AN: Guess who's back! I know…I know…I didn't update for a while and I really am sorry. I was just busy with other things and didn't find the time or the effort to write. But no worries…new chapter right here! I hope you all enjoy it and please review!
Ok to my reviewers: Thank you all so much for you support in this story! I don't know how much I can thank you! bows here's a few comments to some.
Hay lin: Thank you so much for your kind words. They really made me feel better! Not to mention put a smile on my face. I hope you enjoy this chapter .
OpposingForce: Well…actually I did put some thought into Tai's name. I made sure to mention that his mother was the one who was on the Chapa side and his father obviously Japanese. I just wanted people to know that Tai is half Japanese…now in our world today it's not that hard to find people of mixed races. Also…I don't remember ever saying that he had violet eyes…more like violet hair. Plus…it's a story off of anime…so they can have any eye color they want…I mean…Cagalli has amber colored eyes and I don't think I've ever seen that before. Sorry for ranting here…I do appreciate your opinion and I'm sorry if my story seems too predictable…but hey...it's how I want to tell the story. If the name bothers you I really am sorry. Just replace it with…Bob or something that works for you. I just hope that one name won't throw off the whole story for you.
GATX-105B: HAHA I didn't realize people didn't like Isabel's father either. That comment really made me laugh.
DeathKnightCecil: I'm glad you think the personalities fit most of the time…that really makes me happy. I know that I'm doing something right.
ShinigamiZero16: No…Isabel isn't Meer in disguise…that would be scary. Haha I don't really know where Meer is in my fic. I might include her but I'm not sure. I doubt it though. For now…she is er…missing.
Yun Fei: Wow you have some good predictions. But I'm not revealing whether or not they are true. Sadly…I will say that I might have to torture out favorite couple in the future…makes the story more interesting.
BlazingDranzer54: I'm glad my story is exciting and that you like it. Thanks for the multiple reviews.
Jugement Of Tears: Whoa….hahah hold your horses! You can't kill Isabel yet. I need her to do bad and mean things! After the story we can talk about her death.
Chisakami Saiyuki: Tai actually likes Luna first and sees Meyrin like a cute friend. It'll change though! And this chapter cover's Rey's jealousy. Read and find out.
Aikoo: Thanks for understanding that I like Luna. Nothing makes me more angry than when people get mad because I favor a character that they don't. Anyways…I appreciate your support and understanding and don't worry…Cagalli and Athrun's relationship isn't smooth sailing. I will try to update more but I can't promise anything.
Taijiya-sango88: Tai will get together with Meyrin sooner or later and Isabel has plans for our favorite prince and princess!
Asga: Don't worry…Meyrin will get Tai's attention like I said. Thanks for the review!
SEEDSummoner: There will be more AC and this chapter has a lot of Rey and Luna in it. I will say sorry ahead of time for the ReyxLuna. Hehe.
To additional reviewers: magelie, reelena, angel, MC KTW, Icey, ochibi-san, fanfiction-library2, xxlilvietgurlxx, vietnamesegurl, TMoon, MM, Tenshi no Shinzo, eternalfreedomx: Thank you so much for the reviews! I hope you like this chapter! Take care and enjoy! Sorry for the long comments!
Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Seed/Destiny.
"Wait for me!"
The scream echoed throughout the quiet Athha mansion, startling a few of its occupants.
Where did the scream come from, might you ask? The answer to that very question was running down the stairs while trying desperately to tie up her red hair into pig tails. It had been a few weeks since Athrun and Cagalli had made their relationship official, and everyone had fallen into a routine. But this routine didn't include Meyrin being extremely late for school.
The said girl made it to the front door and rushed around looking for her shoes while Cagalli and Lacus looked on in amusement. Both girls held a piece of toast in their hands and were munching on it contently. By now, Cagalli's ankle had healed as well as Lacus's arm injury. Behind, the two girls were Athrun and Shinn, who curiously looked at the frantic girl.
Meyrin looked up at her sister, who opened the front door.
"I'm almost ready! Just give me five minutes!"
Luna sighed and shook her head while looking at her watch in exasperation. "Five minutes to you really means twenty. Sorry, Mey, but I gotta leave now. I have an important class that I can't be late for."
Stellar gave the younger red head a sympathetic look. "She's right. I have to get the university. We're starting a project today and I don't wanna be late. People are depending on me to help."
"B-but…How am I supposed to get to school! Kira already left!" Meyrin looked with pleading eyes at her sister and friend. "You're the only ones I can get a ride from! Everyone else is busy with work!"
"Sorry, sis…just take the bus." Luna said. She patted Meyrin's messy hair, waved to the others and walked towards the car. No one missed the look of disappointment when she saw that Rey didn't get up to say goodbye to her. He sat in the dining room and nodded when she waved. Stellar smiled at everyone before closing the door behind her.
Meyrin pouted and slumped against the wall. "This sucks…"
Lacus was about to comfort her friend, but a voice from the left stopped her.
"If you need a ride, I can help. I'm on my way there and I have a later class."
It was Tai, dressed and ready for the day, with his backpack flung over his shoulder. He grinned at everyone and Meyrin sat speechless for a bit. She then paled when she realized how she looked; messy hair, wrinkled uniform, and no socks on. She wanted die on the spot in embarrassment.
"Is that ok with you? I ride on a motorcycle so we can get there faster….hello? You in there?" Tai waved a hand in front of the girl's face. Meyrin was so caught up in her embarrassment that she forgot to answer.
"Y-yes! Thank you! Let me just get ready…" with that, the red head raced back up the stairs leaving everyone else shocked at how fast she was.
"Er…ok…" Shinn said to break the silence. The messy haired coordinator looked behind him at the dining table and whistled.
"Rey! You ready to go?" Rey folded his newspaper and gave his friend and co-worker a stern look.
"You know…I'm not a dog. What's with the whistling?"
Shinn just looked back innocently and laughed. "Let's get going. I can't be late either. We have a meeting today, don't you remember?"
Rey nodded at everyone and left grabbed his coat as Shinn rushed out the door saying his goodbyes.
Cagalli shook her head in amusement and was about to finish off her toast but a hand reached down and plucked it away. She looked up and saw Athrun chewing happily on her breakfast, with a grin on his face.
"You…" She said as she narrowed her eyes.
Athrun just gave her an innocent look as Lacus giggled.
"Why'd you do that for!" Cagalli practically screamed at her boyfriend. Her breakfast was very important and it always made her cranky when she didn't have enough to eat.
The blue-haired coordinator just winked at the fuming princess. "I felt like it."
Is he teasing me!
Lacus and Tai were laughing now at the blonde girl's obvious irritation. It was funny how the two acted. Their affection for each other was apparent even though one was very annoyed.
"Are you purposely trying to annoy me?" Cagalli asked while pinning Athrun with a hard stare.
Athrun just smiled back. "You looked tired so I decided to make you more awake."
"By eating my food?" Cagalli asked dryly. She raised an eyebrow. "I think you were too lazy to walk to the table and get your own."
Athrun laughed. "You're probably right."
Cagalli made a face at him as they heard the distinct thumping coming down the stairs.
"I guess Meyrin is ready." Lacus commented and Tai moved towards the door.
"Ok! Let's go!" Meyrin said triumphantly. She was very proud of herself. I actually got ready in less than ten minutes! Whohoo!
Tai moved towards the door.
"Bye guys!" Lacus smiled when it was only her, Athrun, and Cagalli left.
"Meyrin really is happy around him."
Cagalli and Athrun nodded but didn't say anything. The thought of Meyrin and Tai becoming a couple was somewhat slim. Well…at the moment, at least. Over the past few weeks, tensions between Luna and Rey had grown, as well as tensions between Luna and Meyrin. Although, it was unspoken, everyone knew that Rey and Meyrin were getting jealous of Tai's behavior towards Luna. Now…it wasn't as if he was coming onto her but it was just that the purple-haired boy openly showed that he was interested in the cheerful girl, who didn't seem fazed by it at all.
"Oh well…we'll just have to wait and see what happens between them." Lacus said while she shrugged her shoulders.
Cagalli nodded but then remembered something. "Since everyone finishes their jobs and school by noon, I have the day planned. We're going fruit picking."
At the mention of this, Athrun raised an eyebrow. "Did you just say fruit picking?"
"Yes, Athrun…fruit picking. Don't look at me like that! I'm serious! Anyways…afterwards we're all invited to have dinner at Mr. and Mrs. Warrington's house. The others know about the plans. I just thought I'd tell you two."
Lacus scrunched up her face in thought. "Warrington?"
"Yeah…they're an elderly couple who were very good friends with my father. I treat them like grandparents." Cagalli said with a smile on her face. It had been a while since she had last seen them. After all, the blonde princess had been pretty busy since the end of the war.
"But…why fruit picking?" Athrun still hadn't gotten over the idea. It was a rather random activity.
Cagalli looked at her boyfriend, who was trying to contain his amusement. "Because it's fun…and also, the Warrington's would love a basket full of strawberries and I thought it would be nice to bring something to the dinner…and considering the fact that I can't cook to save me life…I think it's a good idea." The blonde princess then grinned. "Unless you want me to cook?"
At that last remark, Athrun blanched. "Er…NO! I mean…I agree with you…strawberries sound like a good idea. No need to…er…..cook."
Lacus just giggled at the scene and smiled. "Ok Cagalli…I'm guessing everyone's meeting here around noon?"
"That's the plan."
"Ok…great. I think I'll go get some work done and then maybe surprise Kira by stopping by the university."
And with that, the pink haired singer went back to her room to get ready for the day ahead.
"I have a meeting too, huh?" Cagalli asked Athrun who nodded in reply. This caused the blonde girl to groan. She really didn't feel like being locked in a stuffy room today but she had no other choice.
"Don't worry…it won't take that long and plus, I'll be there." Athrun winked which caused Cagalli to blush.
"Very funny. Even if you're there, it'll still be boring." Cagalli laughed when Athrun pretended to stab himself in the heart.
"That hurts." He said dramatically.
Cagalli just patted him on the shoulder and made her way upstairs.
She looked over her shoulder at her grinning boyfriend. "If we keep messing around like this, we'll be late too! Now hurry up and ready!"
Athrun just smiled and followed the girl up the stairs.
-+-+-+-+Scene Change-+-+-+-+
Meyrin nearly stumbled when she reached Tai's motorcycle. She had completely forgotten the mode of transportation they would take to get to the school. Now…Meyrin had been in the war and was actually pretty brave, being on the bridge of a ship that engaged in battle often, but she never actually went out into battle. There was a reason of course. Meyrin was actually terrified of fast things which left her vulnerable, such as mobile suits and motorcycles.
"Er…." She tried to back away slowly without going unnoticed. Sure, she liked Tai but there was no way she was getting on that thing!
Tai noticed the frightened girl backing away and threw her a curious glance.
"You ok? You look a bit pale…"
"Um…Actually… I kinda changed my mind. I think I'll take the bus. I don't want to bother you or anything." Meyrin stuttered as she eyed the bike nervously.
Realization dawned on the purple-haired boy's face.
"You aren't scared, are you?" he asked slowly.
"What! Of course not! It's fine! I just…er…realized that I need to take the bus instead! Yeah! I know a…um…friend who takes it and I need to talk to her!"
I have great acting skills, don't I? Meyrin thought sarcastically.
Tai just grinned and shook his head. "If you're so scared, just tell me."
Meyrin narrowed her eyes a bit. What was he getting at? Maybe if she told him her fear, he'd let her off the hook. Taking a deep breath, the red-head nodded.
"Ok…I'm not comfortable with riding a motorcycle…"
Tai raised an eyebrow and stared at he girl. Meyrin just stared back trying to suppress her fearful emotions, but it didn't work.
"Fine! I'm terrified of that thing! It's so scary! There's no safety or thing to protect you like in a car. There isn't even a seat belt! What if I lose my grip and fly off! Or even worse! What if a car hits us?" By now, the girl was hysterically waving her arms around.
Meyrin would have continued yelling, but Tai started laughing loudly, which made her stop abruptly. She flushed in embarrassment realizing that she was yelling at him.
"Er…sorry. It's just that-"
"No need to apologize. Come on. Here's a helmet and I promise I'll go slow."
Meyrin hesitantly took the helmet. Usually she would have already fled the scene. Like the time when Shinn and Luna tried to get her on a roller coasterBeing the crafty girl that she was, Meyrin just made the excuse of going to the restroom and ran out of the proximity of the dreaded ride to the safety of the kiddy land, where toddlers were trying to win stuffed animals and eat candy.
But the assurance in Tai's voice made her want to accept his words and go along with it.
"Promise?" She asked tentatively.
The purple-haired boy nodded and got on the bike while putting on his own helmet.
"Ok…Just get on and put your hands around my waist. Don't forget to hold on tight."
Meyrin did so and felt a huge blush come on by the fact that she was holding him. But all thoughts flew out of her mind when she heard him start the bike.
"Here we go!"
With a jolt and the loud sound of the motor, the pair were well on their way towards the university.
Meyrin was scared out of her mind as she clenched her eyes shut and held on tight. She even started mumbling a prayer to make it to the university safely.
"See…this isn't so bad! Just open your eyes!" Meyrin heard Tai say happily.
She slowly opened her eyes once she got used to the speed. It was actually kind of fun watching the cars and buildings go by.
Pretty soon, the red head started laughing loudly, which caused Tai to do so too. She even started to raise her arms up in the air as if she was on a ride, but immediately grabbed the purple-haired boy's waist once she realized that she might fall off. Meyrin was a bit sad when the came to a stop at the university parking lot.
"Not scared anymore?" Tai asked with a grin.
"Nope." Came the light reply. "That was actually not bad at all…Thank you Mr. Isuki."
"No problem, Miss Hawke."
Meyrin felt that nothing could ruin her day after the morning ride to school. She couldn't stop smiling during class and got some weird looks from her friends.
Perfect start to the day…
-+-+-+Scene Change-+-+-+
Shinn sighed for the fifth time that day. The meeting was just finished early and he had nothing to do. Here he sat, in his office staring at his computer screen saver of a cartoon penguin sliding around the ice. Who would have known that Stellar would click around on his computer when she visited him?
Anyways…Shinn really wanted something to do. The clock on the wall was really getting to him. It just kept ticking…
Tick….
Tock…
Tick…
Tock…
Shinn wanted to pull his hair out now. Where was Stellar when you needed her? He wished his girlfriend was here so they could talk and joke around. Too bad he was destined to be bored to death by an insufferable clock.
Deciding that he had enough torture, the messy-haired coordinator got up to go find Rey and annoy the heck out of him. His blonde friend had been very uptight and serious lately, not to mention jealous.
Maybe if I bug him a bit, it'll take his mind off his worries.
Shinn made his way out the door and through the halls while stopping only to salute people and to get saluted. He found his way to Rey's office and without bothering to knock, like usual, walked in with a grin.
"How's it going?" The black-haired boy sat on a chair on the other side of Rey's desk and watched as his friend looked over a report.
"Don't you have work to do?" He asked, slightly irritated, but Shinn was used to this by now. Rey had been getting irritated a lot lately because of a certain girlfriend getting to be friends with a certain purple-haired boy from Rutherland.
"Nope. I finished. Aren't you proud?"
Rey snorted at this while never taking his eyes away from the document.
"Man…you should lighten up a bit…the wars over!" Shinn joked as he picked up the framed pictures on the desk. There were many of the whole group…a few taken at the picnic not too long ago…some from Kira's birthday…and finally there was one with just Rey and Luna. Rey was smiled slightly with an amused expression as Luna beamed into the camera, making a victory sign with her fingers. That just sums up their relationship in this picture…
Rey mumbled about annoying kids.
Shinn choose to ignore the comment. "Seriously though…what's really bothering you? All you do lately is just throw yourself into your work. I know that document you're looking at right now isn't due until three weeks. Why don't you tell me what's wrong? I bet it'll help."
Rey set down the papers and picked up the picture the Shinn had been looking at before. He allowed himself a small smile before glancing up at his friend who was waiting expectantly for him to explain himself.
The blonde coordinator opened his mouth and Shinn leaned in to listen, his interest showing.
"I…." The black-haired boy nodded enthusiastically for him to continue.
"…don't…" He's going to tell me that he doesn't like Luna getting friendly with Tai! Good! Once he admits it…I can knock some sense into him and tell the big dork that Luna doesn't have feelings for him!
"You don't…."
"…feel like telling you."
Shinn literally fell off of his chair and with a thud, hit the floor. Rey laughed as he saw Shinn slowly put his hand on the side of the desk while hoisting himself up.
The boy just glared at his friend. "That was cold."
-+-+-+Scene Change-+-+-+
"What!" The shocked yell rang out in the meeting room.
"What do you mean all the money set aside for aid has been stolen!"
Cagalli's eyes stared into the serious face of a councilman. "How could this have happened? The money was protected!"
The councilman sighed and shook his head tiredly. "We don't know. Somehow, early this morning, the computers that monitored the use of the money said that everything was gone."
Cagalli struggled to control her temper. This wasn't good. What was going on? Who could have transferred so much money? Cagalli stiffened when she felt a hand on her shoulder, but then relaxed to see that it was Athrun. With an air of maturity gained from experience, he decided to speak up since everyone was still in shock.
"There will need to be an investigation, preferably one that is connected to the missing documents that Miss Athha never saw. I have a feeling that both cases are related. Also, this cannot leak into the public. If anyone, especially the media, found out about this, there will be suspicion and the Peace Council will lose all the trust and respect that it gained these past years." Others nodded their agreement after Athrun spoke.
"Mr. Zala is correct. We must find out what happened and get the money back quickly, before it is gone, although I doubt that it can all be spent without being unnoticeable...there was a lot of money stolen and it would be blatantly obvious if it was spent right away." A different councilman spoke up.
"I'm more worried about the protests escalating. Not to mention the public's opinion if this gets out. It would be too hard to investigate if everything was thrown back into chaos because of this incident." Cagalli fisted her hand tightly to try and deal with her stress as she said this.
"If you want my opinion, I think that this situation could either make or break you." Isabel cut into the conversation, startling everyone in the room, especially the blonde princess, who the statement was directed to.
"Please explain yourself, Miss Chapa."
Isabel nodded and stood up. She spoke in a professional manner which meant that she was dead serious.
"How you handle this problem will show your skill as a leader. You already let some things get out of hand due to your carelessness, and it shows. Also, what happened to the aid that was supposed to be sent? It's missing and many people are suffering because of it. People want answers and you aren't supplying any. We are all aware that Orb needs help to recover after the war too but there is only so long that the other countries will wait when you promised peace and reconstruction. Pretty soon, others will think that this council was formed to serve only to the advantage of Orb. If you fail at this task, it will most definitely show your weakness as a leader. Either that or it will show that your interests only lie for Orb. People get suspicious easily in a time where everything is not steady or permanent. It would be too easy for someone else to step all over you."
Cagalli stiffened at her statement. As much as she hated to admit it, the representative from Rutherland was right. I can't afford to fail…There's too much that I want to do for Orb to let this bring me down.
Cagalli glanced at Athrun and it made her feel better to see his reassuring smile. It's ok because even if I can't handle this alone, Athrun will always be here to support me. Cagalli took a deep breathe and turned to Isabel with a serious look.
"Don't worry, Miss Chapa. I will make sure that no one will 'step all over me' as well as make decisions using my best judgment. I'm not a weak leader and I won't fail. Believe me when I say that I will do everything in my power to fix this as well as find out who stole the money."
Isabel didn't look convinced but kept quiet.
"For now…let's set up another investigation team and have it work with the other one investigating the missing documents, like Athrun said. Also…use some funds directly from Orb's treasury to get aid over to the countries who never received it. Remember we don't want this to cause worry so make sure that it doesn't get out into the public. Keep me updated. Let's end this meeting now and hope for the best." Cagalli started to put her papers away, as the others started to put the plan into action.
As people started to file out the door, Athrun moved next to Cagalli and helped her pack her things up. She sent him a small smile but the blue-haired coordinator could tell that she was stressed. It might not have showed in her posture and smile, but Athrun could see the worry and conflict reflecting in her eyes.
"It'll be ok."
Cagalli sighed, looking tired. "Will it?"
Athrun knew that the blonde princess needed to talk to get her worries off of her mind, but Isabel chose that moment to interrupt the pair.
"Excuse me for interrupting, but I need to speak to both of you." At Cagalli's nod, she started to walk with them towards the parking lot.
After a few seconds of silence, Isabel spoke. "My father has sent for me to go back to Rutherland. There are some problems due do your carelessness and I need to go back and fix them. I'm not sure how long it will take…it could be a few weeks to a few months, depending on how severe it is. But one thing is for sure, I will not let me country fail as you have failed yours."
Cagalli looked startled. Although she was extremely happy that the representative was leaving, her words stung. Am I really a failure? Was I careless?
Ever since the end of the war, the determined princess had done everything in her power to bring peace during the negotiation process. She had made sure to make decisions using the best of her judgment, as well as seeking advice from those she trusted most, such Athrun. Cagalli wanted to make her father proud by being a strong leader and she had always thought that Orb was becoming prosperous again, but what Isabel said brought the blonde princess back to reality. Were things really as happy and peaceful as they seemed? If that was true, then why was there so much unrest and turmoil?
Cagalli was broken out of her thoughts when Isabel continued. Athrun looked like he wanted to stop her from speaking but knew that he couldn't be rude to the representative, especially when there were other councilmen nearby trying to rush to their offices to get work done.
"I hope you can handle all of the responsibility…I know how hard it must be for you, Miss Athha. I wish you the best of luck and hopefully when I return from Rutherland, we can work together along with the council to find solutions to these problems. I'm sure I will be able to make it back before…knowing that you probably won't act on anything."
Cagalli bit her lip to keep from snapping at the haughty representative. She always masked her hurt with anger. Athrun put a hand on her arm to make sure she wouldn't do anything drastic like lunge at Isabel…although the thought of watching his princess beat the stuffy girl to a pulp was rather tempting.
As the three walked through the automatic doors of the building, Isabel turned towards the two and flashed them an arrogant smile; behind her was the limo she would ride in to the airport.
"I am sad to say that I won't be able to say good-bye to your friends, but no worries…I'm sure I'll be back in no time. I really can't wait to come back so I can get to know everyone better. But for now, it was a pleasure meeting you all…" Isabel was looking directly at Athrun who stared at her blankly.
She reached out and shook Cagalli's hand stiffly and then did the same with Athrun, only to cover their intertwined hands with her left on affectionately. She smiled and Cagalli could see the arrogant face melt into a softer one of admiration and longing. Cagalli almost felt bad for the girl, to never have a chance with the one she crushed on. But the key word here is almost. She was too spoiled. The blonde princess noted that Athrun pulled his hand out of hers and coughed slightly.
"Well…I will be sure to contact you in the future. I know this won't be our last meeting. Until then, watch out for yourselves. There are so many mysteries going on. No one would want any of you to get hurt. I hope you all take care." Isabel nodded and walked into her limo. After it drove off towards the airport, Cagalli let out a sigh.
"Cheer up, Cagalli." Athrun lightly ruffled her hair. "There's no need for the serious face. Plus…Miss Chapa will be gone for a bit. That'll relieve some stress."
"No need? Are you crazy Athrun? Or did you not hear everything that was said for the past hour!" Cagalli huffed in frustration after she bit her thumb in worry. What am I going to do? What if Isabel's right and I can't fix this?
It was Athrun's turn to sigh. "It isn't healthy for you to work yourself up so much. I know you can handle this slight setback. Plus…you know you have lots of support from everyone, especially me. I have complete faith in you. Don't lose your determination and confidence just because of what Miss Chapa said. The Cagalli I know would never step down to a challenge like this."
Cagalli thought about Athrun's words on the way back to meet there others. Everyone says I'm a good leader…or at least that I try my hardest. But am I really as naïve as Isabel makes me out to be? Am I ignorant to what's really going on? How will I handle this?
-+-+-+-+Scene Change-+-+-+
"Will you tell me now?"
"No."
"Aww…come on! I can help you!"
"I said no!"
"…………please?"
"Damnit Shinn! How many times do I have to tell you to stop bugging me!"
Rey gripped the staring wheel of his car tightly as they made their way towards the university to meet the girls and Tai. After the blonde coordinator had finished looking over the document, he then proceeded to make his way towards the parking lot while ignoring a persistent Shinn.
"Geez Rey…I'm just trying to help. Why don't you just admit to me that your jealous of Luna spending so much time with Tai and- Whoa there! Watch the road!" The car had swerved violently causing Shinn hold onto his seat for dear life.
After a few seconds of tense silence, Shinn decided to try his luck and spoke up. "Why are you holding back from expressing any emotions? Do you think they'll somehow go away if you just ignore them?"
Rey snorted. "Obviously that doesn't work with you."
Shinn, having enough of Rey's immaturity, (Yes…I said Rey's immaturity. Never thought those two words would be in the same sentence) let his temper get the better of him and slammed his fist down on the dashboard. "Look! I'm just trying to be a good friend here! You don't need to act all irritated to everyone just because you see something you don't like! Now grow up and stop sulking!"
Rey's eyes widened slightly. He could have sworn that those words were said to Shinn sometime during that war. Shinn rarely blew up in anger since then, realizing that it got him nowhere. When he did show his temper, it meant that the black haired coordinator was serious. Am I really acting childish?
"Ok…I'll talk. I guess it will help me." Shinn nodded for his friend to continue with a stern look on his face.
"It's just that…you've seen Luna and Tai recently. Now…don't get me wrong, he's a nice guy, but I can tell that he likes her. Why wouldn't he? She's cute, energetic, outgoing, basically everything that's opposite to me. For the past two weeks, they've been studying together at night alone in the library. I tried to ignore the fact that she was getting close to him, but what if she starts if have feelings for him? Wouldn't you feel jealous too if Stellar was in that position?" Rey paused to let Shinn reply.
"Yeah…I would. But I would voice my opinion and tell her how I felt. I don't even think Luna realizes that you're jealous. Not that I see any reason for you to be. We've known Luna forever and when has she ever been disloyal to any of us? I know for a fact that that girl cares about you. You and Luna go way back. There's no way that you two will be broken apart so easily. In fact…all of us share a common background and can relate to each other. That's why I think we're such a close group of friends."
Rey smiled a bit, already feeling better. "You know…you're pretty wise someone who acts like a kid a majority of the time."
Shinn just grinned back. "It's my way of letting go of any strain from the war. This is how I want to live and this is what I fought for….to be happy and be able to live without worries."
"I couldn't agree with you anymore."
-+-+-+Scene Change-+-+-+
"See you later, Stellar!"
Stellar waved happily to her friends at the university as they parted ways after spending all morning working on the project. She sighed and closed her eyes as the breeze played with her hair. It was a lovely day with great weather. Stellar smiled but then jumped a bit when a hand placed itself on her shoulder.
Turning her head quickly, she saw that it was just an extremely cheerful Meyrin.
"Hey! What's new?"
"Nothing really." Stellar replied softly. Both girls chatted quietly about their day while they waited for Rey and Shinn to meet them here.
"Hey."
Meyrin turned and smiled shyly at Tai, who had greeted them.
"So how was your day?" He asked to both girls.
"It was great! My classes weren't boring and I finished all my work!" Meyrin said happily, while raising her fist in victory.
Tai smiled at the girl and nodded, which caused her heart to beat a bit faster. She opened her mouth to speak again, but heard a shout in the distance.
"Hey! Guess what!"
It was a happy looking Luna. No…let me correct that…it was an extremely happy looking Luna running towards them at full speed while frantically waving a paper around.
She then did the thing that the three least expected. When Luna got close enough, she threw herself at a startled Tai, in a great big hug. The purple haired boy stumbled a bit before gaining back his balance.
"Thank you. Thank you!" She practically screamed in joy.
Tai looked pleased to be able to hug her…in fact, he had a slight red shade to his cheeks, which Meyrin noticed and scowled at.
"L-luna?" Stellar asked cautiously. This didn't look good. Why was Luna hugging Tai when there was so much tension between her and Meyrin and Rey?
Luna stopped hugging Tai and beamed up at him. She then thrust her paper into his hands and stepped back looking happy with herself.
Stellar looked at the paper curiously and saw that it was Luna's midterm.
"I got one of the highest scores in the class! It's all thanks to your help, Tai!"
The purple-haired boy scratched his head lightly in embarrassment and laughed. For the past few weeks, Tai had tutored a grateful Luna every night. The two become pretty good friends and also got to know each other. Tai loved to tutor her. She was too cute when she didn't understand something. But he also learned that her boyfriend was Rey and that she really cared about him. This hurt a bit, but the purple-haired boy tried to brush it off lightly, thinking that being her friend was enough. But he couldn't stop the thought that if he knew Luna first, then maybe he would have had a chance.
Stellar noticed someone off to the side and paled a bit at what she saw. It was none other than Shinn and Rey. Obviously they saw what Luna did by the fact that Shinn looked nervous while unsuccessfully trying to calm down an angry looking Rey.
Luna had yet to notice the pair and was chatting happily with a somewhat flustered Tai about how he really helped her out. She giggled happily as he congratulated her, causing Meyrin , who stood nearby to frown and look away.
"Shinn! Hi!" Stellar smiled shakily as she went up and hugged her boyfriend and waved a bit at Rey. Shinn looked curiously at Stellar for an answer to Luna's actions but she just shrugged hopelessly. The couple watched nervously to see what would happen.
"Hey guys!" The magenta haired girl finally noticed the others and stepped towards Rey, who glared off to the side. She paused a bit…not really understanding why her boyfriend looked so angry.
"Are you ok? You look kind of mad. Maybe something happened at work?" She smiled but it faded when she saw that he just ignored her and stood stiffly. In the background she saw Stellar shake her head sadly. What's going on?
By now, Tai had moved off to stand next to an expressionless Meyrin as they watched the couple.
"Er…ok…uh I got a good grade on my test! Good thing Tai helped me, huh?" Luna tried again to initiate some form of conversation with her boyfriend…little did she know that she just made things worse. Shinn flinched at hearing his friend dig herself into a deeper hole. I think Rey doesn't believe my advice anymore…
Rey clenched his fists and abruptly turned around. She just had to mention him, didn't she? Now…some might think that Rey would hold a grudge against Tai but to the blonde coordinator, Tai was not at fault. Rey thought back to what Shinn had said in the car. Is she really loyal to me? If that's the case…then why is she flirting with him! Didn't she know that he cared about her more than anything and that he wanted to look after her? He walked away towards the car leaving a startled Luna.
"What just happened?" She asked. The others avoided eye contact with the confused girl.
"Well…let's get going. We don't want the others to wait." Stellar nudged Shinn who blinked out of his daze. Meyrin sighed and walked past Luna without looked back to see if she was ok. The younger girl would have liked to comfort her sister, but right now, her feelings were stopping her. She was confused on how to act. Meyrin actually felt a little relieved that Luna was hurt by Rey ignoring her. It showed that she still cared about what the blonde coordinator thought. But she was jealous when she saw her sister hug Tai. Everything was too complicated!
Luna stared at Rey's retreating back with a hurt expression. Why did he ignore me? Recently he's been kind of distant…but I didn't have time to talk to him about it because I was too busy preparing for my tests…I'll ask what's bothering him later.
Luna felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up to see Tai smiling down at her.
"Maybe he just had a bad day." He offered kindly.
The magenta haired girl nodded. She headed off towards her car alone since Meyrin and Stellar decided to follow Rey and Shinn while Tai went on his motorcycle. Yeah…that's it…it was probably just a bad day for him…
-+-+-+-+Scene Change-+-+-+
Kira sighed as he glanced at the stack of papers that were turned in earlier that day. He would need to go through those later which made the brown haired coordinator slump a bit in his seat. Why assign so much when I know that I'm going to have to read it all?
Standing up, he stretched a bit and moved to the window. Outside, there were people walking around, talking, and laughing. Overall, the atmosphere was happy. The young professor felt a pang of jealousy. He wished that he could get out into the sun, but there was still another hour to be cooped up in the room. Trying to shake his head out of the depressing thought of working, he walked towards his desk to get something done but paused halfway. Who was to say that he couldn't leave work early? That's right! I don't have anymore classes today! Plus…I'm sure no one will notice if I left…it's not like anyone needs me.
With renewed confidence, the brown haired professor changed directions and made a step towards the door. I'll just take a short walk for fresh air…and if anyone asks I'll tell them that I was on my way to the bathroom. Who won't believe me!
Grinning to himself, Kira marched up to the door and made a move to grab the handle. The coordinator blinked in surprise as he watched it turn slowly. Am I caught?
What he didn't expect was a loud smacking sound, intense pain, and a cheerfully excited voice yelling, "Kira!"
The said boy only welcomed the darkness that followed.
…………………………
Kira groaned as he opened his eyes, but immediately shut them because of the brightness of the lights. To his side somewhere he heard a worried and utterly panicked voice.
"O my gosh! Kira! Are you awake!"
"L-lacus? Is that you?" Kira got up slowly and noticed that he had been lying on the hard floor. Lacus was by his side supporting some of his weight to help him sit up.
"What happened? I feel like my head got his by a ton of bricks. By the way…what are you doing here? I didn't know you were coming…" At this comment, his fiancé proceeded to laugh nervously and scratch her head.
"Well…you see…I wanted to surprise you with a visit...and I got really excited at the thought of seeing you so I kinda ran down the hall and barged in the room. Who would have known that you were on your way out at the very same time? Well since I basically slammed the door open, it hit you in the head….you fell back and got knocked out." By the end of her little explanation, Lacus was rushing her words. Kira just stared blankly.
"I'm really sorry, Kira. Don't be mad." She looked at him pleadingly with her big blue eyes. "If it makes it any better…I got you an ice pack." The pink-haired singer held it out like a peace offering and smiled.
Kira took it and pressed it gently to his throbbing head. Just my luck…I swear…there is someone out to get me. All I wanted was a nice walk outside…
"It's ok Lacus. It was an accident…I'm not mad." Lacus hugged him tightly and kissed him on the cheek. She stood while holding a hand out causing Kira to raise an eyebrow in question.
"We have fifteen minutes before we have to meet the others. You were out cold for a majority of the time I wanted to spend with you…but we can still take a walk outside. It's just a nice day and I think the fresh air will help with your head."
Kira let his fiancé help him up and had to steady himself as a wave of dizziness hit him.
"You read my mind, Lacus." Kira said as Lacus linked her arm with him and the couple proceeded to walk out the door.
In the end I still got out of having to work. I guess things aren't so bad after all…
-+-+-+Scene Change-+-+-+
There were a few things that Cagalli noticed as the whole group piled into a van and drove towards the countryside to a strawberry farm, where they would get to taste and pick the finest strawberries that Orb had to offer. First of all…Rey seemed to be ignoring Luna and even chose not to sit next to her, opting to be next to an unusually quiet Shinn and a slumbering Stellar. Luna kept throwing glances back at him hopelessly trying to figure out what was wrong. Next…the observant princess saw that Meyrin and Tai were in a quiet conversation which had the girl blushing every other sentence, not that Tai noticed because he seemed to be looking at Luna half the time. Despite the tired atmosphere in the car, Cagalli couldn't help but smile at Lacus who was pointing out the window and commenting on the beautiful scenery while Kira agreed. Strangely enough, her brother had a square bandage on the left side of his forehead. She'd have to ask him about that later.
Cagalli smiled at Athrun, who was driving and he winked into the rear view mirror. He seemed happy enough and this made the blonde princess's spirits rise. Today would be fun even if half of the group seemed occupied with one thing or another.
20 minutes later…
"Strawberries!"
"No need to shout, Cagalli." Athrun said with an amused expression on his face.
They had just talked to the owners, a married couple, and they had said that the group could pick all the strawberries they wanted and could pay for them by the pound afterwards. The kind woman told them to feel free to eat while picking. This made Cagalli smiled widely.
"I can't wait!" Lacus said just as excitedly. Everyone was equipped with two baskets and water bottles.
Luna and Meyrin, forgetting their troubles for the moment cheered as they raced towards the strawberry field, intent on seeing who could pick the most.
Stellar giggled as she grabbed Shinn's hand and led him towards the field. The poor boy was balancing four baskets, five water bottles, and six sunhats. He had insisted that he should carry his girlfriend's items as well as his. Too bad the other girls used this to their advantage and gave their possessions to the overwhelmed coordinator.
"You sure you can handle it all?" The blonde dancer teased her boyfriend, who was stumbling around trying to gain his balance.
"Of course I can. It's no sweat…I have everything under control." Shinn grinned as he proceeded to walk towards the field where Luna and Meyrin were tasting the fruit happily.
"Good job Shinn! You really are a gentleman." Athrun patted his friend on the back, hard.
"Gah!" The black-haired coordinator helplessly tried to regain his balance, but it proved useless as all the items that once resting in his arms, scattered to the floor. Shinn glared at his laughing friend who just shrugged innocently.
"He did that on purpose."
In the end, everyone helped Shinn carry the things to the field.
………………………………………
"Ah hah! There it is!"
An enthusiastic Cagalli reached for a perfect looking strawberry with a childish smile on her face. She then sat back and looked over to Athrun, who was a few feet from her with a half basket full of the yummy fruit.
"Hey, Athrun! I bet you can't find a better strawberry than this one!" The princess proudly held out her strawberry with grin.
Athrun just stared calmly. "I probably couldn't."
Cagalli blanched. Athrun usually took her challenge and played along. "Er…that's right. You can't…"
Athrun just smiled. "I think the worm on it thinks the same way."
Cagalli paled. "…W-worm?"
A scream of fright rang out, startling everyone as they saw a strawberry soar through the air. Meanwhile, a frantic princess searched all over to see if the worm was still present.
"Ewwwwww!"
The scared princess then proceeded to do some sort of weird dance that looked like a jig, complete with flailing arms and twirls, in order to rid herself of the offending bug. She hopped on one foot while shaking her head wildly, thinking that it somehow got on her hair.
"Get it off! Get it off!"
By now, all of her friends were laughing at the blonde princess's display of panic over a little worm. But hey…everyone has their own fears…like how Meyrin is scared of bunnies…Don't ask.
Athrun, deciding that his girlfriend had had enough torture stood to calm her.
"Cagalli…"
"Ack! Is it on my shirt!"
"…Cagalli…"
"Oh my Gosh! Help me!"
"CAGALLI!"
"What!" The girl paused and looked at her boyfriend with an irritated expression.
"You threw the worm away along with the strawberry."
Cagalli blinked a few times and coughed to hide her embarrassment. "Oh…" She then cleared her throat and with whatever dignity she had left said, "I knew that…"
Laughter was heard from the background.
"Real graceful, princess!" Shinn called out as Stellar tried to hold in her laughter.
"You have some great moves. Maybe you can show me sometime!" This comment came from Luna, face red from laughing so much. Next to her, stood Meyrin, camera in hand with a big grin on her face. Cagalli paled. She took a picture of me jumping around!
Kira was hugging his stomach while laughing loudly. Strawberries were scattered all around him. Apparently, when he saw his sister freak out, he fell over from laughing so much and knocked the basket of fruit over. His fiancé giggled offering no sympathy for her embarrassed friend.
"If it makes you feel any better…Meyrin only took one picture." Tai said while wiping his tears of laughter away. "Wow…I didn't know you could look so…clumsy!" This brought about a new wave of laughter from the group when they remembered Cagalli's weird movements. Let's just say it was a rather eccentric display. Even Rey joined in on the fun, allowing himself to chuckle.
Athrun stepped forward and hugged his defeated princess. He offered no words to comfort her. In fact, the boy was still laughing!
"Stupid worm." Cagalli mumbled, her cheeks red in embarrassment. "Made everyone against me…"
The laughter and teasing died down and everyone got back to picking fruit. Cagalli made sure to examine the whole strawberry before touching it. She sighed in content realizing that her misfortune actually eased some of the tension out of the group. Some…but not all.
Athrun patted her hand and smiled at her when she looked up. "You always make everyone smile. Don't ever change that." This comment made the blonde girl smile.
………………………………
Not far away from the prince his princess, kneeled Luna, basket full and mind set. She glanced at a blushing Stellar as Shinn fed her and sighed wistfully. They looked so happy. The magenta haired girl then turned and looked to Rey, who was about seven feet away from her. He hadn't said a single word to her since….well…since yesterday. Now was the time to talk to him. She made sure that everyone else was busy before getting up and walking towards her boyfriend, who had stopped picking and was sitting on the ground while staring at the sky deep in thought.
"Hey." Luna said as she sat down next to Rey. He glanced at her and nodded.
"Hi." This caused Luna to frown. Usually when she greeted him, he would hug her or pat her arm or show some form of affection.
Shaking her head to clear her mind, she sighed as a breeze messed with her short hair.
"I-is something bothering you? I mean…lately you've been acting different. Maybe you wanna talk about it?"
The blonde coordinator looked at the girl seriously causing her to worry. She gently laid her hand on his trying to offer some comfort. Maybe something did happen?
Much to Luna's surprise, Rey stiffened and pulled his hand away. He then took a deep breath.
"Lunamaria I think we need to talk…I need to know…do you think we're getting distant?"
Luna gasped at the remark. Were they? She didn't really know…she was too busy worrying about her midterms.
She choose her next words carefully. "Well…we haven't spent much time together recently…although that's to be expected. I mean…I've been studying a lot and you're always working…"
Rey nodded. "Yeah…you're always studying…but…that's not the problem. I understand that you needed to study for your tests. They were important to you, but…you're always studying with Tai…"
"Wait. What does Tai have to do with any of this? I'm sorry that we couldn't really be together because I was studying but I really did want to spend time with you." Luna cut in. Where was this conversation going? She could understand that they were distant because of the constant studying but where did Tai fall into the picture?
Rey almost snorted at her last comment. If Luna really did want to spend time with him, she could have. Instead she opted for spending time with her tutor in the library or grabbing a quick bite to eat with the boy; then back to studying they went. She even bought his lunch for him one day saying that she owed him! Everything she did was with Tai.
Rey decided that he needed to get everything off his chest and set things straight with Luna.
"What I'm trying to say is… that I want you to stop flirting with Tai." Rey watched as his girlfriend's face turned from confused to offended. "Either stay with me or go with him because I tired of having to watch as you drag him with you to study or joke with him randomly while ignoring me, or hugging him. Why are you doing this? I always take care of you and you just take it for granted and go off to some other guy. There's only so much I can take."
By now, Luna had gotten over her shock of being accused of flirting and was trying really hard to hold in her anger. Too bad she never really could control her emotions.
"You're saying that I flirt!" The girl practically hissed. "Rey! All I have been doing with him is studying! Is it a crime to get to know someone at the same time! What's wrong with making friends! Plus…if you would stop assuming things, you would know that whenever I'm with Tai, I usually talk about you! You would know that I don't like him like that!" Luna jumped to her feet, causing the others to turn their attention to the arguing pair.
"Then explain why you're always hugging him or running off to go study! I don't even think I trust you anymore. Everything I want to believe that you still care about me, the thought goes flying out the window when you prove me wrong by…by…clinging to him!" Rey had also stood up and had an irritated expression.
"Clinging! I did not cling! And on another note…am I not allowed to be nice to anyone anymore? Plus who cares if I hug them! I hug Kira, Athrun, and Shinn just as much!" Luna narrowed her eyes. The three boys shrank back when Rey took the time to send a death glare at them. He turned back to his fuming girlfriend with equal anger.
"If that's your definition of being nice I don't want to know what you being friendly is! I won't just sit back and ignore the fact that you're using me while being interested in other men!" Rey heard a few of his friends gasp at his words. They were harsh and he wasn't even sure if it was true but he felt really angry at the moment and wasn't thinking straight.
Luna paused, looking hurt, but her expression changed to something deadly. "I can't believe you! How dare you say that! What are you accusing me of! Just because you're jealous doesn't mean you have to say such things! When have I ever been disloyal to you? You're just acting like a spoiled brat Rey Za Burrel!"
Rey and Luna were only vaguely aware of the others trying to calm them down.
"O-ok guys…let's just talk about this without yelling…" Lacus said gently.
"Yeah…there's no need to yell like this." Cagalli added looking worriedly between the arguing pair.
Rey ignored their words. "I have a reason to be jealous! You've barely talked to me all week…it's almost as if you're pushing me away!"
"I was busy with school! You said you understood!" Luna shot back getting frustrated with his lack of reasoning.
"Yeah…busy with flirting! I don't even know why I bother! You always were so outgoing…I wasn't sure whether you really cared about me or not cuz you always got friendly with everyone. Hell…even on the Minerva, half the crew thought you liked Athrun!"
Luna opened her mouth to object. "I was only trying to be nice! No one else was willing to make friends with him!"
Rey ignored her comment. He clenched his fists tightly. "That's a great excuse, Luna! You must like to be nice to guys often, huh?" He continued when Luna bowed her head, body tense. The others looked on, shaking their heads at amount of hurt the pair was inflicting on each other.
"Why couldn't you be shy like Stellar or Meyrin? Why couldn't you be loyal like Lacus and Cagalli? You're always so…eager to meet new people and I don't know why! Is it because I'm not good enough!"
The others braced themselves for Luna's reaction. Rey just did the worst thing possible to a girl. To compare a girl to another while pointing out the latter's better qualities was a big no no. Boy was he in for it now. Not that the blonde coordinator really cared. He was too busy losing his temper because of all his pent up emotions.
"You…" Luna bent down and abruptly stood again, confusing the others. The next thing that happened shocked everyone. Luna pulled her arm back and threw a rather big looking strawberry straight at an unsuspecting Rey. It hit him right on the forehead and bounced off. Rey blinked a bit and then glared.
"That was childish."
Luna growled then exploded in rage. "I don't care anymore! Nothing will get it into your thick head that I never flirted with Tai or anyone for that matter!" At every emphasized word, Luna threw another strawberry, which caused Rey to put his hands up to block the incoming threats. The angry girl had good aim.
"First you accuse me! Then you say you don't trust me! And now you want me to change my personality so you don't feel insecure!" Luna kept pelting Rey with strawberries while the others stared with wide eyes.
"Er…Luna…why don't you stop throwing the strawberries…it won't make things any better." Shinn took a step towards his friends trying to stop the madness. It had gone on long enough.
"Quiet Shinn! You don't know how angry I am!" Luna, so caught up in her anger, threw a strawberry at the approaching boy, causing him to stumble back a bit. Those things hurt when threw hard enough. Stellar ran up to Shinn and asked if he was ok. He nodded and massaged the spot that got hit. He hated to see his friends fighting. It just didn't feel right.
The enraged girl finally ran out of fruit and stood panting from yelling so much. Rey wiped off strawberry juice from his forehead and made a face.
After regaining her breath, Luna looked Rey straight in the eyes and said, "I've never been this insulted in my life…" And with that she turned around to walked away.
Rey spoke to her back while trying to hide his hurt. Slowly he ran his hand through his hair and made a decision that he knew he would regret later.
"This can't work. It's obvious that we don't know each other as much as we thought we did. So feel free to do what you want…I…I won't care if you flirt with other guys. We aren't meant to be together if that's the case. I don't want to hold you back." He said the last sentence bitterly.
The magenta haired girl paused, letting the words sink in, eyes widening slightly. He was breaking up with her? Sure, they had fought before in the past, but never had Rey even mentioned separating. This hurts too much…I want to object but I can't do anything if he wants to break up. It's his choice…
It was no use trying to defend herself anymore…after all she had been doing it the whole argument and Rey didn't want listen. Luna turned to face with a bitter smile that rivaled his.
"If you would get over your insecurities, you would have realized my true feelings."
The magenta haired girl turned and walked away. If Rey had been standing where the others were, he would have saw the look of confusion and pain flash across her face along with her teary eyes which threatened to spill. But Luna was too proud to show her weakness and held it in for the time being.
The others looked torn at what to do. Rey and Luna were always a stable couple which rarely had any troubles. It seemed almost surreal that the two would separate so abruptly.
Rey stared at Luna's retreating back, letting her final words sink in. My insecurities, huh? It's hard not to be insecure when your personality is so attractive to others…but that's not the problem now, is it? You won't have to worry about me interfering and I won't have to worry about losing you… since it already happened…
……End of Chapter…..
AN: Yes…I know…really dramatic. Please don't throw things at me. But hey…I mentioned earlier that there would be some. Sorry to all you ReyxLuna fans out there…but I wanted some drama between them. Don't worry…there are still many chapters to see what will happen!
Another thing to note…Isabel is out of the picture, for the time being! But don't worry! She will be back!
And where did the missing money go two! What will happen between Rey and Luna? How does their break up affect the others? What happened to all the wasted strawberries! These questions will be answered in future chapters!
Look forward to the next chapter!