Yay!I baaaaacccckkk baby! (HUGE grin ). Okay, enough of antics here, it's introduction time.

1.Tell Me A Sweet Lie is based on yaoi relationships BUT it includes much more than that, so I hope you guys out there would read it before determining whether you would like to continue. Just give a chance first, k? That's not too much to ask right? And if you don't like it, well then, I hope you find other better things then. I welcome everything little single comment, anythng at all, so please do review. I'm currently working on the second part so tell me what you think of this one!

2. Words in Italics are either thoughts of a person or somthing that had happenend in the past

So enough said, here we go with...

Tell Me A Sweet Lie

by : frost2light

Kira

" Number 78909! You have a visitor!" I dragged myself up from the cold cement floor that I was laying on and shuffled towards the opened cell door. 'Wouldn't every enemy of mine laugh at my stupidity.' My lips turned up into a sardonic smirk,' Kira Yamato, The Ultimate Coordinator…' My thoughts all ran away when I faced who had came, my visitor. We looked at each other, bruised violet eyes and healing emerald green ones. We stared and stared trying to find something in each other's eyes that would somehow explain why we were facing each other on the other side of the fence that separated the good and bad. I tried smiling, tried to say something but nothing sensible could come out. What could one say to one's enemy who is one's best friend and lover too? I looked away, afraid of what the green eyes which registered everything could see. I hated the way it judged me, hated the way as if he knew everything. I turned to walk away, away from the boy I've learnt to hate yet still love at the same time. I would never regret the things that I have done, I need not explain, actions spoke louder than words. I had tried to kill my own twin sister to be with the man I loved.

" Kira! Kira!" A voice I've grown to detest cried my name out loud from a distance, I tried hard not to notice but still as always, she was insistent, Cagalli Yula Athha, my twin sister and my hated enemy. " Kira! Wait up!" I sighed in impatience and waited for her to catch up. " Guess what!" She was panting in excitement, her golden amber eyes glowing with delight as she held out her hand to show me the simple elegant silver ring that adorned her finger, her ring finger. I stared at her coldly, but not even the bitterness in my eyes did she notice in her joy. " Athrun proposed." I held back my intake of breath and smiled cordially and responded in only what a dutiful twin brother could do.

" Really? Congratulations." I patted her shoulder but my hand itched to strangle her instead, I glared at her back and hated myself for feeling that way. I loved my twin sister, I really do, but now all I could think was how happy Athrun and she would be before the green monster reared it's ugly head again. I focused my eyes on the incoming tide and felt reckless. I wanted to dive right into the freezing waters and laugh maniacally, I wanted to proclaim my utter adoration for Athrun in front of my twin sister just to wipe that gloat of her face, I just wanted to…I just wanted to curl up and cry. I closed my eyes to prevent Cagalli noticing the tears that were prickling right behind the eyelids, the beautiful colours of the setting sun lost on me.

" Don't turn away." His voice floated through the intercom, robotic, metallic, unreal. I stopped in my steps, pondering my next move, I wanted to turn around, but what would I say? I'm sorry? Go away? " Don't go please." I turned at the note of desperation in his voice, surprised that he sounded the way he did. I walked back towards the chair that the guards had prepared and sat down, my eyes still not willing to look at the man I yearned to see. Silence enfolded the both of us, my right leg was jiggling non-stop, a nervous habit I had recently picked up from my stay in the cell.

" What happened after the arrest? Is she okay?" I asked finally, my voice dull and lifeless. Instead of answering, Athrun softly threw a question back at me.

" Are you okay in there?" It was a stupid needless question but I was elated, 'He still cared' I thought to myself, a genuine smile forming slowly at my lips. But, my bubble of happiness was burst by his next question. " Why did you do it?" He had said it without any hatred or anger, yet he had asked why I had done it, he believed that I had done that atrocious act, that I had stabbed my twin sister so many times that her body resembled a lumpy bit of meat with holes. My head swiveled towards his and the blazing green eyes bore into mine.

" You know why I did it."

" You tell me how you did it."

" Why are you torturing yourself with this?"

" I need to know. "

" I love you." Three simple words that lay my heart bare for him to skewer, to pierce. I did not want to face him any longer, his rejection nor his pity and got up to walk away without looking backward; he did not call me back either.

Athrun

' Because I want to help.' I whispered under my breath, watching the receding back as Kira walked away from me into a place I could not follow. I got up from the seat that I was sitting on and walked out of the prison that housed my best friend. I squinted to readjust my vision in the bright sunlight , sunshine Kira no longer had the privilege to go under. He had grown thinner and more haggard, his skin sallow and pale. I did not know what to think of that whole incident: Cagalli was still in a coma and Kira was found guilty without trial and locked into a cell while Orb officials threw away the key. Dearkka Elsman and Yzak Jule, two friends, comrades from long ago had came to the hospital, all awkwardness and silences that had went on and on until I could not stand it no longer and chased them away with a 'I'm okay, you are busy, no need to stay' excuse that both of them gratefully accepted and went. I did not believe that Kira had used that knife to stab Cagalli, he was there with the knife but no recollections of what had happened, no memories of what had occurred except that he was there with his twin sister bleeding to death beside him. He had blood on his hands and his fingerprints were all over the knife but something in my heart, gut instinct told me that there was something else that was hidden from view but was actually the real cause.

" I love you." Kira's voice rang in my head, repeating itself over and over again. ' Maybe that was what it is, he did it for jealousy' A small voice muttered in my brain, pushing away the gut instinct that told me otherwise. I rubbed my temple with my thumb and forefinger trying to massage away the headache that was threatening to smother me and got into the car that was currently waiting for me, welcoming the coolness of the air conditioning.

Kira

" What have you done!" I woke up with a thundering headache and a wet slickness on my hands. A metallic smell that was so familiar lingered in the air, while a voice kept screaming and screaming for a doctor or an ambulance. I tried to lift my hand to the woman who was standing nearby, hiding in the shadows, tried croaking for help too but the woman merely stared at me with cold unblinking eyes. The last thought that filled my consciousness was that the woman was blonde and though I could not see her face, she seemed remarkably like someone I knew, I squinted trying to place her when everything went black.

" What would you gain by hiding behind your shell?" A male voice spoke up from the dark recesses of the cell I was in. I ignored the voice and tried to sleep but the memories haunted me, the blonde haired lady, Cagalli's corpse that looked so unreal and mutilated, Athrun's green eyes ablaze with disbelief, hatred and anger that day. " What are you hiding? Don't you want you freedom?" The voice insisted.

" It's none of your business!" I snapped, angry at my inability to sleep in peace and frustrated that I could not recall anything at all about the whole incident. "I tried to kill my own twin sister, why am I trying to deny it?" I muttered softly but not soft enough.

" Maybe it's because you have never done it? Has it ever occurred to you that maybe you are innocent?"

" Look mister, I don't know who you are or why you are here, but I'm guilty. I was found with blood on my hands, my sister's blood and a knife that had my fingerprints all over it. I had a motive, so why wouldn't the killer be me?" I near shouted the last sentence at the hidden man while I swallowed the next, ' He believed my guilt.' Silence filled the dark cell again and the man spoke no more for the rest of the night.

Athrun

" Lacus! What are you doing here?" I looked up in surprise as I felt a hand touch my shoulder. It had been so long after we had parted ways after the war at Jachin Due, I had followed Cagalli and KIra back to Orb while Lacus Clyne went back to Zaft to patch things up the best that she could. It was a long and hard journey but after three years, there was some progress.

" I heard about Cagalli and had wanted to come sooner, but you know how things were." Lacus's eyes looked pained. " Are you okay?" She asked in concern, Athrun had once been her fiancée and she knew him quite well, he had something on his mind.

" Yes. I think I'm as good as someone who had just lost his best friend and his fiancée." Lacus noticed that he mentioned Kira first even though the latter was his bride to be.

" Did you really love Cagalli?" She asked, unwilling to beat around the bush, her grey eyes alert and piercing while the setting sun cast purple, yellow and red rays around them and the shadows grew long behind the two people who sat in the fading rays without saying anything at all.

Kira

Empty, lifeless, I stared listlessly at the wall, trying to figure out what had happened, everything had happened with a blur, so fast I could not grasp anything, it almost felt surreal and unreal. Suddenly I felt claustrophobic and paced the cell like a caged panther. I noticed the man that had talked to me last night, he had matted greasy long blonde hair that covered most of his face and hid most of his features, he was snoring noisily on the floor and did not wake up at all to my pacing. I wanted to shake him awake just for the spite of it, but turned away at the last minute, scornful of myself. I flopped back down unto the insect ridden mattress that was my bed and stared at the ceiling, imposing on myself the task of remembering but I could only recall the pain of that night, the alcoholic and smoky fumes of the bar that I was in and the drunken stagger back to the apartment where I used to live.

" Kira!" I heard a familiar voice calling me somewhere and my eyes searched for the source, the surroundings around me swimming and swirling, taunting and goading me to catch them.

" Cagalli…My favourite twin sister." I slurred, proud of myself that I got her name right, I staggered right into her arms and could feel her trying to prop me up. " What ..what are you doing…here?" I tried the second sentence, all the while spouting liquor fumes at her face and watched in amusement as she wrinkled her nose at it.

" Why are you so drunk. Don't you have class tomorrow?"

" Why…are you here?" I repeated my question, cursing myself inwardly for asking questions that I knew would kill me if I knew the answers but a certain masochistic streak in me kept me from keeping my mouth shut.. We were in the apartment with me sprawled over the blue sofa that I had lovingly chosen in the hopes that Athrun would share it with me one day while she fetched a glass of water for me. Cagalli did not answer me immediately, instead she took her time in getting me the glass of water and was unusually quiet for someone who was about to get married soon.

" Kira…" She started as she handed me the glass of water, I blinked my eyes furiously to focus, my woozy mind trying to figure which one of the six figures that was standing in front of me was my twin. I noticed in my drunken haze that all six figures had red – rimmed eyes that seemed as if they had been crying for the past few hours. I opened my mouth to query further but nothing came out, I continued gawking like a fish till I passed out on the sofa, on my journey to forbidden lands, my unconsciousness broken only once when the screaming started and the metallic tang in the air enveloped me like a lover's arms enclosed in a warm hug.

" Have you remembered anything?"

" No. Leave me alone."

" Suit yourself."

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Athrun

" Sir, this came in with the other reports, the wounds on the Representative's body did indeed come from the knife that Kira Yamato was holding." The young soldier bearing the name tag of 'Tri' stood patiently in front of his superior and waited till he allowed him to retreat.

" Thank you, and the other findings on the fingerprints?" I asked without looking up, eyes glued on the stack of papers in front of me.

" The same as the previous lab results, it belongs to the same person."

" I see. There was nothing else on the scene?"

" Nothing suspicious ,sir."

" Thank you, you may go." I looked up when I heard the sliding whoosh of the closing door. I was surprised at myself of the intensity of my emotions when I had scanned the documents Tri brought me. I had actually hoped that there was something, anything that would somehow prove Kira was at the wrong place at the wrong time, and the disappointment when I found nothing was very acute. I rubbed my temples and leaned back in my chair, looking out the window that was beside me to the beehive of activity outside. My office was placed strategically where I could see the whole floor in case I needed to monitor anything or anybody but right now, the sight just made me feel hopeless and useless. I had so much so called power and influence in Orb yet, not enough to prompt the other officials to get a trail for Kira.

" What do you mean you want a trial? We found him with the Representative's blood on his hands and him admitting the whole murder without us forcing him to it, you were there too, remember?" Colonel Jonathan Anders, a plump man with a florid face glared at Athrun who could barely conceal his fury too.

" How does locking him up in a cell and literally throwing away the key justifies matters? Yes I admit that you saw him with blood on his hands and all evidences that we have currently points to him as guilty but I have a feeling that all this is just what those people want!"

" Feeling? Were you born yesterday? We need evidence Athrun! Evidence! And who are 'those people' that you are pointing at? What motive do they have that they want to kill the Representative and frame Kira Yamato?" Colonel Anders shouted back at me who had nothing to say.

" Now now Colonel, you have to understand that Athrun is just wanting the best for Kira. If he wants to continue the investigation, then we should let him." A timbre soothing voice spoke up and I looked at him gratefully. Colonel George Laws is a man who stood by his words, a firm believer of justice and equality, and a staunch supporter of the Lion of Orb, certainly if he said that Kira was indeed allowed to have a trial, then maybe some members of the council would listen.

" Colonel Laws! What are you trying to do here?" Colonel Anders did not look angry, instead to me, he looked as if he was worried about something and extremely anxious.

" Justice Jonathan, surely you would understand that concept."

" But I thought you…" A raised eyebrow from Colonel Laws effectively shut the bumbling Anders, his red face redder than ever. I noted that there were five members present during this meeting and recalled faintly that there used to be six, my mind whirring automatically to access the whole situation and came to a conclusion that General Roy Kilburn was missing. I remembered that there was a scandal involving him and a few others of a much lower level and he was thrown off the committee, his whereabouts unknown. My mind clicked back to the present and I was surprised at the hold that Colonel Laws had over everybody on the council, I knew that he was a powerful voice and that his opinions were valued but not to this extent, he was practically domineering this whole meeting as the only two people who had spoken were Colonel Laws and Colonel Anders and yet Colonel Anders with his brazen ways and hot temper was very evidently cowed by Colonel Law's cool and calm decisions, but I was not about to dwell long on something that had nothing to do with me, what I came to achieve I had, Kira would have an investigation and I would try to help my best friend.

" Thank you Colonel Laws." I saluted him and turned away, walking briskly towards the door and reaching it before he called me.

" Athrun, I hope you know the consequences if you went through the investigations."

" Sir?" I turned shocked, was he threatening me?

" Do not worry Athrun, I'm not trying to threaten you, merely trying to point out things that I think that you should know and realize before you do anything."

" What do you mean?" I narrowed my eyes, all senses on alert.

" I'm certain that you have read Orb's rules, I know it's a lengthy subject and takes up quite a lot of time and energy, but I do think that you had finished it while you were trying to search for an opening to save Kira, am I right Athrun?" Seeing my nod of confirmation, he continued, his voice still calm and soothing as the beginning, " Then you do know that if in the period of time that you are given that you do not reveal anything about the case, you are not able to raise or broach that certain subject again, at least not from the direction that you have been pursuing it. Do you understand what I'm trying to say Athrun?"

" What you are trying to tell me is that in three months time, if I do not find any evidence to prove that Kira is innocent, the case is closed, am I right?"

" Well partially. You can bring this case up if somebody allows the case to be opened again but from a different point of view. For example, you are trying to prove that Kira is innocent, that he did not try to kill the Representative right? Well, in the future, you are not able to do that, you can only try to say that he did indeed hurt the Representative but in self defense as she was trying to attack him and so on so forth, if found innocent then the charge would be dropped but consequently if found guilty, then he not only have to face one sentence, he would have to face two." My face paled at the things that Colonel Laws was saying, I had read the rules and regulations but I had never realized that the implications that it had stated. I had naively thought that by opening an investigation, I would be saving KIra but now from this perceptive, I will only be signing his death warrant.

" Do you still want to go on with it? If you do you have my blessings and I wish you the best of luck. All the resources that you need would be provided and the time line as you know is three months." I looked at the man who I had thought was my saviour, but now he was my nightmare. I looked at him and tried to discern what was going on in his brain but I got nothing, although his blue gaze was sincere, I felt that it was all pretense.

" I will do it."

" Then I hope you do find what you are looking for." With that the conversation ended and I saluted them once again and strode out the door and towards the privacy of my office, heart and brain racing.

" Kuso!" I cursed out loud, turning my attention back to the papers in front of me but the picture on my table caught my eye. It was a happy one, taken right after the war three years ago, Kira, Cagalli, Lacus, Dearkka, Captain Ramius, Miri and I. The five of is with the exception of Captain Ramius and Dearkka were hugging each other, our hands linking our hearts together while Dearkka and the captain stood to one side watching us through smiles. Though all of eyes had seen too much and nothing could ever recover those lost innocence, but there were smiles on all our faces, those smiles after the war after all that we had seen represented hope, hope that the future would be better for all of us. We did get our wishes, our dreams did seem to come true at that time, then the nightmare of feelings started. With the ongoing war, none of us had the time to think about relationships, the only feelings that we could have were comradeship and the need to protect what we believed, those were the main priorities. However with the war gone, all of us had to focus somewhere. It was known during the war that Cagalli and I were the closest, we seemed like a likely pair, a match made in heaven and I used to think that too, I still want to think that way. But, as cliché as it sounded, there was something missing. When she smiled, she lit up the surroundings with it but not my heart, when she cried, my heart had the ability to distance myself and her, it was unfair for her and I had tried to be better, I really did- butterfly kisses on the cheeks, soft feather like touches to her hair when she was lying beside me, everything from red roses to candlelight dinners but it did not make it better, she was happy I knew, I could see, yet it did not make me happy, it merely made me even more guilty. Finally I realized where the mistake was and even that was too late, I had proposed to Cagalli. When she had ran off to tell Kira, I was behind her, I looked on from a distance as she danced away with happiness and Kira's expression when she broke the news, my heart broke at that moment, only then had I realized that the smile that I wanted to see, the body I wanted to hold was her twin, my best friend, Kira. I loved him. In a world where homosexuals were still a stigma, it would be hard to break the news to Cagalli. Homosexuals. It was an ugly word, it sounded dirty somehow, but that was not what our feelings were, it was beautiful and very precious to me, we were just on the wrong side of the gender barrier and what people would classify as disgusting. How can one judge? What is right and what is wrong? As much as we like to believe, the world isn't all black and white, most of the places were grey and covered in shadow, which only the brave dared to venture and I was a coward.

" Athrun, we need to talk." I looked up from the documents that I had been studying at Cagalli's voice as she stood in the doorway of my office in my apartment. I had voted out of the schooling system and had joined the Orb administration as her aide while Kira, Sai and Miri had went back to university to complete what they had started. Lacus had flown back to Zaft with Dearkka in tow after fond farewells instead of Kira, as the relationship between Lacus and KIra had not worked out, both of them knew in their hearts that it was meant to be that way and had parted off cordially, still friends.

" Is something wrong?" I asked, uncomfortable at the expression on her face.

" Do you love me, Athrun" I could hear my breathing quicken and I tried to calm the feelings that threatened to overwhelm me. Part of me jumped at the chance to tell her the truth while the other half cowered in fear and wanted to run away and hide, deny everything so that peace could be maintained. Cagalli noticed the silence and crumbled, tears started streaming down her face as she turned away from me. She understood my silence.

" Cagalli…" I got up from my desk and chased after her before pulling her around to face me. I wanted to apologize but swallowed my words when I realized that it would be futile.

" I understand." Her smile wobbly." It's not my fault it's yours. You love my brother don't you?" She looked up earnestly, hope evident in her eyes that I would deny everything before hugging her and telling her it was all not true.

" Cagalli. I'm sorry." I looked away, away from her eyes that wanted things I could not give.

" Then I don't need this then." She spoke, her voice sad, resigned, old before leaving through the front door.

An electronic beep from the computer facing me brought me back into the present and away from the memories that I longed to erase. I heaved a deep sigh before returning to the work before-hand my hands massaging the back of my neck, I knew there would be a long night ahead.

" You nearly blew our cover, you dimwit!"

" But that was not in the plan, you said that you would not allow the trial!" General Anders tried to point out the truth in hopes that that would placate General Laws' cold fury and not surprisingly his sentence seemed to infuriate the other man more.

" You stupid man, could you not see that if we did not do what that boy wants, more could come up? Do you want to see what we have worked for so long and hard to go down the drain because of your stupidity!" fumed the general.

" No, I did not mean it that way, but I did not see how if Athrun Zala poked his nose in that case that our cover will not be blown!" General Anders paced General Laws quarters, discomfort and uneasiness written on his face.

"What would he find out? Fingerprints that would match the Representative's? Or maybe a strand of hair that has her DNA? If he does find it, what could he say? The Representative was involved in a struggle before she went down, of course her fingerprints and hair was there. My experiment was a success, I made sure that the results were perfect, with no margin of error unlike someone.." He left the sentence unfinished as he looked pointedly in General Anders direction making him flinch.

" How would I have known that the Representative…." His explanation and excuses were waved off by General Laws hands.

" I'm quite happy at the turn of events actually, with this we could kill two birds with one stone." General Laws whom was looking at General Anders, noted the confusion and sighed loudly before carrying on the explanation with a patronizing tone as if speaking to a small kid with a very low intelligence level." When the Representative went to her brother's house, an argument seemingly happened and her brother who was quite drunk at the moment stabbed his sister in the height of anger and now that he is currently residing in a high security cell, the position for the Representative is open."

" But that did not happen! We sent her to do that!"

" You are so stupid it's a miracle you are sitting in this position, General." General Laws said scathingly, distaste evident in his eyes." Forget it Anders, just do what I tell you and leave all the thinking to me, now please get out and do whatever you have to do to keep up the appearance of your title. You get on my nerves."

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Kira

" Boy, why are you here?" The man sharing the same cell as Kira spoke again." Why are you not trying harder to get yourself out of this place?"

" Why don't you leave me alone?" I barked, my hand clenching into a fist while I laid on my side on the hard mattress and facing the wall.

" Because I know that you did not do what you did. General Laws and Anders sent you here without a trial right?"

" Who the hell are they?"

" You haven't heard of them? Who are you?"

" I'm just a student from university."

" Student? What the hell are you doing here in maximum security? What crime did you commit? I know you said you killed your sister but that is not a crime that would send you here." I flinched when he said that, the terror of spending my whole life in this dark cell without Athrun and the feeling of helplessness filled me.

" I tried to kill Cagalli Yula Athha." My voice was flat, masking the feelings that were boiling in me, I did not want to show this stranger that I was afraid, I did not know why I felt that way, but dignity kept me from bubbling everything out and crying like a child.

" You did what!"

" I tried to kill my own sister who happens to be the Representative of this country. I stabbed her over and over again with a kitchen knife until she bled out like a pig, I tried to kill Cagalli Yula Attha! Are you satisfied now?" I screamed at him, my patience and control past the limit. He chuckled at my display of hatred and anger prompting me to stride over towards him, grabbing him by the collar and hauling him onto his feet. " How could you laugh?" I was so close to him I could smell his breath.

" You were duped boy." He chuckled some more before breaking into maniacal laughter, sending shivers down my back.

" What do you mean? What are you trying to say?" I slammed him against the wall in frustration when he refused to answer.

" Let me go." His voice was cold, and I looked at him properly for the first time we had been in the same cell. His features once belonged to a handsome man, a man with prestige, but now, they were changed and aged with the time he had spent in prison. " Let me go." He repeated again, his eyes promised violence if I did not comply.

" Who are you?" This time it was me who asked that question.

" Does it matter? You cannot help me." He replied simply and continued to look at me with that deep bottomless eyes, I shivered involuntarily and hated myself for that feeling of weakness.

" Do I scare you? You should be scared little boy." He smirked before continuing, " I'm here for reasons that would give you nightmares if you ever knew about it."

" Tell me." Kira blurted out before he could stop himself, the names of the Generals the man spoke before sounded familiar and the information that he knew something about Cagalli intrigued him.

" You tell me your story and I shall think about telling you what I know." He smirked, knowing that he had the upper hand in this conversation.

" I loved the same man as my sister." I looked at him to gauge his reaction towards that sentence but nothing showed on his expressionless face. " I was drunk that night she came to see me, I had been drinking quite a lot, I thought maybe that by drinking I could erase off the pain, it was a stupid move, a futile one too but I could not help myself." I smiled sadly at that memory before continuing in a more serious note of that night's events "I remember that she had been crying, her eyes were red, I think that she was trying to tell me something but I passed out soon after without listening to what she was trying to tell me and the rest was history. I woke up with a woman screaming and next I was thrown into this cell."

" Was that all? Did you notice anybody around?"

" There were lots of people who came, medics, people who lived in my block, everybody was there to watch. I remembered there was another woman who was standing quite near, a blonde haired woman, whom I tried to ask for help. She reminded me of somebody I knew even if I was not able to look at her face at all."

" Blonde haired woman huh. How did you know she was blonde? I thought you said that she was hidden in the shadows?"

" I don't know. I just knew." Startled at his question and realizing that he was right set my mind in motion, I had recognized her even though she was hidden away in the dark.' How had I known?' My mind puzzling over the matters.' Who was she? Did she hold a clue somewhere in the mystery?"

" Is that it?"

" Yes, now it's your turn to tell me what happened and who are you?" I looked at him as he smiled, a sad man, an old man, a beaten man.

" My name is Roy Kilburn. I used to be a trusted man on the committee of six : Lisa Kurt, Yumiko Tara, Halu Fu,Jonathan Anders and George Laws." He spat out the last two names in contempt. " All of us were loyal followers of the Lion of Orb, we respected and obeyed his ideals or so I thought." He paused trying to get his emotions into check. " Little did I know that Jonathan and George were planning the upheaval of the current Representative, they were conducting private meetings without my knowledge with the other committee members whom George Laws had blackmailed into following his orders, his right hand man, Jonathan Anders is a stupid fellow who has only his pleasure in mind. They had plotted my downfall long before I knew what was coming, they conducted illegal cloning experiments and by the looks of it they succeeded in where others had failed."

" What do you mean?" I asked, something was amiss in this whole conversation. " Who were they planning to clone?"

" Your sister." I heard myself take a sharp intake of breath, shocked at the sudden revelation.

" I don't understand. Why would they want to clone my sister?" Suddenly realization dawned, I looked at Roy who nodded.

" Yes, they wanted a puppet that they could control. The people in this nation respected the cub of the Lion of Orb, they love her in fact. She is a good leader even if she is brash, aggressive and naïve at times." Roy's voice softened at the mention of Cagalli, he evidently knew and loved her. " Why did you think that you hurt her?" I looked away at his question, hating his piercing eyes while silence descended into the cell..

" I woke up with her body beside me, the knife in my hands and her blood all over me, my clothes, hands, everywhere." I remembered the slickness of the blood and the metallic stench that came with it and gagged at the memory.

" You probably was set up. I have a hunch that it was the mysterious blonde woman you saw who did the stabbing and planted the incriminating evidence that pointed to you. I'm also betting that the woman is Cagalli's clone, as to not raise suspicion when they find another pair of fingerprints on the weapon. They probably would conclude that you and her were battling over the knife and would not give it a second thought."

" You mean they planned all that in advance? How in the world did they know that Cagalli was coming over and that I would be drunk?"

"I think they had both of you on surveillance, but, you are right I think they had something else planned but when they saw this as a better opportunity, they used it to accomplish their goal."

" I don't understand, how could it be a better chance?"

" Think about it Kira, when Cagalli's gone, who would they turn to pick up the chain of command? Her brother who happens to be one of the war heroes or some unknown person?"

" But you just told me that there were six others including you who were loyal to the Lion of Orb and all of you are not unknown and what's more I'm not interested in being the Representative!"

" It's not that simple Kira." Roy said sadly, hating every moment of this conversation. " Politics is a black world where at times many innocents are sacrificed for some person's purpose, look what happened in the past war. You say that you are not interested in power but who would believe you? Certainly not General Laws and General Anders. No matter what you say about not wanting the position of Representative and handing it to them in a silver platter they would still view you as an obstacle which they have to eliminate. Even if they could not kill you, they have to discredit you, so much that the next time you cry foul, no one would listen to you." Roy paused and looked at me in sympathy," The reason why you are here and Cagalli is in the hospital has nothing to do about your love life, it has nothing to do with the jealousy you felt or fate but it has everything to do about politics." I looked at him speechless, horrified at what I had found out.

" It's not fair." I whispered. " All I wanted was a normal life."

" I know, but now that you realize what's going on, what are you going to do about it?"

" Tell Athrun."

" Is he the one that Cagalli loves?"

" Yes." A sad confirmation.

" You love him too."

" Yes." A nod.

" Who does he love?"

" Cagalli. He proposed to her."

" Oh. I see." With that the conversation between two unlucky men concluded.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..……….

Athrun

" Good morning sir." A matronly woman greeted me at the entrance of the hospital that I was currently entering. " You look like hell."

" Good morning, Lisa." I smiled tiredly back at the woman. She was an old acquaintance that I had known since young and I knew that what she commented about my appearance was true, black eye circles surrounded my eyes and I was sporting crumpled slept in clothes.

" You are here to visit Cagalli again?"

" Yes." I nodded before giving her a silent wave and walking towards room 28, my feet dragging. I dreaded going into that room where Cagalli was, where the medicine smell was overpowering and the electronic beeps that monitored her progress frightening. I stopped in front of the door and tried to think of something to do to avoid going in but my mind came up with a blank. I felt horrible and racked with guilt that I felt that way, it was my fault that she was lying there and Kira in jail and wondered at that precise moment, was it worth going on at all. I hoped so much for us to return to where all of us were, but I knew that it was impossible. I took in a deep breath and that was when the alarms started ringing and everything was thrown into chaos. I paused in my steps, all senses on alert when a whole barrage of nurses and doctors came rushing towards me. I was roughly shoved aside in order for them to enter Cagalli's room. I looked on in shock as the doctors barked out urgent commands that the nurses quickly and obediently abided, needles appeared, solutions of all type of colours being channeled into her without pause while the machines hooked up to her were beeping erratically, the lines zigzagging on the screen like crazy. I stood there unable to move, watching everything that was taking place, praying to a god that I hoped existed to save the woman that was supposed to be my bride.

" No, 200cc is not enough, we need a heavier dose!"

" She's fading, doctor!"

" What's her pulse?"

Catches of medical jargon passed my ears, while the minutes that passed by seemed like an eternity to me as I watched helplessly by the sidelines at the hospital staff who worked in a furious pace to save Cagalli. Finally when all was done to make sure her pattern on the monitors steadied and calmed, the doctors gave each other pats on the backs and sighed with obvious relief. I understood their feelings as I knew their jobs were on the line here if they could not save the Representative. A doctor passed by with a haggard and tired face, I glanced at his name tag and stopped him. " Doctor Jacob? How is she?"

" Her condition's very erratic, we've done what we could for her, If she could survive tonight, then she would be on her way to steady recovery. Everything depends on her will to live now."

" Thank you, doctor." I said to him in gratitude and he nodded in return. I watched him walk away from me before going into the now peaceful ward where Cagalli laid with shaky legs. I looked at the steady rising and falling of her chest and felt oddly comforted by that, even though I knew that she was currently supported by the machines that were placed all around her. She looked like a broken doll, pale and lifeless with no resemblance of the girl I had known from before. " I'm so sorry." I whispered, my voice hoarse and pained. " I'm so sorry." I knew then I had to forsake my own happiness and betray the one that I loved, I had to make up to her what I had done wrong. " Please live and be my bride." I whispered, holding her hand and slipping on the ring that she had left behind on that fateful day when she had confronted me and Kira. 'I'm sorry Kira, and I hope that you would understand.' I thought silently in my heart and continued my vigil over Cagalli.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Kira

I was fiddling with the brown prison uniform I had on when the door to the cell opened and a soldier walked in with a swagger. I hated him on sight and judging by the sneer on his face, his feelings for me were the same.

" Number 78909! You have a visitor." His gravelly voice grated on my nerves as I got up from the pathetic excuse they called the bed and walked out of the cell. I hated the way I was only a number to them, no name, no family, Kira Yamato the person who should have been did not exist and instead a number who represented nothing but my guilt was proof that I still was here.

" I will tell him. He will help me." I said it to no one in particular if only to convince myself that there was help in the form of a boy I knew since young. Roy who had heard gave a nod as a silent gesture of good luck which I acknowledged with a slight smile in his direction before walking away to find a new path for my fate. I kept repeating the mantra in my head to give myself confidence and to convince myself that he would help but I knew deep down inside that somehow something would go wrong.

" Kira." My name rolled off his tongue bringing back the person that had disappeared when he saw me.

" Athrun." I said simply, drinking in his appearance hungrily, trying to save myself from insanity by him being there.

" How are you?" He asked, concern etched all over his face. I wanted to believe that he really cared but the hurt that I had felt not too long ago when he had asked that exact question was still fresh from my mind. He believed that I had try to kill Cagalli , I could not place the blame fully on him as I knew that I had not done much to prove myself innocent but now that I had proof, I could tell him the facts and hoped that he trust me enough to help me.

" I have proof that I was not the one who stabbed Cagalli." I said, amazed at the flippant tone when I felt the total opposite inside.

" Really?" Something gleamed in his eyes, but I could not tell what it was.

" Roy Kilburn. Have you ever heard of him before?"

" Yes. What does this have to do with anything?"

" He is the proof that I mentioned, he told me…"

" I can't help you Kira." He cut me off before I could explain further, with that the small flame of hope blew out in my heart.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...

Athrun

I looked on in private agony as the hope faded from his eyes. I longed to take back the words that I had uttered but I knew that this was for the best. Selfish as I was, I knew that him being in prison would simplify everything, I did not need to face the dilemma of who to choose in the future and I could follow through the lies to Cagalli that I had made my choice blatantly clear. I cleared my throat and started to say something, I saw him look up with hollow eyes at the sound and I felt my resolve crumbling but before I could say anything he got up zombie – like and spoke softly, so softly that I thought I had heard him wrongly.

" Tell me a sweet lie." I looked in confusion at him and he repeated it the second time, desperation lacing his voice. " Please, tell me a sweet lie." I looked at him in despair, tears brimming in both our eyes. He understood the decision that I was making.

" I love you." I could feel my heart breaking into a million pieces and I had wished then that time could fly back to the beginning where I had met Kira, to the sakura trees where we had parted, to the easy friendship and trust, to the chance I had to tell him what I really felt before this mess happened." I love you." I whispered through the glass and he smiled at my effort.

" Thank you." With that he walked away without a second glance back, and instinctively I knew that it would be our last meeting.

" Kira…I'm sorry." I whispered under my breath, my fingers touching the thick glass between us as I watched his retreating form blending in with the darkness. Tears that did not come before came now with a vengeance and I broke down there in the prison, sobbing like a lost child.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Kira

" Did he believe you?" Roy Kilburn asked once I walked into the cell.

" He's made up his choice."

" He won't help?"

" He's going to help my sister."

" What are you going to do about it?"

" Nothing."

" You can accept this decision?"

" Yes."

" You really do love him, don't you?" A statement, not a question and I heard a note of pity in Roy's voice, I nodded in sad agreement at that and sat back in defeat onto the hard mattress. "I love you." I smiled sadly at the memory, tears blurring my vision, "I love you too." I whispered to no one in particular while the tears dripped desolately down, I did not care about dignity or pride. I cried for the lost future, the lost past and the hopeless present. Tears that I had held back with the hope that I would be saved now rolled down unhindered, painting rivers of sorrow on the pale canvass that was my face.