Disclaimer: I claim no credit or whatsoever for the characters, but aye, I claim credit for my plot line.
A/N: Chapter Nine, and lots of apologies from the dreadful authoress!
Yzak Jule, a Home-made Volcano
No one talked as they sat round the table, expression glum and down. Lacus was brooding, barely touching the tea and biscuits that had been served, Kira was rubbing his fist with a guilt ridden expression in place, Yzak was cursing, Shiho was clenching her paper cup a little too tight and Dearka and Miri were having a glaring contest.
In more ways than one, this certainly didn't look like a group of people who could work together.
"So, who did it?" There was a moment of silence as the question revolved round the table and heads turned left and right, watching if anyone confessed. "We've been at this for hours. Who did it?" Kira sighed, regretting the aspirin he left in the car.
Silence.
Yzak cursed and stood up approaching the board. Violently he uncapped the marker and started writing furiously on the board; his voice was loud and commanding. "Number one: unknown person uses Kira's mail and e-mails Athrun." There was a loud screech of the marker and everyone winced at the sound, but Yzak went on. "We should worry about how this person attained such information, broke through the security measures on the site and where this person operated from." Throwing the marker down, he took a blue marker and began drawing circles round the words. "Motive, alliance and if he or she would strike once again," he finished and swiveled round. "Questions?"
There was a mixture of bewildered and amused expressions on everyone's faces as they tried to comprehend the information that had been just told to them.
"It's not one of us?" Dearka asked, causing Yzak to close his eyes in annoyance.
"No Elthman, its Santa! Of course its not one of us!" he shouted, throwing the marker straight at him. "Stop day dreaming with lover girl over there and pay attention for once!"
Miri was quick to reply. "Who are you calling lover girl here! I'm not his lover girl!"
Lacus and Kira sighed simultaneously as the meeting was aborted again. With people so likely to flare up at the merest comment, she began to wonder if it was only right to dissolve the entire plan. But with their latest development, it was decided that no actions would be made on the warring pair, but an investigation as to what really happen, would commence.
It was a sunny morning; the birds expressed the same cheeriness as the weather, their melodic voices drifting through the open window and rousing the groggy Cagalli further awake. She was quick on her feet, only stopping once to grace the mirror a quick glance on her choice of outfit. Today was going to be a busy day for her and there wasn't anytime for her to dwindle.
Miri who had just started tucking into the breakfast laid out by Beth the head maid, jumped as Cagalli, taking two steps down the stairs, shouted out her name. The poor secretary barely had time to stuff the toast into her mouth before she was called again, this time with Cagalli already in her shoes.
"Miri, come on! We don't have enough time to eat!" she shouted, turning to shout a command at the butler at the same time. "Shawn, I need the car now!"
There was a sudden hustle and bustle round the front porch as maids and butlers flew to answer her call for a car. Beth muttering comments about Cagalli's bad eating habits stuffed a box hurriedly into Cagalli's hands, her tone motherly and stern at the same time.
"Princess Cagalli!" the chauffeur called out, tipping his hat as Cagalli hastily thanked Beth and literally flew into the car.
Within the seconds the car drove off and Miri who had barely made it to the front door stared at the retreating car, gaping. Beth clucked her tongue just about to console Miri when a sudden screech of car tyres was heard and the sliver Mercedes car was back. A black window scrolled down, revealing a highly irate Cagalli. Miri didn't need further instruction, running down the short flight of steps and into the opened car door.
"DEARKA ELTHMAN!" Yzak hollered, his voice echoing loudly down the corridor. Soldiers of various ranks pressed themselves against the walls immediately, balking as he swept pass them aiming straight for the blond who was currently shamelessly flirting back to a lower ranked voluptuous solider.
"Well, pretty if you'd just let me-" A choke finished his sentence as Yzak dragged him away, ignoring the kicking and choking sounds Dearka was making.
Shiho, who had been expecting them, merely cringed at the sight Dearka was, well aware of how painful it would be to be mercilessly caught in Yzak's death-like grips. Calmly, she stepped aside from the opened door, smiling at the gawking passing trainees, and shut the door.
"You," Yzak hollered, pulling him onto the chair and depositing him there, "have a lot of explaining to do!"
Dearka, who was gasping, arranged his collar, all the while boring holes of anger and disbelief into Yzak's wall. A part of him swore to throttle Yzak and a part of him too afraid to meet his friend's heated gaze. It wasn't every day he got this embarrassed by him and in front of a girl no less!
"Well?" Yzak hissed, patience sorely stretched. "What do you have to say about this idiotic plan of yours?"
Dearka still none to pleased at his treatment stared back glumly. "I have no idea what you're talking about." Shiho closed her eyes in annoyance and muttered a prayer as Yzak stood up slowly, a snarl uglier than before fixed on his face.
"Tell me why," Yzak began, smiling sweetly, emphasizing each word. "Cagalli Yula Athha is now on her way to the city's best Psychiatrist?"
Dearka, still feigning ignorance, huffed, casting his friend a quick glance. "She feels the need for counseling? How would I know!"
The tension between both parties thickened as Yzak, with barely constrained anger, stared back at Dearka, who returned his stare back with haughtiness. Shiho swallowed a lump of saliva that had somehow accumulated through the tensed moment; it seemed the pair of friends could never communicate well enough if some sort of violence wasn't thrown in. It was time to intervene.
"Yzak, stop shouting," she called out, touching his arm hesitantly. "C-Confidentiality, remember?"
The silver haired coordinator was silent for a moment, and then sending a hard glare to Dearka, settled back down into his leather chair, temper now in rein. Dearka shuffled in his chair, deliberately missing Shiho's eyes when he idly allowed his eyes to wander.
"You are insane," Yzak growled, fists clenched. "You made Cagalli Yula Athha visit that monstrosity? That monster, who can't even tell left from right? Who can't understand what a secret is and what a public announcement is? Who suffers from amnesia and half the time goes round, tongue wagging about her clients? Who-"
Dearka yelled a vulgarity, standing abruptly from his chair. "That's my mother you're talking about!"
"Well, let me tell you something, you airhead!" Yzak red faced and shaking with anger shouted out. "Your Mother is brainwashing Cagalli as we speak! She thinks she's on a holy mission from God to help Athrun and Cagalli united in Holy Matrimony! She is not going to keep this plan a secret! You are doomed!"
"So, Sally, you have to help me. I'm pulling all the strings here. When Athrun and Cagalli end up together we shall proclaim ourselves their match maker with- Ah Choo!" Elin Elthman sneezed into the phone, rubbing her nose suspiciously. "Well, sorry about that, Sally. Where were we? Oh, yes! She will be coming by later. I'll direct them to you after my session with her? You're on!"
There was a knock on her door and with barely suppressed excitement she muttered a goodbye to her caller. Elin Elthman arranged her hair prettily, and with a deep breath, pulled herself to full height. "Come in…"
Cagalli had expected a lady with strict blue eyes and hair the whitest shade of white, but in truth, she had not expected a youthful lady with dusky blue eyes and brown flowing cascading hair. Dearka had a mother who had looks that could kill. She certainly did not look like a woman who had given birth to a child once in her lifetime.
"Mrs. Elthman," Cagalli greeted her cheerfully, extending a hand to clasp her outstretched ones. Her hands were warm and smooth to touch reminding her briefly of Athrun's, but the contact was broken hastily as soon as the thought entered her mind.
"How nice of you to engage me, Princess Athha." Elin grinned, eyes flashing with an emotion that made Cagalli shrink into her chair with unease. "I heard you have some problems? However, before we start, though I need you to promise me something."
"Yes?"
Elin smiled, inwardly cheering herself on for the first step of success she would be taking soon. "I need you to be truthful to me and answer all my questions, be it personal or not."
Cagalli didn't know what to make out of such a request, instinct told her that divulging such information would be unwise, yet her mind reasoned that since the lady she had chosen to consult with was Dearka's mother, she could be trusted… right?
Cagalli shifted uncomfortably on the couch, her decision made. "I promise to Mrs. Elthman, this session…it…it would be useful, right?"
"Oh, you will be satisfied with the results!" Cagalli tried to believe her words, but the grin that accompanied unnerved her greatly.
Cagalli watched as Elin Elthman prepared her papers, humming a tuneless tune while she opened and filed different papers. Things had to have gone very wrong for her to be sitting in a Psychiatrist office awaiting her first session. The relationship she had with Athrun weighed heavily on her mind, it seemed the more she tried hating him, the more she found herself thinking of him.
"First question," Elin coughed lightly, drawing Cagalli's attention. "Have you ever dreamt of Athrun Zala?"
Miri who sat outside the room jumped as a scream of disbelief ripped through the peaceful and quiet surrounding. What in the world…
"What kind of a question is that!" Cagalli demanded; uncertainty and outrage written clear across her face.
"Answer the question Princess Athha: Yes or No?"
Cagalli swore, feeling her cheeks redden. "Yes!"
"Right…" Elin scribbled down her thoughts. "Second question, have you ever shared a kiss willingly with Athrun Zala?"
"N-Y-Yes!" Cagalli sputtered, her cheeks reddening more.
"Third question." Elin smiled now, scribbling more furiously. "Have you had sex with him? Was it erotic? Fun? Disgusting, or did you find that you were caught orga-"
"Mrs. Elthman!" Cagalli yelled; her face red with embarrassment. "I never had sex with him and…what do all those questions have to do with helping me!"
Elin laughed, waving Cagalli's concerns aside. "I was just kidding, dear, don't worry. I'll get down to business, now. Don't get overly upset, now." Seeing Cagalli struggle to calm down, Elin waited a few seconds before continuing.
"Can you imagine yourself having babies with him?" The look on Cagalli's face was priceless and it almost elicited a delighted smile on Elin's face, but she schooled herself and maintained a neutral expression. "It is very important you give this question some thought, Miss Cagalli, because your life is hanging on the line now."
She was starting to believe Mrs. Elthman was a fluke. Psychiatrists weren't supposed to act like that! When did they ask such personal questions? Cagalli understood a certain percent of her privacy would be breached, but this seemed a little too much for her to be comfortable with. Now what was this about her life on the line?
"You see, Princess Cagalli." Elin grinned again, unsettling Cagalli. "I have clients who promise me their honest answers, but when we really do go in depth, they decide to pull out. Days later, they come back to me more emotionally and mentally upset and slightly out of their head. Then they wished they had been true to their words and-"
"Fine!" Cagalli sighed, burying her face into her hands with embarrassment. "This entire conversation is strictly confidential right?"
"Of course, Princess!" If only Cagalli knew the fingers Elin had crossed behind her.
A meeting commenced the next day immediately when the news regarding the latest involvement of Dearka's mother spread through the group. Nothing could describe the grave expression Lacus wore as she sat motionless beside Kira, eyes boring invisible holes of guilt into Dearka. It didn't help when his hated nemesis, Miri, smiled and giggled over his discomfort.
"I said I'm sorry!" Dearka exclaimed, unable to bear Lacus's gaze anymore.
Collective sighs and nods began, when Lacus lowered her head. The group taking it as a sign that all was well continued the debate of their next course of action. Meanwhile Dearka was silent. It wasn't his fault that his mother had a knack of digging through his things, and it wasn't his fault that she discovered the paper depicting their next meeting.
It definitely wasn't his fault that she was due in fifteen minutes.
"Dearka!" a voice as sweet as honey, called out, jerking him out of his reverie. Before he could acknowledge her, arms soft and shapely had engulfed his neck in a tight grip. "I've missed you! You hardly come home anymore!"
Dearka hating the attention he was getting, reddened as Miri laughed openly, slapping her palm over her mouth in an attempt to muffle her voice. "Mom, let go! I can't breathe!" he gasped, pushing at her vice-like grip.
"You're making a ruckus, shrew," Yzak snarled.
Instantly, the arms were gone from Dearka's neck. Elin, as if transfixed, turned slowly, finally facing the silver haired coordinator. Dearka sensing a greater problem than his lack of oxygen hurriedly intervened. "Mom, just sit down, we're in the middle of something here. Mom! M-Mom!"
"I thought I'd see you sometime soon again." Elin smiled icily, ignoring Dearka. "I hope you're taking your anger management sessions with more vigor than you last had with me."
"Believe me, I have," Yzak replied.
The situation, already changing for the worse, was rapidly halted by Lacus's warm smile. Her polite conversations averted the oncoming disaster and left Yzak's anger to simmer away. Dearka breathed a little easier, watching his mother settle herself more comfortably into the chair.
"I shall not take up anymore of your precious time," Elin smiled, pulling out a package from her bag. "I have a proposition for the board if you're interested. I am sure this package arouses curiosity within all of you. Well, I have with me an interesting recording of Cagalli Yula Athha's views of Athrun Zala." Dearka groaned inwardly, lowering his head as Yzak flashed him a livid glare.
"The exchange, Mrs. Elthman?" Lacus prompted.
"A recording of her latest plan," Elin replied. "I want to savor the fruits of my success!"
A/N: Don't hit me please! I was really down and my muse upped and left me. This isn't fantastic I know, I'll try harder on the next chapter. I've seriously died along with my muse. There's just no inspiration when I work and await my final results coming soon.
Just hit me with the keyboard, send me a review of how this chapter made you feel. The authoress welcomes everything, bad, bad and even worse.
Love you all loads, not to mention my Beta!