Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Seed or its characters.

Endings

Two years later

"Mir, did you hear? They are coming home." Sai yelled at his quiet friend. She had been that way since before the war ended. While everyone else moved away and moved on with their new lives, Sai had not. He could not stand leaving Miriallia, when she had suffered so much. So he had stayed and devoted his time to helping her start her life again. The death of her long term boyfriend and love Tolle, had left her empty. She had withdrawn from most everyone but Sai after Tolle's death, though she had formed an unique friendship with the pilot of the Buster Gundam, Dearka. While she did everything she could to help end the war, afterwards she was left with nothing more to fight for. She had been making progress the last two weeks, and Sai could see the old Miriallia poking through. He was hoping that the return of their friends would help her come out of her depression.

"Who is coming home Sai?" Miriallia called back to him from the kitchen. She had been making breakfast when Sai had run into her apartment to tell her his news. They had both returned to Orb to live. Both moving in to the same apartment building. Their apartments were identical except that Miriallia had a two bedroom, while Sai's only had one bedroom. Also, Sai was living on the floor below her.

"Kira and the everybody else. He called me early this morning to say that they had finished all the reconstruction work and would be home later this afternoon." Sai wondered into the kitchen taking a seat at her table while he waited for her to respond. It wasn't long in coming and it was nothing short of what he expected.

Miriallia turned her head to smile faintly at him and nod okay. It took all his self control not to groan at her. "Would you like some breakfast or did you already eat?" She asked dismissing the subject and setting out plates and glasses for breakfast.

"Sure, I would like to have some. Thanks Mir." Sai decided to drop the subject maybe when they had lunch together, he would bring it up again. It was not like she was unhappy about seeing their friends, it was just that with seeing them again, her memories of the war and Tolle would surface again.

The two fell into comfortable silence as they ate their meal. Miriallia could think of nothing that brought her more comfort than being around Sai. He was the first person there for her when Tolle died and he had been there for her ever since. Sai was safe, he was her best friend.

Standing up to wash his plate, Sai watched as Miriallia picked and toyed with her food. She looked to be concentrating on something really hard. He hated the way she would not eat. At one point he had to threaten to tie her down and force-feed her until she started eating again. It had worked, she had started eating but not enough to make him happy. Then two weeks ago, her appetite came back and she seemed happy again. He watched her for a few more minutes, smiling at her quiet form. Leaning down, he placed a kiss to the top of her head.

"I want you to come to the airport with me tonight. Cagalli and Lacus would love to see you and so would Kira. I meet you back here at 6:30 and then we can go. Oh, and I am not taking no for an answer." Sai told her walking out of the kitchen and towards the front door.

"Sai, I will go with you. No need to get all parental on me." Miriallia shouted back.

"That is a good girl. I will see you for lunch. Bye Mir." He did not even wait to hear her answer as he rushed out of her apartment and off to work.

"Bye Sai." Miriallia whispered to the empty apartment. Her eyes clouded with tears that she refused to let fall. As usual her thoughts were chaotic and depressing. She missed Kira. How could she not, they had been friends long before the war had broken out. She was one of the reasons that he had fought in the war. She could not wait to see him again, along with Cagalli and Lacus. Those two were as opposite as night and day. Cagalli is one amazing, strong girl, who could show a mule how to be stubborn. While Lacus is sweet and patient, with a strength that not many people notice. But both of the girls had big open hearts. They never gave up on those that they cared about. Miriallia counted herself lucky that they are her friends. The one person that she could do without seeing is Athrun.

Her and Athrun had come to an unspoken agreement to never mention Tolle and his death, especially since Athrun, himself, had killed him. She figured that if it had not been for Tolle's death, she would have liked him. He seemed to be a kind guy who cared for his friends. He had also gone out of his way to be extra nice to her, making it harder for her to hate him. Oh, she was not fond of him but hating him would never bring Tolle back. But that did not stop a part of her from wanting to lash out and make him feel as bad as she does every time she is reminded that her love was taken from her.

"This is ridiculous. I can't just sit here all day." Miriallia mumbled to herself as she got up from the table and carried her dishes to the sink. As she washed the breakfast dishes, she made up her mind to once again put all her negative thoughts away and try to be happy. She would ignore Athrun and be happy. No one would ever find out how she still hurt and wanted to give up and never face the outside world again. But she could not do that. Hell Sai would never let her do that. Especially after the way he threatened to make her eat again. Miriallia shook her head at her thoughts as she left the kitchen to get ready for the day.

Thirty minutes later, she walked out of her apartment wearing a knee-length black skirt and a white blouse. Quickly locking the door, she ran to catch the elevator to go down to the ground floor. Seeing the doors closing, she shouted out for whoever was inside to hold the doors for her. unfortunately her cries were unheard, because just as she reached it, the doors closed in her face. Leaning her head against the cool metal doors, Miriallia knew that it was going to be one of those days. Grumbling about how long it took to the elevator in the stupid building, she knew that the stairs were her only option if she did not want to be late to work. Slipping off her heels, she carefully made her way down the stairs and to the parking garage. She cursed the person who decided to put so many steps in the building. She slipped her heels on once she reached the ground floor and the door to the parking garage. Miriallia quickly scanned the garage looking for her car as she maneuvered her way through the maze of cars. A sigh of relief escaped her as she finally reached it. Maybe she would not be to late now. Digging through her purse, for her keys, she wondered how people could make mobile suits, but they could not make a car that would unlock at the presence of its owner. Ah-ha, there they are! Unlocking the car, she dropped her purse into the passenger seat, and slide behind the wheel. Maybe today would be good after all. Ever since Sai's news, she had felt off and lost in a mountain of memories. But she was putting them behind her and today would be a good one. And it would have been, if the battery in her car had not been dead.

Pain exploded in her head as she hit it against the steering wheel. She sat staring blankly out the windshield for who knows how many minutes. She could feel tears of frustration well up into her eyes. Realizing that just sitting there was not helping matters, Miriallia grabbed her purse and slipped back out of her car. She kicked the front wheel, giving herself a small amount of pleasure. Even though the kicking did nothing to help her situation, it did help to alleviate some of her frustration.

She slipped her sunglasses on as she stepped out into the bright sunlight. The sun felt good on her cool skin and made walking to work not such a bad thing. Clutching her purse tighter, she hurried down the sidewalk towards the bookstore and her job. She was late and the crowds of people were not making things any better. Glancing down at her watch, Miriallia muttered under her breath and pushed her way past more people.

Finally, the bookstore was in sight, now if she could just get a few more of these people out of her way. Reaching for the door, she froze as a very familiar looking blonde head passed her. Her body felt paralyzed, and her mind raced with the last time she had seen that blonde head.

"Dearka." She heard somebody whisper, only to realize that, that somebody was her.

Miriallia, shook her head at her foolishness. Seeing a man with blonde hair and she immediately calls out his name. What on earth made her think of him anyway. It could have been Sai. She had not seen him since the war ended and everyone disembarked from the Archangel. Closing her eyes to rid herself of the image of him walking away after peace had been declared. She was being silly. Sai's news that their friends were coming home was making her imagine things that could not possibly be there.

Sai came by later to have lunch with her. It was a small ritual of theirs, to have lunch every Friday. Their lunch date was always a treat to her, but lately she had been hoping that he would maybe not come by. She enjoyed his friendship, but wished that he would start living his life again. He was letting the excuse of taking care of her, keep him from moving on. Sai was one of the few that could understand what she was going through. They had both lost someone they loved. But Sai had first lost his love to Kira, and then to death. She had just lost Tolle to death, at Athrun's hands.

"Sai, I think we should talk." Miriallia said distilling the quiet atmosphere around them.

"Okay, what do you want to talk about?"

"You, and your picking the pieces of your life back up. I know that you are here to help me, but Sai, I need you to be happy and not so worried about me." She reached across the table and and took his hold of his hands. Lacing her fingers through his, she squeezed them a little and smiled at him. "I won't ever truly be happy if I know that you are putting your life on hold to take care of me."

"Miriallia, you know that is not what I am doing. I love you and I am moving on with my life. Besides if I leave, who is going to make sure that you eat and take care of yourself?" Sai asked breaking her hold on his hand and reaching out to cup her cheek.

"I will do all of that. I know that I get spacey and don't eat. I know that I have been having a hard time letting go of Tolle, but I am going to try harder form now on. The war is over and Tolle is dead. I need to get on with my life and so do you. Sai, Flay is dead."

His hand jerked back from her face as if it had been scorched. He blinked his eyes at her trying to process what she had just said. "Mir, I know that Flay is dead."

"Do you? Do you really know and understand that she is dead?"

"Yes, dammit. Why would you ask me that?"

"Because it seems like you don't accept it. Like you are trying to hide form the pain of her death by looking after me. Everyone thought of Kira as the protector, but so are you. When Tolle died, you held me and tried to save me from doing anything stupid. Like trying to kill Dearka. You tried to protect Flay when her father died but you were not able to. She self-destructed anyway."

"Mir, why are you talking about all of this?"

"Because, you have looked after me long enough. It is time for you and for me to have a chance to live again in this peace-filled world. Because I love you and want you to be happy just like you want me to be happy."

The two friends stared at each other over the remains of their lunch. It was hard to tell who was more emotional over their talk. Miriallia was busy trying to blink back tears, while Sai was busy fighting his own emotions at being told he was not needed anymore.

"I know what you are thinking. And you are wrong. I still need you, just less of you. Besides I know about that cute blonde who gave you her number. Why don't you give her call and ask her out after our weekend with Kira and Co?" Miriallia said as she winked at Sai.

He broke out into a combination of smiles and blushes due to her direct statement. "I think I will. Now if you will excuse me. I have to get back to work and so do you. I will meet you at your apartment at 5:30 to go collect everybody."

"Sounds like a good plan to me. Bye Sai." She leaned up on her tip toes and kissed his cheek. Miriallia walked Sai to the door and watched as he left the bookstore. She stayed there watching him until he disappeared from her line of sight. She thought again of seeing everyone tonight. She was both excited and apprehensive about what to expect. Her mind once again called up the image of the Buster pilot as he walked away from the Archangel and her. Miriallia sighed as she turned back to her work. She was thinking thoughts that she had no business thinking. She had to wonder why she was even contemplating, first calling out his name on the sidewalk this morning and now thinking about him as she watched Sai walk away.

The rest of her day was pretty uneventful. The too few customers left her with too much time to think. She knew that one of Sai's main reasons for staying was because of her depression and lack of eating. She also knew that she was empty on the inside, but she was trying harder and getting better. In fact just last week she had actually started caring about what she wore. Like whether or not her clothes were clean, or matched, or if they even fit her. Miriallia looked at it, as a big step in her life. Like most everything else, her image had ceased to be a concern for her after Tolle's death and leaving the Archangel. But now she is taking the initiative to look nicer.

Even her concern that Sai is putting his life on hold to protect her, showed that she is breaking out of her shell. A month ago, even two weeks ago, she would not have even noticed Sai's attitude. But something had happened to bring her back to the land of the living. Tolle's mother visited her and asked Miriallia to move on to let Tolle go and be happy again. Not sure how she would become happy again, Miriallia packed away all of her reminders and momentos of Tolle. It had been almost impossible to do at first but as she continued to pack, it become easier.

Miriallia almost jumped out of her skin, when the phone rang. Placing a hand over her racing heart, she laughed at her nervousness as she answered the screaming phone. The last of her thought on Tolle and Sai left as she said hello.

"Bookends, this is Miriallia Haww. How may I help you?"

"How very professional you sound, Mir." Sai teased her.

"Why thank you kind Sir. I have been working awfully hard on it. Now I know I talked to you earlier so what can I do for you?"

"Nothing much. I just called to tell you that I am going to be stuck at work so I will meet you at the airport at 7:00 instead of picking you up at your apartment. Sorry Mir. I hate to do this to you but I can't help it."

"It is okay Sai. I don't hold it against you. I understand that you are busy. Besides this just goes along with the conversation from lunch. I am a big girl and you should not have to constantly look after me. Hey I think a customer just walked in so I will talk to you later. Or better yet I will see you tonight."

"Alright, I will see you later tonight. Bye Mir."

"Bye Sai."

Miriallia hung up the phone and turned her attention to looking for her customer. She could not see anyone, so she turned back to the computer and began starting her normal closing duties. She heard a book being placed on the counter behind her, yet she did not turn around.

"Give me just one moment and I will be right with you." Hearing no reply, Miriallia finished starting up the program before turning back to her customer.

She kept her head bent, scanning the book and ringing it up. "That will be $12.64 please." She said raising her head from the book. She only got half way before a familiar voice spoke to her, causing her heart to pause in its regular rhythm.

"Hello Miriallia."

Well review and tell me what you think!

Author's note: Okay so the story is moving a little slow right now but it should pick. I warn you now I'm a hopeless romantic so this story might get a little fluffy most the time but I'll try not to be to emotional.