Hi!

This chapter was really hard to write so I hope you enjoy it. Please review, it means a lot to me and I need ideas! I don't know how to end my story! I'm suffering from major writer's block so any ideas will help me a lot. Thanks and enjoy.

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Seed, Gundam Seed Destiny or any other references to the series.

Abhorrence

Chapter #9: No Deal

"This is ridiculous," Cagalli muttered as she drew up her coat against the cold breeze that seeped through her winter jacket. "It's 12:10am… Jibril should be here by now." She glanced up at Kira worriedly. "You don't think something happened do you?"

"I don't know," Kira answered in truth and stepped up behind his sister. He could see that her teeth were chattering though he couldn't tell whether or not it was due to the cold or concern for Athrun. Rubbing his hands up and down her arms, he tried to warm her. He watched as the plume of his breath vanished in the frosty air and looked up sleepily at the sign above his head that read "Aua's Pub."

"Are you sure this is the right place?"

"Oh course I'm sure," Cagalli snapped. "You think I would forget something that important?"

"I didn't mean that," Kira was quick to defend himself. "I'm just worried – that's all."

Cagalli's expression softened as she gently raised a hand to brush some of the snow off of Kira's head. "I know," She whispered, sadly. "We all are."

For a few moments there was a peaceful silence as the siblings watched the snow fall from the blackened sky. The moon shone brightly and the street lights added welcome illumination to the lonely alley the two found themselves in. Unconsciously, Cagalli dug her hands in her pockets and felt around to make sure that she still had the check Lacus had given her. Feeling the crumpled paper against her fingers, she forced herself to relax.

"You really like him, don't you?" Kira asked suddenly causing Cagalli to start in surprise.

"What?" She scowled. "This is hardly the time to be discussing things like that."

"I just thought that you would want to know that…" Kira hesitated before finishing. "That the feelings you have for him… are mutual."

Cagalli blinked. She and Athrun had been inseparable for the past year yet in spite of everything, not once had either of them said a formal, I love you. Not once had either or them dared to discuss the possibility of a future together. The focus had always been to live for the moment but deep down, Cagalli had always known how much Athrun loved her.

"He… he told you that?"

Kira nodded lightly. "Last time I saw him. I just thought you might want to know that… regardless of what might happen tonight."

Cagalli shuddered and turned away, feeling as if she might cry. Her heart tightened and she hugged herself tightly. "Athrun…" She whispered to the darkness and almost wished that he would just appear from the depths of the alley and draw her close to him, telling her that everything would be ok.

Sensing a sudden change in Cagalli's mood, Kira swallowed and shifted in an attempt to get her to look at him. Cagalli refused and pulled further away. "You should probably go hide, Kira," She told him huskily. "We can't risk having someone see you here with me. I'm supposed to be alone."

"Oh… ok…" Kira gradually made his way across the alley to where two buildings joined. There was a gap in between them and Kira managed to wiggle himself in between the two. Out of the watchful light illuminating from the street lights, he seemingly vanished, swallowed by the night. He wriggled back as far as he could and held his breath.

Cagalli sighed and leaned against the pub while crossing her arms impatiently. Time seemed to slow as she checked her watch again. 12:15am.

"I'm so terribly sorry."

"Gah!" Cagalli jumped and spun around to find herself face to face with none other than Jibril. His dark eyes glimmered as he smiled widely at her. She tensed, feeling the hair on the back of her neck stand at end as she dug into her pocket and quickly pulled out Lacus' check.

"You're late." She hissed, her words like toxic and she held out the check. "Here is a check for 15 million as you requested. Where is Athrun like you promised?"

"Oh yes… well that's what I came to talk to you about," Jibril circled her like a shark, his teeth bared in a cruel grin. "A few things came up."

"I don't understand," Cagalli felt her grasp on the situation beginning to slip. Her hand dropped as her eyes followed him as he continued to move about her like one would their prey. "You said 15 million dollars and I have it right here. Where is Athrun?"

Jibril laughed, his chortling vile to Cagalli's ears and she cringed. "You are sneaky, Miss. Cagalli. You didn't tell me that I was holding Athrun ZALA prisoner - one of the few individuals alive and responsible for the destruction of Heliopolis. Did that just slip your mind?"

Cagalli's breath hitched as her eyes fixed on the dark purple orbs of the Blue Cosmos leader. She licked her dry lips and opened her mouth, choosing her words very, very carefully. A cold breeze swept over and she shivered from more than the just the chill. "Athrun was not responsible for that – not that it really matters. What difference does it make who he is? Fact is, you grabbed an innocent man off of the street and are holding him for ransom. All of which is against the law."

Kira watched from the crevice in between the two buildings as Cagalli and the stranger exchanged words. He couldn't make out everything and squinted. The darkness was making it difficult to see and the two of them had moved out from beneath the light of the street lamps that hovered over them. Tensing against the icy brick against his back, Kira's eyes moved wildly as he monitored the area for anyone else. Surely Athrun couldn't be far.

"That is where you are wrong," Jibril out-stretched his arms, his hands resting against the wall of Aua's pub, and forced Cagalli up against it. Leaning into her, Jibril sighed as his left hand caught a lock of her blonde hair in between his fingers. He watched her openly shudder and grinned, playing nonchalantly with the golden tress of hair. "Knowing who your friend is makes all the difference in the world. Now that Athrun and I are better acquainted, I've decided that I don't want to part with his company just yet. In other words, you can keep your money."

"Wha… what…" Cagalli gasped before quickly recovering. "No! You can't! We had a deal!"

"That's right," Jibril chirped. "We had a deal but now, we don't."

"You're sick!" Cagalli shrieked and lashed at Jibril. Her fist caught him above the chin and he staggered back. Recoiling, Jibril raised a hand to wipe the blood from his now-bleeding lip and frowned.

Cagalli lunged at him like a cat to deal a second blow but Jibril was ready for her this time. He caught her wrist in mid-air and twisted. She gasped and jerked backward but he held on.

"Athrun never hurt you! Why can't you just leave him alone?"

"Because he is a Coordinator!" Jibril raged. "He deserves to be punished!"

Up to this point, Kira had remained silent, watching the scene unfold. The man was shouting hysterically at Cagalli and he could only assume that things were not going well. He considered intervening but hesitated. When he saw the man raise a hand to his sister though, all he saw was red and leapt into action.

A loud cry tore from his throat as he shot out of the darkness from where he had been hiding and tackled the man to the ground. Cagalli screamed and fell backward into a drift, spraying the other two with silver snowflakes as they wrestled violently in the snow. Kira dodged a wild fist and scrambled to straddle the man and pin him.

Kira didn't waste a second, knowing that he'd loose his advantage if Jibril ever came to his senses and landed a solid blow to Jibril's left eye. Jibril was taller and had a further reach than Kira and Kira knew all too well from experiences with Athrun the disadvantages of fighting someone who was taller than you.

Struggling, Jibril twisted and turned beneath Kira but despite his efforts, Kira was too quick and managed to straddle him. Jibril had no place to go. Flaying his arms up, he fought to grab hold of Kira's flailing fists to prevent any further injury but grimly discovered that Kira was a man driven and all he could do was block the blows that were raining down on him.

The shock of Kira's attack had quickly worn off but the reasoning behind it still eluded him. What was going on? His expression darkened as he realized that Cagalli must have brought him along. She hadn't been alone.

"I ought to kill you!" Kira sputtered as he viciously backhanded Jibril across the face, splitting both his lips. "Don't you dare touch my sister!"

Bringing his fist back, Kira trembled with rage as he brought it down and Jibril just managed to jerk his head to the side to avoid taking the brute of the blow in the jaw. Instead of hitting its intended target, Kira's fist connected squarely with Jibril's upper shoulder and almost immediately Jibril's left arm fell to the ground, numbed by the pain that had seared through the entire limb.

Jibril gritted out a curse that couldn't be heard as he brought up his right leg and wrapped it around Kira's own. He pulled hard causing Kira to jerk upwards and taking advantage of the moment that was perhaps his only chance to escape his vulnerable position, Jibril rolled out from beneath his attacker.

Again he scrambled to regain his footing but failed when his left leg bucked, bringing him back down to his knees. Wincing, Jibril ground his teeth together and with a final attempt, pushed himself to his feet.

"Have you gone crazy?" He shouted at Kira as the boy rapidly rebounded and prepared for a second assault. Limping backwards, Jibril held out his hands in defense and shook his head. "What's wrong with you?"

"Kira, stop it!" Cagalli shouted and leapt to her feet. Franticly, she rushed forward to intercept Kira as he lunged at Jibril, his fists flying. "Stop it!"

"Don't you ever try to hurt Cagalli again!" Kira roared, ignoring Cagalli's plea. "What have you done with our friend!"

"What?" Jibril frowned and winced as he could feel the skin around his eye already beginning to bruise. Stumbling backward, while clutching his left shoulder painfully, Jibril took in the faces of the enraged boy and the distraught young girl.

"You heard me!" Kira snarled and pointed menacing at him. "Tell us where Athrun is right now! Otherwise, I'll break you apart!"

"Oh, I understand," Jibril sneered as he moved away from them. "You're another friend of Athrun's aren't you? Well you both may as well forget about him! You want to know what's going to happen to your precious Athrun?" He threw his head back and laughed before focusing again on the two before him.

"What are you going to do to him!" Cagalli spat and as she moved forward, Kira held out a hand to stop her.

"He's going to die! When I'm through with him, I will put him out of his misery!"

There was an icy silence between the Blue Cosmos leader and the twins before Kira stepped forward. "You can't be serious. If you do anything I swear I'll…"

"You'll what?" Jibril rolled his eyes as he distanced himself, fading from their line of vision. "Kill me? Do you really think that would save your friend?"

Cagalli's bottom lip quivered as the realization of just how powerless she really was slammed into her like a physical blow. Her legs suddenly buckled and she dropped to her hands and knees. Sinking the snow, she shook her head as tears of frustration began to gather in the corner of her eyes. The tiny droplets froze as they rolled down her cheeks and she cursed her helplessness.

"Cagalli…" Kira dropped down beside her and wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close. "Cagalli… it's ok… we'll find another way…"

"There… there is no other way," She cried and buried her head in his chest. No longer able to control herself, she sobbed openly into his coat as her lost future with Athrun poured out of her eyes. "If we try anything, they will kill him."

Looking up at him despairingly, she attempted to blink back her tears. "What could they possibly want with him?"

"I… I don't know," Kira mumbled and helped her to her feet. "Come on, we should get you warmed up."

Cagalli didn't argue and let Kira direct her into Aua's pub and out of the cold. Having fallen in the snow, she had just now realized that the snow, that had managed to find its way onto her clothes, had melted and she shivered.

In the small eatery on the edge of the town, the two lonely figures stumbled over to the bar, knowing they wouldn't eat but requested a warm mug of tea to drink each. Cagalli took her beverage over to a table and nearly fell into the chair, exhausted inside and out. Quietly, Kira sat beside her and the two off them watched the TV above them as it displayed the local news.

Cagalli hadn't slept well the previous night and the late-night air had chilled her through and through on her way over to meet Jibril. Wriggling out of her coat, she clutched at her tea, hunching her body to try and get nearer to the warm steam emanating from the hot liquid.

"Well, I am surprised to see you here."

Cagalli jolted upright and spun around to see Unato Saran and his son Yuuna gazing down upon them. She gasped, taken back by their sudden appearance. "What… Representative Saran… what are you doing here?"

The large man wore a heavy grin on his face though it immediately vanished when he caught sight of Kira. Warily, Kira dropped his gaze and pretended to be preoccupied with his drink.

"After your call, I decided it might be best if I come and ensure that these negotiations carry on smoothly. I was also informed that you decided not to go to the assembly today." Unato stated firmly as he sat across the table from Cagalli. "We had no intention of meeting up with you here. We just came by to get a quick drink. You really shouldn't be up at this hour, Cagalli."

"That's right," Yunna piped up and flashed Kira a smug grin. "Especially when you don't have anyone strong enough to protect you."

"She was with me," Kira fired back, feeling threatened. He straightened and shot both of the newcomers the nastiest look he could. "There was nothing to be concerned about."

Yuuna just laughed and shook his head while taking a seat beside his father. "You haven't changed at all, Kira Yamato."

"Neither have you."

Cagalli sighed as the two continued to exchange insults and gazed down into her tea. Staring back at her was the shell of someone she used to know. A confidant, self-righteous young woman with the world ahead of her. Now, all she saw when she gazed down at her reflection was emptiness. Her eyes seemed void of life and she slumped her shoulders in defeat. She couldn't give up on Athrun but… but there just didn't seem to be any way of…

"I'm sorry about your friend," Unato said suddenly, pulling her out of her retched thoughts. "I hope you can understand our position on this and why we couldn't provide the money for the ransom."

"Oh course," Cagalli muttered icily. "Thinking of what's best for everyone."

Everyone but Athrun… She added to herself and took quick sip of her tea. The warmth of the liquid soothed her throat and she did find that she felt marginally better than she had before.

"When father told me that there was trouble, I was so worried," Yuuna announced, causing Kira to roll his eyes. "I'm just relieved that you aren't hurt. I would have fought them all off myself if it meant saving you."

"How flatteringly." Cagalli grumbled and gaped at him when Yuuna reached over and placed his hand on hers. She watched in disbelief as his hand closed around hers and he held it tightly. Her eyes widened as she felt the heat of his hand penetrate her skin and she blenched in disgust. She felt like she had just been burned. Athrun had taken her hand many times but never had it felt as awkward as this.

"You know how much I care about you." Yuuna continued and licked his lips suggestively.

"I can show you which way the Blue Cosmos went," Kira told him, seeing Cagalli's obvious discomfort. "Perhaps if you are feeling bold, you can fight them all off and leave my sister alone."

"I wasn't talking to you." Yuuna snorted.

Unato simply watched as if amused by it all. It was common knowledge that Cagalli had been involved with Athrun Zala, much to his disliking. After leaving ZAFT and the death of his father, Athrun had very little stature or influence behind his name and Unato couldn't comprehend for the life of him why Cagalli was so drawn to the ex-soldier. From what he could tell, it would have been a disaster had the two of them decided to commit to one anther fully. He almost felt fortunate that the Blue Cosmos had 'dealt' with that 'problem' for him. It was almost too convenient.

He smiled at his son as Yuuna continued to stroke Cagalli's hand lovingly. A union between Yuuna and Cagalli would do much, much more in solidifying his power in Orb. The two had so much to bring to one another. Rich, famous, influential, Yuuna had so much more to offer Cagalli… and bringing such a notable figure into his family would help his own personal status within the Orb nation.

"Look," Kira scowled. "Cagalli's been through enough and doesn't need you of all people harassing her."

"I'm not harassing, I'm comforting!"

"You're something alright," Kira grumbled.

Cagalli tuned out of the conversation and glanced up at the television as it played the current news. She didn't know what had possessed her to look up at that particular time but she did. Her voice caught in her throat when her mind registered what it was she was seeing.

"I'd watch your mouth, Yamato."

"Back off, Yuuna…"

"Shut up!" She barked and abruptly stood up to listen to what the broadcaster was saying."

"This just in. The Blue Cosmos have made a public statement regarding the abduction of Athrun Zala, which has just recently been confirmed. Authorities were unaware of the Coordinator's absence but the Blue Cosmos have just declared that they learned through unknown sources that Orb was harboring this young man, whom they also say was involved in the Heliopolis Tragedy. Demanding justice, the group claims that Orb was unprepared to pursue those accountable for the disaster that occurred only one year ago and they are challenging Orb's position as being impartial. Local Earth Force authorities are investigating at this very moment and hopefully we will learn more as the investigation proceeds."

"Oh… oh my god," Cagalli dropped back in her chair, thunderstruck.

"Athrun…" Kira whispered into the air as the broadcast switched over to a new story.

"They are going to use this to discredit Orb." Cagalli muttered, thinking out loud.

Kira turned to his sister. "How can they? It wasn't Athrun's fault all of that happened at Heliopolis."

Unato shook his head and leapt up. His hands slammed down on the table in fury, knocking over Kira's drink and causing both Kira and Cagalli to jump out of their seats. "Well this is just great!" He groaned and motioned to Yuuna.

The younger man nodded and scurried over beside his father as the hefty man pushed past the tables and chairs towards the door. Whirling around, he pointed a finger at Cagalli and shook it at her furiously. "I hope you're satisfied! Now I am going to have to do some serious damage control! Damn it all! You know, it would almost be easier if that friend of yours would just die! As it is, he's creating a lot of trouble!"

With that, Unato left, banging the door shut behind him as Yuuna quickly followed. He threw Cagalli one last smile before he too disappeared back into the night.

Unato's words rattled in Cagalli's mind and she winced inwardly. Now she understood. This is what Jibril had meant when he had said that he wasn't ready to let go of Athrun just yet. Not only was he going to destroy their relationship, he was going to try to destroy the bridges of trust that Orb had created between the Coordinators and the Naturals.

Kira watched as Cagalli pulled Lacus' check out from her pocket for the second time that night. She stared at it for a few minutes as if in a trance. Her next move shocked him. Right then and there, in the middle of the lonely pub, Cagalli ripped up the check into pieces and let them slowly drift to the floor.

Things had somehow managed to go from bad to much, much worse.

TBC

Well, I hope you liked it! Please review! I need ideas and suggestions. Thanks to those who did review. You guys are great! And a special thank you to Kageharu Kaco for helping me with the names of Mr. Saran and his son.

Again, let me know what you think!

Until next time!

Krilyn

Slightly Sinister Sinestra: Yeah, I like my pickpocket guy! Hehehhe, he'll pop up again don't worry and he does become important later. THANKS FOR UPDATING YOUR STORY!

Kageharu Kaco: I'm sorry about the spelling. I read the chapters over and over but still some mistakes seem to sneak through. If you find them, please let me know so I can change them and everyone won't have to suffer through my poor grammar. Hehehe. No, I haven't seen Destiny yet but I've heard what happens… I must say I'm a little disappointed that Athrun and Cagalli don't stay together… cries anywayz, hope you enjoyed the chapter.