Chapter 4: Kira Yamato Must Die

Half an hour of tedious teamwork they hadn't found the tent stakes or mallet, or much of anything to get them out of this mess including their cell phones. The only phone that had been left was the emergency car phone that had an almost dead battery and only connected to a tow service or the police.

Surveying their meager cache Athrun shook his head. "I don't know what's scarier: Kira planning this so well, or Kira pulling this off so well."

Cagalli surprised him by shooting down one option "I don't think we should call the police unless the situation gets worse."

He thought in silence for a moment until he regarded her shrewdly while she carefully avoided eye contact. "That sounds logical, but what aren't you telling me?"

"Oh, just that years ago Kira might have scared me half to death with a fake Portuguese-man-of-war that he'd constructed out of the recycling bin of plastic bags and six pack rings that he brought and hid in the water for me to find…which ended up in having half the counties cops coming to manage the panic I caused with everyone on this very beach when we were 12." She found herself fiddling with the hem of her shirt "they don't really roll out the red carpet for us around here."

Palming his face he wasn't sure with whom to be more frustrated: Kira then or Kira now. "Got it: last resort."

Which meant that all they really had to work with was some bobby pins (courtesy of Cagalli), the camping steel ladle (courtesy of Athrun), first aid kit tweezers (Athrun), nail file (courtesy of Lacus), and a rock (courtesy of the beach and Cagalli).

Had she been in a better mood – or at least better situation – what ensued would have been considered hilarious. They both tried various methods of hitting, whacking, poking, picking, jarring and levering each part of the handcuffs for the more part of an hour. Athrun was bent over giving Lacus's nail file – which they were certain was left as a saving grace from their friend to foil Kira's plan – another try. They'd both alternately tried each keyhole, sometimes smacking heads with their proximity.

"I really wish we knew what the key looked like" Athrun said to himself for about the fifth time. At the moment he was bending over her wrist's manacle trying to lever the inner notched clasp to slip out with the nail file. The sun was setting and between it and the firelight riotous hues were thrown through his hair highlights.

"Do you want me to try again?" She asked his bent head.

"Nah, I think that I almost got it…this time for sure. Besides you're tired aren't you?" He shook his hair back to keep it out of his eyes in the waning light. She slowly moved her free hand to brush it back for him and then lightly held it there, barely touching his warm neck. He froze for a second then kept working. "Thanks."

Cagalli could hear the weariness in his voice. When did he start taking on so much? When did Athrun stop being the guy who did crazy things and instead took on responsibility of others? Oh he'd always been honorable with a sense of fair play and he didn't go looking for fights – but he hadn't always been so very cautious, so protective. She felt that somehow she didn't measure up in his mind anymore and now she had been reduced to a child – a troublesome child at that.

Seconds later he frantically worked the nail file until he suddenly stopped. "I lost it. At least that is if I ever had it." She let his hair pool around his face again as his shouldered sloped.

Biting her lip she ventured what neither of them wanted to say. "Maybe we should give it a rest and get some sleep." Carefully feeling up her side to her shoulder Athrun pushed her back before leaning up to avoid another head-on collision. Cagalli tried to suppress the shiver she felt from his motion. Looking up at him this close she remembered how much taller he was than her.

Sighing he looked at her straight in the eye, his green orbs serious. "Are you really ok with that?"

She returned his sincerity with a glare. "What other option do we have?" He looked away and heaved another sigh.

"There is one thing I have to do before that though." She tried to whisper in case it would make the situation any better.

Seeing him turn her way Cagalli avoided his gaze once again. "What is it?"

Hoping he couldn't see her blush she finished "I need to go to the bathroom."

"Kira's not getting out of this unscathed is he?"

She shook her head. "Not a chance."

AN: Well at least their talking...