Author's Note: First of all, I would like to say this is an AU so there will be numerous changes. This won't be set in the CE, and consequently, there won't be any Space Colonies, Gundams, Bloody Valentine Wars, etc. Secondly, Cagalli and Kira are still related, but instead of being twins, their cousins with a three year age different. Lastly, this story doesn't start of on the most happiest of notes, but I swear that this is the only truly sad chapter. Things will become more upbeat soon since we all know how resilient our favorite blonde his. And her love interest, Athrun, will be featured more often after this!

So review if you like this story and would like me to continue!

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed and/or Gundam Seed Destiny.

Chapter One: New Beginnings

It was weird how the weather could sometimes seem to reflect the mood of an occasion. However, today was not one of the days. It was too sunny, too cheery, and the sky was way too blue for a funeral. Golden beams of sunlight kissed Cagalli's rosy, tear stained cheeks. She'd put on a brave face throughout most of the service and shed only a handful of silent tears. The shock of it all was still so painfully evident on her face. She desperately wanted to let herself cry, but she knew once she did, she'd never be able to stop. And she couldn't let that happen. She couldn't morn, not yet. Because right now, she needed to be strong. She needed to be there to hold and comfort her grieving mother.

'Ulen Hibiki. A loving husband, father, and friend.' The tombstone read, white letters etched into dark grey marble.

Cagalli closed her eyes as she held up the incense sticks and bowed a silent prayer. She placed the three smoldering sticks at the base of the tomb and got up, once again joining her distraught mother, holding her tightly as she wept out loud. She realized the past week had been the hardest for her. Via Hibiki was undoubtedly the linchpin personality of the family – she held them together and was the pivotal, central foundation for all them – but she had always relied heavily on her husband. After all, he supported her and every decision she made. He was her rock, the father of her child, the provider of their family, and her best friend.

Yet, in a blink of an eye, that all changed. Now he was gone from their lives forever, taken without warning.

"I'm so sorry, Aunty Via." A gentle hand rested on the quivering woman's shoulder, bringing the teenage girl beside her back to reality. "And I'm sorry my mother couldn't make it. She's currently preparing a room for your arrival. She asked that I send her condolences."

"Thank you, Kira." Via said softly as she turned to embrace her nephew tightly. "And thank you for agreeing to host Cagalli while she finishes her final year." The tall brunette university student nodded in understanding. The three-storey house she was currently living in was far too large and expensive for the two to live in; especially considering that she was a house wife, and on top of that, a single mother. If she even hoped of supporting her daughter, she'd have to re-enter the workforce. Fortunately, her sister and the boy's mother, Caridad, insisted they all stay with her. It was a kind gesture and exactly what she needed to get back on her feet after such a devastating loss. The only problem though, was that she lived in December City, a four hour drive from the Capital City. This meant uprooting and moving to a different part of the country. And as much as she wanted to keep what was left of her family, she knew it simply wasn't possible. Her daughter was already enrolled in the one of the most prestigious private schools in the world, and if she were to have a chance of good education, staying in Orb was the only option.

Luckily, Kira owned a moderately spacious three bedroom apartment where he and one of his university friends lived. For four months now, since late July, their third bedroom had remained unoccupied. After their last roommate decided to move out to live with his fiancée, they had never found a suitable replacement. And as soon as he heard the news of his uncle's death and the predicament his little cousin was in, he knew the room would be perfect her.

So it was decided that the sooner Cagalli could move in and settle back into some semblance of normalcy and routine, the better. She needed to immediately focus on her entrance exams which were slowly creeping closer. There might have been a lot of added pressure, but she still wanted to make her father proud.

It felt like the least she could do.

Once they entered through the front doors of the Hibiki home to pick up the last of her belongings, Cagalli didn't want to leave. She had grown up in this house – this was the place where she slept the first night of her life; where she had lost her first tooth; where she had first learned to walk. It possessed so many memories, and most importantly, it held the ones of her late father. It even felt like he was still in the house, lingering in every corridor and every room. She could never replace those memories and feelings. But one day, she knew they'd fade away, no matter how desperately she clung on to them or tried to relieve them. One day, she'd start to forget the color of his amber eyes or the way the corner of his lips turned up when he smiled, until nothing remained but a blur where a face should've have been.

She didn't want to forget. She didn't want to leave. But she had no other choice. She couldn't help but choke on a few tears. There was too much change happening way too fast. Within the span of a week, her small but happy family had been ripped apart, and to make matters worse, she didn't know when she would see her mother again.

"Are you okay?"

Cagalli immediately turned back. "Oh. I didn't know you were standing there. I'm so sorry-"

"You can cry if you want too," Kira whispered gently, before pulling her in for a tight hug. He understood that she was trying to stay strong for her mother, but he also knew that she must've been terrified. Her father had just passed away, her mother was going back to her hometown to find a job, and she was being left behind to pick up the pieces of her broken life. It was way too much for any teenage girl to handle, but he was going to be there for her. He was going to show that he cared, supporting her every single step of the way. There was no way she was going to do this by herself.

"Thanks...but I'm sorry." Cagalli pulled away slowly and shook her head, wiping her tears away with the back of her hand. "I can't cry. I have to be strong for mom. If I let her see how scared I am to stay without her, it'll make things harder for everyone. She'll worry about when she's gone and she already has enough on her mind. So, I have to be strong no matter what, even if I'm alone."

"But that's where you're wrong. You're not alone, Cagalli. You have me. And I promise I'll look after you. If you ever need anything, at anytime, you can count on me. We'll make it through this together, one day at a time, and you'll be fine."

The blonde nodded, feeling her pain subside a little, and smiled weakly despite the tears.

"You're right. We'll make it through together. I know it."

"Please don't inconvenience your cousin, and treat him with respect at all times. Don't forget to do your chores and help out around the apartment as much as you can. Do whatever Kira or his roommate asks you and for heaven's sake, promise me that you'll stay out of trouble, Cagalli, alright? Promise me?"

"I promise," Cagalli sniffled, as she nodded her head tearfully.

"And please study hard so that you can do your best on the university entrance exams. Make your dad and me proud. I know you're a big girl now and it's time you start taking things more seriously, okay?"

"I promise."

"Oh, and one last thing, if Kira has a girl over, don't bother him."

"Mom..." She whined quietly, lowering her head in embarrassment.

"Don't worry, Auntie Via. Cagalli a good kid. You have nothing to worry up. I promise I'll look after her when you're gone," Kira said while he lifted a hand up in the air, reinforcing his oath.

"Alright…but if you ever need anything-"

"If anything happens, we'll call you. I'll make sure Cagalli talks to you every week or so. We'll also let you know when the house and furniture are sold at auction. We'll keep in touch," Kira interrupted. The last thing he wanted was his auntie to worry about financial burdens at such a time. She was already leaving her only daughter, and her home behind, and he didn't want things to be any harder than they had to be.

Via smiled weakly at her nephew and nodded. She turned to her daughter and embraced her tightly once more as Kira began to load the last boxes of belongings into his car. "I love you, Cagalli. I'm so proud of the young lady you're becoming. So, please stay safe. I don't know what I'd do if I lost you, too." She kissed her daughter's forehead as tears began to fall from her eyes once more. She clutched onto her, desperately dreading the time when she would have to let go.

"I love you, too, mommy. And I'll think of you every day," Cagalli said back. She bit hard on her lower lip, trying once again to be strong. She didn't want to ruin the tender moment by bursting into tears, so the two of them stood for a few moments longer, quietly holding each other. Eventually, when Kira finished loading all of her belongings into his car, they had to let go.

"You'll visit me and your Auntie Caridad on holidays, right?"

"Of course."

"I guess this is goodbye for now then. Have a safe trip, dear."

"You too, mom. Call me when you reach December City."

"I will."

Cagalli smiled and hugged her mom one last time before getting in the car. She quickly buckled herself in, and shortly after, her cousin got in as well. "Ready?" he asked, turning back to glance at her. She nodded, taking in one last look at the house she'd never return to, and the remnants of her family, before he began to back out of the driveway. Once they finally turned around the corner, she let out a sigh of relief. She no longer had to worry about being composed in front of her mother. It felt like she could finally breathe again.

"You know, I'm surprised at how strong you are," Kira confessed quietly, breaking the silence that hung in the air. "I know if the situation was reversed, I'd be in tears by now. You've gone through so much just today. I just can't even begin to imagine how you must be feeling."

"To be honest, I don't know how I feel either." Cagalli admitted absentmindedly, watching trees and houses as they blurred by. "I guess I'm just not quite ready to cry yet."

He turned at another set of lights and pulled into an underground parking ground. He rolled into his allocated apartment car spot and clicked the hand break into place. "Well, if and when you decide you're ready to talk about things, you know you can always come to me, right?"

"I know." She smiled gratefully as she unbuckled her seatbelt. "Thanks for looking out for me. It means a lot."

"You're like the little sister I never had, it's no problem." Kira shut the driver side door and strolled over to the boot of his car, unlocking it and yanking it in an upward motion. "I'm glad to have you here, and I want you to feel comfortable." He added as he began to unload some of her boxes from the back of his car. "Okay. This looks like it might take a couple trips. How about you help me carry some of these heavier boxes, then when we get up to the apartment you can check out your new room, start unpacking some things and get settled in. I'll bring the rest up for you."

"Are you sure? I can bring my things up-"

"No no. I'm more than happy to take your things up for you, and besides, my roommate should be back from work soon. He'll help bring some things up too if need be. You just take it easy, rest a little and try to settle in." Kira shut the boot of his car and lifted a number of boxes in his arms before shuffling toward the elevator.

"What's with all this stuff? I thought you said she was seventeen?" As predicted, Kira's roommate pulled into the car park just as Kira was on his second round of fetching Cagalli's belongings. True to his word, the brunette put the poor boy straight to work, handing him bags of clothing and boxes of belongings to carry up. His deep voice grunted as he heaved a stack of brown cardboard boxes through the apartment door and placed them by the hallway. "Looks more like a four year old."

Cagalli heard this unfamiliar voice from her new bedroom and cautiously stepped down the hallway to meet her new apartment buddy. Her heart beat anxiously within her chest as she heard the condescending tone in his voice. It made her wince. She wanted to make a good first impression. After all, his room was right across from hers and they would be living together under the same roof for the next few years. Unfortunately though, it didn't seem to be going well so far.

"Look at this, it's a stuffed lion." She peeked around the corner to see the tall blue haired man pulling out her favorite plush toy out of one of her bags. It was her very first toy; her father had given it to her the day that she was born.

"Don't touch that." A mixture of sadness and anger arose in her voice. "That's from my father." She added as she felt her irritation from his actions and his tone began to build up within her. How dare he go through her possessions? He didn't even know her and he was mocking her already? What a jerk. Cagalli clenched her jaw tightly and watched as the two men turned around to face her.

"I didn't know you were standing there-"

"Cleary not, you insensitive idiot."

The two glared at each other and Kira sighed. Something told him this was not going to be the start of a good friendship.

Author's Note: Finally finished! Chapter one is dunzo after three days of writing and editing. I'll be the first to admit this wasn't very happy, but I promise the rest of this story will be a somewhat light hearted romantic comedy between Athrun and Cagalli. But if you want to see their relationship progress, you're going to have to review!