Slipped Away

by: WolfCry17

I am pretty lucky to have met you…

Amber eyes fluttered open as Cagalli Yula Athha awoke with a sudden sweat and tears brimming in the corners of her eyes. The dreams just wouldn't stop. It had been a year since she had begrudgingly set aside childish dreams and hidden his ring away, setting him free. She, however, remained bound. Even though she had long forgiven him, and he had forgiven her, she attempted to sever the bound between them. It was truly for their own good. He deserved better, and she… she had obligations to a country that she could not fail again. This she knew all too well, yet the dreams still did not cease.

Cagalli stepped out from the warmth of her bed, her mind racing. She had a meeting the next morning with Russian officials, but trying to get the sleep she so desperately needed was futile. The persistent dreams would just come back. Opening the balcony doors, she stepped outside into the cool sea air, her bare feet brushing against the smooth marble floor. The waves crashed in the distant sea, calming her nerves. She loved the ocean, especially at night when the full moon was reflected on the water's surface. She would often listen to the waves crash in and retreat back out at night when she was little and her father was away to maintain healthy ties with the citizens of Heliopolis. Although at the time, she did not know it was merely an excuse for him to check on the progress of a pet project, the Archangel.

Waves crashed beneath her balcony against the sandy shoreline as tiny crabs skittered across, leaving tiny indentions in the sand. I think you have a stow-away.

Athrun… Cagalli shook her head, pleading her thoughts to go away.

Athrun Zala. He had come back after the second Great War and was granted a position immediately with the Orb peace-keeping forces. He now held the position of Admiral of Foreign Relations and was a bridge between Orb and the Plants. It had boggled her mind why he had decided to come back to Orb when all of his friends moved to the Plants. Lacus returned to her homeland to join the Plant's high council and was quickly elected as the mediator between the Plants and earth. Kira followed her there and joined the Zaft forces as a Zaft White. The Plants were more than eager to give him any rank he desired along with his own ship, but he had chosen to remain close to Lacus, assigning himself to the Eternal. Cagalli smiled to herself. Kira wouldn't know what to do with his own ship. Shinn, Lunamaria, and Meyrin all returned to the Plants as well to the repaired Minerva. So, why hadn't Athrun?

A false hope would rise deep within Cagalli when she mused over the reasoning for his choice, but realistically, she has been the one to officially let him go. After all that had happened, how could things ever go back to what they were before? It has been a year now, and they hardly spoke. Mostly that was due to Cagalli. She had forced herself to remain busy and took extra care to ensure that they would not run into each other. It was too much for her to bear. She collapsed against the railing of the balcony, tears now spilling over. He doesn't love you anymore, Cagalli. So why did he have to return to Orb and haunt her with his presence?

Just as fresh tears were about to spill over, a sudden noise jerked Cagalli from her thoughts. Her instincts flew into overdrive as she picked herself off the balcony floor. Something wasn't right. She looked toward her darkened bedroom but the shadows hid whatever had made that noise inside. She stepped cautiously inside, grasping a vase on a nearby table as she entered the threshold. The shadows seemed to mock her as she tried to examine each one trying to locate the shadow that did not belong.

A few moments passed and Cagalli let out an exasperated breath. She settled, trying to ease her mind and took a mental note to swear off horror flicks for a couple of months. She sighed, turning back toward the balcony doors to shut them when a piece of cloth was forced against her mouth and nose. Chloroform! Cagalli gasped, the vase left her limp grasp and shattered on the ground next to her as her world darkened. I am pretty lucky to have met you, Cagalli… you and I can protect each other.

Athrun.

Author's Notes: Hello everyone! I hope you liked the very brief prologue to this story. I have a pretty good idea of where this is gonna go, but let me know what you think please! Reviews help me gauge if a story is worth writing, so please review if you want me to continue! :D Feel free to point out any spelling errors or grammatical errors. I really like my stories to be crisp, but I definitely don't catch all my errors, so the help would be appreciated! :D

Besides my little review spill, a few notes: This story will be set after Gundam Seed Destiny, and I will consider all special edition scenes, and may refer to them from time to time. If you have never seen the special editions, let me know, and I will try to get you up to date and try to point out some youtube vids you can watch as a reference. Also, most of the major couples will make some major appearances but the main couple of this story will be Athrun and Cagalli.

Oh, and also: This typing will connotate thoughts or memories.