Disclaimer: Gundam Seed will never ever belong to a poor person like me who can't even buy herself a new memory card for her Playstation. (sigh)
a/n: I actually updated! Yay! But I doubt you'll be cheering at the end of this chappie though. Boo. And this fic is definitely not gonna be KiraFllay though it may seem so. Sorry for that. Anyway, read and review, okay? Thankies!
Chapter 6: The question that remains unanswered
December 6 CE 77 10: 39 pm
Shawn was tossing and turning in his sleep again. Yet this time he wasn't dreaming of events that had happened in the past, but of something that never happened.
Two people were standing on top of a fairly tall hill. A brown-haired boy was standing right at the foot of it.
The girl with maroon hair called out to him. "Shawn!" She did not seem to notice the other girl standing a few feet beside her.
"Kira!" the girl with pink hair said. And even from the distance the brunette could see how sad she was, as opposed to the redhead who seemed happy to see him.
The boy was just about to walk up the hill when two hooded people suddenly materialized behind the two girls and proceeded to take them away.
"Hey! Stop! Let them go!" the boy cried out. The men paid them no heed.
"Shawn!" the girl he recognized as Fllay said, afraid. "Help me!"
"Kira!" the girl he recognized as Lacus said, just as scared.
Who was he going to save? He couldn't just rescue both of them. What was he going to do?
Fllay or Lacus? Who mattered more to him?
I don't know, he thought frantically, I don't know, I don't know, I don't know!
Shawn woke up in a cold sweat. He was taking short, sharp breaths. He looked over his shoulder and was relieved that Fllay didn't wake up. He took the time to look at her. She was pretty, even when asleep. Asmall smile tugged at Shawn's lips.
But still, a question was bugging him as he tried to go back to sleep: Who did matter more to him?
10: 45 pm
"That was pretty embarrassing, what happened back there," Athrun said, blushing as he recalled what had happened earlier that day.
Cagalli grunted. "Athrun, can you please not remind me about that?"
"Well…" Athrun trailed off, playing the event on his mind again.
Flashback…
2: 40 pm
Athrun was just about to take the kiss deeper when they heard someone clear his throat. Both of them stopped dead. Cagalli's eyes flew open. She quickly broke contact with the raven-haired boy.
"Um, hi, Father," she said, biting her lip guiltily.
Lord Uzumi gave both of them a stern look. "Cagalli, you know that Mister Zala here is a married man."
"I'm… aware of that."
"I'm sorry, Lord Attha, it's my fault," Athrun said, jumping to Cagalli's rescue.
Uzumi shrugged. "Your father died six months ago, am I right?"
Athrun said, "Yes." He wondered how his father was connected with his and Cagalli's future.
"He was the one who really wanted you and Miss Clyne married you know," Uzumi said. "Which means you can convince Siegel Clyne that you want a divorce with her daughter."
Athrun blinked. He never actually thought of that.
"What if it doesn't work?" Cagalli said, momentarily forgotten by both Athrun and Uzumi.
"It will work, Cagalli," Uzumi assured her. "Siegel's a good man. I'm sure he will comply."
Cagalli was still not sure. "What about Lacus? What will she think?"
"She'll be okay. We're still her friends, after all."
"Athrun," Cagalli said, looking at him quizzically, "What the hell are you thinking now?"
"You."
The simple remark made Cagalli's cheeks turn red, which made Athrun smile.
It's as if those two years never happened, he thought.
"Are you sure Lacus is going to be okay with this?" Cagalli said. She couldn't help but think of the possibility that Lacus could've fallen in love with Athrun during the past twenty four months or so.
Athrun's brows furrowed together. Now that she mentioned it, he didn't know the answer either.
He let it go with a shrug. "We'll know when we tell her about it."
Cagalli sighed. "I missed you, you know," she said, changing the subject.
"I did too," Athrun admitted. "I was afraid to call you though, since you'd probably just slam the phone down on me. Or maybe you wouldn't even answer at all."
"You think you know me," Cagalli muttered. "Unfortunately, you're right."
"Come on," Athrun said. "Let's go." He stood up.
"Where?" Cagalli asked, standing up as well. Athrun took her hand.
"For a walk."
"What about Father?" she said slowly, looking at the said person, who was once again asleep.
"He has guards all over the place, he'll be okay," Athrun said.
I wonder what he's planning, Cagalli thought, letting Athrun drag her to who-knows-where.
11:05 pm
Lacus Clyne had found out, just minutes ago, that she'd lost her ring. The ring Kira had given her. Utter despair was written all over her face. She had no idea where she would start looking for it.
She'd woken up very suddenly after dreaming about Kira, again, and then she noticed that her left hand was ring-less.
If only I wasn't so careless, she thought. She groaned inwardly.
And it was just her luck that she'd only noticed that her ring was missing at 11:05 in the evening.
She closed her eyes, remembering the places, other than the Clyne mansion,where she had gone to that day. The office… the limo… Shakey's…
Lacus almost jumped ten feet when she heard a knock on the door. She blinked.
"Yes?"
"Miss Lacus, there's a 'Shawn Frost' on the phone," one of her maids informed her.
"Oh, okay," Lacus said. She picked up the receiver of her fluffy purple telephone, all the while thinking, What does he want?
"Hello?"
"I'm sorry to bother you, Miss Clyne," Shawn said. He held up the ring he found that afternoon, which shined against the darkness of the unlighted room. "But I think I have something that belongs to you."
There was a pause from the other line. Shawn waited. Would she answer?
My ring? Lacus thought. It's with him?
"Can I meet you somewhere?" Shawn asked.
"But Mister Frost, it's eleven in the evening," Lacus protested, yet it didn't sound like one at all.
"No, please, I have to ask you something… personally, as well."
Lacus hesitated. She managed a shaky "Okay."
"Thanks," Shawn said. "I'll pick you up. What's your address?"
Lacus told him, and he said thanks, and then hung up.
"I hope I know what I'm doing," she muttered, uneasy. She got out of her nightgown and picked out a dress from her closet. Minutes later, she descended the stairs and found her father sitting on one of the chairs in the living room, taking a sip out of his goblet that was half-filled with an alcoholic drink of some kind.
Siegel saw his daughter and gave her a skeptical look. "Are you going out? At this time of night?"
"Athrun is picking me up, Father, don't worry," Lacus said. She knew she was lying, but what else could she say?
"Be careful."
Lacus just smiled at him. She went out the door. She decided she would wait outside.
She didn't have to wait long though. She saw a car pull up in front of the gate.
Shawn went out of his red convertible. Lacus opened a small part of the heavy metal gate.
"Hi," Lacus said, trying to sound cheerful despite the fact that she was facing the person that she really did not want to see. To put it bluntly, she just wanted the ring back so she could go back to her room and sleep.
"Hey," Shawn said, and again he reminded Lacus of Kira.
Stop it, Lacus, she thought, shaking her head.
"Are you okay?" Shawn asked. Lacus nodded.
"Um, come with me?" he asked, a little nervously. He noticed was Lacus was wearing. It was a simple white dress with pink triangles around the top, and along the shoulders. She looked, well, great.
"Sure."
With that, they both went in Shawn's car. He started the engine and proceeded to drive. Total silence filled the air. It seemed like hours later before someone decided to speak.
Lacus shifted her gaze from her lap to Shawn. "You said you wanted to ask me something…" she let it hang.
"Yeah, but I don't think this is the right place," Shawn replied.
Then where is? Lacus wanted to ask. She was starting to get grumpy, which almost never happened. She didn't want to say it, but Shawn was getting on her nerves. But the reason? She didn't know.
Her mental question was answered when Shawn stopped the car. Lacus knew where they were: Onogoro Lake, the largest one in Orb.
"Why… why are we here, Mister Frost?"
"I like it here," was all he said. He went out of the convertible. He opened the door for Lacus. No sooner than Lacus had stepped out did Shawn finally ask his question.
"Can you tell me, Miss Clyne? Can you tell me why I dream of you every night?"
a/n: Well, I think I left y'all with a cliffie. Sorry! And that dress Lacus was wearing was the one in SEED when she was taking care of Kira after his encounter with Athrun and his Aegis. Well, folks, I'm running away before all of you decide to chase me with swords and other sharp stuff. Sayonara!
