***Part 12***

Relena wandered to her rose garden. "I wonder how Heero found this place? I thought I had kept it pretty hidden." Relena looked upon her rose garden as a sanctuary where she could go when she needed some peace and quiet, therefore she didn't want many people to know about it. When she arrived there, Heero was not to be seen. She sighed sadly. He had escaped her once again. The wind was now starting to pick up and Relena wrapped her cape closer to her. Her hair was whisked along the breeze and her cheeks grew to a lovely scarlet in the chilly air. Heero watched her from afar, savoring the moment before approaching the princess. He came up right behind her and Relena, feeling a presence, whirled around to be met face to face with the dark soldier. He held out a box and an envelope and merely told her, "You said next time to give it to you in person."

Relena looked down at the gift and card she had just been given. "I never got a chance to give these to you on your birthday," Heero said.

The princess opened the box to find a delicate necklace with a golden charm in the shape of a dove. She then opened the envelope and read the letter it contained:

Relena,

Because of you, the world has peace.

Because of you, my soul has peace.

I love you.

-Heero

"You have my heart, Relena," the pilot said.

"Heero" was all she could say. He must have been in her bedroom that day when she was talking to herself before she fell asleep. He was the one who had moved the bear!

"Aishiteru," Heero whispered. He gently pulled the ends of her cape towards him. He took the necklace and put it on for her. Relena held her breath as he closely bent his head around her neck to clasp the ends of the chain together. Heero leaned back to examine the sight before him. Relena could almost see the frozen barrier in his eyes melting away in her golden light. He took her hands, which were nervously grasping the ends of her cape, and placed them around his shoulders as the shimmering cape surrounded both of them.

Relena's eyes narrowed as she looked down at the necklace, as if checking to make sure she had not dreamed the whole thing up. Her eyelids lifted slowly, almost like a curtain rising at the start of a performance as they revealed the girls glittering eyes. Like magnificent jewels, those innocent eyes, unrivaled by even the sparkling sapphire. Heero was barely breathing as her gaze met his, their faces now just inches apart. Relena's eyes were flooded with a pool of tears. One drop then slowly spilled over onto her cheek. One solitary crystal tear made a pathway of silver along her beautifully pale complexion.

"No, this time a simple flick will not take the tear away," Heero thought as he decided what he was going to do.

Relena opened her mouth slightly, as if she was about to speak; yet no words came, for before they could, a pair of lips had already claimed the space. Heero, giving in to all his desires which he had held back for so long, had leaned in for the kiss. It was a kiss in which, for a moment, their souls reached out and touched one another on a level in which no human could possibly understand, other than themselves. A kiss so gentle, yet so full of passionso perfect and so pure, as to only be known by those who share the deepest love.

Such was the love of Heero and Relena.

And so everything ended as everything began. Just as our story now ends, while the story of Heero and Relena has only just begun.

THE END!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So? What did you think of it? Like it? Hate it? Please e-mail me with your questions, comments, and/or concerns. I'd love to here from you! Thanks and I hope you enjoyed the story. ~Sphinx