The chilly night air rushing past him, Athrun had quite a few thoughts running through his head. He was going to go home, yet he was afraid. Athrun didn't know why. After all, there would be no one in the house where he had once lived. His mother had died in the Bloody Valentine Tragedy on Junia Seven when he was young and he and his father had lived alone in the house after that. After his father died, the house was unoccupied. He hadn't been back for at least three years since he left the PLANTS for the war.

Athrun considered selling the house and buying himself a small apartment. The house was too big for him to live by himself.

Living alone won't be so bad, he thought. Athrun shook his head. It would be hard for him to live without Cagalli, Kira or Lacus. This was stupid. He didn't know why he could leave. He needed to fix it and knew there was another solution, but Athrun felt he needed to get out. The glass box he imagined himself in was closing in, closer and closer. Athrun knew that once it got too close, the glass would shatter and he would die that very day it did.

Athrun arrived at Morgenroete. It wasn't a long trip from Cagalli's house to the hangar, but it had felt like a decade had passed.

Rubbing his eyes, he stepped out of his car in the parking lot and looked at his ticket. The flight left in a few hours. Athrun thought he could get away with waiting around the hangar, maybe help with maintence or something to keep himself occupied.

He tried so many times to get her out of his head, but he couldn't do it. Everytime he tried, he saw her face, felt her touch, smelled her hair, and heard her laugh. She was so beautiful. How could he give her up?

Cagalli, Kira and Lacus pulled into Morgenroete ten minutes after Athrun did. They quickly got out of the car and ran into the hangar. Athrun spotted them before they saw him. He hid.

"Why am I hiding?" he whispered to himself.

Athrun came out from where he had hidden. He continued to help his bag into the shuttle and talk to the pilot.

"Athrun!" Kira cried.

Athrun turned around and saw all of his friends, all of the people he loved, run towards him. Cagalli jumped into his arms.

"You bastard!" she said through tears, "How could you!"

Athrun pushed her out of his arms. He thought about what might happen if he did not let her go. He frowned at her.

"I came to tell you I lo..."

Mid-sentance, Athrun struck Cagalli across the face.

"Why did you come?" he yelled at her.

Cagalli regained her bearings quickly after that slap. The mark was turning red. She wasn't crying anymore for him, but more at him. She was angry.

"How the hell do you get off doing something like that?" she exclaimed, "You slapped me! In my entire lifetime, I have only been slapped by three people! Erica, my father, and Kira! The only reason Kira slapped me was because I punched him first. I never expected that you hated me enough to do that! How could you?"

"Go home Cagalli," he said quietly.

"If you hated me so much Athrun," she continued, "You should have told me, instead of leading me on like this. Now I hate you! I guess we agree on something right? I hate you! I HATE YOU! So get on your goddam shuttle and get out of my life! I never want to see you again!"

Cagalli ran. She had to get out of there, before he realised how much she was crying. She hated him with all of her heart, but loved him just as much. It pained her to do it, but if he didn't want to be with her, she didn't want to be with Athrun either.

"I hope you're happy Athrun," Lacus told him.

She ran off to find Cagalli. Kira said nothing and ran to catch up to the two girls. Athrun was alone in the hangar, left with his thoughts, which were deep and painful, just like the wounds that he had from war, those many years ago.

Out of the darkness, a man stepped into the light.

"Well Athrun," he said, "The plan is in motion. She dies tonight."

"What?" asked Athrun.

Takahashi stepped in front of him. Leaning down, he patted Athrun on the shoulder. Athrun shrugged him off.

"Don't be so sad," he continued, "It's for the best. Cagalli has gotten into her car and driven off with your friends. She's going to drive them home and go off on her own to think about what's just happened. When she stops, bang, one shot and its over with. I'll make it look like an accident."

"What did you say?" Athrun asked.

"What," Takahashi said, "about us making it look like an accident, or about me killing your girlfriend?"

"About you killing Cagalli tonight!" Athrun shouted.

"She dies tonight Athrun," he said, "I hope you're ready for the show."

Takahashi walked back into the darkness before Athrun lunged out to catch him.

I need to stop them, he thought getting into his car.

Athrun followed Takahashi's black car around until he finally spotted Cagalli's on its way to the cliff near the pier.

She just sat in her car watching the waves and the sun go down. Cagalli was trying hard not to cry. She hated him so much, but she loved him. How could he have said those things? Cagalli looked at her watch.

Five, four, three, two, one, and he's gone, she thought.

Cagalli rubbed her eyes, trying to clear them of tears. It was no good. Everytime she wiped the tears away, more kept flowing out. Soon, she was quietly sobbing into her steering wheel.

Cagalli heard a noise behind her. She turned around sharply, but there was nothing there. Cagalli climbed out of the front seat and went to go stand on the edge. More tears were streaming down her cheeks, unstoppable by any force in the entire world.

Cagalli had stood on the edge the night before, only she was thinking different things when she was there the first time. That time she was thinking of how much she wanted to yell at him, but how badly she wanted him back. Now, she only wanted to see his face another time and have him forgive her. Athrun had saved Cagalli, but she had turned from him.

Cagalli collapsed to the ground in the rain. She wanted to die...

Someone grasped a hand over Cagalli's mouth. She tried to scream, struggled her hardest, but the man who was holding her was bigger than she was and quickly overpowered her.

A few men stepped out of a long black car. The man turned Cagalli around. She was still trying to struggle, but was having a problem. A glimpse at one man made her surprised. There was Takahashi, a big fat smile on his thin face. Cagalli's eyes widened.

How did I not see that car? she asked herself.

Athrun noticed this movement from his car. He had planned to jump out and stop them, but he figured he might get hurt.

"I have to save her," he said quietly.

Athrun quietly jumped out of his car and went to the men holding Cagalli hostage. With one quick jump from behind a boulder, Athrun jumped onto Takahashi, whom he knew held the gun that was going to kill someone that night.