Chapter 45

It was a few hours after GENESIS had been destroyed and the war had ended.

Right now the Archangel was pretty quiet as most people on the ship was getting some much deserved rest.

But one of the few once that was still awake was Dearka Elsman, that was slowly flying down the ships halls, holding on to a sandwich he had picked up in the mess hall not long ago.

"This ship is actually quite nice when it's so peaceful!" the boy said, as he stopped by a window, where he stood quietly for a bit watching the Eternal, that was flying next to them.

He did however not do that for long before taking a very big bite of his sandwich, then turned and continued down the hall, slowly chewing the food that was now in his mouth.

While thinking about everything that had happened not so long ago, even true he was happy that the war was over, a part of him was also a bit confused when he thought about what had been lost in this war.

And he could clearly see a whole lot of familiar faces that he had came to know both before he joined up with the Archangel, and after he end up on the ship.

"I really hope that all of them can rest in peace!" he muttered sadly, just as he turned and took of in another direction, chewing down the rest of his sandwich, while thinking about where he was supposed to go now.

He really didn't have any place on the ship he want to be at the moment.

He had already been to his and Nicol's room, where he had found his green hair friend crying and asking Dearka to just leave him alone for some time.

And knowing what Nicol had lost in the last battle Dearka had immediately decided to honour that wish, he did however tell him that if he need someone to talk to, he would have nothing against listening to what he had to say.

But the only response he got to that was Nicol asking him one more time to just go and leave him by himself.

"Damn, I'm getting really tired!" he mumbled, as he again stop to take a look outside, not that there was much to see out there.

But he figured that he might as well enjoy the view for a bit, it was after all better then just wandering around the ship the entire night, but even as he stood there he couldn't help but think about just how boring this was, he just want to go back to his room and crawl in to bed and just sleep the next few days away.

Yet he just couldn't do that, he knew that Nicol still want to be alone, so he just had to find some other place to sleep, but the question now was where exactly.

It was not like he could just knock on the first door he got to and ask the people in there if they could put him up for the night, it did however not take long before he began thinking about one person, that he was certain wouldn't mind having him in her room.

Unfortunately it was getting kinda late and he really didn't want to wake her up, she truly deserved to get some sleep.

But maybe if he was a bit lucky she would still be awake, it was at least worthy going down to her room to take a look, so after making that decision the boy slowly turned away from the window, and began flying slowly towards Miriallia's room.

It didn't really take long before the young man arrived at the girls room, where he stood just quietly a few minutes trying to hear if she was still awake in there, unfortunately there was not a single sound from inside the room, which could only mean that she was already fast asleep in there.

"Well I guess, I can always go down and sleep in the Buster!" he mumbled, while letting out a deep sigh, he truly didn't feel like getting in to that mobile suit any more today.

Actually if somebody asked him, he really wouldn't mind waiting a very long time before he tried piloting a mobile suit again.

But it really did seem like that the Buster was his only choice if he want to find shelter for the night.

He was just about to take of when suddenly someone began talking right behind him. "Hello Dearka what are you standing around here for?" Miriallia asked truly wondering what he was doing here so late.

Hearing the girl's voice ask him that, Dearka immediately turned around and looked at the person behind him, where he saw that she had a small smile on her face and that she was dressed in a green pyjamas, that looked really cute on her.

Not that he got much time to admire the sight, when she once again asked him what he was doing here.

"Well I was hoping you would put me up for the night Mir, I can't really go back to my room, seeing as Nicol asked me to leave him alone, and when I think about what happened to Mayura, I can't really blame him for not wanting my company!" Dearka explained, with a sad look on his face when he thought about what had happened to the three female Astray pilots.

Looking a bit at the sad expression on his face Miriallia quickly made up her mind about what to say to him.

He really did deserve to have a place to sleep tonight and she really wouldn't mind having him around.

And a part of her really didn't want to be on her own, she had already tried at one point to get some sleep, but it hadn't take her long before she began crying softly when she thought about what had happened to so many of those people she had known for such a long time now.

So after standing there a bit longer in her own thoughts the girl slowly reached out and open the door. "Please come in Dearka!" she said in a small tone.

He however didn't say anything as he flew in to the room, with her following him a second later, it wasn't long after that before he was sitting on one of the beds in there and she was sitting on the other.

Both of them didn't say a single word for a few minutes until Dearka slowly lifted his head and looked over at her, he could easily tell that it hadn't been long since she had been crying. "Are you all right Mir?" He asked, as he stood up from where he was sitting and got over beside her.

Where she immediately moved in to rest her head on his shoulder.

It took a bit longer before she opened her mouth and began talking in a small tone. "I don't really know Dearka, I guess I just miss all of them right now, there are just so many of them that really didn't deserve to die" she said snuggling a bit close to him.

Seeing that the boy slowly lifted his arms and brought them up around her hugging her softly, trying his best to make her feel better. "Yeah I know what you mean Mir, I miss them too!" he mumbled in to her ear.

Not much else was said after that they just sat there hugging each other for a very long time, each of them taking comfort in being so close at the moment.

But finally after about ten minutes Miriallia slowly backed just a bit away from him and looked in to his eyes, it was quite obvious for the boy that she had something she really want to ask him. "What is it Mir?" He said while looking back in to her two somewhat sad eyes.

Those few words was enough to make her look away from him and in to the wall, where it only took a few seconds before she got out the question, she had been wanting to ask him for some time now.

"I was wondering Dearka, are you going back to the Plants?" Hearing her asked that Dearka immediately got a somewhat thoughtful look on his face.

Truth be told he hadn't really been thinking about what he was going to do after the war, he had only been thinking about doing his best to end the whole thing.

But now that those thoughts had enter his mind he seriously didn't know what to do.

He didn't really have much to go back there for, he already knew that it would take some kind of miracle for his father to forgive him for betraying Zaft. And he was certain that if he did go back there, the first thing his father would say was to tell him to get lost.

And it was not like he had any real close friends back there either, so in Dearka's mind there wasn't really much point in going back to the Plants.

That was when he again got eye contact with the girl in his arms, where he immediately noticed that she had a somewhat sad and curious look in her eyes, like she really want to know what he was thinking about, just the sight of her like that was enough for him to tighten his grip on her.

"If it's all right Mir I would like to stay with you, there really isn't all that many people that means a whole lot to me back at the Plants, and those few that does I don't think wants to see me!" he explained in a somewhat sad tone.

That made Miriallia nod slowly in understanding, she really did feel sorry for him when he told her that, but she was also glad that he wasn't going to leave her.

So after just hugging a few more seconds she opened her mouth again. "Of course you can stay with me, I'm sure that my parents would be happy to meet you!" she said, while smiling a bit at him.

Hearing that, the boy couldn't help but blink a few times in disbelief, for some reason he really didn't expect her to say that.

"What I have to meet your parents?!" He asked in a somewhat loud tone, while looking at her with a strange expression on his face, that made it kinda hard for the brown hair girl to tell what kinda answer he was expecting.

But after looking at him a bit longer she let out a small giggle. "Of course you have to meet them, we are after all boyfriend and girlfriend now!" she explained with a small smile on her face. Before she slowly moved away from him and laid down on the bed, resting her head on her pillow, while looking up at him, still with that smile on her face.

Dearka however didn't really know how to react to her words, he had been waiting so long to hear her say something like that.

And now that it had finally happened he didn't know what he was suppose to do.

"Do you really mean it Mir?" He asked in a quiet tone, but the only reply he got was a short nod, before she lifted up her cover and crawled under it, once she got comfortable there she slowly lifted up the cover one more time so he could get in beside her.

Seeing that the boy slowly laid down next to the brown hair girl, where he once again pulled her in to his arms, and gave her cute little nose a light kiss, it wasn't long after that before the two of them where once again hugging each other tightly and was soon drifting of to sleep.

Both of them relieved over that they didn't have to be alone tonight.

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As that was going on in one room on the ship, two other people was still wide awake laying next to each other, just listening to the breathing from the other person, the two of them had been pretty quiet since they got there and it was obvious that both of them where far away in their own thoughts.

It was only when the girl began feeling the need to stretch her arms a bit that the deep silence was broken.

"Are you ok?" Athrun asked from where he was laying next to her on the bed.

Cagalli really didn't answer at first, the blond was far to busy right now trying to get some of the soreness out of her legs and arms, but after doing that she slowly turned and looked down at him, where she gave him a small smile.

"Yes I'm fine Athrun, it's just that I'm really going to miss those three, I can't believe that all three of them got killed" the blonde hair girl explained, with a lonely tear running slowly down her left cheek.

While she sat there thinking about her three friends, that had been killed in the last battle while piloting their M1 Astray.

She had been truly shocked when Dearka and Nicol had told her what had happened to Yuri and Mayura, and after that she had immediately asked where Asagi was and that she really hoped that the other blond hair girl was still alive.

But that was when Lacus told her that she had sacrificed herself to save the Eternal from Rau Le Creuset.

Which really made the hate she felt towards the mask man rise a great deal, and she had truly relieved when someone told her that he was dead.

It was just about the same time that Athrun sat up and carefully hugged her from behind, where he began rubbing the sad girls arms in a gentle way, doing his best to comfort her, as she sat there crying softly over her three friends.

He didn't really say anything to her, there wasn't much he could say right now that would help her get over her friends.

But as he sat there with the blond girl in his arms he began thinking about his father, even true he had really been angry at the man, he truly wish that he could have somehow talked him out of using GENESIS again when they had enter Jachin Due.

But when they finally found him in there he was already dead and there hadn't been the opportunity to talk with him.

And those few last words he had said, really made Athrun feel ashamed to be that man's son, just the whole idea that his own father was willing to murderer all those innocence people down on earth, hurt just as much as seeing him die.

But even with all of that a small part of Athrun truly still wished that he could have found a way to talk him out of all of this.

Not that there was any way to know now. "What about you how are you feeling?" Athrun heard the girl, he was holding on to, asked in a somewhat concerned tone.

That made snapped Athrun out of his deep thoughts about his father and looked down at her, where he could tell quite easily by her expression that she was worried about him, something he couldn't help but be very grateful for.

It really was nice to know that he had a person with him at this very moment, that cared and loved him so much, so after looking at her for a few seconds he gave her a small smile, while he again began rubbing her arms.

"I'll be all right, as long as I have Kira, Lacus, and especially you Cagalli, I'm just really happy that I have somebody to be here with me at a time like this" he said while resting his forehead against her back, truly enjoying being so close to her right now, it really did calm him down a lot.

Those few words immediately made the blond girl turn around in Athrun's arms where she looked in to his eyes a few seconds.

Before she looked away from him again and began talking in a calm tone, that seemed kinda unlike her.

"I'm happy that you are here too Athrun, if I didn't have you, I know for certain that I wouldn't have the slightest idea about what to do with myself" the girl explained as she moved in and pressed her face in to his shoulder.

Not saying anything else, the only thing on her mind at this moment, was to be with the person that meant the most to her, and what really made her happy was that she knew that he felt the same way, so after sitting there in that embrace for a very long time, Athrun slowly opened his mouth again.

"Cagalli, I think it would be a good idea for us to get some sleep, with everything that has happened today I'm totally exhausted" the boy said fighting hard to keep both of his eyes opened.

He really didn't want to sit there sleeping the whole night, he would much rather crawl down under the cover, together with the girl he loved, and get a few hours of well deserved rest.

Looking at him for a few seconds Cagalli smiled a bit, as the two of them got back down on the bed this time under the cover, it really didn't take all that long before the young couple was also fast asleep in each other's arms.

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Meanwhile somewhere else on the Archangel, a certain brown hair teenager was slowly waking up from the sleep.

He had been in since he was brought over here, at first the boy really didn't do much, he just laid there for a long time watching the ceiling, until suddenly a few tears left his eyes and began making their way down his face.

He just couldn't help but think about how the person Lacus and him saw as a big brother, the blond man who had been killed not long ago.

The teenager knew that not having Mu around was going to be really strange in the future, all of them had pretty much gotten use to having Mu nearby, always ready with some kind of stupid comment to whatever situation they where in.

But as the boy laid there thinking about his foolish blond friend. His thoughts slowly turned over to another person, that Kira had no doubt felt even worth about Mu being killed then he did.

"Miss Murrue!" the boy mumbled, while slowly sitting up on the bed, where he took a small look around, trying hard to figure out just where he was.

It really didn't take him all that long before he realized that he was in the medical office on the Archangel, and that Lacus was fast asleep over on the other bed that was in there.

So after watching her for a bit he slowly got up and made his way over to her, where he carefully kneel down and looked directly at her sleeping face.

She really did look cute when she was asleep, he did however not watch her for long before he moved in a placed a gentle kiss on her forehead, then pulled back and looked at her for a bit long.

"Please wait for me here Lacus, I will be right back there is just a few things I need to do, before I can go back to sleep" the boy told the sleeping girl.

Just as he turned around and flew slowly out of the room, not noticing his pink hair wife opening her eyes just a bit, where she looked after him until the door closed after him.

At the same time Kira was slowly making his way back to his and Lacus old room.

He had something he just had to get from in there, before he could continued with what he want to do.

It did of course not take much time before the boy arrived at his destination, he did after all know the Archangel very well after all of this time he had spend living on the white space ship.

And once he got in there he hurried flew over and opened on of the drawers that was in there, where he immediately moved away some of his clothes and reached down and picked up the white ring box he had place there so long ago.

After looking at it for a few seconds, he slowly opened the box, to take a small look at the ring inside.

"Why couldn't you have given this to her yourself Mu, I don't really think she would be happy getting this from me!" the brown hair boy said, just before he stood up and kicked the drawer shut so hard that it actually hurt his foot a bit.

Not that he really cared about that right now, he just had so many other things on his mind at the moment, so after looking at the ring a bit longer he slowly closed the box and placed it carefully down in his pocket.

It wasn't long after that before he left the room again and began making his way down to the hangar, e just want to take a look around in there before he would go to miss Murrue's room and hand the ring over to her.

Once he arrived at the hangar he immediately began making his way over to the Moebius Zero, where he quickly noticed that Mr Murdoch was sitting on top of the orange mobile armor smoking a big fat cigar.

"Hey Mr Murdoch" Kira said in a small tone as he landed next to the man, that clearly was a bit surprised at seeing him down there.

But it didn't take long before he removed the cigar and gave him a sad smiled, as he again took a big drag of the cigar, obviously enjoying the taste of the smelly thing, but after that he again looked up at the kid.

"I wasn't really expecting to see anybody else down here kid, and I seriously thought that you where going to be one of those, that was going to sleep the whole night away kid!" Murdoch told him, while using the small ashtray that was standing on the Moebius Zero to put out the cigar

Kira however didn't say much as he stood there a few seconds just looking at the mechanic, but finally Kira slowly sat down a bit away from the man, he really didn't like the bad stench of a cigar.

So after sitting there for a bit in his own thoughts, the boy slowly lifted his head and looked back at the man.

"I actually would have liked to sleep for a bit longer, but there is just one thing I need to do, and I really don't think it can wait" the boy explained in a truly sad tone, the man however just sat there a bit watching the brown hair teenager.

But finally after a minute or two, the man softly asked what was so important, that Kira need to leave his bed in the middle of the night.

Not really giving the man any kind of response the boy just reached down in to his pocket and pulled out the white ring box, that he slowly hand over the man he had been talking with since he arrived at the hangar, a bit confused Murdoch took what the boy was holding out to him.

"What is this kid?" The mechanic asked he really didn't understand why Kira was giving him this.

Letting out a truly sad sigh the brown hair teenager began explaining in a far away tone, that made it obvious that the boy's thoughts was somewhere else.

"Mu asked me to look after this for him, he bought it shortly before we left Orb, and he told me he was going to ask her after the war was over!" the boy said not once taking his eyes away from the ring box in Murdoch's hand.

Hearing the boy said that the man's eyes immediately snapped down to the little white box, and it was only a half second later, before he slowly opened it up to see what was inside it.

And just one look at the ring was more then enough to make a sad look spread all over his face.

"So he was going to propose to her? That really would have been a interesting sight" the man said in a quiet voice, as he continued studying the ring Mu had planed on using to ask the captain to marry him, it really was a nice piece of jewelry.

So after just sitting there a bit longer looking at the ring Murdoch slowly close the lid on the box and gave it back to Kira, that carefully placed it back down in his pocket.

"You do know that giving her that will most likely make her even more depressed" the mechanic said in a sad tone as he sat there thinking about just how sad the captain of the ship was feeling right now.

Looking at the chief engineer for a bit Kira finally gave the man a short nod.

"Yeah I know, but Mu really want her to have this, so the least I can do is give it to her, and there is just no way that it would feel right for me to have this any longer, so I have to give it to her as soon as possible, that was after all what he want" Kira said not doing a thing to hide just how sad all of this made him.

Hearing the brown hair teenager tell him all of that Murdoch could only nod slowly in understanding, if it was him Mu had trusted to look after the ring, he would no doubt feel the exact same way as Kira.

"So when are you handing it over to her?" The man asked while looking down at the small ashtray he had brought with him down here.

Thinking a bit at the man's question, it didn't take long before Kira slowly opened his mouth again. "I will be going to her room, once I'm done down here" the boy said in a somewhat depressed tone, clearly not looking forward to give the ring to Murrue, he truly hated the whole idea of making the brown hair woman even more sad.

She really didn't deserve it, but it was not like waiting a few days would make any difference, she would be sad no matter when he gave her the ring.

Those few words however only made the engineer nod slowly one more time, after that nothing else was said, both of them just sat there quietly on the mobile armor far away in their own thoughts.

But finally after a few very long minutes the boy slowly got back up on his feet.

"I better get going now, it was really nice talking with you Mr Murdoch!" Kira said, just before he jumped away from the Zero and began making his way over to the door.

With Murdoch looking after him until he was out of sight. Once the boy was gone the man again reached down and picked up his cigar again, and pulled out a small red lighter from his inside pocket. And it didn't take the man long before he again got the cigar lighten.

"Good luck kid!" Murdoch mumbled, before he laid down on the orange mobile armor, where he just enjoyed the rest of his cigar.

At the same time Kira was slowly making his way towards miss Murrue's room, a small part of him was actually feeling very bad about what he was about to do.

But deep inside the young man knew that this was the right thing to do, and even true he really wish that the trip to her room would take just a bit longer, he soon found himself standing just outside of the captain's room.

Where he just stood quietly for a very long time looking at the door like it was the most interesting thing ever, but finally after watching the metal door for a few very long minutes, the boy let out a deep sad sigh as he reached out and gave the door one single hard knock.

But there was no kind of response from in there, so after just waiting there for a bit he again knocked on the door.

But when he didn't get a response either he slowly reached out and opened the door, where he slowly stepped inside.

The first thing he saw when he got in there was the brown hair woman on the bed, that was hugging her pillow so tight that it looked like her life depend on it.

And it was completely obvious for the boy that she had cried herself to sleep, not that anybody would blame her for that. And if someone did, Kira was more then ready to beat the crap out of them.

"Miss Murrue?" The boy called out, as he took a single step over towards her, while thinking back to that time when Mu had asked him to look after the ring, that he at this very moment was slowly pulling out of his pocket, where he just stood quietly for a bit looking at the box.

Then he took one more step and got over beside her where he carefully bent down and placed the small box in her right opened hand.

"I don't really know how he was planing to ask you miss Murrue, but I'm sure that he would have want you to have this no matter what" Kira told her in a gentle tone, as he carefully closed her hand around the box.

After that he again got back up on his feet where he just stood there for a very long time.

So far away in his own thoughts, that he didn't even noticed that Murrue was awake and looking at what he had just given her.

It was only when someone placed a small hand on his shoulder that he turned around and found Lacus standing directly behind him.

"Let's go Kira, I really think she wants to be alone right now!" Lacus said, while she reached down and took Kira's hand, slowly pulling him with her out of the room, leaving Murrue to find out what was inside the little white ring box on her own.

They hadn't really been flying for long before they stopped by a window where Lacus immediately moved over and wrapped both of her arms around him.

"I'm so happy that you returned to me!" Lacus sobbed in to his ear.

He on the other hand didn't really say anything back he just lifted his arms and hugged her back tightly, the two of them continued standing there hugging for a very long time until Lacus slowly backed away from him and looked straight in to his purple eyes.

"Was he really going to propose to her?" The pink hair girl asked in a small sad tone, not once looking away from him.

Hearing his wife asked that, Kira immediately got a sad look in both of his eyes, as he gave her a small nod as reply, before he again pulled her back in to a tight hug, that she immediately returned.

"Yes he was Lacus, he told me that he was going to ask her once the war was over" the boy whisper in to her ear, in a truly sad tone, and with a few tears leaving both of his eyes.

Lacus too was crying softly, as the two of them stood there holding each other for a very long time.

It was only when a powerful light flew past the ship, very far away that they both turned and took a look out at the shooting star they could see disappearing in the distance.

"That's such a pretty sight" Lacus said in a small tone, as the two of them stood hand in hand watching, as even more shooting stars could be seen very far away from where the three ships was flying slowly beside each other.

And even true both of them still had a very deep sadness in their eyes.

They where each truly happy to know that even through all of this, they still had each other, and long happy future waiting ahead for them.

THE END.

Well then that was the last chapter, I actually never thought when I wrote the first chapter back in 2006 that this would be such a long story.

Yet I can truthfully tell you guys out there, that I had a lot of fun writing this story.

And I really hope to see all of you reviewing and reading again, when I begins publishing the sequel. I would also like to tell all of you that I really appreciate all of the help you have given me through this entire story, so thank you very much for that.

I'll see all of you later then.

Best Regards, Ben Firebird.