Zechs nodded at the waiter as he cleared their table. He then sat back on his chair and sighed contentedly. Who would have thought that just last Wednesday there was a war? But everything is back to normal now.

Damon's coup officially ended when the HAVOC self-destructed, taking the whole colony with it. With the AI program for the Mobile Dolls destroyed, the Virgos stopped functioning. And seeing the futility in continuing the battle, the remaining Taurus pilots willingly surrendered. Operation Domino is finally over.

After the battle, everybody decided to push through with the Peace Summit and Relena's party. Zechs looked around the decorated ballroom. He can't stop the smile that formed on his lips when he saw the Earth and Colony delegates drinking, talking and laughing together. It's hard to believe that just last Monday, they're after each other's throats.

The Peace Summit this morning was a success. Every official has restated their loyalty to the ESUN as a whole and not just to the place they represent. All misunderstandings were cleared up and everything about Operation Domino was explained. The future of the Gundams was then decided. The Preventers, the Congregation and the Gundam pilots (though present in the meeting as Preventer agents and Quatre as a Colony delegate, they didn't reveal themselves) came up with an agreement that instead of destroying the Gundams as part of the Total Disarmament Treaty, they would be considered as part of Preventer artillery. But they cannot deny the danger this will pose to the whole ESUN if ever the Gundams fall into the wrong hands. So they decided to keep the Gundams in separate state-of-the-art, fully secured, camouflaged storage facilities, each location only known to the pilot itself and the locks to each storage can only be opened by a specialized security key, much like the Tallgeese's, that will be kept by the head of the Preventers. This way, it'll be ascertained that a Gundam running amok is either caused by his own pilot, the Preventer head or both.

Zechs' musings were interrupted when Noin left Lady Une and went to their table, taking a seat beside him. The lights dimmed. Relena's debut is about to begin.

Lady Une, being the Master of Ceremonies, stood in the podium. "Ladies and Gentlemen, I'm pleased to present to you the debutant, Miss Relena Darlian Peacecraft."

All eyes focused on the two figures bathed in the spotlight, standing at the top of the grandstaircase. Relena has changed from her earlier short, lavender cocktail dress with spaghetti straps to a gold, sleeveless gown with a fitted bodice and a flowing skirt that reached to the ground. The front part of the bodice is embroidered, while the area above her breasts and below her neck is made of a net-like, see-through material while the back part is made of the same see-through material extending to the hollow of her spine. With that gown and her golden hair gloriously rippling over her shoulders, she looked like an angel or a wood nymph, having the fresh young beauty of a spring morning. Heero stood at her right looking spectacularly handsome in his black tuxedo, which he traded for his earlier white one. He never did manage to tame those unruly locks of his, but instead of diminishing his attractiveness, it added more so. The wild, brown hair and the intense Prussian blue eyes, coupled with the air of mystery and danger surrounding him and the indefinable aura that could only be described as a cross between being a man and a boy make a very potent combination in him. The whole assembly stared at awe at the two. They make a very startling pair --- the dark, somber lad with the golden-haired lady.

They descended the steps, Relena's right hand tucked in Heero's left arm. Heero led Relena to the center of the ballroom and with them in position, the lights went on.

Lady Une spoke once more. "Let us all welcome, the debutant and her escort, together with the cotillion de honor."

Zechs and Noin watched with fascination as Duo, Hilde, Trowa, Catherine, Wufei, Sally, Quatre and Dorothy entered the dance floor. The boys were all wearing blue Barongs while the girls were wearing matching blue, Sabrina-styled gowns that flowed just above their ankles. When the five pairs were in their proper formation, the song played and they started the traditional dance of the cotillion.

After a few minutes, Zechs whispered to Noin, "They're pretty good huh?"

"Yeah. And they just practiced for two days."

"Nobody will ever guessed that." He then looked at her seriously. "Are you sure you're not mad at me for not joining the cotillion? I know that you really love to dance," Zechs asked.

Noin smiled. "And you don't. So that's ok. Besides, we both have our own parts to fulfill in this celebration so that balances it out."

Zechs nodded and continued watching the cotillion. They are all good, but his eyes always revert back to the couple at the center. He must admit that Heero and Relena really looked great together. They even dance good together, as if each one was made specifically for the other. Heero is his usual stoic self, but it's obvious to Zechs he's enjoying himself. He could see the corners of Heero's mouth soften whenever he looks at Relena. Just don't lead her on then drop her, Yuy. Or else, with or without the Zero system I'll kill you this time.

"Getting jealous, big brother?" Noin teased.

"No. Not jealous. Nervous. You know that I have to deliver a speech as part of the ceremony, being Relena's big brother and all."

Noin chuckled. "You, who never got nervous in piloting a deadly machine and fight, are nervous of delivering one little speech?"

Zechs mock-glared at her. "You know that's not it. Not entirely, I mean. I'm going to insert my little announcement in my speech, sort of my other birthday present for her. I sure hope she likes it."

"Of course she'll like it. She'll like both the announcement and the set of Martian diamond ring and earrings we ordered for her."

Zechs smiled at her then suddenly stiffened as everybody applauded. The cotillion is over. He saw the four couples leave the room to change their clothes. Heero then led Relena to her designated chair and stood beside her.

Noin patted his shoulders. "Don't worry. There's a lot of ceremonial stuff to be done first before your speech. Like the video tribute to Relena, the 18 roses, the 18 candles, my speechÖ"

"Then my speech."

"Then your speech," Noin amended.

"Oh boy."

Zechs, Noin, Lady Une, Duo, Hilde, Sally, Wufei, Trowa, Catherine, Dorothy and Quatre are in the drawing room, sipping their coffee. All of them just woke up, having partied the whole night up until the early hours of the morning. They're presently waiting for the kitchen staff to finish preparing lunch.

Duo yawned. "I'm still sleepy. Let's get back to bed, babe," he said, standing up. He's on his way out of the door when he suddenly yelled. "OUCH! HILDE!"

Hilde let go of his braid and looked at him sternly. "Nobody's going back to bed, Duo. This is the last day that we're all together. Another year will pass before we get this chance again so we're going to enjoy every moment of it."

Duo muttered something under his breath and reluctantly went back to his seat. "Can't you just excuse me this one time? My head is still pounding."

"That's your fault, baka. If you haven't ingested every alcoholic beverage you laid eyes on last night, you wouldn't have a hangover," Wufei told him.

"It's a party, Wufei. You're supposed to get drunk and celebrate," Duo retorted.

"I agree that it was a celebration. Aside from it being Relena's birthday, it's also a victory bash for having maintained peace once again. But I think stuffing yourself with alcohol is a way overboard," Dorothy commented.

"Hey! I'm not the only one drunk last night! Catherine, Hilde and Sally were too. And all of you are a little buzzed up."

"Don't remind me," Catherine moaned. "I'm very thankful that the broadcast only covered up to the part of Relena's speech so nobody saw my crazy antics last night."

Noin, Zechs and Lady Une exchanged looks. "Actually, the whole party was broadcasted including the ball and the aftermath of it, not just up to Relena's speech," Lady Une informed them.

"And the broadcast only stopped when we all went to sleep," Zechs added.

"You meanÖ" Sally stuttered as she turned bright red. Wufei turned red too.

"Yes. The whole ESUN saw what you and Wufei did when you had your 12th glass of champagne," Noin chuckled.

"Speaking of speeches, you really caught us off guard there, Zechs," Quatre said.

"Well, Noin already suggested before that we stay. And with the whole diplomatic thing that Yuy made us do, I finally decided to stop running away from my birthright."

Hilde turned to Catherine. "Did you notice that there were only 17 candles last night?"

"Yeah," Catherine answered. "I think the missing slot is for Athena."

"Why? Is Relena expecting that Athena will survive her self-detonation again and come to her party?" Duo asked.

"Even someone as strong as her wouldn't survive that explosion. The whole colony was blown to bits," Trowa added.

"I think Relena already knew that. It's some kind of a tribute to Athena. Relena wanted to tell everyone that Athena will never be replaced," Noin explained.

"Speaking of Athena, it's a blessing that she switched to our side. If she didn't, Damon could have won," Dorothy said.

"I know. If she hadn't remembered her past and interfered, it's only a matter of time before the Mobile Dolls defeat us," Quatre told them.

"Those Mobile Dolls don't get tired but we do. And we're losing ammo," Wufei amended.

"But how did she remember?" Lady Une asked.

"I'm pretty curious too. All that I can remember is seeing Wing Zero and HAVOC fighting, then suddenly the HAVOC self-detonated," Zechs said.

"The Zero system," Trowa informed them.

"Huh? I thought that she was trained to be so strong that she wouldn't need the aid of the Zero system to win," Sally said.

"She was. But she never faced Heero before and Heero made sure that she'll eventually use the Zero system," said Quatre.

"So, Heero planned everything?" Catherine asked.

"Heero has always been thorough. He wouldn't go to a fight without a plan. More than anyone, he knows the capabilities of the Zero system. He remembered the time when I regained my memory using Wing Zero. And the HAVOC has the Zero system installed in it. So he only has to make Athena use it," Trowa explained.

"Come to think of it, it's the only logical plan. The only way to force Athena to use the Zero system is if she's losing. So Heero had to reduce the HAVOC"s planetary defensors' power and tire her out in order to defeat her, knowing for a fact that she'll use the Zero system as a last resort. And relying on what Professor Arbus told us about Athena, we could count on her help in defeating Damon," Quatre added.

"Hey, I just realized something," Duo said. Trowa, Wufei and Quatre looked at each other. Whenever Duo started saying that he realized something, that something always turned out to be not worthy of one's realization.

"What is it now, Maxwell? And don't tell us that you realized that Catherine is Trowa's sister again," Wufei snorted.

Duo looked at him. "Duh. Everyone knows that. What I realized is that Heero didn't save the world this time. Athena did."

"Yeah. Heero is not the hero during the last battle," Hilde quipped. Everybody groaned except for Duo. He smiled encourangingly at her.

"Technically speaking you're right," Lady Une said. "Though as I gather it, he intended it that way."

"And he might not have saved the whole world, but he managed to save his world," Noin said mysteriously. Everybody understood her words. He did manage to save her.

"Speaking of Yuy, do you know where he is?" Zechs asked.

"Oh Zechs, do you still have to ask?" Dorothy said. "He's wherever Relena is."

Relena is sitting on a bench, quietly marveling at the beauty of nature surrounding her. Finally we are at peace, she told herself. This is what the world should be, serene, beautiful and safe. But as always, sacrifices have to be made to keep the world safe. Some sacrificed their youths, others their entire lives. But she knew many who sacrificed both their lives and souls for peace. She muttered a prayer to Athena, "I hope that you're happy wherever you are, my friend." Athena has been an important part of her life, one of the people she considered a constant, which is why it hurts too much to think of the fact that she's gone for good. But she's sure that Athena wouldn't want her to be sad on her behalf. With her death, Athena has secured peace for them and Relena is certain that Athena would never regret making that decision.

She then smiled as her thoughts wandered to the events yesterday. The Peace Summit went well. And her debut was a blast. She cringed inwardly at the word 'debut'. It was suggested to her by her grandfather (Marquis Weridge) and the other aristocrats when they learned that she's turning 18. At first she didn't like the idea of a debut. It is a leftover tradition dating far back to the old calendar where the debutant is presented to the society, informing them that the lady is now eligible for marriage. She doesn't want to be 'presented' to the society. She's not even planning to get married soon. Aside from that, she's fairly certain that her party will be full of 'eligible men' who'll be fawning her all over. Also, it'll be full of pageantry and ceremony. But her grandfather insisted so she humored him. In the end, she's glad that she agreed. It was fun. She had a great time practicing the cotillion with the gang. She cried when she saw the video tribute to her, recounting the story of her life since she was a baby (thanks to Milliardo). She had fun dancing with the men comprising her 18 roses, Zechs being her first dance and Heero the last. She enjoyed listening to her girlfriends comprising her 18 candles wish her the best of everything. She was touched with Noin's speech, barely able to control her tears. But she couldn't help crying when she heard Milliardo's speech. His announcement that he and Noin are going to stay so that they could help her with her duties struck a chord in her heart. He's reclaiming his title back, he'll be the Chief Representative of the Sanc Kingdom now. Aside from that, he'll be the deputy Vice Foreign Minister, lessening her workload even more. She smiled fondly at the thought of her brother. "Oh Milliardo, you're the best brother a girl could ever have."

A gentle breeze caressed her cheek, making her hair billow in the air. She reached up to tuck a stray hair strand behind her ear, her fingers accidentally grazed the earrings she's wearing. Heero gave them back to her a day after the war, telling her that he removed the tracking device on them making them just ordinary earrings now. She smiled. Heero. Aside from Milliardo, Heero also went out of his way to make her happy. She knew how much he hated gatherings and social events but he willingly submitted himself to all that pageantry just for her. He fulfilled his escorting duties perfectly. She was worried though, so she kept glancing at him, her eyes silently asking him if he's fine. But Heero assured her that he's enjoying himself. Though he remained stoic throughout the whole night, his eyes reflected laughter in them, and he managed to express that laughter into a smile once or twice for her benefit. He certainly looks cuter when he smiles, Relena mused. I hope that he smiles more often. After the ceremony, the ball started. All of them had a great time dancing. And almost everyone was drunk, making them lose their inhibitions and be a little wilder then usual. Even Heero seemed to relax a bit. They danced, drank, laughed, danced and drank some more, taking pictures and daring each other. It was really a fun and memorable night.

Her thoughts were cut off when a shadow fell over her. She turned her head and saw Heero standing at the other end of the bench, both of his hands behind him.

"Heero," she said, smiling at him.

"How long have you been here?" Heero asked, still standing.

"Hmm. Maybe 10 minutes. Why?"

"I've been looking for you."

Relena furrowed her eyebrows. "Why?" she asked again.

"I haven't given your present yet," he answered as he revealed a gift bag from behind him and handed it to her.

Relena accepted the bag and gestured for him to sit down next to her. She waited until he's seated before opening the bag. She saw a yellow bear inside, along with a black, flat, square box. She opened the box and saw a necklace with a shooting star pendant, the match of her earrings.

"Don't worry I didn't bug it. I always keep my promises," Heero assured her.

Relena looked at him and smiled. "Thank you. It's very pretty."

"Want me to put it on?"

"Yes. Please." Heero took the necklace while Relena turned around to let him put it on her.

"Done."

Relena faced him again. "Are you planning to give me the whole collection?" she teased.

"Maybe," Heero answered flatly. But Relena can see mischief in his eyes.

"Are the others up yet?" she inquired.

"Hn. The girls apparently planned on enjoying the last day we are all together in any means possible. Even if that means missing more hours of sleep and dragging Duo and the other guys away from bed."

Relena looked away as if slapped by his words. She knew that there's an end to this fairy tale. And that end will start tomorrow, when her friends leave, making their lives go back to the way they were. But it still saddens her. Maybe because now that he had returned to me, I don't want to let him go.

"What time are you guys leaving tomorrow?" she asked, still not looking at him.

"Quatre's shuttle will be here at 8 am. They're going to L2 first to drop off Duo and Hilde then to L3 for Catherine and Trowa before proceeding home to L4."

Relena suddenly faced him, the next question evident in her face. Heero gave her a small smile. "I'm not leaving."

Relena's heart skipped a beat. "You'll stay?" she asked breathlessly, almost disbelievingly.

"Yes."

Relena opened her mouth, then closed it again. She's happy that he'll stay, but there's one more thing she has to know. Don't celebrate yet, she instructed herself. You're just delaying the inevitable. Finally, she got the courage to ask the question. "For how long?" she whispered, afraid of his answer.

Heero held her gaze, looking intently in her eyes. "As long as you want me to."

Relena was at loss for words. She felt giddy, lightheaded and breathless all at the same time. So this is what Duo meant when he said that I haven't gotten the best present yet. She then saw Heero leaning towards her. She closed her eyes, waiting for the moment when his lips claim hers whenÖ

"Heero and Relena sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-GÖ"

Relena suddenly opened her eyes, her face turning bright red. Without breaking eye contact, Heero whipped his gun towards the direction of the voice.

"...First comes love, then comes marriage. Then comes a baby in a baby---" A shot was heard and a bullet missed Duo's head just by a quarter of inch. "---carriage," Duo finished. "HEY! WHAT DID YOU DO THAT FOR!" he yelled. He's standing 5 ft behind them, his violet eyes as wide as saucers.

"What do you want?" Heero asked evenly, still staring at Relena's eyes.

"Geez, you don't have to be so rude. Don't you know I'm doing you a favor? I came here to tell you both that lunch is ready."

"Thanks, Duo. We'll be there in a minute," Relena told him, still holding Heero's gaze.

Duo looked at his two friends in amusement. Either they're trapped in their 'name-calling' thing or in their 'staring at each other's eyes' thing. "Ok. Just hurry up with the smooching will ya? They wouldn't serve lunch without you two and I'm starving." He turned and started walking away when another bullet whizzed pass his head again.

"Sssh, a little trigger-happy today are you, buddy? Damn teenage hormones," Duo muttered but wouldn't dare say out loud. Heero might not intentionally miss this time. He hurried away.

Both Heero and Relena stood up. "We better get inside. I'm starving too," Relena said. Heero offered a hand and Relena took it, smiling. Hand-in-hand they started walking towards the Palace, towards the future.

Finally, Im done. Kinda sappy isnt it? Cant help it, Im a hopeless Heero x Relena fan. Though I think that happy endings only happen in fairy tales, I believe that that those two and the other pilots deserve their own happy endings. I wrote a sort-of epilogue to Endless HAVOC entitled "The way you love me". I separated it coz it's a lemon. But it can also double as a stand alone piece. To all of you who patiently waited for the end of this fic, thank you. I hope you enjoyed reading it. Please send in your reviews, I'm desperate to hear what you guys think. Til next time.