Bells and Promises

I have wedding fics on the brain, so here's to more Dearka/Miriallia fluff mixed with a couple of 'what ifs'.

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam SEED or Destiny in any capacity.

Orb Union

Stella's humming was soothing; Miriallia thought that if the blonde weren't tugging on her hair as she prepared her for the wedding, she might fall asleep listening to it. Sometimes she privately believed that the former Extended had a prettier voice than even Lacus or Meer; not quite as ageless and silken, but tone-true and had great range. And focusing on it drew attention away from the nerves throwing a riot in her stomach. It should be the happiest day of her life, and yet she half expected some dramatic schism to interrupt it; maybe an orbital strike or guided missiles from over the Atlantic. Or the news announcing some new political BS designed to break up the life she had chosen after conquering those two fucking pointless wars to make it possible.

"Liiiiia! Lia, Lia, I found that necklace I told you about! It had fallen into the bottom of my luggage!"

Mir winced at Stella's startled yelp and the hard yank of the hairbrush heralding the arrival of her other lady-in-waiting. "You're a hurricane in human form, Meer," She said, cracking one eye open to see the idol double appear in the floor length mirror, patting Stella on the shoulder with rapid-fire apologies. "Thank you for the heart attack."

"I'm sorry," Meer said, appropriately abashed for all of two seconds before beaming again and triumphantly holding out her hands. The large red diamond in silver, crystal-studded mesh glinted in the florescent lights; beautiful and rare and it probably cost half as much the Buster. "But see?! I found it for you!" She handed it off to Stella, who swept Miriallia's hair to the side and carefully slid the necklace over her shoulders so the gem sat just below her collarbone.

Meer had decided that, in thanks for saving her life from an assassin, she should appoint herself the other girl's fairy godmother for the foreseeable future. She'd paid for the dress, insisted on it really – and that was after Miriallia had to argue with her for twenty minutes regarding the shoes to go with it and the tiara that Meer was totally convinced would perfect the look. No one else had ever spent that kind of money on her, which was a little embarrassing. Basic human decency shouldn't win that kind of devotion.

"Thank you," Miriallia managed, her cheeks flushing. This is probably the most expensive thing I'm wearing. Even including the dress! "You're too generous, Meer."

"Nonsense! I have far more jewelry than I need, especially now that I don't have so many concerts booked so close to each other." The idol singer clapped her hands together. Her smile was bright as ever, but it seemed a little more stable now that she wasn't constantly pretending to be Lacus. "Besides, it sets the dress of so nicely. Don't you think so, Stella?"

"Mmm? Oh. Y-Yes, I think so too." Stella said shyly, picking up the hairbrush again. "I'm sorry Lia. I didn't mean to tug so hard. I'm almost done braiding, I promise."

"It's all right," Miriallia said soothingly. "You're doing great." She reached up and touched the younger girl's hand. It was gratifying when doing so made her smile instead of cringe. It had been a slow, painful process, winning her trust, but it was one of the greatest victories Miriallia had achieved. Her health had been steadily improving since the medicine created by Durandal's faction had reached her; she would always struggle with bouts of illness, but she wouldn't die before she turned twenty three. Her body hadn't rejected it, like one of her fellow Extended.

Stella smiled slightly, carefully taking the wavy strands of Mir's hair and winding the slender gold ribbon through them. Her wedding ring glinted in the low light as she worked. "You're so good at this," Meer said cheerfully. "You could do this professionally someday; you'd be in high demand!"

"Thank you," The blonde replied softly. Miriallia was amazed that Stella could tolerate the high energy girl when she was still so intimidated by strangers. Perhaps it was old, faded memories were helping there? Shinn said that she had started recalling bits and pieces not long after they began living together.

Miriallia blinked a few times, took a deep breath, and stared intently at her reflection as Stella finished her braids, pinning them back in a bun. A young woman in a fairy tale wedding dress stared back at her. It was a light blue with green ribbons and a short train; fancier than what her mother had worn years before she was born. The necklace did set it off quite nicely, though she wouldn't admit that just yet. Star shaped earrings, bought from a satellite mine, sat a little heavily on her ears – but not enough to cause visceral discomfort.

I'm getting married. Her stomach fluttered again. I am...

Have you thought about the future, Mir?

She blinked and turned away from the Archangel's observation windows to look at Tolle. The boy was running his hand though his hair; he always did that when he was nervous about asking someone something. What do you mean by the future?, she had asked back. The future as in making it to Orb, or Alaska? Or the future as in the war ending?

After the war, he confirmed, and it had felt crazy to her that he could think about that. One battle lead to the next, no one was changing their minds about this. How could this war come to an end? Heliopolis is...gone. My folks have a house back in the homeland, but it was a vacation home. The car, the house, the heirlooms and the trinkets...it's all space dust now. I haven't finished my education; this gig will net a good recommendation but I don't think I'll be a career soldier. I think have to go into the market for commercial flying, or maybe computer programming. Settle down into something like that. It's enough to support a family.

He was looking at her when he said that. It made her stomach twist. I...don't know. My father has a family house. It was a vacation home before, but it can support us fine. I hope to work as a photographer...I thought I'd just work nature, but... She looked at him, her thoughts on the tip of her tongue, but words abandoned her.

You see a future including our group?

Yes, of course! Kira will need people to look out for him after all this...these horrible things he's been forced to do. His parents live in Orb, right? We could keep in touch, look after him. And Kuzzy...he lived in Heliopolis his whole life. He's never seen the ocean before, even the idea will seem weird. There's so much for us to show him.

Mir...

Yeah? Please, she said to herself, don't go there. I can't...I don't want to...

What about us? I know...we haven't been really serious. I haven't talked about this sort of thing...but I want you to know I want to support you.

… Tolle … I'm afraid of talking about this. The war...means that it's pointless to plan anything...when we can't guarantee that we'll make it to the 'end'. I don't want to promise you the universe and then die, and that might happen. That's...a terrible thing to be left with...Mom told me stories when I was little, about people who's spouses died in war, and they never loved again. I don't want that to happen to you...

...I think I understand...That's okay, Mir. I won't promise anything as long as you don't. Does that sound alright?

Yes. Thank you, Tolle...and I'm sorry...

"All done," Stella's voice interrupted the thought. "Do you like it?"

Miriallia blinked, regarding her reflection in the mirror. She smiled, small and sincere. A lot of her smiles were small after the war, but they were always real. "I love it," She responded. "Thank you for helping. Both of you." Sometimes Meer threatened to drive her spare, but she really did appreciate the other girl's presence in her life.

"You helped me first," Stella responded, tugging at the sleeve of her fire red dress. She was strikingly beautiful; the scars on her hands and shoulders barely noticeable now that she walked with dignity and confidence. She brought her left hand to her chest and fiddled with her own wedding ring. "I want to help you too."

Shinn and Stella's wedding had been a quiet, private affair with only Athrun and herself as witnesses almost as soon as they had suspended their commissions. Part of the reason for the rush was a practical thing – Stella had no identification or safety net whatsoever thanks to the Extended program, leaving her in the lurch outside of the military. Once they were married, Shinn could support the girl he loved without much trouble – FAITH members were paid well. He had more than earned that post, though he credited it partly to his combat instructor.

Mir's lip curved into a smile at that thought. She wondered if Shinn had yet to say that to Dearka's face.

She stood up, taking her bouquet from the table. Meer squealed and took her arm, bouncing in place. You'd think she was the one getting married, the brunette thought fondly. The three of them left the room and began making their way to the front of the chapel.

Waiting at the doors for her were her mother, father and Mrs Murrue. Her Captain looked fondly at her as she walked up the steps. Miriallia had been her flower girl a month ago for her wedding to Mu, a gesture that had surprised her a bit, and she truly appreciated it. She rather hoped that the conversation she'd overheard regarding children would pan out soon; she wasn't ready for the responsibility herself quiet yet, but it was on her mind. Her father offered her his arm, eyes twinkling with pride; originally he'd wanted her to wait longer, hadn't been sure of her choice in husband. But he had been won over in the four years since the first war ended, as had her mother (though she'd been more easily swayed).

"You're ready for this, Lia?" Her father asked, just to be sure.

"More sure than I've been in a long time," Miriallia responded with certainty.

Her father lead her to the doors and pushed them open.

"You're going back to ZAFT?! Isn't...isn't that dangerous?"

Dearka glanced back, pivoting for a moment like he was debating running away, before turning around to face her. "Possibly. But it...it kinda has to happen, Mir."

Don't call me that, she'd said the first several times he'd tried to use her nickname. Now it didn't even cross her mind; instead she blurted, "What do you mean?! Why...why do you have to go back when you might get hurt? They...they've done nothing to deserve that kind of loyalty."

He started a bit at that, and for a second she was sure he was blushing. But he shook his head and said, "Deserving's not got much to do with it. It has to happen because Patrick Zala's ghost didn't pass on when he died."

"Huh? I...I'm not sure I understand. Wasn't he shot by one of his own men? Surely that means they didn't approve of the attempted genocide?"

Dearka looked contemplative for a moment, before shaking his head. "Some of them did. Not all of them, but enough. That isn't the real problem, though. Right now the PLANTs have been shaken out of the genocidal fever. The Zala government is completely smashed. But that doesn't mean it's over. You're a bit of a history buff, right Mir? You remember any lessons about the Great Wars, way back before the first colonies and the Eurasia alliance?"

She nodded. "Yes. The second war became possible because Germany was so angry about the position the treaty had left them in."

"Yes and no." Dearka said. "It wasn't just the treaty, it was the fact that the allied powers beat Germany, trashed its government, and then said 'and this problem is now solved forever!' They didn't support the resulting democracy, they didn't try to ensure the government would remain stable in the aftermath, they just washed their hands of it and assumed that would be enough." He shook his head. "It didn't even last twenty years."

"...You're afraid Supreme Chancellor Carver will be perceived as weak?"

"I'm afraid that the ideas Athrun's old man spread will stick around in spite of him taking two bullets to the chest." The blonde nodded. "It's not enough that he's dead. We have to take ZAFT back from him. We have to make sure he stays in his grave, so maybe a war like this one won't start again in this life time, or the next. We have to purge his poison and replace it with something better. That's the only way any more good will come out of this war."

"..." She understood, then. She agreed with him, really, though she didn't begrudge Kira for wanting to disappear in the immediate aftermath. He was too emotionally spent to be a part of this. She knew she couldn't convince this man, who made her smile again, not to leave. But... "...Then...take me with you."

"Yeah, sure – wait, what?"

"I want to help. I'm not anyone special, and I know being a Natural might be a bit tricky...but that's why I want to help. What you just said...doesn't just apply to ZAFT. Earth needs to change things too, including Orb. Because sitting on the sidelines, waiting for everything to get really bad, that didn't solve a thing. I...don't want to do nothing. I want to contribute. I want-"

To stay close to you. Her cheeks burned, but she still stuck her chin out and gave him an entreating look. Suddenly she did know what she wanted to do 'after' – try and make things better.

"I..." He looked everywhere but her for a few seconds, running his hands through his hair. "W-well...that's noble of you. Are you sure? I don't want you to – to have to deal with a whole bunch of crap because you feel obligated to stick your neck out."

"Like you are? No one should stick their neck out alone."

"Ha...! I'll have to repeat that to Athrun. He's heading back too. I caught him at the airport and had this conversation with him; he had that same 'enlightenment bulb' you just did." He smiled at her. It made her stomach do awkward backflips she'd never thought she'd experience again. "Okay. But listen; if things do get heated, you'll think seriously about heading home, right? Promise me that."

"I will only do so if you promise to be careful too."

"...Alright."

The church wasn't very crowded; she didn't have a huge family and only half of his relatives came planet-side to congratulate them. Most of the people were the crew of the Archangel and the Minerva, since she had served on both ships and had a number of friends there. Yzak was standing slightly to the side, the best man; Athrun was sitting in a front row seat with Lunamaria and Meyrin Hawke on his right and Kira on his left. Shinn was leaning against the pillar next to Yzak; he gave her and Stella a smile as they approached. Up near the front, Nicol was playing the piano; she knew without looking over her shoulder that Meer was gazing adoringly at him. Cagalli sat with Mu, looking about the chapel wistfully.

Dearka was standing in front of the priest, waiting for her.

He didn't dress up often; being unkempt was part of his charm. But right then...well...he looked good. Better than good. He was incredible. He was her husband. When she ascended the stairs and took his hands in hers, he looked at her like she was the most beautiful woman in the universe.

This is my after. My happiness.

She grew to love the PLANTs. Part of her heart would always belong with Earth and the oceans, but she had immersed herself in a culture of dreamers and deterministic folk; she knew the songs by heart and gladly championed their rights when old snakes hissed and waggled their tongues. She had her certainty back after it had been shaken so badly by the first war. She had a place in the universe where she belonged.

They took their vows before the sun began to sink in the sky. He swept her up in his strong arms and kissed her, and she was married.

The party was loud and lively – exactly what you'd expect, seeing as it was set up by Dearka Elsman. Meer joined Nicol and began to sing wild and slightly scandalous tunes while some danced and others chatted over food. Dearka chuckled while watching Lunamaria coax first Athrun, then Kira out onto the dance floor. "She's going to have her hands full," He said.

Miriallia elbowed him lightly, even though she agreed. "I wonder how they're going to manage that," She said. "It's hardly a typical relationship even before you factor in the baggage with Lacus's assassination..."

Dearka winced slightly at the reminder before saying, "Yeah, but they're good friends. They'll figure something out, count on it."

"I hope so," She took a drink from her punch, her eyes drifting over to where Shinn was sitting with Stella in a slightly moved corner, the two clearly immersed in a semi-serious conversation. She wished that Lacus had stayed to fix the PLANTs as she and Dearka had; not only would her influence have been invaluable, but she likely would have been safer from the hardliners who interpreted her decision as selfishly abandoning the people of space for her own comfort. Pleased to see that the two seemed comfortable, she looked about until her eyes landed on one of her current bets. "How long do you give it before Meyrin wins Yzak over?"

"A week," Dearka responded with a grin. "Technically, she's already won him over. He just doesn't realize it. And I'm going to laugh at him when he finally does."

She rolled her eyes. "Which he'll take very gracefully, I'm sure."

"He knows what to expect at this point. I mean, c'mon – Nicol's going to beat him to the next proposal at this rate. And he finds girls intimidating!"

"Oh no," Mir responded dryly.

Dearka laughed before turning towards her, his expression growing more serious. "Yeah...okay. Now, I'm only bringing this up because I don't want my mother to ambush you with it, and she's making her way over here." Miriallia glanced over her shoulder to see that, yes, Diana Elsman had moved from talking with her mother and father to chatting up Murrue and Talia. "What do you think about expanding our little family?"

Her throat caught, and she took a deep breath. "I want to," She said. The words were immediately rewarded with a soft smile he reserved just for her. "I really do. I wouldn't mind two or even three kids. But I don't think I'm ready. Not just yet."

"That's fine," Dearka told her, his arm winding around her waist. "That's just fine, Mir. I don't have the greatest relationship with my old man, and I don't know how much of a bad influence that'll be on me. I imagine us with kids and I'm just as worried as I am excited."

"You'll do well," She disputed, looking back at him with a concerned frown. "You always do your best when you care about something. It won't be easy – nothing that matters is – but we'll do well. Long as we're ready for it."

He chuckled, though it was a little forced it did sound genuine. "How will we know whenwe're ready?"

"I don't think we'll be certain." She responded simply. "But when the idea doesn't give either of us a huge spike of anxiety, that will probably be a sign."

Dearka laughed. The sound warmed her; it always did, no matter how many times she heard it. He tugged her towards the dance floor; Meer's gorgeous voice was crooning an old favorite from before the space age. "What are you thinking, about kids? Two boys and a girl?"

"I'd have gray hair before I turned thirty," She retorted lightly, putting a teasing inflection on her next words. "Mostly I hope for girls. They're less likely to get corrupted that way." He kissed her forehead, causing her to giggle.

Boys or girls, they would be theirs. That was enough for her. If there were no mobile suits in their future – no weapons of mass destruction, no screams for the deaths of millions, no looming shadow of destruction – then she would be the happiest woman in the PLANTs.

"It was pretty brave of you to go on PLANT news and talk about being on the Archangel. A lot of people have bad memories about that ship, but it didn't stop you."

"I wanted us to look human. That's the best I could do, I think – that really, we were no different then them. That we just wanted to survive and get back to our families and our homes. And really, I was glad to get to criticize, even indirectly, how the Atlantic Federation fought the war. How the high command threw us out to die as a distraction."

He snorted, eyes narrowed with hot anger. She averted her eyes, trying not to blush. "Bastards. Do you think any of them got what they deserved?"

"I looked around. Apparently one of them died at Jachin, two have been canned and three were extradited to Eurasia in a weak attempt at appeasement for their little Uriah gambit." She sighed. "It doesn't feel like much, but it's better than nothing."

She was sitting in a seat in his apartment building while he paced by the window. "Yeah," he muttered. "It's not enough. But it'll have to do." He paused and turned towards her. "Hey, Mir?"

"Yeah?" Her heart quickened. Were they about to address the thing they'd been sidestepping for...well...quite a while now?

"Are you thinking about moving out to your own apartment soon? I'd say it's safe for you to do so. You've earned yourself a lot of good will around here."

"...Do you want me to leave?"

"No." He stalled, his expression that of a man who'd said too much, before averting his eyes and hedging, "I...I like having you here, Mir. I like...having you in my life."

"I like being here. I'd like to stay." It was true. God help her, but it was.

"Really?" He looked hopefully at her. "W-Why?"

"...You make me laugh," She replied honestly. He crossed the room and drew her up in his arms. Quietly she whispered, "Staying with you...I feel happy again."

End

So in this universe, when Dearka went back to the PLANTs with Mir in tow, he was placed at the Academy to teach new recruits. He proved surprisingly good at it, as his protege Shinn would later prove during the second war where he achieved a number of strong tactical victories. (Must not throw a fit over how Shinn's better characteristics were wasted in Destiny. Rant another time!) Nicol survived the first war because Kira swung the sword up at the last second, narrowly missing his head but taking him out of the immediate fight all the same. Tolle died elsewhere, having flown the plane earlier, a still tragic and pointless death in the grand scheme of the war but not Athrun's fault. Lacus was successfully assassinated, which ultimately resulted in Meer deciding to symbolically take up her position as a voice of reason and peace rather than pretend to be her, since she found it wrong to pretend Lacus hadn't been murdered. Also, Durandal used the Extended as a publicity weapon against the AF and saved Stella in the process.

I really like the idea of Dearka and Mir going back hand in hand to try and make something better of the mess Patrick Zala left behind. Plus it gives them a better chance to be together. Fluff forever!

Read and Review please!