He was standing at the observation dock when she found him. Just standing there by himself, staring out at the swirling snow and wind of the European winter, a lost look in amethyst eyes. The toy bird sat on his shoulder, looking up with a robotic chirp as she approached. The boy himself didn't seem to notice her footsteps, seeming to be lost in his own thoughts. Smiling a little, she called out to him.

"Mind if I join you?"

Kira turned to her, surprise clear to see on his face for a moment, then he smiled. "Sorry for loafing about in a place like this..."

Murrue's smile grew as she walked up to stand beside her young friend at the window. Kira-kun had been quiet and a little withdrawn since Lacus-san had left for space, and although they now had the fleet of Murasames, he seemed to have taken all the responsibility for protecting Archangel onto his own shoulders. "That's all right. You've been working so hard all by yourself..." Kira blinked, evidently having not thought she'd noticed, and her smile softened. "Are you all right?"

The young man sighed. "I was just thinking.." he began hesitantly, "why did things turn out like this?' Why do I have to fight Athrun again? Maybe he was right about the Chairman...and maybe Lacus was targeted by some mistake.." His shoulders slumped a little. "Is what we're doing really mistaken?"

"Kira-kun.." How long has he been thinking about this? Torn between his feelings for Lacus-san and loyalty to a friend...he's been so strong lately that I forget he's still just a boy. All that's been happening must be very hard on him.

"I believe that trying to protect someone who is precious to you is never foolish or mistaken," she said softly, causing Kira to glance up. She was watching the snow fall, lips curved in a gentle smile, though she didn't really seem to be looking at anything at all. As he watched, the look in her dark eyes became faraway, reminiscent, as though she were remembering something pleasant, before she turned to him with that same smile. "Although I don't know about the world, you see, I think that you can love the world because there's someone out there who's precious to you..."

Kira was rather taken aback by her certainty. "Murrue-san..."

"I'm sure it's the same for everyone," she continued, "why they try so hard. Isn't that why we fight?" Then her happy expression faded somewhat, becoming wistful. "But sometimes people do it the wrong way, or think the wrong way...when all you wanted in life was for that one person to be there for you.."

And he understood. Murrue-san was thinking about Mwu-san. He remembered the first few weeks after Jachin Due...remembered how lost and unhappy she'd looked. It had taken her a few months, but much to the delight of Kira and the others, she had begun to smile again. Now she was much the same as she had been before, only, he thought, just a little different. Murrue-san seemed stronger now, yet gentler at the same time, and Kira had decided that it was because of Mwu-san. She never let us see when they were together, but after he'd gone, everyone could see. Murrue-san loved him. She still loves him now.

Later, after his friend had gone, the young man continued to stand at the window, though this time his thoughts weren't ones of self-pity. Murrue-san had helped him out so much...and he'd just realised that there was something he could do for her. Out on the battlefield...he had sensed him. I don't know how I knew...but Mwu-san was there. With the Alliance... He smiled a little. He owed both his older friends so much - and the best way he could think of to repay them was to help them be together again. The next time he sensed Mwu-san out there on the battlefield...he would send him back to Archangel. Back to Murrue-san.

She sat on the edge of her bed, deep in thought, thin hands folded together. Her words to Kira-kun were something she'd thought of often in the few months after Mwu had gone. She hadn't wanted a grand heroic sacrifice...she hadn't wanted him to protect her. She knew why he'd done it, and she couldn't be angry at him for saving her life...but all she'd wanted was him there with her. At first, I couldn't help but imagine how life might have been different if we had gone home together. What could have been. In time, those dreams faded...when I accepted that that was all they were. It hurt, but I know that it would have hurt more if I'd never let go.

But that was why she fought. He had given his life protecting her and the ideals they'd fought for, and the least she could do was to carry on that fight in his memory.

"I wonder what you'd think if you could see me now?" she asked aloud. A smile quirked her lips at the thought that she was talking to herself, and she shook her head, glancing up at the white cap that still sat on her bookshelf. "Would you be sad if you knew I was fighting again?"

He'd have been sad, she reasoned, flopping back onto the bed with a sigh. Sad that the war they tried so hard to end had begun again for no real reason. But that wouldn't have stopped him. He'd have fought, just as she and the others were fighting, and done his best to make a difference. Just like always.

Murrue smiled again, twisting a lock of dark hair around her fingers. Mwu had spoken a little about that in the months they'd been together - that he felt he'd been fighting for the right cause, that he'd hoped what they were doing would change things. Then he'd laughed, admitting it was something he'd never really given much thought to.

"I don't really fight 'cause I want to change the world - I can't do that by myself. But one thing I can do is keep you safe. And if what I do means that someday you'll never have to fight again, then it's all worth it, whatever happens to me.."

He'd kept her safe, just as he'd hoped, even though it had taken his own life to do it. And even though she hadn't wanted to fight anymore - had wanted to live a life of peace as he'd hoped she would - she couldn't sit back and watch as it all happened again.
She'd fight for him as he'd fought for her. She couldn't make as big a difference as he had, but she would try...and maybe at the end of it all, she'd have helped to create a world they would both have liked to live in.

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( Random n fun XD

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