Note: Here another AU What If type of odd ball. Try not to laugh at this insane writer's mind…(who am I kidding?!)

Rating: PG

The Morris Family Recovery

Both great ships were beached and their captains were preparing to meet after the great battle. Cagalli was dressed in her civilian clothes with Miriallia. Both girls followed Captain Ramius. The four pilots, Arthur, and Talia walked up to them. Shin looked quite smug.

"We're waiting for a couple of other people to join us here," Murrue said stoically.

"Well, well," Talia said. "I can see you all made it."

"Not everyone," Murrue said sadly.

"You're referring to your pilot and mobile suit I assume," Talia said. She noticed the glare the two girls were giving them. "He was a good fighter."

"Just so you know, though it hardly matters," Murrue said, "but he wasn't fighting."

"Hardly," Shinn muttered. "He was pretty offensive."

"In any case, he was a threat to us," Talia said. "He was far too powerful."

"Enough of this," Murrue snapped harshly. "What do you want?" Everyone was surprised at her harsh tone. Murrue may be rough at times but this was a first.

"To talk," Talia said.

"It's a bit late for that," Murrue said. "If you mean to understand us, that's coming on a little late. We cannot tolerate you any longer for your needless actions."

"And how would you stop us? Your only MS and pilot are gone. Shinn saw to that himself," Talia replied tartly.

"I'd like to think that Kira somehow lived," Murrue said. "He's the type to survive."

"That's not likely," Shinn protested.

"And how would you know? You don't know him," Mir said.

"I ran the Freedom threw," Shinn smirked. "It was also caught in the blast from the Minerva. No one could survive that."

"You bastard!" Cagalli screamed, slapping the raven haired boy across the face. The entire party fell silent. "You are horrible to think that killing Kira was good. It wasn't. Oh Haumea…" Tears began to fall from her amber eyes as Cagalli began sobbing. "None of this was his fault. How could you take him away from us…from me. He was all I had left. He was…only…protecting us." The teenage girl broke down sobbing. Athrun held her close.

Seeing the slight confusion on the ZAFT members' faces, Murrue said, "Kira just happened to be our closest friend. He was more close to Cagalli than anyone."

"It's the same with any death in war," Talia said. She was a little perturbed at the broken down representative but she didn't hold much sympathy. The other pilots showed little remorse. They thought it payback for Heine and other ZAFT members. "Your pilot had a lot to answer for."

"No he didn't," Murrue snapped. "Don't you dare speak of him when you didn't know him at all."

"And how is the representative close to him?" Talia asked.

"I don't need you damn sympathy or pity!" Cagalli snapped. "Kira was my brother. My only family left. We never had any time together."

"Kira and Cagalli are twins, though they never met or knew until a few years ago," Murrue said.

Talia sighed. "I can understand her grief."

"You don't know the beginning of grief," Mir said. "Just wait until his fiancé hears about it."

"Hold the phone," Athrun said. "I don't mean to get off topic but since when were they actually engaged?"

"Right before the war," Murrue said. "You didn't know?"

"Obviously not," Athrun said quietly. "She'll die herself."

A jeep with two people drove up to them. The ZAFT group was stunned as they watched who got out of the jeep.

"I'm sorry I'm late," Lacus said. "It's hard getting around."

"What's with the Minerva's presence?" Andrew asked.

"Just talking…" Murrue said flatly, glaring at them.

Lacus and Andrew took in the friction between the groups and a broken down Cagalli. She glanced around and asked, "Ms. Murrue, where's Kira?"

Mir and Murrue stiffened. Cagalli's sobs softened as she looked at Lacus in sympathy and grief. Athrun looked down. Slowly it was beginning to dawn on her. "Cagalli, Mir, where is Kira?" Her voice became more shaken.

"Ms. Clyne?" Talia asked. Luna was staring at the girl, half angry and half puzzled.

"Where is he?" the girl asked, a little more frantic.

"Lacus…he's gone," Murrue whispered. Athrun and Cagalli stood and walked over to her.

"You mean the Freedom was destroyed?" Andrew asked in disbelief. "Did he even fight back?"

"Not really, it was only in defense," Murrue said. "The Impulse destroyed him."

"Ms. Clyne?" Talia was now getting worried and more confused. The girl stared wide eyed. It seemed as if a load of bricks fell on her. The small book fell from her hands as she collapsed. Cagalli grabbed her and embraced her. Lacus broke down in hysteric sobs. Cagalli shed her own tears in silence now.

The darkness was upon the beach and the Minerva allowed shore time for off duty members. There were a couple of bon fires. Some even dressed in civilian clothes, like Athrun, who spent most his time at the smaller fire near the Archangel. He cuddled Cagalli, who looked terrible and weak. Lacus was at the shore line between both ships, staring out into nothingness, sitting down. She looked paler, frail, and lost. Sometimes a lone tear fell from her baby lilac-blue eyes. Many of the ZAFT ship were interested in seeing the pop idol yet some were skeptical.

"Why would she be here anyway?" Vino asked.

"Dunno," Yolan replied. "She looks like Lacus Clyne but I don't see why she would be acting like that."

"She can't be the real Lacus Clyne," Shinn said.

"Hey," Athrun said, popping in beside them. "What're you chattering about now?"

"Oh uh…Lacus Clyne," Shinn answered.

"What about her?"

"Sir, is she the real Lacus Clyne or the one we've been seeing on TV?" Vino asked.

"I probably shouldn't be telling anyone this but it doesn't seem to matter much," Athrun mused. "The girl at the shoreline is the real Lacus Clyne. The one who's been driving me crazy and performing for ZAFT is named Meer Campbell. The Chairman's using her for some odd reason."

"So she's Lacus? I don't understand how she is the real deal though," Luna said. "Isn't Lacus supposed to be cheery and all that?"

"Lacus is human, just like anyone else," Athrun stated firmly. "She never worked for ZAFT, ever. Actually, she still operates the Clyne Faction, which we call the Triple Ship Alliance back at Yakin Due. She stands for the real ideals that were created by Orb. Since the end of the last war, Lacus has been living in Orb, with Reverend Malchio and his war orphans. When this war began she was on the Archangel until recently when she went to space with Andrew Waltfeld to the Eternal. Only a few days ago did she return. I just wish she didn't have to return to this mess."

"What mess?" Luna asked.

"The mess Shinn created, along with the rest of ZAFT, in trying to take down the Archangel," Athrun said. Shinn glared.

"Why would she be upset about that?" he sneered. His friends agreed with him.

Athrun stood, glared and snapped. "Damn it, Shinn. You just as well killed Lacus! You killed Kira and that's pretty much the worse way of killing Lacus."

Everyone went silent. Luna stared wide eyed. "What?"

"Kira and Lacus were engaged," Athrun said. "She's his fiancée, since the beginning of the war. They've been together since half way through the first war. They loved each other more than anything else."

"…it's war," Shinn said hesitantly. "People get killed all the time. It's hard to believe she fell for PLANT's enemy."

"True," Meyrin said.

"Not true," Athrun said. "If it was just on orders that you killed Kira, you might have had a chance of forgiveness from her. But she knows that you acted out of revenge. I'll be surprised if she doesn't honestly hate you for that."

Shinn stared. Cagalli walked over and avoided the raven-haired boy's red eyes. "I'm taking Lacus back to the Archangel. I don't think she's eaten yet."

"All right," Athrun said. Cagalli promptly left over to Lacus. The pink-haired girl seemed out of it and hesitant. She finally allowed herself to be pulled along.

"Where am I?" was the first thing out of Kira's dry mouth when he came around. The room he was resting in was a pale blue and bare. His body ached only slightly from the fight. A middle aged woman with long brown hair entered, wearing a simple blue cotton dress.

"You're awake," she said. "That was fast. How are you?"

"I'm all right," he replied. "Where am I?"

"I'm Mrs. Eleanor Morris," she said. "I expected you t e unconscious for a few more days at least. We found you injured on the shore. You're here at my country home and welcome to stay until you're well enough to leave."

"Thank you."

A week later Kira found himself up and about with ease. The Morris family consisted of a husband and wife, both in their late 30's, with a young boy of about 12. They were a Coordinator friendly family while the rest of their town wasn't. That's why they lived on their own in the distance, because of contradicting beliefs. None really pried into his plight or background. He had so far told them that he was part of the Triple Ship Alliance as well as Orb from the Archangel. ZAFT had felt the need to shoot own the Archangel so he fell trying to defend it. It thrilled the family that he was from the very alliance they were supporting.

The boy, Will, found good company in Kira over the passing week. Yet Kira couldn't stay forever. The need to let everyone know he was alive was overwhelming. So he asked what could be done.

"We thought about that," Eleanor said. "We don't own a computer and don't have international phone ability. But Ron works where there is a phone ability to reach Orb. It's risky to call there, anyone could listen in but we could at least let your side know where you are."

Kira was already shaking his head. He figured if someone discovered they were caring for someone they fought against the family would be at risk. He wouldn't allow that.

"No," he said. "If there's any risk you shouldn't take it on my account. Another way may turn up in time. I can wait it out until then."

"All right then."

About that time Will stomped in. Eleanor looked at him. "What's wrong, Will?"

"The teachers game me a ton of homework. Ms. Waterhatt gave this huge assignment that's impossible. She said work with the family how much can be done. The most gets a week of no homework."

"That's nice. What did she give you that is impossible?" Ron asked.

"A packet of problems from pre-algebra to pre-calculus," Will answered.

"Oh dear," Ron said. "I'm rusty big time from algebra up. Even my geometry is rough."

"Maybe I could help," Kira offered. It was the least he could do for them to help their kid in math. "I know a few tricks for it. It's not too hard really."

"That would be nice," Eleanor said. "We don't want to trouble you though."

"Math's the easiest thing for me," Kira said. So he later sat down for a few hours with a 10 page packet with Will. He taught the kids all the shortcuts and how-to's for each problem. After being shown a few times Will was doing the harder ones on his own with some difficulty.

At the school, the packets were graded in pen, with all pencils under the desk. Then it was turned in and scanned by the teacher's aid while the lesson went on. Then the grade list was handed to Ms. Waterhatt. Her eyebrows went up at Will's score.

"Looks like our winner is Will, with a complete 100," she said. Everyone looked at him in shock. Will was not the best in math. "The next best score is a 65 to Rich." Rich was the best student in math.

"There's a problem I want you two to solve. Up here please." So she wrote a pre-calculus problem twice on the board. Both boys stared at their own work. Will remembered this type of problem he and Kira did a few times over and over.

He passed. Rich missed a number.

"How did you do it?" Gary asked. "You suck at math. Yet you showed Rich up in a day!"

"Don't tell anyone. Mom and Dad want it to stay quiet but we're having someone stay at our house for a while and he's good at math," Will said.

"An exchange of some sort?" Gary asked.

"Yeah," Will said.

It was into the second week. Kira was quite familiar with the family and felt at home for the moment. He was still trying to figure out how to get back though. As they sat down in dinner things took a step up.

"Will, you may have to skip school tomorrow," Ron said.

"What? Why? I have a test tomorrow and I promised to visit the library with Gary for a project."

"But we can't get you to school," Eleanor said. "Your stupid father has to work and I have an appointment to attend. We don't want to let you go alone to town. At this point anything could happen."

"But I have to go," Will said.

"I could take him," Kira said slowly. "It wouldn't be a problem."

"Someone we know might see you and ask," Ron said.

"Gary asked where I got help in math from and I told him. He asked if Kira was an exchange student or something like that."

"That works a little," Eleanor said. "I never thought of creating an excuse of having a stranger here. Wait. If you go to pick him up at the library you could probably use the public computers to talk to someone. The computers there would work. They're not watched or scanned."

"That's an idea. Why didn't we think of that before?" Ron said.

"Bye Kira!" Will said as he ran off to the school. Kira waved and turned to head back to the house. Will ran and was met by Shellie and Gary.

"Who's that?" Shellie asked. She pointed to Kira as he left.

"Is that that exchange student guy?" Gary asked.

"What exchange student?" Shellie asked confused.

"That's Kira," Will said. "He's staying with us for a little while."

"Can we come over later and meet him?" Gary asked.

"We'll see."

At the library later that day Kira walked in to see three kids working at a computer. A nod to the librarian and he entered. "Hey Will," he said.

"Hi Kira," the boy said. "We'll be done in a minute."

"Take your time," Kira said. "I'm going to email someone."

"Ok," Will said. He made his friends turn back to their work while Kira sat down at the computer next to them. He began working. His casual email worked fine. It would be a tad uncomfortable to use his military email address. A brief message of what his situation was sent to Athrun. For a moment he scolded himself for not pushing Cagalli to get a simple email. He again didn't want to push his luck of sending a casual email to Cagalli's official work. Clicking on the address he sent the email off, logged off, and met the three. He was uneasy of the two extras coming along but Will said they normally came over. They've been denied because he was around.

"The news had been interesting lately," Shellie said. She turned the TV on as they sat down. Kira hung around, since the two adults weren't back yet.

"They said ZAFT finally left the area," Shellie added. "They've been around. Everyone's surprised that there hasn't been a fight since this is EAF territory."

"Why isn't this stupid war over already? Aren't there more Naturals than Coordinators?" Gary asked.

"But Coordinators are better at fighting than Naturals," Shellie said. The news flashed on, the scene before them being the battleground of Operation Angel Down. Kira listened intently like the others.

"ZAFT has finally evacuated the area, much to the relief of many EA citizens. They declared that they left unsatisfied with their findings. Behind me is the recent battleground where ZAFT's new ship, Minerva, allegedly destroyed the famous Archangel and the famed X-10A Freedom. Inside sources confirm the Freedom's destruction but there is a split opinion of whether or not the Archangel was truly destroyed. Some think there is enough debris to say it was destroyed. Others say otherwise and want bodies as solid evidence. Others add that the current are strongest where the battleship sunk. A few dare say that that ship may be wandered off a while before finally sinking. As to the Freedom's pilots, many agreed that the pilot's body may have been lost in the ocean and to the large blast."