Dearka & Miriallia

Author's Note: The first part of this is taken from Episode 32 of SEED Destiny. The version used was subbed by SEED-Fansubs. Hope you guys enjoy. (smiles) Sorry for the delay again, I caught a horrible cold last week and before that I was editing some previous chapters while searching where to put the next Yzak & Shiho interludes (smiles). 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 50

Turn Around

"You can do it, right Stellar? You need to erase everything that's scary," Neo's words continued to haunt Stellar's mind.

While flashes of the conversation interrupted Stellar's train of thought, Impulse flies in closer for an attack once released from the Minerva.

"Stellar!" Neo cried with concern as he saw the attack connect to her unit.

Within a moment Stellar's rage grew again and she took aim at another nearby town. The beam from the Destroy leveled it in a second, with a devastating eruption.

"Stop it kid," Neo screamed at Shinn as he rammed his unit into the Impulse.

"Damn it, what are you...?" Shinn cried in anger recognizing the voice from the unit that had just knocked him out of target range.

"The one piloting that thing is Stellar!" Neo yelled at Shinn.

"Neo," Stellar cried with concern as she watched his unit ram into the Impulse.

The battle grew more fierce, explosions lighting up the horizon and debris falling from the sky.

"Stellar," Neo called back just as concerned with his young pilot as she was with him.

The Freedom moved in next to the Impulse, making his presence known.

"What are you trying to do? Be a sitting duck?" Kira scolded Shinn.

Another flash rocked Stellar's mind, "Or they will come and kill all of us."

"Neo. I don't want to die... I'm scared..." she began saying with overwhelming fear from the situation.

Neo attacked Kira in desperation to get him away from Stellar. Grabbing his units' knife, he threw it at the shield of the Freedom. Over the communicator to the Archangel, Kira had plans of his own.

"Murrue, please take care of this!" Kira called out beginning a dramatic move to disarm Neo's unit.

"Huh?" Murrue said in confusion as she watched the exchange.

Kira flipped on his units' back underneath Neo while shooting the jet pack, wings and arms off the mobile suit.

"What?" Neo said in shock as his unit headed for the ground out of control.

"Neo!" Stellar screamed as she watched the unit hit the ground and explode.

The Archangel began making it's trek toward the unit Kira had just taken out.

"Damn it, this is no good. I'm retreating, Bonaparte! What?" Sting yelled.

His lack of attention allowed the three Murasame pilots a chance to spiral downward at this unit shooting and hitting their target this time. Stings unit was now free falling toward the ground.

One of the Murasame pilots went in for the kill.

"I won't let you get away!" he yelled slicing the unit in half at the waste.

"No...Bad...No!" Stellar cried losing her concentration.

Stellar used the large beam and blasted another city away in a 360 degree turn. Kira saw his moment and headed toward the irate unit.

"Damn it, stop it already!" he cried getting ready to attack.

Before he had a chance, the impulse swooped in attacking him. This forced Kira in the Freedom to retreat further back.

"Dying is bad...no...I'm scared," Stellar continued to ramble.

Shinn called out to her in an attempt to calm her down. His voice and words causing repressed memories to flood back in her dazed mind.

"Shinn," she called out more calmly.

"Ste...llar," Shinn said partially broken up.

Kira looked on feeling a little less on edge as the Destroy simmered down. Part of him was relieved he wouldn't have to attack it and that it may surrender peacefully. Unfortunately for him, the Freedom fell into her view screen causing her to re-trance into the words Neo had said. The Destroys' eyes reactivated with a green fury shocking both Kira and Shinn.

On the Archangel, the crew noticed the change in demeanor again from the Destroy as well.

"This is no good Neumann," Dalida Chandra called to his comrade hinting for him to move the Archangel out of the path.

Shinn begged Stellar to stop, but she was now too far gone in her own panicked mind to listen. Before she could set the units' chest beam to destroy another area, Kira flew in with his beam saber forcing it into the barrel of the Destroys' beam cannon.

The unit exploded taking Stellar with it. Kira watched feeling heart broken once again. He hated having to do this, but he was left with no choice.

On the ground, Murrue and two crewmen stood over the body that Kira had left for them earlier. The helmet now gone and scars on his face, but there was no doubt that there was a striking resemblance to Mu La Flaga and that wasn't the only place the shocking surprises were going to end.

Far out of harms way, the Buster remained still over the Valor with all weapons locked on. Inside, Dearka was beginning to sweat. He hadn't heard a thing from Miriallia for what seemed like forever. Every second that ticked by made him more and more nervous that her decision may have been to not surrender.

Inside the cockpit of the Valor, Miriallia sat intently as her monitor showed the dangerous position she was in. She had watched as the Freedom took out Neo and as it continued to fight with Stellar and she had also seen the Murasame pilots take Sting down as well. Now it was her turn. The only problem was, the pilot above her was giving her a chance to surrender.

"Why is he doing that? Why not just kill me? I'm the enemy after all," she thought still contemplating her situation.

Time continued to tick away as the events of the battle started to slow. The only thing left to take care of was that huge unit. Although, Dearka too had kept his eye on the situation in the distance and knew time was ticking short. It seemed as though ZAFT might not stop with the destruction of the EAF forces, but may intend to make the Archangel their next target. He was also sure, they wouldn't be able to wait for him and Ian to bring Miriallia back if it came too close.

"Come on Mir, get out of that damn machine," Dearka thought the heat rising to his face.

Even Ian was beginning to fidget in his borrowed unit. It was bad enough he and Dearka had both went AWOL in order to save Miriallia, but now he was afraid they wouldn't be able to save her if she didn't give up soon.

"It's like she doesn't want to surrender," Ian said softly to Dearka over the communicator.

"She will, I know it," Dearka insisted taking aim next to the units' head and letting off a warning shot.

Miriallia cringed as the snow around her was disturbed the panicked feeling now moving from her stomach to the middle of her throat.

"Should I just give up? It seems like my only option if I want to stay alive," she thought with her hand gently laying on her womb.

Another shot rang out on the other side of the Valor making tears fall from her bright blue eyes. Time was running out and she knew it from the close proximity of the shot this time through.

"Maybe we should contact her again," Ian suggested hoping she just didn't hear them the first time.

"She heard me," Dearka said sternly.

"And if she didn't?" Ian questioned.

"It doesn't take a Coordinator to realize these are warning shots," Dearka said using a common phrase of the PLANTs without realizing he had just put down Miriallia's roots.

Even now there were still things that both sides needed to work on when it came to the general misconceptions of both Coordinators and Naturals. Ian hadn't realized the slip either, it sounded perfectly legit in his own mind as well.

Dearka took aim one last time hoping this would be the one to force Miriallia out of the Valor, but before he could let the shot off, he saw the cockpit begin to open. Miriallia stepped out with her hands raised in defeat. She knew no one was going to come and save her.

"I owe it to you to stay alive little one," she thought with her eyes closed.

Dearka let out a huge sigh as he was finally able to see Miriallia again, safe and sound. Well safer than she had been at least. With her finally out of the unit, Dearka radioed for the Archangel to pick them up before tensions could rise between them and the ZAFT ship still in the vicinity.

Ian and Dearka saw the Archangel moving toward them and they began to prepare to return to the ship. Units were dispatched to pick up Miriallia and the Valor as quickly as possible and once they were both secured, Ian and Dearka headed back on to the ship without hesitation.

"I have to face her, but what do I say?" Dearka thought as he began to lock the Buster down and disengage the systems.

Ian stood by the DINN waiting for Dearka to emerge from the Buster now beginning to feel impatient. This is what they had both been waiting so long for. It had been months since either of them saw Miriallia and he knew he wasn't the only one who wanted answers for the events that pushed her to this.

"For crying out loud, what's taking you so long," Ian yelled up in exasperation.

Dearka heard Ian's whine from his place in the Buster and let out another sigh before opening the cockpit of the Buster.

"Well, I guess this is it again old friend. Thanks for the assistance," Dearka said softly to the Buster as if it could hear him before grabbing the elevator rope and being lowered to the ground.

Ian walked over to where Dearka was about to touch down his arms now folded in front of him.

"I thought you would never get out of that thing," he said with more frustration in his voice.

"Stuff it," Dearka said letting go of the rope and walking by him still in his ZAFT uniform.

He headed out the door of the hanger and down the old familiar halls toward the medical wing where he himself had been many times before. Ian followed closely behind feeling a little out of place on a ship that had caused ZAFT so much trouble in the past and was currently considered a target once again.

As they reached the door of the medical bay, Dearka noticed some familiar faces coming toward him. It had been over two years, but they hadn't changed much. Although his changes were pretty noticeable. He guessed it was because when he met them he was only seventeen with more maturing to do and they were already in their mid-twenties.

"Well, well, if it isn't Elsman. So I guess the rumors are true, you did end up back with ZAFT," Dalida said looking Dearka up and down.

"Uh, yeah," he said rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

Ian rolled his eyes at Dearka's shy act and began tapping his foot impatiently. They were only a moment away from seeing Miriallia again and he just wanted to go into the room and see if she was all right.

"This is getting ridiculous," Ian thought still annoyed with Dearka's stalls.

"So, you going to stick around for a while? I heard something strange happened to Mir from Cagalli earlier. I couldn't believe it when we moved the ship in to pick up that unit that she had really been the pilot," Arnold said standing next to Dalida.

"I don't plan on sticking around. It's a long story about Miriallia and I don't even have all the answers yet. I'm really not in the mood to re-tell the events leading up to this. Right now I just want to make sure she is okay," Dearka said to the two men in front of him.

"It's about time," Ian thought inching toward the door.

"That's too bad, we could use a guy like you around again. I guess we should let you see her," Dalida replied.

"Thanks," Dearka said turning for the door but hearing Arnold whispering to Dalida as they walked by.

"Hey do you think she told him?" Arnold asked softly.

"I'm not sure and it's probably not our place to say anything," Dalida whispered back.

"If you guys are talking about Annabella, then I already know," Dearka called to their retreating forms.

They stopped dead in their tracks hanging their heads low in embarrassment. They had both forgotten how well Coordinators could hear and felt a little stupid that he knew what they were curious about. They both turned to face him.

"Sorry, we should have just asked you. And if you didn't know, probably told you. But we really thought Miriallia should...," Arnold started with a reasoning voice.

"That's okay and she did tell me. I'm just amazed at how many people knew about her before I did," Dearka said feeling slightly hurt that not one of them had ever contacted him and that included an old teammate that knew how to find him.

"Yeah well, we all ended up pitching in with ORBs' rebuilding and it was kind of hard to miss. We all tried to get her to contact you, but you know how stubborn she can be," Dalida said now rubbing the back of his neck as Dearka had done a moment before.

"Really, it's okay. She was probably going to tell me in person when I came back and didn't want anyone else telling me. In any case, it was my own fault for not keeping my word to her," Dearka said releasing the blame he wanted to place on them and moving it back to himself.

"Can we go in and see her now," Ian piped up impatiently.

"Yeah, in a second," Dearka scolded him.

"Go ahead, I'm sure you and your friend have a lot of questions you need answers to and we have to head back to the bridge anyway," Arnold said turning with a wave.

Dearka turned to Ian and shook his head.

"What?" Ian yelled at him the irritation growing more forceful in his voice.

"You know, you could be a little more courteous. The crew on the Archangel have been very accommodating to both of us," Dearka said opening the door to the room.

"Whatever. I'm only here for one reason," Ian said pushing by Dearka and headed into the room.

His eyes darted back and forth as he searched for Miriallia. Before he could get by the entry way, Murrue emerged from behind the curtain in the way of the patients and the entrance. The set up had changed since Dearka was there, but he knew some things were bound to be different.

"Before you go in there, did you know..." Murrue started to ask Dearka a question that he already knew she was going to ask.

"Yeah, I know," Dearka said cutting her off.

"Well then, I'll leave her to you. You may leave the ship whenever you feel she is ready to travel. I'm assuming your plan was to take her back with you," Murrue spoke again.

"Yeah, it is and about the Valor..." Dearka began with his own line of questioning.

"As long as you promise it doesn't end up as a ZAFT weapon, you're free to take it with you. It will probably be of more use in your hands right now than ours. But the Buster is ORB property and must remain here. I'm sure you understand," Murrue stated.

"Of course. Thank you for allowing me to use it to save her," Dearka replied.

"You know, there isn't much we wouldn't do for Miriallia. Just make sure she gets better. She seems to have a slight case of amnesia though, so it may take some time," Murrue informed him.

"Amnesia?" Dearka asked now realizing why she may have been doing some of the things she had done.

"She doesn't seem to remember who I am and even this ship is puzzling to her. Although, we have the commander of the forces we just fought under custody as well and he is in that room too. She seems to know him and is concerned about his well-being. Right now he is unconscious again, but he may remind you of someone," Murrue warned.

"Remind me?" Dearka asked.

"Well, it seems Neo Lorrnoke looks a lot like Mu La Flaga. In fact, feels as though he is Mu," Murrue told him.

"But I thought..." Dearka began.

"Look, I know what you are thinking and right now I can't explain it. I know I sound crazy, but I just thought I would let you know before you walked in there. I figured you had enough surprises for one day," she said walking by him and continuing out the door.

Dearka's brow furrowed as he turned to watch Murrue leave the room. Ian sighed in impatience again before Dearka turned to look at the cloth that separated him from Miriallia.

"Let's go," he said ignoring Ian's obnoxious behavior.

Ian followed as they headed past the curtains to see Miriallia lying there in front of them in a daze. She was lying on her side with her knees drawn up under the sheets as though she was cold. Her eyes stared blankly at the metal wall next to her. Ian couldn't see what Murrue had been talking about when Dearka cut her off a moment before so he didn't even question the conversation. He just assumed it was about the amnesia that was mentioned later.

Dearka had no intention of telling Ian about the new baby yet. He didn't want to stir up another fight or even hear him say 'What about Cadey?' again to him right now. Both Dearka and Ian stared down at her still form before Dearka spoke.

"Miriallia?" he asked gently trying to gain her attention.

Miriallia didn't move from her spot but her eyes blinked at the recognition of her name. Dearka sat at the edge of the bed carefully trying not to disturb her position. His hand gently moved to her arm making her cringe from the touch. This man's voice was so familiar to her, but not in a way he had hoped.

"Why didn't you just shoot me?" she asked recognizing his voice as the one who had recently threatened her out of the Valor.

Dearka's eyes widened a bit at her comment. Even though Murrue had said she had amnesia, he had really hoped it wasn't bad enough that she didn't remember him. He looked her over from head to toe and noticed the small difference in her form. He had wished he was there for this when she was carrying Annabella and now he may be there for it, but she might not want him anywhere near her if she didn't remember him.

"Because we're your friends," Ian answered when Dearka froze from her question.

Again a familiar voice rang through her ears and she turned her head to see the face the voice belonged to. When she looked up at him, she remembered something that made her smile. Dearka looked at her a bit confused as she looked right past him and deep into Ian's eyes.

"You," she said gently.

"Me?" Ian questioned with curiosity.

"Yes, I remember you. We were supposed to get coffee together," she said at the one memory that flashed through her head.

Amazingly enough, she had remembered Ian and Dearka was now feeling crushed. After all, he was the father of both her children. He had no idea why he was forgotten while she remembered the first time she met Ian. Dearka had no idea that the only reason why Miriallia remembered Ian was because of the treatments she had been given.

Jeremy had left her one memory when his guilt got the best of him. He couldn't stand that the EAF was using Miriallia in their plans. Having to erase the memories of a pregnant woman made him extremely uncomfortable and the only thing he could think to do in order to help her was to leave her with one memory. His hope was that if she had one happy memory, she might have a chance to unlock the rest of them.

Unfortunately for Dearka, Jeremy hadn't picked the right memory to give him the edge over Ian and neither of the boys even knew who or what did this to her. As far as they knew, she could have hit her head and this was all she remembered. Dearka stood up from the bed and moved away putting his hand out for Ian to take his place, though killing him inside.

Ian carefully moved past Dearka and sat down next to Miriallia looking up at him first. He was ecstatic that she remembered him and he even felt victorious over Dearka for a moment, although he wouldn't let it show for fear of being decked by him.

"You sure?" he asked cautiously playing innocent.

"Hey, she remembers you right? That means you should be the one trying to figure out what was going on when she was with the EAF," Dearka said swallowing his pride.

"All right then, but no getting mad and taking it out on me later," Ian warned him.

"Whatever, let's just find out what happened to her so we can bring her back with us," Dearka said moving back a few more steps to give him some space.

Ian turned to Miriallia who was still smiling at him. Her eyes darted over to see Dearka standing in the distance and she felt strange, almost feeling his tension. As she looked back at Ian she felt relaxed again.

"You, you are the one person I remember when they helped me," she said again.

"What about me do you remember?" Ian asked knowing they didn't have too many interactions.

"Well, I was in line for something, but I don't remember what and you were there. I just remember you asked me out for coffee and I said that I would go," she said remembering bits and pieces of the moment.

"Is that all you remember about me?" he asked trying to get more information from her.

"Uh, yes. That was all I could remember," she said sadly.

"Just me," he reiterated making Dearka squirm behind him.

"Yes, why, was someone else there?" she asked curiously wanted some of her own questions answered.

Ian closed his eyes for a moment to think of how he should respond.

"She didn't mention Annabella. Could it be that she doesn't even remember her own daughter?" he thought to himself.

"Um, I'm sorry, but I don't remember your name though," Miriallia continued feeling slightly embarrassed.

"My name is Ian," he replied kindly opening his eyes again.

He turned to see the small smirk that had formed on Dearka's face. It was almost one of relief that she may have remembered him, but not as much as he had previously believed.

"I wouldn't be smirking if I were you. If I was anything like Cadey, I would take complete advantage of the edge I have on you right now Elsman," he thought now smirking himself.

Ian sat there for a moment quietly thinking that maybe it was time he took a page out of his best friends' book. He was pretty tired of always being the one to lose out. And now that he and Dearka weren't exactly friends anymore, all he could think of was how to beat the guy that seemed to get whatever he wanted.

"Maybe I will follow Cadey's lead. I've had enough of you and your superiority complex. You might have seen her first, but I'm the one she seems to remember," Ian thought deviously looking back at Miriallia and smiling.

End

Author's Preview: Uh oh, Ian's up to no good. And to think he was such a sweet guy. I guess Dearka smirked at him one too many times and finally drove him insane (sticks out tongue). 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! Again, sorry for short replies, I was a little late getting this chapter up because I've been so tired this week. LOTS OF HUGS! 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.