My Soul to Keep
By: Amber



The couple meandered through the garden as if they were in a world all their own. Watching them brought an ache to his chest that he really couldn't understand. Eyes of jade glistened with tears at the inexplicable emotion, whether it was his own aloneness stretched out indefinitely before him or the bittersweet knowledge that everyone seemed to have found someone to ease their loneliness but him, he couldn't tell. Some sixth sense had Trowa straitening a split second before arms wrapped around one of his.

Catherine looked up at the stars glittering before allowing her gaze to sweep the garden landing on Heero and Relena. "They look almost magical together don't they?" she murmured. Catherine sighed, "I confess, though, more than once I though Lena was nuts waiting on him like she did."

Trowa's gazed studied the couple below in silence as they moved back into the ballroom. "Heero just needed time to discover the good inside that Miss Relena saw all along."

Catherine squeezed his arm. "The war took so much from us all, but you Gundam pilots suffered the most."

Trowa turned his head. Pulling his hand from his pocket, he lifted her chin to stare at her intently. "You and Quatre are happy together aren't you?"

Catherine's sunny nature returned as she smiled happily. "O yes! Who would have thought I'd find love with the boy who almost killed my little brother? But I'm so happy it's scary."

Trowa's mouth curved slightly in a half smile. "I'm glad."

Catherine's smile dimmed slightly as a frown started. "Trowa you…" Trowa interrupted her by pulling his remaining hand from his pockets and cupping her elbow. "We should go back in now. The way Heero and Relena are acting, it wouldn't surprise me to hear an announcement tonight."



Relena and Heero stood to the side, his arm around her waist as they contentedly watched the dancers move about the room. He turned his eyes from a thorough sweep of the crowd--even during peace some habits never die--to glance at the small enigmatic smile gracing Relena's face. As if feeling his gaze, she turned and quirked an eyebrow quizzically.

"What are you smiling about?"

She bit her lip a moment, "When you were little, Heero, before the training I mean, did you ever pray before going to sleep at night?"

"Hn?" Heero looked at her blanker than usual. She smiled ruefully, "Never mind. It's not important, just a thought."

"What?" His tone altered slightly with curiosity.

"Well,” she began hesitantly, ‘when things were so new and we were still finding our way, some times I didn't know if I would see the end of the day. Each night that I survived, one more day, I prayed to god that if I had to go tomorrow to please just let me meet your soul on the other side when it was your time."

She lifted her hand and brushed his bangs back. " Just now I was thinking we made it, and now that it's time to share our news with all our friends, I realized that this was too important to wait till tonight that I wanted to say my prayer before we make our announcement." She laughed a little, "You must think I'm silly?"

His mouth quirked a bit at the side. He took her hand in both of his and brought it to his chest. "How does this prayer go?"

She blushed, giggling self -consciously. "Well um. Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray my lord my soul to keep. If I should die before I wake, I pray my lord my soul to take.” She turned solemn, “Once I met you I changed it, though. It was no longer I, but our."

Heero cupped her face, "He can't have my soul." Relena opened her mouth, but he shook his head stopping her words. "My soul has been yours since the day we met." He leaned in and brushed her lips softly. A tear slid down her face, causing Heero to smile slightly as his thumb lifted to brush it away. The music prompt had Heero assuming his mask once more. "That's your cue."

Relena smiled ruefully and assumed a pleasant yet distant expression. "Sure you won't join me?" Hero smirked. She shrugged slightly, "Ok, it was worth a shot." Relena scanned the ballroom and caught sight of Milliardo and Noin. They gave her a slight nod as she and Heero made their way to the front of the ballroom, catching the maestro's eye she nodded. At his signal, the music died and Relena took her place at the podium.

Clearing her throat, "Ladies and gentleman, I want to thank you for joining us once again for our annual get together." She scanned the crowed seeking out the familiar faces of Duo and Hilde, Sally and Wufei, Quatre, Catherine and Trowa and giving them and extra wide smile before once more resuming her speech. "This year is extra special for me as I have been asked," she grinned mischievously, "most persuasively,” she gave Heero a side long glance, “to become Mrs. Heero Yuy, and I have accepted. So, after finishing out the year, I will be taking a sabbatical to concentrate on starting my own family."

Relena turned holding out her hand to Heero. He hesitated a second before taking her hand and joining her at the podium. The clapping started slowly before gaining enthusiasm when a scream erupted silencing the crowd. At the sound, Heero stepped in front of Relena shielding her body.

"Noo, the Queen must remain. If we can't have her than no one shall." Holding up his arm, he pressed the detonator button as Heero swung around his love. Determination and, for a second something Relena would recognize later as fear, flickered in his eyes before he slammed into her and the blast of the bomb flung them across the room and then all that was left was the silence.





author note:
I dont know why I'm writing this maybe to see if I can usually I lean toward 3x4 so Quatre and Trowa fans please dont lynch me. I wanted to try something new.