Hi everyone.

I hope you enjoy this chapter. It took me a long time to write and I apologize for any spelling errors. Thanks to all of you reviewed. It meant a lot to me.

Disclaimer: I don't own GS or GSD. Also, special thanks to my friend CS who helped me with this chapter.

A Miracle

Chapter #2: A Baby is Born

Warmth. It seemed to cover Athrun like an invisible cloak, seeping into his skin and bringing life back to the limbs that at one pointed ached from the cold and beating water that had punished his body. It was the warmth that called him from his deep sleep and back to the conscious world.

Athrun slowly opened his eyes, startled by the shroud of darkness. Yet, his brain was too tired, his body too weak to actually find the reason why. Right now, he wanted to settle in and bask in the warmth that was holding him. He leaned back, vaguely aware of the softness of the ground or the sounds of the storm that rumbled overhead. It was obvious that he was protected from the rainfall, the droplets attack hindered by something overhead, and protection that he was grateful for.

Protection…someone is protecting me…

Suddenly, Athrun's half-lidded eyes shot open as the revelation came crashing down around him. Cagalli! It was coming back to him now…the plane… the storm. They had jumped out and had been falling. A pierce of the plane that had broken off had hit him. She had been screaming his name.

But after that, nothing. He couldn't recall what happened afterwards, just waking up warm and feeling safe. Athrun lifted his head, only to immediately regret it. As if on cue, the injury began to throb and he felt as if someone had taken a baseball bat to his head and was beating him repeatedly with it. Cagalli! He bit back the pain and tried to get up. Something had gripped his shoulders and was keeping him pinned. In the darkness and unable to see, Athrun responded badly. He began to struggle in earnest to rise from the forest floor.

What if he had dropped her?! What if she had fallen?! The baby! His family! His happiness! What if he had failed them all!

"Relax or you'll make yourself sick."

Athrun jerked away. "C… Cagalli?"

A shadow looming over him, illuminated by the moonlight nodded. Panicked and disoriented, Athrun grabbed at her arms and held her. "Cagalli! Are you hurt? Is the baby… I'm so sorry. I tried. Please tell me you are ok!"

"Athrun, I'm alright," Cagalli was careful to keep her voice steady. Their parachute had caught on a rocky overhang and, after several attempts, she had managed to free themselves from it. Using it as a canapé, Cagalli had immediately focused all her energies on tending to Athrun's head wound. The back of his head was caked with thick red gore and she could only imagine what kind of damage had been done. She had torn off part of her jacket to use it as a bandage but aside from that, there had been little she could do.

"The baby?" Athrun just barely whispered. His voice was small and frightened.

"It's fine," She told him. "Athrun, it's alright."

He was trembling. She could feel it in his grip. He had been terrified. She released a short gasp as Athrun hulled himself upright. The world tilted at an odd angle and he collapsed lightly against her. His arms wrapped around her and he pulled her into an almost desperate embrace.

"Thank God."

Cagalli shifted closer to Athrun's form, trying to warm her chilled body with his heat. She wasn't sure of how he would respond, but Athrun allowed her to lean her head against his shoulder, his hand reaching down to grasp hers in the swirling mud. All around them, rivulets of water racing down the slopes, cascading over the rocky overhang that provided protection from the harsh storm.

"I'll get you out of here," He said to her, giving her hand a light squeeze, "I promise."

"How is your head?" Cagalli asked. Carefully, she lifted a delicate hand and removed a few strands of lank blue hair from his shimmering eyes. As her hand traced the side of his face, she felt a lump develop in her throat when she felt a stick substance on her fingers. "You're still bleeding…"

"It's fine. I just have a bit of a headache."

With that, Athrun pulled away from her and stood. Even in the dark, she could see that he as unsteady on his feet. She raised a skeptical eyebrow as the ex-ZAFT soldier fought to gather his bearings. He wasn't fine. "Athrun, where do you think you are going?"

"We can't be that far from Orb," Athrun explained, trying to establish some sort of course of action. With ever passing thought, the pounding in his head intensified. He knew something was wrong but right now, getting Cagalli and her child to safety was all that mattered. He could feel a strange numbness coming over him and he had had enough injuries in his life to know that this one was serious. "We should go. We can't stay here. The exposure isn't good for you."

"But you are hurt!"

"And the sooner we get to Orb, the sooner I can get this knock to the head looked at," Athrun reasoned. "It will take four hours before the plane is declared late and another five before it is declared missing. After that, who knows how long it will take before Orb can organize a search party."

"Athrun, you should give Orb more credit than that."

"Why?" Athrun snapped angrily. She had hit a nerve. "They are the ones who hired an inept pilot who got us into this mess."

"The storm was unpredictable!" Cagalli retorted. "You can't blame the pilot for that!"

"It wasn't unpredictable," Athrun corrected, his voice embittered. "Everyone knew it was coming yet nobody would listen. If we had just stayed in Europe for a few more days, none of this would have happened."

"You have an answer for everything don't you?!" Cagalli pulled herself upright and crossed her arms. "Just because not everyone happens to see everything your way doesn't mean that they are wrong! You are not as smart as you think you are, Athrun!"

"I never said I was smart," Athrun replied. "I'm just saying that I never wanted to come back to Orb when there were storm warnings in the area. I didn't even want to leave Orb in the first place!'

The brief moment of serenity was gone. Cagalli's temper had snapped and Athrun's patience was all but gone. Despite how much they cared about one another, at the moment, all they cared about was hurting one another. Months of arguing and pressure was boiling over.

"I told you!" Cagalli scolded. "I have responsibilities!"

"I know that!" Athrun cried. "But what about your child, Cagalli? Why can't you realize that you have to take it easy? That you can't do all the things you used to do while you are pregnant?!"

"Why can't you understand that just because I'm pregnant doesn't mean I am dead!" Cagalli fired back. "The world doesn't stop turning just because I have a baby."

"Cagalli, we fell out of a plane!" Athrun exploded. "Don't you understand what could have happened?!"

"Well…" Cagalli knew she was losing this argument. Yet, her next words came out before she even realized what she was saying. It was a moment that she desperately wished she could have taken back. She had said many things in her life but none that would cut so deeply into another person as the ones she said then.

"Maybe if you did your job better, things like this won't happen!"

Athrun's eyes widened in shock – the hurt pasted so plainly on his pale face. There was an icy silence as the impact of what she had just said slammed into them both. Athrun had dedicated his every waking hour to protecting her. His love unparalleled by anything he had felt before. Dropping his eyes, Athrun turned away. He clinched his fists as he tried in vain to mask the pain he was feeling.

"Athrun, I…" Cagalli couldn't believe what she had just said. "I didn't mean…"

"Let's go," He interrupted her, not wanting to hear anything more. "We don't have a lot of time."

"Listen to me!" Cagalli shouted. "Athrun, I'm sorry! I just wish that you could at least try to understand what I am going through. It isn't easy to be Orb's chief representative as well as a pregnant mother."

"It isn't easy being the father of that representative's unborn child either." Athrun told her softly. He was about to say more when he noticed that Cagalli had suddenly staggered over to the nearest try, leaning heavily against it for support.

"Are you all right?" he queried with concern. Cagalli did not look very good.

The girl nodded bravely, one arm tightly clutching her large girth. "I-I'm just having some kind of cramps," she brushed it off, breathing hard. "Don't worry."

Athrun nodded, his brows still furrowed in concern. "Let's just forget the last five minutes happened and focus on getting back to Orb."

Cagalli nodded and pushed off from the tree, struggling after Athrun, despite her growing pain. Neither she nor Athrun had enough experience with babies and childbearing to realize what her symptoms really meant.

Ten minutes later, Athrun noticed that Cagalli was slowing down. She was in some sort of discomfort and Athrun considered whether or not he should try to carry her. His head was pulsating painfully and he wasn't sure how far he would be able to get them before he finally surrendered to the increasing pain in the back of his skull. "Cagalli, do you want to stop for a while?"

Cagalli shook her head and Athrun realized that beads of sweat were standing out on her pretty face. "I-I can't..." she whispered, doubling over and holding her large belly tightly as anther contraction ripped through her.
Athrun looked puzzled and a little alarmed, not understanding what was happening.

"Athrun... it's – it's time. The baby..." Cagalli gestured helplessly. "It's coming!"

It was Athrun's turn to go wide-eyed. "You can't! Not here, not now!" he shook his head emphatically.

Cagalli gasped slightly as she sank down to a sitting position but managed a weak, wry grin. "I don't know how you thought it would be..." she panted slightly around the building contractions, "but I have no control over this. The-the baby's coming whether I want it or not!"

"Can you move? Can we..." Athrun was at a complete loss. He had never gone with Cagalli to the pregnant women's seminars that she had attended. That had always been Lacus. Somehow, he had always envisioned himself to be the anxious father in the waiting room…. Not the doctor! In his life experiences, this was not something he had ever been called upon to do before. Birthing was work for doctors, not soldiers. Not him.

Cagalli shook her head somewhat desperately, the terror of their situation clutching at her young heart. "Athrun... I can't! It's coming right now!" She looked up at him with large, pleading brown eyes, looking much younger than her nineteen years.

"I-I thought I'd have my brother with me... and Lacus... and a doctor! Athrun... I'm scared! I-I don't know how to deliver a baby!" Cagalli was nearly crying.

"That makes two of us," Athrun murmured, too softly for her to hear. Running his hand over his face he forced himself to be calm and rational. Cagalli needed someone to be strong and in control of the situation, even if he did have no clue what he was doing.

"It's all right Cagalli, everything is going to be fine," He assured gently, crouching down next to her and squeezing her shoulders gently. "Your body knows what to do, listen to it."

"Well right now it wants to scream," Cagalli whispered dryly.

"Well don't listen to that," Athrun replied with a small grin. "Screaming won't help us, will it?"

"Fine," Cagalli gritted out through her teeth. She bit her lip hard and took a deep breath. Fear was not helping her pain any. "Athrun... what do I do?"

Athrun's mind sought blankly for information it did not contain, causing his head to throb painfully. When he finally did speak, he acted with confidence to give her courage. "You need to lie down. Come on, I'll help you."

Gently, Athrun laid the one he held dearest in the world down upon the mossy ground, wishing he had someplace better and someone more experienced on hand. He rested his hand gently on her stomach, feeling the little life move under his fingers.

Cagalli was trying to be brave, but as the time drew nearer, her resolve began to crumble. "I can't do this! I'm going to kill it! Oh Athrun, you were right! I am a terrible mother! This is all my fault!" tears slid down her cheeks.

"Shh, shh..." Athrun soothed gently, lightly stroking her hot face with the back of his fingers and brushing the blond hair out of her eyes. "Breathe deeply and try to remain calm, it will make this easier. I'm not going to let anything happen to you or our baby. I am here to protect you."

"Y-You promise? You won't let the baby die? Even after all those terrible things that I said to you?" she asked with large, childish eyes, tightening as the contractions became more forceful.

Athrun gripped her hand firmly, squeezing it and letting her hang onto him. "I promise," he reiterated seriously. "I know you didn't mean it. I also said some things I shouldn't have. I love you."

Cagalli seemed to relax a little. "Y-You're so good to me, Athrun..." she murmured. "I have been selfish and moody and…" Cagalli winced and drew a deep breath in as another contraction gripped her sharply. "You-you were right. We should have stayed in Europe until the storm passed. We should have never tried to get to Kira's. This... I'm sorry. I'm sorry this is happening..."

"Shh," Athrun placed his fingers softly against her lips, stilling them. "Cagalli, don't be sorry. Don't be sorry about giving birth to our child. You are about to be a mother and make me the happiest Coordinator on earth."

Cagalli stilled slightly, but then her eyes grew large and she gripped his hand tightly. "I-it's coming!"

Athrun knelt by her side and laid his hand on the belt buckle of her pants and hesitated, looking questioningly into her eyes for permission. He was not at all comfortable with this situation, but someone was actually going to have to deliver the baby, and unfortunately the only someone around was him.

Cagalli nodded slightly. She had seen Athrun do a lot of things in his life that she had thought to be impossible. Now, she could only hope he could surprise her one more time.

Gently, Athrun helped her get ready to bring her baby into the world. It was not a moment too soon because everything was happening rather swiftly. Athrun spoke softly, soothingly in an attempt to calm her as she began to cry out in pain. He wasn't even sure what he was saying but it didn't matter because she was barely hearing his words.

When the child began to appear, Athrun was relived... but he quickly became concerned, because the baby was not coming out. He could see the infant's arm, but nothing else. He had no way of knowing that this was not the way the baby should be coming, but his mind suddenly flashed to the only reference he had, which were stories he had been told about the how Naturals were at a disadvantage because while giving birth, their children could become lodged sideways in the birth canal. It could kill the mother and the child. Panic shot up Athrun's spine. He didn't want Cagalli and her baby to die like that, just because he didn't know enough to do anything...

Praying that he was doing the right thing, Athrun tried to turn the baby so that it was head-first, because that seemed logically the best way for it to be. It was difficult and he could only hope that he was helping the situation and not making it worse.

Cagalli was scared; she could tell something was wrong. "Athrun? Athrun!" she whispered desperately, wanting to know what was happening, why the pain was different now.

"It's all right Cagalli," Athrun lied for her peace of mind. "The baby's just a bit twisted, but it'll be all right."

Athrun had no idea how long it took, but just as the sky was beginning to streak with grey, the baby did somehow end up in the right position for delivery and he caught the small infant so that it did not have to touch the ground. He breathed a sigh of relief as the baby spluttered a few times and then let out a soft, low burble. He bounced it gently, soothing it with words of affection.

"Cagalli," he whispered softly to the exhausted mother. "We have a daughter."

Cagalli laid her head back in weary relief and happiness. "And she's all right?"

"She's fine," Athrun assured, looking down into the tiny face. "She's beautiful. Cagalli..." Athrun glanced about, uncertain what to do now, he had the general idea, but did not want to do anything wrong.

Fortunately, Cagalli did have some idea about follow-up care and was able to him what to do and how to separate the baby from the umbilical cord.

Finally the whole thing was actually finished and Athrun pulled his jacket off, wrapping the tiny child in the soft, warm, fleece-lined black leather. Laying the baby in Cagalli's arms, he brushed gentle fingers over the infant's forehead. The small baby looked so incredibly tiny and fragile.

Cagalli beamed down at her baby. "She's so perfect... What shall we name her, Athrun?"

The question surprised him. They had never discussed that. "You can decide."

A shadow crossed Cagalli's mind before a gentle smile spread across her features. "Very well, I will name her Mikomi. Our daughter, Mikomi Lorraine Zala."

Athrun couldn't help but blink back his tears as the full realization of what had occurred dawned on him. Suddenly, all the arguments they had had meant nothing. All that mattered now was Cagalli and their daughter. Cagalli had given him the greatest gift in the world and although he felt so much, there was so little to say.

"Thank you," He whispered sincerely. "Thank you, Cagalli."

TBC

Hurray! That was a hard chapter. Having a baby isn't easy… having to write it isn't either. Hehe. I hope you guys enjoyed it. I think I have two more chapters to go in this story. Mikomi means hope in Japanese, that's why I used that name. I don't know… that is what the dictionary said. Either way, I thought that adding Lorraine would be nice for Athrun.

I hope you enjoyed it. Please let me know

Until next time,

Krilyn.