Disclaimer: Gundam Seed so does not belong to me.
A/n: WOOHOO! Exams are OVER! Oh yeah! And then there's going to be intramurals in our school, and then semestral break of course. Can't wait! Anyway, I'm sure you wanna go and read now, so go. And remember to leave a review, okay?
Chapter 4: I'm with someone yet think of another
December 5 CE 77 10:31 pm
It was about ten-thirty in the evening. Cagalli just sat there in the waiting room, waiting. Waiting for what the doctor would say. If her father was going to die… or something.
She wished Athrun was there with her, right beside her, to tell her everything was going to be fine. Even though things seemed to be going far from fine.
Did I do the right thing, breaking up with him? She thought. She'd answered that question two years ago. Yet now she wasn't as sure as she was before.
Cagalli lost her mother, who she didn't even know, and she lost Athrun. Was she losing her father?
Her mobile phone vibrated in her pocket. She answered it.
"Hello?"
"Cagalli?"
"A-Athrun…"
"I just want to talk, okay?" he said.
"Yeah, sure," was all Cagalli could say at the moment. Tears were starting to flood out of her eyes once again. She tried not to make it obvious to Athrun, but obviously he knew Cagalli too well.
"What's wrong? Are you crying?"
"No… no I'm not. So you're in ORB now?" Cagalli said, changing the subject.
"Yeah. In fact, I'm right outside your house," Athrun said a matter-of-factly.
"I'm not in my house, you idiot," Cagalli replied. Athrun heard her sigh. "I'm in the hospital."
"You are?"
"It's my dad, okay? He was shot at by someone. An anti-government person, maybe."
"I'm sorry," Athrun said softly.
"He's not dead yet," Cagalli said firmly. "Don't write him off."
"Listen, I'll meet you there. Which hospital are you in?"
Cagalli told him, and he hung up.
And at that moment, a doctor in a neat white uniform came over, not looking too happy.
December 6 CE 77 8:04 am
Shawn and Fllay shared one last kiss before he left. He was going to ORB again. The place where Mwu found him, two years ago.
He gave his fiancée a wave goodbye. Fllay did the same. Shawn then turned his back and dragged his trolley with him.
Shawn was going to miss her, but he was only going away for a month, right? Little did he know that a lot was going to happen during that month.
A bodyguard or two were behind him, and his secretary beside him. He was given a folder of papers by the latter, which Shawn scanned. Yes, he had a busy life.
As he read the last page, which had the names of the owners of Clyne Enterprises, he stopped on one. Lacus Clyne.
The girl in my dreams, he thought. He had a feeling that, somehow, this person was going to have a big impact on him when he did meet her. But he shook it off and boarded the plane. He sat down. Shawn didn't know how much time had passed before the plane taxied. Not long after that though, he drifted into a not so dreamless sleep.
"So, who's this guy?" Shawn asked Lacus. He was getting crushed inside. He had feelings for her, but he couldn't bring himself to say it.
His best friend avoided his gaze.
"Please tell me," Shawn said gently.
"You'll never come near me again if I told you," Lacus said, lowering her head.
Shawn turned her around. He saw her crying.
"I don't care who he is, Lacus," he said, as Lacus buried her face on his shoulder. Shawn stroked her hair, playing with it a little. He was going to treasure this moment, which might be his last. Lacus didn't like him that way, after all.
"It's you, Kira! It's you," she said, her voice muffled. But Shawn had heard her clearly.
"Me?" He couldn't believe it. He felt like…
The happiest man in the world. That must be me right now, he thought, hugging Lacus tightly. Never wanting to let go.
December 5 CE 77 10: 27 pm
Athrun quickly made his way to St. Lazarus Medical Center after talking with Cagalli. She needed him. He was sure of that. And he didn't care about any goddamn paparazzi following him, either.
The automatic sliding doors opened, letting him in the building. He went to the reception area and asked, "Where's Representative Attha's room?"
"Your name, sir?" the nurse said.
"Athrun Zala," he replied. A few moments of silence ensued.
"Room 104, sir."
"Thanks," Athrun said quickly, his walk quickening to a trot as he scanned the room numbers. He stopped in front of room 104. He took a deep breath and turned the knob.
"Cagalli, hey," he said, entering. The blond-haired girl was sitting on a chair at one corner of the room, in front of a small table, her hands hiding her face. He heard faint sounds which sounded to him like she was crying.
Athrun walked to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. Cagalli let her hands drop. She looked up at him.
"Athrun."
"It's nice to see you too," he said with a small smile on his face, which changed into an expression of surprise when Cagalli suddenly stood up and hugged him.
"I… I'm glad you came," she said, her voice barely heard.
"Really?"
"Don't make me say it again."
"Okay, I won't. Are you alright now?"
Cagalli pulled away from Athrun's embrace. Looking away, she said, "My father's going to need blood to stay alive."
"Maybe I can-,"
"His blood type's AB. Yours isn't," Cagalli said flatly.
"What about yours?"
"I'm anemic. I can't donate my blood."
"I'll help you find blood donors," Athrun suggested. "You might want to ask the Council members of ORB if they can help."
"I can manage things by myself, thanks," Cagalli retorted, though she inwardly agreed with Athrun's idea.
"You said your father needs blood, didn't you? We can't stay here bickering at each other and doing nothing."
Cagalli fell silent. Athrun looked away.
"Sorry," he said.
"No, you're… you're right. Tomorrow, could you come with me?"
Athrun nodded. She's changed, he thought. But she's still the same Cagalli I know. How's that possible?
"So… are we both okay?" Athrun dared to ask. Cagalli answered after a minute or two. Not with words, but with a kiss on Athrun's cheek.
"I'll take that as a 'yes'."
December 6 CE 77
A day passed. Lacus was barely awake. It was 6:30 am.
Last night, like the other night, she couldn't sleep properly. It was impossible. After more than twenty-four months of trying not to think about Kira, here she was breaking her own rule. And the worst part was that her thoughts of him often came at night.
She decided to get up and prepare for the meeting with Munchausen electronics, and Shawn Frost, the co-owner and the so-called Kira look-alike.
12: 10 pm
Meanwhile, Shawn had just gotten off the plane he'd boarded sixteen hours ago. That dream he had, it was still on his mind.
Am I being unfaithful or something? He thought. He was with Fllay yet he was constantly thinking about someone else, though only in his dreams.
"Sir?" the chauffeur said, snapping Shawn back to the real world. He opened the limousine door and let the young man in.
"Thanks," Shawn said.
"Chairman Frost," his secretary said, "Would you like something to drink?"
"Nah, I'm okay."
The secretary nodded.
"You don't have to be so polite around me, James," Shawn told him.
"That's exactly what Chairman La Flaga told me," James replied. "Like father, like son. Even though you might not be his real son."
"I guess," Shawn agreed.
"Anyway, we're almost there."
"Almost where?"
"Here," James said, and the limo stopped. Shawn let down the tinted window. It was a huge building, maybe sixty storeys or something. The chauffeur went out and opened the door for him. Shawn went out.
A welcoming committee was waiting for him when he got inside the building. He was used to this. After all, he'd attended countless meetings and conferences with Mwu. So why should this one be any different?
The answer was revealed to him, a few moments later, when he laid eyes on a particular pink-haired woman.
Shawn couldn't believe it. It was her, the girl he'd always been dreaming of. He couldn't stop looking at her. Not right then.
Lacus' and Shawn's eyes met for the first time.
"Kira?"
Shawn was uncertain of what to say.
"Ah, Lacus," Siegel Clyne said, "I see you've met him. Director Clyne, this is Chairman Shawn Frost form Munchausen electronics."
Lacus just stared. He looked exactly like Kira, but he was Kira, to state the obvious.
Shawn quickly regained his composure. "Hello, Miss Clyne," he said politely, extending his hand. Lacus lowered her head and looked at the smooth polished floor. Shawn withdrew his hand and let it hang at his side.
"Please excuse her," Siegel said. "She's not feeling well today."
"Ah. That's alright," Shawn said, pretending to be unfazed by Lacus' actions.
"Let's proceed, shall we?"
Shawn nodded. He saw Lacus whisper something to her father, and then she excused herself and walked to the elevator. His eyes were following her even as the elevator closed.
a/n: Well, I think that was frikin' boring. Anyway, even I don't know what's gonna happen next. Well, I have an idea, but you'll have to wait till next week. Don't forget to review! By the way, if you get confused with Shawn/Kira's flashbacks, just think: "Shawn" is "Kira."
