Hi all. This is actually my first fanfiction. It's told from Cagalli's POV, and I'm honestly trying to keep everyone in character (which is more difficult than I thought). It takes place after Destiny, with a new (original) Chairman for PLANT/ZAFT. Other than that, questions, comments, concerns, reviews, and even flames are welcome. It is AxC, with a less KxL,so don't whine about that, please. Again, this is my first fic, I'm trying, but if it sucks, let me know.
Disclaimer: Though I wish I owned GS, and GSD, I don't.
What ever happened to those deep green eyes? He had turned away. Why did he go? Leaving me here with just a kiss and a promise, Athrun Zala boarded the next plane back to PLANT.
"I have to go. The new Chairman of Zaft has asked to meet with the pilots that fought with the Minerva." He paused and looked back to the plane. "I'll only be gone for a short while. I'll be back soon." That was the last time I saw him. He got on the plane, and he actually left. I knew Orb would seem empty without him, but I promised myself that I wouldn't cry in front of him. I would wait.
Three days became a week, and two weeks became a month, and he still has not returned. Work is piling up. Jona keeps breaking into my house, but it hardy feels like home without Athrun.
"Cagalli-san," I heard Jona's voice seep through the door of my bedroom. "Please come out. You've been in there for nearly three days now." Only to get away from you. "The cooks have made dinner for us. It's your favorite."
Just go away! "I'm not hungry, Jona!"
"Please Cagalli-san, I'm starting to worry about you. Tell me what's wrong."
Athrun is gone and you won't leave me alone, that's what's wrong! "I'm not feeling well."
"I'll call the doctor immediately!" I heard Jona pull out his cell phone and dial. As he spoke to whomever he was talking to, I walked over to my dresser. I found his picture on the floor. As I picked it up, I remembered how I had thrown it across the room last night. How could he leave me like that! Stupid Athrun! In the photograph, he was absolutely surrounded by Haros. Though his expression was distressed, I knew he enjoyed the attention.
"The doctor is on his way, Cagalli-san" Jona said when he had finished his call.
"Cagalli, are you in there?" Lacus was here, great. Wait, maybe she had news! "Kira and I came by to see you." I rushed over and placed my hand against the backside of the door, debating whether or not to let them in.
"Cagalli, please let us in." Kira's sweet voice lofted in. Darn it Kira, why did you have to come? My hand crept towards the doorknob, and I let them in. Thank goodness they kept Jona out. Lacus promptly sat down on my bed while I re-locked my door. Kira wandered about my room.
"Has he called?" I asked in a whisper. Lacus shook her head. I opened my mouth to say something about him not deserving my worrying, but it went unsaid. I decided not to disclose any more than I had to, after all Jona was still outside.
"Cagalli, I know he's been gone for almost a month now, but you have to believe that he'll return soon." I knew she was only trying to comfort me, honestly I did.
"I don't need you telling me what to do!" I yelled softly.
Kira came wandered over, as if on cue. I guess it was his turn now. "We're going up to PLANT for a meeting with the Chairman. While I'm up there, I was planning on looking around for him." Kira's expression hardened a bit. His pink haired companion looked across my room, Athrun's picture catching her eye. She and Kira both began to favor a worried look.
"I'll come with you!" I volunteered. My brother stepped forward to stop me, but thankfully, Lacus stopped him first.
"Kira, you know we can't stop her." I heard my friend whisper, thinking I couldn't hear. I opened my mouth to retort, but I was stopped when Lacus spoke again. "It's settled then. We will all travel up to PLANT on the next flight." Her words did not go unnoticed.
"What was that? Cagalli-san, what's going on in there?" My clueless guest called from the other side of the door.
We all shared a laugh at Jona's expense. He was just trying to be nice, I know, but he was just so annoying!
"Jona-chan," I called mockingly. "How would you like to run Orb for a little while?" Kira and Lacus gaped at me and I could hear Jona squeal on the other side of the door. I knew he leapt at the chance.
"Cagalli-san, I would-, I can't believe-." I opened the door so that we could all exit. Jona stammered on. "It would be an-, I would-."
"Jona-chan, I have to leave for a business trip. While I'm gone, make sure nothing happens to Orb. You'll find a pile of new bills on my desk, DON'T SIGN ANYTHING!" I wasn't one to shirk off work, but I won't be gone too long. I'll just call Kisaka and have him watch Jona.
"You're due for a break anyway." Kira smiled at me. I shouldn't be surprised that he does that. I guess it's just him exercising some twin thing. I followed my friends down the hall, leaving Jona still stammering outside my bedroom. I told Kisaka at the front door about watching Jona and where I was going. With that, we all hopped in Kira's car and drove off to the orphanage.
Lacus didn't mind me spending the night with them; in fact she said the change of scenery would do me some good. I had to agree, getting away from Jona would be nice. As soon as we reached the door of the orphanage, children flooded us, screaming "Cagalli-denka", "Kira-sama's back", and "Lacus-sama, I'm hungry!" I stifled a laugh when I heard the last remark.
"Making you into a regular housewife, aren't they?" I whispered discreetly to Lacus.
"You don't know the half of it." She smiled in return, making sure that Kira wouldn't hear.
Until Lacus called for bedtime, I was assaulted with questions from the children. "Do you like strawberry?" "Where's you're friend? The one with the blue hair?" "Will you play with me?" "Can I have your robot?" Thank God Lacus called for bedtime. These kids are unbearable sometimes. I could use a few moments of peace. I had just walked out to the porch and sat down on the swing when I heard a certain pink haired coordinator follow me out.
"Playful aren't they?" she smiled. Opening with small talk, I knew her style.
"What do you want to know?"
"You know, when he was back in ZAFT, he worried all the time. He wasn't content unless he had something to fret over." We both looked up as Kira came through the door.
"They're all in bed. So, what now?" he asked, sitting on the porch floor, a few feet in front of us. I guess he sensed the mood because he slowly launched into his comfort story. "When we were in school on the moon, Athrun was always the top student. He took on so much responsibility, and he always came through." He inched closer and took my hand. "He will come back. I promise; you'll see."
Why are they doing this? "I'm fine, you guys. Don't worry about me." I lied. "I know that he's all right and everything will be in order when we find him, and . . ." I barely brought myself to finish my wishful thinking. "He'll come home with us"
Lacus and Kira smiled at me as though they were trying to hide something. I took the invitation and poked further. "What are you hiding?"
"Before he left, Athrun told me that he felt obligated to protect the people of the PLANTs. He also wanted to check up on his friends and visit his mother and father's graves." Lacus explained. I knew Athrun still hurt from his parent's deaths.
"But all that considered, he still should've been back within the week." Kira added.
"So, what's happened?" I fought back concern and worry, determined not to show them. I would not cry!
"Kira answered, "We've not heard from him." So, where is he? Why hasn't he called?
Lacus responded to my apparent distress. "Our shuttle leaves in the morning. Try to get a good night's rest." Kira then stood and helped his sweetheart to her feet. They walked inside and disappeared inside the house.
I decided to stay out and watch the stars for a little while. They all looked like stars, but I knew they weren't. "That's Aprilius One." I pointed. "There's December Two." Again I pointed. "That's where Heliopolis was." I remembered they fall of the colony. How could we hide machines there? "And that's where . . ." As my finger drew near to where Junius Seven had been, I stopped. That was where the first and second Bloody Valentine wars began. That also was where Athrun's mother died.
It was sad, to imagine a child losing his mother unexpectedly. It was worse to imagine him running off to war to lose his friends and his father. What remained of his life was lost and all he had was the battlefield. "That," I pointed to a distant star. "That is where he is." I didn't know if it was really a star or a PLANT, or if he was really there or not, but, I liked to imagine that I knew. "He's there, sleeping in some fancy hotel. He's laying down on a soft bed and fluffy pillows, his hair outlining his face just so." I imagined him, sleeping peacefully. The image calmed me down, I guess.
As I grew calm, I realized that it was getting cold out here. I stood and made my way inside and to the room that Lacus had prepared for me, and Athrun, when he visited. Though we never slept in it together, I still called it our room.
Please comment, like I said earlier. I'll try to post regularly. Please try to pardon any horrid spelling and/or grammar errors, I'm not too good with that. Until next chapter, I guess.