HotaruZala here again to bring you chappie 4 of The Zala Files. This is the questioning chapter where you all get to see Athrun in action. This chapter may help aid those who have already made guesses as to who the murderer is...so be on the look out for some clues. To my pal Dearka san...keep an eye out for the Kira and Lacus moment.

Disclaimer: I do not own GS, GSD, or the Athrunliciousness that is Athrun Zala. (sighs) Again...much to my dismay.

The Zala Files- Chapter 4: Can I Get A Witness?

-Country of Orb, the Athha Estate, 6pm, questioning - Location: Sitting Room

Yuuna Roma Seran, Cagalli's fiancée whined tiredly: "I don't understand why I have to be here...I wasn't even in that wing of the building when this happened. I was in my room on the telephone with father."

Athrun rolled his eyes as he thought: "This is my competition?"

Cagalli hissed in a frustrated tone: "That's the reason we were called here you half life...to ask us where we were!"

Kira and Athrun snickered at her scolding of her "less than perfect" suitor. She shot a death glare at the two friends, who immediately decided to shut up.

Twenty year old Sai Argyle, another of Kira's friends, decided to politely answer the question he knew would be asked of him: "I was working on a symposium I'm presenting in my class this Friday...also...if it helps...I was in the east wing's study all night with my head buried in my books."

Athrun nodded as he thought: "Okay...so we have Professor Plum here in the study..."

Fllay interrupted his thoughts with her testimony as she twirled her hair in boredom: "Up until Kira came for me...I was busy getting myself ready for our date...I didn't see anything until I was with Kira."

Lacus Clyne, the pink haired governess answered politely: "I was over in the theater practicing the song I will be singing for Friday's cotillion."

Athrun eyed her curiously: "Lady Clyne...hmmm...I recognize you from someplace...is your father by any chance the late Lord Siegel Clyne?"

Lacus nodded and smiled : "Yes...Seigel Clyne was my father...did you know him?"

Athrun nodded and returned her smile: "Yes...he was good friends with my...ummm...with someone I know..." He bowed: "I'm sorry about your father as well Lady Clyne."

Lacus smiled warmly at Athrun: "Thank you for your condolences Lord Zala."

Kira smiled in Lacus's direction and then turned to Athrun: "I met up with Fllay at her room, we walked to father's room...I opened the door...and there he was. I don't think it happened not ten minutes before we got there."

Kisaka answered next: "I was in the laundry room with Eileen the new maid showing her how to use the machine."

Cagalli was the last to answer: "I was on my way to meet father and Kira to talk...father said he'd meet us both on the balcony in my room...I came in right behind Kira and..."

Fllay interrupted Cagalli before she could finish: "I don't mean to pry...but don't any of you find it odd that the murder took place in her room?" She pointed to Cagalli as she said the word her. "And I did see Lady Lacus wandering around outside."

Athrun raised an eyebrow at the magenta haired girl. He took a few steps back as he noticed the rage in Cagalli's eyes out of the corner of his own. He thought to himself: "Whoa...that Fllay's got some balls."

Kira eyed his fiancée seriously: "What are you getting at Fllay?"

Yuuna interrupted before Kira or Cagalli could open their mouths: "Come to think of it...Cagalli my love...you were wandering about the house earlier...but there was also a pink haired girl wandering about the courtyard."

Fllay stated matter of factly: "I was just thinking out loud...I mean...it did happen in her room."

Trying desperately to fight back tears, Cagalli growled at Yuuna sarcastically: "Thanks a lot for helping!" She turned her attention to Fllay, amber eyes flashing in anger: "I can't believe you have the nerve to even mention that!"... "How dare you!"... "Why would I want to murder my own father!"... "And what does Lady Lacus have to do with any of this?"... "Weren't you even listening to Sai before!"... "Lady Lacus was in the theater...he said he saw her...right Sai!"

Sai nodded in agreement: "That's true...the study is the room directly across from the theater. I had the door open to get some air circulation going, so I saw Lady Clyne go in and come out afterwards." He shook his head in Fllay's direction: "You shouldn't be so quick to judge Fllay...that was uncalled for."

Kira's violet eyes gazed into Fllay's gray ones once again: "How could you even think that Cagalli would murder her own father!"... He looked away from her: "And Lady Lacus..."

Fllay felt tears well up in her eyes as she suddenly exclaimed: "That's all I hear from you lately!"... "Lady Lacus says this...and Lady Lacus says that!"... "Sometimes I think you're more in love with her than with me!"

Lacus's eyes widened in shock as she blushed embarrassed.

Kira'a eyes widened along with Lacus's: "Fllay!" He clenched his fists into frustrated balls at his sides: "Why would you even think that!"... "And how could you even say that my sister's a murderer!"

Fllay answered through her tears: "That's easy...you're next in line to the Athha family inheritance and now you're the only one who knows about the secret of the Precious Rose...a beautiful jewel safeguarded by the Athha family."

Kira gasped in horror and growled: "Fllay!"

Cagalli was confused. She thought to herself: "Jewel?"... "What jewel?"... "Father never mentioned a jewel to me." She turned to Fllay again and growled: "Why you...how dare you...you stuck up bit...!"

Athrun blocked Cagalli before she could get to Fllay and quite possibly choke her. He eyed Fllay and replied to her accusation in a calm tone: "That's enough Miss Allster. We're not here to judge or accuse, we're just here to confirm alibi's. I'm warning you...if you speak in that tone again...I will not be held responsible for anything Miss Athha might do once I let her go...you got it?"

Yuuna eyed Athrun suspiciously: "Excuse me...you're standing way too close to my Cagalli." He placed his arm around Cagalli's shoulders for emphasis.

Cagalli exclaimed angrily: "Yuuna...cut the crap...he's the damn detective for crying out loud!"

Yuuna nodded and smiled a phony smile in Athrun's direction: "That may be...but we're engaged...the only man you should be looking at is me."

Athrun growled to himself: "This man pisses me off more than Kira's fiancée."

Yuuna continued to poke at Athrun: "But then again...we are both attractive men..." He smirked at Athrun quickly and then gazed at his own reflection in the mirror: "Some more than others."

Kira glanced in Athrun's direction and could see him growing angrier by the second. Seran-san was obviously trying to break Athrun's cool demeanor.

Yuuna mused as he continued to smile: "It's like looking in a mirror...like the prince and the pauper...except that I don't think that I would want to trade places with you since I'm quite content with what I have." He eyed Cagalli when he made that last statement.

Cagalli punched Yuuna hard on the arm: "Knock it off...just go to bed !" ... "Or someplace far away from here!"

Yunna shook his head: "Uh-uh-uh...not until you say goodnight to your fiancée."

Kira, already on the brink of frustration and anger, growled softly: "Seran-san...that's quite enough."

Yuuna ignored his harsh tone and continued: "She's my fiancée...and I'm just asking for a goodnight kiss." He leaned closer to Cagalli, who was trying to pull away, and eyed Athrun out of the corner of his eye, smirking the whole time. He waved Athrun off as if he were a servant: "You may go now...you are dismissed for the evening."

Kira was just about to give Yuuna a good punch in the face, but found it hard to rationalize with all this arguing in the background. Suddenly he heard: BANG! BANG! BANG! Everyone jumped in surprise and turned towards the noise. It was now suddenly very quiet with the exception of a few tiny crumbling pieces of ceiling crumbling to the floor and coating Kira's hair with a thick coat of dust. He sneezed loudly.

Athrun, the barrel of his gun still smoking, his emerald eyes seething with anger and frustration, shouted: "Alright!"... "That's enough!"

Kira cringed and shook his head, he thought: "I knew this was coming...it was only a matter of time."

Feigning shock, Yuuna pulled away from a relieved Cagalli. He exclaimed: "What kind of barbarian fires a gun in a room full of people?"... "I said you were dismissed!"

Athrun cocked his gun and shot Yuuna a murderous glare, a fire raging in his emerald eyes: "You don't have the authority to dismiss me."

Yuuna exclaimed: "H-How dare you!"... "And after I gave all those nice compliments to you!"

Athrun's eyes glowed with anger.

Kira eyed Yuuna: "Okay...I can't stand this anymore...Seran-san...I think it's time for you to shut up...now."

Athrun's angry voice barely above a whisper: "Yes...I think that would be wise."

Yuuna's eyes widened in disbelief: "He's working for us is he not?"... "I honestly don't know why you sent for him...he's too loud and headstrong..." He glanced quickly in Athrun's direction and said matter of factly: "I guess it's not like looking in a mirror after all."

Cagalli growled: "Yuuna...cut the crap!"

Athrun's eyes suddenly softened as he went dead silent. Walking straight up to Yuuna and stopping once he was sure Yuuna could see his face, smiled his own phony smile: "Well...that's a relief...cause if I had to wake up to the sight you wake up to every morning...I think I'd have to shoot myself." He gazed at Yuuna's mouth, which was now hanging open in utter shock, and grinned mischievously. Athrun continued: "Oh...but don't worry...you're still the fairest of them all."

Kira and Cagalli snickered. Lacus, Sai, Meyrin, and even Kisaka chuckled a bit.

Yuuna angrily, yet nervously, backed away: "I-I don't have to sit here and take this...I'm going to my room...good night!"

Athrun smiled a smile of satisfaction as he watched Yuuna stomp slowly up the stairs like a child who just had a temper tantrum. He cocked his gun again just so he could see Yuuna jump in surprise and hightail it even faster up the steps. He chuckled to himself: "That was too easy." He carefully slid his gun back into its holster in his pocket.

Fllay sighed heavily in boredom: "Can we get on with this please."

Cagalli glared at her.

Meyrin decided to interject this time. In a curious manner, she asked: "Umm...excuse me Miss Allster...but didn't you just say before that you didn't see anything until you were with Lord Kira?"... "If that's so, then how could you have possibly known if Lady Lacus may have been out in the backyard or not?"

Cagalli smiled with satisfaction and nodded in agreement: "Yeah...that did sound a little off to me."

Athrun smirked to himself: "Good job Meyrin-san...all those games of Clue with Auel-san and Dearkka-san are finally paying off."

Fllay shot a glare at both Meyrin and Cagalli. She then stood up, and in a huff, replied: "Look...I've said my piece...now if it is alright with everyone...I would like to go back to my room since it is nine oclock and I have an early day tomorrow..."

Cagalli growled: "Why you little stuck up little bit..."

Athrun cut her off by waving his hand dismissively as if he could care less: "That's fine...go ahead...you really don't have anything left to contribute to this conversation anyway." He gazed at her out of the corner of his eye and smirked at her agitated face: "I don't have time for finger pointing as if we were in a little children's game Miss Allster...we're playing in the big leagues now...and if you play with fire..." He licked his finger and put out a nearby candle with it, smiling coolly and calmly as he did so: "You're gonna get burned."

Fllay turned to Kira for support: "Kira?"... "Are you just going to stand there and let him talk to me like that!"

Kira gazed into her eyes, his tone serious: "Yeah...I am. You deserved it...in fact...he went easy on you."

Fllay glared at Kira and Athrun briefly before stalking out of the room angrily.

Kira sighed heavily: "I apologize Cagalli, Athrun, Miss Meyrin, Lady Lacus...I'm not sure what her problem is...but I'm sure it will pass."

Athrun chuckled: "Maybe it's the monthly bloat."

Meyrin giggled.

Cagalli, already on her way up the stairs called over her shoulder: "Nah...she's just naturally bitchy!"

Kira sighed heavily: "Cagalli..." He sighed again tiredly as he dismissed everyone else that was left in the room...eying Lacus briefly and blushing when she caught him doing so...he stammered: "G-Goodnight Lady Lacus..I'm sorry about all this...please sleep well."

Lacus smiled warmly at Kira as she smoothed out her pink and white sun dress: "That's quite alright." "May you have a pleasant sleep yourself Lord Kira." She turned and retreated up the steps after Cagalli...Kira smiling and staring after her the whole time.

Athrun chuckled a bit and yawned: "I never imagined that this would take three hours. I know it's only 9 o'clock...but I've had a long day...I think it's bed time for me...I assume I'll be bunking with you...huh Kira?"

Kira chuckled nervously and scratched his head: "Um...well...there's one problem with that...since Sai is visiting...Fllay lent him her room...so...I'm sort of letting her bunk with me...which is going to be very awkward after tonight."

Athrun smirked and shook his head: "So...that's how it is huh?... "I see what you mean."

Kira thought for a moment: "Lady Lacus and Miss Meyrin decided to bunk together...and Master Yuuna has requested that his room be only his."

Athrun rolled his eyes: "Trust me..I have absolutely no problem with that." His emerald orbs eyed Kira's violet ones with curiosity: "So...where am I sleeping then?"

Kira chuckled nervously: "Um...yeah...about that...well...the only room left not occupied is...Cagalli's room."

Athrun's face burned bright red in embarrassment: "I hope you're not playing some kind of twisted joke on me Kira."

Kira chuckled and shook his head: "Nope...no joke...she told me it was okay...I also figured you might wanna check out the room again since it happened in there...and..." Kira smirked a bit.

Athrun eyed his friend skeptically, his face slightly tinted red: "And...you figured since your sister and I have a past...she would be safe with me...right?"

Kira nodded firmly and grinned: "I know she will...you're the only one I can trust to look after her and keep her safe." He smirked and eyed him skeptically: "But...maybe I shouldn't trust you either."

Athrun smirked as well, his face flushed a slight crimson in embarrassment and joked: "I won't touch...I promise."

Kira chuckled and shook his head: "You're crossing your fingers behind your back... aren't you?"

Athrun smiled at his friend and teased: "I'm afraid you'll never know."

-Okies everyone...that's chapter 4! Oh how I love making Yuuna look like the ass he truly is. Lol. Anyways..I hope you all enjoyed it. To Steshin...the Asucaga happiness I promised is coming I assure you. (grins) AsuCaga Forever! My summer classes are starting but never fear...I'll update every chance I get. lol