Author's Note: What if Meer went with Athrun instead of staying behind? An attempt at exploring Meer's insecurities and Athrun's sweet, understanding nature. Just something I wanted to try because I thought it might be interesting and needed to get my spark back somehow! This story starts out in the middle of episode 36 of Destiny.

Disclaimer: Gundam Seed and all its characters belong to their respective owners.

Come With Me!

Chapter 01: On the Run

She was just walking down the hall, minding her own business.

She really hadn't been snooping around. In fact, she usually took great care not to appear like she was interested in anything around her, because, in truth, being surrounded by all these soldiers made her uneasy. Back on PLANT, her new career as Lacus Clyne's stand-in representative had left her breathless with anticipation. She couldn't wait to get up in the morning so she could start her day! She had sorted through a wide variety of emotions during her whirlwind adventure of stepping into the shoes… scratch that: the graceful high heels of Lady Lacus, but she had never been uneasy. Now that she was on Earth, in the heart of an important military base, Meer found herself, disappointingly, feeling less like a pop star and more and more like some kind of trophy. Any chance to perform boosted her spirits considerably, but as soon as the flashing lights and upbeat music died down and her time to shine was over, the intimidating atmosphere of the ZAFT military headquarters started eating at her again. She was actually on her way to see the chairman, hoping to find out if they would be leaving for space again soon.

So, she had been minding her own business when, suddenly, she heard voices. One was the chairman – she would recognize his distinct tone anywhere. The other was a low, droning voice, practically emotionless. She knew she shouldn't have peeked around the corner to see who it was, but her curiosity got the better of her.

"Would you care for something to drink?" the chairman was asking the young man sitting in the chair opposite of him. A man with golden hair and cool, blue eyes.

Meer darted back behind the cover of the wall, holding her breath and hoping they had not noticed the flash of candy pink hair caused by her quick movement. She knew that guy's face. The chairman favoured him for some reason. She had seen the two with their heads together on more than one occasion. Rey za Burrel. Any other girl would probably have found his handsome features attractive, but not Meer. She did not think he was bad looking, exactly… It was just that she only had room for one boy in her heart, and his name was Athrun Zala. It was quite fitting, really, since he was the Lady Lacus's fiancée. Her fiancée, she reminded herself giddily. Because she was Lacus now. She was about to drift off on a happy imagination bubble in which she would feed Athrun strawberries and ice cream, when something on the floor caught her eye.

She bent to pick it up and frowned. It was a photograph. Of Athrun.

"So Athrun won't do after all…"

Hearing those nasty words come from the chairman's mouth froze her heart. Her breathing teetered on the edge of a gasp. She held it. Held it and listened.

"As we suspected," Rey continued in that emotionless drone, "his loyalties towards the Archangel and Freedom were strong. Very strong."

"There's no other use for him…" the chairman sighed. "He's incredibly strong, but he thinks too much. What a waste…"

There was a slight pause as the two men considered the possibilities in silence.

What are they saying? she thought frantically. Was Athrun not good enough for ZAFT anymore?

"Could it be… that this 'Kira Yamato' is to blame…? His friendship with Athrun is a hindrance," the chairman reasoned. "I suppose you could say that their paths having crossed is… unfortunate." Another pause. Things certainly did not sound good for Athrun. She had no idea who this 'Kira Yamato' character was or what kind of influence he had over Athrun, but she knew that this conversation was a dangerous one. "However, Kira is dead. Perhaps now—"

"Wrong. He is alive," Rey interjected quietly, an ominous undertone in his voice. She could hear the chairman's surprised grunt. "Kira Yamato lives on… Inside Athrun's heart, that is."

"Oh, yes…" the chairman chuckled softly, a bitter, mocking sound. "Now that is bothersome…" Meer could almost hear the older man's sardonic smile creep into his voice. "Well, the charges won't be a problem. Can I count on you to do the rest?"

She did not wait for the chairman's confidant to answer. She slipped out the door silently, clutching the photograph to her chest. This was serious. Way too serious. Athrun was in trouble! She rushed blindly in the direction of his room. She had to at least warn him!

He had been acting rather strangely earlier that day, she recalled. Something had changed in his eyes. He no longer regarded the chairman with solemn respect. That afternoon, he had questioned the older man, even came close to defying him. And the look Athrun had given her… She shuddered. He had not meant to aim his frustration at her, had he? No, she was sure that could not have been the case. Either way, when they were shown their brand new units, that kid, Shinn, was all over his like a child getting a new toy. Athrun had not even said thank you. Was that why the chairman was not satisfied with Athrun anymore? Maybe if Athrun acted more interested… Her thoughts came to a standstill.

She stood in front of his room.

Taking a deep breath, she quickly straightened her hair and smoothed her skirt before proceeding to knock urgently on the door.

"Athrun," she called. "Athrun!" He was not answering…Oh, forget it! she thought, pushing the door open. This was no time to be polite.

She nearly stumbled when she discovered that the room was shrouded in darkness. It seemed to suit the mood of the lone Coordinator standing at the window. He had been staring at the rain, brooding. She promptly switched on the lights. Athrun cringed at the sudden brightness of the room. His emerald eyes pulled into two slits of bright colour, set in a pleasantly pale face framed with luscious, dark locks. He was so perfect. Sometimes she still couldn't believe that he was real! Whenever she was near him, she feared that she might wake up from this sweet dream at any moment and never see him again. She shook her head. What was she thinking…! This was definitely no time to be goggling!

"I thought you'd be here!" she scolded in her best Lacus voice. She drew confidence from her appearance as she strode towards him, making herself as tall as she could. Surely Athrun would listen to his fiancée. "You shouldn't be standing around here looking depressed!"

He looked indignant at her for just barging in, but made no move to stop her.

"I think the way you acted in the hangar earlier has displeased the chairman! You should show more gratitude or you'll be in trouble! Well, what have you got to say for yourself?" she demanded. But instead of answering, his expression darkened. In his eyes, she saw an unfathomable sadness.

"Are you happy now?" he asked, a bitter smile forming on his lips. A smile that did not touch his eyes. His sad eyes remained narrowed, as if he was bearing immeasurable pain. "You love being Lacus, right? The real one is gone now… You can be Lacus to your heart's content… Are you satisfied?

The accusation stung as surely as if he had struck her. Why would he say such things to her?

"It's not like that!" she defended. Why would he accuse her of— Of course… He had been under the impression that the Lady Lacus had been aboard the Archangel, and had assumed that she had gone down with it… "Besides! Lady Lacus is still alive!"

His expression of utter despair faltered, then changed gradually as shock and realization set in. He grasped her by the shoulders firmly. She gasped. Her heart was beating a drum roll. She had never been this close to Athrun before. Not with him initiating the contact.

"H-How do you know!? Is she all right!? You have to tell me!" he cried, his eyes alight with pain, the pain of new-found hope he was yet too afraid to embrace.

For all the maturity of Athrun's handsome features, his eyes were those of a lost child. He seemed so vulnerable. She longed to touch her hand to his cheek, longed for him to accept her touch and draw comfort from it. But it was Lacus he cared for. Not Meer. Subdued, Meer told him the story of how her shuttle had been hijacked.

"So she's in space…" he breathed finally.

New worry lines began creasing his forehead. Instead of being relieved, he looked even more upset. And spooked. She could sense it as his whole being seemed to tense once more. What was going through his mind right now? For a moment, all she could do was stare at him, captivated by the morbid splendour of his eyes, glittering with pain and confusion. She strengthened her resolve to make him feel better.

"That's good news, right?" she probed, gingerly touching his arm.

"But if the chairman knew about this, why didn't he tell me?" he muttered, seemingly oblivious to both her words and her touch.

Speaking of the chairman… Athrun was in danger! They did not have time for this! She pulled lightly at his arm, but he did not react.

"Come on, Athrun…!" she urged. "Lady Lacus is all right, so you don't have to worry about her, okay? Just worry about yourself now! That Shinn kid is spending all his time down at the hangar fawning over his new unit! You have to go too! Otherwise the chairman will…"

She let her sentence trail away. Trapped in his own thoughts, he still did not heed her. Impatiently, she began tugging at his arm, hard this time, but he refused to budge. How could he not notice that she was pulling at his arm? It was almost as if he had turned to stone! She was so flustered at his lack of response that she almost dropped the piece of paper she clutched in her free hand…

Of course! The photograph!

"Here, look at this!" she declared, shoving the photo in front of his face. She fought a smirk of satisfaction as his eyes went wide – any kind of reaction was better than standing around here getting caught! "I found it in the chairman's room! I overheard him talking to that Rey guy."

Perplexed, Athrun reached his hand out to grasp the picture numbly. The moment his fingers touched it, it was as if he had been mesmerized. He stared and stared at the image of him and three other people as if he could not – or did not want to – believe his eyes. She told him what she had heard them say, word for word as she recalled it. She was not sure if he was listening, but she hoped that the perilous implications would soon sink in and jolt him into action.

"See? You're in danger!" she cried for emphasis.

Slowly, painfully, he squeezed his eyes shut and crumpled the photograph in his fist. His shoulders began to tremble slightly. His features were warring between an expression of anger and pain. Meer's heart went out to him. He had done nothing wrong, really. Why had the chairman been spying on him? And what were they planning on doing to him? She placed her hands over his and gave a gentle squeeze, hoping to soothe him somehow. It did not seem to be helping.

"Quick! You have to assure the chairman of your loyalty, or else they'll—"

She bit off the rest of her sentence when there was a stomach-twisting rap at the door. She swung her head in the direction of the sound. It was too late. They were here to arrest him! Her heart pounded frantically as she heard the official outside the door request to 'have a word' with Athrun Zala. An icy feeling gripped her stomach as she fervently hoped she had remembered to lock the door.

"I should have known…" she heard Athrun rasp resentfully. "The chairman is a clever man. He knew about me all along. He knew exactly how I felt… What I needed to hear…" Meer blinked at him. She wished she understood better what was happening. Maybe then she could have comforted him somehow. Athrun looked up, anger putting a dangerous glint in his eyes. "He's right, though. What he wants is a fighting machine, an unquestioning puppet murdering at the pull of a string… I can never be like that. No matter how righteous his words may sound!"

The words struck her like a brick between the eyes. Suddenly Athrun made the chairman sounded like a cold-blooded puppet master! But the chairman did good deeds, helped those in need! He protected PLANT and he had allowed her to become Lady Lacus so she could help stop the war… She could not make herself believe it. This had to be some sort of misunderstanding!

But, a nagging little thought came from the back of her mind, if the chairman is right, does that mean that Athrun is the one at fault? She could not make herself believe that either. Meer felt torn. On the one hand was Chairman Gilbert Dullindal, the man who had made her dream come true. On the other hand, the war hero, Athrun Zala, who had supported her idol, the Lady Lacus, in stopping the first war.

How could either be wrong? It had to be a misunderstanding!

What happened next was all too fast for Meer to take in. Athrun smashed the window. There was shouting. The guards kicked the door down and stampeded into the room with their guns raised, only to find Athrun gone. They spared her not a glance, but she was still paralyzed with fear.

"Find him!" one of them yelled as they jumped out the window after him.

To hunt him.

At the orders of the chairman himself.

Why? Why is this happening!? she thought, quivering. If she had not heard it with her own ears, she did not think she would have believed that the chairman could do such a thing. Oh, please, don't kill Athrun!

She heard sounds of fighting just outside the window. Was he all right? She heard dull thumps and low grunts, but no gunshots. For a heartbeat, all was quiet. The only sounds audible were that of the rain pelting down from the heavens, and her shallow breathing.

And then he materialized on the window sill. Like an angel framed by a divine halo of cascading rainwater. An angel clutching a rifle in his one hand, but angelic, nonetheless. Spellbound, she took his hand as he beckoned for her.

The spell was broken, however, by the pouring rain drenching her body the instant she stepped out onto the fire-escape. He led her further and further down the slippery stairs. She had trouble keeping up with him in her high heels. All the while, her thoughts spun in circles. Maybe she could convince the chairman to give Athrun another chance. Maybe the chairman could reason with Athrun. If only they could all come to some sort of agreement. Then no one would have to get hurt.

"A-Athrun!" she stammered. Ignoring the bucketsful of water soaking him to the skin, he stopped to cock his head at her and listen. For a moment she was tongue-tied. "Athrun… why?"

"The chairman only has a use for those who comply with the roles he gives them to play," he explained. "To him, you're nothing more than a convenient Lacus pawn. And I nothing more than a mobile suit pilot. You can't possibly keep on doing this forever, Meer! As soon as your usefulness runs out, he'll kill you too!" His eyes took on an intensity she had never seen before. "Come with me!"

Time stopped.

At any other time, she would have been thrilled to hear him say those last three words. At any other time, she would have followed him to the ends of the earth and beyond. But not like this… Going with him now meant abandoning her role as Lacus. She just couldn't do that…!

He started pulling her along after him. Distraught, she snatched back her hand. He stopped and stared at her uncertainly, blinking rainwater from his eyes.

"I-I… I'm Lacus!" she spluttered.

"Meer!" he gasped.

"No!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. Not Meer! "I'm Lacus! I – am – Lacus!" She could never go back to being just Meer again. Plain, boring Meer with her mousey hair, round face and freckles. She would much rather be Lacus. "I want to be Lacus!!!"

"Meer…" he said, more gently this time.

His eyes were intent on her, and so beautiful.

What would Athrun see in the old Meer? The question slipped past her defences before she could quash it.

What were the odds of an unattractive girl, an absolute nobody, meeting someone like Athrun Zala face to face and having him stare at her so intensely? Next to zero? No, precisely zero. She knew it for the truth, and it hurt. It hurt more than she ever thought it could. She felt an involuntary sob tear from her throat. He would never even have noticed her…!

No! her mind screamed. She shook her head as she continued to weep, tears mixing with the incessant downpour. That was in thepast! She was not a nobody! She was Lacus now!

"Who cares if I'm just playing her role!?" she yelled hysterically. "I'll do it right! I won't make any mistakes!" She didn't care if she sounded incoherent and childish. She had to be Lacus! The old her was boring, unattractive and of no use to anyone. Lacus had millions of people who adored her, including Athrun Zala himself. Meer had nobody. "So what if I keep on living like this!?"

Athrun's eyes widened. He stared at her as if suddenly seeing a different person.

---

Athrun was stunned as he saw the image of the cheerful, energetic girl he knew as Meer crumble before him. She was in agony. Her face and eyes were flooded in tears. She wanted to keep on pretending to be something she was not – and desperately so – even if it meant living each day of her life in a lie. What had she been like before they had moulded her into Lacus's image? Who had she been? What kind of things had she liked? What kind of friends had she had? What kind of life had she led?

"Who cares if I'm just playing her role!?" she yelled hysterically. "I'll do it right! I won't make any mistakes!" Her whole body quaked as she frantically choked out the words. "So what if I keep on living like this!?"

Athrun's eyes widened. He stared at her, suddenly seeing a different person – himself.

He thought of his lifestyle back in Orb, of the life of Alex Dino. Was she clinging to something that was not real just so she could be accepted, as he had pretended? Had she, too, felt that she would never fit in as her true self? Was Meer hiding her pain behind the pretty face of Lacus Clyne, as he had concealed his behind a pair of dark sunglasses?

He could not just leave her here. She would eventually be killed when the chairman decided that he no longer needed a fake Lacus – to cover up his scheme, if nothing else. She already knew too much for her own safety. Quite possibly, Athrun owed her his life. If the chairman ever found out that she had warned him about this… There was no time to try and convince her. She was beyond reasoning. He could already hear the bustle of footsteps descending the stairs somewhere above them.

And then he did something he knew he would surely regret later – he lifted her bodily over his shoulder and hauled her down the stairwell.

"A-Athrun!" she yelped in surprise. "What are you—!?"

"You love being Lacus, right?" he hissed into her ear urgently. "Then you'll have no qualms about being abducted as her?"

It was not his intention to indulge her in her fantasy, but he did not think he would be able to outrun his pursuers if she delayed him any longer. She was an awkward bundle to carry. Her bulky skirt, heavy with rainwater, made things no easier for him. It was still a long way down, and the stairs were slippery in this weather. If she decided to struggle…

"Athrun!" she whispered, but, thankfully, did not try to resist. "Athrun… why?"

Athrun bit back a curse as he nearly slipped on a particularly smooth step. He could not explain it to her. Not now. He did not want her misunderstanding him – his heart belonged to another. But if they ever got out of this alive, he would allow her to see it… He swore that, if they made it, he would share with her the side of Athrun Zala that only a handful of people knew…

Thinking about the precious few friends he had in the world brought on a wave of loss and sadness, but, he realized anew, he had unconsciously refused to accept it. Refused to accept the fact that they were dead. If Lacus had survived, why not the people on the Archangel? Why not Cagalli? Even Kira…

The light of hope was feeble in the darkness of a reality he had witnessed with his own eyes, but as long as it was there, he could keep going. His heart racing, he made it to the bottom of the stairs. He ducked into an alleyway just as several armed soldiers descending the stairwell rushed past. Setting Meer down, he allowed himself a small sigh of relief.

"Athrun… where…?" she asked, her voice wavering. "Where are we going…?"

"To find the Archangel," he replied simply.

Reports after its termination stated that no proof of its wreckage had actually been found. There was still a chance. Her eyes widened, but before she could argue, he took her by the hand led her around a corner. They had to find a way out of the military institution, and even then, he doubted it would be safe to stay in one place for long.

Just as they rounded the next corner, lightning illuminated a stone-faced figure barring their way.

Rey za Burrel.

To be continued...