Disclaimer: "Okay...raise your hand if you're mine! Aww...that's sweet, Duo, but put your hand down before you get me arrested. So, no one's mine? All right then...let's move on."

Author's Notes: Well, here it is. The final part. First of all, can I just say...thank you. To each and every person who read and reviewed. This is the first story of mine get the kind of response it did and once I got over the shock, I started to feel really good about myself and my writing. Yall gave me a total "approval high" that I've not gotten from anyone, not my writing professors or even my closest friends. Thank you, again, from the bottom of my heart.

It was such a fun experience to write this story; hopefully it was fun to read as well. Still, I've been told that I worked in some of my own opinions and feelings in a way that almost seemed like preaching. While I appreciate the person who pointed it out to me, I feel that I need to stand up for myself.

Yeah, I might have pushed my personal feelings (them being that Duo and Heero are friends and nothing else) a bit, but no more so than an author who writes a story in which Duo and Heero ritualistically slaughter Relena and then have sex to celebrate. I am of the opinion, as were the creators of the show, that Duo and Heero provide each other with true friendship. For Heero, it's a kind of relationship he's never had. For Duo, Heero is the first friend not to die on him.

I am good friends with a person who has reached the conclusion that the above stated means the two characters are sexually attracted to each other. That's fine for her to think that; I have no problems with yaoi....as you can probably see by the fact that I have never written a story in which Quatre and Trowa have not been together in the biblical sense. But I do *not* advocate a Duo/Heero sexual relationship in my own stories. And I never will. Because the Gundam Wing storyline does not support it.

So until the day I learn to speak better Japanese and discover that there's a been a mistranslation and Duo is really saying "I want to jump your ass" to Heero when he goes off to rescue Relena from Mariemaia in Endless Waltz instead of "Anything at all for the one you love", I will continue to make light-hearted fun of the fact that people assume because two attractive, albeit borderline-effeminate men are friends in an anime program, that they *must* be riding the hobby horse together.

Pant...pant...pant. Okay, I'm done. I hope my Miller-esque rant hasn't made you click your back browser button. If you're still here, enjoy the last part of the story!

Dedication: To you.

****

"I could get so used to this."

Trowa glanced down at the blond angel curled up against his bare chest. "Me too."

"But, it's not just the sex." Quatre sat up. His lips were swollen from hours of kissing. "I like having you here, in my bed." He smiled impishly. "You make a good pillow."

"Yes, but can a pillow do this?" Trowa reached under the covers, searching.

Quatre's eyes rolled back. "Only the very best...pillows", he breathed.

His lover kissed him again. "I have to wonder, though...", Trowa murmured into Quatre's ear. "Was this victorious sex or consolation sex? In other words..." He nipped at the other man's throat. "Did Heero finally get laid?"

"Who knows?" Quatre shrugged. "And frankly, who cares? I've been wanting you in my bed for so long. This bet just gave me an excuse to drag you here."

"No dragging would have been necessary", Trowa assured him. "In fact..." He reached for his favorite new toy again. "We have a lot of time to make up for."

****

"I think I'm dying."

"You are *not* dying."

Duo nodded and placed a hand on his sweaty chest. "Yes, I am. Congratulations, Hilde. You fucked me to death."

"I didn't hear you complaining a few minutes ago." Hilde flipped down the lighted mirror in the backseat of the limousine and checked her hair. It was hopelessly tangled. Her makeup was long gone, but her cheeks glowed pink with complete sexual satisfaction.

He shook his head. "Can't complain. Too...weak... Fucked...to death..." He grinned. "But what a way to go..."

Hilde flipped the mirror back up. "I bet you could do it again if you really tried."

"Oh, not fair!" Duo struggled to sit up. "You can't challenge me like that!"

She leaned against the inside of the limo door; her fingers gently caressed the slope of one breast. "You don't have to take every challenge that you're presented with, Duo."

"The hell I don't!" He somehow managed to get to his knees on the plush seat. "What are the terms of this bet?"

"No terms." She reached out with her foot, slowly walking her toes up his leg. "I just want to see if you can do it again."

He pounced on her. "You're on!" Hilde laughed as he bumped his groin into hers several times with quick, rapid thrusts. She drastically changed the teasing atmosphere when she captured his head in her hands and brought his lips down for a slow, lingering kiss. He could feel himself hardening again. "Babe...", he whispered. "What are you doing to me?"

Hilde smiled. "Loving you."

****

"What are you doing to me, woman?"

Sally looked up at Wufei. Her lips glistened in the candlelight. "Can't you just relax for a minute and enjoy this?"

"You have me at a disadvantage", he informed her. "I do not like that."

"Really?" She blew lightly on his hard flesh. "You had me fooled..."

"Besides..." Wufei caught her under the arms, gently hauling her up until they were face to face. "It doesn't work if only I'm getting something out of it."

She blinked several times. "Wufei..." He cut her off with a deep, searing kiss.

"You talk too much, woman."

Sally pushed him back onto the bed and sat on his stomach. "If you call me 'woman' one more time....I'll leave." She cupped her breasts in her hands. "And I'll take *these* with me!"

He crossed his arms. "You wouldn't."

"Why do you think that?"

"Because." He quickly sat up and flipped her over, pinning her underneath him. "You want this as much as I do."

Sally turned her nose up. "You would think that."

Wufei shook his head. "I *know* that. Woman."

"What did I tell you?"

He kissed her again. "I don't remember." His tongue fought its way into her mouth. She resisted, making it impossible for him to kiss her. "Stop fighting me..."

"Stop calling me 'woman'", she retorted.

"Stop ordering me around."

"Stop treating me like..." He caught her off-guard while she was speaking. His tongue slid into her mouth. "Oh...fuck", she gave in.

"That was the plan."

Sally laughed. She wrapped her arms around his neck and let him kiss her. He was Wufei, nothing would ever change that. He would always be stubborn, he would always be condescending, he would always call her 'woman'.

But he would always be there. And that was enough to make everything else insignificant.

****

"If I told you I was pregnant, what would you do?"

Millardo held his breath as he stared at the ceiling. "This isn't hypothetical, is it?"

Noin shifted onto her side next to him, propping her head up to see him better. "It might be."

"Might be? Meaning you don't know for sure?"

She nodded. "So...what would you do?"

He twisted around to face her. "I'd marry you tomorrow."

"Zechs..." Her eyes watered. "Don't be ridiculous..."

"Lu, you've been wearing that ring for three years. And every year we find a new excuse to extend the engagement and avoid the wedding." He lifted one shoulder. "Maybe I'm tired of avoiding. And if there was a baby in the picture..."

She flopped back against her pillow. "I want to say there is...but I just don't know yet." He pulled her towards him. Noin buried her face in his bare chest, breathing in the clean musk scent of the only man she had ever loved. "I could very easily marry you tomorrow", she confessed.

"Why don't you?"

Noin blinked. "Zechs...I might not be pregnant."

"I didn't ask you to marry me because I thought you were pregnant", he reminded her.

"We can't get married tomorrow, Zechs. There's too many things to do and not enough time to do them in", she protested. "Protocol to follow...people to invite...food to have catered...arrangements to be made."

He sighed. "I see."

"We'd need at least a week."

She was looking at him with the smile he could never resist. "A week", he repeated. "That would be..."

"Christmas Eve."

"Could you marry me on Christmas Eve?", he asked her.

"I could." Noin lifted her chin for a kiss. "And I will. Could you marry me on Christmas Eve?"

Millardo gently rolled her slender body under his, eager to bury himself once again inside the woman who possessed his soul. "I could marry you any day."

****

"Heero?"

"Hmm?"

"How do you say 'I love you' in Japanese?"

He continued to run his fingers through her tangled curls as he spoke. "We don't have a native phrase for that", he replied. "Japanese culture places emphasis on action over word. Words can be abused too easily. When Japan opened up to Western cultures in the 19th century, an actual phrase had to be made up. So we use the word for love and a conjugated form of the verb "to do" and..."

"Heero. How do you say 'I love you' in Japanese?"

"Ai shiteru." He kissed the top of her head. "Ai shiteru, Relena-ko. Anata ga daisuki."

"I love you, too", she murmured. "And ditto on whatever else you said." He chuckled. With a content sigh, she pressed a soft kiss into the crook of his neck. "I love this. I love being with you like this." Relena tightened the arm draped over his chest, hugging him fiercely. "I could stay right here forever."

He swallowed a lump in his throat. "Then stay. You never have to leave."

She laughed. "I'll do all my work right here. Your chest will be my writing desk and I'll do all my speeches with my head on your shoulder."

Heero kissed her forehead. "I'm serious, Relena. I want you to wake up right here forever."

His words were heavy, but spoken with such obvious sincerity. Relena pulled away, a natural reaction for someone so emotionally overloaded. "So, tell me. Is there anything you want for Christmas? I am having the hardest time shopping for you."

Heero glanced down. Her fingers were absentmindedly playing with his nipple, making it stiff. The insistent bit of pleasure reminded him of what had just taken place between them. He looked off to the side; next to the blankets lay the torn condom package. He closed his eyes. One day, there wouldn't need to be a protective sheath between them. She would be pregnant with children they had created together. They would be even happier.

"What do I want for Christmas?", he repeated her question.

"Please just give me a general idea." Relena sat up, her hair tumbled around her breasts.

Heero paused. "I want you to agree to marry me."

****

"Okay....you can look now."

Noin opened her eyes. Her reflection greeted her in the mirror, but it was like she was seeing a whole new person. Her hair, shoulder length though it was, had been swept up with soft curls framing her face. She broke into a wide smile. "Hilde, you're a genius."

The younger woman blushed. "It's not that big a deal. I had two older sisters. All we had in common was our hair." She looked at Relena. "Would you like me to do yours, too?"

Relena nodded happily. Hilde moved over to her chair and began combing out the Vice Foriegn Minister's long locks. "Lucy", Relena addressed her brother's bride. "Do you still need something borrowed?"

Noin nodded. "And something blue. But Sally's on her way with that."

"Here." Relena reached around the back of her neck, hard to do with Hilde brushing her hair out. She managed to unclasp the gold chain. "Heero gave this to me. You can borrow it for the ceremony."

"Thank you, Relena." Noin took the necklace with shaking hands. "God...am I supposed to be this nervous?"

Hilde twisted a section of Relena's hair. "I know I will be when I'm in your place."

*Me too*, Relena added silently. A small smile played on her lips.

"That's a very creepy little smile", Noin teased her. "Do you have something you'd like to share with the rest of us?" Her soon to be sister-in-law shrugged innocently. "Fine...fine", Noin continued. "I guess if you can't share your secret, I can't share mine."

Before Relena could protest, there was a knock on the door. "Something blue has arrived", Sally called out from the hallway. The door opened a second later and the Preventer physcian stepped inside. "Garter belt, anyone?" She held up one in pale blue.

"You're a lifesaver, Sally", Noin told her best friend.

"Don't mention it." The blond woman plopped down onto a plush loveseat with a tired sigh.

Feeling slightly out of place amungst the women she didn't know very well, one of them being her former commanding officer, Hilde finished braiding Relena's hair. "Are you all right, Dr. Po?"

"It's Sally, sweetie. And I'm fine. Just exhausted." Her blue eyes gleamed. "I was up all night. So was Wufei..."

Noin laughed. "Good for you. I thought I'd be awake too, especially when I saw Heero disappearing into Relena's room, but I guess the walls in the house are thicker than I thought."

Relena's face flushed bright red. "Are we that loud? We're not that loud..." She clapped a hand over her mouth. "I mean....I have no idea what you're talking about." Her brother's bride continued to laugh. Sally joined in and even Hilde was biting her lips furiously. Relena gave in. "I can't help it. He has more stamina than a man should be allowed to have."

Sally shook her head. "I know what you mean. Why do you think there are bags under my eyes?" She grinned. "And a happy look on my face?"

"So, if a former Gundam pilot makes an inexhaustable lover..." Hilde ran a comb through her own dark hair. "Quatre and Trowa must be slowly killing each other."

Noin stood up and disappeared into her closet. "That's the way I'd want to go."

"I second that", Sally piped up.

"I third it." Hilde smiled, relaxing a bit.

Relena rubbed her pink cheek. "I fourth it."

A moment later, Noin stepped out clad in the slinky, white silk gown she had picked out for her wedding day. She turned around. "Relena, could you zip me up?"

The younger girl did as she was asked. "I still can't believe you went with this dress instead of the other one."

"The other one was something you'd wear whenever you get married, Relena." Noin adjusted the gown's thin straps. "Lovely, feminine...poofy, but not me."

Relena coughed delicately. "I'll remember that. I'm poofy."

"You know what I mean...princess-cut, full skirt....girly." She smoothed down the silk over her hips. Turning sideways, she examined her flat belly critically. Sally raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.

Hilde caught a glimpse of her watch. "Oh no! Ten minutes to go. I had better get out there; I told Duo to save us some seats."

"Ten minutes." Noin swallowed heavily.

"I'll come with you", Sally offered. She turned to Noin. "You look beautiful and I'm so very happy for you."

"Thank you." Noin blinked back a tear. In a moment, she and Relena were alone. She cleared her throat. "Where did I leave my shoes?"

Relena picked up the white slingbacks. "Right here." She held Noin's hand as she stepped into the shoes. "What's left?"

"Just this." Noin propped her foot on the bed and tugged the garter belt up around her thigh. "There we go. The shoes are old, the dress is new. The necklace is borrowed and the garter is blue." She made a face. "How very cliched."

The younger girl laughed. "I think it's perfect."

"As perfect as anything gets, I suppose." She sighed and sat on the bed. "Did I mention that I'm nervous?"

"Everything is going to be fine. You love my brother. And he's always loved you." Relena crossed her arms over the bodice of her forest green ballgown. It was serving another purpose as a last-minute bridesmaid's dress. "That's rare."

Noin tilted her head to the side. "I don't know. Hasn't it always been that way with you and Heero?"

Relena fought the sappy grin forming on her face, but it broke through despite her efforts. She just couldn't keep it a secret any longer. "I suppose it has...we just never realized it." She looked down at her hands. "He asked me to marry him."

"And you said..."

"That I'd have to think about it."

Noin laughed. "I get a Christmas wedding and you get a wedding in.....?"

"Oh, I'd say July", Relena answered. "Seven months sounds about right for an engagement. No possibility of scandal."

"July is good." Noin stood up and reached for her bouquet. "I'll have had the baby by then."

Relena's mouth fell open.

****

"Whom God hath joined together, let no man put asunder."

Duo snickered in his seat as he watched the newly wed couple. "Babe", he whispered loudly. "When we get married, the priest is gonna have to speak in plain English."

Hilde gave him a look. "I like the traditional lines, buster. Besides..." With the rest of the small crowd, she stood up. "What if I want to say my vows in German?"

"What if I want to say mine in Pig Latin?"

"What if I smack you around some?"

Heero snorted. "He'd like that."

"Only if it's you doing the smacking, Yuy." Duo puckered up his lips. "Ow!"

"Nice right hook", Trowa complimented Heero.

The Perfect Soldier nodded. "I've had a lot of practice."

"Shh!", Quatre silenced them. "You missed the whole end of the ceremony! Kiss and everything."

Heero returned his attention to the makeshift altar at the end of the grand foyer in the Peacecraft mansion. Millardo and Noin were holding hands, preparing to walk back down the aisle. Relena followed them, holding onto Noin's bouquet. As she passed by her friends, she caught Heero's eye and winked. It was supposed to be a private sign of affection, but unfortunately Duo caught it out of the corner of his eye.

He turned to Trowa. "How much do you want to bet that those two will be walking down the aisle themselves pretty soon?"

Hilde clapped a hand to his mouth. "Haven't you had enough betting?"

"No more bets", Heero declared. "Look where it got you last time."

Duo reached for his braid, still pouting. "My poor hair...."

"At least Heero didn't have to wear women's underwear", Quatre reminded them all.

Wufei looked at his friends. "I've suddenly decided that I really like being absolutely clueless."

"I'm wishing that I was clueless, too." Sally looked a little green. The thought of Heero in women's underwear...it was unsettling.

Her bridesmaid's duties fulfilled for the most part, Relena joined them as the other guests began to filter out to the parlor for the reception. Heero immediately wound his arm around her. "What are we talking about?", she asked, happily.

"Heero", Quatre told her, tactfully.

"Underwear", Duo answered truthfully.

"Do you have anything to contribute to that?", Trowa inquired.

Before she could think, she replied, "Heero doesn't wear underwear." For the second time that day, she put her hand to her mouth. "To bed!", she quickly continued. "He doesn't wear any underwear to bed!" But the damage was already done. Biting her lip, she gracefully extracted herself from Heero. "I'll be....with Lucy and Millardo."

Duo watched as she made a hasty escape. "Now I remember why she's my favorite politician. She can't lie to save her life."

"Do you really not wear underwear?" Quatre's nose wrinkled.

Trowa crossed his arms. "I'm never borrowing a uniform from you again, Yuy."

Heero shook his head. "I'm not involved in this conversation."

"Do you at least wear it to weddings?" Duo made a face.

Hilde swatted her fiancee. "You're not one to tease, Mr. Bikini's Aren't Just For Women."

"Hey! Those were an experiment! The saleslady said they'd give great support!!"

"Why are we still talking about this?", Wufei asked. "There are other things we could be discussing."

"Like what?", Sally wanted to know.

Wufei gave them his tight-lipped smile. "Like when Barton and Maxwell are going to give me my money. I believe the total is one hundred and fifty dollars, if my calculations are correct."

"Why do they owe you money?", Heero inquired, cooly.

Duo discreetly drew his finger across his throat. "Ix-nay on the oney-may, ufei-Way", he said between clentched teeth.

"Actually, Duo owes me a little chunk of money, too", Trow added, deviously.

"And why does Duo owe *you* money?"

"Ix-nay! Ix-nay! Ease-play!!", Duo cried. Heero threw him a deadly look. He chuckled nervously. "Hey...shouldn't you go find Relena, Heero?" Trowa and Quatre nodded in agreement.

Heero broke away from the group with another look that indicated he would be demanding answers later. He found Relena in the west parlor, having her portrait taken with her family. He watched her smile for the camera, looking completely at ease with her brother and new sister. When she caught his eye as soon as the picture was taken, she excused herself and went to him.

"Are you mad at me?", she asked, worried.

He shook his head. "It would take a lot more than that, Relena."

Lifting her chin, she gave him a soft kiss. "What would it take?"

Heero's arms slid around her slender waist. When he pulled her against his body, she felt a now-familiar ache spread through her. "Something along the lines of you saying 'no' to what I want for Christmas."

She smiled and crooked a finger at him. "Follow me." Like a man who knew when to shut up and follow orders, he obeyed. Relena led him to the empty study and locked the door behind them. He scanned the rows of books.

"Why did you bring me..." Heero stopped when she reached behind her back and undid her zipper. The dress fell, baring her breasts.

"I didn't quite know how to wrap your gift", she told him. "So, I figured I'd just give it to you unwrapped." The dress fell the rest of the way. "My answer is yes. Merry Christmas, Heero."

He scratched his head, laughing to himself. "I'm very glad. Or else my present would have seemed rather out of place." Reaching into his jacket pocket, he pulled out a small, velvet box.

Relena let him slip the ring onto her finger. And a moment later, they began to celebrate. Just the two of them.

****

****

:::Peers out between her fingers::: Did you like it? Oh, I really hope you did. With all the extra time I had, I got to rewrite and edit, so hopefully it's a satisfying ending. Of course, knowing me I might come up with a sequel or something. Relena and Heero's wedding, maybe. Or Duo and Hilde's. I don't know....I have to read six Shakespeare plays and seven novels this semester. Writing might take a bit of a backseat. Anywho, I just wanted to take this opportunity to plug my website, The Preventer Files. There's a link in my author page. Not much up right now, but there are some great live action Gundam Wing pics (ie: my friends in costume and posed Gundam Wing action figures). Did you know that you can get Heero's hand behind his head and he looks like he's posing for GQ or scratching in extreme confusion? It's amusing. Okay, I'm done now, I promise. ARIGATOU GOZAIMASITA for reading my story. :::Bows:::