( Hi! I discovered I really liked writing these AU 'what if' chapters lmao. So this is another one (although with some tweaking it could have been after GSD)

Thankies to all my friends who review my stories, it means so much to me..

Thanks also to my friends on the forums, who help me think of ideas, especially Jadzia (aka irishdragon). She helps me far more than she realises, and sometimes she should get co-author credit on these stories. :hugs her: Thanks! )

Disclaimer (I remembered it): Erm...still no.

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The alarm blared out it's early morning call, causing the woman in the bed to awaken, then grumble and begin to push the bedcovers back. Sometimes Murrue wished she lived closer to her job, then she didn't have to get up at 6AM...

Her annoyance only increased when she found that, for some reason, she couldn't get out of bed. Something was holding her back. Turning her head to the left, she could only sigh as she saw the reason for her restraint. Mwu lay beside her, fast asleep, face as innocent as a child's. He lay on his side, as his back was still swathed in bandages due to the still-healing burns he had recieved.

Murrue huffed a little. I've told him more than a dozen times to stay in the other room until he gets better. But he never listens... I'm going to start locking him in if this carries on...

Gently lifting his arm from around her waist, she paused as he stirred, then opened his eyes. He noticed she was awake, and gave her a sleepy smile. "Morning.."

Murrue gave him a stern look. "Good morning. Now, what did I tell you?"

Mwu wrapped his arm around her again and nuzzled close to her. "Awww, but I was lonely.." he whined, trying to kiss her.

She sighed, and stroked his hair softly. "But your burns will never heal fast this way. And you hate it when I have to change the bandages.."

He smiled, and kissed her gently on the lips. "Some things are worth a little discomfort..."

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As they drove to work, they discussed the things that they would be doing that day. Mwu was due to be testing a new Orb mobile suit that was still in production, code-named 'Murasame'. He wasn't able to tell Murrue much about it, as it was still meant to be a secret, but he was really looking forward to it, as it was the first time he'd had the opportunity to pilot anything since the end of the war. Murrue was worried, but she didn't let him see, as he was so excited about it.

"So what will you be up to, then?"

She shook her head. "Nothing nearly as exciting as what you have planned. Just maintenence on Kusanagi."

As they reached the Morgenroete shipbuilding facility, Mwu dropped her off outside, and kissed her goodbye. She waved as he drove away, smiling happily. She was so happy that she had this life with him, and was so used to having him around, that sometimes she rather took advantage of it, knowing that he would always be there. But she wasn't happy about him testing new mobile suits, as it reignited the familiar worry in her heart that something bad might happen to him...

That afternoon, after the maintenence was finished, she was sitting in the hangar bay on a packing crate with Erica, eating lunch. It was quiet and peaceful, and Murrue was just about to open the flask she had with her and pour a cup of coffee.

Until suddenly, a pair of strong arms wrapped around her waist, and she felt kisses on her neck. Murrue jumped violently, and spun around, almost falling off the crate. Mwu stood there with a happy smile on his handsome face, eyes twinkling.

"W-what are you doing all the way out here?" she stuttered when she'd got her breath back. He just grinned.

"I wanted to see you. We can eat lunch together!"

She frowned. "You can see me when we get home..."

Erica was chuckling. "It's okay, Murrue. Go eat your lunch with Fllaga-san. I don't mind. And it's nice that he came all the way out here to see you." She waved away any protests Murrue had, and just smiled.

The pair ate their lunch together on a walkway overlooking the ships, chatting about their morning. Murrue was relieved to hear that the testing for the new MS went well, and that he was okay.

"How's your back feeling?"

Mwu wiggled his arms around, and winced a little. "A bit sore, but nothing I can't handle"

"That's good to know." she replied with a smile. Despite her protests and scolding, she was happy that he'd come to see her, and she wished lunch didn't have to end...

Later in the afternoon, Erica motioned to Murrue to come into her office. Murrue was rather worried she'd done something wrong, but her friend's smile reassured her.

"Murrue, you know that I don't mind you eating lunch with Fllaga-san. He is your boyfriend after all.."

The younger woman flushed pink, and looked at the floor. "I...I...he's so affectionate sometimes it can be embarrassing..."

Erica laughed. "Don't knock it. It's nice that he cares so much for you." Then her face became serious. "But also, don't take advantage of it."

Murrue frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Well, you were able to find someone in the middle of a war, was able to fall in love and have that love returned, and you didn't lose that someone to the war."

"I almost did..."

Erica smiled. "Yes, but the point is that you didn't. And you're incredibly lucky for that. Some of the women working here lost their lovers or husbands in the war, either through accident or in battle. Your loved one survived thanks to what must have been a miracle. Now, do you remember how you felt in that space of time when you thought Fllaga-san was dead?"

Murrue gasped, and closed her eyes, an expression of pain crossing her pale face. She remembered all too well how she felt. It had felt like her heart had been ripped out, and she had barely been able to stop crying. When Kira had called out that they'd found Mwu, and he was alive, the relief had been almost too much to bear.

She nodded silently.

"Then try and imagine how it must be to feel like that all the time. Then remember how fortunate you are that he's alive. Treasure your time with him, don't push him away."

That night, Murrue thought long and hard about what Erica had told her. She was so subdued and quiet, it made Mwu very worried, and he tried everything he could to make her smile, cracking jokes, tickling her, making her favourite dessert, but she only smiled a little.

"Are you all right?" he asked finally, taking her hand. She looked up, and gave him the same small smile.

"Yes, I'm fine. Thank you."

Mwu sighed, and squeezed her hand. "You know if something's bothering you, you can talk to me about it...Come on now, we should get some sleep."

He made his way to the spare room, but he stopped when he saw her standing outside the main bedroom. "What is it?"

She held out her hand to him, and smiled again. "Come on."

Mwu blinked. "Really? But I thought that..." She shook her head. "It doesn't matter."

As the couple climbed into the bed together, Murrue snuggled up to Mwu with a soft sigh, nestling her head on his shoulder.

He wasn't really meant to lay on his back just yet, but as he had said earlier...this was worth the discomfort. He wrapped his arms around her slender waist, and she curled a hand around his T-shirt, as if she was afraid to let go of him.

"Hey, are you all right?"

She nodded, and nuzzled even closer. "Yes. Just thinking about how lucky I am". She raised her head from his shoulder and looked at him in the semi-darkness. "I love you..."

Mwu smiled happily, and kissed her softly. "I love you too, Murrue.."

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( Lol, remember, you never know what you have until you lose it. Murrue-san must understand that in GSD, but in this version, she gets reminded.

Please read and review, okay? )