Same disclaimer applies from prologue. Not beta-read. Still drained. So sorry.
Warning: This chapter contains MATURE content. I don't want to change the T rating from the summary since this'll be the only chapter with this kind of content… I think…
Chapter 7: Reunited
Until they were beyond the suburbs of L2, Cagalli held her breath, constantly turning to check through the rear window of the car to see if they were being tailed. As before, they avoided the interstate highways where they might be picked up by the state patrol or local police.
Gradually, the city lights became less frequent. Residences grew farther and then were separated by acres of land. Though only ten o'clock at night, their car was the sole vehicle on many roads. To Cagalli's mind, their presence was far too obvious. Their headlights were visible from miles away.
Too easily, she imagined snipers in the bushes, helicopters zeroing in and other vehicles in hot pursuit with nowhere for their car to hide. She felt vulnerable. And guilty, too. This danger was directly attributable to her insistence that they stop to visit the Waltfelds. She could understand how Martin daCosta would send flowers to the funeral, but the fact that Orga Sabnak had actually atteneded the service implied a much closer connection to the Hibikis. "I'm sorry, Athrun."
"Forget about it," he said. "I probably did more damage with that call to Trine."
"I still feel bad." She glanced through the rear window again. "And I don't like driving out here on these deserted back roads. There's no concealment."
"We could disguise the car as a cow or a tractor," he suggested. "Then we'd blend in to the background."
"Very funny."
"Don't worry, Cagalli. We'll be okay."
But she knew a disaster when she saw one. Before now, the bad guys had no idea which direction they'd take.
Now, their location was pinpointed. The search could concentrate on L2 then to L1. "What's your plan?"
"Keep going."
"That's it? That's the whole plan?"
"Basically."
"All night?" she asked.
"Until tomorrow morning when we can rent another car. Don't worry about me. All-nighters are no problem. I've done stakeouts that lasted for days."
"Well, that's very macho of you," she said. "But it really isn't necessary. I'll take a turn with the driving."
"No," he said.
Taken aback by his flat refusal, she peered at him. In the reflected light from the dashboard, she saw resolute stubbornness in the set of his jaw. Why? Surely his reluctance to let her drive wasn't a trust issue. At this point, it was clear they both wanted the same thing: To get to Orb in one piece. So, what was his problem? "Do you doubt my ability to handle a car?"
"Not a bit."
His mouth clamped shut. He didn't intend to offer any explanation, but she wasn't about to let him off the hook so easily. "Then why?"
"I don't mind driving."
"That isn't an explanation, Athrun. Why won't you let me get behind the wheel?"
"It's a thing I have." His voice sounded sheepish and therefore sincere. "I can't stand riding in a car with somebody else driving."
In spite of heightened anxiety, she grinned. "Don't tell me the big, bad, undercover agent has a little phobia?"
"It's a control thing." He visibly winced. "I shouldn't have said that. You're going to blow it all out of proportion."
"It's not a big deal, Athrun. Your need for control doesn't exactly come as a big surprise."
To be honest, she found that trait appealing. A lot of guys were so busy being sensitive that they forgot how to stand on their own two feet. She preferred a man who unapologetically took charge.
Still, she couldn't pass up this opportunity to tease him. "Were you always this way? Did your kindergarten teacher's report say 'Does not play well with others?'"
"I get along just fine. As long as I'm boss."
"Must be hard sometimes," she said. "Don't all you zafties have partners?"
"Not undercover," he said. "Good undercover agents are usually loners. According to assessments, I fit that profile."
Again, not a shocker. She'd know he was a guy who liked his own company. And Cagalli was a woman who enjoyed a boisterous crowd. Obviously, they were not a good match socially. It might be all for the best that they'd never had a chance at a long-term relationship.
They rode in companionable silence until she ventured, "I like when you were treating me like a partner. Back in the motel room. When we were watching the video."
"Did you notice anything else on the tape?"
"Like what?"
"Interaction. Who was the boss?"
Cagalli knew what he was talking about. From childhood, she'd learned the signs that told her who she ought to respect, who was dangerous and who was friendly. They were subtle nonverbal indications of deference to the leaders. A nod of the head. A glancing way. "My first impression was that Lacus and Heine aren't getting along too well as husband and wife. It's also interesting that their children weren't at the funeral. It shows lack of respect for my grandparents."
"I hadn't thought of that. Good point."
She continued, "We didn't watch long enough to see Kira's wife, Fllay. I'd like to take a look at her."
"Why?"
"It doesn't seem like they had a good marriage, either. All these years and no kids." She wasn't sure why, but that might be a clue.
He reached over and gave her a friendly pat on the shoulder. "For right now, I'd suggest that you curl up and take a nap. When we get to the opposite edge of L2, we'll ditch this car, and you can use your Erica Simmons identity to rent a different car. Then we'll take a motel room and rest before the last leg of the trip to L1."
That sounded more like a plan, but she had no intention of sleeping. If Athrun intended to drive all night, she'd keep him company so he wouldn't get drowsy and fly off the road into a cornfield.
Cagalli twisted around until she was comfortable in her bucket seat and started talking. First, about Nicol. She gave Athrun the full story from birth to preschool. Thought it seemed like she was rambling on and on, Athrun asked alert questions that showed he was listening.
His attention gratified her. He'd be glad for all these details when she finally told him that he was Nicol's father. And when would that be? Soon, she thought. Maybe tomorrow after they were rested.
And what would be his response? He really couldn't be angry. It wasn't as if she'd purposely chosen to exclude him. He'd probably want a relationship with Nicol; Athrun was the sort of responsible man who'd never turn his back on his own son. Would he want split custody? And what about his relationship with her?
After a couple of hours and giant coffees from a convenience store, she drifted into other topics. Freely associating, she jumped from past to future and back again.
Athrun stayed along on the conversational roller coaster, even telling his own stories and filling in the blanks of his life. He liked working at December City and researching undercover assignments more than going into the field himself. He'd purchased a mountain land in Italy and planned to build a vacation cabin there.
"Do you like the mountains?" she asked.
"Very much. I like the peace and quiet."
As the night wore on, she began to believe in his theory that everything happened for a reason. They'd been flung together on this long cross-county trip. And the reason? So they might have a second chance. Their old relationship might take root and blossom anew. If that were true, she felt lucky, indeed. Twice blessed. It might be perfect if she fell in love again with Nicol's father.
It was eleven o'clock on the following morning when Athrun collapsed across the bed in the Winged Whale Motel nearly outside L2 boarders. They'd rented another car in and proceeded to here. Though he'd wanted to continue, his eyes were burning and his body felt stiff, as if he'd been encased in cement.
Running back and forth from the car, Cagalli unloaded her own suitcase and the remains of kebab and cannolis packed by Aisha. "Do you know why this motel is named Winged Whale?" she asked in a bright, educational tone.
"I don't know," he murmured.
"It's actually named after the Evidence01, an extraterrestrial fossil that was found orbiting Jupiter by George Glenn. I'm reading this out of one of those brochures I picked up in the motel office. Apparently, the replicated fossil is at a museum somewhere around here."
"Swell." Behind his closed eyelids, he saw the endless ribbon of highways, the racing fence posts, the broken middle line into infinity.
"According to the brochures, this whole area has a bloody history because the replica weakens the influence of many religions," she said. "This would be a good code word, you know."
"What?"
"If I ever need to warn you about danger, I'll say: Winged Whale. And you'll think about the bloody history."
He was vaguely aware that she was untying the laces on his shoes and pulling them off his feet. "Gotta sleep now," he muttered.
"At least take off your jacket, Athrun."
Without opening his eyes, he sat up and dragged his arms out of his jacket sleeves. His numb fingers fumbled with the buttons on his shirt.
"Good," she encouraged. "I'm pulling down the bedspread. You just get comfy."
How could she still be standing? She hadn't slept, either. Maybe she had. A lot of hr verbal musings on the road sounded like she'd been talking from an altered state.
He felt his face crack as his mouth curved in a spontaneous smile. In an obscure way, last night had been fun. He liked listening to the alto melody of her voice as she wove her stories. Some were sad. Some ended with a moral. Others with a grin. All were, in some way, charming. If he'd been six years younger, he would've taken her in his arms right now and showed her how much he appreciated her.
"I unpacked Aisha's kebab," she called out. "Do you want some? There's a microwave in the kitchenette."
Athrun didn't think he could summon the energy to chew. "No."
Tearing the rest of his clothes, he crawled between the sheets and fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.
Hours passed. The inside of his head went from wet cotton to mush to loamy soil where thoughts might grow. He waited for coherence, an answer to questions unasked. Tattered images from irrelevant dreams blew across his mental landscape like a discarded newspaper. A conclusion was forming. Something to do with Trine the computer expert and Sai Argyle and Shinn Asuka. If only Athrun could catch hold…
"Athrun? Are you awake?"
He smelled kebab. Suddenly hungry, he licked his lips.
"I made coffee," she said. "And I got some soda from the machine."
"Coffee?" Blindly, he groped toward the bedside table.
"Aha," she said. "There are those amazing catlike reflexes of a super undercover agent."
He pried open one eyelid to glare at her. She was on the other double bed, wearing her nightshirt and looking spunky. "What time is it?"
"Five in the evening," she said. "You wanted to be wakened so we could drive at night."
His fist curled around the cardboard coffee cup, and he dosed himself with caffeine before checking her out again. Through the thin cotton of her nightshirt, he saw the peak of her nipples. Very sexy.
Under the covers, he had a morning erection though it was nearly dusk. He pushed himself up to a sitting position against the pillows.
She pointed to the container of steaming kebab. "You should eat."
"You don't look tired," he observed. "You're all dewy and fresh. No bags under the eyes."
"I putted facial mask earlier," she said. "It does wonders."
Athrun began putting two and two together. She putted a facial mask earlier and not dressed. She pushed food at him when she knew that the way to a man's heart was through his stomach. "Are you seducing me?"
"That's kind of a stretch."
But she didn't deny her motives. He patted the edge of the bed beside him, "Come over here."
Her amber eyes flashed coquettishly. "Why should I?"
He took another sip of coffee. "I could beat around the bush and make up clever litter enticements, but I think we're both too old for playing those games.
"Mature," he said. "That's a compliment."
"Maybe. If you were looking to hire me as a housekeeper."
"Do you want the truth?" he asked. "Can you take it?"
"Give it to me straight."
If Athrun had been wide awake and thinking alertly, he would have been cleverer. But there was very little boundary between his dreams and his consciousness. "I want you to sit beside me on the bed and feed me. Then, I want to make love to you. For six years, you've been my fantasy woman. Now, I want the reality. I want you, Cagalli Yamato."
She bolted to her feet.
Quite possibly, he'd just made a giant error in judgment.
She stood for a moment between the two double beds. She might slap him. She might dump coffee over his head. But she couldn't fault him for lack of honesty.
With the winsome grace of a feather drifting on dying winds, she lowered herself to the edge of the bed beside him. Her sultry amber eyes confronted him with his own blunt honesty. Wordlessly, she accepted his proposition.
As she reached for the container of the kebab, her slender arms formed a beautiful arch. Never before had he thought of a woman's elbow as sexy, but she continued to surprise and rewards him with unexpected charm in the simplest acts. She loaded a plastic fork. "Taste."
Dutifully, he opened his mouth and accepted the kebab, thick and rich with hot sauce. Almost better as a leftover. "Good."
The texture of the kebab aroused the juices in his mouth. When he swallowed, the needed nourishment gave him a surge of energy.
Another bite. A sip of soda to wash it down.
Since both of her hands were occupied with feeding him, Athrun took the advantage. He rested his palm on her firm thigh. Her satiny skin gleamed in the light from the bedside lamp.
His fingertips eased higher, sliding under her nightshirt. When he reached the angle of her hip and spread his fingers to span her buttocks, he made a pleasant discovery. "You're not wearing panties."
"So? You're not wearing anything at all."
"Doesn't seem fair." He took the container of kebab from her hand and set it on the table. "Let's get rid of the nightshirt."
She raised her arms above her head, and he lifted the soft cotton material, slowly revealing her hips, her belly buttons, her rib cage, and her rounded breasts with dusky nipples. He beheld her with a sort of reverence. For six years, he had imagined this moment. Her boy had undergone a few changes. The curve of her waist was more emphatic. Her breasts were heavier and even more enticing.
He threw the nightshirt across the bed and looked up to her face.
"Disappointed?" she asked. "As you pointed out, I'm older."
His hands rested on her flat stomach. Was it possible that she'd had a child? "When you were younger, you were… delicate. Like a sea sprite. The flicker of sunlight on water." He cupped her breasts. "Now, the light has become you. There's a glow from within. You're a beautiful woman."
When she gifted him with a radiant smile, Athrun knew he'd said the right thing. Even though there weren't enough words in his vocabulary to describe the way he was feeling, he'd pleased her and he was proud of himself for doing so. "That was poetic, wasn't it?"
"Very." She leaned forward to rest both hands on his chest. "You're body is different too. I like it." She bent down and nestled her cheek against his chest. Her hair tickled his chin and he could smell fragrance of her shampoo.
He slid down on the pillows, pulling her along with him, fitting her body against his. With incredible suppleness, she molded herself to him. Her thigh rubbed his erection, and he shuddered at the resulting jolt of electricity. It would take very shred of his willpower to hold off his own climax until she was thoroughly satisfied. "Slowly," he cautioned.
"You're in charge," she said.
Willfully, Cagalli abandoned herself to his skillful touch. She closed her eyes and reveled in his tenderness which quickly grew to a wonderful ferocity. He yanked her across the bed. She lay on her back, and he rose above. His strength overpowered her and she offered no resistance. Instead, she arched toward him, needing the touch of his flesh against hers. When she sought her lips, she allowed his tongue to force through her teeth and plunder the inside of her mouth.
Her entire body tightened with unbearable, delightful sensation as he fondled her breasts and tweaked her taut nipple. She felt hot and needy. Desperately, she wanted him inside her. At the same time, she wished these erotic caresses might continue forever and ever and ever.
Anxious for fulfillment, she stroked his hardness. "Can't go slow."
He was groping across the bed. "Where are my pants? In my wallet. A condom."
A rational thread stitched through her unconscious passion. She might become pregnant again. It had happened once before with Athrun and resulted in her son. "We don't need a condom," she said.
It wasn't a lie. She wanted another child.
"You're sure?" he asked.
"Yes." She pulled him toward her. "I want you. Now."
He poised above her. With maddening slowness, he entered her. With his first hard thrusts, he drove her to the brink. She trembled, reaching fulfillment.
Her soft moans of sheer pleasure did not end his campaign of passion. He continued, unabated. She climaxed again and again until he exploded within her.
They lay side by side, gasping and astounded by the most natural act imaginable. She wanted to speak; to tell him how fulfilled she felt. But her tongue wouldn't move. A perfect languor weighted her limbs.
She imagined his seed within her body, seeking to fertilize and propagate. Another child. She would love to be pregnant with his child. This time, he would stay with her. He would hold her hand in the delivery room.
Was it the right moment to tell him about Nicol? In her mind, she searched for the right phrase, but she couldn't think clearly. What if he got angry? Or sad? It was better to wait. She didn't want to ruin their spectacular reunion.
"Hungry," he said. He grabbed for the remnants of the kebab and began shoveling. "You want some?"
"I had some earlier." Watching him eat amused her. "There are also cannolis in the kitchenette."
He finished of the kebab and bounded from the bed. Naked and unselfconscious, he strode across the motel room to the kitchenette. Gorgeous butt! His body amazed her.
He rejoined her on the bed to munch on his cannoli. First, he sucked out the cream. Then, he ate the outer pastry. When he leaned over and kissed her, he tasted sugary. "We should be going."
"Probably." She stroked the lined of his jaw.
"On the other hand," he said. "Shinn Asuka seems to have studied my psychological profile and knows my M.O., method of operation."
Where was he going with this logic? "And?"
"He'd expect me to be on the move. Completely dedicated to making fast progress across. Might be better to deviate from my usual single-minded attitude."
"What does that mean?"
He turned toward her. Gently, he took her hand and guided it down his body so she could feel his renewed erection. "I want to stay here all night. With you."
She couldn't think of a single objection.