Spring – the sequel to A Trip to Tatsumiya
Disclaimer: I do not own the copyrights. All copyrights belong to respective copyright holders.
Characters:GS: Athrun Zala
Dearka Elsman
Kira Yamato
Meyrin Hawke
Miriallia Haw
Shinn Asuka
Tolle Koenig
Yzak Joule
SnF:Canon Memphis
Kasugai Koyo
Kazuki Makabe
Kenji Kondo
Maya Toomi
Sakura Kaname
Shoko Hazama
Soushi Minashiro
Eva:Asuka Langley Soryu
Mana Kirishima
Author's notes:
Goodness, this is the first time I'm trying to blend so many series into one fanfic! Please do post your reviews and tell me how I can improve. Thank you!
I would also like to say that I may falter in some places. My sincere apologies, since I am still new.
Also, I am NOT a supporter of same-sex marriages.
Spring Chapter 1: Live
21st March, CE 75.
It was a joyous occasion, as many would like to believe. It was a marriage on Tatsumiya Island. However, this was no ordinary one. This was the very first time since the Constitution was amended to allow same-sex marriages. Although he would have never allowed it if he had the choice, Tolle Koenig had to accept the fact that the world was rapidly changing. Not too long ago, Athrun Zala and Kira Yamato also got married, here too. The whole of Terminal had decided to settle here back in autumn, bringing the likes of Athrun, Kira, Yzak Joule, Shinn Asuka, Meyrin Hawke, and… Dearka Elsman. Dearka Elsman. Although the rest of Terminal had known this long ago, Tolle didn't know this: Dearka and Miriallia had been dating quite some time ago, back in CE 71, after Tolle was presumed dead. Although Tolle did suspect something fishy back when he joined Terminal's research and development department, he never had the time to follow up on those gut feelings. Right till now.
Everyone living on the coastal side of Tatsumiya was invited to this grand marriage. As it was so grand, the only place deemed suitable for such a celebration would be… Alvis' convention hall. Alvis was the only place in the whole of Tatsumiya boasting a convention centre. When the whole congregation had arrived for cocktail, Miriallia left Tolle to join Dearka. This was only the beginning. Tolle had sensed something fishy again. It was not that Athrun and Kira were together. That he had come to get used to, but rather, it was the way Miriallia acted around Dearka. Where in his presence, Miriallia would try to be every bit the dignified lady that one had come to expect of the Haw family, she threw that all aside in Dearka's presence, turning flirty and raucous in a flash. Tolle could not understand this.
Till now, the rest of Terminal had managed to keep the happenings onboard the Archangel from Tolle. Whenever he asked for recordings of the security cameras on the Archangel, he would be answered by a "And what for?" by the Public Relations Executive, Kira Yamato, who was also in charge of the recordings and other materials which, in Terminal's opinion, was to be kept away from prying eyes. So Tolle didn't have a single idea to what had happened while he was recuperating in Stockholm, Sweden. He had also taken the time to attain a degree in Psychology while at Stockholm. He realized, after some time in Terminal, that everyone had something to hide from him, but the reasons were unclear to him. But for the Terminal Executive Committee, this was all in good faith.
Over at another corner, Kira had remembered the time Tolle had asked him for the recordings of Archangel's security cameras. He had answered with a curt "What for?" Actually, he knew that Tolle had wanted badly to see how Milly had been doing in Archangel at that time, the time after he was presumed dead. He wouldn't, for two reasons: Immediately after he was presumed dead, she had sunk into a state of despair and depression. Tolle would never want to see that, he reasoned to himself. The other reason: Dearka. Dearka and Milly had it going on quite well, this till the end of the war, and lasted right on till the Second. Where they broke apart. Milly was unusually cheerful on the outside, but Kira knew one thing – she was torn apart inside. Tolle would have blown up if he had seen that.
Athrun also had known a few more reasons. Tolle would not be able to cope if he had known it all. It would come as a tremendous shock to him, and God knows what he would do. Besides, if Tolle had known about Dearka and Milly being together, it would cause him to 'switch off', as Athrun had put it to the committee once during a meeting on whether the truth be told to Tolle. The decision was unanimous: He should be 'protected' from the harsh truth, as far as possible, and the members of the committee were bound to keep it under wraps if he had pursued the matter.
Tolle, on his part, had not pursued it with all his might: He knew that the whole committee was made up of exclusively freethinkers and atheists, and it would not be in his favor to force his way through, since he had known that, back on Heliopolis, he was pushed aside, being a Methodist and the main thought group there being Atheistic. Only Milly was different, she was Anglican, and that set her apart from the rest too.
Dearka, as everybody in Terminal knew, would lose the most if the truth was revealed. He would have been looked upon suspicion if Tolle had known of his relationship with Milly. Even though the committee had promised to give him protection lest anything untoward occur to him due to the truth being revealed, the committee had turned its back on Sai Argyle too, after Kira had found out about his relationship with Flay. Although everyone had known it all along, Kira had used this to get Sai, who was 'a thorn' in his eyes, out of the committee. If this could happen, no-one could predict what could happen to him.
As for Yzak, he had a share in keeping it from Tolle too. After Dearka and Milly got close, Yzak actually received kickbacks from Milly, who was on the committee before she left for Tatsumiya. It was only in his favor to keep the secret as it was. A secret.
Milly, knowing this was wrong in her deepest hearts of hearts, had tried to put it to Tolle, but it was so indirect, he had never thought it possible. Things like "Do you trust me?" and "What do you think of Dearka?" had never aroused Tolle's suspicion, so the committee had nothing to worry about. In fact, Milly had labeled Tolle 'dense' quite often.
During the whole wedding, Dearka and Milly were getting intimate with each other, not noticing Tolle right across the VIP table, seated next to Canon. Tolle had never understood this – Milly had always been that straight, demure girl in his presence, but with Dearka, it was a different story. She was extremely flirtatious and raucous, once telling Dearka that she would like to have 'some fun' with him, and Dearka agreed.
After the wedding, Tolle retired at home. There were weird noises coming from 547, Dearka's but he dismissed them as a drunk Dearka hitting stuff. But he was so wrong.
The next day, a Saturday, just outside his house, 550, residents were discussing about the resident at the end of the street – 555. 550 was in the middle of the street, stretching from 545 to 555. Everyone had gathered there to discuss the happenings of last night.
"Well, he's always been like that! Everyone knows he's a playboy!"
"But this time, it was extra-loud! What the heck could have happened?"
"Goodness, you don't know him do you? Every Friday night, he goes out drinking with the rest of 'e Terminal people from 552 right up to 554 – they come back first. He comes back just after midnight with a girl, and then have fun with her!"
"But he's now going steady with one of them!"
"Why, this time around, its Dr Toomi's 'other' daughter we're talking about!"
"You mean she has ANOTHER DAUGHTER? She already has 2!"
"This one was that Bertrand Mitsuhiro's daughter. So they say – she was given up for adoption later. That poor girl, she never knew who she really was. She was ONLY an ensign till recently. She's a Major now."
"Whatever the case, her poor guy, that one right in there, he hasn't got the slightest idea. He's such a great guy - and he's probably still thinking that the girl loves her – truth is, she's betrayed him at least 3 times!"
"Whoa, you only say that? I think she's two-timing him!"
"Guess we've gotta tell him!"
But by now, Tolle had gotten to the front door. His first words were "What's up, you all?", and inviting them into his house for a spot of tea.
One by one, the residents put together the story. From how Milly had been with Dearka since CE 72, which they found out from the residents from 552 to 554, the Terminal people, to now, where Milly and Dearka were having 'fun under the sheets' last night. Tolle slowly let it sink it, as the residents were looking rather intently at him.
Tolle pieced the parts together. But he couldn't figure what was going on, till Sakura Kaname, rather fed up with Tolle's denseness, blurted out: "Anta baka? Milly's cheating on you!" Finally, he got it.
He decided that before anything else, he had better get more evidence. And what better way than to hire Private Investigators?
So he called up a PI service company – EVA Private Investigators.
When they came to his house, they got an idea on what was happening. The two ladies hired for the job – Asuka Langley Soryu and Mana Kirishima had some tactics up their hands.
"Well, we're going to invite her over for drinks." Mana started.
"And we're going to dig the truth from her – we Germans all know – a drunken person can tell no lies!" Asuka added.
It seemed perfect. Now, with evidence, he had backing.