her head. "Like something is going to go wrong."

Hilde's laugh was high and nervous. "Last minute jitters! I mean, what could possibly go wrong??"

****

4:20 PM

"Well, it's official." Duo stuck his head back into the car. "It's an accident. Looks to be piled up for about a mile."

Heero's forehead fell against the steering wheel. He lifted it only to slam it down again. "I can't believe this is happening...."

Duo winced, watching his friend. "Heero...buddy....it's okay. We've still got..." He glanced at the dashboard clock. "Forty minutes."

The groom turned his head to the right; his eyes were dull. "We're never going to make it, Duo. Relena is never going to forgive me if she thinks I stood her up at the altar." He lifted his shoulders. "It's over."

"Hey!! We'll have none of that talk!!!" Duo shifted in his seat to see his friend better. "You don't get to quit on this one, pal. It's not a mission you've failed." When Heero said nothing, Duo sighed. Pausing momentarily, he lifted himself up and squeezed half his body out of the open passenger side window. He cupped his hands around his mouth, creating a megaphone. "EVERYONE WHO CAN HEAR ME...LISTEN UP!!!" He pointed to Heero. "THE MAN DRIVING THIS CAR IS GETTING MARRIED WITHIN THE HOUR!!" Over the din of motors, he could just make out some faint, sarcastic applause. "WE'D APPRECIATE IT VERY MUCH IF EVERYONE WHO CAN MOVE THEIR CAR, EVEN A LITTLE BIT, WOULD AT THIS TIME SO WE CAN GET THE GROOM TO THE CEREMONY!!"

"Hey, buddy!" A fat man in a pickup truck leaned out of his window. "Shut the hell up!!"

Duo ignored him. "MAYBE I SHOULD PUT IT ANOTHER WAY. IF YOU DO NOT MOVE YOUR FAT ASSES QUICKLY, YOU RUN THE RISK OF VIOLATING SEVERAL PREVENTER-ENFORCED LAWS, INCLUDING....UM..." He ducked his head back in to the car.

Heero was rubbing his eyes. "Hindering an officer."

"HINDERING AN OFFICER!! NOW, IF YOU WOULD ALL PLEASE MOVE, WE CAN..."

"Shut up!"

"We're stuck, man!'

"We've all got places to be, too!"

"The Preventers suck!!!"

Duo shook his head. "I don't think they're taking me seriously."

Shaking his head, Heero lifted his foot off the brake, cut the wheel sharply to the right and slammed on the gas. The car lurched off the road and onto the median. Heero ignored the looks from the other drivers as he raced along the narrow strip of grass, bypassing everyone.

"Oh man..." Duo looked behind them. "We're gonna die." Heero said nothing, only increased their speed. "Look out!" The groom swerved just in time to avoid hitting a tree. "Who puts a tree in the middle of the fucking median?" Duo cried.

"This isn't as easy as I thought it was going to be," Heero muttered.

Duo shook his head. "Sometimes, pal....I wonder what goes on in that head of yours."

****

4:45 PM

There was a knock on her door. Relena glanced over her shoulder. "Come in."

The door opened, revealing her brother. As soon as he saw her, he stopped short. "You look...amazing, Relena."

She blushed and smoothed down the full skirt of her wedding dress. "Really? Thank you, Millardo."

He cleared his throat. "I just wanted to tell you that everything's ready. The priest is here. The guests are here and seated. The quartet is tuning up. But..." He stopped

"But what?"

Millardo fidgeted. How could he tell his sister that, only fifteen minutes before her wedding, her husband to be, not mention his best man, were nowhere to be found? "But...but nothing," he finally said. "I just can't believe you're getting married."

Relena smiled. "You've had awhile to get used to the idea."

"Yes, but now...it's here. And you're wearing that dress and you look..." He reached out to touch her cheek. "You look every bit like a princess."

She rolled her eyes. A nervous gesture. "And here I was hoping to look like a normal bride."

"You do," he assured her. There was a slight pause. "He makes you happy, doesn't he?"

His sister swallowed heavily, holding back tears. "He makes me whole," she whispered.

"Yes, well..." Millardo cleared his throat again. "You just make sure that Heero Yuy takes care of you, little sister."

She approached him and kissed his cheek. "Heero Yuy's been taking care of me for as long as I can remember. And I, in return, take care of him."

Nodding, Millardo backed up to the door. "Do you need a few minutes?" Relena nodded. "I'll just be downstairs, checking on Lu." The door closed gently behind him.

Sighing softly, Relena returned her attention to the full length mirror. A bride stared back at her. She examined herself thoroughly. The dress, chosen with such care, was creamy white. Its lace sleeves were quarter length, tight until the elbow, then ending in a fall of pleated sheer satin that came down to mid forearm. The bodice hugged her breasts, but ended just underneath them. The skirt that fell from the Empire waistline brushed the floor. The veil on her headpiece floated down her back, with an extra piece of tulle that would be pulled over her face just before Millardo walked her down the aisle. It was a fairy-tale dress. The kind she had dreamed about all her life.

Her bouquet lay on the dressing table. She picked it up and held it in both hands. The moment was broken by a knocking on her second story bedroom window. She turned around and went to the window to investigate. Pushing the curtains aside, she came face to face with her fiancee.

"Heero?!" Relena unlocked the window and pushed it open. "Heero....what are you doing?"

Without replying, Heero stuck his leg through the window and climbed in, tripping only when he tried to stand up again. Relena backed up a step. Still not saying anything, Heero faced the window again and held out his hand. In less than a minute, with Heero's help, Duo climbed into the bride's bedroom. Both men were sweaty and rumpled....and certainly not dressed for a wedding.

Duo grinned at the stunned bride. "Looking good, princess!"

Relena blinked. "Um...thanks?" Her forehead wrinkled. "Heero? What's..."

"I told you we'd make it!" Duo declared.

Heero looked at Relena for the first time. "Duo....go. I'll be there in a minute." Nodding, Duo raced out of the room, slamming the door behind him in his haste. Heero ran a hand through his unruly hair. "I suppose you're wondering what's going on."

"Oh...." She made no attempt to hide her sarcasm. "I'm just a little curious." Seeing the intense look on his face, Relena set down her bouquet. "Are you all right? Did something happen to you?"

"Too much to go into. Let's just say that...." Heero stopped short. He blinked, taking in the full effect of seeing his bride in her wedding dress for the first time. "You're so beautiful..."

She bit her lip, holding back a silly grin. "I hoped you'd like the dress." She approached him. "Look, Heero...I don't care where you've been. And I don't care what you've been doing. I'm just glad you're here.....and that you want to marry me." Her eyes clouded. "You do still want to marry me, right?"

"Now more than ever." He took her hand, the only part of her he wasn't afraid of dirtying. "I love you, Relena."

His bride, not caring about the sweat and dirt, kissed him softly on the lips. "I love you, too." She backed up and opened the door for him. Winking, she continued, "Meet me at the altar in fifteen minutes."

Heero walked past her, unable to resist stopping for one more kiss. "You know..." He touched a golden curl that fell on her collarbone. "That's the last time I'll kiss my girlfriend. Next time..." His lips turned up in a most uncharacteristic smile. "I'll be kissing my wife."

****

4:50 PM

Heero burst into the room designated for him and his groomsmen with all the force of a raging tiger.

Quatre, all ready to go in his designer tuxedo, turned on him. "All right," he cried, raising his voice for perhaps the third time in his life. "Just where the hell have the two of you been??"

From the bathroom where he was rebraiding his hair, Duo replied, "Quat-man....you wouldn't believe us if we told you."

"Tuxedo..." Heero tried to catch his breath. "Ten minutes....."

Trowa reached for the garment bag holding the groom's tuxedo. "Here. Hurry. I can hear the music starting."

Heero stripped off his shirt in record time. Quatre's nose crinkled. "Heero...um...how do I say this delicately? You...."

"Smell," Wufei said for him.

The groom shook his head, unfastened his jeans and kicked off his shoes. "Don't have time to shower."

Quatre watched him wrestle with his tuxedo pants for a minute. A bead of clear sweat ran down his cheek. Thinking quickly, Quatre ran for the bathroom, returning a moment later with a washcloth. "Sit down," he ordered.

Heero zipped up his pants. "Don't have time to...."

"I said sit down!!"

Blinking, the groom sat. Quatre wiped his forehead with the cloth, quickly cleaning him up. "This is the biggest day of Miss Relena's life. I will not have you showing up at the altar looking like you just came through another war." Finished with the groom's face and neck, Quatre handed him a roll of deodorant and accepted a comb from Trowa. He began putting Heero into some semblence of order, never breaking his monologue. "You've got to understand....you're about to become one of the most photographed people in the world, Heero. You can't afford to ever look less than your best. It's exactly what the hounds they call reporters look for. Any chance to say anything bad about the Vice Foriegn Minister. Do you see what I'm saying?"

Heero stuck his arms though the sleeves of the starched white shirt. "Yeah," he muttered. "Thanks."

Wufei shook his head slowly at the groom. "You can guarantee that this will never happen to me. I won't ever become a woman's arm fixture." Amazing, Heero ignored him, busy as he was with his vest and bowtie.

"So then...." Duo appeared from the bathroom, adjusting the collar of his tuxedo jacket. "You don't mind if I tell Marcus down in Internal Affairs that it's okay if he asks Sally out like he's been wanting to?"

The rage on Wufei's face was worth risking the sin of lying. Marcus down in Internal Affairs was, after all, married with two kids. But Wufei need not know that. His fists tightened. "Unjustifiable....she is *my*...." He stopped.

"Your what?" Trowa asked, simply.

Wufei's mouth hung open. He scowled and crossed his arms tightly. "She's just mine."

Duo tugged on his own vest, straightening it. "Maybe you ought to think about letting her in on how you feel?" The Chinese man steadfastly ignored him. His silence spoke volumes. Duo grinned; either Wufei did something about his relationship with Sally soon, or Duo would be forced to take matters into his own hands to get Wufei off his lazy ass.

Heero stood up and grabbed the shoes and socks Quatre held out for him. Once they were on, he went to the mirror and ran a hand through his hair, mussing all the work Quatre had put into the mass of chestnut locks. Taking a breath, he turned around to face his best man and groomsmen. "What am I missing?"

Trowa held up his tuxedo jacket. "These always help complete the outfit."

Glaring at the taller man, Heero quickly donned the jacket and did up the few buttons. Quatre approached him and tucked a white rose bud into his breast pocket. "There," the blond man said. "Now you can marry Miss Relena."

****

5:00 PM

Millardo met her at the wide, French doors that spilled onto the patio. Next to him were Hilde and Sally, both looking beautiful in matching lavendar gowns. She kissed each woman's cheek before they lined up to begin the long walk down the aisle. The aisle through the garden that led to the altar. That led to Heero. Her breath caught in her throat.

"Are you ready?" her brother asked. Relena took one hand from her simple bouquet of white roses and slipped it through Millardo's. Just in time, she remembered and reached up to pull the tulle veil over her face.

Smiling, she nodded. "I'm ready."

As soon as the string quartet eased out of Pachabel's Canon and into the traditional wedding march, Heero found himself almostly completely numb. The guests, most of whom he had never met, rose to their feet and turned around to catch a first glimpse of the bride. He couldn't see anything yet; the sun was setting directly behind the house, darkening everything at the end of the long aisle.

He felt Duo clap a hand on his shoulder. "You okay?"

Heero nodded. He glanced over at the bridesmaids. Hilde winked at him; Sally smiled. From a chair on the edge of the makeshift altar, Noin placed a hand on her stomach. Later, Heero could have sworn he saw her wince, but his brain did not register it. Relena was coming towards him, on her brother's arm. And a fleet of mobile suits could not have distracted him away from the sight of his bride.

Late afternoon sunlight tangled in her hair, turning it into a molten gold more blinding than he had ever seen. Her face was veiled; he could only just make out her features until she grew closer to him. Then, he could see her eyes, crystal blue. He read so many things in that stare. Love, desire...trust. He swallowed the lump that had settled into his throat. Millardo and Relena stopped just in front of the altar. The music slowly faded out.

The priest stepped forward. "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to...." Heero tuned him out for a moment, intent on memorizing every detail of how Relena looked. His attention was brought back into focus as the priest asked, "Who gives this woman to be married to this man?"

"I do." Millardo lifted Relena's veil and kissed her cheek. Lowering it again, he took her hand and placed it in Heero's before moving to stand behind Wufei in the line of groomsmen.

Heero's hand seemed almost clammy. Relena hid a smile behind the tulle veil. He was nervous. Very nervous. She decided it was adorable.

"Marriage is not only a union of two hearts and two souls, but a joining of families and friends," the priest announced. "Therefore, if anyone has any reason why these two should not be joined, let them speak now, or forever hold their peace."

A bird chirped in the background.

The priest smiled and looked at Relena. "Relena Dorlian Peacecraft, do you take Heero Yuy to be your lawfully wedded..."

"Owwww!!!"

Every single one of two hundred guests, four groomsmen, two bridesmaids and a priest, not to mention the bride and groom, turned to look at Lucrezia Noin-Peacecraft.

She gave them a twisted smile of extreme pain. "Relena, I'm sorry," Noin began. "But I think I'm having this baby." She paused, doubling over. "Right now."

****

TBC... Oh c'mon;) Don't tell me you didn't see *that* coming! Hehe...