A/N: A fic in dedication of Christmas and New Year. Have fun reading! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, mina!
Disclaimer: I won't be writing fics if I owned Gundam Seed/Destiny, I'd be making more sequels to the anime focusing on Athrun and Cagalli.
"Snowflake"
The following day, Shin and Athrun visited the Athha residence around lunch time. Athrun brought a back pack with him, that's where he placed his gift for Cagalli. Shin notice that there were new decorations on the walls of the Athha residence and also the tree had more decorations.
"Oh, good afternoon, guys!" Stellar greeted as she let them in er house "What're you doing here?"
"Hey, Stellar?" Shin asked as he placed his hand on Stellar's cheek "Have you been crying…?"
Stellar's eyes widened "N-no! Of course not!" Stellar shook her head and took a few steps back "So, what are the two of doing here? Is there any problem?"
"We just wanted to visit, nothing wrong with that, right?" Shin replied "Not that we're interrupting something important right?"
"No, you aren't" Stellar smiled.
Oh, and Athrun wanted to talk about the family biz with Cagalli" Shin said lamely "So, where is the hot head anyway?"
"She's in a meeting, it was this emergency Christmas meeting" Stellar said sadly "Why don't you try next time? She'll be taking her time today, since it was an emergency."
Athrun's face saddened as Stellar told them about Cagalli.
"Why don't you join me for lunch instead? It's payback for ehem… missing Cagalli" Stellar offered as she lead them to the dining room.
As they ate lunch, Stellar noticed the bag Athrun brought.
"Hey, Athrun, what's with the bag?" Stellar asked "Oh, are those some of the files you were to talk about with Cagalli?"
"Uh, yeah…" Athrun replied.
"I'm terribly sorry, why don't you just leave them here and I'll give them to Cagalli when she returns home later." Stellar offered, bit she knew Cagalli didn't have time to read those files.
"Nah, I appreciate the offer but I think I'll just talk it with her some other time when she's available" Athrun replied, forcing a smile.
"Okay, then" Stellar replied.
"What's Cagalli's meeting about?" Shin asked "How could it take her so long? She always wants to speed things up"
"I don't know what the meeting is about, but it must be really important" Stellar answered "She left a few hours ago, maybe it had something to d—"
Myrna came in "Excuse me for interrupting your lunch, Miss Stellar"
"That is okay, Myrna" Stellar replied "What is it?" Stellar looked at Myrna with a worried expression.
"There is a phone call for you" Myrna replied kindly and handed the wireless phone to Stellar.
"Hello, Stellar Athha speaking. Who is this?" Stellar asked.
"Uh, guys, can I um, take this outside?" Stellar asked Shin and Athrun.
"Yeah, sure" Shin nodded.
"Thanks!" Stellar stood up an exited the room and closed the door behind her.
"What do you want from me, Yuufa?" Stellar said angrily on the phone.
"Don't talk to me in that tone, Stellar!" Yuufa yelled "You know very well what my brother and I could do to you and of course what we can do to your sister"
Stellar gritted her teeth and swallowed her pride "I… I'm sorry, Yuufa." Her fists were shaking in anger "What do you want from me?"
"That's better," Yuufa giggled "I want you to meet me later at the cafe. You know which café I'm talking about. I will see you there in fifteen minutes." And with that, Yuufa hung up.
Then Stellar went in the inning room and smiled apologetically "I'm so terribly sorry! There's this business thing I really have to go to, I'm sorry!"
"It's okay, Stellar" Shin said kindly "We'll just come another time" Then Shin pecked Stellar on the cheek.
"Thanks for understanding, Shin" Then Stellar ran to her room and got changed. Then she ran back downstairs, and used her car.
Stellar grippe the steering wheel tight as she was nearing her destination, she parked her car in front of the café. As she went out, she saw a purple haired female a bit younger than her sitting on one of the tables of the café. Stellar walked over to her and sat across her.
"Good that you have made it before time" the girl smiled evilly.
"What is it that you want, Yuufa?" Stellar asked in an angry tone.
"I told you before not to speak to me in that tone" Yuufa replied an Stellar kept quiet "For starters, I want you to tell that no good sister of yours to pack her bags. My brother just had this money earning appointment at America, and since he wont be able to return on time, Cagalli will fly to America in four days. That means she'd be leaving on the 24th"
"But…" Stellar was cut off by Yuufa.
"I know, Christmas." Yuufa smirked "Won't that be a nice gift for Cagalli? A gift that would end her waiting"
"How are you" Stellar yelled.
"Hush now, Stellar" Yuufa said "This isn't any of my fault, this was both you and your sister's fault in the first place. You two went up against my brother and here's the prize. Go home now and tell that pathetic sister of yours what to do"
"If my sister is that pathetic in your eyes why do this!" Stellar asked.
"Because I want her to suffer for the rest of her life" Yuufa said plainly "And I also want you to suffer. You can't do anything and I mean anything with out your sister by your side. That's why I'm doing this, everything needs sacrifices, Stellar. And I'm sure you, the daughter of Uzumi Athha, understand that very well. Each time the both of you disobey, a friend of yours would be erased from this world. So you should listen to what we say and fulfill it!"
"Whatever you say, Yuufa" Stellar glared at her before leaving.
Then Yuufa went home. When Yuufa entered the house the maids greeted her on the way…
"Miss Yuufa, Sir Yuuna wants to have a word with you in his office immediately" One of the maids said.
Then Yuufa dismissed the maid and went to Yuuna's office…
"Have you done what you were supposed to do, Yuufa?" Yuuna asked sharply.
"Yes, Yuuna, that path— I mean, Cagalli will be leaving ORB in four days" Yuufa murmured.
Yuuna stood up from his chair and went behind Yuufa's shaking body.
"What did you just say a while ago, Yuufa?" Yuuna whispered on her ear dangerously.
"I'm sorry, Yuuna. It was an accident" Yuufa shut her eyes.
"I didn't ask for an apology, Yuufa! I asked you what you said!" Yuuna yelled on her ear.
"I-I s-said pathetic…" Yuufa murmured.
"What was that?! I can't hear you well!" Yuuna yelled.
"I said pathetic" Yuufa murmured again, then turned around heading to the door.
As Yuufa exited the room, she bumped into a vase and the vase broke.
"That is it! I have had enough of you, klutz!" Yuuna pulled Yuufa's hair and threw her on the wall.
Yuufa hit her back hard on the wall causing her to feel dizzy and all. Yuuna grabbed her collar and punched her face. Then he kicked her on the stomach, and continued on beating her up.
Blood slowly dripped from Yuufa's head down to her shirt and to the floor. Yuuna punched Yuufa anywhere his fists could land on, punching her hard and it was brutal.
"Yuuna… Please… Stop…" Yuufa cried "AH!" Yuuna punched Yuufa once more on the face and she fainted.
Meanwhile, Stellar reached back her house. Then she walked to Cagalli's room. When she got in, she saw Cagalli lying on her bed as if she was bed ridden.
"Cagalli…?" Stellar said sweetly but in a low voice "How're you doing?"
"Fine… I guess…" Cagalli replied in a very low voice.
"Hey, I've got good news and um… well… more bad news… But which do you want to hear first?" Stellar asked as she sat beside Cagalli's bed.
"Give me the good" Was Cagalli's quick reply.
"Well, good news is that Shin and Athrun came for—" Stellar was cut off by Cagalli.
"I knew that, go on with the bad" Cagalli commanded.
"Well, Yuufa called and told me to meet her at a café" Stellar said sadly as she stroked Cagalli's hair "I went, and she told me that… You'd be…"
Tears fell from Stellar's eyes and landed on Cagalli's bed.
"That you'd be… Be… going to America…" Stellar cried, she placed her hands on her face "The bastard would… meet… you there…" Stellar sobbed and continued "In… Four days…"
"I'd never go" Cagalli replied bravely.
"But, they are going to kill our friends! The people close to us, Cagalli, I don't know who to follow or to believe anymore! I don't want you to go, and I don't want our friends to die. But we can't do anything about this anymore!" Stellar cried on Cagalli "It was a written contract! It was valid!"
"Oh, Stellar…" Cagalli cried along with Stellar when se was trying to comfort Stellar but she ended up crying with her.
At the Zala mansion, Shin was feeling a bit uneasy. He felt as if Stellar was hiding something from him, and he shared this with Athrun.
"You're telling me that all this feelings your having has something to do with Yuufa and Yuuna Seyman?" Athrun asked his brother.
"Yeah, Yuufa is Yuuna's adopted sister" Shin explained as he paced back and forth "I overheard Stellar talking on the phone with Yuufa angrily, and Myrna looked worried. Athrun, it has something to do with them"
"Well, do you have proof to that, bro?" Athrun asked.
"No, but all I need is that being told to me from their mouths!" Shin said as he grabbed the phone and dialed the Athha residence.
"Hello? Athha residence may I help you?" Myrna answered.
"Hey, Myrna, it's me, Shin" Sin replied "I need to ask you---"
"Master Shin, I have something to tell you. But not here on the phone." Myrna whispered.
"Very well, where can I meet you?" Shin asked.
"I'll be going there, please. This is serious" Then Myrna hung up.
"Who was that, Myrna?" Stellar asked.
"It was a prank call, Miss" Myrna lied "Miss, may I go out for the day? My brother is in town for the day"
"Very well, Myrna" Stellar said.
Myrna left in thirty minutes to the Zala residence.
At the Zala residence…
"When will she arrive?" Shin said to himself impatiently.
"Cut it out will you?" Athrun barked back "Look, I feel for you cause I feel a bit uneasy too. But not for Stellar but for Cagalli, so quit pacing around, you don't see me pacing around right?"
"Right! Okay, I should just stay calm" Shin sighed as he sat down.
Five minutes later…
"I mean, what if it's really dangerous? Or something!" Athrun whined as he paced in circles in front of Shin "Or what if, he murdered Cagalli! And Stellar was being used so that she wouldn't be in trouble!"
"And you tell me to stay calm!" Shin said out loud.
Then the doorbell rang, a maid answered it and Myrna ran to Shin and Athrun in the living room.
"Myrna!" Both Shin and Athrun chorused.
"Sir, please help Miss Cagalli and Miss Stellar…" Myrna begged.
"What happened, Myrna?" Athrun asked.
"Miss Cagalli received a folder of papers yesterday and it contained a contract" Myrna explained.
"What kind of contract?" Shin asked.
"I don't know, I haven't read it" Myrna replied "But, I over heard the mistresses saying that Miss Cagalli was to marry Yuuna Seyman on or before New Year. It was a will of Master Uzumi, but I do not believe so."
"Master Uzumi would never set the goals or the lives of his daughters, he'd make them choose freely and not to follow orders" Myrna continued "That was a fake contract, yet it seemed so true."
"What else did you over hear, Myrna?" Athrun asked.
"Well, I did get to read some of it, it said that if Miss Cagalli doesn't have a partner before New Year she'd marry him, but if she did then the marriage would be cut off!"
Athrun looked at his bag, the gift was still there. And there was still a chance to free Cagalli from everything!
Athrun, Shin and Myrna talked more about the contract and everything.
Athrun was so sure that on the following day, he'd rescue her.
At the Athha residence…
"Myrna lied to Miss Stellar a few hours ago" Two maids were gossiping as they walked in the hallways.
"Really?" The other maid exclaimed.
"Yes, she was talking to Sir Shin and she told Miss Stellar that it was a prank call" The other maid replied.
"Hold it, both of you! What did you say?" Stellar stopped them "Myrna talked to Shin?!"
"Yes, Miss Stellar" The maids chorused.
"Thank you, you may go" Then Stellar went inside Cagalli's room.
Stellar sat beside Cagalli.
"What's wrong, Stellar?" Cagalli asked.
"They know already" Stellar replied.
"Who knows what?" Cagalli asked.
"Shin and Athrun know about the contract, the maids overheard Myrna talking to Shin on the phone and Myrna then told me it was a prank call. Myrna went to Shin and Athrun's but told me that she was going to meet her brother. She told them, Cagalli." Stellar replied.
"That's no threat, Stellar" Cagalli replied "At least, they would be on their guard if Yuuna or Yuufa were to attack them"
TO BE CONTINUED…
A/N: That was the tenth chapter of my X-mas fic! Hope you liked it! So read and review! And before I forget to mention, I won't update unless I get another seven (7) reviews. Thanks for the reviews, okay? Keep it coming! Sorry if it's short, I have writers block… But I will still update. I have thought thoroughly about the next chapter. So update to find out!
Please also read and review my other fics: Maybe, Don't Leave Me Alone, Vampires, Jokes and Harmony, Deadly Love, and Only Friends.