Love Trials

Chapter XIII: Christmas Confrontations

Dearka sat in his car outside the small family home. He had a look on his face like he was preparing for battle. It was a look Mir was all too familiar with. It was the one he used have on his face every time he was on her screen back when she was a CIC. Nervous yet determined. Taking a deep breath he unbuckled his seatbelt. Looking over he could see Mir was just as nervous.

"We can still go home you know. This might be a mistake." She said sounding scared.

The past week had flown by. After speaking with Dearka the day he came back into her life she decided to move in with him. It had been quite a week getting used to one another. She showed him the ultrasound pictures and filled him in on everything medically. She informed her mother of her move and that their hotel plans needed to be on hold for a while. Now they sat outside her grandmother's house ready to crash her family's Christmas eve get together.

"A good soldier never backs away from a fight." He said.

"My father doesn't want me here." she replied. "What if he gets mad."

"Then I'll handle it." He assured her. Reaching over he unbuckled her seat. "Stop being a scared little girl and be that brave soldier I know you can be" Getting out of the car he walked around and opened the door for her. Hand in hand they walked together up the walkway. Miriallia just stood there. "You going to knock or walk in?"

"I used to just walk in… but I don't know if I should anymore."

"Don't be afraid." He whispered. "Just do what you always used to do. This is your family too, not just his."

"It's not that easy"

"It never is with family. But your family was happy once. I ruined that, I'm not going to let it stay that way." He leaned over and kissed her on the forehead. "Now walk through that door like you don't give a shit"

Smiling she felt a burst of bravery. Turning the knob she opened the door and walked in. She felt like she was entering her childhood. The place was decorated from top to bottom. The smell of freshly baked cookies invaded her scenes as Christmas music played in the background. She could hear all her relatives talking happily away. She felt so at home for the first time in nearly a year. Walking forward down the empty hall they turned in a doorway and into the living room where everyone was gathered.

The moment they appeared in the room everyone went silent, her cousin even turned off the music. Tension was high in the room as Mir began to regret coming. "Miriallia, you're here!" Her grandmother said walking up and hugging her. "I didn't think you would make it. " She seemed so happy to see her. Pulling away she looked up at Dearka. "And who is this handsome young man?"

"This is-"

"Dearka Elsman ma'am" He interrupted offering his hand for her to shake.

She was about to accept when from across the room Miriallia father said "He's the boy who got her pregnant." He said in disgust. Slamming down his drink he stormed out the patio doors.

Looking over Dearka could see Mir was about to cry. "Please excuse me" He said as he started to follow her father.

"Dearka where are you going?" She questioned.

"To make things right" He said walking out the door. He tried to close the door but without noticing it bounced open enough for all to hear the conversation about to take place.

"Who the hell do you think you are?!" Mir's father yelled at Dearka as he approached. "Hasn't she been through enough? What kind of self respecting person would seduce a grieving young girl?" Dearka just stood there taking the yelling like it meant nothing. "She was an innocent little girl and you've impregnated her. You took every ounce of her innocents at a time she was most vulnerable. You disgust me. There isn't a thing you can say to change that"

Miriallia watched from the living room shocked at her father's words and how Dearka seemed unaffected. "Say what you want to me Sir, your words can't throw me. Go ahead and call me worthless or pathetic and I'll feel right at home." He said seriously. "Miriallia told me about growing up with you as her father. How supportive and loving you were. I didn't understand it. That wasn't my father at all. Of course you saw first hand that day how my father is to me."

"What exactly is it that you want? Why did you come here? To ruin my family's holidays?" He screamed at him.

"If you want to hate me fine, get in line with all the rest. But don't try to think you understand us for second" He said sounding angry. "You have no idea what being a soldier in that war was like. Everyday we thought it could be our last. I was willing to fight to my last breath to protect your daughter. I would have gladly died to save her. But somehow we both survived. You think I killed the little girl in her, her innocents? That all died when she decided to stay on that ship long before we ever met. She wasn't ever going to come home the same."

"Is that suppose to make this right? Because you were both scared and alone? She is sixteen years old! She can't be a mother. You need to get her to give up that baby."

"No." Dearka said seriously. "That is my child. We are keeping it. It's a decision she made on her own and I agree with it. Maybe it was a mistake having sex without taking proper precautions, but I'm not going to throw that mistake away and pretend like it didn't happen. She and I are in this together from here on out. So you want to keep hating me fine, but don't hate her or your grandchild. They don't deserve it."

"You really think coming here and having a screaming match with me is to solve things."

"No I don't. I don't expect to fix things in just one night. You and I are fighting a war. Neither of can agree what's right but in the end we want the same thing. Miriallia's happiness."

"And you think you can make her happy? You're a war criminal. Someone like you should stay far away from her."

"Did you ever hear why I was a war criminal?" He asked a bit ticked off at that being one of the reasons he father hated him. "Judging by the look on your face I'd say no"

"It doesn't matter what you were arrested for. You were in prison. That's all that matters."

"Sir you don't get to belittle me for something like that. I was arrested for betraying ZAFT, for fighting and protecting the ship your daughter served on. If it wasn't for me she could be dead right now!"

"So you deserve to ruin her life because you think you saved it?"

"I'm not trying to ruin her life." He screamed back. Taking a deep breath trying to calm down he said "Miriallia isn't someone I ever thought I would fall for. But the more I got to know her the more I fell for her. She not just some notch in my belt. I want to be with your daughter, baby or no baby. If she gave it up I wouldn't leave her. I would be by her side as long as she would let me. I'm not going to abandon her like you have"

"I did not abandon her!" He spat.

"Then what would you call it? You're right she's 16 years old and pregnant and what do you do? You kick her out when she thinks the father of her child is dead. You expect her to do what you want instead of what she believes is right. This is her life not yours, stop trying to control it!" Dearka lectured. He didn't realize how angry her father had become. Balling his hand up tightly he took a swing at him. Dearka quickly dodge, causing himself to crashing into the table and fall hard on the ground. He screamed out in pain as his recent stab wounds and still healing ribs were irritated.

"Dearka!" Miriallia screamed after hearing the crash. Running for outside, her mother followed closely behind. There Dearka was lying next to the knocked over table holding his side wincing in pain. "Dearka! Are you okay!"

"Yeah I'm fine." He said moving his hand from his side only to see spots of blood on it.

"Oh my god" Her mother whispered.

"Your stitches!" Mir blurted falling to her knees to check on him.

Slowly sitting up he said "I'm fine." However when he tried to stand up he grimaced in pain.

"You are not alright!" She protested "You're ribs and back are still healing" She argued. "Come on. This was a mistake. Let's go home so you can rest."

"Home?" Her father said surprised. "Miriallia don't tell me you two are living together now"

"What do you expect me to do!" She yelled at him as she helped Dearka up. "I can't stay at the Attha Mansion forever and I can't afford my own place. I know you think that you know Dearka but you don't. He's not some jerk or a scumbag. He's kind to me. It's my fault I got pregnant not his!"

"Mir…" Dearka couldn't believe she was defending him so much.

"He's been through enough in the past three months, we both have. We don't need you making things worst. If you really are against this then maybe it's best I don't see you again" Together they began walking in the house and into the living room. Mir could feel everyone staring at her as they headed for the door.

"Miriallia wait!" She turned to see her mother. "Don't leave like this" She begged. "Don't end this with a fight you'll regret it."

"I can forgive dad yelling at him, but he tried to hit him. I can't forgive that, not right now. We have to go. Dearka's bandages need to be changed." She said turning to leave. As she walked by her grandmother she gave her a hug and apologized for ruining their evening.

Walking to the car Dearka could see Mir was about to cry. "I'm sorry I know that wasn't how things were supposed to go. I screwed up, I let him get under my skin and just made things worst."

"No, you did fine." She said. "It was just all a big mistake." It wasn't the Christmas she was hoping for, the one she dreamed of while on the ARCHANGEL. But at least she had Dearka. They were so different, but in many ways the same. They were each other's support system. The one person they each needed more than anything.