Note: Hey everyone! Thanks a bunch for the reviews! Each one makes my day! Speaking of reviews…please read and review! Haha This chapter was long for me and very fun to write. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Seed/Destiny.
The week had gone by like a whirl wind for our favorite blonde princess. That week was spent relaxing and being with her friends. Unfortunately, everyone had their own priorities. Although they still stayed at the Athha mansion, everyone was very busy with their respective duties.
Shinn and Rey had to go back to the Zaft quarters stationed in Orb. They usually found time to make it back to the mansion for lunch. There was a lot of paperwork waiting for them, which Shinn kept grumbling. Rey said he caught the messy-haired coordinator trying to order the lower soldiers to do his paper work. Cagalli couldn't help but smile at Shinn's antics. Sometimes that boy is too lazy.
Luna, Meyrin, and Stellar went to the university to resume their studies. Luna had to study for her exams and brought back a thick looking book on laws for her to memorize. Cagalli shuddered. When she flipped through it, there were sentences that looked like paragraphs! Poor Luna locked herself in her room for hours trying to study. The younger Hawke sister had problems of her own. Even with Kira's help, she still couldn't understand everything. But Cagalli had to give the girl credit. The level of concentration which Meyrin displayed was incredible! And she typed faster than anyone she knew. Moving on…Stellar seemed to be the only one of the three girls to be fine with her studies. The blonde dancer brought back charts and graphs of marine biology, which actually seemed pretty interesting. She went to the aquarium, where some of her classes were held, and took stacks of notes and pictures to study off of. Apart from that, Stellar still went to the dance studio and practiced regularly. Cagalli heard of her talent and skill when it came to dance. I'll have to see her perform one of these days.
Kira was working on an engineering project where he and a group of others were to be testing out new Gundam models and seeing their best capabilities. (AE: Is that what an engineer would do? I really don't know. Haha). Although, everything seemed very hectic for her brother, what with working on the project and maintaining the classes that he taught, he seemed to be enjoying himself. Lacus decided to help Cagalli out and go to the meetings while becoming a member of the PLANT representatives. Lacus was happy to be there because she didn't have much of anything else to do.
At the moment, Cagalli and Lacus were in a meeting, along with Isabel, and other members from other nations. Athrun was also present, but he stood against the wall and kept an eye on everything. He was in charge of Cagalli's safety, but the blue-haired coordinator also gave his share of ideas during the meetings and was well respected.
"This meeting is taking place to see the international progress of all nations after the war. Please read the report, Mr. Hamilton." Lacus said politely and everyone turned to listen.
"Every nation is doing well and rebuilding to the best of their abilities, some faster than others, but there is still improvement. We are all on the right track. The statistics are as follows…"
Cagalli tried not to yawn as Mr. Hamilton listed all the stats. She got the overall gist that everything was going well and at the moment, there were no emergencies to be taken care of. She turned her head and saw Athrun standing there with a relaxed look. He didn't need to pay attention to this either. They made eye contact and Athrun smiled. Cagalli's attention was taken away from him when Isabel abruptly stood up from her chair and with a sweeping motion like she was royalty, proceeded to state her opinion.
"My nation of Rutherland is doing well. But unfortunately we were hit devastatingly by the effects of the war. Our progress is slow because Rutherland lacks some essential necessities. I wish to acquire these for my nation. I am well aware that other nations are in need as well but I feel that the more important ones should get their rebuilding done. Then we can focus on the countries which don't have as much of an impact on the international level. I am sure all of you know that Rutherland is a leading country where steel is produced and oil is acquired." (AE: Thought of these two off the top of my head. I was going to say it is where you can get lots of watermelons, but I don't think that's as important. Haha)
Cagalli felt herself get irritated. She spoke as if Rutherland was their first priority. In a calm voice which shocked the others, who knew how hot-tempered the princess could get, she said, "Miss Chapa, all countries are important regardless of their status. Our job is to help all and not just focus on one group while shoving the other aside. We will not play favorites."
Isabel glared at Cagalli, who stared right back, unmoving. The other representatives noticed the tension and started to feel uncomfortable. Athrun smiled at Cagalli's display of strength and character.
"I believe Miss Athha is correct. Every country was affect by the war and should receive equal attention. Reconstruction will be reached by all." Lacus said in her melodious voice, which stopped the tension.
Most of the members agreed with Cagalli and Lacus, while only a few wanted to talk more about Isabel's idea. In the end, they decided to talk about the topic later and keep on the current rebuilding progress.
"Miss Athha, would you like to talk about how Orb is fairing?" asked an elderly representative who was always kind to her.
Cagalli smiled and nodded. "Orb is doing fine, just like the others. I was going through some documents and it seems that the public is happy as well. My only concern is that there is a lack of rebellion. I find it strange that there are no protests. After going to war, it is hard to believe that the feelings of hostility so easily suppressed."
Isabel snorted uncharacteristically…well maybe not uncharacteristically…but anyways, she snorted and rolled her eyes at Cagalli.
"How naïve can you be, Miss Athha? Where does it say that there aren't any rebellions?"
Cagalli stood up and pinned a glare on the haughty representative from Rutherland, letting her temper get the better of her. "From my documents…it says that there have been no reports of unrest. Do you think I am lying?" she asked in a dangerously low voice.
Isabel narrowed her eyes at Cagalli. "As a matter of fact, I do think you are lying. If you haven't noticed the news, there have been a few outbreaks of protests in other nations. But I guess you don't really care about them…as long as there is nothing wrong with Orb…Am I correct?"
Cagalli looked in surprise at Isabel. "I…there were protests? Why wasn't I aware of this?" She directed her question towards a few of the Orb councilmen.
"We sent you the documents, Miss Athha. Remember? They were on your desk. You were supposed to go through it all this week."
"I did but-" Cagalli was cut off by Isabel.
"Obviously you were too busy ignoring your duties and spending time with your friends."
Cagalli looked seriously at Isabel. "Miss Chapa…I would appreciate it if you didn't bring my personal life into this. And as for the protests, I guess it is to be expected. Hopefully they will not escalate. For now, I think that we should try and strengthen our relations with others and not create hostility. And as for you saying that I only care about Orb, you couldn't be farther from the truth. I want peace of all nations. Your show of simple-mindedness does not help at all. Please refrain from making such declarations."
And with that, Lacus decided to stop the heated discussion and end the meeting. It was obvious that Isabel was miffed and Cagalli was ready to lose more of her temper.
Athrun went up to Cagalli and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Are you ok?"
"I can't believe that girl! Was she trying to make me look stupid in front of everyone? Well, I won't let that happen!" Cagalli said angrily.
"Calm down, Cagalli. Don't let your temper get the better of you. In a way, I'd say that Miss Chapa helped you."
"What!" Cagalli asked in disbelief.
"Well…she cornered you and you displayed how strong you are by getting yourself out of that position and also turning the tables on her to make her look like an arrogant representative…not that she isn't already." Athrun smiled and ruffled her hair. "You're people skills amaze me, princess."
Cagalli smiled shyly at him and laughed quietly. "Thank you Athrun. You know how to cheer me up." A second later, she frowned up at him. "Don't call me princess."
Athrun just winked. "It's in my job description to cheer you up…such a stressing job…" he said jokingly.
Cagalli playfully hit him in the arm and pouted. "I'm not that hard to handle, am I?"
"Yes, you are actually." He continued despite her glare. "Although…I wouldn't have it any other way."
Cagalli blushed and was about to say more, but they had reached the car, where Lacus was already seated and patiently waiting.
"Where you aware of the protests?" Cagalli asked both of them after getting in.
"No I wasn't actually." Lacus said after thinking a bit. "It took me by surprise as well. But I don't think they are big. Hopefully it will die down.
"Didn't the representatives say something about giving you the reports earlier?" Athrun asked curiously.
Cagalli thought…and then it hit her. I remember I couldn't find document A6! "I lost a document…or misplaced it…or it never reached me. I'm not sure which one it is." Cagalli said after a moment.
"What?" Athrun asked.
"I couldn't find it. I was about to ask you but I forgot."
"Do you think it was an accident?" Lacus asked seriously.
"I hope so…I don't think we need a thief in my office." Cagalli said seriously.
The three sat in silence on the way back and thought of the possibilities.
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"Professor Yamato, is this what will be expected on the term paper?" a student asked Kira after class. Kira answered the boys question and was left alone again to do his work.
He sat back down at his desk and sighed. He had gone to the university (AE: the same one where Luna, Meyrin, and Stellar go to) and taught his classes. After a tiring day, he looked over the plans for his current project.
It was tiring, but still interesting. He was so engrossed with writing a few notes that he failed to notice a knock on his opened door.
"Kira! Can you hear us?"
Kira looked up and saw Luna, Meyrin, and Stellar standing at the door in their college uniforms, which consisted of a collared blouse and short pleated skirt. (AE: Decided to make them wear uniforms because I'm mean like that. Muahah!) Smiling, he gestured them in.
"What's up?" he asked curiously. He had seen Meyrin, who was in his class, earlier that day and she mentioned about them all going out to eat with the others.
"Well, we're all done with our work and wanted to know if you're done too so we can all go back together. Lacus wants us to find her when we get back. She says she has a plan." Meyrin said cheerfully.
"Plan?" Kira asked curiously. What's Lacus up to?
"We'll find out when we get there." Stellar said quietly.
Kira nodded and began to pack up. "So how are your classes coming?" he asked Luna and Stellar. He was already aware of Meyrin's schedule and how much trouble she was having.
Luna yawned. She had been doing a lot of that lately and she looked extremely tired. "I have too much reading and memorizing and too little time. I have a term paper to write later. Man! I think my professors are out to get me."
Meyrin patted her sisters back sympathetically.
Stellar smiled slightly. "My classes are going well. I got to observe a dolphin at the aquarium today. It was so interesting."
The others smiled at her love of ocean animals. "At least one of us is happy." Meyrin sighed.
"Don't worry. Things will look up." Kira said as he snapped his briefcase shut. He then looked at Luna, who was trying to keep her eyes open, but failing miserably. "I'm sure Lacus could help you with understanding the system of laws. She should have some background since she grew up in a political household."
Luna smiled gratefully and bowed. "I'll ask her. Thank you, Professor Yamato!" She saluted him and winked.
They all laughed and left the campus to go home, wondering why Lacus asked them all to meet her once they got back.
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A little while later, everyone except Athrun sat in the living room. Lacus had asked Kisaka to tell Athrun to go over some documents in his office to keep the blue-haired coordinator busy.
"So why did you ask us all here?" Shinn asked as he brushed his messy hair from his eyes.
"Well…We all know that Cagalli and Athrun belong together." Lacus said happily.
Cagalli paled slightly and looked at Lacus with wide eyes. What is she doing!
"The girls and I have volunteered to help her, but more help is always welcome…so we thought that maybe you can help as well." Lacus continued, while looking at Kira, Shinn, and Rey.
"Lacus!" Cagalli said shocked. "Why did you say that!"
"I think it's a good idea." Kira said and put his arm around Lacus's shoulders. "I'm in."
"Yay!" Meyrin cheered.
"I guess I could help. I mean…Cagalli is hopeless without it. I'm in too." Shinn said and Stellar kissed him on the cheek and said a quiet thank you.
Luna looked at Rey expectantly. He just stared back for a minute. They had a silent battle of wills for about thirty seconds until Luna unleashed her secret weapon and made a puppy-dog face while pouting. Rey sighed and gave in. "Ohh…alright. I can help too."
"Ok! Then that settles it. We are all going to help you Cagalli!" Lacus said happily.
"But…uh…er…I don't need…" Cagalli started to get flustered by all the attention.
"Look Cagalli…We all want you to be happy. The more help, the better. You want to be with Athrun, don't you?" Stellar asked.
"Yeah…." Cagalli trailed off.
"You said you made a mistake a while ago with turning him away. We will help you correct your mistake and win him back." Lacus said gently.
Cagalli sighed. "I guess you're right. I just don't want this to turn ridiculous." Cagalli smiled slightly. "And since Shinn is helping me…I think it will be."
"Hey! I'm good at matchmaking! Who do you think got Rey and Luna together!" Came Shinn's reply in defense.
Both Rey and Luna raised their eyebrows.
"Excuse me?" Luna asked dryly. "If I recall correctly, I think you were the one who was oblivious to everything until you saw us kissing and even then, you freaked out."
Shinn blushed in embarrassment. "Well…I gave Rey man-to-man advice!" he nodded proudly.
Rey snorted. "You asked if there was anything wrong with me because I was going out with her. I think your exact words were, 'Ewww! That's like going out with your sister!'"
"What? Luna's like a sister to me so naturally I thought that she would act sisterly to you too!" Shinn said.
"You're hopeless." Luna said teasingly and ruffled his hair.
Stellar giggled as Shinn sat there looking dejected and she whispered in his ear, "It's ok Shinn. I think you're adorable when you try and help others."
Shinn blushed and scratched his head sheepishly.
Cagalli watched this interaction with an amused expression. But it turned into one of fright when her beloved brother decided to open his big mouth.
"So...what can Cagalli do to get Athrun's attention and show him that she's ready for a relationship?" Kira looked back at Cagalli innocently when she glared at him.
She tried to throw her shoe at him but he dodged. Damn his dodging capabilities!
"Well…let's brainstorm. What do you guys do to show that you care?" Meyrin asked.
Everyone sat quietly for a minute and thought.
"There are always physical displays of love." Stellar finally broke the silence. "You know…a kiss on the cheek, a hug, and if your daring, a kiss on the lips."
Cagalli turned bright red and started stuttering. "But-but…I…no!" She tried to hide behind Kira in embarrassment.
"I think that's too forward for now." Luna said.
"It's very forward!" Cagalli added. Sure she and Athrun had kissed during the war, but that was a spur-of-the-moment-and-don't-talk-about-it-afterwards type of kiss. She blushed at the memory of his warm and soft lips on hers.
"Well…when I see a boy I like, I go up to him and ask him out on a date." Meyrin said while tapping her chin in thought.
"Good idea! She can do that later." Lacus said as she wrote it down on a pad of paper.
Cagalli eyed it in disbelief. Where did that come from? Geez…what is this? …the 'Let's embarrass and torture Cagalli convention!'
Surprisingly, the next person to speak up was Rey. "I sometimes buy Luna gifts, such as flowers or chocolates…we all know how much Luna likes chocolates."
Everyone sweat-dropped as Luna got a faraway look on her face. She dug in her pocket and brought what looked like a chocolate bar. Popping it in her mouth, she closed her eyes in happiness and sighed. "Yum…"
"Er…ok…" Cagalli said.
"Anyways...that can go on the list." Lacus said as she jotted that down.
"What about just spending time together and talking?" Kira suggested. Lacus smiled warmly at him and wrote that down. She knew that that was what they did often. "A relationship is based on communication."
They were about to say more, but Lacus stood up and surprised everyone. "I have an idea!"
Cagalli shrank back in fear. Please don't let it be anything pink and frilly...if she mentions her Haro I will run out of here screaming.
Lacus smiled and looked at everyone. "Cagalli can cook dinner for Athrun tonight!"
Now…there were a few reactions to this statement.
There was a positive murmur from Kira, Luna, Rey, and Stellar.
There was cheering and clapping from Meyrin.
There was a snort from Shinn, who mumbled about never eating something that Cagalli would cook.
And finally, there was the reaction from Cagalli, herself, who looked shocked and scared at the same time.
"Eh! Y-you want me to cook?" When Lacus nodded happily, Cagalli looked at her like she grew another head. "Are you crazy? I haven't cooked anything other than toast and instant noodles! What makes you think I can pull off cooking a whole meal for Athrun?"
Lacus didn't seem fazed. "It's not that hard. I cook for Kira and the orphans all the time. You remember when you visited us once and I cooked that baked chicken and fried rice dish? Well I'll just write out how to do it and all you have to do is follow the recipe! It's really simple."
Cagalli paled slightly. "But you don't understand. I don't think I even know how to start the stove!"
Luna laughed a bit. "You can't be that bad. Just think of it as a challenge."
"We all know the Cagalli can't back down from a challenge." Shinn said jokingly. He dodged the pillow that the annoyed princess threw at him.
"There is no way that I will cook! Not ever!" Cagalli screamed
10 minutes later…
"Stop moving Cagalli! I need to tie your apron on!" Meyin said as the blonde princess tried to struggle out of the offending piece of cloth.
"Why me?" she agonized.
Lacus wrote down the recipe and left it on the counter.
"So you sent the guys to tell Athrun about the dinner?" Luna asked. She sat on the countertop and swung her legs back and forth.
"Yes. You'll have 3 hours to complete your mission and change into nice clothes, which is, at the moment, set out on your bed." Stellar said while looking at her watch.
Cagalli looked at her weirdly. She mouthed the word "mission" to Meyrin and raised an eyebrow. They red-haired girl just shrugged.
"What about the rep from Rutherland?" Luna asked with a frown. "She might be a problem."
Cagalli started to scowl.
"Don't worry. It's taken care of." Lacus said waving her hand as to brush off the subject.
"How?" Stellar asked curiously.
"Because…I volunteered all of us, except than Cagalli and Athrun, of course, to take her out to eat and go shopping." Came Lacus's reply.
"WHAT!" Luna and Meyrin asked loudly. Luna paled and started to mumble about escape routes. Meyrin started whining and banging her head on the wall, while Stellar frowned.
Cagalli smiled in triumph. "I'd take cooking any day over spending the evening with that annoying…..twit!" She cheered and threw her fist in the air.
Lacus sighed and shook her head. "You better get started, Cagalli. Tell us how it goes after. Come on, we need to get ready to go out." She gestured for the other girls to leave.
Meyrin was still whining as she left. Stellar waved a bit and walked out.
"Good luck." Luna said to Cagalli.
"You too." Cagalli said back.
"We're both going to need it." They both sighed.
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Athrun shuffled through the papers and concentrated hard on the text in front of him. There was something suspicious about the missing document. He wanted to know why someone would bother and take it. Was it that important? It was apart of the reports on the public reactions and progress. Why was it missing?
A knock sounded on his door and he looked up as Kira, Shinn, and Rey entered.
"What's going on?" He asked curiously.
Kira smiled at his friend and said, "Cagalli wanted me to tell you that since you've been helping her out so much, she's decided to cook dinner for you."
Athrun, who had been taking a drink, spit it out….all over Shinn and started coughing.
"Man! I just changed into this shirt! Next time, aim at Rey!" Shinn complained and walked out of the room while mumbling about his bad luck.
"Cagalli is going to c-cook!" Athrun asked shocked.
Kira nodded and smiled knowingly.
"But… I don't think she can start the stove…and the most I've seen her make is toast and instant noodles…" he trailed off.
Kira and Rey exchanged a look. Man those two are alike. Cagalli said the same thing earlier.
"Don't worry about it, Athrun. Just appreciate it. Cagalli says to meet her at the dining room in about three hours." Rey said while looking out of the window and into the gardens.
"And don't go into the kitchen. She say's it's a surprise." Kira added as he and Rey walked out.
Athrun stood there for a while and then slowly, a big smile made its way onto his face. She's going to cook, even though she hates it…and she's going to do it for me…
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Cagalli stood in the kitchen with her pink apron with red polka dots on it with the most determined face anyone had ever seen. With her sleeves rolled up and a clip to hold back her hair, she studied the recipe carefully, her brow furrowed in concentration.
Defrost the chicken…
Cagalli went to the freezer and peered in. She dug around and found the package of boneless chicken breast and put it on the counter. Examining it carefully, she took it out and put it on a plate.
How in the world do you defrost something!
She glared at the frozen chicken like it was mocking her.
It's ok Cagalli. Even if you don't know all this cooking terminology…you can improvise.
Thinking hard, she decided to think of what the prefix "de" meant. Deciding that it had a negative meaning, she concluded that she had to make the chicken "not frozen."
Congratulating herself on her success in figuring out what to do first, she eyed the chicken warily. What do I do? How do I melt it? I know I can't bake it yet…
Inspiration came to her when she glanced to the garbage, where one of Meyrin's fashion magazines lay. On the cover, was a hair dryer along with other hair products. Running up to her bathroom, she grabbed her hair dryer, and ran back to the kitchen.
She plugged it in and took aim at the innocent looking piece of meat on the counter. The loud noise of the hair dryer soon filled the kitchen. Cagalli smiled as she heated the chicken, which was actually losing the pieces of ice which were around it. I'm so good.
After she deemed the chicken "defrosted," she returned her attention to the recipe.
Place chicken into a baking pan and marinate with:
-cream of mushroom
-salt and pepper
-onions, peas
-olive oil
-paprika
-garlic
Cagalli looked at the list and frowned. Walking to the cupboard, she came up with salt and pepper. Then she went to the fridge and took out a package of frozen peas…she would need to blow dry that later too. Rummaging around further, she took out onions and garlic.
I need cream of mushroom, olive oil, and paprika. Why are they! Geez…you would think that Lacus would check for all the ingredients before forcing me to use it all.
Decided to use the 'improvise' tactic, she looked around for something which resembled cream of mushroom.
"What the heck is a cream of mushroom anyways?" she mumbled.
Looking into the refrigerator, her face brightened when she saw a carton of yogurt, some sour cream, and milk. Taking all three things and lining them up on the counter, she proceeded to think of which one would be the best for cream of mushroom.
Let's see…cream…cream is like milk! I'll use that. But…yogurt is a dairy product too and it's thicker and that cream sauce on the chicken was thick! Maybe I should use that. But sour cream…is salty kind of…and the sauce was salty…what do I do!
Ruffling her hair she held back a frustrated growl and decided to use all three products. Hehe when in doubt, use it all!
Opening the yogurt, she dumped a big amount into the dish and then added equal amounts of milk and sour cream. Stirring it, the "sauce" turned a shade of yellow. Is it supposed to do that? Well… it is banana yogurt so I guess it is supposed to be that way….
Sprinkling salt and pepper on top, she mixed it all together. I need olive oil! She wants me to oil an olive! What!
Cagalli found a jar of olives on the shelf and examined it. "I guess I'll get the..er..juices…er oils out of the olives."
Taking some out, she held it over a small cup and squeezed the olive. It made a squirting noise and some liquid came out. At this rate, this'll take forever!
Running out of patience, she poured all the olives out and put it in a bowl. Then finding a spoon in the drawer, she proceeded to pound the olives into oblivion. This is kinda fun!
Five minutes later, Cagalli poured the juice over the yogurt/milk/sour cream sauce. Looking at the paper, she took the onions and started to cut them. My eyes are tearing up! Ack! I can't see! Evil onions!
In the end, Cagalli wore her helmet of her space suit to prevent the fumes of the onions from getting in. Improvise is the key to go!
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Luna felt her eyebrow tick. Is this girl for real!
The whole group plus Isabel I'm-so-important Chapa decided to go shopping. Now Luna loved to shop…maybe not as much as Meyrin, but still what girl doesn't like to get cool things?
What really made Luna annoyed was that Isabel would only talk about herself and what she would look good in and what looked horrible on others. She kept saying whatever the others picked out was hideous and what she got was much better.
"Do you think Mr. Zala will like me in this?" She asked as she held up a tight looking strapless violet dress.
Yep…Luna felt like banging her head on the wall…repeatedly.
"It looks ok." came Lacus's polite reply.
Meyrin pretended to gag behind Isabel's back and this caused Stellar to giggle. Isabel pinned a glare on the soft spoken blonde and went to the desk to pay for her dress.
The guys were sitting not far away on a waiting area. All of them looked tired and were surrounded by bags, most of them Isabel's.
Lacus sighed and looked at her watch. "It's been three hours."
"Three hours and twelve minutes!" Shinn yelled across the store. "Can we go yet? I mean…even you girls don't shop this much…that Rep. is making us stay here!"
Stellar shook her head. "We'll leave soon, Shinn." She said as she sat down next to her. Her feet were killing her. Why did she decide to wear heels today?
Kira was lying on the provided couch, napping. He had dozed off an hour ago. Lacus sat next to him and poked him in the cheek, causing him to wake up. "We're going soon, after Miss Chapa is done with her purchases."
"Cagalli and Athrun better appreciate what we're doing for her." Luna said and the others couldn't help but agree. They sacrificed a lot for their two friends. Luna was about to sit next to Rey, who had bought a book and was already almost finished, but Isabel returned with three new bags for their collection.
"Come on everyone. Honestly…you would think that war veterans would have more stamina." With that she dropped her bags for the guys to hold, brushed back a long lock of dark purple hair and went to the next store.
"Why us…" Shinn said as he eyes the heavy looking bags warily.
They all sighed, got up slowly, and followed the representative.
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Cagalli had successfully added the chopped onions to the "sauce" and took off her helmet. She defrosted the peas using the same method as before and mixed it into the thickening…stuff.
She chopped some garlic and sprinkled it over. Now…all I need is the paprika. What is that?(AE: If you don't know what that is…it's a spice which is in the form of red powder).
Looking at the various jars and packages on the shelves, she came out empty handed. Panic started to set in and she tried to remember what paprika could be. I remember eating the chicken with red powder on it…maybe…it was hot sauce?
Deciding that hot sauce was better than nothing, she took out a bottle and squirted the liquid over it. Phew! I'm done with the sauce. Now I need to pour it over the chicken and bake it.
After doing exactly that, she set the timer to 30 minutes and returned to the recipe. Fried rice time…
-Cook rice by coiling it in water
-Add egg over
-Brown the ground beef
-Add chopped carats and cabbage.
-Add salt.
-Stir-fry it all.
"It sounds simple enough." Cagalli muttered to herself as she took the proper ingredients. Next, she put rice into the water, she waiting for it to boil.
After chopping the carats and cabbage without problems, she decided to get around to "browning" the ground beef.
Eh? Brown? But the beef is pinkish! What does she mean!
Shrugging it off, she tossed the meat into a pan and waited for it to cook.
Closing her eyes to relax a bit, she leaned on the counter. Cagalli was pushed out of her calm state when she heard the sound of sizzling water. Turning around, she almost had a heart attack when she saw that the forgotten rice was apparently done. It's going to stick to the bottom!
Rushing over to the stove, she snatched the pot off, turned off the fire (Lacus had written instructions on how to use the stove step-by-step…it was very helpful.) and tried to scrape the rice onto a bowl. Some came out and some stayed in. Grrr! I need to get this rice out!
Scraping the pot like no tomorrow, she managed to get a majority of the rice out. Now, it was time to stir fry everything.
Turning the fire back on, she put all the ingredients in. Cagalli took an egg contemplated on how to break it open.
I have a feeling that if I use a knife to cut it, things will turn ugly…
Taking a deep breath, she knocked the egg on the counter, and surprisingly, it opened. Cheering in victory she added it to the pan and did it with three more eggs. Wiping her brow, she sighed in relief and picked up the spatula.
Cagalli stood there for a few seconds, content with just moving the stuff around. But then…disaster struck. A loud popping noise sounded and Cagalli felt a sharp pain on her arm. …What the heck!
More popping sounds followed and Cagalli's eyes widened in disbelief when she saw that the egg caused the oil to pop. She flinched every time she was hit. Screaming in fear she ducked as more "sparks" flew out. Using her reflexes acquired from the war, she thought quick and grab a pot lid. It served as a good shield and she blocked the threats, while at the same time, trying to reach around and stir the rice.
She laughed in triumph when the sparks died down. "Who wins now!" Cagalli did a little victory dance. But she paled when she turned and saw that she completely forgot about the very browned beef.
Well…you win some you lose some…
Five minutes later…
Cagalli had deposited the very pathetic looking friend rice onto two plates, one for her and one for Athrun.
As if on cu, the timer for the oven rang and she rushed to get the chicken out. Peering down into the dish, she stabbed the chicken with a toothpick. Good, it didn't bleed, so it's cooked.
Although the chicken looked cooked, the sauce was another matter. It looked…well to sum it up…it looked pasty. Cagalli groaned and tried to stir the stuff around to make it look less thick. There's nothing else I can do about it…
Scooping equal amounts of chicken and sauce out on top of the rice, she sighed in relief when she saw that her main dish was done.
Lacus mentioned something about making a salad…but I used all the cabbage for the rice and there's no other vegetable that resembles something in a salad!
Cagalli looked around the refrigerator and came out with four plump tomatoes. Eyeing them curiously she wondered if there was such this as tomato salad.
15 minutes later…
Cagalli dusted her hands off and looked proudly at the table, which she set just now. On it, were two settings of pasty chicken over very brown friend rice, two glasses of juice, and what looked like a bowl of salad turned ketchup. It'll have to do.
Glancing at the clock, she made a shocked noise and realized that Athrun was supposed to come right then and there was no time for her to change.
Panicking, she thought of her messy hair with bits and pieces of vegetables in it, her cheeks, which were smeared with tomato and olive juices, and her arms were covered in yogurt.
"C-cagalli?" Athrun asked in disbelief.
Cagalli's head shot up and her eyes widened. Athrun stood there, in dress pants and a collared dress shirt. She looked down at herself and saw that she was still wearing the pink, frilly, and polka dotted apron. Oh dear God…
"Er…Hi Athrun!" She laughed nervously and motioned for him to sit. Instead he walked to her side with an amused look on his face and pulled out her chair for her.
Athrun sat down and looked at the food. He felt himself pale slightly. It looked somewhat edible…but…was it?
Looking at Cagalli's hopeful expression, he shoved that thought aside and smiled.
"Thank you, Cagalli…it looks…wonderful…yeah…" he trailed off.
"Try it!" She said enthusiastically.
He nodded slowly and gulped. Picking up his fork, he speared a piece of rather tough chicken and tried to cut it with his knife. Either the knife was very weak, or the chicken was hard as a rock. Athrun had to apply extra pressure to his knife to cut it.
He slowly put it in his mouth and froze. Let's just say it wasn't the best thing he had eaten. Cagalli looked at him with her head tilted to the side and waited for his reaction. She hadn't touched her share yet.
"…..mmmmmmmmm" he said with the chicken still in his mouth and a fake smile on his face. He tried desperately not to grimace. To tell you the truth, he was scared to swallow it.
"Is it good?" the blonde princess asked eagerly.
Athrun swallowed and toke a big gulp of juice to get the taste out of his mouth. "Y-yeah! It's great. Real interesting flavor…what exactly did you put in here?"
Cagalli, who looked like she was glowing with happiness when he complimented her food, winked and smiled. "It's a secret."
And it should be kept a secret.
Athrun laughed nervously and noticed that Cagalli was still staring at him with big golden eyes.
"…yes?" he asked.
"Aren't you going to eat more?" she asked innocently.
Athrun paled a bit. "Er..Yes! Eat more! That's what I'll do…" Taking a deep breathe, he got some rice onto his fork and put it in his mouth. Ohh man…what is this stuff!
Coughing slightly, he took another drink and tried to smile. "Er…good stuff…"
Cagalli, sensing his discomfort, frowned. "You don't like it, do you?"
"What! No! Of course I like it!" came his quick reply. Too quick if you ask me.
"You can just say it! It tastes horrible, doesn't it!" Cagalli raised the volume of her voice. "Well, Athrun! I spent all afternoon slaving in the kitchen and you don't even appreciate it!" By now she was yelling. Uh oh…
Athrun started to panic. "No Cagalli! I appreciate it!"
"I don't want to hear it!" She got up and attempted to stop away but Athrun got up quicker and grabber her wrist. He pulled her and she stumbled back into him. Still angry at him, she refused to look at him and tried to get out of his hold.
"Cagalli…" he said in a calm voice.
"What!" she asked angrily. She did a lot to get that meal prepared and it hurt to know that he didn't like it. It hurt a lot. Maybe more than it should have. What Athrun thought mattered more to her than anything.
"I won't lie to you. To tell you the truth, you're meal isn't the best, but and I don't really like it." Athrun said seriously.
Cagalli felt like crying but she knew that she was supposed to be strong and masked her hurt feelings with anger.
"Well I'm sorry if it doesn't meet your standards, Mr. Zala!" She turned around and faced him, her cheeks red with anger, and her eyes teary looking…not that she'd ever admit that she was about to cry.
"But…" Athrun cut in as his grip on her elbow tightened. "I love it either way because you made it."
That shut Cagalli up. She stared back into his jade-colored eyes. "So you're saying that it's bad but you like it anyways…"
Athrun nodded slightly and offered a small smile. "The thought itself counts more than anything and I'm very grateful that you took the time to make it. I'll finish that whole plate if that's what it takes for you to understand how much I appreciate it."
Cagalli blushed and looked away shyly. "I guess I kind of lost my temper, huh?"
Athrun laughed and wiped off a smear of tomato juice on her cheek with the back of his hand. "You're unbearably cute either way. Come on…let's eat."
Cagalli smiled and nodded.
They both sat down and Cagalli noticed that Athrun ate the food in content. She smiled slightly and ate a big mouthful of her rice.
Only to spit it out seconds later, coughing. Athrun was next to her in a blink of an eye, with a concerned look on his face, while he patted her back.
"Cagalli?"
"Gah! That's the nastiest stuff I've ever eaten in my entire life! I can't believe I made that!" Cagalli took a big drink of the juice and stuck out her tongue.
Athrun just stared with wide eyes.
"No wonder why you had that reaction! This is like…like poison!" the blonde princess shuddered. Cagalli noticed that Athrun wasn't saying anything. She looked at him curiously and saw that his head was bent down, and his hair fell around, hiding his face.
Then she noticed that his shoulders started shaking.
"Athrun? What's the matter? I'm sorry I got mad at you…I didn't know how bad it tasted." She started to get worried. Did I offend him? Maybe it's my food! I know for a fact that it can't be healthy.
She was forced out of her thoughts when she heard quiet noise. Peering at him she saw that he was laughing!
Athrun stood up and started laughing loudly. Holding his stomach in an attempt to suppress his laughter, but failing miserably, he stumbled a bit and landed on the floor, still laughing.
Cagalli couldn't help but smile. Soon, that smile turned into a chuckle and finally she was laughing with him.
Both the blonde princess and her blue-haired prince laughed until their stomachs hurt.
Exhausted and lying on the floor, side-by side, the two stared at the ceiling.
"This was an interesting evening." Cagalli remarked.
Athrun made a noise of agreement and closed his eyes. Cagalli looked at his relaxed expression and felt her heart warm. I…I really love him don't I?
Shocked by the thought, she sat up. Athrun stood up and offered her a hand to help her stand. Looking at the pathetic looking meal on the table, he smiled gently at the princess.
"How about we go out and eat?"
Cagalli nodded and smiled. I guess things turned out ok after all…
-+-+-+-+-+-Scene Change-+-+-+-+-
"I'll have the most expensive wine and the steamed lobster and a salad with light dressing." Isabel said to the waiter at the most expensive restaurant in town. She had dragged the group over there claiming that this was the type of food that she ate in Rutherland and that she must dine there.
The others sat looking tired and annoyed.
"I'll just have water and um…these free breadsticks are fine." Luna said pointing at the basket filled with them in the middle of the table.
The others nodded in agreement making the waiter look annoyed as well. He gave a curt nod to the group, and a smile to Isabel, who was good business.
"Geez…you guys are embarrassing. People will think you're poor." Isabel said as she looked around the table.
"Well…we don't spend money like there's no tomorrow, unlike you." Meyrin pointed out, earning a glare from the purple-haired girl.
"Plus, these breadsticks are kinda good." Shinn said as he munched happily on it. He was relieved that they were done shopping.
Isabel sighed in exasperation and mumbled about lower class people.
Luna was tempted to throw a breadstick at the representative's face. Heck, she even picked one up and raised her arm, but Rey plucked it out of her hand and took a bite, giving her a warning glance.
Stellar, who was bored out of her mind, dipped her finger into the water and started running it along the edges, making a high-pitched noise.
"Cool! Let me try!" Meyrin said and followed suit.
"That's interesting." Kira added and did the same.
Soon, everyone except Isabel, who was too dignified to so such childish antics, made high-pitched noises with their glasses. Even Rey did it, but only to annoy Isabel.
"Quiet!" Isabel screamed in frustration.
Everyone just blinked back at her and stared. "Why do they have to torture me with such people?" she mumbled.
Luckily, her food came and she ate in silence, occasionally sending a glare in their direction.
"I don't understand how Mr. Zala is your friend." She mumbled.
Everyone sighed and shook their heads.
Shinn summarized everyone else's feelings and by saying, "What a crappy evening."
+-+-+-+-+-Scene Change-+-+-+-+-
"Wow! It's so beautiful!" Cagalli remarked happily. At the moment, she and Athrun were sitting on a flat part of the roof of the Athha mansion, star gazing and eating fast food.
She took a bite of her hamburger and looked up at the sky in wonder.
Athrun looked at Cagalli and smiled. "I'm glad you're happy."
Cagalli nodded and ate a fry. "Who wouldn't be? I mean…I'm eating good junk food, sitting on a roof, looking at the stars with the most important person in my life."
Cagalli's eyes widened when she realized what she said. She stuttered and tried to explain herself but Athrun silenced her when he grabbed her hand and held it in his warm one.
He looked her in the eyes, and her breathe caught in her throat because of the unknown expression on his face. (AE: Gasp! Could that expression be…LOVE! Too bad our stubborn princess doesn't know that…) "You are the most important person in my life as well. I don't think I could be without you." With that said, he put his arm around her waist and held her close.
"A-athrun?" Cagalli asked with a blush on her cheeks. He was acting very forward.
"Please, Cagalli…I know you said that we should stay friends…but just for tonight…can I hold you?
Cagalli was shocked by the sadness behind his words when he reminded her about her rejection of him. Have I hurt you that much Athrun? I didn't mean too! I'm sorry…
Of course her stubborn side never let her say her thoughts out loud. I love you Athrun! But…I'm too stupid to say it to your face! Why!
Cagalli nodded and looked up at him. In turn, he smiled sadly back at her…his eyes reflecting the hurt that he felt.
Cagalli felt her heart shatter. I made you this sad?
Feeling like a complete idiot, she decided to try and make up for it all by snuggling into Athrun and holding him around his waist. She felt so safe in his embrace and never wanted to get out of it.
She whispered a small "I'm sorry…" but he never heard it. It was lost into the breeze which blew by. The two sat on the roof, star gazing and lost in their own thoughts of regret and sadness. But they still had time…they still had time to correct their wrongs.
…End of Chapter…
Note: My goodness! What a chapter! Haha well there you go? What did you all think? I tried to make it funny and light but then in the end, I kind of made it dramatic, don't you think? Ohh, well…it just sort of happened. Haha. Until next time, bye for now!
O yeah! And for those who voted for my deleted poll…I'll take into consideration about it all. Thanks for the feedback though…