JC: Hello! I'm very sorry for the late update and thanks for the reviews. Chapter 12 is here so I please read.

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Seed.

High School Life

Phase 12: Crossroads

Minerva High

Athrun visited his locker to get some his things for the next class. He spotted Cagalli leaning against a wall with a sad look on her face. Curious at the same time concern, Athrun approached her.

"Good morning Cagalli." Athrun greeted.

Cagalli turned to him and suddenly blushed. She remembered the hug and kiss that Athrun gave before he went home. That sweet moment was so good to be true but she felt so embarrassed by it that she couldn't even face the blue-haired guy straightly. Her cheeks were burning red. She fiddled with her fingers while feelings so uneasy at the moment.

"Cagalli are you okay? You look tense." Athrun said.

Tense, well yeah of course she was tense. He just did something to make her heart jump for joy, to make her scream in happiness. She slowly lifted her head until her eyes met his emerald orbs. Gosh it just made her want to melt just by looking at those luscious eyes. She opened her mouth by no words came out. She tried to speak but because of her nervousness she couldn't.

Athrun just smiled as he noticed her red cheeks. He thought it to be cute when Cagalli blushes. Her cuteness was one of the qualities he liked best. He giggled.

"You look so cute… In fact you're the cutest girl I've ever seen." Athrun told her.

This just made Cagalli's face turned like a tomato.

"What are you saying? I'm not cute…" Cagalli said. "Stop teasing me!"

"I'm not teasing. You're so cute and that's the truth."

She smiled as she felt good about herself. She was called cute which she rarely hears. Her mind was taken back to scene of Athrun hugging her and kissing her on the forehead. Her eyes narrowed as she looked back at him.

"What was the hug and kiss about?" Cagalli asked.

"Oh you mean last night… Well I just wanted to do that." Athrun replied.

"Well it really made me feel funny."

"I'm sorry I just couldn't help myself."

"It's okay."

Fllay passed by them looking rather pissed. Cagalli decided to tease her while in her current mood. So she confronted Fllay by blocking her way.

"What's the hurry?" Cagalli asked.

"I'm not in the mood for you antics, Athha!" Fllay said.

"I just wanted to remind you to stay away from Lacus." Cagalli told her.

"I haven't forgotten that! Step away." Fllay replied.

Fllay pushed Cagalli aside and took off. Surprisingly she didn't fight back since she would usually argue a lot. Alster wasn't the kind of girl to let down a fight or challenge so Cagalli realized that something was up.

She faced Athrun again, asking him about Kira. She hasn't forgotten how evadingly Kira was with her. she wanted to talk to him to straight things up.

"Have you seen Kira?" Cagalli asked.

"I think he's in the classroom. Why?" Athrun replied.

"It's just that he's been kinda avoiding me for some reason." Cagalli told him.

"What! Kira would never do that. Maybe you did something to upset him." Athrun said.

"No! I didn't do anything to him." Cagalli defended.

Cagalli was pretty upset about Kira avoiding her but the question is why. She wanted to know the reason but she's a little afraid approaching Kira which she find highly unusual. Cagalli would never get afraid to talk to a person but Kira was different. She felt something special in him that makes her tight. In the midst of her thinking, Athrun suddenly grabbed her wrist and pulled her towards the classroom despite the loud screams. When they reached the room, Cagalli shut her mouth at the sight of Kira. Athrun casually approached his childhood friend and greeted him. Cagalli didn't follow him but watched them from behind the door.

Kira caught a glimpse on Cagalli and quickly turned away. His eyed narrowed in depression as his thought shifted to the picture and the pendant. Nevertheless he knew that avoiding Cagalli would just make things worse so he marched towards her.

"Cagalli… Hey…" Kira said.

"Hey Kira… Um are you mad at me? If you are then I'm sorry." Cagalli told him.

"No I'm not mad at you. It's just that… well it's about this." Kira said as he pulled out a blue pendant from his pocket.

The pendant looked awfully similar to the pink pendant that Cagalli has. She examined it carefully and she wasn't mistaken. Confused and disturbed, Cagalli didn't know how to react but after a while she convinced herself that maybe it was just a coincidence. But Kira showed him another thing from his pocket which shocked her the most.

"No way… Where did you get that picture?" Cagalli asked with a slight shiver in her voice.

Kira hesitated to talk since he didn't know how to tell Cagalli. He let a deep sigh feeling so nervous at the moment... He had so many questions in his mind right now but no answers. Kira badly wanted to ask his parents but he was He was afraid to found out about himself, about his true self. He hoped that this would all be a dream but it was dead real. Now he stood there in front of Cagalli, his look alike and maybe his twin sister… The picture he held in his hand was the same picture that Cagalli has. A picture of a mother and two babies… He took a short glance at the picture then back at Cagalli.

"I found this picture and pendant in my house." Kira finally replied to her question.

Her golden orbs caught his purple ones. She slowly took the picture from his hand and took a good look at it. Her right hand made its way to her pocket and pulled out the picture. Her hands trembled as she kept staring at the two images in her hands. It was exactly alike. She couldn't say a word not a bit because her thoughts were filled with puzzlement. At that moment she wanted to cry.

Kira's hand reached for her shoulder reminding her to be strong. Although he felt depressed himself he tried his best to hold his tears. Suddenly he grabbed Cagalli and brought her to the back of the school where no students were around. When they got there, Cagalli fell to her knees as she leaned her head against the wall. Her hands slowly moved to her chest. She reached for her pink pendant and held it tightly in her hand. Her heart pounded as hard as a drum with the feelings of pain and suffering inside. Her emotions were on a rampage but the calmness inside still managed to suppress her. Kira knelt down to her level and with the use of his finger he tilted Cagalli's head until her face met his. He gave out a warm smile which could melt any girl's heart but in Cagalli's case it just made her heart more vigilant. Kira couldn't stand seeing his blonde friend/sister like this so he pulled her towards into a sweet hug.

"Kira, what do you think you're doing?"

"I'm trying to cheer you up. I know that it's my fault to cause your sadness. I'm sorry for even showing the pendant and the picture to you."

"Huh!"

They broke and faced each other. Cagalli placed her head in his chest as her eyes were fixed at the pendant in his hand. She took the pendant. She clasped it in her hand and brought it closer to her chest.

"This pendant and that picture prove it… You're my brother Kira."

"I believe that too but I wonder why my parents didn't tell me about this… When I found these things I got so upset."

"Kira… I know how you feel."

"Your situation is different. You're parents told you that were an adopted child from the beginning while I… I had to find it myself."

"Kira… I'm sorry to hear that."

Cagalli faintly smiled as she glanced at the picture that Kira brought. She turned the picture around and saw two names scribbled on it. The names Kira and Cagalli were written there, another proof that they were siblings. Cagalli giggled as lively as tears started flowing from her golden eyes. In the midst of her happiness she suddenly jumped on Kira giving him a sisterly hug which almost choked his to death.

"I finally found you brother." Cagalli shouted.

Fllay gasped in surprise as she saw the siblings hug each other. She couldn't believe that her beloved Kira was actually Cagalli's twin brother… She dropped her knees to the ground. An evil smile came to her face, a sly but ghastly smile. She discovered another secret which may be the root for her plans.

Dominion High

"Okay class please don't forget your book report is due next week." Ms. Natarle reminded.

Stellar thought about going to the library to find a book. She dragged Shinn along with her against his own will. He can't say no to a girl. Even though how he hated Libraries, he's going to grow and love it.

When they reached the library, Shinn found a place to lounge around while he waited for Stellar. The blonde found the book that she was looking for only problem is that it was too high to reach. She saw a stool and pulled it to the desired spot. It was kind of wobbly so she called Shinn to hold the stool. Shinn held on to it as Stellar stepped on it. She stretched out her arms towards the book. She managed to grab but in the process she went out of balance.

"Oh no! Ah!"

"Stellar!"

Stellar fell but she landed safely in Shinn's arms. She sighed in relief and turned to Shinn. She smiled as she thanked him for his help.

Shinn was blushing madly because at that moment he was feeling Stellar's… cough…breast.

"Shinn, what's the matter?"

Stellar noticed him sweating like a nervous wreck.

Shinn laughed lightly as he released Stellar. He quickly turned around because his face was getting redder by the minute.

"Sometimes I wonder why you always act so tense around me." Stellar said.

"Huh?"

Shinn turned to Stellar. He noticed that Stellar's face expression changed into an upset one.

"Is it because you don't feel comfortable being with me?" Stellar asked.

"No, that's not it. Well erm… you see Stellar… um…" Shinn said.

"See you can't even talk properly in front of me. Don't you like me?" Stellar told him.

He deeply sighed. His eyes suddenly soften as he glanced back at her magenta eyes. With a wide grin on his head he bowed his head and apologized sincerely to her.

"I'm sorry… I'm acting this way well it's because I've never had a friend like you before. I have to admit that I'm always tense around… well it's just because I… really… like you."

Stellar smiled and immediately hugged Shinn. His whole body suddenly turned cold but his face was bright as a red tomato. Yet, he felt really happy. His heart was jumping for joy. If he could he wanted to pull Stellar into a warm embrace but he hesitated. Somehow his shyness for girls has taken over him.

Stellar released Shinn and stared deeply into his red eyes. She felt her cheeks burning up with redness which actually surprised Shinn.

"Wait a sec… Stellar blushing… So that means she actually likes me…" Shinn thought.

"Well I have to check out this book." Stellar said.

She grabbed Shinn again and dragged him all over the place.

Minerva High (Gym)

Jean Corda was loafing around the gym until a red head girl with pig tails entered. She almost thought it to be Fllay but it turned out to be Fllay's adorable twin sister, Meyrin.

"Hi there Jean Corda!" Meyrin greeted.

"Hi..." Jean replied shyly.

"So do you always come here?" Meyrin asked.

"Ah… sometimes… Anyway Miss Meyrin have you talk to Alster I mean to your sister." Jean said nervously.

Meyrin leaned against the wall and nodded her head. She glanced at Jean with a calm expression on her face. She smiled so friendly and kindly which rather astonished Jean a bit. Meyrin really looked like Fllay but it seemed like she's the nicer version. The pig tailed red head girl was the complete opposite of the red head girl with a big mouth and bossy attitude.

Jean suddenly giggled at the thought of comparing the Alster twins.

"Why are you laughing?" Meyrin asked.

"Well you really look like Alster… of course since you're her twin but you seemed to have a much better personality than her." Jean said.

"Thank you… My big sister Lunamaria thinks so too… But Fllay is Fllay and I'm me." Meyrin said.

After class, (Room 1-D)

At last class was dismissed. Cagalli stretched her arms feeling relief since she was dying of boredom from listening to the teacher. But she sighed as she looked at the notebook piled on her desk. The teacher gave them loads of homework to do and Cagalli hated homework especially Math homework.

"I can't stand math!" Cagalli complained.

"You know Cagalli I don't really know why but even though you hate Math you always managed to get good grades on the subject. Why is it?" Lacus said.

"I don't know… It just happens." Cagalli replied.

She packed up her notebooks. She looked into her bag and pulled out the picture. Her eyes turned at Kira who was currently talking to Athrun.

"Kira is really my brother…" Cagalli thought. "Then I better tell Lacus and Athrun!"

She stood and suddenly slammed her hands on her desk. This caught her friends' attention. She faced them with a concern look. Her hands trembled as she held the picture. She took one deep breathe. Now she was ready to tell them…

"Lacus, Athrun… Kira here is… my… twin brother." Cagalli finally said it.

It felt really good to let it out. She glanced at Athrun and Lacus who were rather very surprised.

"Is that true?" Lacus asked Kira.

Kira nodded his head at her girl friend. He went over to Cagalli's side and pulled out the same picture. Not only had that he also showed the blue pendant identical to Cagalli's pendant.

"She's my twin sister…" Kira said.

"Wow… So that's why you two looked exactly alike." Athrun said.

Lacus approached Cagalli and pulled her into a hug. She was so happy for her best friend. Cagalli would always tell Lacus that she will find her brother one day but she had never guessed that it would really happen. The best part of all was that Cagalli's twin was none other than her boyfriend.

Athrun placed his arm around Kira's neck and pulled him into a neck grip. Athrun started rubbing his head rapidly while smiling so widely. He was also happy for his childhood friend.

"Stop it you're messing up my hair." Kira said.

"I don't care… I'm just glad right now." Athrun told him.

Kira and Cagalli glanced at each other. For them it was one of the best things that ever happened to them. To able to find each other as siblings is really unbelievable. Cagalli who dreamed to see her brother has finally come true and the good part was that it was Kira, the nicest guy you could ever find. Kira also felt the same way about Cagalli, well lucky too since she's cute but very honest.

Kira's house

The twins were standing in front of the Yamato's house. Cagalli was feeling a bit nervous meeting Kira's parents but she has too. Kira opened the door and they both entered.

"Cagalli you wait in the living room while I'll call mom." Kira said.

Kira rushed upstairs to fetch his mom while Cagalli looked around the living room, glancing at some pictures of Kira and the Yamatos.

"Kira looks so cute." Cagalli thought.

Not a minute too soon Kira arrived with his mother. Cagalli gazed at Mrs. Yamato for a while. She noticed that she was very beautiful and seemed to be a very kind person.

"Hello Mrs. Yamato I'm Cagalli Yula Athha, one of Kira's classmates." Cagalli introduced herself politely.

"I know but I like to prefer you as Kira's twin sister." Mrs. Yamato said.

From the looks of it, Kira has already told his mom all about Cagalli. Mrs. Yamato sat across Cagalli as Kira went to seat beside his twin. Kira's mom examined Cagalli for a while.

"Oh my gosh! Kira wasn't kidding when he said that you really look like him." Mrs. Yamato remarked.

Kira's mom started explaining to Cagalli how Kira end up with the Yamatos. Cagalli and Kira listened to every word she was saying like a couple of kids interested in a story.

"You real parents were the Hibikis. They were both scientist working at a military facility. After giving birth to the two of you, your mother went back to work since she was really needed in the lab. As a good friend of hers I volunteered to take care of you two. But she never came back for you since an accident occurred in the lab. Your parents died and I wept. I promised in front of your parents' grave that I would take care of you but my husband said that to give one of you away which I highly disagreed. He kept on insisting until I gave up. My husband planned to keep Kira so he gave Cagalli to his friend Athha."

After telling the whole story to the twins about their parents, Mrs. Yamato started explaining about the pendants.

"The pendants you have are a symbol of luck. You had worn that ever since you were babies. Those were the only gifts that your parents ever given to you. Maybe because of the pendants you're still alive up until now." Mrs. Yamato said.

Cagalli removed the pendant from her neck. She placed it beside Kira's blue pendant along with the picture of them and their mother. Cagalli smiled just by looking at them.

Kira narrowed his eyes. He stood and turned away from his mother. He felt a bit angry since his parents kept it a secret for so long. Of course he had the right to know.

"Why didn't you tell me all of this before? Why did you hide that picture and pendant?"

"I was afraid that to lose you Kira. I was afraid that you would leave me to look for your sister."

"Mom… I won't leave you no matter what happens. I love you and dad."

"Kira…"

His mother burst into tears. She immediately hugged Kira as she cried some more. Kira patted his mother's back as she tried to comfort her.

Cagalli began to cry. She could feel the pain and sorrow for her parents. Her heart wanted to break. She clasped her hands close to her heart as she sobbed.

Kira on the other hand felt no different but a feeling of disappointment was in his heart.

"So they're gone and here I am hoping that I could meet them one day." Cagalli said.

"The only memory we have of our mother is the picture." Kira told her.

"I know but still it's depressing since we don't even know what kind of people our parents are." Cagalli said.

Mrs. Yamato stood and approached the twins. She held their hands and stared deeply into their eyes. With a loving and warm smile, she managed to calm their aching hearts.

"You may have lost your parents but you will always have each other from now on."

Their eyes widened as they face each other with confuse looks. Their frown soon turned into a grin.

"Your mom's right Kira…"

"Yeah we'll be together from now on, Cagalli."

Alster Mansion

Meyrin was busy typing her homework on her laptop until her stubborn twin sister barged into her room.

"Admit it, who told you about my dirty tricks to Lacus Clyne!" Fllay asked angrily.

"What will you do if I don't tell you?" Meyrin said.

"Tell me right now… It's Athha or that Corda girl right?"

Meyrin paused at the mere mention of Jean's surname. It was true that Jean was the one who told her and Luna but Jean was her friend now. Knowing Fllay she might do something terrible to Jean.

"I don't know Fllay! Why don't you ask Sister Luna?" Meyrin said.

Fllay couldn't ask Lunamaria because she hated hearing her sermons. Well Luna is the big sister after all so Fllay kinda the rebel of the siblings. She had no choice but to forget about it. She walked out of Meyrin's room quietly but still looking pissed as ever.

Meyrin just laughed at Fllay's reaction. She went back to her work but after a while she thought about Jean.

"Jean Corda… hmmm…" Meyrin murmured.

To be continued

Jc: End of chapter 12. Please don't forget to review and no flaming. Again I apologize if I'm updating late… I only have little time to write since school is killing me. But please watch out for the next chapter!

Lacus announces her relationship with Kira to her father