I do not own Gundam Wing.  This fan fiction has no commercial value and I am not making any kind of profit or income off of this.

Chapter 9

It was the date from hell, Relena decided, and swished the wine around in her glass. Trevor, though she originally thought of him as cute and considerate, was currently bawling out the manager in low tones in a dark corner of the restaurant. She had been spit at, red wine almost spilled on her dress, and to top it off, the only man she'd ever been in love with was only a few tables away with a knock out for a date and her own brother and sister-in-law were condoning his choice. If she thought about it really hard, she had drunk probably three glasses of wine already, and her mind was starting to have that pleasant fuzzy feeling. She smiled at Duo thinking how incredibly funny he was and how Hilde was lucky to have him. Then her smile disappeared as Mr. No-fun Trevor sat back down at the table.

No sooner had he plopped down in the cushion of the chair than his pager went off again. He closed his eyes in frustration before excusing himself to use the telephone for the second time that evening. Relena laughed. This was comical now. She just wanted to go home and sleep. She closed her eyes for a moment, suddenly tired.

"Relena!" Duo called to her from across the table. Her eyes snapped open and she sat up straight as the waiter set her plate in front of her. She gave Duo a heavy-lidded smile. Duo shook his head. "No more wine for you, Relena." To himself, he added in a whisper, "The Las Vegas deal would have been a cake walk."

Noin heard the words in her earpiece and cast a quizzical glance at Heero. He just shook his head, conveying the message: "You don't want to know." Zechs watched the exchange with a growing sense of apprehension.

Relena blinked at Duo's command and subsequent removal of her wineglass. She looked around for Trevor. Everyone was starving, but it was terribly impolite to eat without their guest. The three friends waited several minutes before Trevor finally came back. His complexion was flushed and he looked furious. "I have to go," he said sharply. His face softened as he glanced at Relena. "I'm sorry, maybe another time?"

She smiled gracefully and stood up from her seat. He took her hand and kissed it, then turned and headed for the door. Relena sat down again and folded her hands in her lap. Her appetite was suddenly gone.

Heero watched the 'date' leave with a sense of satisfaction. Sally shook her head in amusement at the look on Heero's face. She was in on it from the beginning, but Heero was in for his own surprise. He thought his mission was over, but there was still much to be done before the night was through. A dark figure moved in the corner of her eye and she smiled inwardly. Next target in sight.

Heero suddenly felt an arm on his shoulders, and looked over to see Sally pressing closer to him. This was not within mission parameters. He scowled at her before she leaned close enough to whisper in his ear, "She'll be watching now, we can really make her jealous."

Zechs was disgusted by the display across the table from him. He lost his appetite as well and looked over at his wife with a deep scowl marring his normally handsome features. "I'm going to be sick," he mouthed at her. She laughed lightly and dragged him over to the dance floor for the waltz that had just begun to play.

Heero was feeling uncomfortable as Sally continued her play-acting. But the most unnerving part came when she kissed him full on the lips. Heero was stunned; he pulled away just as a loud crash was heard from behind him. Instinct kicked in, and Heero stood up, instantly on his guard as Wufei lunged at him from across the room, toppling several chairs as they landed on the floor.

Relena turned at the sound of a crash, and watched wide-eyed as the two Preventers struggled on the ground. Duo and Zechs immediately ran towards the interruption and pulled the combatants apart. Zechs glared at the two men, while Duo tried to contain his laughter. Heero and Wufei just glowered at one another for a minute until Wufei acquiesced, shrugging out of Duo's grasp and roughly grabbing Sally's arm, tugging her towards the door. "Come on 'onna, you have some explaining to do!"

Relena and Hilde had rushed over during the commotion. Duo smiled and hugged his wife, then led her to the dance floor while Relena gazed up at Heero worriedly. "Are you all right?" She questioned softly. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, and he wiped at it in disgust before nodding in answer to Relena's question. Zechs glared at the young man, wanting to reprimand him for his behavior, but eventually relented to his wife's insistent pleas that they finish their dance.

Realizing they were alone, Relena quickly sought escape. "Well, I'm glad you're all right," she said and started back towards her table.

Heero reached out and grabbed her wrist - preventing her exit. He knew he had been set up, and made a solemn promise to repay his friends. But until his revenge, he might as well make the most of their efforts. She turned back to face him. "Is there something else?" She asked blankly.

"Where's your date?" He asked gruffly.

Relena blushed slightly and looked away. "The hospital paged him, he had to go to work."

Heero nodded and released her wrist.

She suddenly realized the absurdity of their situation. Is this fate? She wondered and felt like giggling. She needed to remember to drink wine more slowly. "Where's your date?" She asked with a sly smile.

He shrugged. "Some crazy person kidnapped her, apparently."

Relena's eyes sparkled with his unexpected turn of humor. She didn't think she had ever heard him tell a joke before. "Maybe we should call the Preventers to get her back?"

Heero's face was deadpan. "Those wimps?"

Relena laughed out loud. "You're right - the only good ones are assigned to protect that Vice Foreign Minister what's-her-name."

He looked away. "Relena…"

Her face sobered somewhat. "You told a joke! Wait, how much have you had to drink tonight, Heero?"

Heero shook his head.

Relena's smile faded. "Always on duty, huh?"

Heero shifted his gaze down at the floor.

"Right. Well, I'm sorry about your date," she said and turned to go, again.

"I'm not."

Relena stopped. "Hmmm?"

"I said I'm not - sorry about your date. Dance with me," he said, holding his hand out to her.

Maybe it was the alcohol dulling her senses, but she accepted his invitation and let him lead her to the dance floor.

Across the way, Duo saw them dancing and whispered, "Operation: To Woo a Princess, Mission one complete. Finally, thank God."

A few feet away, Noin chuckled in the midst of slow dancing with Zechs. He frowned as she looked up at him with amusement. "You guys planned this," he stated matter-of-factly.

"What?" She asked innocently.

"Just don't tell me. I don't want to know."

* * * * * *

Heero ended up driving Relena home. Noin dragged Zechs home early and Duo and Hilde feigned wanting to stay later. As soon as Heero and Relena left, Duo dragged Hilde to the car and they sped towards the Peacecraft mansion. "What's going on?" Hilde demanded to know.

"I'll explain later. We've got to get inside the house - I need access to the security cameras. He's clueless when it comes to dating - so he's going to need my help," Duo said as they ran a third red light.

Hilde sighed and shook her head. "Okay, but you'd better tell me everything later!"

Heero pulled up into the front drive, and stopped. He was promptly rewarded with a loud hissing in his ear. "Turn the car off, and walk her to the door!"

Relena waited nervously in the passenger's seat, and was about to get out when the car was shut off. Heero came around and opened the door for her. She was stunned. He took her arm and escorted her to the doorway, which the voice in his ear told him was the part where they were supposed to say 'good night'.

They were standing on her front porch; Relena looked up at him nervously. Would he try to kiss her? She really didn't know what to make of him, lately. One minute, he was cold and distant, then the next he had picked out a ring for her? Nothing made sense anymore - especially this evening when her date disappeared into thin air and Heero danced with her for the first time since they were fifteen. And the first time ever that he had done so willingly.

She was staring at him, wide-eyed and looking like she was contemplating something. That voice in his ear was screaming at him - what was it that Duo was saying?

Heero took a deep breath and brought his hand up to her chin, her skin was so soft, he couldn't help but glide his thumb lightly along her jaw line. She shivered under his touch, and closed her eyes, wanting and waiting for him to kiss her.

"Kiss her!" Duo yelled into the mouthpiece.

Heero's thumb stilled, and his hand dropped to his side. Relena's eyes flew open and she gasped at the cold look in his eyes and the hard set of his jaw. He stepped forward, glaring down at her, intent on his mission, and she backed away. "Relena?" he questioned gruffly.

She turned her back to him, still unsure of what had happened. Again, nothing made any sense - at first his intentions seemed gentle and natural, then suddenly he was that cold calculating machine again. She was confused, and not knowing what else to do, she moved to open the door.

Heero frowned; this was unacceptable. She was not permitting him to follow through with his last mission objective - the kiss. "Relena?" His voice rose sharply.

She turned to him with a hurt expression on her face that she quickly masked. "What do you want?" She asked quietly with more to the meaning than fell upon his well-trained ears.

He didn't know how to answer that; he was certain that the correct answer would not be to tell her he wanted a kiss. "To complete my mission," he answered woodenly.

Somewhere within the house, Duo slapped his forehead in disgust. "You idiot! Abort! Abort mission and retreat!"

Tears welled in her eyes as she looked up at him. "I'm still just a mission to you. That's what this is about, isn't it?"

Heero blinked. Duo was screaming into his earpiece to retreat, but there was no such thing - it was either complete the mission or die trying.

She searched that face that she loved so much and felt her heart break - she had let herself hope again. Finding nothing in his eyes except cold determination as he stared down at her, she quietly turned away. "You thought that dating me would make me happy enough to let you stay on your assignment?"

"Uh-oh," Heero thought to himself and wished he had a self-destruct button. He had the same feeling in the pit of his stomach as when he was backed into a corner - surrounded by mobile suits and no ammunition left. He searched his pockets, but he didn't even have a laser pointer…. He could hear Duo screaming at him to get out of there. "DENY IT!!!! Say 'NO, Relena, that's not true!'"

"I'll take your silence as a 'yes'."

"No, Relena, that's not true," he repeated the words Duo gave him.

She whirled back around to face him. He could see her eyes glittering strangely in the moonlight. He found it remarkably fascinating the way darkness fled in her presence. "I don't believe you, Heero. That's the only thing that makes sense. The way you've been acting lately, the ring, the flowers - you've never cared before. Why do you care, now?"

Duo had momentarily relaxed when Heero denied the truth, but with the next question, he knew they were doomed. There was no escape…