Chapter Three: Home

The last time Kira had a home, it had been in Heliopolis. Then, it somehow turned into the Archangel, or more correctly, the cockpit of his Strike Gundam. He had been fighting for so long that he forgot about the need for a home and when the war ended, Kira wondered where he would go. It was Cagalli who asked him to stay in Orb. And because Heliopolis was once a part of Orb, Kira agreed.

The Archangel docked inside the small, neutral nation and Kira boarded off the large ship. He gazed at the ship one last time, hoping against hope that he would never need to board it again.

"Kira?" Lacus walked closer to the brown-haired Coordinator, and Kira turned and smiled at her. "Are you alright?"

"Yes," Kira answered. "It's strange to be here again," he admitted. "Will you return to PLANTs?"

Lacus shook her head and led Kira away. How could she return back to PLANTs, after all that had happened? Except for Cagalli, Lacus and Athrun were fugitives and wanted by ZAFT, for many different reasons. Lacus would see to it that proper arrangements were made so they could stay in Orb – it was the least she could do, if at all possible. But she wouldn't return to PLANTs. "I want to live in Orb," Lacus said cheerfully in her melodious voice. "In fact, there is already a place here for us. It's an orphanage," she said quietly. "Shall we go, Kira?"

Sure. Why not? Kira smiled at her and nodded. The idea of an orphanage was rather appealing. He'd hate to live somewhere too quiet. "Sure. Let's go." Where else could he go?

She led him easily, getting on a car and whisking him away past the ocean and trees that hid all the terrors of the war. Orb still had a lot to do to rebuild itself, but that was something they were ready for. Lacus had brightly said that they would work together to help Orb, back when they were still on the Archangel, and it was something that Kira wanted to do himself. Slowly, the crew of the Archangel were getting back into their lives. The car stopped in front of a middle-sized house, right by the side of the ocean. An orphanage, as Lacus had said. Children were playing outside, and Kira recognised Reverend Malchio sitting on a chair in front of the house. He looked around, taking in the details of the new place he would be staying in. An orphanage.

With Lacus guiding him, they walked around the house, examining the areas surrounding it first. The children were playing everywhere, but at the back of the house, everything was quiet. There was a small garden, pretty and well-kept. Kira was about to turn back when he heard a familiar voice a short distance from where he was standing. A middle-aged woman, with dark blue hair and kind eyes, speaking to two girls at the end of the garden. "Mom..?" Kira trailed off, his eyes widening slightly. He nearly took a step back... No. Could he still call her that?

Lacus stood beside him and smiled. "I invited her to stay with us, Kira. She is your mother... right?" she asked, the gentle smile never leaving her lips.

Kira turned and gazed at Lacus. Lacus never asked questions without a point. Kira gritted his teeth, casting his eyes away, and clenched his fists.

"Kira..?"

The brown-haired Coordinator turned, facing the one woman whom he'd always have called his mother, and nobody else. Caridad Yamato was in front of him, her hands clasped neatly in front of her as she regarded him with careful but gentle eyes. "Okaerinasai, Kira," Caridad said kindly. Welcome home, Kira.

He felt the tears fall. Kira turned to Lacus, who only smiled and shrugged lightly. Kira turned and immediately embraced his mother, crying into her shoulder as he had always done as a child. She hugged him tight, patting him gently on the back. "Tadaima," Kira said quietly. I'm home.