Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam SEED/Destiny or any of its songs, or characters nor do I own 'Close to You' by The Carpenters. I do own all the original characters written throughout this fiction.
"In this quiet night, I'm waiting for you,"
Under the light of the crescent moon, the garden shone. The roses, tulips and pink orchids were in full bloom yet the lilacs hadn't matured yet. It had warranted Lacus to sing her favourite composition.
"During that time, your smile has faded away,"
As she become lost in her memories, reality became a thing of unimportance. She hadn't noticed the volume in which she sang, which caught the attention of two Zala men. The one closest to her, in the garden, was attempting to become immersed in Dracula. It was mandatory reading for his film studies class for completion of his final paper.
Even though the due date was dangerously close, Shinn always sought a distraction. This singing woman offered it to him.
"Now that a little time has passed,"
Athrun Zala, fatigued from the appearances made at various charities, was notified of Lacus' visit by Mwu, the butler. After thanking him, he walked towards the gardens, loosening the cuffs of his dress shirt. While the campaign for Patrick Zala was going better than expected, it was chaos trying to finish all the planned tasks within a month and a half. Election Day would then be upon them.
Unfortunately, he had neglected his fiancée in the process. The last time he saw her was due to coincidence and Heine had lectured him for it. In the soldier's opinion, partners should not be neglected otherwise they would find comfort in the arms of another.
Athrun hoped Lacus wouldn't do this – it would be a scandal the opposition would need to detract positive attention from them, especially since Patrick finally decided to announce their engagement at the end of the week.
"Fond memories begin to emerge."
On the other side of the garden, Shinn followed the voice, annoyed at the size of the garden and the time it took him to reach her. Finally, he spotted a pink haired woman in a blue dress, singing to the lilacs. That was odd.
"At the place where stars fall,"
As Athrun neared the gardens, a quiet voice resonated throughout the back end of the manor and he was shocked, unaware Lacus Clyne had the talent capacity to sing. Strangely, it reminded him of the times his mother would spend with him and Shinn when they were younger.
"I'm always wishing for your laughter,"
Shinn sat cross legged on the grass, propped his elbows on his knees and placed his chin on a hand. She was a weird woman, he thought. Who was she? She didn't look like any of the employees nor was he informed of anyone visiting…
Unless they forgot to tell him again. There were too many times everyone in this house forgot about his existence. He frowned and it deepened when he saw his older brother, Athrun, walk through the doors and into the garden.
"Even though we're apart now,
We can meet again, right?"
At the words of this woman, memories of Stellar flooded his mind – the way she smiled, talked and listened to every word she said.
Shinn blushed but when his perfect brother kissed the woman on the cheek, surprising her to silence, he gagged.
"My apologies, Ms. Clyne, it wasn't my intention to startle you." Athrun said.
"No, no, Athrun, it was my fault for losing sight of my surroundings." She responded
Clyne? Stellar's sister? Exactly how many sisters did Stellar have? If he remembered correctly, there was Fllay, a blonde one who didn't seem to like him much from the village, and now this pink haired one. What was her name?
"Please, call me Lacus. Ms. Clyne seems much too formal."
Shinn watched as Athrun grinned and noticed he was acting too energetic, similar to the times when trying to hide something. Also, it was kind of late. He wondered why she would visit at this time.
"Of course. What brings you here this evening?" Athrun asked.
"Oh, Mr. Zala wanted to see me but it seems he is quite busy now." Lacus answered.
Athrun frowned and Shinn raised an eyebrow, thinking it was rude of his dad to do that. It was nearing nine in the evening. This campaign business was making him more obsessed with work than usual and that was clear through this, making someone come here only to shoo them away after.
"I apologize for my father's rudeness."
For once, Shinn agreed with his brother. It was then he realized that technically, he was intruding on a private conversation. There was a bush about a foot away…if he lunged, he could get away from these two stealthily.
"Ara, you must be Shinn! Stellar speaks about you all the time."
Damn.
Shinn looked at her, feeling sheepish for being caught listening but happy Stellar mentioned him often. With whatever dignity he could muster, he rose. Lacus walked towards him, looking through her purse and pulling out a cookie.
"Would Mr. Shinn like a cookie?"
Shinn stared at it, his elated feelings disintegrated and instead, felt a bit offended. "Um, I'm not a dog…"
"Oh! I didn't mean to infer you as a canine! Stellar likes cookies so I assumed…well, that was wrong of me to do."
"Don't worry about it. Goodnight."
He walked away towards the house, leaving the two to talk about whatever and not realizing he took the cookie from her.
Athrun chuckled at his brother's antics. Sometimes he was too cute for a young man his age.
"I hope he wasn't offended." Lacus wondered, not too pleased with herself.
"Please don't worry. He just comes across like that most of the time."
Lacus softly smiled at Athrun's reassurance. She then noticed the lines of exhaustion plaguing him and realized she should go home. It was getting late anyway.
"Please excuse me, I didn't mean to intrude on you this late. I'm sure you would like to rest."
"Nonsense."
"Not at all, Athrun. Mother mentioned both yourself and Representative Zala are hosting a fundraising gala tomorrow night. Rest is important right now."
Athrun sighed, knowing that oddly familiar, determined attitude wasn't going to allow leniency and forgetting about that charity function. So he decided against fighting it. Instead, he posed a question.
"This is last minute notice, but would you allow me the pleasure of keeping me company during the gala?"
Lacus, at first taken aback, smiled and agreed. "It would be a pleasure, Athrun."
And far above the gardens, from the third floor window of the study, Patrick Zala watched Lacus Clyne.
Shani was a twenty-three year old man who was still attending university courses. He had significant problems with authority when it concerned their mother and a slight problem with drugs. It wasn't abuse yet and hopefully never would be.
Despite being what could be considered an 'emo' because of dressing and behaviours, Orga was in disbelief at Shani's childish nature after befriending Stellar Clyne - did they truly think he wouldn't notice them following him down the streets?
Both of them were dressed in all black – Orga suspected Shani had bought the black attire consisting of a trench coat, pumps, sunglasses and a fedora for Stellar- and following too closely.
They would duck behind cars or signs whenever Orga casually glanced over his shoulder. He sighed then ignored them for the duration of journey to the police station. Instead, he focused on his task – if his mother had any inkling as to what he was doing, she would be less than pleased.
But too many days had passed since the incident and his psychological clearance to return to his career as a detective. The nagging feeling, the one which reminded him constantly that his place was with the police force, did not leave. Even though his last case ended on a terrible note, Orga desired to return.
The guilt of murdering a man was still prominent within as it haunted his dreams but what also lingered was his strong affections for Natarle. Even an engagement to Stellar Clyne couldn't hinder them as much as May Andras wished it to.
The times they spent as partners flashed through his mind but she had rejected his feelings so long ago. He tried to erase those memories, even giving them less importance but that woman he always saw in the lake in his dreams, it was always Natarle.
And now here he was, standing at the doorway of the station and there she was, briefing a few officers in the back of the room.
/Why do birds suddenly appear,
When you're near?/
That blue haired woman was focused to a level beyond any of the officers here could muster. Orga grinned and allowed himself in her office, waiting for her to complete whatever profile she was giving in place of their Chief Superintendent of the district.
It was a shame work was the only thing worth her time.
Natarle, on the other hand, didn't think of this as shame but as honor. She knew her ancestors would be proud of the reputation she secured for the family due to her objective mindset. Unfortunately, this mindset wavered when spotting Orga Andras sitting in her office.
This was not needed, not now. There was a madman loose in the city and her mind did not need this as well. Orga Andras had become a changed man in the last few years after that incident.
That was when he left the department…and her. It was the first time she ever, dare she think it?, loved a man. He was her very first heartbreak. And now, with a steady voice, she spoke.
"Orga Andras, who admitted you to my office?"
"You know how it is, madam, no one questions my authority." He said and winked. Only around her did his façade of a gentleman begin to falter.
"Your authority here ended some time ago." She stated coldly.
"Chief never gave me a burn notice so technically, I'm still employed." He countered.
Natarle almost cursed their Chief aloud for her emotional tendencies. It was such a weakness.
"I have work of an urgent nature to do, so unless your business here will only take five seconds of my time, get out." She said, placing the files in her hand on the desk.
"So cold, Natarle…" He rose and towered over her, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. Not a word was exchanged yet she rejected him again by stepping away and turning her back to him with crossed arms.
Regret settled in his eyes and he walked away.
/Just like me,
They long to be,
Close to you/
After exchanging pleasant greetings with Via & Cagalli Clyne, along with explaining how he hadn`t seen Fllay in five days to passively retort against Via`s hidden surprise at his visit, Yzak was shown to the parlor by Todaka.
It was a surprisingly old fashioned room in comparison to the modernized layout of manor. The parlour was obviously in the back corner of the home as there was one bay window which overlooked the lake in the backyard, beyond the gardens below and a circle top window to the right of it. Both were covered by pleated and long, deep red drapes.
The chandelier and golden lamps, which were placed on tables around the room, pleased his eye as did the colour scheme. As he admired the high ceilings and attempted identifying the painting on it, Fllay entered the room.
Today she was dressed much more casually, in a long sleeved purple blouse, denim shorts and white flats, than the time she visited their home not too long ago.
"Mr. Joule, what brings you here?"
"No greeting, Ms. Clyne? I thought the Clynes were to be an example of propriety to the common folk."
"It would be a waste of our time to exchange greetings, considering you wouldn't have come here for my pleasant company. Do you not own a proper wardrobe, Mr. Joule?"
Fllay said as she eyed the uniform he always wore whenever she saw or met him, the one that answered any question, if any, about his rank in the military.
"Work is my priority at the moment, Fllay."
She didn't respond to him but thanked Todaka, who had suddenly entered, for the cups of tea and coffee he made for them. After he left them, Fllay repeated her question albeit worded differently.
"Why are you here? You wouldn't want to be caught dead in an 'impoverished' home."
"The idea of bringing Lunamaria Hawke into our lives concerns me." Yzak said, ignoring the bait for an argument.
Oh yes, her.
Lunamaria Hawke was a young woman who preferred to be called a social journalist and was also one of three people on Fllay's top-watched celebrity list.
The pink haired girl was a fresh breeze needed for magazine readers, especially those of The Daily Watch. Ever since Lunamaria's entry into the field, sales had increased significantly since the woman knew exactly what to write about, hinting at hidden experience in the writing field.
Since the day Ezalia announced their engagement to a crowd of paparazzi following her one day, Fllay, as well as the other Clynes, had received both positive and negative attention. There were those who were jealous of the lifestyle they had and were more interested in possible scandals, those who just needed their 'Clyne fix', as Via said, and those who just didn't care about them.
"She can be a formidable foe, considering the communication tools and fanbase she has at hand." Fllay remarked as she sipped her tea.
"Your mother thinks of it as an advantage." Yzak said, frowning at the less than usual dose of sugar in the coffee.
"An advantage for the both of us – Ms. Joule has subconsciously volunteered to be the spokesperson of our relationship as my mother will when this interview takes place. It takes the crowds and attention away from us."
Fllay retorted, annoyed at how easily Yzak could insinuate unflattering things about people. In this case, he was accusing Via of climbing the social ladder through her daughters. While Fllay suspected it was somewhat true, she wasn't ready to hear that from someone as arrogant as Yzak Joule.
"I'm here to discuss what to speak about. I don't want Hawke snooping around where she shouldn't be." Namely around the Clyne background, a thought Yzak left unsaid.
Fllay had the same thoughts except hers centered on the past eleven years, when they lived in the village. According to Via's one-on-one session with her, and the rest of her siblings of course, she finally admitted to lying to the families here about being in a different country in order to heal from the emotional burden from losing Sigel.
It was an incredible lie that didn't go well with some of her sisters, as Fllay learned when talking with Miriallia. Though unison was important in these troubled times, Fllay thought.
"Clearly we'll have to come across as united, no matter what the question or situation. I can do that just fine, I've lived with four siblings after all, but my concern is whether you can do that, Yzak. Pleasant words aren't your strong suit, are they?"
Again, the man decided to ignore the dangling bait for an argument. He really didn't have time for this.
"I will do what I need to protect what's important." He said through gritted teeth. "I don't want our relationship to be questioned on Neider's show."
Lunamaria and Auel Neider, as Fllay learned not too long ago, were a terrific team. He hosted a talk show and instead of competing against one another, both individuals assisted one another to parody or bring to light the scandals of high class society.
It was like an addiction to them.
"And it won't be. Yzak, I told you before, I will keep an image of a fiancée that will satisfy society and I meant it for situations such as this. People will think of it as an engagement following you falling in love with me at first sight."
She said, hiding her grin behind her tea cup.
"Excuse me? I -" He began with a frown.
"- proposed to me, if I remember correctly." She finished with a smile. Yzak's eye twitched, annoyed at being caught in a web of words. Words normally weren't his forte but he wouldn't admit that to her.
Thankfully, or not, they were joined by Via and Lacus Clyne in the parlour. He shifted to the seat next to Fllay, who made a sound of discomfort, and both behaved well in front of the eldest Clyne women.
From the upcoming engagement party to the architecture of the housing, the four chatted quite a bit and Yzak couldn't find a proper exit in the conversation. These foxes were too learned in conversing, possibly the only skill they honed, for him to leave.
But then, it got interesting when Yzak mentioned attending the fundraising gala hosted by the Zala family tomorrow evening.
"It will be lovely to see a familiar face. I will be attending with Athrun." Lacus said in her ever polite way of speaking.
"Is that right? Will any of the other Clyne women be attending?" Yzak asked, realizing that he would have to ask Fllay to join him to avoid the rising tension he could feel by sitting next to her. Although it was small, there was a change in her eyes when Lacus mentioned attending.
"I will be as well. It has been quite some time since I last attended a charity function in the city." Via said and sipped her tea.
"Then perhaps, Ms. Clyne, you will consider attending with me?" Yzak asked Fllay. He may as well introduce Fllay to the prominent citizens at the gala before their interview with Hawke anyway. These people didn't like to be told things last.
Fllay smiled so sweetly to his request and was sure she had given herself a toothache in the process. "I would love to, Mr. Joule."
Lacus and Via grinned then excused themselves to some other business outside of the household to attend to.
"Your sister and Zala are friends?" Yzak asked, slightly confused as to why Lacus would be Athrun's date.
"Well, they are engaged. It makes perfect sense for Athrun to have Lacus as a date rather than another woman. Oh the scandal that would be…" Fllay said, hand against her cheek as her thoughts drifted to notion of cheating, ignoring Yzak's surprise momentarily.
When she returned her gaze to him, he was frowning.
"Something bothering you about Athrun and Lacus, Yzak?" Fllay asked, too curious about his displeasure.
"Nothing." Honestly, he was annoyed to not know about Athrun and Lacus' engagement but there was something else that bothered him.
"Come now; if we're going to spend the rest of our lives together, we may as well become accustomed to being one another's ally." Fllay said her vibrant blue eyes locked with his mistrusting ones.
"You do have a point. My concern, if you can call it that, is the Zala family. While Athrun is a decent person overall, the generations prior make me uncomfortable."
Fllay, hoping to hear gossip instead of a realistic observation, deflated a little before resuming her proper stature. And she was slightly curious…
"What do you mean?"
"Have you heard the rumours of the Zala family?"
"No…"
Yzak sighed. "Then research them and you'll see what I mean, maybe, if you understand it."
Fllay frowned at his condescending tone and was prepared to tell him off when she heard an odd noise. Slightly confused, she walked out of the parlour to investigate, leaving Yzak annoyed at being left behind and he eventually followed, not sure what to do especially since they didn't finish their conversation.
"Where are you going?" He asked, not masking his annoyance.
"Can't you hear that?" Fllay asked in return. Of course he could, he just didn't care.
She climbed the stairs and nearing Cagalli's room, she heard the noise again. Peeking in, she saw the blonde in the corner of her room, working frantically. Fllay entered and Yzak, realizing it was a bedroom, thought it proper to wait outside. So he leaned against the wall with crossed arms, not believing he was in this situation.
"What are you doing, Cagalli?" At this point, Fllay had completely forgotten about Yzak. Instead, she focused on her curiosity at Cagalli's, who hadn't noticed Yzak at all, antics.
"Can't respect the privacy of others?"
Cagalli, now sitting on the bed, asked, attempting to hide something behind her back…Fllay rolled her eyes.
"What are you hiding?"
"Nothing!"
"Rrrreallly? Liar!"
As quickly as she could, the redhead ran towards the bed and Cagalli reacted. Unfortunately, Fllay lost her balance in the struggle and almost fell on top of whatever the blonde was hiding but Cagalli held her firmly by the arm and threw her across the bed.
Fllay experienced two feelings: anger and surprise. Anger stemmed from the way Cagalli threw her and surprise from Cagalli's strength…it was completely unexpected. She didn't realize she had a brute for a sister.
"Are you okay…?"
Cagalli asked the thing on the floor and Fllay assumed it was a kitten by the weak meowing. The blonde turned to Fllay with fire in her auburn eyes.
"You could have seriously injured Zethus! If you do anything to harm him again, and you will regret it!"
Fllay blinked and avoided the threat, knowing full well that Cagalli would follow through on it based on…previous experiences. Instead she focused the conversation to something else.
"Who's Zethus?"
"…My kitten." Cagalli picked up an orange fur ball and Fllay instantly smiled, thinking it was so cute the way it tried to open its eyes and constantly meowed!
"Cute! I want to hold it!"
"It's a him and you're going to drop him!"
"No I won't, I have more grace than you do, dear sister. Now let me hold him."
"No way, I'm not taking orders from a kid like you."
"Can I please hold him?" Fllay said through gritted teeth, trying her best to ignore Cagalli's usual annoying self. The blonde watched her for some time before passing Zethus to her.
She fussed like a mother worried for her newborn the entire time Fllay held and played with Zethus. He was adorable and Fllay wondered why someone would be cruel enough to abandon the kitten at a shelter. To distract the blonde from being fussy, Fllay inquired about how this entire adoption happened.
She watched as Cagalli's mood lifted to one of sincere contentment as she talked about a person named Heine suggesting the idea and that she had gone to the animal shelter with Kira.
"…You two seem to be getting along well."
"Yeah, I've never had a guy friend before and it's weird, I feel really comfortable with him."
Cagalli continued to talk about Kira as she took Zethus away, completely oblivious to Fllay's changing features of slight jealousy.
While Cagalli was oblivious, Yzak, who couldn't help but watch the scene between two sisters, was not. He observed Fllay's behaviour and understood that Kira had to be the one she would fall in love with and leave him for.
That way, not only would the engagement be broken but Ezalia would not want anything to do with the Clynes anymore.
A/N: Thank you for the support, everyone! I chose not to reply to the reviews to the last chapter because I didn't want to confirm anything ;) Hopefully this chapter meets expectations! As always, reviews make me happy as does constructive criticism!