"Can't say I'm surprised. Kind of annoyed, yes, but not surprised. Ceremony go okay?"

She nodded with a small smile, twirling the two silver rings around her finger. "Not very traditional, but we wouldn't have been able to have anything like that anyway."

"Course you can. You can get the marriage blessed, can't you? I'll talk to Malchio-sama the next time I visit Caridad. That way it can be as traditional as you want and the rest of us can be there."

"Thank you."

"This was his idea, wasn't it?"

"Well..."

Erica rolled her eyes. "Don't try and stick up for him. I know it was."

"I think he wanted us to be family. It's something he never really had before. And since we don't know for sure whether we'll come out of all this okay, we may as well make the most of the time we have."

Her friend pulled a face. "You soldiers are all the same. 'Live for today, cause hey, tomorrow we might be dead!' It's so morbid."

"I'm not morbid. Just realistic. We'll be heading for Messiah soon, so.."

"You wanted to give him an anchor point. Something to come back to."

"Sometimes I worry he'll fly so far I'll lose sight of him." She shrugged. "Silly, I know, but I can't help it."

"I've heard that a lot. A lot of the crew down here have family who are pilots up there with you, and there isn't a single one who's not worried. And La Fllaga can be a dreamer sometimes. The most important thing is that he remembers he has someone waiting for him."

Murrue nodded. "And I don't want to wait any longer than I have to."

"No kidding. Anyway, how's reactions to that Destiny Plan thing?"

She shook her head. "No-one's really sure what the idea behind it is. All we can work out is that everyone would be told how to work, where to live....all of us in our little niche. Not much of a way to live."

"No way at all. So this is for everyone's freedom, not just our own. I'd call that a good reason."

"So would I."

"Get their asses kicked and get back home. Then I can knock your heads together for eloping."

Murrue laughed. "I'll look forward to it." Saying goodbye to her friend she ended the call, sitting back in her chair with a little sigh.

"M'not a dreamer..."

She smiled. "I thought you were asleep."

"I thought we were going to talk to her together."

"It was easier this way. And she wasn't mad about it."

He chuckled. "Not until we get home."

"You know she's not that bad."

"She's very protective of you, and I'm glad of that. Her and Tiger and the kids looked out for you, and I owe them for it."

She moved across to sit on the bed, ruffling his hair. "I'm sure they'd say you don't owe them anything. They're just glad you're back."

He quirked a grin. "Even Tiger?"

"In his own way."

"Wonder which way that is." He held out a hand to her. "C'mon now, we'd better get some sleep."

"Give me a minute to turn the lights off then."

She couldn't sleep. Though it was late, thoughts whirled around in her head and refused to let her rest. He didn't seem to have that problem, he curled up close beside her sound asleep, but she was glad of that. It meant he'd stopped worrying, or at least worrying so much. It's bad enough that I fret about these things...I don't want him to do it too.. Tilting her head a little she watched him, smiling when he crinkled scarred nose slightly.

"S'matter?"

The sleepy voice surprised her. "Now why are you awake?"

"Cause you are." He half-opened his eyes and smiled. "You're worried again, huh?"

"You can read my thoughts now?"

A quiet laugh. "No. But I could tell something was bothering you, and since I know you pretty well by now, I figured it out. C'mere." Shifting onto his back he brought her close, letting her rest her head on his chest, and stroked her hair gently. "If I'm not allowed to be worried, then you aren't either."

"Am too."

Mwu sighed. "You make it sound like you want to be."

"I want to go home." He was the only one she'd complain to, knowing he understood her better than anyone. "I hate all this waiting." Huffing softly she rested her chin on his chest, kicking legs in the air.

He grinned. "It's not like you to grumble. It's kinda cute."

Murrue smiled herself a little reluctantly. "I don't want to make a habit of it."

"It's this last battle that's bothering you, isn't it?"

"It feels like it did before Jachin Due." When I lost you.

"It won't be like that." he replied quite cheerfully. "We're both better at this, I have a better suit, and I was more or less ordered by the Director not to break it. Or myself. And since I find her far scarier than any battle, it's a pretty good incentive to stay in one piece."

"That's very true. Plus, if you get hurt I'll be mad at you."

He winced. "Great. I'd get my balls busted twice."

She giggled. "And you were the one who said you'd enjoy being henpecked."

"I take it back."

"I made a lot of promises, didn't I?"

Akatsuki didn't answer. Not that he expected it to. Lying on his back on the maintenance gantry he held out his left arm, gazing at the silver ring on that hand. Promises. To the missie, to the Director, and to Murrue and himself. He'd promised to love, honour and cherish, but he couldn't do any of that if he didn't make sure they both came through this battle okay. She won't thank me for it - in fact she'll probably break my kneecaps so the Director can reach my nose - but I'm not just going to sit there..

"Mwu-san?"

He smiled. "Hey kid."

"Did you or Murrue-san say anything to Lacus?"

"Bout what?"

Kira trudged up the steps and sat down heavily. He looked pretty flustered - something Mwu hadn't seen from him since before Mendel. "She's acting weird. Looking at me like she wants something, but she won't tell me what it is."

"How weird is 'weird', exactly?"

"She whispers about things with Meyrin-chan, and they both giggle a lot when they see me. Not in front of anyone else though, so people act like I'm crazy when I tell them. Even Athrun."

Mwu sniggered. He couldn't help it.

"Not you too.."

"Imagine it. The pink princess acting like a normal teenage girl. The horror."

Kira blinked. "Normal?"

"Not been around too many girls, have you? It's a shame you didn't grow up with that sister of yours."

"What does she want?"

He grinned. "A normal teenage boy, I'd imagine."

The kid palmed his face. "This is all your fault."

"How the hell is it my fault?"

"She's only been acting this way since you and Murrue-san got married. So it's your fault."

"Why is this a bad thing? She's a pretty girl, she likes you....go for it."

Kira flushed scarlet to his ears.

"What, you don't like her?"

"N-no, I do, I just...." He ran a hand through his hair. "The last relationship I had didn't work out so well and besides, we're almost at Messiah."

"You can't ignore stuff forever. Murrue and I only realised how we felt when we thought it was too late. Don't make the same mistake."

"I won't." The kid smiled, leaning against the gantry railing. "You really love her, don't you?"

A dozen or so smart comments came to mind, but instead he smiled himself, gazing up at the hangar ceiling. "Yeah."

"You think I should tell Lacus how I feel?"

"Only if you're sure how you feel. Lying to protect a girl's feelings only makes you look an ass in the long run."

"If I am sure, when should I tell her? Before the battle?"

Mwu crinkled his nose. "And if you don't come back, how's she going to feel?"

Kira sighed and nodded. "I never realised how complicated this was."

"It doesn't get easier. I still can't figure Murrue out sometimes." But I look forward to trying.

"Good luck, Mwu-san."

"With the battle or Murrue?"

The kid laughed. "Both."

"Thanks."

He was as ready as he'd ever be. Strapped into Akatsuki's cockpit he watched his breath mist on the inside of the helmet he'd been given, waiting for the order to launch. It felt weird. He was fighting on the right side finally, to defend his wife, friends and adopted home country from an unknown fate, and he was as confident as ever in his piloting skills, so why was he nervous? Blowing upward at his fringe he closed his eyes and settled back in his seat.

"Mwu?"

A smile curving his lips he glanced up at the screen. She was there, probably in her office, and she looked scared as hell. "Hey, princess. You didn't come see me off this time."

Murrue bit her lip and looked away. "I.."

"It's alright. I know."

"You will be careful, won't you?"

"I'll try my best to be." He couldn't promise and they both knew it. Not even to make her feel better.

She smiled a little, reaching out to touch the camera. "I love you."

"I love you too." She nodded, the picture disappearing. Not much had been said....not much needed to be. They each knew how the other felt.

Let me come back safe to her.

It was happening again.

Eyes wide she pressed herself back into the chair, staring blindly at the ray of dazzling light. They couldn't move - Eternal was right behind them and would be a sitting duck if she gave the order to evade.

I'm sorry, Mwu..

Then, almost as if to prove that history was repeating itself, the light was suddenly blocked. It was hard to make out the silhouette against the brilliant display but she knew without asking that it was Akatsuki. She stared until the light became too bright to see anymore, heart racing, spots and tears blurring her vision. It wasn't fair. They'd gone through too much.

"It's all right!"

Confused, she looked up. To her surprise, not only was Akatsuki there, but it appeared completely undamaged.

"I won't go anywhere anymore!" As Minerva fired again the golden suit sent out it's funnels, the beams they shot out forming a protective barrier around the ship, and a second later her husband's face appeared on the screen, grin both exhilarated and sheepish. "And I'm sorry."

She nodded, a little too overcome to speak. He was okay. It wasn't over, not yet, but it was something. Maybe it would be alright.

When she reached the hangar he was waiting for her, hair clinging damply to his forehead but smile as wide as she'd ever seen it. He was okay - in fact he didn't even look concerned, and that combined with everything that had happened, her fear in the battle, her loneliness in the last two years caused by his recklessness was almost too much. Scowling she stalked up to him, feeling a little better when his eyes widened and he actually paled.

"I.." Then he sighed, closed his eyes and stood perfectly still.

And she let him have it.

The sound of her slap echoed through the hangar, everyone falling silent and turning to stare, but she never saw them. Mwu stood wide-eyed. the red mark on his cheek a perfect handprint.

"You idiot." was all she could get out before the tears came. Mwu never said a word, just pulled her close in a hug so tight it almost cracked her ribs.

"I'm sorry.." he whispered and she laughed, tears spilling down her cheeks and soaking into his pilot suit.

"You're such a jerk.."

"I know, I know." Placing an arm around her shoulders he steered her out of the hangar past the watching crowd, the two of them making their way to the observation window. There wasn't much to see save for stars, the ship on it's way back to Copernicus, but the solitude was what they needed. Once there he smiled gently, brushing the tears from her cheeks with gloved fingers. "That was a helluva whack."

She sniffled. "You deserved it."

"I did, didn't I? But it was worth it."

"It was?"

He kissed her forehead. "Course it was. How could I have lost you?"

Murrue closed her eyes against more tears. "Idiot."

He chuckled and brought her close again. "I love you too."

Standing on her tiptoes she kissed him gently. "No more heroics, okay? You're staying with me if I have to tie you to me."

"That sounds like fun."

She giggled. "Mwu.."

"What? It's true." He rested his chin on the top of her head. "Joking aside, I said I wouldn't go anywhere anymore, and I won't. I don't need to."

She smiled and leaned into him, closing her eyes to listen to his heartbeat. It was all right. He was here, and this time they could go home.

I can finally stop waiting.

( whee written with the POWER OF SUGAR

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