Moments of Time

ACT 2

-静かな夜に-

+2+

JC: And here's Act 2! Shinn: Am I in this?

JC: Yes, Shinn. You are. Geez, what a ham.

Kira: Did I get snoo-snoo?

Duo: Snoo-snoo? Kira got SNOO-SNOO! What about my woo…

Wufei: You don't want to finish that sentence Maxwell.

Athrun: Kira's nekkid. Nekkid Kira. MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

JC: Hey Princess, you're brother's this close to becoming a porn star!

Une: JC doesn't own Gundam Seed Destiny or Gundam Wing.

Cagalli: Don't call me a princess!

JC: Make sure to crack that whip, Lady.

Une: Yes, who shall be my next victim? (everyone runs)

+2+

ORB, 02:00 a.m.

Athrun's eyes opened with a start. Something was digging into his side. Something hard. He sighed, Kira wanted to do it again? The boy groaned and straightened Kira's arm so the other boy's elbow wasn't digging into his side. Kira then flopped and rolled completely on top of Athrun, still snoring.

'When did it get to be like this?' Athrun wondered as he wrapped an arm around Kira and used the other in an attempt to readjust the blanket.

"Athrun..?" moaned a sleepy Kira.

"Gomen Kira. Did I wake you?" Athrun apologized. Kira shook his head and leaned his head into Athrun's chest, breathing in the scent of Athrun's hair.

"Anata no yume wo mitetta… komodo no you ni waratetta…" a soft melody floated through the open window. "Natsukashiku mada tooku… Sore wa mirai no yakusoku…"

"Lacus?" Kira rolled of Athrun and reached for his pants and a robe. Athrun followed suit and the two silently crept into the hall and downstairs. Lacus stood on the veranda cradling one of the boys and singing softly.

"Itsuka midori no asa ni; Itsuka tadoritsukeru to;

Fuyugareta kono sora wo shinjiteiru kara, Fields of hope…"(1)

She stopped when she saw the two at the doorway and smiled, and carried the sleeping child into the house. The two helped her tuck the boy into bed before following her into the kitchen.

"Poor little thing couldn't sleep." Lacus said as she sat down with a cup of hot chocolate. "I must say that I myself haven't been able to sleep very well after those nights…"

"The nuclear attack and the colony falling to Earth really frightened her and the children." Kira said after he and Athrun retired to their room.

"I see." Athrun muttered, looking at the floor.

"Why is this happening? Haven't enough people died already?" Kira asked as Athrun pulled him into an embrace.

ORB Palace, 02:33 a.m.

"Cagalli-sama, it's late." Mana, Cagalli's handmaid yawned. "You really should retire to your room if you intend to sleep."

"I'm fine Mana." Cagalli pinched herself and rustled the papers on her desk. "I'll go to bed soon, just as soon as I finish reviewing all these proposals for the meeting tomorrow."

As soon as Mana left, Cagalli stood up and opened the window, letting the cool breeze blow in. Just when she got back to ORB, her irritating fiancée Yuuna Roma Seylan was all over her, not giving her a moment alone during the day, and his father, Unato Ema Seylan wasn't any better. The old man was pushing proposals for ORB to join the Atlantic Federation, a move that Cagalli refused to back, not after the war. However, the old coot already had half the cabinet supporting him, she just hoped that she could persuade them and the rest of the members otherwise.

'Father, I won't let you down. I'll keep carrying on the hope for the new world you left us with.' Cagalli turned away from the window and sat down at her desk again. As she reached for a pen, her eyes fell on a photograph with her, Athrun, and Kira in it. 'You two… are so strong together. Stupid boys.'

Space Shuttle heading for Earth, AC 198, 19:00

"These disappearances have me quite concerned." Relena said to Lady Une. "There haven't been any demands, threats or contact with the party responsible."

"Our intelligence is gathering information about the victims as we speak, however I'm afraid that some of our agents have gone missing as well." Une stared out the space shuttle window. "I was going to supervise the investigation personally but something disturbing has come up."

"Oh?"

"Before the last team vanished off the radar, they sent back an interesting photograph. It's a bit grainy, but it's clearly that of a mobile suit… no, a squad of mobile suits of an unknown class." Une said, opening her briefcase and handing an envelope to Relena.

Relena looked at the pictures and grimaced. Whatever model it was, the suits looked gruesome… like snakes almost. "Does Heero know about this?"

"Probably." Une said. "He usually gets all the info and more before I get it."

"You don't think he'd go out…" Relena started.

"Wouldn't surprise me. He doesn't exactly take well to my orders, but I can't complain as his methods solve problems faster than the bureaucracy can find them." Une muttered.

"We have to go back to the colonies." Relena stood up.

"I'm afraid we've already reached the point of reentry." Une said as the seat belt sign flashed on.

"I need to make a phone call as soon as we land." Relena strapped herself in. "Heero, you idiot."

Maxwell-Yuy apartment, 21:45

The phone rang. And rang. And rang. Finally…

"Hey, you've reached the Maxwell-Yuy residence. We're not around, so if you leave your name and number, someone will call back." the voice message said.

"Duo! Duo! This is Relena! Pick up! Listen, Heero's gone off on his own to…"

"And if you're a certain princess calling about a lost angel, I got it covered. Otherwise, leave your message after the beep." and with that, the answering machine beeped.

Relena stared dumbfounded into the receiver. She hung up and took a deep breath.

'Of course Duo would know him best. I feel so stupid for worrying about that… but still… at least I feel a little relieved.' she thought as she exited the spaceport phone booth and hurried over to Pargan, who was waiting with her luggage.

Preventer HQ, 06:00

"Lady Une, you have a visitor." the secretary informed Une when she walked in.

"Who is it?" Une opened her office door and stopped. "You…"

"How marvelous to see you again, Lady Une." Dorothy Catalonia smoothly rose from the office chair. "I'm here to discuss the 'project'."

"I'll say this now Dorothy. We might need it." Une closed the door.

"Oh, but of course." Dorothy smiled. "For the sake of the new world that my dear late cousin has left to us."

Une opened the window blinds. Stray light leaked through the gray mist that cloaked the city.

"It's already dawn…"

ZAFT Battleship, Minerva, 08:30

"Can you believe it! We can disembark for today!" Yolant cheered.

"Are going to come with us, Shinn?" Lunamaria asked the sulky teenager, who was still in uniform.

"No. There's nothing to do in this stupid country." was Shinn's flat reply before he left the room in a huff. Luna shrugged and left the ship with Yolant and the others.

ORB Palace, dining room

"Good morning." Athrun walked in to find the princess of Orb sleeping on her French toast.

"Wha?" Cagalli sat up quickly. "Oh, hello Athrun."

"Are you OK? You don't look like you got much sleep." Athrun peered at her. "And you've got eggs on your cheek."

"Oh, gosh. I'm such a mess today." Cagalli picked up her napkin and wiped her face. "Great, now I have to redo my make-up again."

"Well, you were the one sleeping in breakfast." Athrun smirked as he opened his laptop and began going through his mail.

"Hey, I'll have you know the scrambled eggs were warm and comfortable!" Cagalli mock-glared… and then, in case the chef was listening. "And tasty as well!"

"Uh-huh." Athrun reached for the bacon.

"So, how was my little brother?" Cagalli asked casually.

"Tight and… did I just…" Athrun sputtered, Cagalli laughed.

"You pervert Athrun!" She howled and buried her face in her napkin. "Oh, so that's how it is! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"That's not what I meant. I mean, I didn't… oh…" Athrun fought back the blush, but failed miserably.

"Ok… ha… need… hahaha… ok, I'm fine now." Cagalli sipped her coffee and tried her best not to spit it out as she fought back peals of laughter. "Though that was something I really didn't need to know."

"Listen, Cagalli… what about you? Are you OK?" Athrun's voice got serious.

"After that slip up, I'll be pretty much entertained for the next 24 hours." Cagalli lied.

"You're lying." Athrun accused.

"I am not!"

"Yes you are! You get that little lip pout that Kira does when he lies." Athrun said.

"I do NOT!" Cagalli looked mortified. "Kira's the only one that does that."

"Which proves beyond a doubt that you two are related." Athrun laughed as Cagalli tried to check her reflection in a spoon.

"Just that he had better luck with the men." Cagalli groaned and clapped her hands over her mouth, realizing she just mouthed off her fiancée. "Oh, you so did not hear that from me!"

"Don't worry. I'm pretty sure everyone around here feels the same way about Yuuna, Cagalli." Athrun assured her.

"You think?" Cagalli asked, swallowing orange juice. "Oh, the time! I have to run in order to make my meeting. Bye Athrun! See you later!"

And with a quick kiss on the cheek of her brother's prince goodbye, the ORB princess rushed from the room, nearly dropping her briefcase on the way out.

Next Act, The Devil's Curse

The disappearances from the colonies continue as the Preventers try to hit the root of the solution. But once that answer is found, will it be solvable in an age without the Gundams?

Break through that dark wish, Wing Zero!

(1) from Fields of Hope, an insert song sung by Tanaka Rie (Lacus Clyne/Mia Campbell) in Seed Destiny. Tanaka-san's voice is really pretty and the song is quite soothing and very beautiful. If you get a chance, buy the soundtrack or download it.

Cagalli: I thought I told you! Don't call me a princess!

Special Thanks to Reviewers!

Thanks Spyrit Pheonix! Though I must confess, bashing Relena and Fllay on grounds that they deserve it (especially Fllay that $#(!)!) is lots of fun. Though I usually save that for OOC and humor fics rather than serious stuff. Will this story stay that serious, I haven't a clue. But you can bet with Duo, Lowe, Yzak, and Domon around, it won't be too serious for long.

As you wished it, i love athrun, here be the next chapter! Look forward to another addition soon!