Meisha: Wow, this chapter turned out much longer than I first expected it to. But honestly, I want to try and finish up this story. It's been dragging on wayyyyy too long. And for those of you who have been patient in following the story, I truly commend you.
As I said in the previous chapter, I know where I want the story to go—it's just actually getting there. I'd like to be able to update again soon, but I'm not sure if that's really a possibility with school starting. But let's keep our fingers crossed!

Edit: I completely forgot to thank all you who read the last chapter. Special thanks to: Kkornelia, Drair, Ting Ting, Lilith, trulyanimelover06 and my guest readers :)


The Heart's Diamond

Chapter 11

Amnesia


Cagalli pushed open the doors of the police station, ready for the day ahead. Athrun and Chief Durandal turned to acknowledge her entrance. She glanced around and noticed that they were the only three present. Noting her questioning gaze, Durandal turned his full attention to her.

"Detective Clyne has already left for Zaft. You and Detective Zala are to follow suit. The remaining officers have some work to finish up here before aiding in your search."

Cagalli nodded, but the questioning glance didn't quite leave her features.

"Why did Lacus—"

"I received a report from local authorities in Zaft that there has been unrest lately. Detective Clyne offered to leave early and investigate whether these incidents are related to Kira's disappearance. By the time that the two of your reach Zaft, we hope that she will have come to some sort of conclusion."

"Couldn't it be related to the Green Diamond too, then?" Cagalli offered.

Durandal took in a deep breath. "Ah, that is exactly what Detective Zala and I were discussing before you arrived." Cagalli shifted her eyes from the chief to her partner before settling her gaze back on Durandal.

"And?"

"At this time, we are refocusing our efforts solely on the retrieval of Kira Yamato."

There was a moment of thick silence.

"Meaning we're dropping the Green Diamond case?" Cagalli restated in shock.

"Detective Athha, I felt you of all people would understand the importance of rescuing an MIA officer."

"Of course I care about finding Kira, but just forgetting about the Green Diamond? That's ORB's most prized possession! If word gets out that we are just abandoning it—"

"The public won't be made aware of the details."

Athrun narrowed his eyes and Cagalli stood still, unsure of how to proceed. "Are you expecting the people to just forget about the whole incident then?" she replied in disbelief.

"Let's take a step back and think about the whole situation. We know for a fact that the person who stole the Green Diamond is the same one who managed to subdue and kidnap an elite officer. I don't have to tell you that this is a dangerous person we are dealing with." Cagalli nodded slowly. "If we continue to search for Detective Yamato and the jewel, we will inevitably be dividing our resources and thus reduce our chance of finding either. It will be better to redirect our attention to the most important task and that is to find Detective Yamato."

"What about after we find Kira?" Cagalli questioned.

Durandal pursed his lips together in a thin line and paused before answering. Athrun watched him carefully.

"Once we find Detective Yamato, he will more than likely be able to tell us who the culprit is. It should be no problem finding the Green Diamond after that," Durandal explained, taking a seat at his desk and resting his head in the palm of his hand.

"In all honesty, sir, I think we have enough people to handle both cases. Don't get me wrong, Of course I'm worried about Kira and getting him back safe and sound is the first priority, but we shouldn't just give up on finding the Green Diamond," Cagalli shared, looking to Athrun for support. "At least I don't think we're being less efficient."

Athrun remained silent, but his gaze locked with Cagalli's. Durandal stroked his chin as he glanced at the drawer of his desk.

"Detective Clyne was in agreement with my decision."

Cagalli's jaw nearly dropped and she once again turned her attention to Athrun. Though his expression was much more subtle, she could tell he was somewhat surprised by the news as well.

"Let me think about what you have said, Detective Athha. For now, please leave for Zaft with Detective Zala. After your initial findings we will reconvene and determine how to proceed."

Cagalli could only nod in agreement and turned to follow Athrun as he walked past her to the exit. Both were silent as they approached the car they would be borrowing. Only when they were on the highway did Cagalli finally speak.

"Why would Lacus agree with the chief's decision?" When Athrun didn't respond, she continued pondering aloud. "I know she's just as worried about Kira as I am, but I thought my reasoning had some logic."

"It did," he agreed.

Cagalli placed her hands on top of her head as she leaned back in the passenger's seat. "I guess we'll just have to ask her when we get there." She saw Athrun nod from the corner of her eye. "Why are you so quiet today?" she asked.

Athrun let out a frustrated sigh in response to which Cagalli raised an eyebrow.

"Is everything ok?"

"Kind of—well not really," he corrected.

"Athrun," he turned to see her staring at him intently. "We promised to tell each other everything. What's bothering you?"

Athrun let out another sigh as he turned his attention back to the road. "It's nothing really." To this, Cagalli gave him a disbelieving glance. "The chief is acting a little… suspicious."

"How so?" Cagalli asked, suddenly very interested.

"I can't really say and I honestly don't have any reason to doubt his sincerity," he began. "It's just that what you said back in the department was the most reasonable course of action. The disappearance of Kira and the Green Diamond are connected and dismissing one case for the other seems…"

"Stupid," Cagalli filled in.

Athrun nodded halfheartedly at her word choice.

"So the chief's having some sort of internal conflict?"

"Or a conflict of interest," he suggested.

"You think he's being blackmailed?" Cagalli rephrased.

"It's possible. Durandal didn't seem convinced himself that his decision was the best course of action."

Cagalli nodded in understanding before offering another point. "Do you think Lacus was somehow dragged into it as well?"

"I think it's best if we wait to ask her what she thinks of all this." Cagalli nodded in agreement and fell silent.

/ \\\\ / \\\\ / \\\\ / \\\\ / \\\\

"I'm Detective Lacus Clyne with the ORB Police—"

"I know who you are."

"I know, Flay," Lacus nodded. "But it's protocol."

"What do you want?" she snapped, sending a glare to the officer.

Lacus appeared unfazed. "It's about Kira."

Flay's eyes widened slightly before she resumed her hard expression. "What about him?"

"He's missing." Lacus noticed Flay take in a sharp breath.

"W-well, I haven't spoken to him in like two weeks. I have no idea where he would be. But he's a cop, so why is it such a big deal?" Flay retorted.

"Two weeks?" Lacus repeated, slightly skeptical.

Flay let out a sardonic laugh. "Are you trying to say that I kidnapped Kira or something? Look, we both know that I don't like you and you probably hate my guts too, but I'm okay with your relationship with him. Just because I'm his ex, doesn't mean I'm out to ruin his life."

Lacus shook her head. "No, of course not, I didn't mean to imply that."

Flay simply shrugged her shoulders before lowering her gaze. "But, Kira is really missing?" Lacus nodded her head solemnly. "I'm sure you're doing everything you can to find him and you probably don't want to hear this…" Flay paused, "but I'm worried about him too. If you hear anything please let me know," Flay looked right at Lacus in an attempt to convince her of her honesty. Lacus paused a moment before nodding in acceptance.

"Flay?" The two girls turned their attention to a third companion who jogged up to them. "You said you wouldn't get here until later in the afternoon," he reminded, glancing at the watch on his wrist.

"Eh, I got bored at home. And I'm actualy a little anxious about today," she admitted.

"You'll do fine," he said with a nod before looking at Lacus. At once his expression hardened. "Detective Clyne."

"Hello Yzak. I'm glad to see that you're doing well."

"Likewise."

"Damn. And I thought you and I had some bad blood between us," Flay directed at Lacus. "Seems you and the ORB Police force still have issues with Yzak."

"That's not—"

"Because your current chief is a conniving crook who won't listen to both sides of a story and only thinks about himself," Yzak finished intractably.

Lacus narrowed her eyes, about to counter his statement, but Flay intervened.

"Well whatever, it's over. No need to get riled up about something in the past, right?" Neither of her companions said a word. "Anyway, I still have to get ready, so let's go Yzak," she grabbed onto his upper arm in an attempt to usher him away. "Oh, and Lacus, do keep me in the loop about Kira."

"Yamato?" Yzak nearly growled in a low voice to which Flay just nodded.

/ \\\\ / \\\\ / \\\\ / \\\\ / \\\\

"Lacus isn't picking up her cell," Cagalli replied "Maybe she's already checked in at the Zaft Police Department," she offered.

"Yeah, that's probably the best place to start."

As they approached the building, a security guard halted them. Holding up their badges, Athrun and Cagalli were granted access to the building.

"Detectives Zala and Athha, our Police Chief is expecting you. Please proceed to room 207A." They nodded before taking the elevator to the designated conference room.

"Please come in detectives," a voice from within invited just as Athrun knocked on the door. Cagalli was surprised to see a fairly young woman standing inside. She forced a smile. "Thank you for coming on such short notice, though in all honesty I wish we could have avoided this meeting all together." Athrun nodded in sympathy as Cagalli took a seat across from the woman. "I am the Zaft Police Chief: Talia Gladys. I'm already familiar with the two of you. Chief Durandal of ORB speaks highly of your work."

Athrun thanked her with a nod of his head.

"Not to be rude or jump ahead, Chief Gladys, but we were told that Zaft had some new information to share that could be relevant to the Green Diamond and an officer's disappearance?" Cagalli pressed politely.

Talia nodded solemnly and waited a moment to speak. "Yes, first I would like to show you something." She reached within her drawer and withdrew a small device. "This is one of Zaft's enhanced, innovative technologies. In simple terms, it can hack into the radio server of any station."

Athrun raised an eyebrow and Cagali stared at the small instrument.

"That's an infringement of—"

"Yes, we are aware of the rights such a device would violate, but it has been a crucial integration since the rate of crime has increased in our area. You may not believe me when I say it, but our only intention was to use this for criminal justice."

"It sounds as though you've discovered some important information using this new technology," Athrun said.

"Yes," Talia paused again, as though calculating something in her head. "For the past week, we have been listening in on a certain station. The people running it were certainly guile and avoided our notice until we implemented this new device. "

"And what did you learn?" Cagalli asked.

"The people who derived this radio server are part of an illegal group that has remained underground for decades. And they're about to make a big move. According to their transmissions, they're making a tradeoff tonight."

"What are they transporting?"

Talia shook her head. "We couldn't intercept and figure that out."

"It could very well be the Green Diamond, couldn't it?" Cagalli questioned, turning to Athrun who nodded in response.

"Thank you for the information. We'll take it into account during our activity in Zaft," Athrun responded, standing up from his seat.

"There's more." Both detectives paused and turned their attention to Talia, who seemed uncertain. "We were able to obtain an address where we strongly believe the event will be taking place."

Cagalli's eyes widened. "That makes things much easier for us," she nearly exclaimed.

Talia nodded as she scribbled something on a notepad and tore the page, handing it to Cagalli.

"Chief Gladys," she looked to the male detective. "Has Detective Lacus Clyne come into see you?" Talia's eyes widened.

"N-no, she has not. Is she currently assigned to the task in Zaft as well?" Athrun nodded in confirmation. "I see. Well, if she reports in I will let her know that you were searching for her."

After exchanging a few more words, Athrun and Cagalli took their leave. Talia immediately reached for her phone and dialed an all too familiar number. There was an answer after two rings.

"Cut the pleasantries," Talia snapped "Why didn't you inform me that Lacus Clyne would be conducting her work in Zaft? If and when she arrives at our Police Department, she will recognize me from the restaurant in Heliopolis. Your entire plan is surreptitious; it won't last and you'll lose the trust of all those around you, even if you think what you're doing is right."

/ \\\\ / \\\\ / \\\\ / \\\\ / \\\\

"Wow, you can already sense the change in atmosphere after we crossed that bridge," Cagalli noted, scanning the surroundings from her window. "That must be the building. The area is just way too banal. I mean, carrying out an illegal operation in such a shady location is basically setting the stage for a movie," she added, staring off at a large, decrepit structure.

"We should probably leave the car here and investigate on foot. It will be more stealthy and effective, especially if there is some sort of suspicious activity going on," Athrun advised.

Cagalli nodded. "I left Lacus a voicemail with the address," she fell silent as she closed the door and approached Athrun. "Do you think Kira will be here?"

"If he is, we'll find him," Athrun replied. "And if he's not, we'll find out where he is and then find him," he added in equal confidence.

Cagalli gave him a small smile as she tried to calm her racing heart. The beep of her phone diverted her attention momentarily.

"It's a text from Lacus," she flipped open her phone and read the message." Lacus is on the other side of town. She said she'll be here as soon as she can. It'll be dark soon too."

"We should wait for her before proceeding in. It'll be safer," Athrun stated.

Cagalli let out a sigh of agreement.

"Hey now," Athrun said with a slight smirk. "Hanging out with me can't be that bad."

"Oh really?" she asked. "I can think of a couple other things I'd rather be doing," she added playfully.

"Man Cagalli, you sure know how to make a guy feel special," he replied sarcastically.

Cagalli grinned mischievously. "Well, it's not like you guys play fair either." Athrun glanced at her, waiting for her to continue. "I mean, you'll say anything to impress a girl you like."

"That's not necessarily true," he refuted gently.

"Oh, it's so true!" Cagalli challenged. "See, take Kira for example. He's head over heels for Lacus. And they agreed that an honest relationship was the best one. But what happens the morning Lacus stops by unexpected? Kira shoves her into the living room, makes me keep her company and slams his bedroom door shut. It was the most bizarre thing. And 'why' you may ask he was doing this? Well apparently he told Lacus that he's super OCD and his room is always clean. Every morning he supposedly makes his bed, folds his clothes and vacuums the floor. But does he actually do that? No! Not at all! Never!"

Athrun laughed at her rant. "So he wanted to appear like the ideal boyfriend. It wasn't that bad of a lie."

Cagalli rolled her eyes. "Come on, he has to be honest! Anyway, what I'm trying to say is guys go to all sort of lengths to impress a girl they like—whether it's true or not."

"Again, I can't say I agree, Cagalli."

"Ok, so if I asked you how your room is, what would you say?" she challenged.

"Oh, it's awful. Clothes everywhere. Food under the bed. Bugs crawling along the walls."

"Ew, Athrun, that's disgusting!" she exclaimed in shock. "No one in their right mind would say that!"

Athrun couldn't hold in his laugh. "I know, but were you expecting me to say I color coordinate my closet or something?"

"Sort of," she admitted.

"But I take it that wouldn't have impressed you."

Cagalli shook her head. "Although it would be better than telling me you have bugs crawling everywhere. I can't stand those creepy crawly creatures," she shivered in disgust.

"Detective Athha is afraid of bugs?" Athrun asked, taking a step closer to her.

"N-no, not afraid! I would just rather not deal with them," she clarified, taking a step back so she could look at him without tilting her head up.

"So tell me Cagalli, how would someone impress you?"

"I don't know!" she defended, taking another step back. "Not give me a bug?" she replied in defeat.

Athrun smiled. "You know what I would say?" he asked, slowly raising his hand and reaching towards her. Cagalli said nothing and merely shook her head. "I would tell her that it didn't matter what she said because I'd accept her the way she is. Being herself was probably what drew me to her in the first place."

Cagalli wasn't even sure she was hearing what he was saying. All she could focus on was Athrun coming even closer and her escalating heart rate. He was inches from her and she felt his hand on her hair. She stared at him questioningly and he just looked back into her eyes. Before she could say or do anything, he pulled away, his hand now filling the space between them.

"There was a bug in your hair," he replied simply, showing her the insect between his fingers.

"W-What?!"

He looked at her innocently. "Well, after your divulged your fear of bugs, I figured I should try to get it out of your hair without actually telling you it was there."

Cagalli was flustered and there was a mischievous glint in his eye. "Cagalli, don't tell me you thought—"

"S-shut up, Athrun!" she snapped, twirling around and facing her back to him. She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at the nearest rock.

"But I didn't do anything," he replied softly, fighting the smirk that threatened to appear.

"Just stop talking," she demanded.

"Come on, Cagalli, it was a joke," he said with a laugh.

"Don't even look at me," she threatened.

"Ok, ok, you win. I'm sorry," Athrun apologized. She still refused to turn around so he sighed in defeat.

A couple moments passed with Athrun trying to strike up conversation and Cagalli blatantly ignoring him. A loud thud caught both of their attention. They looked towards the decrepit building and noticed rubble and smoke.

"Chief Gladys never told us when the operation was supposed to begin, did she?" Cagalli questioned. Athrun shook his head. "So it could be now. They have the cover of night on their side."

"We can't be sure," Athrun offered.

"But we can't not be sure either. If we miss it all together we'll blow our chance at finding Kira and the Green Diamond," Cagalli argued.

"It will go a lot smoother with backup from Lacus," he continued.

Cagalli was about to give in when an all too familiar sound run through the air.

"W-was that a gunshot?" she asked in panic.

"Cagalli, calm down."

"Kira could be in there! I'm going in. You can wait for Lacus!" Without waiting for a reply, Cagalli darted towards the building.

"Cagalli!" he yelled after her. He shook his head before following after her. "I guess there are a couple things I would try and change about a girl I want to impress," he mumbled to himself.

/ \\\\ / \\\\ / \\\\ / \\\\ / \\\\

Cagalli peered around the corner of a large crate. She counted two masked individuals moving boxes onto a truck. Once their backs were turned, she motioned to Athrun who rushed towards her.

"You really shouldn't be so brash," Athrun chided, lowering the revolver he carried.

"I'm not taking any chances," she replied stubbornly, lowering her own weapon. "So far I haven't seen anyone else around. It's hard to believe that this entire illegal operation is run by two people."

Athrun nodded in agreement. "They could just be loading the truck and then waiting for the others.

"So should we take out these two and interrogate them about the other members?"

Athrun shook his head. "It's probably better to lay low and just watch for a little while first. Then we can make a move."

"You still think we should wait for Lacus?" Cagalli replied, seeing through his excuse.

"That too, but it would be better to become familiar with the area before we launch any sort of attack. We might even find where they're keeping their valuables or hostages"

Cagalli nodded as she scanned the perimeter. She suddenly lost her balance as the ground beneath her shook. Athrun reached out to steady her as he looked towards a large garage door opening.

"That's a bulldozer," she pointed out, staring at the new vehicle. A voice from afar caught both of their attention.

"Break down those crates over there. We're supposed to get rid of the evidence!" the voice called out towards the bulldozer.

"A-Athrun," Cagalli said in warning.

He clenched his jaw. The mystery worker was pointing to the area where they were hiding. If they made a dart for another area they would be seen, but if they stayed in place they'd be crushed. The bulldozer was fast approaching. Cagalli's eyes widened in panic as she turned to Athrun.

"We have to move," she insisted, placing a hand on his arm and tugging, but he didn't budge. "Athrun!"

She glanced back to see the bulldozer a mere hundred feet away. Before she could get out another word of protest, she felt herself pulled into a tight embrace. Athrun tucked her head into his chest and she felt the two of them crouch to the floor. Seconds later, the bulldozer swung and demolished the boxes above them. Cagalli couldn't see a thing, but she knew they hadn't been hit. Still, the impact of the hit knocked both of them over and she was separated from Athrun.

Cagalli scrambled to her feet and searched for her partner. She finally saw him lying a couple feet away. She ran over to him and saw that he was unconscious.

"Athrun!" she called, trying to wake him up. She had to move him before they were discovered. She pulled his arm and draped it over her shoulder as she tried to drag him to cover. "Jeez, you weigh a ton!" she said to no one in particular.

"Hey, you there!" Cagalli felt her heart stop. "What are you doing? Who are you?" The voice was getting louder and she knew the person was fast approaching.

She began weighing her options.

Option 1- Drop Athrun and run for her life. Ok, that wasn't a serious option.

Option 2- Attempt to flee while carrying a seriously overweight human being. Seriously, Athrun was not making this any easier.

Option 3- Turn and face the person.

Either way, things weren't looking good. Against her better judgment, she turned around, staring right at the two people. When they saw that she was carrying a weapon, they immediately jumped back and pulled out a gun of their own.

"You're going to regret sneaking up on us like this!" one of them taunted.

"How can she regret it if she's dead, huh?" the other questioned sardonically.

"You idiots are stupid for trying to do something illegal like this in such a shady place!" Cagalli yelled in annoyance.

The two people seemed at a loss at her outburst.

And then a series of shots in between Cagalli and the assailants drew their attention. The assailants jumped back, taking cover behind the closest crates Cagalli threw her head up, trying to figure out where the shots came from. A figure from above jumped down and was behind her in seconds. Cagalli turned to see a familiar face. A familiar person holding a gun to her.

"L-Lacus?"

She had never seen such a serious look on her companion's face. Before she could question further, Lacus pulled the trigger of the gun. The bullet flew past Cagalli and struck the chain holding one of the garage doors open.

"Cagalli, we have to stop the truck from leaving!" Lacus exclaimed, regaining her normal demeanor.

Cagalli nodded as she dragged Athrun to a safe location and joined Lacus. She fired her weapon, but missed the chain. Lacus shot next and hit the same spot, breaking the chain and allowing one side of the garage to drop and hit the truck.

"We have to get out of here!" one of the assailants cried, rushing towards the truck. Lacus aimed the gun, but hesitated at the last second. The assailant lunged into the driver's seat and started the truck. Cagalli shot and successfully pierced one of the tires. She aimed for the other one, when Lacus lunged at her, pushing her down.

The second assailant had fired and they narrowly dodged the hit. Cagalli silently thanked Lacus before jumping and taking cover behind a crate. The assailant took off towards the truck and jumped onto the open trunk. The truck accelerated as the wheels screeched as the vehicle began moving towards the exit.

"We have to follow them! That garage didn't lead outdoors so they're still in this building!"

"Cagalli, we won't be able to keep up," Lacus admitted as she walked towards the unconscious Athrun.

"I have to try! Lacus, you stay with Athrun," Cagalli called as she ran towards the damaged garage.

"Cagalli!" Lacus called out, but the girl had already vanished through the garage.

/ \\\\ / \\\\ / \\\\ / \\\\ / \\\\

Cagalli scanned the room she entered noting the tire tracks and skid marks leading to a gaping hole in the wall. Either they had lost control of the car thanks to the flat tire or they thought they could get out of the building by ramming through the wall. If they were planning for the latter, they hadn't been successful. There were no stars or trees indicating they were outdoors, instead a pitch black room was ahead. Cagalli tried to see if the truck was visible, but she couldn't make anything out. She drew her gun from its holster and slowly approached the hole in the wall. If they had crashed head on with the wall, there was no doubt the driver would have suffered some debilitation.

Up close she started to make out the outline of a truck and when she had reached the edge of the room she noticed that the back was wide open, revealing an empty trunk. Cagalli bit her lower lip in frustration. It seemed they escaped with whatever it was they were trying to steal. A slight buzz caused her to jump, but she realized that it was just her cell phone. She glanced at the ID and noted that Shinn was calling her. She quickly put the phone away, noting she would call him back later.

A slight clicking noise caught her attention and Cagalli spun around, gun in hand to see a lone individual several feet in front of her. Something was different. This person's outline didn't match the two assailants from earlier.

"I'm with the ORB Police force," Cagalli said, making it obvious that she held a weapon in her hand. "Are you working with the others?"

She received no response from the masked individual, who simply took a step forward.

"Don't come any closer," Cagalli threatened, feeling intimidated, but refusing to budge from her spot. "Tell me who you are and what you were transporting."

The figure again took a step forward, as though daring Cagalli to fire.

"I'm not playing around. Tell me what I need to know," she demanded again. When the person merely took another step forward, Cagalli rested her finger on the trigger of her gun. "I don't want to hurt you," she admitted softly but sternly.

And at once the person took off towards Cagalli. Surprised, she momentarily let her guard down and took a couple steps back to avoid being hit with the person's fist. Attempting to regain her balance, Cagalli didn't notice the individual grab her wrist and twist to the point of dropping the gun. Afraid the person would lunge for it, Cagalli immediately turned her body to relive the stress on her wrist and kicked the gun under one of the crates. The person didn't seem fazed and instead took the chance to slip behind Cagalli, pulling her into a chokehold.

Cagalli's grabbed her attacker's arms and tried to pull them away while also turning her head to the side to facilitate breathing. Before more pressure could be added to her throat, Cagalli dropped her weight and fell to the floor, catching the person off guard and nearly pulling the attacker to the ground as well. As soon as she saw the imbalance in her opponent, Cagalli struck with the heel of her foot, causing her attacker to stagger backwards. She jumped to her feet and nearly grabbed onto the person's sleeve, but the attacker managed to evade. Just as Cagalli took another swipe at grabbing her opponent, the attacker pulled something out of their pocket and threw it onto the floor causing it to crack open and fill the room with a gaseous element. Caught in the moment, it was too late for Cagalli to hold her breath and she felt herself inhaling the fumes.

/ \\\\ / \\\\ / \\\\ / \\\\ / \\\\

"Cagalli! Can you hear me?" Athrun's voice echoed through the empty halls of the decrepit building. He cursed for having been knocked unconscious earlier, only to wake up cleverly hidden behind several crates. In fact, it had taken him a while to figure out how to get out of his exact location. "So much for being a prodigious detective, capable of solving any mystery," he mumbled to himself sarcastically.

As Athrun passed through another room he caught sight of a familiar head.

"Cagalli!" He ran towards the girl, who happened to be sitting in the middle of an open room, staring at the wall. As he approached her, he slowed down and kneeled before her. "Cagalli?"

It took her a moment to break her gaze from the wall. She gave Athrun a blank stare.

"Are you alright? What happened?" he asked, but she continued to stare at him. "Cagalli?" he tried again, resting a hand on her shoulder comfortingly.

Cagalli tensed at the contact before jumping up to a standing position, nearly knocking Athrun backwards.

"I forgot!" she exclaimed as she rushed towards the exit.

"Wait, Cagalli!" Athrun called after as he chased her down the hall. When he found her again, she was once again staring at a wall. "Cagalli, what in the world is going on?"

She turned to face him.

"Hi."

"Hey?" he greeted in confusion.

"I'm Cagalli."

"I know that! What's the matter with you?" She only gave him a curious glance.

"Why are you here?" she asked.

Athrun let out a sigh of frustration. "Cagalli, this isn't a game." She tilted her head in confusion. Had the situation been different, he would have admired her cuteness. "What happened after I lost consciousness? Did you chase after them?"

"Them?" she repeated.

Athrun narrowed his eyes. "Cagalli, do you remember why we're here?"

She let out a small laugh. "I'm not really sure where we are," she admitted coyly. "Hey, don't look so worried! I'm safe, you're safe, we're all safe and sound!" she justified, noting his wary expression.

"Cagalli, can you tell me what happened after me and you were separated?"

"We came here together?"

"Yes! It's me Athrun, your partner from the ORB Police department," he tried to explain. Seeing the same blank look, he decided to take a different approach. "Ok, you and I are working on a case to find the Green Diamond and Kira Yamato, your brother. Both went missing a couple days ago. Do you remember?"

Cagalli's eyes widened in recognition. "Oh my god, and the culprits were here! And I chased them!" Athrun nodded, placing both hands on her shoulders as she re-experienced the incident. "And then… and then…" she drifted off.

"And then what, Cagalli?"

"And then you showed up."

"Cagalli, something must have happened in between," he pressed her for an answer.

She shook her head and just stared at him.

"Cagalli?" She narrowed her eyes and moved closer to him. "C-Cagalli?" he repeated, trying to understand why she was looking at him so intently.

She made no sound and stood on her tippy toes, continuing to stare into his eyes. His hands were still on her shoulders, steadying her in case she was unstable.

And then at once she pulled away from him and began laughing. He looked at her skeptically, unsure of what to say.

"I'm looking for the Green Diamond!" she exclaimed. He nodded slowly. "And I found it!" she added. Athrun's eyes widened. "But I didn't really," she giggled. "I was just staring into your eyes," she finished.

Athrun nearly fell over. "Cagalli!"

"They're green! A pretty emerald green!" she continued.

"Cagalli, we need to get out of here," he pulled her by the arm and she gladly tagged along, giggling the entire way out.

/ \\\\ / \\\\ / \\\\ / \\\\ / \\\\

As they made their way back to the car, Cagalli continued rambling and Athrun remained silent, trying to figure out what had happened.

Athrun stopped walking when a blinding headlight approached them. He stood in front of Cagalli protectively as she looked over his shoulder. Two people stepped off the motor cycle.

"Athrun, you're alright!" Lacus said in relief as she approached the two.

"Lacus, when did you get here?"

She gave him a curious glance. "Oh, that's right. You were still unconscious when I left you. Cagalli ran off and I went to go find her after leaving you in safe area, but then Shinn contacted me and I went to find him. We were planning to search for Cagalli together," she explained.

"So you were there when Cagalli lost her memory?"

"Lost her memory?" she repeated in confusion.

Athrun stepped aside, revealing an awestruck Cagalli.

"Aw, Lacus, you're so pretty!" Lacus gave her friend a small smile. "Athrun, you're very good-looking too. You know the two of you would make such a pretty, good-looking couple!"

Lacus' eyes widened and she turned to Athrun in shock. "Athrun, does she know about our—" Athrun shook his head violently. "Well, what has gotten into her?" He could only shrug.

Lacus looked to Cagalli who stared right back.

"So did we find out anything useful from whatever happened today?" Shinn asked as he parked his bike.

"I think we need to figure out what exactly happened tonight," Athrun clarified.

"Hi Shinn!" Cagalli greeted, bouncing over to their third companion.

He looked at her like she was crazy. "What's wrong with you?"

"Oh Shinn," Cagalli laughed. "You're just a jerk."

"What?!"

"Shinn, calm down. I think Cagalli's been… drugged. Or something," Athrun noted.

"She's acting like she's drunk!" Shinn argued back.

"Oh no, alcohol is bad!" Cagalli explained. "Shinn, are you an alcoholic?"

"No!" he yelled.

"Lacus, you have nice hair. Can I have it?"

"Cagalli, I think we need to get you home," Lacus said gently, placing a hand on Cagalli's upper arm.

Cagalli flinched and smacked Lacus' hand away. "Don't touch me! Get away from me!" she snapped. Lacus immediately took a step back, surprised by the hostility.

"Seriously, what's gotten into her?" Shinn questioned.

Athrun shook his head. "I have no idea. But I don't think it's a good idea to just drop her back home."

"Well, she's not staying with me," Shinn scoffed. "If she keeps insulting me I might end up strangling her." Both Athrun and Lacus gave him a disapproving look.

"I think it would be best if she stayed with you, Lacus."

Lacus nodded, but then paused in thought. "I'm not sure she'll want to stay with me. Or if I'll be able to handle her," Lacus admitted.

"Yeah, with the way she snapped a couple seconds ago," Shinn agreed.

"She'll probably be better off with you, Athrun," Lacus suggested. "You two have been working together for a while, so it'll be easier for you to keep her in check."

"I'm not so sure about that…" he started.

"Oh come on, Athrun, man up. She's acting like a 5 year old anyway—it'll be like babysitting," Shinn stated.

"Yes. Shinn and I can remain here for a while and take a look at what's left. You take her back with you and see if she can remember anything about tonight," Lacus recommended.

Athrun nodded. "Let me know if anything urgent comes up, alright?" They nodded in agreement. "Ok, Cagalli, let's go."

"Oh, a sleepover!" she ran towards the car and buckled herself in.

The three remaining officers exchanged looks of worry, confusion and slight amusement before going their separate ways.

/ \\\\ / \\\\ / \\\\ / \\\\ / \\\\

Alright Cagalli, you'll be staying in this room. Is that ok?" Athrun noticed that she had become much quieter since the car ride. She nodded in acceptance. "If you need anything, I'll be downstairs. I've left a pair of my pajamas in the drawer in case you want to wear something more comfortable before you go to sleep." She nodded again.

Athrun turned to close the door, but paused half way. "Cagalli, do you remember anything else from tonight?"

"I have to find her," she mumbled.

Athrun raised an eyebrow. "Find who?"

Cagalli shook her head and then smiled. "Nothing, I'm just sleepy. Good night Athrun!" she assured, pushing him out the door.

/ \\\\ / \\\\ / \\\\ / \\\\ / \\\\

"It looks like they extricated everything from the back of the truck," Lacus noted as she flashed the light throughout the dark room.

"Yeah, and there's just a bunch of empty crates here," Shinn added, scanning the area. "Well this is a little weird," he said, squatting down to look at something on the floor.

"What is it?" Lacus asked, appearing beside him.

"It looks like shattered glass. Do you think it had something in it? We could take it back for evidence."

Lacus pondered a moment. "It's probably just something that broke during the chaos of the pursuit," she mused.

Shinn nodded, before standing back up and scanning the other side of the room.

/ \\\\ / \\\\ / \\\\ / \\\\ / \\\\

Athrun pulled the futon from his closet and placed it in his family room. It has been a while since he had slept on this. Arranging the blankets and pillows, he finally lay down and stared at the ceiling above. What exactly had happened to Cagalli during the time he was unconscious? If anyone had hurt her, he would never forgive himself. But she seemed ok physically. And hopefully whatever it was, would wear off by the morning. She didn't seem dangerous to herself or others. Athrun closed his eyes.

Why was he thinking like this anyway? Cagalli wasn't a drug user so she wouldn't face the usual issues they faced. It was a first time mishap. There was nothing to worry about.

Athrun's eyes shot open. How on earth could he leave a person experiencing symptoms of some type of drug alone in a room?! He rushed up the stairs and pushed the bedroom door open. He scanned the room and saw that Cagalli was nowhere in sight. A gentle breeze drew his attention the window sill, where Cagalli was sitting and staring wide-eyed at Athrun.

"W-what are you doing here?" she questioned hesitantly.

"What are you doing!?" he exclaimed, running towards her. "Don't even think about jumping out the window!" he grabbed hold of her arm.

"Athrun, let go! I have to find someone!" Cagalli yelled back, struggling to have him release her.

"Not until you come back inside!" He pulled her one last time and she fell back into the house, crashing into the ground with him as her cushion.

She struggled to sit up and climb off of him, but he held her in place. She was sitting on top of him, but he didn't care. "Are you insane!?"

"No! And I'm not suicidal either!" she yelled back.

"Your actions speak otherwise!" he argued.

"Relax, I just had to take care of some stuff and I knew you wouldn't let me out of the house!"

"Yeah, because you're acting like a crazy person," he retorted, refusing to let go of her wrist.

"You don't understand!"
"Then explain it to me!" he challenged.

"I can't!"

"Why not?!"
"Because I don't understand it myself!" she yelled.

Athrun suddenly stopped and released her arms. He propped himself up on his elbows. "Cagalli, I know this is difficult, but just try to calm down and we'll look at this again tomorrow with a cool brain."

Cagalli shook her head. "No! I can't remember what happened and I know we were so close to finding Kira. I ruined everything!" she exclaimed, tears welling in her eyes.

"You didn't ruin anything." She shifted her gaze away from him, but he reached out and turned her face back towards him. "Listen to me, Cagalli. You tried your best and I'm sure you saw something. But right now is not the time to try and figure it out. You need to calm down and we can hit the ground running tomorrow morning. Please do this… for Kira… for me," he added quietly.

Cagalli nodded slowly, sniffling a bit. Athrun smiled and tugged her towards the bed. "Now you need to get some rest, ok?" She nodded once again. He stood up to leave, but she grabbed onto his arm.

"Athrun, can you stay and talk to me for a bit. I don't… I don't want to be alone."

He nodded sympathetically.

"Of course."

"Do you really think I'll be able to remember?" Cagalli asked. "What if I saw Kira and then he were snatched away again? Or if I had the Green Diamond in my grasp. Or if—"

"Cagalli, stop it," Athrun chided gently. "There are a million 'if' possibilities. Whatever did happen will come out and when it does, we'll be prepared to face it. Together."

Cagalli closed her eyes. "Thank you, Athrun." He nodded.

Moments later, Cagalli rested her head against the pillow and her breathing became even. He watched as she fell asleep, relieved that she seemed at peace. He attempted to get up, but realized that her hand was locked onto his wrist. He gave a soft smile as he tried to gently release her hand, but it was firmly attached. Sighing, he readjusted his position and leaned his head against the backdrop of the bed. He'd get back downstairs again soon. For now, he would just rest his eyes. It had been a long day.


Meisha: So, I had a random goal of including 11 SAT words that a friend was having trouble memorizing. I was able to fit in 10 of them… and I tried to make them sound natural. You can be the judge of that.

SAT challenge words: banal, debilitate, derive, discursive, extricate, guile, innovative, intractably, prodigious, refute, surreptitious

Thanks for reading and please let me know your thoughts.
Any guesses for who could be responsible for all this mayhem? I'd love to hear from you!