Disclaimer: Just thought I'd say again that I don't own Gundam Seed. Oh, and I want to thank everyone that has reviewed. I don't know whether or not they affect my writing, but they sure give me ego a boost! Ya'll rock my socks off! All right, I know you didn't click this link to read my ramblings about socks, so on with the story. Oh, and it's not gonna go along with Seed Destiny. Oh, and I'm posting this chapter a little early because I'm gonna be on airplane first thing Friday morning to go visit a friend for most of Spring Break and there is no guarantee that I'm going to have Microsoft word access for close to a week. Part two will be up in two weeks.

Kara and Dearka stayed together for the rest of the war. She met Cagalli and they instantly became good friends. She also became fond of Lacus and Miriallia. She and Miriallia even became roommates. Afterwards, Kara and Dearka were both awarded a Council Seat. They continued dating for the next five years, until one day during a council meeting…

The conference room was stuffy. The pale blue dress Kara wore stuck to her skin. The air conditioner for the building had broken and the repairman was caught in traffic. It was terribly tempting to take her agenda and fold it into a paper fan. She looked over at her future sister-in-law, Cagalli, and saw that Cagalli had already made a paper fan out of hers. But, Cagalli was the actual ruler of a nation and could get away with it.

Kara tapped her fountain pen against the notepad in front of her. Some Council member from the Earth Alliance was droning on and on about Earth's water supply. All he was doing was boring everyone to death. Dearka however, was paying close attention to the man. Kara watched her boyfriend out of the corner of her eye and set her pen down. "So any suggestions?" the council member asked.

"I have a proposal," Dearka announced, rising to his feet. "I propose that Council Member Karalee Zala and I get married. What do you say Kara?" Dearka sank down on one knee in front of Kara and looked up at her, waiting expectantly.

"Dearka Elthman if you think you can just propose to me out of boredom without a ring or…" Kara gasped as Dearka pulled a black velvet-covered box out of the pocket of his pants. He just grinned and opened the lid. In a bed of red rose petals; there laid the most beautiful engagement ring Kara had ever seen. A single diamond sparkled in the fluorescent lighting. The slender gold band was shaped like a knotted cherry stem, with the diamond in the center of the knot.

Kara felt tears prick the corners of her eyes. "So what do you say angel?" he asked hopefully.

"Oh yes! Yes! A thousand times yes!" Kara cried. Dearka slipped the ring onto the ring finger of her left hand and rose to his feet. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her soundly on the lips. The conference room erupted with cheers and whistles. Kara blushed and looked around. Some time Kira, Lacus, and Athrun had slipped into the room. Athrun stood behind Cagalli's chair and had a hand resting on her shoulder. He smiled at his sister and winked. Lacus was clapping her hands enthusiastically, the gold of her wedding band shinning. Kira had and arm wrapped around Lacus's shoulders. He let out a loud whistle.

Dearka smiled down at Kara. He had grown to be about six feet tall since the war. "I love you angel," he whispered in her ear. She just smiled and kissed him again. Kara broke the kiss and looked down at the ring sparkling on her finger. "Mrs. Dearka Elthman," Kara said happily. "I like the sound of that." Dearka just smiled and kissed her again.

Later that night Dearka approached the apartment Kara shared with Miriallia. With a dozen red roses in hand he rang the bell. "I'll get it Kara!" Miriallia yelled as she opened the door. "Hey Dearka. Kara will be out in a minute."

"Hey Millie," Dearka said with a smile.

"Dearka?" Kara called as she exited her bedroom.

Dearka almost felt his jaw hit the ground as she walked towards him. "You look fantastic!" he exclaimed with a goofy grin on his face.

"I'm glad you like it," Kara said with a smile. She twirled around to fully display the dress. It was a strapless emerald green dress that clung to her curvy figure and came down to her knees. She wore no jewelry except her locket and engagement ring. Dearka held out the roses to Kara. "They're beautiful," Kara said lifting the to her nose so she could smell their sweet fragrance.

"Not as beautiful as you," Dearka whispered in her ear as he pulled her close. He kissed her soundly on the lips, making her knees want to give way beneath her. He always had that effect on her. As he started kissing hot butterfly kisses down her neck, Kara pushed him away.

"Dearka," Kara said trying to escape from his arms without success. "Dearka! If you don't stop now we'll never make it to dinner."

"What a shame," Dearka smirked.

"Dearka!" Kara commanded. "Let me go now." Dearka grumbled, but did as he was told. "I'll go put these in some water and then we can go."

"I'll do it Kara!" Miriallia called from the living room. She'd tactfully slipped away when Dearka had kissed Kara. She walked back to the small hallway and took the roses from Kara's hand. "You two go and have a good time. Do you have your key Kara?"

"My purse!" Kara exclaimed running back to her room. She walked back in rummaging through a green silk purse that matched her dress. "I've got it!" she said triumphantly holding up a silver key. "I won't be back too late Mir," she promised as they left.

Dearka took Kara to a beautiful Italian restaurant. "Spaghetti right?" he asked playfully as the waiter handed them their menus.

"You just know me so well," Kara responded with a grin.

An hour later, as they shared a piece of cheesecake for dessert, Dearka brought up the subject of their wedding. "Kara I don't want a long engagement," he said firmly. "I don't think I could survive a long engagement."

"I know," Kara said taking his hand in hers.

"What do you say to a December wedding?" he asked with a grin.

"Dearka it's October!" Kara exclaimed. "That gives me less than two months! Do you know how long it takes to plan a big wedding, which ours would have to be. After all we are council members, so we have to invite the council. And we have to invite all the high-ranking Zaft officials. Then there's your family and all our friends and I should probably invite my nanny. We'll also have to invite officials from Orb and all the other nations for peacekeeping purposes…"

"Kara," Dearka said softly pressing his finger to her lips. "We can do it. Besides, don't you want to marry me?"

"You know I do more than anything."

"Then we can do it," he said firmly. "We love each other. We can do anything."

"Fine," Kara sighed. "We'll have a December wedding!"

One month later

"What were we thinking?" Kara cried burying her face in her arms. "There is no way we're going to be ready in less than a month. Dearka has fired three caterers and two wedding planners."

"It's not too bad," Miriallia said soothing rubbing her back to get Kara to calm down. "Athrun and Cagalli got married and Cagalli fired seven wedding planners, five caterers, and eight seamstresses. You are buying your wedding dress, Dearka likes the new wedding planner, and caterers are a dime a dozen in this town."

"You're a great friend," Kara sighed raising her head. "So you really think Dearka and I can pull it off?"

"Of course," Miriallia assured her. "Now lets go sample wedding cake. You still have to pick the flavor and I know this great little bakery that will let us sample all the wedding cake we want for free."

"But I can't!" Kara whined. "I can't gain any wait or I'll have to have another fitting for my dress!"

"Some things are worth another fitting," Miriallia replied grabbing Kara's hand and pulling her out of her chair and towards the door. "And trust me, these cakes are worth another fitting."

Two hours later

Kara set her fork down and sighed. She had sampled thirty-seven flavors of cake. "I think I'm going to be sick!"

"Can you just not have cake at your wedding?" Miriallia asked. "I never want to see another cake as long as I live. We ate way to much!"

"What if we just have plain white cake?" Kara asked. "Is there some unwritten rule against that?"

"Plain white cake sounds good," Miriallia replied. "Just as long as we don't have to eat any more cake until the wedding. I didn't know there were that many flavors of cake!"

"We will have an impossibly large plain white cake!" Kara said to the man standing next to her. She really didn't know who he was, but she knew he'd brought out the cake.

The day of the wedding

Kara looked in the floor length mirror in office of the church where she and Dearka were getting married. She wore a strapless white dress that brushed the floor, even with her heels on. The top was tight and accented her curvy figure, while the bottom was full. "Mir, will you help me with my veil?" she asked looking over at her friend and maid of honor.

"Of course," Miriallia replied standing up. Her emerald green dress made soft swishing noises when she walked. "Now hold still." Miriallia gently arranged the filmy white material around Kara's head and fastened it in place with a crown of white baby rose buds. "You look beautiful."

"Why am I crying?" Kara asked wiping her eyes. "This is the happiest day of my life. Why am I crying?"

"Because you're so happy," Miriallia assured her. "You should worry if you didn't cry on your wedding day. Now let me fix your lipstick."

Suddenly Athrun entered the room. "You look beautiful Kara," he said softly. "I can't believe my baby sister's getting married."

"I'm only younger than you by five minutes," Kara said stubbornly.

"So are you ready?" he asked holding out his arm.

"I think so," Kara said. "My stomach feels like it's got a thousand butterflies in it though."

"That's normal," Athrun assured her. "Now you have to go get married."

"I do," Kara grinned. Miriallia slipped out of the room ahead of Athrun and Kara, taking her bouquet from the wedding planer. Kara and Athrun walked out of the room and Kara got her bouquet of white roses as well. The music started to play and Athrun and Kara's youngest cousin started down the aisle. She was five and their flower girl. Then it was Miriallia's turn.

Dearka stood at the alter with Yzak standing next to him. He was more nervous than he had ever been in his entire life. He watched the flower girl come down the aisle. Then came Miriallia. It was finally Kara's turn. He watched as the guests stood and the bridal march started to play. For one brief second he was worried Kara had run away, but then she was there, walking towards him with the most beautiful smile on her face. She was absolutely gorgeous. He grinned as he watched Kara come towards him. Their eyes locked and for the two lovers it was as if they were the only people in the room.

Athrun and Kara came to the end of the aisle. "Who gives this woman away?" the minister asked

"I do," Athrun replied. Kara kissed her brother's cheek and then she took her place next to Dearka. The minister began the ceremony. Dearka squeezed Kara's hand and she handed her bouquet to Miriallia.

Before Kara knew it, it was time to say the vows. "Do you Dearka Elthman take Karalee Zala to be your lawfully wedded wife?" the minister asked. "To have and to hold, to love and to cherish, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?"

"I do," Dearka said firmly, squeezing Kara's hands.

"And do you take Dearka Elthman to be your lawfully wedded husband?" the minister asked her. "To have and to hold, to love and to cherish, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?"

"I do," Kara said trembling.

"Then by the power vested in me by God and PLANT, I now pronounce you husband and wife…" the minister trailed off as Dearka pulled Kara into his arms and kissed her soundly on the lips. "You're supposed to wait until I tell you to kiss the bride," the minister said laughing. "It's my great pleasure to introduce to you for the first time ever Mr. and Mrs. Dearka Elthman."

Kara and Dearka linked arms and walked down the aisle, their first walk as husband and wife. Yzak linked arms with Miriallia and they followed. As the early afternoon sunshine hit their faces, Dearka picked Kara up bridal style. The guests tossed rice at the newlyweds and the chauffer opened the door to the limousine. Dearka set Kara on the seat and she scooted over making room for him.

"I love you Mrs. Dearka Elthman," Dearka said kissing her passionately.

"And I love you Mr. Dearka Elthman," Kara grinned, pressing her lips to his again.

"Do we really have to go to that reception?" Dearka whined.

"We paid all that money for it," Kara told him. "We might as well at least go and get cake."

"What kind of cake?"

"White cake," Kara said giving him that look that said don't ask.

"I love that look," Dearka said pressing his lips to hers.

To be continued…