Chapter 3 A Forced Decision
A/N I know many of you will FLAME me for this chapter, but do so if you must, I'm prepared for it! But I hope you like this chapter as well!
Athrun could not afford to wait an longer, he could see his father using the knife and gently rubbing it against Cagalli's throat. If he waited any longer, Cagalli would be lost.
"Athrun, I demand a reply from you, or your little lady will have her throat slit!" warned Patrick, pressing the knife harder onto the skin of Cagalli's neck.
Cagalli looked terrified, however, she was gently shaking her head as well. Athrun could see through her eyes that she was begging him not to leave her again.
But what choice did Athrun have? If he didn't surrender, Cagalli would be wiped clean from the face of the earth.
Closing his eyes and looking down, he nodded in reply towards his father who pushed Cagalli free.
"Athrun, no!" said Kira sternly, looking at his friend from behind.
"I have no other choice," replied Athrun, not bothering to face the brunette young man.
Cagalli coughed slightly before falling to her knees in front of Athrun. "No, you can't go! Tell me you're not leaving, Athrun, please! I love you!" the blonde girl pleaded, tears forming behind her honey-brown orbs.
Athrun opened his eyes, and looked down at her, as silent tears fell from his eyes.
"I'm sorry, Cagalli. I don't want you to die," said Athrun softly, looking down at her lovingly.
"Father, why did you expose Athrun!" barked Mika fiercely, glaring at her father with a look of total disgust and disappointment.
"Because he's a trecherous creature that doesn't deserve to live!" replied Mr. Yukiro slyly, grinning maliciously at his daughter.
"Very well, my son," said Patrick Zala, smirking to himself before grabbing his son by the arm and dragging him off past a crying Cagalli.
"Athrun, please don't go! Tell me you'll come back! I'd rather die knowing you still love me, rather than seeing you turn your back, walk away from me, and marry another girl! ATHRUN!" screamed Cagalli, her voice becoming hoarse and screechy as she screamed on, tears of anguish and anxiety rolling down her soft cheeks.
Atrhun glanced back one last time, before he moved off.
Ochika and the others could only sadly watch as, Mia, Mr. Yukiro, Athrun and his father disappear out of the broken kitchen window.
Mika and Miriallia stepped forward to help Cagalli to her feet, carefully stepping to avoid shards of broken glass.
Ochika gasped when she realised Cagalli's hands and legs were bleeding from glass she has landed on when she fell to her knees in front of Athrun, a while ago.
"This can't be happening! NO! SOMEBODY TELL ME I'M DREAMING!" wailed Cagalli turning to her mother, who looked just as depressed as her daughter did.
"I'm sorry, honey. You're not dreaming, this is reality." replied Ochika, holding her daughter's arms.
Cagalli could only sit where she was and cry on, images of the charming co-ordinator playing in her mind.
Cagalli had already suffered once, even Kira had told her she couldn't afford anotehr setback. She was at death's door the last time round, now it seemed that all hope was lost.
Athrun had surrendered to his father and had given in. It wouldn't be long before the wedding bells started ringing for him and Mia.
Ochika helped Cagalli up and supported her all the way to her bedroom, before makign the blonde girl lie down on her bed.
Holly and Mac seemed to have noticed the change in atmosphere and situation, and had stopped their dog-play.
"I'm really sorry, this is all my father's doing." said Mika, looking sadly at Cagalli and Ochika.
"Fate is not within our control, if God has planned for this to happen, so be it. However, I don't know why the Lord is constantly making Cagalli suffer like this. She loves Athrun so deeply, and yet their not meant to be together." said Ochika, her voice getting softer as tears fell from her own eyes, as she watched Cagalli cry silently.
Holly jumped up beside her owner, and began licking Cagalli's cuts and wounds, before gently nudging Cagalli on the face.
"Dearka, why did you tell that bastard where we were going today, and especially to whose house!" scolded Miriallia, giving the nutty guy a hard whack on the back of the head.
"I'm sorry, I didn't know, I wasn't aware." replied the tanned skinned man, scratching his head.
Ochika sighed as she came back into the room with a first-aid kit. "I'm sorry, this whole lunch has been a wreck. Sorry to have wasted your time," she said, forcing a smile.
"It's not your fault, it's Dearka's," said Miriallia, glaring at the blonde guy out of the corner of her eye.
As if Holly understood the current situation, she growled fiercely and bit the end of Dearka's coduroys, dragging him out of the room.
Mac sat loyally by Mika's side. The brown-headed girl had a rather reproachful and guilty expression spread across her gentle features.
"Mika, it's not your fault, neither is it your father's. He isn't the only one in the world who has an everlasting hate for co-ordinators. There are many others, unfortunately these people will never come to understand co-ordinators." said Ochika knowingly, placing a reassuring hand on the brunette girl's shoulder.
Mika just smiled involuntarily before sitting down on a nearby chair. She had to do something about this, it may not have been her fault, but it was HER father's fault.
Kira pulled Cagalli's swivel chair over form her study desk, before sitting down on it and moving over to Cagalli.
Even as her eyes were shut tight, the blonde girl seemed to have never ending tears streaming down her face. Cagalli was scrunched up into a ball, hugging only a plush toy in the shape of a heart with the words, 'You've stolen my heart' on it, which had been given to her by Athrun on valentines day.
"Cagalli you've got to stay strong, there are many other guys out there." said Kira, although he knew that the blonde girl was fairly headstrong and stubborn, and his words would only annoy her.
"No one else c-can re-place A-Athrun in m-my heart." stuttered Cagalli, as she took in jerking breaths of air. She rolled onto her other side, facing the window and turning away from Kira.
There were storm clouds gathering in the sky, casting an eerie glow on the street outside, and wasn't long before the little raindrops began falling from the sky, splattering onto the roads and windows of houses.
Miriallia joined her brunette fiance in trying to cheer the blonde girl up, and at the same time, trying to brighten up the atmosphere around them.
"I'm really sorry, Cagalli. I know I don't deserve to be here, though it's my father's fault, it's also indirectly mine. I failed to stop him," said Mika, her voice becoming softer with each word, as she watched her neighbour cry silently.
"Mika, I've already told you to stop blaming yourself! You couldn't stop your father, you weren't with him!" exclaiemd Ochika, coming into the room again, Holly trotting along behind.
"I don't know, I just feel so guilty, I'm starting to think part of the blame should go to me." said Mika sadly, looking sideays down at her handsome Siberian husky and stroking his velvety soft fur.
Holly settled herself beside Mac, and huddled down next to him, nuzzling the other husky gently with her snout.
"Go out, please? I want to be left alone," muttered Cagalli so softly that only Kira heard her, and had to pass on the news to everyone else.
One by one, the others field out of the room, Mika hesitated when she realised Mac wasn't following her, but decided to move on first in case Cagalli blew up.
Once everyone was out of sight, Cagalli broke down once more into a fit of sobs and sniffles and cries of anguish.
He was perfect, Athrun was perfect. No one else would ever suit her better. He had always been there for her whenever she needed a shoulder to cry on, and whenever she was cold, only the warmth of his body could keep her warm.
Athrun had been the only one who had ever been able to break down the long line of defences Cagalli had set up around herself. He was ever so stern and fierce on the battlefield, however, he had a soft spot reserved for her and only her.
Striking emerald green eyes, dark blue hair, and skin that was such a strong shade of alabaster, that it almost seemed translucent.
Cagalli rolled over onto her back before sitting upright in bed, and looking at Holly, who was settled down beside Mac, who was licking her fur and face affectionately.
The blonde girl's female husky returned the male husky all the affection by licking his face and snout as well. From Cagalli's point of view, the two dogs looked as if they were kissing, which only saddened Cagalli even more.
Holly stopped abruptly all of a sudden, as though sensing her owner's pain and anguish. The husky cocked her head to one side looking curiously up at her owner.
"At least you've got someone to love," said Cagalli softly, looking at Holly and Mac.
Holly just barked shortly, before getting up and trotting over to her owner's bedside and licking Cagalli's face lovingly.
"Stop it, don't slobber all over me." said Cagalli bluntly, sniffling and wiping her face dry from all of Holly's saliva, which was rather sweet scented.
Cagalli motioned for Holly and Mac to go out, and the two dogs obeyed obediently, walking out of the bedroom, paws and hind legs moving in a sychronised manner.
The rain had gotten heavier, and all that Cagalli could see outside the window was just a blurr of moving colours and shapes.
Athrun had already left Cagalli once before, and now he had done it again. Though, the blonde girl didn't hold a grudge against him for it, as he had done it out of love for her. She had been taken hostage, and the last thing he wanted was for her to die.
But now, Cagalli just wished she had died instead. At least she would've died knowing he loved her and that it would spare her all the suffering and hurt that she now had to go through once more.
A/N Oh no! Athrun has been forced to leave! Cagalli's going to get all soft and heartbroken again! Aah! I want to kill myself for making her suffer like this, but thank goodness, it's just a fanfic. Phew! Pls review!