DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN GUNDAM SEED DESTINY =D

Sequel to "Ruby and Hazel"

UPDATE: BIG CHANGES were made because when I read it, it seemed so fast and a bit confusing. All my other fics were updated too. Though I think even now it's still... off... Hehehe...he.

Please Read & Review!

Shinn Asuka, 17 years old, is an Admiral in the ORB Military and second in command. His girlfriend insisted that he was to take the position even when rude eyes stared at him for being promoted after a few months.

He wasn't an ORB soldier five months ago and his first job was as Cagalli's temporary bodyguard. He fell in love with the princess and decided to enlist in ORB. He became a Captain and it prevented him from seeing her. After some time, he was promoted to a higher position.

Shinn's lover, Cagalli Yula Athha, is the 19 year old Chief Representative of the United Emirates of ORB, a neutral nation just a few kilometers south of the equator.

May 15 Cosmic Era 75

"Shinn, will you please run to the Controls Room for me? Call Miriallia through there. I bet she's in the Earth Alliance territory again." ordered Cagalli.

"Sure." Shinn nodded and went towards the Controls Room.

Cagalli continued with her work, signing various bills and papers regarding requests from the Earth Alliance and some ZAFT-related matters. After a while, Shinn entered her office and reported to her.

"I was able to talk with Milly but the connection was bad. She said that she's in a forest in South America. She said she'll be here in a few days." he said.

"I see. Thanks... Oh yeah, I need you to go to Maius City." Cagalli handed Shinn his flight ticket.

"What am I to do there?" Shinn took the ticket from her hands and examined it before he shifted his attention to Cagalli.

"Kira needs you there. I've arranged your flight today at 3 in the afternoon. I know it was short notice but Kira the idiot said that he needs you as soon as possible..."

"Okay. Please excuse me. I will start packing."

"You're excused." said Cagalli with a smile.

The blonde princess went back to her work and there she kept on signing papers. Kisaka entered the room to bring her more papers. He left without saying a word.

"More work..." she thought and sighed. She took a handful and put it a box that says, 'Signed and Approved'.

She took another stack of papers and put it in a box with the label, 'Rejected'. She pushed the red button on the intercom and said, "Sec, please get the boxes here. I've finished analyzing and signed the papers." Releasing the button, a person came inside her office and took a box. "I'll come back for the other one." she said.

The woman came back and took the other box. After she left, Cagalli sighed deeply after seeing a whole new stack of papers that were brought by Kisaka earlier.

It was already lunch time so she went to the dining room. She saw Shinn there, already eating.

"I'm sorry if I started without you. It's already 1 pm and I have to be in the airport a few hours early." Shinn apologized as he reached for his drink.

"It's fine." She sat beside Shinn. "Are you coming with me?" asked Shinn.

"No... I have a lot of things to do here. Besides, Kira only requested for you." She answered him, taking a bite from the sausage on her plate.

Shinn wiped his mouth and took the dishes with him. "I'll be going now." He went to the kitchen and placed the dishes on the counter. He went back to where Cagalli was and kissed her cheek. "I'll be back before you know it." Cagalli grinned and said, "Take care!"

After eating her lunch, she went to her private room and undressed herself. She went inside her bathroom and dipped herself in the bathtub. She washed her hair and her body and then dried herself. She put on a new set of clothes and went back to her office. Kisaka knocked twice and opened the door.

"What's wrong? Do you need something?" asked the blonde-haired princess.

Kisaka approached her and placed a note on her table and left.

"What...?" She saw him out the door with a raised eyebrow. She took the note and read it.

"I'm sorry; I won't be able to go there. -Miriallia"

"Hmm. Miriallia can't come?" She stood up and went to the Controls Room. She asked someone about Miriallia's note.

"Miss Haww called and told us about her message. We have a recorded audio." He said, playing the recorded file. "This is Miriallia Haww, Please tell the Head Representative that I won't be able to go there. Something came up and I really need to attend to it. Thank you!"

"Oh alright... Thanks..." She left the room and went back to her office. "Miriallia can't come? I need her report about the EA's movements... Oh well..." she continued her work, taking a break after each paper she examined and signed.

A few hours have passed and Cagalli looked at the stacked papers on her desk. "Finally... It's all done..." she sighed and stood up. It was already 5 in the afternoon and she decided to leave the premises. She approached her secretary, Kim Richter, and told her that she's going on ahead. The secretary gave her a slight nod. Cagalli went straight to her personal quarters and lied down.

After a few minutes in deep thought, she decided to stroll around alone. She took her black contact lens, her black wig and put it on. She tied her 'hair' in a ponytail then changed to her casual clothes. She went outside after changing.

"I haven't been outside for leisure for a long time... I missed this feeling..." She thought, her hair fluttered, her eyes closed and the gentle breeze passing through her. She re-opened her eyes and started walking.

She went to a cafe where they serve her favorite dessert, a Black Forest cake. She sat down beside the window and ordered a slice of the said cake and a cup of chamomile tea. "I don't really like tea but Kira's very persistent... Well, I guess it's worth a try..." she said, her chin resting on the back of her hand while looking through the window.

She saw people walking the street, some go inside the various stores and some left the stores with either paper bags or their partners. She became envious of them, remembering Shinn.

Her order was served before her and she started eating. Taking a small bite from the cake, she thought about Shinn.

"Back then, Shinn was more of a rebel than I was. He would shout at a person of high authority like me... He would say harsh things... lash out his feelings and a very strong pilot..." Cagalli was stirring her tea nonstop as she thought about the certain raven-haired Coordinator.

"But..." she finally stopped stirring her tea."I love him... and he loves me too... Whatever he did in the past, I understood it. It was war and right now, what matters is that we're friends... More than friends..." She drank her tea, giving a troubled look with every gulp and finished the slice of cake in front of her. She went to the counter and paid for her meal. She left the cafe and went for a walk to the park. She enjoyed the scene of children playing, couples relaxing and other things like some adults talking about the latest gossip about a certain actress who refused to give comments about her long hiatus.

Cagalli sat down on a bench and closed her eyes. She just wanted to calm down, not thinking about trivial things and about all the grown-up stuff.

"Are you okay?" A voice called out.

She slowly opened her eyes and responded. "Oh hello there." she said, smiling at the little boy before her.

The boy sat down beside her while fidgeting. "Is something the matter? Why don't you play with the other kids? And where's your mom and dad?" Cagalli looked at the little boy who was looking at her intently.

"..." The boy kept on staring at her and Cagalli felt uncomfortable.

"He-hey... kid... You okay?" She said, patting his back gently.

"I want you to adopt me..."

"Whaaa...?"

"ADOPT ME! I can feel that you're kind... Please, take me with you!"

"Wait, kid, are you serious?" Cagalli panicked. Then, the little boy started to cry.

"Woah, kid, don't cry... Oh man..." She carried the boy and made him sit on her lap. She hugged the boy tightly and said, "It's okay... Stop crying, please..."

The boy wiped his tears and hugged Cagalli. The princess waited for the boy to stop crying. A few minutes later, Cagalli asked him about his past.

"My real mom and dad are dead. They died in the war and ever since then, I was raised by my mom's older sister. She was kind to me when my mom was alive but when she took me in, she was harsh on me. Her daughter bullied me and they would hurt me if I do something wrong." The boy stopped and took his shirt off. There was a big scar on his back and a few bruises. The boy put his shirt back on and continued his story, by that time, Cagalli was already tearing up.

"They said that if someone would adopt me, they would let me go..." The boy ended his story with a soft smile.

Cagalli felt the sadness the boy was feeling. She wouldn't mind adopting him but she knows that she can't. It's too dangerous for her and for the child.

"I'm sorry... I'm fine adopting you but it's too dangerous..." Cagalli apologized while patting his head.

"But..." The boy was about to cry. Cagalli saw this and decided to reveal her identity.

"..." The boy was speechless. He was dumbfounded that ORB's leader is in front of him.

"Now do you know why I can't adopt you?" Cagalli knelt to the child's level and patted his head.

The boy's head was down but his grip on Cagalli's shirt was tight.

Cagalli and the boy were both stubborn. They wouldn't budge from their current situation so the princess decided to do something. She hugged him and said, "Ok, ok... I'll adopt you..."

The boy smiled widely and hugged her back. "Thank you!"

"Let's take you back home... I promise that I'll come back tomorrow, okay?" Cagalli smiled.

"... Okay..." the boy was sad but Cagalli kissed his cheeks and hugged him again.

"We'll fix everything tomorrow, okay?" Cagalli said.

The boy nodded and gave her a weak smile. He pulled Cagalli towards his home so that she'll know where it is. They stop just a few inches from the door of a medium-sized white house.

"This is where I live." The boy said as he pointed towards the house.

"Hmmm... I see... Okay, I'll be coming tomorrow... " Cagalli thought deeply and looked at the boy. "Oh yeah, I didn't get your name..." Cagalli asked.

"My name is Ken Shindo." The boy grinned.

"I'll be back, okay, Ken?" Cagalli patted Ken's head. The boy nodded happily and rang the doorbell. Cagalli walked away and turned her back to check up on Ken.

A middle-aged woman opened the door and Cagalli saw that she dragged Ken inside, scolding him. The woman slammed the door shut and that made Cagalli's blood boil.

"That woman... How could she do that to a child..." Cagalli clenched her fists and went back to the Athha Mansion. She took a quick shower, changed to her sleeping attire and covered her whole body with her blanket. She fell asleep, thinking about Ken.

May 16 Cosmic Era 75

After taking a quick shower and getting dressed, Cagalli left the mansion and proceeded to Ken's house. She knocked on the door and was greeted by a young girl.

"Good morning... Oh! Ms. Cagalli..." the young girl knew who the person before her was and suddenly called her mother. "Mom! Ms. Cagalli's here."

Cagalli was greeted again but by a woman who told her daughter to prepare some drinks. "Please come in, Princess..." The woman led her to their living room where she saw a silver haired boy wiping the floor with a mop. She saw the boy smiled at her and she smiled back. The woman's daughter went back with a tray of snacks and juices. The woman sat down across her and offered her a glass of juice. She humbly refused her offer and started to talk.

"I came here to adopt that little boy." The blonde princess pointed at Ken with little facial expression.

Anxious, the woman asked Cagalli. "That boy...? Why would you want to adopt that filthy boy?" She lashed out, not realizing that she just raised her voice in front of ORB's Chief Representative.

Cagalli stood up and approached Ken. She took him to her side and looked at the woman. "This 'filthy child' went to me, asking for help... I. WILL. ADOPT. HIM."

The woman was shaking and she asked her daughter to get a brown envelope from the master's bedroom. Cagalli, Ken and the woman were quiet and didn't move an inch. The young girl ran downstairs and gave her mother the envelope she wanted. She handed the envelope to Cagalli.

"Here are his documents... Birth Certificate, Parents' Marriage Certificate, and an accomplished Adoption Form..." Cagalli took the envelope from the woman and examined it.

"So I just need to sign on this box..." Cagalli asked, not looking at the woman but at the paper.

"Yes..." The woman was still uneasy but she managed to answer back.

"Ken, get your things. I'm getting you out of here." Cagalli ordered the little boy.

The boy gleefully nodded and ran towards his room. He took his bag and put all of his clothes inside. He took a photo from under his pillow and went back to the living room.

"I'm all set!" Ken said proudly.

"We'll be leaving. Good bye and Thank you." Cagalli took Ken's hand and went through the front door.

"Good riddance..." The princess heard what the woman muttered and was put to a halt. She turned her back and said, "I can file a case of child abuse on you."

Cagalli heard the woman swallowed her words and the two continued walking.

"You're awesome..." Ken said to Cagalli as he swayed his hands happily.

"To tell you the truth, I was nervous..."

"I didn't notice it..."

"Really? I'm relieved." Cagalli smiled at Ken and before they know it, they were a few steps from the mansion.

"You see that big house? I live there..."

"Wow..."

"I want you to leave your bag inside and we'll be going to the Parliament House."

Cagalli opened the door to her mansion and told Ken that he can leave his bag in the second room to the right, on the second floor. Ken went upstairs and opened the door. He went inside and left his things on the bed. He closed the door and went to Cagalli's side. "What's a Parliament House?" Ken asked Cagalli as they walked towards the said building.

"It's a place for work, and we'll be able to fix your adoption papers there." Ken giggled and hugged while they were walking. "I'm so excited!"

The two finally reached the Parliament House and were welcomed by the staff. Cagalli could sense that they were looking at them with curiosity but she didn't mind them. The young Chief Representative opened the door to her office and told Ken to sit down. The kid did what he was told and patiently waited for Cagalli. The blonde haired princess read the adoption form and finally signed it.

"So they signed it beforehand... They must've wanted Ken to be taken from them as soon as possible..." Cagalli sighed but then she grinned after seeing Ken smiling. "I just hope nothing bad happens to him while he's under my care..."

Cagalli asked Ken to follow her towards the conference room. She told the people who were inside to take a moment and read the paper. They really can't go against the decisions of a superior so they all signed it. Their signatures were required since it has to have the approval of the board. After they signed it, Cagalli took the papers from them and then closed the door. He knelt down to Ken's level and asked him if he wants his name changed. Ken nodded and Cagalli told him that he will be known as Ken Sora Athha.

Cagalli gave the paper to Kisaka, who was still bewildered after hearing that Cagalli brought a child to work. Cagalli didn't say a word and just gestured to Kisaka that she left a note on top of the paper. She went back to her office with Ken and sat down to rest for a bit.

"How was it? You already asked if I want my name to be changed... Did they approve?" Ken was eager to hear Cagalli say yes.

"I just asked someone to print out a document about you changing names... After that, you're officially my son!"

"Yahoo!" Ken ran to Cagalli and hugged her. "I'm so happy! Thank you very much!"

"You don't have to thank me." Cagalli smiled.

The hazel-eyed princess signed a few bills on her desk. Ken was busy reading a law book. Cagalli glances at Ken every now and then to check up on him. Ken would sometimes go to Cagalli to ask how to read a certain word or what a certain word means. An hour has passed and Kisaka entered Cagalli's office.

"The boy's name has been changed to Ken Sora Athha... I want to ask you why you suddenly decided on adopting a child but I think I won't ask." Kisaka gave the papers to Cagalli, looked at Ken and left the room.

Cagalli continued on with her work until the sun has set.

The two ate their dinner at the Athha mansion. Before they started eating, Cagalli introduced to her maids and butlers that she has adopted Ken Sora Athha, a silver-haired, black-eyed 7 year old boy.

After the short intro, they started eating with Ken starting up the conversation. After dinner, they took a dip in the tub together and both got dressed so that they can rest their tired bodies.

"Good night, Mommy..."

"Good night, sweetie..." Cagalli kissed her son's cheek and put him to sleep.

May 17 Cosmic Era 75

Cagalli attended a couple of meetings in the morning. She had lunch with Ken who was happily eating his lunch. "How was your meeting?"

"Let's see... There are people who want the construction of new mobile suits. I refused them of course." She replied as she took a spoonful of rice.

"Mobile Suits?"

"Ah... You're still young so you don't know... Mobile Suits are the big robots you see when there's a war... Those big machines that have guns and swords that flies..."

"Ooooooh... Like the one you have?"

"The one I have...?" Cagalli was taken aback.

"While you were attending the meetings, I was taken by Ms. Kim to the uhm... what was that place again..."

"...hangar?" The princess answered hesitantly.

"Yeah! That place! Ms. Kim said that the gold thingy was yours! She told me that it has a cool sword!"

"Gold...? Kim showed you the Akatsuki?"

"Yeah!" Ken responded with a wide grin on his face. Cagalli wiped her mouth and waited for Ken to finish eating.

"Mom, can we go to the mall?"

"You know I can't... I'm a bit busy..."

"Hmmm. Okay then..." Ken was disappointed but he knew his mother was busy, so he understood.

"Well, I'll be in my office for the rest of the day so... you can stay with me if you like."

"Alright!" Ken finished his meal and hugged his mother. They both went to her office and settled down. A few minutes have passed when Kisaka knocked on the door.

"Ken, honey, can you please open the door for me?"

Ken nodded and opened the door. Kisaka smiled at Ken and went straight to Cagalli.

"I have a message from ZAFT Commander Yamato."

"From Kira...?" Cagalli opened her laptop computer. A red light alerted her that she received a message.

"I had Kim check it and she confirmed that it was from Commander Yamato's email address. I'll be going back to my office... Now if you'll excuse me..." Kisaka saluted and Cagalli saluted back. He left her office then Ken closed the door.

"Mommy, who is Commander Yamato...?"

"He's mommy's twin brother..." Cagalli replied to Ken's question while still looking at the laptop screen.

"Oh... You can read the mail now, mom." Ken sat on his mother's lap and gazed at the blonde princess as she read the e-mail.

"Cagalli,

Take the flight going to December City. NOW.

Signed,

Kira Yamato"

"That wasn't very nice... Hmmm, the email was sent from PLANTs a little while ago... Okay, time to pack up..." She stood up, carried Ken and dashed to her room.

"Mom! Wait! What's going on?!" Ken kept on shouting. They finally reached her room and put Ken down.

"Mommy!" Ken shouted louder.

"We are going to the PLANTs, honey." She said, taking out a big bag and a small bag."The last flight will be at five in the afternoon... and it's already two o'clock... "She finished packing for Ken and herself. She gave Ken his luggage and pulled him. "Mommy! Wait!"

"Sorry, sorry..." Cagalli let go of Ken and caught her breath. She knocked on Kisaka's door.

Not waiting for the door to open, she spoke. "Kisaka! Kira has summoned me to the PLANTs. I'm taking Ken with me. I have to run now! Bye!" Cagalli ran with Ken holding her hand.

"So, it's that day of the year again..." Kisaka mumbled to himself, sipping his coffee while looking through the window.

Cagalli and Ken were able to board the shuttle that was taking them directly to December City. It was luck that there were exactly two passengers who didn't make it and they took the opportunity.

"Thank goodness we made it..." Cagalli sighed as she leaned on her back.

"Why are we in a hurry? Does your brother get to boss you like that?"

"Hahahaha! Well, he can't boss me around but if he's angry, I should follow his orders." Cagalli laughed real hard and told Ken about Kira. "Let's just say that when he gets that serious, he's...uhm... serious!" she added with a carefree smile.

"Was it okay not to bring bodyguards? And why are you wearing your wig and contact lens?" Ken eyed his mother, analyzing her get-up.

"It's fine... He didn't say why he needs me... and I don't really like having bodyguards..."

"Wouldn't it be dangerous?"

"I'm in disguise... I don't think anyone would notice..." The boy just nodded at his mother's response.

It was already nine in the evening when they arrived at the landing bay in December City. They disembarked and were welcomed by a couple of ZAFT soldiers.

"Representative Athha?"

"Yes, that's me."

"This way please, you will be staying at a hotel just a few kilometers from here. Miss Clyne is already waiting for you."

"Okay, thank you."

Cagalli and Ken rode a car to the hotel they were staying at. They arrived there a few minutes after they left and was welcomed by a familiar pink-haired girl at the lobby. The ZAFT soldiers who escorted them saluted her then left.

"Cagalli!" The pink-haired girl hugged Cagalli so tight, she couldn't breathe.

"La-lacus...!" Lacus finally let go of her.

"Uhmm..." Lacus can't help but notice the silver-haired boy beside Cagalli. He was hiding behind her, embarrassed.

"What is it, Lacus?"

"Who is that child...?"

"My son, Ken..."

"Son...?"

"Uhuh..."

"Since when...?"

"Not too long ago."

Lacus couldn't believe her eyes. What happened to her? How did she acquire a child who was 7 years old?

"Why don't we go to your room...?" Lacus was still shocked about the sudden revelation.

Lacus took them to their room and gave Cagalli the keycard for the room. "I know that you're tired from the trip. You two better rest... Good night." Lacus left the room and was obviously flustered; Cagalli knew about it.

"That was weird, mom... First she was so cheerful but then she..."

"Well, I think she can't accept the fact that I have a son now." Cagalli smiled, not looking at Ken, but at the now-closed door.

"Mom, is she your friend...?" Ken asked.

"She's Lacus Clyne."

"Lacus Clyne...?" Ken thought for a bit then remembered something. "Is she the person who they call the pink songstress!?" His eyes lit as he confirmed to Cagalli about Lacus' identity.

"How'd you know?" the blonde princess was amazed that he knew.

"I saw her on TV before!"

"Ah, I see..." Cagalli grinned and snapped her fingers. "I forgot to ask her why Kira needs me here... Oh well, it's late so we have to go to bed." Cagalli removed Ken's clothes and took a pair of pajamas from the small bag. "Here, clean yourself in the tub and change to your pajamas." Ken walked towards the bathroom and cleaned himself up.

Meanwhile, somewhere in the hotel...

"WHAT?!" they all chorused.

"Yes... She has a son..." Lacus said.

"Oh brother..." Dearka said, remembering the same scene that happened a few months ago after Shinn confessed.

"Adopted?" Kira inquired.

"Maybe... The kid was like 7 years old..." Lacus answered. The group was having various looks on their faces. Lacus mentioned that Cagalli said that it wasn't long ago since she had Ken. They all thought that 'not too long ago' was the same as '7 years ago'. The power of imagination and possibilities clouded the minds of the so-called war veterans.

"How could she do this to me...?" Shinn fell to his knees, overreacting.

"Don't be sad... Maybe she had to adopt the kid?" Lunamaria comforted the now frozen Shinn Asuka.

"What if the child is really hers and she just hid the child?" Athrun said.

"That's impossible... Getting pregnant at age 11?" Miriallia thought.

"Yeah, and besides, wasn't Kira her first love or something? I mean, I remember her telling me that..." Lacus told them. At that, Kira blushed and hid his face.

"Wouldn't Lord Uzumi like, banish her if she really did get pregnant at that age?" Yzak butted in, his eyes gazing to and fro.

"The child has silver hair..." Lacus said, looking down.

All eyes were on the only silver-haired guy in the room.

"WHAT!? I DON'T EVEN KNOW HER BACK THEN!" Yzak stood up and yelled at them.

The Ultimate Coordinator had enough of hearing his friends bicker about his twin sister's recent revelation.

"Would you guys stop arguing? We'll get our answers tomorrow." Kira stood up and looked at all of them with a stern look. Silence filled the room. Then, the girls stood up.

They went back to their room without saying anything while the boys remained in the room. They all decided to sleep and wait for tomorrow.

Cagalli tucked Ken to sleep and lied down beside him. "Good night, sweetie..." She kissed her son's forehead and went to sleep.

May 18 Cosmic Era 75

Inside Cagalli and Ken's hotel room...

"Mommy! Wake up! There's someone knocking on the door!" Ken tried to wake his mother up. Cagalli was groaning in her sleep and took a pillow to cover her head. "Later..."

Ken sighed and went to answer the door. He opened the door and there he was, greeted by a brown-haired guy.

"Ca... Uhm... Hello there." Kira greeted, looking at the boy.

"Hello! Sorry but mommy doesn't want to wake up yet..." The boy pointed at the direction of his mother.

"It's alright. I'll wake her up." Kira knelt down and patted Ken's head. He smiled at him, stood up and walked to Cagalli.

"Cal... Wake up..." Kira took off the blanket covering her body and the pillow covering her face.

"10 more minutes..." Cagalli answered, her eyes still closed.

"If you don't wake up, Shinn's going to break up with you."

Hearing the name of her boyfriend, she jumped from her bed.

"Ah!" Cagalli rubbed her eyes and looked at Kira.

"Sis, come on." Kira ordered.

"Kira...? OH MY GOSH! KIRA!" Cagalli was finally wide awake. Kira sighed and pulled her.

"Where are you taking me, Kira?" Cagalli demanded for an answer but Kira didn't respond.

"Kira! Wait! My son's..." She glanced at Ken and tried to let go from Kira's grasp.

"I'll just follow, mommy." Ken said smiling. Kira pulled Cagalli and then after the two left, Ken closed the door, took the keycard and followed Kira and Cagalli.

They approached a room and then Kira knocked on the door twice before saying,

"Lacus, I fetched Cagalli..."

After a few seconds, a pink-haired girl opened the door. "Oh! Thanks Kira!" With that, Lacus took Cagalli and closed the door. Kira sighed and looked at Ken. "Come..." Kira offered his hand to the little boy. Ken took his hand and then they went to the boys' room.

Inside the girls' room...

"Lacus! What's going on?!" Cagalli shouted, not minding the presence of her other friends.

"Don't you know what today is?" Miriallia said.

"It's May 18 and... OH..." Cagalli stopped after saying the date.

"Now do you remember?" Lacus smiled at her and pushed her to the bathroom.

"We're all done getting ready... Now, it's time for YOU to get ready."

Cagalli eyed all of them and saw that they were wearing gowns. Their gowns had the same design and the only thing different was the color. Cagalli saw an elegant green dress just beside Lunamaria, who was sitting on the couch. Knowing where it was going, she protested.

"NO. WAY. LACUS CLYNE, I'M NOT WEARING A GOWN!" she shouted.

"You will. If you don't, I'll tell Shinn that you hate him."

"What kind of threat is that, Lacus?"

"...or better yet, I can show them your seductive pictures."

"...seductive pictures...? What are you talking about?"

Lacus produced an envelope of pictures. She took out one picture and showed it to the girls, including Cagalli.

Cagalli was wearing a mint green swimsuit, her cleavage showing and the design complimented her skin tone. She posed like a total slut but still looked very beautiful. It was supposed to be a gift to Athrun but they decided not to give him those pictures because Cagalli burned the whole envelope.

"Whe...where did you get that?! I thought I burned that thing!"

"Let's just say that we used Milly's camera and they're still in the memory card..."

"La...Lacus..." Cagalli was shaking and was about to cry.

"Please... I beg of you... Don't do this to me... Shinn's going to kill me..." Cagalli added.

"I won't show this if you wear the gown."

Cagalli didn't have a choice. She went inside the bathroom, feeling defeated.

"Wow, Lacus... You sure are evil..." Miriallia said.

"That's my method of making her do things she wouldn't normally do." Lacus giggled.

After half an hour, Cagalli came out with only a bathrobe.

"Okay then! Let's get you dressed!" Lacus and the other girls started to give Cagalli a makeover.

A few hours had passed and both the girls and boys were ready. They reserved a dance hall for the celebration.

Lacus and Athrun went inside first and gave out a spontaneous opening. There were various people inside the hall. ZAFT and ORB officials were seated and even the PLANT Supreme Council was there.

"Good Morning! I'm Lacus Clyne..."

"...and I'm Athrun Zala."

"We are here today to celebrate the 20th birthday of two of the most known figures in ORB and in PLANTs."

"First off, let us call the close friends of the celebrants."

After Athrun spoke, the lights went dim and two spotlights were focused on the two corners of the hall.

"First, Meyrin Hawke and Vino Dupre..." Meyrin and Vino walked hand in hand while the crowd clapped their hands.

"...Yzak Joule and Shiho Hahnenfuss..." Yzak and Shiho were a bit hesitant to hold hands but they were able to comply.

"...Dearka Elsman and Miriallia Haww..." The two walked together, going towards their table.

"...Lunamaria Hawke and Shinn Asuka..." Shinn didn't hold Luna's hand because he knew that it'll stir up trouble.

"...and lastly, our celebrants, Kira Yamato and Cagalli Yula Athha!" The twins walked together and smiled at the guests. Cagalli saw Ken seated beside Shiho and smiled at him.

"Let us give a round of applause for our celebrants!" The crowd gave an even louder applause for the twins.

"Please enjoy your breakfast, everybody!" Lacus smiled at them and went to their table with Athrun.

"You look stunning..." Shinn complimented his girlfriend.

"Oh, stop it Shinn..." Cagalli blushed and looked down.

They were eating their breakfast with a little chatter.

Looking at Lacus, Cagalli whispered, "Lacus, why is the celebration held this early?"

"There are a lot of activities later." Lacus took a bite from her steak.

After eating breakfast, Athrun went to the podium and spoke.

"Everybody let us proceed to the garden and we shall continue our program. The second part of the celebration will start after 15 minutes. Please don't forget to bring your valuables with you." Athrun said.

They went back to their friends and saw three adults greeting Kira and Cagalli a happy birthday.

"You two are growing so fast... Too bad Ms. Caridad can't come..." Andrew Waltfelt scratched his head.

"Yeah... She said she has an exam to give her students." Kira answered, knowing that his aunt now works as a teacher.

"I see..."

"Happy birthday, you two!" Mu greeted them.

"Thanks Commander La Flaga." Cagalli thanked him. Kira just nodded at him and smiled.

"Happy Birthday." Murrue-san said with a smile. The twins both smiled back and chatted a bit.

Cagalli felt someone pull her dress. It was Ken.

Cagalli knelt down and asked what was wrong. "I haven't greeted you yet, mommy... Happy Birthday!" Ken smiled. Cagalli took Ken's hand and went to see the other guests with Kira.

"Shinn...?" Lacus looked at Shinn.

"Hmm...?" He wasn't paying attention and was brought back by Lacus' voice.

"Good Luck!" Lacus smiled, and Shinn knew what that was about and gave her a nod.

The celebration continued with a party game called, "Smack the Piñata"

It was a kids' game but they enjoyed playing it nevertheless. Instead of candies, there were coins and a bunch of paper money inside the big paper Haro.

Next was "Paper Dance"

A few pairs participated and each pair has a page of a broadsheet newspaper. They have fit their feet on the paper as the song plays. After every round, the paper is folded until it gets smaller and smaller and until there's only one pair left.

The participants were Shinn and Cagalli, Kira and Lacus, Dearka and Miriallia, and a few more couples. Only the pair of each twin was left in the middle. The music was currently paused and the remaining boys were carrying the two remaining girls.

"It seems like Kira and Cagalli's partners are good!" Andrew Waltfelt was the one holding the microphone as he went to the middle to interview the remaining pairs.

"So, Shinn... How are you holding up?" Andrew held the microphone close to Shinn's mouth. "She's... heavy..." said Shinn. Cagalli slapped his back and they almost fell down. Their friends who were sitting down all looked at Athrun who as trying to avoid looking at his ex-girlfriend.

"Kira, how about you?" Andrew went to Kira next. "I'm... doing fine..." he answered.

"We only need ONE winner! Music!" After the last word, the music started to play again. The boys let go of the girls and started dancing around the paper that was as small as a farm mouse.

"This will be the final round! If both pair wins, then both of them will receive a special mug."

The moment the music stopped, both boys tried their best to fit their feet on the paper while carrying the girls. Unfortunately, their arms gave up and all four of them fell to the ground. Andrew announced that nobody won. They were approached by their friends and the four assured to them that they were fine. The rest of the day was less tiring. Lacus sang a song, the boys did a dance number and the girls sang in a chorus. A few officials from ORB and PLANTs were given a chance to show off their talents. They were served dinner afterwards. The officials went back to the hotel and a group of teenagers were left inside the hall.

Cagalli was carrying Ken because he had fallen asleep. Lacus asked Cagalli if she can take Ken with him so that he can lie down. Cagalli didn't want Lacus to carry him since he's heavy, but she insisted. Kira accompanied Lacus to their hotel room.

Cagalli sat on her seat and sighed. They were all tired from the party and sat down with her. Then, Shinn approached her and then knelt down with one knee.

Cagalli knew where that was going but she let Shinn do his thing. Her mouth was partly open.

"Cagalli Yula Athha... Will you please marry me?" Shinn opened a velvet box containing a ring with a ruby stone.

Cagalli blushed and was in shock. She covered her mouth with both hands and started to cry. Shinn looked intently at her and waited for her to respond.

"..."

Still taken aback, Cagalli wasn't able to answer immediately. A slightly pissed Yzak broke the silence.

"Athha, if you don't answer, I'm gonna smack Asuka in front of you."

"He-hey!" Shinn glared at Yzak in a jokily manner.

They were all eager to hear her answer.

"Yes..." Cagalli was shocked with Yzak's outburst but was finally able to answer.

Shinn hugged Cagalli tightly and kissed her. They heard a glass goblet hit the floor and turned to where the sound came from. They saw Athrun, his mouth opened then walked away, his head bowing down.

They didn't want to react much so they just kept quiet. Cagalli was feeling uncomfortable and decided to pull Shinn to her room.

"Uhm... Come on Shinn... I'm... I'm going to introduce Ken to you..." Cagalli didn't know what to say and grabbed Shinn's hand, pulling him away. The rest of them stayed, with awkwardness in the air.

Inside Cagalli's hotel room, the engaged couple saw Lacus and Kira tending to the sleeping Ken.

"Lacus, Kira... You two can go back to your rooms... We'll manage here..."

Kira felt the uneasiness Cagalli was feeling so he and Lacus left without saying a word. After they bid them good night and then closed the door, Cagalli sat down on the bed.

"Are you okay?" Shinn sat beside her, looking at her worriedly.

"I'm fine... It's just that..."

"It was Athrun wasn't it?"

"Yes... I'm sorry Shinn..."

"...Do you want to call the engagement off...?" Shinn asked hesitantly and painfully.

"No... It's fine... I'm sorry for worrying you, Shinn..." Cagalli leaned her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes.

"It's fine..." Shinn took Cagalli and hugged her very tightly. "I know you still love him no matter what happens..."

Cagalli burst to tears and Shinn comforted her. Shinn hugged her tightly as Cagalli started confessing about her lingering feelings towards Athrun.

"I still love him... but after what he did, I just can't... I can't trust him anymore... I'm sorry Shinn... I still love him and I will always do... I can move on but I can't lie about the feelings I have for him..." Cagalli tried her best to tell Shinn what she's thinking without completely rejecting the fact the Shinn is the person who's helping her right now and not Athrun.

"It's okay... I'm happy that we can discuss about this... And that you trust me enough that you'd tell me about how you really feel..." Shinn kept Cagalli near him and closed his eyes while saying words of comfort to ease Cagalli's pain.

A few moments, Cagalli fell asleep with her head burrowed in Shinn's chest. He lied her down and put a blanket on her. He kissed her good night. He also made sure that Ken, who was sleeping soundly beside his mother, comfortable. Shinn took off his clothes and took a shower. He pondered about what Cagalli had said.

"It's really hard to completely forget about the one you loved in the past..." Shinn sighed and mentioned the name of that one person who he cared for during the previous war. "Stellar..." He cried, clenching his fists but not out of anger but out of grief. He didn't betray Stellar. He just moved on with his life. He thought about Cagalli and Stellar at the same time. They both have blonde hair, fierce-looking eyes, were child-like, and of course, the fact that they were both Naturals.

"A lot in common, huh?" He sighed and put a sad smile on his face. After his meditation, he got dressed and stopped for a moment. He saw Cagalli hugging Ken in her sleep. He didn't know where to sleep. "Boys' room... beside her... or..." Shinn turned his head and saw the couch. "...the couch...?" Shinn was hesitant because the two choices were a bit questionable. "If I slept beside her, Kira will kill me for sure... but if I slept with the boys, they'll wonder why I didn't sleep here..." Shinn sighed and continued his blabbering. "I don't want to cause trouble... to the couch then!" Shinn snapped his fingers and jumped on the couch. He forgot that it was cold in the hotel so he took a blanket from the closet and slept.

Meanwhile, somewhere in the hotel grounds...

"Athrun..." an amethyst-eyed Coordinator called out to his best friend.

"Kira..." Athrun turned his head and saw his best friend standing a few meters from him.

"Are you okay...?" Kira asked hesitantly.

"I'll... I'll be fine..." Athrun replied.

"I feel horrible... I'm jealous that Cagalli's happy with Shinn... I still love her... and I'll always will..."

"Athrun... Just... let her go... Please..." Kira put his hand on Athrun's shoulder.

"I must've looked like a distressed guy back there..." Athrun ignored Kira.

"Huh...?"

"Oh that's right... You and Lacus weren't there..." Athrun fiddled with his fingers, unsure if he should say something about his action.

"Did you like, drop something and startled them? Or maybe, frozen in shock?"

"How did you...?"

"I'm your best friend. I would know how you would react after someone proposes to the girl YOU love."

"How did you know that Shinn proposed to Cagalli?"

"Lacus told me about what Shinn's plan was..."

"I can't do anything right..." Athrun hid his face with both hands.

"What's done is done. Let Cagalli move on, okay?" Kira patted Athrun's back and smiled.

"I know you're angry because I made her cry..."

"I'm not angry anymore... She's happy now..." Kira hit Athrun's back lightly. "Let's go back." Kira added. They went back to their room and took a good night's rest.

May 19 Cosmic Era 75

The following morning, Cagalli and Shinn saw their friends eating breakfast so early. Ken held his mother's hand as the three of them walked towards the dining table.

"You guys are early..." Cagalli said. The two sat down and Ken sat on his mother's lap. Lacus just smiled before greeting them. The others were acting different but they tried to look at the two without raising any suspicions on whether there was something going on.

Cagalli looked at each and every one of them when Ken suddenly pointed at the various foods in front of them. "I want that! And that! That one too!" Cagalli took a portion of the dishes he picked and then started a conversation. "Is there something you guys aren't telling us?" Ken was already munching on some bread with orange marmalade and enjoying his meal.

The whole group didn't answer the princess. They just looked at her and tried to avoid eye-to-eye contact with her. Shinn didn't know why they were acting peculiar but he didn't mind them. He just ate, not making a noise. Cagalli ran out of patience and formed a fist. She stared at them for a long period of time, particularly, for the whole duration of breakfast. They were all done eating, and there's Cagalli, eyeing all of them like they were some sort of criminals who can't be left unattended. Ken had finished eating as well and pulled Shinn. "Mr. Shinn! I need to go pee." Shinn was also feeling uneasy and decided to leave the group to accompany Ken.

Cagalli didn't eat breakfast for she was too busy reading her friends' faces. She wanted to check if she can find out what's wrong by just looking at them but she wasn't successful. She stood up and went to Kira, grabbed him by his collar and pulled him away from the dining area.

"Kira... What's going on?"

Kira was nervous and he can't form the words to tell Cagalli. He opened his mouth but no words came out. He was already sweating and looking rather tensed. He kept glancing around and can't look at Cagalli straight to the eyes.

"KIRA..." Cagalli stiffened the mention of her brother's name. She's pissed now.

"Cagalli..." Kira was finally able to talk but only manage to call out to his sister.

"What happened?"

"You don't want to know..."

"I want to know, Kira."

"Caga-"

"KIRA YAMATO, IF YOU DON'T TELL ME I'LL-"

Cagalli was cut off by Kira. "This happened just a few minutes before you guys came down... As we made our way to the dining area, we heard a couple of people talking about..." Kira was unable to continue. He didn't want to worry Cagalli. Pretty much everybody didn't want to worry her too much. She gets in a lot of trouble like assassination attempts and kidnapping incidents. It bothered them not only because they were advocates of Patrick Zala and Gilbert Durandal but they heard that there were also a group of Naturals who are currently cooperating with them. It was almost unbelievable that they overheard something like that so easily.

"There's a group of Natural and Coordinators who want you dead..."

"I'm not surprised." Cagalli answered in a monotonous voice. "It happens every time. You guys always worry too much."

"Cagalli! This is serious!" Kira yelled.

"If they want their assassination to be successful, then why did they let you guys, of all people to hear about that? Lacus Clyne, Kira Yamato, Athrun Zala and maybe Yzak Joule. Just the four of you must've scared the living crap out of them. "

"We think that they made sure we heard them... Their conversation wasn't discreet. Cagalli, we're worried about you..."

"Why are you SO worried?" Cagalli was trying to act brave but deep inside she's afraid that they'll get caught up with the fiasco and they might get hurt.

"We are worried because we always fail to protect you... Ending up in the hospital every single time you get kidnapped or someone tries to kill you..." Kira stared into Cagalli's eyes with extreme worry.

"Am I the only one they said they'll be targeting?"

"Yes..." Kira answered his sister with his head down.

"Kira..." Cagalli placed her hand on his shoulder. "I'll be fine... I won't die that easily..." Cagalli gave Kira a warm smile to make Kira feel comfortable. They both went back to the dining area to join up with their friends. They saw Shinn and Ken talking with the others. When they noticed that Cagalli and Kira were back, they acted different again. Ken was oblivious on what was going on.

Cagalli sighed and was about to leave when Shinn stopped her.

"Shinn...?"

Shinn closed the gap between his mouth and her ear. "Don't go off on your own." Shinn whispered.

They must've told Shinn about what they heard and also knew that Kira would spill the beans to Cagalli.

"Shinn, I'll be fine okay?"

"We don't know where they are and when they'll commence their plans."

"Cagalli, please stay put..." Lacus approached her and looked at her worriedly.

Cagalli saw the look on all of their faces. They're not just worried, they're extremely worried. "Okay, okay... I'll stay with the group..." Cagalli sighed and sat down.

Ken saw a fountain just a few steps from the dining area. Fascinated, he left his mother's side and ran towards the attraction.

"Ken!" Cagalli stood up and ran to fetch Ken, not minding the danger she's currently facing. All of them stood up, especially the boys with Athrun, Kira and Shinn calling out to Cagalli in a chorus.

"CAGALLI!"

They were brought to a halt when they saw a person in front of Cagalli. The man in the mask stabbed her 3 more times before leaping backwards, and was about to run.

"MOM!" Ken yelled upon seeing Cagalli.

"!" They all gasped at the sight in front of them. Blood came out from Cagalli and then she fell to the ground, her hand on her wounds. Ken immediately ran to his mother as he cried.

The culprit was wearing a mask and couldn't be identified. He was shot dead by Yzak who took the gun from his back pocket. They requested the front desk to let them carry the guns for protection. There were five others who suddenly appeared, surrounding them. Lacus and Miriallia ran to Cagalli and tended to her. "Cagalli!" Lacus called out to her but there was no response. Shinn, Yzak, Athrun, Kira, Dearka, Vino, Luna, Meyrin, and Shiho circled around Lacus, Miriallia, Cagalli and Ken. They prepared their guns and looked around for possible openings.

The hotel guards heard the commotion and all of them were shot by the five masked suspects who appeared after seeing one of their comrades dead. Every single person who was currently near the dining area and lobby area ran as fast as they could to save themselves from a bloody event. The 1st floor of the hotel was deserted and only two sides remained.

"It was a pity that he had to die... even still, he was able to kill the Princess." said one of the suspects. He wasn't wearing any mask, revealing his identity.

"Who are you? How dare you endanger the lives of not only the Princess of ORB but ZAFT and PLANT officials as well!" Kira shouted at them.

"We only follow three people... Patrick Zala, Gilbert Durandal and..." Before he finished his sentence, he aimed his gun at Ken and pulled the trigger. Athrun was fast enough to shoot his hand, throwing off the gun far from him before he could manage to finish Ken off.

"Well, well..." The man touched his bleeding hand. "If it isn't Patrick Zala's son..."

Athrun flinched after hearing his father's name. He glared at him and aimed his gun.

"About the whole 'We have Natural supporters'... That was a bluff... Just to add something to the story..." The man walked towards his gun lying in the ground. Athrun wanted to pull the trigger but Kira stopped him. "Don't... It's too risky..." Athrun put his gun down gently.

Getting his gun back, he turned his head to them again. "If you think that we purposely revealed our plan, then you're correct... We like doing thing the challenging way..."

They were intimidated on how he talked about it. It seemed like it was all a joke to him. They didn't say anything and kept their guard up.

"There are only five of us, but please don't underestimate us... We are trained killers. There are nine of you who have guns. I say we're outnumbered."

"..." The group didn't say anything but didn't let their guard down even for a bit. He sure is provoking them.

"The longer we stay here, the riskier it is for the princess... I can see a lot of blood staining her attire." The man smirked evilly and looked at the fallen princess. They all remembered that she was severely wounded and that they have to take her to the hospital immediately. They knew they can't move or else it'll be Lacus, Miriallia or Ken's life.

"We are Coordinators and we want to eradicate the Naturals! Those filthy humans! They were the ones who created us and then they want us dead! It was all Ulen Hibiki's fault!"

"Ulen Hibiki...?" Shinn wondered. Kira had an unexplainable look. That name sounded familiar. He wondered when and where he heard that name before. Then, he finally snapped out of it and suddenly uttered.

"The head of the Ultimate Coordinator project... The person behind the cloning project as well..." Kira looked at them with scornful eyes.

His friends didn't know how to react. How did Kira know that? It's not like it was common knowledge.

"That's right! In other words, your father started all of this! He wanted an even more enhanced Coordinator! Everybody wanted to be like you... Kira Yamato... or should I say Kira Hibiki?"

Once again, the group was shocked. They didn't know about this fact. Only Lacus knew about it. It was then that she remembered that Kira told her about what transpired at the abandoned Mendel Colony. Not even his sister knew about it.

"...and the princess, if I'm correct, she would be Cagalli Hibiki... The famous twins of the Cosmic Era... Very well-known to those who were part of the project..." he chuckled as he confirmed the facts he had gathered for this day.

"The Hibiki twins survived... The greatest creation of Dr. Ulen Hibiki... A Natural with the S.E.E.D. factor and the Ultimate Coordinator... All this time, we thought they were lying about it... I'm sorry to say but we have our own ways of doing this. We know a lot of things you kids don't know about..." He then held both his hand up, imitating that of a worshipper. "The both of you are the ultimate proof of the experimentations made by them! You are their fruits! Their children! Your existence doesn't belong here!"

Indeed, the young teenagers were enraged upon hearing this, especially Kira who was gravely affected by his words. Kira clenched his fists tightly while bowing his head down.

"The S.E.E.D. factor...?" Yzak asked him all of a sudden.

"Superior Evolutionary Element-Destined factor... or the S.E.E.D. factor..." he answered "The former ZAFT Chairman gave us the information about those people who were confirmed to possess this." He crossed his arms and continued his monologue by citing names.

"Kira Yamato, Athrun Zala, Lacus Clyne, Cagalli Yula Athha and Shinn Asuka..."

They all gasped and tried to digest all of the information they heard. Luna, Miriallia, Yzak, Dearka, Meyrin, Shiho and Vino thought that it must've been the reason why their friends' performances in battle dramatically increase in certain instances. Kira, Athrun, Shinn and Lacus were somewhat aware that they felt going into S.E.E.D. mode but never did it occur to them that it was some kind of genetic enhancement and that it was a known fact by a handful of people. The man mentioned that this ability was found in mobile suit pilots but it doesn't necessary mean that others can't have it. Anyone can have it but only those who were determined enough will be able to use it.

"It was quite questionable on how a Natural would acquire the S.E.E.D. factor... Perhaps she's special?" The man continued his ranting but was halted.

Lacus gasped out of the blue, getting the attention of her friends. She started crying and held onto Cagalli's hand.

"Cagalli... she's not breathing anymore!" Miriallia said as Lacus couldn't say a word. Ken was crying, his head on his mother's chest. They all looked at them and panicked.

"Excellent! She's dead!" The man laughed malevolently. Shinn got angry and shot the man. The bullet hit the man's shoulder as one of his men shot Shinn, grazing his left abdomen.

"Shinn!" Luna cried.

"Try shooting us and we'll all be dead for all I care... I only want the deaths of Kira and Cagalli Hibiki!" The man started to laugh maniacally.

They figured that it must not stay like this for long. They have to break free so that they can tend to Cagalli's injuries. They decided to bet it all on luck. They counted from 1 to 3 and started to fire randomly, not neglecting the positions of the opposite side. Lacus and Miriallia closed their eyes as they waited for the shooting to end. After hearing the last gunshot, the two girls slowly opened their eyes.

Their friends were able to shoot all five of them but they weren't left unharmed. Each and every one of them was hit and were bleeding.

"Kira!" Lacus shouted, concerned about her boyfriend but didn't stand up from Cagalli's side.

"Lacus..." Kira said painfully. "Let's go..."

The hotel personnel who saw the whole scene was hiding behind the counter and immediately called for help. The teenagers weren't strong enough to drag themselves out of the hotel. Only Lacus, Miriallia and Ken were left unscathed.

Roughly 30 minutes have passed before the medics finally arrived and took them to the hospital. They were all treated and the nurses said that they'll be fine and that they just need to rest. They still felt dizzy from losing a hefty amount of blood but they have enough energy left to worry about Cagalli who lost liters of blood and to top it all, body organs sliced in half by the stabber.

The lights in the emergency room were still lit and all of them were anxious. Ken kept on crying and was cuddled by Shinn who was crying as well. Athrun cried like Shinn, and the rest of them cried a few tears, less tears than how much Athrun and Shinn shed.

It was after a few hours that the doctor came out and told them about the bad news. It was something they didn't want to hear.

"I'm sorry... We tried our best but her stab wounds cut right through her vital organs and we couldn't treat all of it... Before we could even finish treating some of her organs, her heart stopped. We tried to revive her but losing that much blood made things even worse... I'm sorry..." the doctor bowed his head and left.

"No... This can't be... Cagalli can't just..." Lacus cried and was hugged by Kira. They were all crying, even Yzak Joule. He tried to hold back his tears but he couldn't help but shed manly tears.

Ken cried even harder after hearing that his adopted mother died. He asked Shinn to put him down and he did. He went inside the emergency room, crying.

Shinn followed him to stop him from seeing Cagalli's dead body. "Ken, wait!"

Approaching Cagalli's corpse, Ken held her hand with his hand and looked at her with sorrowful eyes.

"Mom... Why did you leave me? I was so happy that I've met you... We weren't even together for long... Mommy..." Ken cried harder, his tears won't stop falling. Shinn cried at Ken's actions and decided to leave the room to give Ken some time. Shinn knelt down and grieved to himself. "I... We were going to get married and..." Shinn didn't finish his statement and cried even harder.

"Mommy, please don't leave me... I love you, mom... Just please... Why did this happen so sudden...? Mom..."

Unable to hear an answer from his mom, Ken looked at her once again and then kissed Cagalli's cold cheek. "I'll be a good boy, mom..." Ken left his position, wiped his face dry and then went back to the teenagers outside the room.

As they continued on crying, they saw Ken coming out of the room, not crying anymore.

They know that Ken's pushing himself to act brave in front of them. Lacus hugged Ken but didn't say anything. He sat down and was just quiet.

They were startled when a nurse from the emergency room ran outside, calling for the doctor.

"Doctor! Doctor!" They locked their gaze on the nurse who ran. The doctor rushed to the emergency room with the same nurse they saw and then noticed that the lights went on.

Curious, they gained their composure and asked particularly nobody.

"Huh? What happened?"

"Cagalli..." All their eyes were full of worry and they wanted an answer. They focused on waiting for the doctor to come out. Nobody said a word and the anxiousness was eating them alive.

The doctor opened the doors to the emergency, still panting and a face mask covering his mouth. He was still in his surgery clothing; he took of his face mask and said, "She's... She's alive!"

They couldn't believe what the doctor just said. They were frozen still and couldn't move an inch.

The doctor sensed their astonished states and broke the silence. "Her heart started to beat again and she was clinging to her life. She-"

Not hearing the doctor finish, Ken ran inside the room and went to his mother, the others just followed.

"They must've been happy just hearing that she's alive..." the doctor sighed, a bit upset that they didn't listen to his explanation but he was happy nonetheless.

Cagalli was out cold, with an oxygen mask covering her mouth and nose. They saw that her heartbeat was gradually speeding up until it was normal.

Ken called out to his mom with tears in his eyes. "Mommy..." he held her hand and sobbed.

They all cried again, but this time, it was tears of joy. They were delighted especially Athrun and Shinn.

Cagalli heard her son calling to her and regained consciousness. She slowly opened her eyes.

"Ken..."

They all heard Cagalli speak and went beside her.

Noticing her friends, she smiled weakly at them. "Hey...guys..."

"Don't stress yourself, just rest..." Shinn put his hand on Cagalli's head.

"Alright... Ken... Don't... cry... okay? Promise mommy..." Cagalli held Ken's hand tight and then slightly winced in pain. She smiled at all of them before she fainted.

Ken fell asleep beside Cagalli who was sleeping peacefully. The others sat down on the couches inside Cagalli's ward.

The doctor came in and grabbed the attention of the teenagers.

"She was really eager to stay alive even though it was painful for her... Anyway, her wounds are slowly healing and everything's good. Just some rest and she'll be discharged before we know it."

Dearka scratched his head. "Doc, how was that possible? Weren't her organs too damaged to be fixed? I mean, she was like, stabbed 4 times..."

"We mended her damaged organs but her heart stopped... By the time I told you, her damaged organs were already patched up. She would've survived if her heart kept on beating even after we finished mending it, but as I was done mending the last damaged organ, her heart stopped. After trying a more than thrice to bring her back and didn't succeed, we decided to tell you... The nurse said that she was about to cover her when her heart started to beat again."

"It was truly a miracle..." Lacus cried with tears of joy.

"Yes... "

"She wouldn't be here if it weren't for you, doctor..." Kira offered his hand and they shook hands.

"Thank you..." Kira added.

The doctor nodded and left the room with a grin.

January 10 Cosmic Era 76

Shinn Asuka and Cagalli Yula Athha finally got married, seven months and a half after the life-threatening incident at the PLANTs.

All of their friends were there to witness the couple vowed in front of the altar. Ken stood up firmly while watching the wedding ceremony. After the couple said "I do", Shinn lifted Cagalli's veil and carried her. Cagalli supported herself by putting both her hands on Shinn's shoulders. Cagalli kissed Shinn, with Ken running towards them. Shinn put Cagalli down and they both hugged their son. "I have a dad now!" Ken kept on yelling gleefully as he hugged his father, Shinn. Athrun tried to smile at them but he can't help but feel sad. His little girl was holding the hem of his shirt. Meyrin looked at Athrun's expression and frowned. She knew that no one can ease Athrun's heart better than Cagalli. His little girl ran towards the married couple, pulling Athrun. "Papa! Mama! Let's go!" They approached the couple and congratulated them.

"Congrats, Shinn and Ms. Cagalli!" Meyrin smiled at them. Their friends were already there and they all gave their regards to the newlyweds.

"You can just call me Cagalli, Meyrin." Cagalli smiled at her and knelt down to the level of the little girl beside Athrun.

"You better take care of you mama and papa okay? You have to promise me, Akiko." Cagalli grinned at the little girl. Akiko just nodded enthusiastically. Cagalli patted her head, stood up then faced Athrun.

"Athrun..."

"Cagalli..."

"I'm... married now..."

"I..uhm... I can see that..."

"I hope that you're happy with Meyrin... I'm expecting a wedding from the both of you..."

"..."

Awkwardness filled the air and these two former love birds were both blushing. Cagalli looked at Athrun one last time and kissed his cheek. Athrun touched his cheek, looking at her.

"I better go now... Bye, Athrun..." With that, Cagalli raised her wedding gown to avoid stepping on it while she ran to Shinn and Ken.

They took group pictures and they stayed for a bit before going to the after-wedding celebration. Cagalli threw the flowers behind her back and a certain pink-haired woman caught it.

"Lacus is next! Kira, I want a grand wedding celebration, okay?" Cagalli slapped her brother's back real hard.

"Ouch... " Kira massaged his aching back. "Let me propose first before getting married..." Kira said.

After that, they went to the party and ate their lunch happily. They saw Cagalli enjoying the whole event, with Ken tailing her. She went to all the guests, welcomed them and took pictures with them. They reminisced about the stuff they've gone through, the painful and happy ones.

Cagalli and Athrun tried not to look affected whenever their love story came up.

"I remember when Cagalli told me how romantic Athrun was when he first kissed her."

"He-hey! Lacus, zip it!"

"You told me that you found it romantic but then you were disappointed because you noticed that the background wasn't the moon, but earth." Lacus giggled joyfully.

"Hahaha...ha.." Cagalli laughed sarcastically.

"I'm sorry for mentioning it..." Lacus felt guilty that she had to remind the two about their love story.

"Naah. It's fine Lacus."

Even after Lacus apologized, they still continued talking about the past.

The event has officially ended. Kira, Lacus, Athrun, Meyrin, Akiko, Yzak, Shiho, Dearka and Vino went back to the PLANTS while Cagalli, Shinn and Ken stayed behind.

Shinn bought a house for his family last December as a Christmas gift for Cagalli and Ken. It was situated a few blocks from Cagalli's office. Today was the first night they'll be sleeping together in one bed and as a married couple. They changed into their sleeping attire and was about to lie down when Ken took a pillow and walked towards the door.

"Ken, where are you going?" Cagalli asked.

"I'm sleeping downstairs."

"Why?"

"...because you two need time together and I'm big enough to sleep alone."

Knowing full well what Ken meant, Shinn approached Ken. "Thanks big guy." Shinn patted Ken's head. The boy nodded and closed the door.

"Shinn... Why does he know something like that?" Cagalli asked as Shinn sat on the bed.

"Kids these days..."

"SHINN ASUKA..."

Hearing his full name, Shinn slowly looked at her. Cagalli just glared at him.

"WHAT IN THE WORLD DID YOU TELL KEN?!" Cagalli was already strangling Shinn.

"I didn't say anything! He... he knew that married couples do... uhm... do that stuff." Shinn was gasping for air. "Ca—cagalli... I can't...breathe...!"

Cagalli let Shinn go, smiled lustfully, turned to him and took off her clothes. It was the night, the night they would cross the barriers...

November 11 Cosmic Era 76

Nine months have passed and Cagalli's tummy was now as big as a watermelon...Maybe even bigger...

The couple didn't know the gender of their child since they didn't have time to go to the doctor for a check-up. She was so busy and she was too stubborn to listen to everybody's concerns. They didn't worry too much because she was acting normal and in fact, even more lively than before. Ken tried to persuade his mother into resting but she wouldn't listen.

"I'll be fine honey." Cagalli patted her son's head as she sipped her coffee and handed Shinn the papers she was holding. After handing the papers to Shinn, Cagalli groaned in pain and dropped the mug. The mug broke and the spilled coffee was slowly staining the carpet.

"Cagalli!"

"Mom!"

Shinn put the papers on the table and went to Cagalli as did Ken. Shinn carried her to his car and lied her down at the back. He took his car keys and opened the door to the driver's seat hastily. "Ken, sit at the back and keep your mom calm." He ordered Ken as he started the engine and drove to the nearest hospital.

Inside the delivery room...

"Cagalli... Breathe slowly... Don't tire yourself out too much..." Shinn reminded her with worry in his eyes. "Everything will be fine..." Cagalli was sweating and breathing heavily. Ken waited just outside the room.

"DAMNIT! IT HURTS... UGH!" Cagalli complained as she pushed, with the help of Shinn, the doctor and the nurses.

"Calm down, Ms. Cagalli..." the doctor said.

"HOW IN THE WORLD WILL I CALM DOWN! GIVING BIRTH IS TOO... AAAAAAHHHHH!"

Cagalli tightened her grip on Shinn's hands. He felt her nails digging through his skin. He wanted to whimper but he just bit his lip because he knew that Cagalli's in an even crueler situation.

After giving birth to a baby boy, she finally calmed down.

"Please keep on pushing, princess."

"What...?" Cagalli asked, half-pissed.

"There's another one... I can see the head."

"Twins, huh? Alright...one last push..." Cagalli said, readying herself.

"Uhm, Cagalli...?" Shinn didn't know how to react to his wife's energy.

"1...2...3... HHHNNNNNNNGGGGGG...!" Cagalli pushed as hard as she could.

A cry was heard. It was a baby girl.

"Congratulations! A boy and girl!" the doctor shook Shinn's hand. He was overwhelmed and then jumped for joy.

"I'm a father now! Cagalli, thank you!" Shinn held Cagalli's hand who was smiling weakly.

"I'm so tired... please tell me about it later..." And with that, Cagalli lost consciousness.

Shinn went outside and carried Ken. "Ken, your siblings are here!"

"Wait, dad... siblings?!"

"Yup! Your mom gave birth to twins!"

"Really?! Wow!"

The father and son jumped for joy and then went to Cagalli's room where she was brought by the nurse.

August 22 Cosmic Era 92

Shinn and Cagalli's eldest, Ken Sora Asuka was now studying politics so that he could take over his mother's duties when he gets older. He's now 24 years old and very dashing gentleman he has become. His long silver hair and his shimmering jet black eyes were enough to charm all the girls in ORB. He decided to leave ORB to learn and experience the world of politics. He goes to the Earth Alliance territories and to the PLANTs most of the time. He comes home every weekend to bond with his younger siblings and of course to the parents who took care of him even though they weren't blood related.

The older twin, Alex Lloyd Asuka, is a first year high school student at a private school in ORB, together with his younger twin sister, Via Kath Asuka. They both wanted to be treated as ordinary people so they asked their parents to let them go to school like a normal student. Not many people knew about the Asuka children but Via's appearance was a big giveaway. Her sparkling blonde hair swayed as the wind blew, and her ruby orbs were rather enticing. She resembled her mother very much. Alex, on the other hand, had the charm of his father. His hazel eyes far outshone his raven-colored hair and he was quite attractive to say the least.

Ken, even though he wasn't that young anymore, treated his younger siblings to an expensive restaurant and went back home just a few hours ago. The three fell asleep on the couch, sitting down. The twins' heads were leaning on the shoulder of Ken, as if his shoulders existed for his siblings.

"Look at them... No matter how big they are now, they'll still be my little angels..." Cagalli couldn't help but smile at her sleeping children.

"Our little angels..." Shinn corrected her. He pecked her cheek and locked his arms around her waist. "Do you want triplets?"

Cagalli elbowed Shinn. "Jerk..."

"You don't want to? Come on... we'll make 2 or 3 more half-Coordinator, half-Natural kids..."

"Idiot... Shinn... Maybe next time, okay?" Cagalli kissed her husband's lips and went to take a shower.

"I don't want to wait any longer..." Shinn pouted and waited for his wife to come out of the bathroom.

There he saw a blonde goddess clad in a mint green see-through night gown which she only wears when they do something naughty.

"I thought you wanted to do it next time?"

"You don't want? I can change my mind if you want to..."

"I said nothing of a sort..."

Cagalli stroke Shinn's hair and passionately kissed his neck, looking at him intently.

Thanks for all the support of the ShinCaga fans!

VERY VERY SORRY FOR THE MAJOR REVISIONS. I felt restless regarding the flow of the story. You know that feeling when you want to change the story? I felt that. So please forgive me if the whole sequel changed BIG TIME.