Dearka & Miriallia

Author's Notes: I hope you like this chapter. I personally like the Dearka & Mir scenes in this one. Thanks again for the support everyone!

Disclaimer: It is obvious by now if I'm here that I do not own Gundam SEED, Gundam SEED Destiny or any other Gundam Series. But any characters I create to place in this world are mine (But I don't mind if you guys want to use them too. I have no problem with that. You don't even need to ask me. I enjoy sharing to make other stories the best they can be.)

Chapter 9

Vicious Circles

Ian slammed the door shut and ran toward the shuttle port entrance.

"There's no way she could get a ticket this fast," he thought.

There were people scurrying about all over the place. It was irritating him how rude they were as he tried to make his way through the hoards.

"Excuse me, sorry," he said pushing through.

There was no sign of Cadey or Annabella. He had to find them. He couldn't go back and tell Miriallia that he lost her little girl. His mind flashed with the moment he met her earlier that day. He had bumped into her and knocked her bag right out of her grip. He first felt annoyed, but when he looked into the young woman's eyes, he felt enamored and full of remorse.

"I have to find them!" he thought.

Running towards the door to the jet way in a panic, he was stopped by a shuttle port officer.

"Sir, I'm sorry, but you will have to wait in the security line and show your ticket before you can proceed to the shuttles," the officer said.

Ian cursed under his breath. His ZAFT status would do him no good here.

"I understand," he said irritably as he backed away.

At that moment, he saw the dark hair of Cadey entering the doorway. Annabella was with her and looked unharmed. Ian ran back toward the ticket counter and pushed his way through people.

"Please, I swear, I will only be a moment, it's an emergency," he cried distraught.

One of the passengers in line became furious at this young man's attempt to jump ahead.

"Who do you think you are?" he yelled.

Ian stopped as he heard the man speak. Ian was not the type of person to be so discourteous, but this was an extenuating circumstance.

"You don't understand, I just need to get a ticket to get to the jet way," Ian stated.

The man was enraged and the rest of the line was beginning to look like a mob to him.

"Then get in line like the rest of us and wait your turn," he yelled.

Ian had enough and pushed through anyway. As he reached the counter, the clerk reached down to call security.

"Please, don't do that. I just need a ticket. Any ticket. There is a girl that is kidnapping a baby and I have to stop her before she boards the shuttle," he reasoned.

Not that he thought it would help much, he pulled out his ZAFT ID card.

"This is official ZAFT business. I'm begging you. Help me stop her before she gets away. Don't let her get away with another woman's child," Ian begged.

The clerk looked at him strangely for a moment and then pressed the security button. Ian sighed his discontent and realized he was going to have a lot of explaining to do. It would give Cadey just the time she needed to escape. The other passengers in the line began to chatter amongst themselves at the event now taking place.

"Print the kid a ticket already," the man who had originally yelled at Ian said to the clerk.

As security approached, she hit the button to the console.

"I'll do something better. What does this girl look like?" the clerk asked.

Ian's eyes rose with hope.

"Umm, she's about 5'4", long dark brown hair, deep brown eyes. The little girl she is carrying with her is about a year and a half I think. She has blue eyes, medium length blonde wavy hair and a tanner skin tone. She also has on a light yellow sun dress," Ian informed her.

Security approached the counter and the clerk filled them in on the situation.

"Escort this young man through the gates. I will inform the rest of the security team of the situation, but it seems there may be a kidnapping in progress," the clerk said.

The security detail nodded their heads and allowed Ian to rush in front. He was grateful that she had listened to what he had to say. He couldn't let Cadey get away with this. She may be his friend, but he knew she had jumped off the deep end. The crowd began to cheer them on as they ran away, Ian feeling like he was a star of some sort of sports event now.

At the shuttle gate…

The shuttle was preparing to depart for the PLANTs and Cadey was waiting for her boarding call.

"Don't worry sweetie. Daddy will be with us soon. We will all live happily back at home in the PLANTs," Cadey reassured Annabella.

Annabella tilted her head. She was having fun with these strange people until they left the base. She didn't know where she was now and missed Miriallia. She continued to look for something familiar.

"We are now boarding the final rows 33-36," the announcement said over the speakers.

Cadey looked at her ticket again.

"Yup, that's us sweetheart," she said as she began to board.

The ticket agent greeted her as she began to enter the shuttle.

"What an adorable little girl. Wow, she must look just like her father," the agent said noticing how Annabella looked nothing like Cadey.

"Almost identical," Cadey said as she handed her ticket over to be ripped.

"Well, you have a good flight little one," the agent said.

"Thank you, we will. Say bye Emma," Cadey said waving Annabella's hand at the agent.

They boarded the shuttle and found their seats.

"Well, that is what I would have named you," Cadey said to Annabella as they sat down.

Cadey looked out the shuttle window and fell into her fantasy world.

Cadey's fantasy world…

"Hi honey, how was your day?" Cadey asked as Dearka entered the front door.

"It's much better now that I'm home," Dearka smiled at the two most important women in his life.

"Well, we had a great day," Cadey began to fill him in.

"Really, what did you and Emma do today?" he asked.

"First we went for a walk by the lake and saw all the ducks. Emma decided she wanted to chase them. She was so cute. Then we went to the park and played on the swing set. She had such a good time," Cadey answered.

Dearka leaned over to pick Emma up.

"So you were a good girl for your mother today, huh?" Dearka asked his little angel.

Emma cooed happily at him and put her arms out to hug him around the neck.

"You are one amazing little gift," he said smiling at Emma.

He then leaned over and kissed Cadey on the lips.

"Thank you for giving me such a wonderful angel," he said deeply.

Return to reality…

Cadey's face was blushing as she held Annabella on her lap.

"Flight attendants, please prepare for departure," came the captain's voice over the intercom.

It was loud enough to bring Cadey out of her daze.

"Well, seems like we are about to go home sweetie," Cadey said happily.

Back on the jet way…

Ian ran as fast as he could toward the shuttles that were departing for the PLANTs. The security team helped him find which ones were leaving next. He ran towards a shuttle that was preparing to depart. Right when he arrived, the agent shut the door and hit the lock switch.

"Wait," Ian cried out.

The ticket agent just looked at him before speaking.

"I'm sorry sir, the flight has just closed. It is about to depart," the agent said.

"No, I don't want on the flight. I need to know if there was a young brunette with a little blonde baby girl that boarded!" Ian exclaimed.

"Why yes, I ripped her ticket myself," the agent said.

"You have to open the gate and stop the flight," Ian yelled.

The security guards began to converse with another agent about the situation.

"I'm sorry but as you can see, the shuttle has pulled away from the gate. I don't have the ability to stop it now," the agent stated.

Ian was now infuriated.

"Look, that girl kidnapped the baby she has. You can't let the flight go," Ian said.

Just as he said this he saw the shuttle move to the runway.

"Damn it," he cried out.

The security guards were now on the line with the tower to message the pilot, but to no avail. The shuttle had begun to take off and Cadey had escaped capture. Ian punched his fist into the wall. The anger welling up inside of him was more than he could bear.

"You stupid girl! What possessed you to do this? If you think you'll win Dearka back this way, you are sadly mistaken," he thought to himself with his body shaking.

Now Ian had to return and tell Dearka he lost his daughter. No, it was worse that he had to tell Miriallia that he lost her daughter.

"Damn it!" he screamed again as he punched the wall a second time.

"What am I going to do now? I have to get Annabella back," he thought.

Back on base…

Miriallia stood there with her eyes closed for a second longer after the kiss. She heard Dearka and his vow, but was in a state of ecstasy. So many emotions she had bottled up had been released from that one kiss. Her cheeks were flushed with crimson and she could feel the heat rising to her face. When her eyes opened she saw he was no longer in front of her. She dashed out of the room and saw him walking down the hall with his head hung low.

"Wait, Dearka," she cried running to catch up.

Dearka turned to look at her. A small smile escaped his lips. She was just as cute as she had been two years prior chasing after him on the Archangel. She had the same look when she reached his doorway before he left.

"No, not before I left. It's the same look from right before our child was conceived," he thought still smiling.

"Where do you think you're going?" she asked.

Her face quickly withdrew the look of concern and was replace by the look of irritation.

"I should be the one asking that," he said with a condescending tone.

Her face grew red, but not from the romantic feelings she previously had. Now she was getting upset.

"What are you talking about? If you're going to find our daughter, I'm coming with you and there is nothing you can do to stop me," she insisted.

Her strength was definitely returning. It seemed when she was around Dearka she felt like she could take on the entire world. Cadey wasn't going to be a problem; she was a small setback compared to what they had been through during the last war. Dearka saw the determination in Miriallia's eyes and decided against fighting her again.

"Fine, come on then," he said grabbing her wrist.

"Hey, I'm a big girl, I can walk on my own," Miriallia said.

Dearka's grip just tightened around her.

"I don't want you to get lost in here and I'm going to make sure you stay with me at all times," he answered.

She just looked at him as he pulled her down the corridors toward the elevator. She could see his determination.

"Yeah right, get lost. More like you want to make sure I don't disappear from your sight this time," she thought now smiling herself.

They stopped in front of the elevator and Dearka let go of her wrist. She looked down to the floor while waiting for the doors to open.

"Just promise you won't leave me again. Not now at least. Not until she is safe," she pleaded never looking up.

He turned to look at her. She looked like a little girl the way she was swaying side to side with the look of innocence surrounding her. His own eyes fell and his thoughts ran rampant.

"I wish I could promise that Mir, but I have to stay with Cadey no matter what she's done. I want to be with you, but we just can't be together," he thought miserably.

She felt his eyes on her and was beginning to worry when he didn't answer. As she looked up to see why he wasn't speaking, the elevator doors opened beckoning them to enter. Once they were settled on the elevator, Dearka hit the button for level two.

"Why won't he answer?" Miriallia thought.

Before she could repeat her request, he spoke. Although, it wasn't what she wanted to hear.

"I'll get our daughter back like I promised, but I have to stay by Cadey's side," he answered.

She looked up at him. She couldn't believe what she heard.

"How can he choose this girl over me? He said he loved me that day. He said he was coming back for me. And now, he is doing everything he can to bring Annabella home to me. Then, why would he still defend this woman that stole our daughter?" Miriallia thought angrily.

"I can't walk away from my family obligations," Dearka answered her look hoping to calm her somewhat.

"Last time I checked, Annabella became one of your family obligations," Miriallia shot back.

Dearka couldn't even look at Miriallia now. He knew how hurt she must be. All he wanted was to pull her into his arms and hold her close to him.

"And I said I was going to get her back," Dearka stated.

Miriallia stood in silence as the door to the elevator opened for them to exit. She walked out and felt him move by her to walk in front. Since she didn't know the way, she just followed after. Then she stopped moving all together. She just stood there and watched Dearka from behind. He stopped moving himself, as he felt her presence no longer near. He turned to see the woman he was in love with ready to explode with anger.

"Now what?" he thought a little tired of their cat and mouse games.

"Then why?" she asked.

"Why what?" he replied.

Slowly he made his way back to where she was standing.

"Why kiss me then if you had no intention of staying with me? Why bring up so many emotions if you love her?" she asked.

Dearka sighed in discontent. She didn't understand.

"I didn't say I loved her," he answered.

Miriallia looked up at him. She had been on the edge of the cliff and felt as though he just pushed her over again for the second time since they had reunited.

"How can you stay with someone you don't love? It doesn't make any sense. Why didn't you come back for me? And don't give me that line of adhering to those stupid regulated marriages because you're a coordinator. Lacus and Athrun aren't with one another anymore. They separated because they each fell in love with someone else. So why?" she shouted at him.

Dearka let out another deep sigh. Nope, she definitely didn't understand.

"How do I make her see why I had to do what I did?" he thought.

Dearka grabbed her and pulled her to him. He just wanted to hold her in his arms and didn't care what she or anybody else thought. Miriallia was about to struggle until she felt his warm arms wrap around her. It melted the ice she had surrounded her heart with and washed away her anger. She longed for him for two years and now she was in his arms.

"It won't last," she thought with tears welling in her eyes.

Dearka just squeezed her more tightly as he felt her body shaking from the tears she began to spill.

"I never wanted to hurt you Mir. I wish I could stay with you and only you, but I'm not in the same situation as Athrun or Lacus were in. My family is very much alive and they are active in the politics of the PLANTs. I can't just walk away from that. I have a responsibility to follow through with this marriage, even if I want to be with someone else. I don't have a choice, but I won't completely turn my back on you either. Especially not now," he tried to explain to her.

She pushed herself partly out of his embrace, leaving his arms still loosely wrapped around her.

"And if Annabella didn't exist?" she asked.

Dearka closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath in. He knew she wasn't going to like this answer either. He was dancing around all his true feelings that she was trying to find.

"Then honestly, you wouldn't have ever seen me again. You probably wouldn't have been caught and we would have never crossed paths," Dearka reasoned with her.

He felt so stupid. He knew she wouldn't buy that. The one thing Miriallia believed in was that fate always got its' way. She believed that whole-heartedly and he knew she felt that way now. Hell, he felt that way now.

"Maybe she's here because I'm not supposed to follow through with the arranged marriage. Maybe it was fates way of bringing us back together," he thought.

He shook his head and felt Miriallia push herself completely out of his grasp.

"Then, let's just find our daughter now," she said dejected.

She felt as though she had officially lost Dearka. The two greatest loves of her life had disappeared from her and she didn't have the will to chase the one she could possibly save. First Tolle was ripped from her and now Dearka. Now all she wanted was to find her daughter and make up for all their lost time. Dearka was going back and forth in his head. He didn't know what possessed him to say these terrible things to her. The woman he loved was standing right in front of him. Even though he was still mad at her about the fact she kept Annabella a secret from him, he couldn't blame her.

"All I do is hurt her. What is wrong with me?" he thought.

They began to walk toward the control room and Miriallia stopped again. Dearka turned back to see what it was this time that made her pause.

"I refuse," she said.

"Huh?" Dearka asked confused.

She looked up at him. She had been watching him as she decided to give up and realized he was unsure of what he was really doing.

"I can see it in your eyes Dearka Elsman and I refuse to take this lying down," she was now energetic.

Dearka furrowed his brow in the attempt to understand what she was talking about.

"Take what lying down?" he asked.

"Has she completely lost it?" he thought.

"I've decided. If you won't fight for yourself, I will just have to fight for you. I owe it to Annabella. No, I owe it to myself. I won't let this girl have you or your family use you like a political opportunity. If you truly loved her, you wouldn't be so confused and I would let you be with her. But, I can see it in your eyes. You want to be with me. So, if I have to fight for you, I will," she declared.

"Yup, she's definitely lost it," he thought.

One minute she was depressed and looked like she was about to give up on everything and now she was declaring that she was going to fight for him. Although, it made him feel pleased with the sway he had over her. He smiled his devilish grin and saw Miriallia smiling too.

"I won't give up. You wouldn't want a woman who just quit all the time," she informed him.

"No, I wouldn't," he replied.

She took a few steps forward and stopped to look at him again. She had a bright smile on her face. A smile he hadn't ever seen the entire time he knew her. She was first depressed about Tolle, her previous love, who was killed in battle. Then, she was gloomy due to the events of the war. Followed by the sadness she felt about his departure at the end of the war. Then to top it all off, when he reunites with her, she was miserable over Annabella. This was truthfully, the first time he had seen her as confident and determined, in fact, happy.

"Let's find our daughter then," she said.

Dearka placed his hand out toward her and she reached out to grab it. For that one moment, she was in high spirits and knew she would find her little girl.

"I don't know who you are Cadey, but Dearka was mine first. I won't let you win," she thought with a renewed fire.

End

Author's Preview: Annabella is still missing and Miriallia's maternal instincts have finally kicked in after all these years. What will she do and whom will she hurt to find her little girl? Plus Dearka & Miriallia are becoming even closer. Please read and review for me so I can continue on my happy way.

Reviewer Response: Hello to all my wonderful reviewers. Thank you so much for all your support and reviews on all my chapters thus far. I love you all so much! Unfortunately due to possible changes in TOS (which is still unconfirmed) all responses are now located on my personal website. Please click on my profile page to link to the website. Thank you.