To my reviewers:

chineigurl – Thank you! And I'll try. :D

Maryam Kanoom – I'm glad you do. Thank you!

a/n: Ok, chapter 4! I hope you guys like this one…

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Seed or Destiny… :-(

Chapter 4 – The Vision He Saw

Athrun felt Cagalli put her hand in his, and memories started to flood back into his brain, making him wince unconsciously. Just then, the white wolf started advancing towards them again, followed by the gray-backed one. Shaking his head to free it of the memories, he tightened his grip on Cagalli's hand and ran, pulling her along.

They heard the irate animals give chase, and started to run faster…and that was when Cagalli tripped on a protruding rock, making her stumble. "Damn," she muttered, the pain in her ankle making involuntary tears flow from her eyes. "I think I sprained my ankle," she told him.

The sound of wolves barking became closer, so Athrun picked her up and helped her up a high tree, praying help would come soon. They couldn't stay up here forever, after all.

It was then that his companion decided to speak. "…Why are you here, Athrun?"

He didn't look at her when he answered. "Lacus invited me."

Her eyes widened. Lacus did…?

"I see."

"Look, I'm sorry, but I didn't know you would be here. The message was delivered to me via her secretary.

"It's alright." That made him look at her. She looked pale, there were dark circles under her eyes, and she looked ready to drop. "But…how did you find me?"

He turned away. "I followed you."

"What? Why?"

"I wasn't sure it was really you. I thought…you were a mirage. I wanted to see if you were real…"

She laid her head down on her crossed arms and said nothing.

And then, "What happened to us, Cagalli? We were happy, weren't we?"

"…Yes. We were very happy."

Then why? Why did it have to end?"

"…I don't -"

"Don't you dare tell me you don't know!" he warned. Frustration laced his voice, and his eyes flashed with jade fire.

She looked up at him, her amber eyes filled with pain. "Do you really want to know?"

The set of his jaw told her he did.

"Fine. It's because Yuna wants me to marry him and his father is threatening to destroy everything my father built to get me to agree. There. You happy now?"

Looking up at him, she half expected him to look hurt, or even angry, but what she saw in his eyes was simple disappointment and just a little bit of resentment. "So that's all I really meant to you…" "I thought I meant a little more to you…at least as much as you havealways meant to me…"

She opened her mouth to ask him what he meant by that when she heard someone call her name.

"Cagalli! Where are you?" It was Kira's voice.

Athrun looked confused. "Was that…Kira?"

"Yeah. He's back." she replied before she shouted back to let her brother know where they were.

Moments later, Athrun came face to face with someone he thought he'd never see again…his long-lost best-friend, Kira Yamato.

"Kira…" he whispered, shocked.

"Hey, Athrun." Kira said.

"Where's Lacus?" Cagalli inquired of her brother.

"I'm right here," the songstress replied, emerging from the bushes just behind Kira.

"What were you doing hiding?" her best-friend asked.

"Kira asked me to. He insisted on it, as a matter of fact." she replied, walking over to stand by her lover's side.

"Lacus…" Athrun muttered.

She smiled at him. "Oh, hello, Athrun."

He stared at her. It made sense now…why Lacus would invite him anywhere, why Cagalli was here…She wanted him and Cagalli to make peace with each other, and now that Kira was back… His emotions rioted within him at the thought.

He was more than a little happy that his best-friend had returned, but he wasn't sure what he was supposed to do or feel about everything else. He cared for Lacus, that was undeniable, but to what extent he did was the bigger question. He felt…confused, indecisive…

Seeing and talking to Cagalli again had conjured up a lot of buried feelings, and he knew he needed to re-examine them now. Did he still love her? He shouldn't, right? After all, she'd given him up for her father's company…but he could understand that. Her father meant a lot to her, and the company meant a lot to her father…

And then there was Lacus, his supposed fiancée. He wasn't sure if he should fight Kira for her or if he should just let them be. He wasn't even sure he loved her that way at all…But why was he so jealous of Kira?

He was so caught up in his thoughts he hadn't noticed that Kira had already helped Cagalli come down from the tree, and that his best-friend had been calling his name. "Athrun!" Kira yelled for the tenth time.

Athrun blinked. "Huh?"

"Aren't you going to come down from there?"

"Oh, right…" he said, and he came down from his perch. Turning, his emerald eyes met a pair of amethyst ones.

"Athrun."

"Kira."

His friend smiled at him. "How have you been?"

"I've been okay, I guess." He looked away. "How long have you been back?"

"About two days now."

"Oh. Welcome back."

"It's good to be back."

"Where's Lacus?" he asked suddenly.

Kira's lavender eyes narrowed. "She's with Cagalli." he replied, tilting his head in the direction of the bushes.

"I see."
"Lacus told me about it."

"Huh? About what?"

"The engagement."

"Oh, that."

"What do you plan to do, Athrun?"

The blue-haired man sighed. "I don't know."

"Kira?" Lacus called.

"Yeah?"

"Could you come here a moment?"

"Excuse me," Kira said to Athrun, and then he turned and walked over to where the girls were.

Left alone, Athrun found himself thinking about the situation again. He couldn't decide what he was supposed to do…and it was clear that Kira and Lacus were a couple again.

He sighed. This wasn't what he expected. He thought for sure he was over Cagalli, but, judging from the way his heart rate sped up at seeing her, he knew he had more than a few issues with that, too.

For the second time that day, his thoughts were interrupted when Kira approached him. "We need to get back. Cagalli's ankle is starting to swell pretty badly." he said.

Athrun nodded.

Kira reached out to his sister. "Here. Let me help you,"

His twin looked at him and smiled. "It's alright. I can handle myself."

"But - "

"I'm fine, Kira. Really."

Her brother decided to not argue any more so he let his arms hang at his sides and started to follow in her wake. Athrun hung back, his thoughts still centered on his feelings, when he heard a commotion from just behind them, one that none of the others heard because Kira, being the concerned brother that he was, had reversed his earlier decision and was asking Cagalli to let them help her so they'd be able to get back to the house faster and her ankle could be treated…and the princess would have none of it.

When he heard the noise again, he tried to yell out a warning, but it was too late. The wolves who'd tried to attack him and Cagalli earlier were back, and the white one was already charging towards his friends.

Without another thought, he jumped forward screaming, "Cagalli!" and grabbed her by the waist, pulling her to safety.

After the wolves had gone again, Cagalli looked up at Athrun from her position in his arms. His eyes were shut tightly, and he was holding her so close she could barely breathe. "Athrun, it's okay. You can let me go now."

He shook his head at her.

"But, Athrun, the wolves are gone. We -"

"I won't let you go. I can't…"

"What are you talking about?"

But she already knew. "Athrun…"

"I love you, Cagalli."

a/n: ok, a little cliffie here…I know it's short but please tell me what you guys think…good, bad, stupid, silly…ok? Thanks.