A/N: Not gonna lie; angsty and fluffy.

Disclaimer: By now you probably realize that I don't own Gundam Wing...too bad, huh?

Dedicated to a dear friend--and to Mellisa, another friend, who inspired the second half of this story.

When Roses Bloom in December

Tears misted blindingly over her crystalline blue eyes.

She never thought in her whole entire, after everything that she had already been through for such a young age, now only still twenty-four, that she could ever feel like this. Like something was creating a giant black hole in the pit of her stomach, simultaneously ripping at her heartstrings and soul.

It had been a miscarriage.

Relena Peacecraft-Yuy had been crying now for a substantial three hours. Nothing could stop the moisture from collecting along her cheeks and stringing about her eyelashes, beading itself at the tips making her long forgotten mascara run and clump.

It was only human, she kept telling herself, only natural. It had been a part of her and when it was no longer living, that small part of her was dead forever. It only made sense to cry. Though Relena had never really been one for rational thinking, this logic seemed to make sense to her. Or at least it quelled some of the more drastic emotions she was reigning in.

Heero wasn't home.

She knew it wasn't his fault. She didn't blame him one bit, heaven forbid the man leave her alone for a few hours. After all, it had been she herself who had to brush him out the door that morning. And now she was crying...alone.

Relena swept a tear from her nose, feeling the cool droplet slide down the length of her finger. She wondered if anyone else knew yet. If Sally would confide in Wufei or if she took into account all acts of doctor patient confidentiality. She supposed it didn't really matter to her. It's not like they wouldn't find out sooner or later.

She wondered what everyone would say to her. Would they shower her with sympathy or pity? Relena wasn't sure if she could handle any of that right now. But they were good friends, the best friends she and Heero had ever known. They would all know what to say.

She thought about the first time she'd told Heero about the baby, his baby. For the first time in her life Relena had actually seen Heero afraid. Speechless, overwhelmed, happy, but most of all afraid.

"I don't know...if I can...do this," he'd told her quietly, trying hard to look into her eyes but never fully making contact. "I just..."

She understood. She loved him, knew him so well, how could she not understand what was going on in his mind. She'd laid her hand over his gently. "You can do this...We can do this."

Another tear dropped down off of her chin. Yes, she had been sure she could handle the pregnancy at that time, but life is never a straight forward shot and she had just learned the hard way. Relena's hands shook as she brushed away some stray blond strands from her face. They themselves were already wet with tears just from coming in contact with her cheeks.

She wondered what Hilde would do. Would she and Duo come down? It would be nice of them, but she couldn't expect the couple to drop their lives completely just because of her and Heero, though she had an inkling that they would anyways. She would be happy to see them...she would love to see little Audrey. It had been so long since their last visit, she would be so big, almost two years old now. It would take her mind off of things.

Quatre's heart would break. And Trowa would insist, for Quatre's benefit, that they come to comfort their friends and help out where it was needed. She and Heero would say that it wasn't necessary and they would insist, just like all the others.

She heard the door open and she nearly choked, wiping away ever flowing tears. It would never work though. She wouldn't be able to hide anything from him, not for a second.

"Relena?" Heero's voice was softer than usual, tinged with confusion and concern that were uncharacteristic of his reverberating timbre. "What's happened?"

The question wasn't 'what's wrong?' or 'is everything alright?' It was a knowing query, like he already knew, deep down that something wasn't just wrong, something had happened.

"I went to see Sally today." Relena's voice had stayed surprisingly even; she was proud for getting that far. "Heero..." There was a quiver before the torrential tears came pouring again. "It's gone..." she whispered, barely audible.

He didn't need to ask her what she meant. Heero knew. He'd known since the moment he'd seen her face. "We'll get another chance," he told her tenderly. And all he could do now was gather her trembling frame in his arms and keep her from falling too hard.

Seven months later...

An excited gasp penetrated the haze of light sleep surrounding Heero Yuy. He groaned burying his face deeper into his pillow; he hadn't gotten much sleep lately, so he cherished every second of what he could get.

Relena, sitting up in bed with a slightly dreamy smile on her face, pawed at his bare arm. "Heero wake up! I finally know what I want to eat!"

"What?" came the muffled reply.

"Strawberries."

"Relena," Heero sighed, rolling over to face her glowing features. "You hate strawberries."

"But that's what the baby wants," she touched her rounded abdomen. "I know it."

Heero stared at her incredulously. He had just thought he was beginning to understand pregnant women. "Do you think there are any strawberries in the house?"

Relena's face grew thoughtful, her blue eyes sparkling under the streaming moonlight. "Um...maybe in the pantry...there could be a can of preserves in there."

Heero nodded slowly, brushing the covers away and standing up, still in a half dazed sleeping stupor. Shuffling out of the bedroom and down the long, cold, slightly too elaborate hallway of the Peacecraft estate. He rubbed his eyes as he flicked on the kitchen light and walked to the pantry. It could take him hours to find one small can of strawberries in the cavernous closet. He shivered slightly, the December night air infiltrating the room too easily.

Upon finding the can Relena had been speaking of he trudged back through the kitchen, opening the can and grabbing a spoon with his eyes half open. By the time he got back to their bedroom Relena had a look of guilt splayed across her face.

Heero blinked. "What? What now?"

A tiny tear slid down Relena's cheek. "The baby kicked." She snuffled. "And you weren't here to feel it, because I made you got get me strawberries!"

Heero decided that in no way would he ever understand pregnant women. "It's alright, love. It will happen again."

He handed her the open can as a smile flitted back onto her face. He rubbed Relena's shoulders soothingly in an attempt to calm her and hopefully allow him to get some more sleep that night.

"Heero!" she gasped suddenly, in the process of licking the back of the red covered spoon. She grabbed his hand placing it over her belly. "Do you feel it?"

He smiled slowly as a barely noticeable fluttering could be felt under his finger tips. "Relena..."

"I want to call her Rose," she said, quite out of the blue, smiling widely.

"What if it's a boy, Relena?"

"It will be a girl." Heero laughed into the back of her shoulder.

She turned to face him. "I love you Heero."

There was the smallest hint of a pause. "I love you too."

Second chances, even in the dead of winter, were always the best kind.

Edit: Open for suggestions on how anyone would like me to continue this story...because I definately would if someone could give my plot bunny a push :)