The grand New Years Eve gala of Elenora Darlian was well underway, and the house was crowded with guests. Waiters with trays filled with champagne flutes flitted about the floor offering drinks to cool the parched throats of the guests who gathered about in groups to discuss everything from politics to well, it was mostly politics and fashion. Elenora was playing the proper hostess, greeting her guests with glad cries and a kiss on their cheeks.

<Oh, now where can that daughter of mine be? The party has been going on for an hour and she still has not yet shown up,> thought Elenora in puzzlement. Her daughter was too polite and well bred to deliberately not show up to a partyElenora would know, for Elenora herself had had the raising of her and had made sure that Relena's manners were impeccable. <I will have to send a servant up to fetch her,> she decided. But upon looking around, all the servants were busy. One of the guards would have to do.

"Excuse me young man," she called to one of the guardsmen, distinguishable by his uniform and the long braid that hung down his back like a rope. "Would you go upstairs and see what is keeping my daughter? Her rooms will be the second hall way on your left, third door on your right. Be sure you knock first."

"Anything you say ma'am," said the guard, smiling agreeably. He was saved from having to make the trip up the stairs by Relena's appearance at the top of the stairwell.

<Oh my! How my baby's grown up!> thought Elenora, her eyes welling up with tears at the sight of her little girl standing at the top of the stairs like the regal grown woman she had become. Elenora would forever remember the day that her late husband Richard had brought her home, such a tiny little girl, no more than three. <Now here she is, almost twenty years later and she's grown up so stately, oh! I'm just so proud!>

Not many mothers could claim the distinction of having raised a woman capable of building and maintaining the peace of the world at such a young age. Though the efforts had all been Relena's, Elenora did not think she would mind her mother sharing in some of her successes.

Relena stood at the top of the stairway, perfectly aware that all eyes below were on her and really wishing herself at the bottom of the ocean right about then.

<Why oh why did I have to go and fall asleep right before the party?!> she thought, surveying the room before her in trepidation. Maybe her mother was correct about her not getting enough sleep. <Oh, dearmother really outdid herself this year!> Relena thought as she spotted knots of young courtiers and socialites who were almost all male and about her age.

<She must be simply terrified of the though of me being single by the age of twenty-five, it must positively keep her up at nights!>

There was one major thing she had a problem with about New Years. That thing was the ancient an time-honored tradition of the midnight kiss. When the countdown ends and the clock strikes midnight, everyone yells "happy New Years!" and grabs the nearest person of the opposite gender (or in some cases the same gender) for a nice long kiss in celebration. Relena had so far managed to avoid the unwanted kiss by slipping out at the last moment, but from the way some of the young men were taking her in and sizing up her "attributes" she was not going to worm her way out of it this year.

<I hope my dress is not too revealing,> she thought. Relena was, by nature, a conservative person. However, her mother had picked out the dress she was going to be wearing for the party this year and if nothing else, Elenora Madison (formerly Darlian) had an impeccable fashion sense.

She had to admit, the dress was incredibly beautiful. A scintillating silvery-white that sparkled like moonlight on the water when she moved, the dress was clingy and conformed to her upper proportions almost like a second skin. Relena felt that it exposed far too much of her flesh as it had only two tiny straps of "diamond" chain where the sleeves were supposed to be and it was completely backless. It did absolutely nothing to hide her feminity, even going so far as to reveal her cleavage! Relena generally took great care to mask her features and the business suits she wore did a fine job of it, but tonight she felt as if she were not wearing anything at all. The bottom of the dress was long and flowed to the floor, exuding curvy feminity from every stitch.

<my maidenly modesty is beyond shocked! And I really don't like how some of those village louts down there are beginning to eye me! Oooh, mother...>

Repressing a sigh, Relena made her way gracefully down the stairs and sought out her mother to apologize for being late. Her mother was waiting with a young man already at her side, expecting to be introduced to Elenora's very attractive, very available daughter.

<Oh-ho, let the picket line begin!> she thought in resignation as she was introduced to the young Count Derinis of Melcanfin, who promptly asked her to dance. Relena saw no polite way to incline, and "I'm waiting for my brother" would not stand up under careful scrutiny. So she smiled politely and allowed herself to be swept out onto the floor and waltzed to the soothing string quartet. Young Derinis was her age and was due to inherit his father's lands. When Relena politely asked if he had any intentions of improving on them, he looked at her in a puzzled manner and asked her "whatever for?" Then went on to chatter about his family's new yacht and how fast it went and who had designed it and why that was important and on and onUntil she was claimed by the next dancer.

<It's going to be a long night if my dear brother doesn't get here soon. I could be stuck out on this floor until dawn listening to these boys jabber about fashion, or money, or their pet bloodhounds, or whatever> But Relena was too well bred to do anything so rude and unseamly as show her resignation or boredom. She was really too polite to do anything but smile politely, like she should and dance with the next one.

"Do you mind if I cut in?"

<Ah! There he is at last! I thought I'd never get a break from them!>

Her elder brother smiled down at her as he took her former dancing partners place in her arms and whirled her expertly about the floor.

"It's about time you got here," she muttered at him. "I was seriously considering upending mother's heirloom crystal punchbowl over their heads. Or possibly finding a stick with which to beat them off of me!"

Milliardo chuckled and said

"Sorry I'm late, Lucretzia was delayed in her last meeting and had to rush home to get dressed. You know how women are about getting their hair perfect."

"Yes I do, as a matter of fact. I happen to be one, you know," she replied dourly.

"Yes I see that, and you are looking particularly lovely this evening...if a tad, underdressed."

"Hey, don't blame me. My mother picked the dress out. The woman is determined to see me happily settled down before I'm old enough to drink!"

"What? You're only twenty years old! There's plenty of time for my little sister to worry about that laterpreferably never."

Relena smiled and shook her head. Her dear Elder Brother would not mind at all if she became the notorious "spinster aunt." She could understand his reluctance to see her married off, that meant that she no longer needed him or his protection.

<Poor Elder Brother,> she thought. <He really does not seem to understand that no matter how old I get, I'm still going to need him. Sometimes for no apparent reason at all. You never stop loving or needing family. It's just one of those things.>

After the waltz ended, Milliardo led her off the floor and over to where his wife Lucretzia waited by the bread course. She was dressed elegantly in a black velvet evening gown with a high-collared neckline and bared shoulders. Black elbow-length glove completed the ensemble and she was a wonderful complement to her date's dark and sombre tailored tuxedo.

"Hello Zia," said Relena, aking a glass of water from a waiter drifting nearby. "I'm very glad the both of you could make it. I haven't seen either of you in quite a few days."

"Of course you haven't, you just got back from that week-long summit conference in the Alps," said Lucretzia reasonably. "We all know how long and grueling those five days can be."

"Yeah," agreed Milliardo. "Sucks to be you."

This quickly earned him a poke in the ribs by his beloved.

"In that case dear brother, I shall be sure to mention your name when the roster for the week-long Annual World Environmental Review comes up," she said sweetly. "Just think, an entire week filled with Water management reports and natural resource allocation disputes and waste recycling discussions oh it will be so much fun!" said Relena with mocking joyousness.

"You've been taking sarcasm lessons from Dorothy, haven't you?" said her brother dryly, unable to come up with a better come back than that.

"Oh but you'd be perfect for the job Zechs," said Noin, grinning. "If worst comes to worst you could always offer to take care of the problem for them permanently."

"Beset on all sides," he said. "I think I shall make a graceful retreat."

"Oh look," noted Relena absently her face souring along with her disposition as she spotted another face she recognized making it's way towards her. "It's the Earl of Larkab and his son, Datharian the second. Just the two gents I didn't want to see."

"Why?" asked Lucretzia. "What's wrong with them?"

"Well, Datharial senior would simply love to have me as part of his family and his son is a power-grabbing bore. I don't wish to say anything bad about anyone, but those two are certainly very annoying, and relentless. Uh-oh, here they come."

Indeed, a young tall young man with dark-blonde hair and hazel-green eyes followed by an older gentleman with white hair, a handlebar mustache and a fine tailored suit made there way over to where Relena stood. Relena felt the comforting and reassuring prescence of her brother behind her as the two men reached her.

"Ah, miss Relena," said the younger Datharial practically oozing smoothness and charm from out of his ears. "You look simply stunning this evening. I would be delighted if you would honor me with a dance."

Relena looked at her brother as if to say "your cue." Her elder brother duly frowned at the gent. And a frown from a man like Zechs Merquise was truly something that would make all but the bravest of men take a step backwards. The young courtier certainly did. Relena seized her opportunity and said

"I would love to dance with you, trulyBut I already have a dancing partner and I don't think he's interested in sharing right now."

With an acknowledging bow, the young man turned away and went off to find more promising game. Relena allowed herself a small sigh of relief. Unfortunately, at that moment Relena's mother made her way across the dance floor with another young suitor in tow.

"Ah! There you are daughter dear," Elenora sang out cheerfully. "I would like you to meet-" She broke off. "Well who is this? I don't recall inviting you." She said forthrightly, scrutinizing Zechs over her glass of champagne.

"Mother, this is my brother Milliardo. You recall me saying that I'd invited him don't you?"

Relena had indeed mentioned that she would be inviting a guest or two, but she had not said who. Having her elder brother along scaring away the suitors that Elenora had picked out for Relena might put a bit of crimp in her plans. Oh well, it was something that could be easily dealt with.

"Well hello, young Milliardo," said Elenora pleasantly. "I've never had the pleasure of being introduced. And who is this young lady with you?"

"This is my wife, Lucretzia," he answered looking proud and princely. Relena had discovered that Milliardo could do that at will and did not hesitate to do so when he wanted to make a favorable impression on people. He certainly did with her mother, Relena could tell. She no longer looked at Milliardo as if he were something to be scraped off the bottom of her shoe and more like a precious commodity to be cultivated.

"Wonderful of you to come and share in the festivities, I have someone I would like you to meet" And she deftly led him and Lucretzia away from Relena and over to where a knot of Elder Gentlemen and Ladies were discussing some form of politics bound to interest the both of them for hours. This would free up Relena to dance with the young men she had invited.

Indeed, the young man that had accompanied Elenora introduced himself and asked Relena to dance. Relena hid her resignation behind a mask of impassivity and accepted.

<Damn, well that didn't last for very long,> she thought of her brief reprieve. <My mother can be very quick and very shrewd when she wants to. It looks like I'll have to resort to plan B, sneak off before midnight when no one's looking.>

When her dance with the first youth had ended they applauded the players along with everyone else and just as Relena was about to make good her escape another hopeful suitor showed up and asked for a dance. Past experience had taught her that she would be claimed by yet more and more, and her own sense of politeness and duty would not let her turn them away. She was trapped.

<Darn it all!> she thought as she was deftly twirled around the dance floor in the arms of another suitor. <Well there goes my evening, I'll be stuck out in this dance floor for the rest of the night.>

If she was really careful...she could sneak out onto the balcony right before the ball dropped. Everyone else would be concentrating on the screen, that had been the way she'd done it in past years.

<And meanwhile, they are all starting to gather like buzzards circling a freshly dead cow,> she reflected.

Relena eyed the knots of young men that had gathered themselves at the edge of the floor. They were all subtly trying to place themselves in the optimum position to snatch up the next dance with Relena like a hawk stooping for its next meal. They eyed whoever it was that danced with Relena currently with a look that was decidedly avaricious. They wanted to be the one in that position, she could tell.

<This would all be very flattering to my ego if it weren't all so troublesome.>

****

"Man Heero! Would'ja lookit that?" said Duo glancing over at the dance floor as Relena was quickly asked to dance by the next suitor. " That must be the tenth suitor in the last hour! It reminds me of one of those nature shows where they throw a bloody carcass into a shark tank and all the sharks start circling it before suddenly going into a feeding frenzy. Poor Relena's the bloody carcass."

Heero looked over at his de facto partner in the little covert operation with a look of mild annoyance. He had been well aware of the situation involving all of the guys trying to dance with her. Relena of course would never be so ill mannered as to refuse without a very good and very obvious reason nearby to hand, and her reason had left her earlier to go and talk with a knot of older politicians.

"I see that Duo," he said tonelessly. "What she does here at the party is her own affair, and not our concern. Our mission is simply to guard against any attempts on her life."

"I'd probably be easier to guard her if one of us were closer to her," he suggested looking at Heero meaningfully. "Besides, I've seen how you've been glaring at every single one of those guys when they've asked her to dance. If you ask me, I think you're jealous." Said Duo, grinning like a maniac.

"I didn't ask you," said Heero expressionlessly. "And I don't recall authorizing a change in conversation to include my feelings on the matter."

"Ah-ha! So you admit it, you do have feelings for her," said Duo triumphantly.

Unable to find a way to reply to the situation that would not either dig him in deeper or force him the lie against his nature, Heero settled for merely glaring at the braided one and turning back to his work.

Duo continued grinning as he pursued the matter.

"And I don't suppose the fact that Relena is now dancing with some new guy that appears to be trying to make things up close and personal with her wouldn't bother you at all?"

Heero's head jerked up from what he'd been doing so fast that Duo knew he had his answer.

"Relena's a big girl, she can take care of herself," said Heero flatly. But it seemed to Duo that there was definitely an undercurrent of something else in his voice...Perhaps an almost homicidal protectiveness?

Duo hated it when Heero was proven right (as he so often was) but was forced to laugh when a pain-filled yelp emerged from the dance floor followed swiftly by Relena crying in a patently solicitous voice "Oh you poor dear! Did I accidentally kick you in the shin? Oh, why I'm so very clumsy tonight! Here you simply must go and put some ice and that...now." Her voice, while sounding concerned and apologetic through most of her spleel, turned to ice at the last word. Duo restrained another chuckle at the look she shot him for his shenanigans.

When Duo looked over at Heero, he was watching the person Relena had sent away with eyes narrowed in...anger? Heero never bothered getting angry, there was nothing that he cared enough to get angry about. Unless Duo was right and Heero's interest in Relena Peacecraft-Darlian was something more than merely professional.

<Well, well, wellso he does care for her. I knew he had to. Now to see about getting the two of them alone togetherand then we'll se what happens. Feh! Listen to me, I sound like a yenta...I'll have worried fathers coming to me yet!>

****

"Well, here it iseleven fifty," said her current dancing partner. Relena was already well aware of the time. The players had just finished off their set and her mother was calling for everyone's attention. When Relena glanced around her she noticed that all of the available young men had crowded near her, hoping to put themselves in the right place at the moment when the ball hit bottom. It was like one huge testosterone contest with her kiss as the prize.

"Your attention please everyone," said Elenora pinging the side of her champagne flute with a spoon. Everyone's attention dully turned to their gracious hostess.

<Now's my chance!> thought Relena with relief as she began to subtly move around the floor, constantly keeping a knot of people between herself and those who watched her, the rest were distracted by the speech from her mother. She faded away and slipped out onto the balcony with practiced ease.

Once outside in the freezing cold, she breathed a little easier. She was shivering, but at least she didn't have to put up with anymore boring conversation or the occasional too-familiar embrace.

<I wish I would have thought to grab a jacket or something,> thought Relena. She knew that wasn't possible and wouldn't be possible now either. Her re-emergence into the room would have drawn attention and she knew there would be no second escape.

<I'm a big tough girl, I can stay out here for a few minutes, it won't kill me. Why it's a whole twenty degrees out today! That's surely warm enough. Blast this stupid dress, I feel like I just walked out here naked!> Relena didn't know what it was about satin, but somehow it managed to make itself even colder than the air that surrounded it! It defied at least two of the laws of thermodynamics that she could think of, and it was unfair to boot.

<Great, another five minutes and the kissing frenzy will be over with and I can go inside, send off the guests and go to bed! Fuck it's fucking cold out here!>

Relena shivered and ran her hand up and down her arms trying to warm her bare flesh. It didn't work very well for her hands were already cold and stiff.

The sound of the french door leading out onto the balcony alerted her in time h for her to avoid being caught out there by one of her suitors. Relena flattened herself against the wall just in time to hide herself.

"Miss Darlian?" called the unwanted voice of one of her...whatever the hell they were trying to be to her. "Miss Darlian are you out here?"

Nothing. Silence. Not even the sound of her breathing.

The lad went away and left her in peace. Relena sighed with relief and continued waiting, shivering in the cold for it to all be over with.

Inside she could hear her mother tell everyone hat there was one more minute left until midnight. Relena was suddenly surprised by the feel of a warm jacket being put onto her shoulders. She whirled around and away, expecting to see one of the young men from the party. What she found was certainly not what she'd been expecting.

"Heero," she gasped with some surprise. He was wearing the uniform of one of the guards hired for the evening. "I see that I do not have ask what you are doing here, buthow did you find me?"

"I saw you leave," he said simply. She frowned to herself, she could have sworn she'd snuck out unnoticed. But then again, this was Heero she was dealing with, nothing went unnoticed around him. "You have been standing out here and you are not dressed appropriately for cold weather, you should go back in."

"Not until the coast is clear," she said firmly.

Heero raised an eyebrow in inquiry.

"They want to kiss me," she explained bluntly.

"Ten...Nine..." the voices cried from the inside.

"The countdown has begun, it'll be okay in a few minutes," said Relena.

Heero nodded, deciding that she was probably going to be stubborn about it and the only way he was getting her inside the house before she was ready was if he dragged her kicking and screaming. He was not prepared to make a scene by doing so. So instead he simply slipped her jacket around her shoulders.

"Thank you," she said, knowing better that protest that he might need it himself. He didn't or he would not have offered.

"Eight...Seven...Six...Five..."

Relena turned to face him, purpose in her gaze.

"Four..."

"You know," she said, stepping closer to him.

"Three..."

"I've always wanted to do this," she continued.

"Two..."

"And I don't know when I'll ever get the courage or the opportunity to try again."

"One!"

Relena quietly put her arms around his neck and stood on her tip toes to plant a firm kiss upon his lips. She was expecting to get no reaction from him, or for him to push her away. She did not expect his arms to wrap around her waist and crush her to him. Heero, to her complete surprise, gave as good as he got and the kiss was deepened. Her heart was hammering in her chest as her head went swimming, Relena didn't feel cold any longer as a wave of warmth washed over her. Her eyes were closed as she tried to savor every nuance of the kiss, sweet and passionate. It was over all to soon, and when she opened her eyes

He was gone.

"Happy New Years...beloved," she whispered into the still night air.

The End

Disclaimer: I don't on Gundam Wing. There, I've said it. Now the circling vulchures, I mean Lawyers can leave me alone.