Dearka & Miriallia
Author's Note: Yay, I'm back and before you all hang me in the town square, Mir isn't in this chapter and uh… Cadey is. I was on a roll with a scene and just went with it. Please don't yell at me because I really like the flashback and I think it gives another personality trait of Dearka's loyalty and sense of righteousness. I am working on the next chapter now and may have it done for tomorrow night, so pleases review as quickly as possible. Hugs to all of you! 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 37
Past Memories
She looked over and noticed a familiar face.
"Hey, didn't I meet you today?" Shiho asked gaining Justin's attention.
"Uh, yeah, earlier I believe," he replied with a smile.
Yzak glared at Justin for the seductive tone that came from his mouth.
"Don't even think about it," Yzak warned.
Before Justin could respond, Cadey and Ian had rejoined the group. Silence had fallen among them as the wind blew cool crisp air making both women shiver.
"I guess there's a malfunction with the weather environment," Shiho said looking up at the towers in the distance.
Cadey walked over to Dearka and Annabella leaving Ian standing alone. Dearka took a step back at her approaching form, but not before catching a curious look from Justin. He had already given away the fact that he fathered not one, but two children with another woman. He didn't want to give Justin any more information than he already had. Realizing this, he stopped his retreat and allowed Cadey to stand next to him.
"Yeah, but we should be thankful that more damage wasn't done by that mobile suit," Justin replied to Shiho's observation.
He was attempting to gain a reaction from Dearka.
"If I can get a rise out of him, maybe he'll say more on the subject from earlier. It seems like everyone here knows what's going on," Justin thought.
Dearka avoided his direct attack and looked down at Cadey.
"We should get going," Dearka said to her.
Cadey looked up at him with eyes sparkling, leaving Yzak to cringe at Dearka's blatant attempt to ignore his earlier advice.
"Stop being so stupid Dearka!" Yzak thought angrily.
He watched helplessly as Dearka headed toward the shuttles with Cadey through the crowd. Shiho walked up behind Yzak and placed her hand on his shoulder.
"What's he thinking?" Shiho whispered to Yzak.
"I wish I knew," Yzak answered annoyed.
Justin watched Dearka walk away with Cadey and began to get irritated.
"All right, that's it. What the hell is going on here? First he cries out that he knows the pilot of that mobile suit and then he claims she is the mother of his children. Next thing I know that girl is handing over a baby to him," Justin yelled pointing at Shiho when Dearka was out of earshot.
Ian almost fell over when he heard Justin's outburst.
"The mobile suit was being piloted by Miriallia? That's impossible! How could that have happened? I can't imagine she would do such a thing. And what does he mean by children? They only have Annabella together," he thought confused.
"Now he walks off with Cadey like he never said anything of the sort. But, if that girl in the Valor was with him, then why is he with Cadey?" Justin continued questioning.
"Shut up!" Yzak yelled.
Both Justin and Shiho jumped back a few steps when Yzak's temper rose. Yzak had finally realized why Justin was here and the purpose of Dearka's attitude.
"He must have slipped when he found out who was in the Valor," Yzak thought.
Retreating people from the shelters began to stop and stare at the young officers fighting in the center of the square.
"Yzak!" Shiho reprimanded.
Yzak flipped around with his blue eyes filled with fiery flashes.
"Stay out of this!" he warned.
Shiho took in a deep breath realizing that her decision to take Yzak on at this point was a huge miscalculation on her part. She hadn't seen him so infuriated at her in a long time. Something about the way he looked reminded her of a wild beast. It was then she remembered how difficult it was to tame him.
"Why are you so upset?" she thought.
"Now I know why you came down here after the battle. You aren't getting any answers from any of us, so you can just leave now. This isn't any of your concern and if I find out you are trying to make trouble for Dearka, you had best be ready to face me head on," Yzak cautioned him.
"Are you threatening me Yzak?" Justin asked fighting back.
"You had better believe I am! If I find out that rumors are spreading about the situation, I'll have no choice but to eliminate the source," Yzak continued yelling.
Ian and Shiho watched Yzak as he turned back to look at them again.
"From this moment on, everyone on the Rousseau and the Voltaire are under strict orders to keep any knowledge of this matter to themselves. I don't want to hear it mentioned in casual conversation by anyone on our crew," Yzak ordered.
Both Shiho and Ian saluted their Commander without hesitation.
"You too Ian?" Justin asked irritated.
"Sorry Justin, but I am now under orders from Commander Yzak Joule," Ian replied.
Yzak's eyes narrowed on Justin.
"Don't think I won't carry out my threat. I'm not as weak as Dearka is. I won't just walk away," Yzak finished.
Justin matched his glare before answering the outranking officer.
"I didn't realize that this was a military matter. Last time I checked having children with another woman other than your fiancée was just a form of adultery and was more of a moral matter," Justin replied.
Yzak was beginning to get irritated at the obnoxious comebacks Justin was throwing out at him.
"It became a military matter the moment that woman was inside that mobile suit for the enemy and how to deal with the situation is something I will take full responsibility for," Yzak stated authoritatively.
"You sure that is what the Chairman will want to see happen? I mean, if he finds out the connection between this girl that almost destroyed this PLANT and the representatives, he may not agree with your methods. Besides, the only reason you want to be involved now is because you are trying to protect Dearka. Maybe you're weaker than you think," Justin threatened.
"That's enough!" Shiho yelled.
Yzak's hand flew in front of her horizontally, blocking her path to Justin.
"Stand down," Yzak ordered.
Shiho's shoulders fell from their defensive position.
"Yzak?" she questioned softly.
"Commander Joule, allow me to take Lieutenant Hahnenfuss back to the Voltaire," Ian stepped in.
Yzak nodded his head without looking back at the two of them. His eyes never unlocked from Justin's whom he had now dubbed an enemy. Ian grabbed Shiho around the shoulders and pulled her back toward him.
"Let's go Lieutenant," he replied while directing her around the two men.
"But…" Shiho started.
Her eyes darted back to Yzak's. When she got a look at his handsome features in the commanding light, she realized Ian was right.
"I guess we should go back to the Voltaire. I've never seen Yzak so determined before," she thought with concern.
Meanwhile…"Why Dearka?" Cadey asked solemnly as they walked toward the shuttles.
"Why what?" he questioned back.
His eyes never looked back in her direction as he continued with Annabella in his arms.
"You backed away from me earlier. I know it was only a step, but the look on your face made it quite obvious that if Justin wasn't there, it would have been more," Cadey stated.
"You already know why," he answered.
Cadey quickly moved up next to him from her place behind trying to draw his attention to her. He stopped short and looked to see what she truly wanted.
"What Cadey?" he asked irritated.
Cadey closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. As she exhaled her beautiful brown eyes fluttered open again.
"I'm worried about you. Something happened and I can see you are extremely upset. Does it have to do with that girl?" she inquired.
Memories flashed into Dearka's head once again. The images of the Valor about to take out the control tower overwhelmed him. As Cadey looked upon him, she could see tears welling up in his eyes.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make things worse," she answered before taking Annabella from his weakening hold.
He was now shaking. The events were finally beginning to hit him even more than when he and Yzak had walked to the shelter to find everyone. Once Annabella was safely in Cadey's grasp, Dearka fell to his knees on the ground wrapping his arms around himself, with tears he could no longer contain. Cadey bent down to him rubbing his back gently with her free hand. Every once in a while her hands would caress the ends of his curly blonde locks
"I'm not this weak, so why?" he asked more to himself than to Cadey.
Her eyes narrowed on him with concern. She looked around to see a few other soldiers staring in their direction. Their curiosity was beginning to grate on Cadey's nerves.
"What are you looking at? Don't you have some place else you should be other than eavesdropping on others?" she screamed at the on looking soldiers.
A couple of them jumped when she chastised them while a few others just gave her a dirty look before continuing on their way. The breeze picked up again, making Cadey shiver and she pulled Annabella closer to her body. Dearka felt her left hand move from his back and looked over to see the embrace she had Annabella in. For a moment, Miriallia flashed in his mind.
"I wish I could see you holding Belle, Mir," he thought with cloudy eyes.
"Come on Dearka, we should get to a shuttle and head for the Voltaire. I know how upset you are right now, but I hope you will let me talk to you about something when we return as well," she said reaching her hand out for his.
Dearka's hands hit the ground first from his loss of balance and his eyes closed again. He was trying to regain composure while her outstretched hand remained in front of him. Finally he pushed back up from the ground and rested on the back of his legs in order to brush his hands off on his uniform first. Only then did his hand reach out for hers.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't be leaning on you for so much support. Especially not with the situation as it is," he said somberly.
"Well, it is what it is. We can't change it unless we want to. I want to, but you don't. But that doesn't make me stop loving you and wanting to take care of you. Even if it is only for a little while longer," she said with a smile he hadn't seen from her in a very long time.
It may have been the first time he'd seen her smile like that since she first truly fell for him.
Flashback a year and a half prior…Dearka rested his head on the comfy pillow at the end of the couch and closed his eyes. It had been a very long day amongst the representatives of the PLANTs.
"Are you okay?" Cadey asked.
His forearm moved away from his brow as he reopened his eyes to look at her. The dim light in the room softened the surroundings for him. He was beginning to be bored with the requirement of attending these social events with someone whom he didn't even love and who didn't even love him.
"Yeah, fine. Just a little tired and I'm feeling a little suffocated, that's all," he replied gently.
Cadey sat herself in one of the overstuffed chairs adjacent to the couch and looked back at his gaze.
"We could go for a walk around the grounds and get some fresh air," she replied.
He closed his eyes again and turned his head away from her.
"What is it with you and walks?" he asked.
The surroundings of the room were becoming claustrophobic to Cadey now as well. She hadn't realized it until Dearka had mentioned it.
"All these stupid parties that we are both being forced to attend and not once has anyone noticed that we don't have feelings for each other," she thought.
Her head fell back on the chair and she drew in a deep breath. Dearka noticed the heavy sigh she released and opened his eyes again.
"If you want to go out, don't let me stop you," he said with a bit of sarcasm.
Her eyes darted toward his direction again. There was an obvious discord between the two supposed lovers and she felt it was only getting worse.
"What a jerk! I don't want to spend the rest of my life with this guy. Who does he think he is anyway acting so tough and obnoxious?" she thought.
In sheer annoyance she stood up and stormed toward the exit of the living room. She could feel his eyes watching her as she proceeded to open the door.
"Sounds like a good idea. I wouldn't want to interrupt anything important for you. Maybe this will give you time to call whomever it is you are still sulking over," she stated angrily.
Dearka heard the door being yanked open and then heard the loud slam follow. He cringed when he realized how angry he had made his 'fiancée.'
"If it was that easy, I would have done it by now," he said to himself in a whispered tone.
"I truly do miss you Miriallia, but this is for the best. You're better off without a jerk like me anyway," he thought.
He stood up from his place on the couch and walked to the large window. Turning the handle to unlock it, he saw Cadey walk down the path toward the lake.
"I don't get her at all," he said to himself shaking his head.
He cracked the window to let the cool crisp air flow through the room. He looked down at his fiancée again as she continued to walk without looking back at him. Her white dress ruffled and danced in the breeze and the curls that had been delicately created in her hair bounced off her shoulders.
"As I said before though, at least she's beautiful," he thought walking back to the couch.
He flopped himself back down face first into the side pillow and groaned in discontent.
"I'm going insane! I just want to go home already!" he yelled into the pillow.
He lifted his head from the pillow that muffled his cries for freedom when he heard someone else yelling. He stood up and moved closer to the window tripping on the edge of the ottoman for the chair Cadey had been sitting in earlier. As he fell to his knees, he could hear the argument becoming more heated.
"That was smooth Dearka," he thought pushing himself up from the ground.
He recognized the voice as his dear old fiancée and the other was the voice of a young man.
"Now what kind of trouble have you gotten yourself into?" he thought curiously.
He returned to the window he had cracked moments ago and squinted his eyes to see the figures in the distance. He couldn't make out exactly what they were saying and decided to push the window open more.
"Damn, still can't hear," he said out loud.
He looked around the room and shrugged his shoulders.
"Couldn't hurt to get a little closer to see what all the ruckus is about," he thought.
Walking toward the exit to the living room he noticed that none of the servants were around. He moved down the stairs to the first floor and walked out the door toward the lake. It was pretty late and the sky had darkened quite a bit. He looked up to see the moon-like satellite covered by the PLANT created clouds darkening the sky even more.
"This is probably one of my more stupid impulses," he thought now heading down the walkway.
As he approached the two people fighting at the edge of the lake, the intense conversation became clearer.
"I told you to leave me alone. I don't love you anymore Tyler!" Cadey cried out desperately.
Dearka could see the young man now had a grasp on her upper arms and was slightly shaking her.
"This can't be good," Dearka thought picking up his pace.
He wasn't sure what possessed him to move faster, but he had a bad feeling of what may be about to take place.
"I don't believe you!" he half screamed at a crying Cadey.
Cadey stepped backward toward the stone that surrounded the man-made lake. The tears were still streaming down her face as she closed her eyes.
"I'm sorry, but it's the truth," she lied to the young man.
When she opened her eyes again, she could see a look in Tyler's eyes that she had never seen before.
"Tyler?" she choked out questioningly.
His eyes narrowed on her before he turned to see the approaching person.
"Stay out of this!" Tyler yelled at Dearka.
Dearka stopped in his tracks with a look of confusion on his face. He had no intention of interrupting them. He was just curious to see what was going on. Although, the horrible feeling he was getting in his gut wouldn't desist.
"I'm just checking to see if Cadey is okay. I won't bother you if she tells me to go," Dearka replied coolly.
"Dearka!" she cried reaching a hand out to him.
Dearka's eyes lit up when he realized the terror in her voice. His entire personality changed from sarcastic and indifferent into her bodyguard.
"And on that note, I think Cadey wants you to leave," Dearka stated matter-of-factly.
"I thought you said you were going to stay out of this?" Tyler asked his rival in love.
Dearka looked down to the ground in an attempt to decide whether or not he should interfere with this quarrel between the two former lovers. After all, he was the main reason they were no longer together and a part of him could sympathize with Tyler's predicament. He himself wanted nothing more than to be back in Miriallia's arms and to be living happily on Earth with her in Orb.
"A fanciful dream, that's all it is," he thought sadly.
Tyler felt Cadey struggling under his grasp and looked back at the woman he claimed to love.
"I said let go of my Tyler!" she yelled through her tears.
As his grip released, Cadey stumbled backward a half step. It was enough for the heel of her white heels to move over the edge of the stone outlining the lake. She felt herself falling and twisted her body to regain her balance. Dearka looked up when he heard Cadey scream. She had twisted just enough to hit her head on the same stones she slipped from. As she splashed in the water, her body went limp slipping under.
"Oh my God! Cadey!" Tyler cried out.
Dearka grunted in annoyance and threw his jacket off and to the ground. As he ran toward the edge, he yelled at Tyler for his stupidity.
"She can't hear you idiot!" he yelled as he dove into the water after his fiancée.
Dearka swam down as quickly as he could, but his vision was distorted as the lake became darker.
"Great, it was dark enough above the water. Now it's getting worse," he thought continuing to feel for her.
Running out of air, Dearka was forced to resurface. As he splashed to the top, Tyler looked on in horror.
"Don't just stand there, get help!" Dearka yelled before taking another deep breath and going back under to look for her.
He swam back further down than he had been a moment before and continued to search for the unconscious woman.
"Come on Cadey, where are you?" he thought still trying to locate her.
As if luck had turned to his side, the replicated clouds moved away from the bright moon recreation shedding light on the lake below. The small glimmer of illumination shined down on him and a slowly descending Cadey. Dearka pushed himself further down feeling the air in his lungs dissipating.
"Almost got her," he thought as he reached his hand down to grab her wrist.
He yanked her up to his chest and then wrapped his arm around her while using his other arm to propel them up through the water. His lungs felt like they were about to explode from the lack of oxygen and he could feel some of the air escaping his lips as he continued to struggle to the surface with her.
"Come on, I have to make it. Hang on Cadey," he thought.
With what seemed like minutes he emerged again with Cadey in tow. Dearka grabbed onto the side of the wall with his free hand and began to throw her up onto the ledge. Once he got her out of the water enough, he dragged himself out and repositioned her flat on her back. Blood was now flowing freely from her head wound and she was extremely disheveled for the incident. Dearka looked around and noticed no one had arrived yet to help, but could hear Tyler running toward him screeching something incomprehensible.
"Damn it, she's not breathing at all and I can't get a pulse," he thought ignoring the psychotic and agitated voice approaching him.
Dearka tilted her head back gently and began to perform CPR on her. Tyler stopped and watched now quiet in the realization that Cadey may not make it. In a time of crisis, he couldn't do anything to save her. All he could do was stand and watch as some other man did what he should have.
"I swear Cadey, if you come out of this alive, I'll do anything you ask me to," Dearka said out loud.
Tyler overheard Dearka's declaration and looked toward the ground. Within minutes, Cadey coughed up the water she had swallowed and began to mutter softly.
"I couldn't even think quick enough. If it wasn't for this guy, Cadey wouldn't have had a chance," Tyler thought feeling degraded.
Then Tyler heard it, the words that pushed the knife deeper into his back. Only this time, it wasn't from Cadey's father, but from Cadey herself.
"Dearka…" she called out before her eyes even opened.
"I'm right here baby," he said as her eyes finally opened to see him leaning over her.
Tyler was devastated. He saw first hand that she was telling him the truth. She didn't love him. She loved this guy sitting over her now. At least, that was the way it seemed to him. What he didn't know is that was actually the first time these feelings for Dearka emerged from his former lover. Dearka could feel the gaze and smile he received from Cadey. It gave him that bit of comfort again that he had felt in what seemed like a lifetime ago now.
"I guess being with her isn't as bad as I'm making it out to be. After all, she needs someone to protect her, and I feel like I need someone to protect. I'm surprised she has survived this long with that lunatic over there," he thought looking down at his injured fiancée as they awaited the ambulance in the courtyard.
End
Author's Preview: Uh, I had a flashback attack, sorry. Everyone is heading off to the Voltaire and Yzak is still at a stalemate with Justin. Go Ian for being so loyal (he is definitely a smart cookie) to your commanding officer. 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.