Hi all. This is chapter 10, I only have a few more day by day posts. Then it'll just bump back whenever I get them done. School is staring up soon and I'm in band camp right now, so I can't make any promises. Enjoy.
"Who are you?" De Lin walked up to Athrun.
"My name is Athrun Zala. I am a former Zaft Ace, and currently a general of the Orb military. I was sent to the prison and the Lab per your request. Also, if you must know, I'm engaged to the chief representative of Orb, I'm deadly with pistols, and I am armed."
Everyone glanced up at the obvious threat. "Oh dear, then you don't know either." What did he want? He stood in front of me and raised a hand to my cheek. I recoiled from the action, backing into Athrun. "You see, my dear friend, there is a reason why soldiers never marry." That was a lie, but where was he going with this? He picked up my hand and held my ring to the light. "Is this yours?" he asked Athrun, who nodded and stared hard at me. "Such a pity." He slid the ring off my finger and tossed it out his window. Athrun leapt forward, but a put out my arm to stop him. This was his payment, whatever he wanted. I gave him my word.
"This is my battle, Athrun."
"Cagalli, what are you talking about?" he asked.
"Kira, do you still have the key?" Kira nodded and handed it to me. "Ray, thank you for this." I handed him the key and sighed. Everyone was waiting for my next move. "What do you want?"
"You remember our deal?"
"Yes, anything you want."
"Cagalli!" Kira yelled, eyes wide. I dropped my head; I couldn't look at him.
"Cagalli?" Athrun spun me to face him. "What did you do?"
I answered, never taking my eyes off the floor. "In order to get the key to your cell, in order to find you, I made a deal with De Lin. He gave me the key in exchange for-,"
"Anything I wanted, afterward." De Lin became the focus of an untold rage. I glanced up to see it in Athrun's eyes. "It is afterward, and my key has been returned, so," he pulled me back around to face him. I felt like a rag doll. "It is time for my payment," he smiled evilly.
"What do you want?" I asked again. Everyone's eyes were on me. I could feel them. Lacus's concern, Kira's defensiveness, Athrun's rage and pain. What had I done?
"Why that's simple, all I want is you." He smiled.
"No, you can't have her!" Athrun jumped over me while pulling a pistol from his side. Kira also got up, not even a step behind, but he had no weapon to pull.
"Oh, dear boy, it's not like I'm forcing her to marry me, I don't care that much." He pushed down Athrun's leveled pistol. "I just want her for one night."
Athrun's pistol has quickly back at De Lin's head. "YOU BASTARD!" He cocked his weapon, ready to fire. He was just waiting for the word.
"Athrun," I squeaked. "No."
He turned to me, shocked. "You don't honestly mean to give yourself to this bastard a-."
"Not here, please. Athrun, not here." I quivered. Athrun's eyes almost frightened me.
"Cagalli's right. Not here, Athrun." Kira stepped close to his friend and placed a hand on his gun.
"Kira," Athrun heaved. "I want you out of my way." His gun leveled again.
"Athrun," Lacus stood. "For the love you bore your mother, shed no blood in your father's office."
"My father was twice the man the son of a bitch is!"
"I know Athrun, so honor his memory now." Athrun didn't waiver. He kept his pistol to De Lin's head, at point blank range. "For your parents, Athrun. For us." He let his gun fall slowly.
"My weapon is the Infinite Justice. Mark my words, Justice will be served." Athrun turned. He spared me a glance with burning green eyes as he re-hid his pistol and opened the steel door, showing himself out.
Once he was safely out of earshot, De Lin decided to speak. Though he had been stone still when faced with Athrun, he now visibly relaxed. "Thank you, for sparing my life, my friends."
"We are not your friends, and your life is only spared for now." Kira walked over and placed an arm around my shoulders. "If I ever see you around my sister again, I will kill you myself." Lacus and I walked out, followed by Kira who watched the door, even after we were out.
Rodney was waiting by the front door. "Rodney, did you happen to see our blue haired friend go by here?" Lacus asked, as sweetly as she could. Rodney nodded and pointed down the street to the left. "Thank you, we'll be leaving now."
Kira held Lacus by the wrist and me by the shoulder as we hurried down the street. I was leading, until Kira pulled me back. I turned to him. "What? Why are-."
"Why did you do it?" Kira stared me down.
"What are you talking about?"
"Why did you promise De Lin anything he asked?"
I pointed an accusatory finger down the road in the direction we had been heading. "Because I loved him!" I shook off Kira's hand. "I wanted him back. I wanted him here. I wanted to be with him! I wanted him to hold me in his arms like he did before he left! Kira, I would've sold my soul if I'd thought I would've brought him back to me!" I yelled. Everyone on the street stopped to stare at me. "And now, he's run off, on his own, and it's my fault! I want him back with an intensity you can only imagine, brother." I turned away. "ATHRUN!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. I didn't know exactly what I was going to do, but I knew I had to do something.
"Cagalli," Lacus came up behind me. "I know how you must have felt."
"No, no you don't! You could've known how I felt!" I took a step forward. "I hunger, and I hurt, Lacus." Another step. "And I know the cure."
"I know,"
"Then let me go." I turned back to face her. I knew. That was the only way I could be happy. I had to find him. "Let me find him." Tears welled in my eyes, but I tried to fight them back. "My answer, let me go to him."
"You don't know where he is."
"No, I don't know where he is. You're right, but that doesn't matter. I'll find him."
"Just like you found him before?" Kira came forward. "I don't want to see you hurt."
"Then let me go, is it that hard?" I spun and took my running steps. I was going to chase after Athrun, but I didn't get too far. He only stood about five yards behind me.
"Cagalli, we need to talk." He caught me. I had nowhere to run, and frankly, I didn't want to. He took me by the hand and led me around the corner in silence.
"I didn't know you're car was here." I said when I saw the black convertible parked along the street.
"Get in," he opened the door for me and I slid into the car. He quickly got in, started the car and drove off. There was an awkward tension between us. I wanted to say something, but words never came. He drove for what seemed like hours. Neither of us spoke a word. The silence cut deep.
"Where are we?" I asked when we finally stopped.
"A cemetery."
"Why?" I asked as we got out of the car.
"I need to talk to mother," he almost pushed me out through rows of headstones. We walked forever, until we found the grave: Lenore Zala.
"Here we are." I smiled. Athrun knelt down before the grave. I guess he said a silent prayer.
"Sit with me." I sat beside him. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"I didn't want anyone to know."
"But you couldn't tell me?"
"No, it was my shame, my pain, my deal. No one else had to know." I looked at the grave.
"I heard the speech you gave Lacus."
"It was true." It was one thing to tell Lacus, it was another to tell Athrun. I wanted to tell them that I longed for him, that I missed him on those cold nights at Orb. I wanted to leapt into his arms and ignite our passion right there, but I couldn't. He deserved better. I knew. My thought was just a sad dream that should've never been dreamt.
"I also hurt." He looked out at the field cover in stones.
"I know."
"But I also know the hunger." His eyes fell on me. "I've prayed for your safety. I will not let someone hurt you. Cagalli, I will protect you, and love you for the rest of my life." He pulled me closer to him. "When I was locked up, I had a lot of time to think. I thought about a lot of things. Most of it was you. I concocted a plan. I was going to go out and buy a ring. I wanted a wedding band on your finger. I wanted to spend the everyday of the rest of my life with you, to wake up every morning to your face, and go to sleep every night with you in my arms. It's selfish, I know, even more so to bring this up now. I can't let that fool have you."
"I didn't know."
"I know, but to think that you would sacrifice everything for me, how can I thank you for that?" I thought he would be mad at me, but he's really just thinking of a way to thank me? Wow, he's amazing. I thought for a moment and came up with a good answer.
I scooted closer to him. "How about you start by replacing that engagement ring with a wedding band?"
He smiled and pulled me into him. "I'd hoped you'd say something like that. Let's go home; I think we need a night to ourselves."
"We still have things to take care of. The Chairman could do something. Someone in the Lab could die. The Eternal is still coming." As if on cue, Athrun's cell phone rang. I knew it was Andrew. "Take it."
"I think it can wait. We have some catching up to do." He turned off his phone, picked me up and carried me back to his car. He drove to Dearka's and parked in back. He let me walk up to the door, but it was getting late, and I was getting tired. So he carried me into the bedroom.
"This is Dearka's bed."
"I know, don't think about," he set me down on the corner of the bed. "Get a good night's sleep. I get the feeling that we'll be traveling tomorrow."
"Where to?" I asked as I found my bag of clothes.
"The Eternal," he said as he took off his shirt.
"Oh. I thought they weren't due for another few days." I began to change into my night gown.
"Mobile suits fly faster than ships." He had stripped down to his shorts.
"Do you sleep in that?" I asked, watching him slide under the comforter in just his under shorts.
"Yes. Why? You want me to sleep in a dress, like you?"
"No, and it is not a dress. It's a nightgown!"
"Okay then, problem solved." He pulled the blanket down and motioned for me to lie down.
"Fine, you win, this time. By the way, where were you hiding that pistol?" I curled up next to him as he pulled the comforter over us.
"Let's just say that it was a place that very few people see." He smiled as he held me in his arms. I laughed a little. I was comfortable and genuinely felt safe for the first time in a long time. So I soon fell asleep.
It ended funnily (which I'm using as a word). Imagine farther if you'd like. I can't read, much less write things, of too discriptive nature; so I apologize for that. Anyway, I figured that anything important involving a girl, Athrun would want to clear with his mom first. That's why I had them in the cemetary;well, it was also to get them away from everyone else.
The final battle is on its way.