Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam SEED

Was this the place? He wasn't sure. It sure felt right, he thought, breathing in the salty air. The white sand and sunset were just like he saw in his dreams. Sure, there were any number of places it could be, he reminded himself. But something about this place just felt right. Even the tropical heat. Which would definitely take some getting used to.

He wished he could remember more. It had been two years now since he woke up in that hospital, and all he could remember was that sunset. A woman had been there with him, holding his hand. He had felt warm. And happy. But every time he tried to focus on her face, the image vanished just as suddenly as it had appeared, leaving him more and more frustrated.

Maybe he would at least get some answers here. If he had been here before, someone had to know him, right? He had been a soldier, they had told him at the hospital. A mobile suit pilot, whatever that was. Maybe he could look over at that complex he saw being built off on the next island over. It looked like it could be a military base. But first he would need to find a place to stay.

"Are you going to the ceremony tomorrow?" Erica Simmons asked her friend in between bites of her sandwich, trying to enjoy her lunch break.

Murrue nodded, sipping her drink. "I think I might go tonight also. It would be our second anniversary…," she sighed, expression turning sad.

"I'm sure he would like that," she patted gently patted her friend's shoulder. "How are you doing?"

"Better. Maybe I've finally started to accept that I won't see him again. At least not in this lifetime."

"What will you do now?"

"Wait for him," she replied without hesitation.

"You know he wouldn't want you to hide yourself away from life forever."

"I know. He told me. But it's not what I want."

"You have quite the fan club here, you know," Erica attempted to point out.

She didn't answer, mumbling something incoherent under her breath.

"You're a stubborn one," Erica sighed in defeat.

"So I've been told," she laughed a little, finishing the last of her soda.

He stared at a stone marker, confused by the dozens of flowers surrounding it. It was a war memorial, he realized as he read the inscription. And tomorrow is the anniversary. Had he taken part in the battle? The people at the hospital had told him he had gotten his injuries in space, but if he had been here, maybe he had fought in the battle.

It didn't seem possible a place like this had been touched by war. It was so peaceful. Very much like the place he had woken up in, only much warmer. It seemed like a nice place to live. Would he be able to fit in here? Would he ever find someone who knew him? Would he ever remember his past?

He was so lost in thought, he jumped at the sound of footsteps behind him. It made sense people would be visiting tonight. Turning to leave to give them some privacy, he stopped when the visitor gasped, dropping their flowers onto the rocky ground. It was probably because of his scars. No big deal. He was used to it. Picking up the flowers, he handed them to the visitor with an apologetic smile. "Sorry for scaring you."

"Are you really here?" Her voice was barely audible. All she could do was stare. This was a dream. It had to be. She was just seeing him like she had so many other times. She would wake up any minute now.

"You know me?" His eyes widened at the visitor's reaction. It seemed like she had seen a ghost. Maybe she really did know him. Would he finally be able to get some answers?

There was a long pause as she attempted to compose herself. "You look like someone I used to know," she managed to get out, attempting to hold back tears. This was turning into more of a nightmare. Hopefully she would wake up soon.

"You do know me. If I just looked like someone you used to know, you wouldn't be looking at me like that. Or crying," he pointed out. She didn't say anything for a while, so he took the opportunity to look at her properly. She was beautiful. Easily the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Maybe she was the one from his dream?

"Blunt as always," she sighed, rubbing the tears out of her eyes. "I didn't want to overwhelm you."

"Don't worry. You won't. I've been waiting two years to find someone who knew me."

"You came to the right place, then," she managed a very weak smile.

"Are there more?"

She nodded. "You had a lot of friends."

"Were you a friend?"

"You could say that," she looked down, expression turning sad again.

"Were we more than friends?"

She nodded again, not trusting herself to speak.

Hating to see her sad for some reason, he gently patted her shoulder. "I'm sorry I don't remember you. If it makes you feel any better, I don't remember anything except the last two years."

"I'm sorry. I just…," she took a deep breath. "I didn't expect this."

"I know, and I'm sorry."

"You don't need to apologize. It's not your fault." It's mine.

"I can go if you want. If it's too much."

"It's alright. I'm sure you have a lot of questions. I'd want someone to tell me."

"Not if it means causing you pain."

"Your heart's still the same," she smiled a little at that.

"That's good to know," he returned the smile. At least some things were still the same. "Can I see you again?"

She thought about it for a few seconds. It certainly wouldn't be easy, but it was the right thing to do. "Yes. We can meet here Saturday morning."

"Thanks," he smiled again. The same smile she had missed so much. "Can I have your name?"

"Murrue. Murrue Ramius."

"That's a nice name."

"Thanks….," she blushed. "Though in public it's Maria. It's a long story," she laughed a little at his confused expression.

"I'll look forward to hearing it."

He paced back and forth over the rocks, nervous for some reason he didn't quite understand. He glanced around the memorial every few minutes, hoping to catch sight of her. Would she show up? He wouldn't blame her if she didn't. It looked like she had been hit by a train when he asked her if she knew him. It was probably too much.

It was a nice thought that someone had loved him. It wasn't something he knew much about, or even what it felt like. But it was a nice thought. He had sometimes wondered if he had been a bad person. That maybe his amnesia and injuries were some sort of karma coming back to bite him. But if someone like her had loved him, there was no way he could have been.

He waited a while longer until he finally saw her slowly making her way to the memorial. Smiling, he waved. His smile widened when she hesitantly waved back. "I wasn't sure if you would show up."

"I almost didn't," she admitted. She had almost turned around several times. Maybe it would be best to leave the past in the past. Maybe it really would be too much. But he at least deserved some answers. Maybe it would even help him remember.

"Thanks for coming. I know it can't be easy."

"There's a park a couple of blocks over. We can talk there without being overheard."

"Lead the way."

"This is a nice place," he looked around the large park line with dozens of palm and shade trees. There were a few people taking advantage of the cool morning breeze to walk or jog while a few children entertained themselves on the playground.

"It is," she agreed, smiling for what felt like the first time that morning. "I come here after work sometimes."

"What do you do?"

"I thought you wanted to know about yourself," she laughed a little.

"I do, but I want to know about you, too."

"I'm an engineer."

"With the military?"

She shook her head. "I gave that up after the war."

"Was that how we met?"

"Yes. You ended up on my ship by accident," she explained, watching a few ducks float by on the small lake in front of their bench.

"Was I a good pilot?

"One of the best. A famous one, actually," she laughed a little when his eyes widened.

"Did we fight for these guys?"

"Not at first. We ended up defecting from the Earth Alliance after they abandoned us. We came here since Orb had been kind to us before."

"Did we fight in that battle the memorial was for?"

"We did. The Alliance attacked Orb, and we helped defend it."

"I was worried I had been fighting for the wrong side," he breathed a sigh of relief.

"It was thanks to you we found out the Alliance had betrayed us. You saved all of us."

"I'm glad," he smiled. "What happened after we defended Orb?"

"We went to space," she took a deep breath to steady herself for the part she had been dreading most. "We fought the Alliance and ZAFT to try to stop the war. And we did, but…..,"

"Was that how I got hurt?"

She nodded. "You saved us again," she turned her head away, not wanting him to see her tears.

"I'm sorry," he put a hand on her shoulder. "If it's too much, I can leave."

"I'm alright," wiping her eyes, she forced a smile. "What else did you want to know?"

"Are there any good places to eat around here?" He decided a change of subject was in order. She had done more than enough already.

Thankful that he had given her an out, she smiled a little. "There's a café around the corner."

"Will you go too?"

She thought about it for a moment. She probably shouldn't. She should probably keep her distance. If he hadn't remembered anything in two years, the odds weren't great he would remember anything now. And talking to him hadn't seemed to help like she had hoped. But lunch wouldn't hurt, would it? She was hungry. She nodded, not noticing the smile that spread across his scarred face.

"Do you like it here?" He asked between bites of his sandwich. The café had been a good choice, and a welcome relief from the heat and humidity outside.

She nodded, sipping her tea. "It's home now. Do you?"

"It seems nice, but I could do without the heat."

She laughed a little. "It takes some getting used to, especially for someone from the north."

"That explains a lot," he chuckled. "The place I woke up in was cold. That felt more right for some reason."

"Where was that?"

"Stockholm. Some people from something called Terminal found me and brought me there."

"We help them. They wanted to end the fighting too," she smiled a little. "And make sure it doesn't start again."

"They were nice. They patched me up and helped me learn to walk again. Even got me a job to get me on my feet."

Her expression turned sad again. He had been through so much, and all because of her.

"I'm alright now," he smiled, hoping to cheer her up.

"How long were you there?"

"I was in the hospital for about four months. Once I was well enough, I worked in a factory until I got here a few days ago."

"How did you end up here?"

"There was this commercial for this place that reminded me of a dream. I think it's the only memory I have."

She couldn't help but get her hopes up. If he remembered something, maybe he would remember her. "What did you see?"

"The beach. At sunset. Someone is with me, but I can't see them. It's not much, I know," he sighed in disappointment.

"It's something," she reminded him. "Are you going to stay?"

"Now that I met you," his smile returned when he noticed her blush. "I'll need a job, though."

"I'll talk to my boss. I bet she can find something for you to do."

"Really? You'd do that even though I don't remember?" She was pretty tough. He wasn't sure he'd be able to handle it if the situation was reversed. He really did have to learn more about her.

"I'll be fine." It wasn't the end of the world. Maybe he would remember, and maybe he wouldn't, but she owed it to him to help as much as she could, despite how difficult it would be for her.

"Thanks for talking to me today. I know it wasn't easy."

"You're welcome."