Chapter VI: What Happens in Alaska

Dearka knelt down on the ground organizing the firewood he had gathered. It was 1800 hours and the temperature in Alaska was already dropping. Before long he had a roaring fire that could warm even the coldest soul. He smiled a satisfied smile hearing it crackle and pop. This world was so beautiful he thought. Even with all the horrors it had been through there was still some sort of beauty and serenity to it. The evening wind even seemed to have a calming effect on him as it blew.

He watched as Miriallia walked towards the edge of the mountain. He was about to yell when she stopped about 10 feet from the side. She sat down and seemed to be enjoying the breeze as well. They hadn't spoken much since they arrived. It seemed to be the mood that was set by the battlefield. It was hard to focus on the fight between them when there was such devastation all around them. Seeing her shiver he stood up, grabbing a blanket and walked towards her. He draped it over her shoulders and sat down. He could tell she was staring down at the crater lost in thought.

"You ok?" He asked worried. He waited a few minutes in silence but she didn't answer. "Miri-"

"Do you realize how close we all were to dieing here?" She asked suddenly. "The ARCHANGEL was suppose to parish here. It was the plan that Headquarters had set out for us. If it hadn't been for Commander La Flaga we would have. The entire crew of the ARCHANGEL dead in an instant… you as well"

"But we didn't. I know it's hard right now, seeing what could have been. But you and I made it through the war. We survived and now it is up to us to document the horrors of the war in hopes that nobody has to face these things again." He said reassuringly.

"One moment… one decision it can change everything" She looked him in the eyes. He had never seen her so determined and serious. "Life is short and unpredictable. It can end in an instant. At any moment tragedy could strike."

"So what do you plan on live a safe sheltered life? Because I don't think this job will fit into that kind of lifestyle."

"No…" She looked over the horizon. The sun was starting to set. "I want to live every moment of my life to the fullest. I don't want to take a single second for granted. The way I see it we've been living on borrowed time ever since the battle here in Alaska…" They sat in silence for a few minutes watching the sun going down. "Dearka?"

"Yeah Hon-iallia?" he quickly corrected. The tranquility of being around her had caused him to drop his guard. He could tell she was ready to scold him for the slip up but instead her face softened to a gentle small smile.

"Promise me you'll live a life without regrets. We need to stop letting our fears hold us back. Whether it is fears we create in ourselves or the fears of how people will react to our actions. We need to live for ourselves, not others. We only get one life after all."

"I promise." He said before standing up. He reached his hand down to help her up. She quickly accepted. "So why don't we start with me cooking us some supper while you go explore the mountains bit"

She looked at him shocked. "Are… are you serious. You're going to let me just go off on my own"

"Yeah, as long as you promise me a few things first."

"What?" She said reluctantly.

"Be careful. Stay away from any debris you may see. Stay on the trails and be back in a hour." His terms were simple. Maybe he was starting to actually take her seriously.

"Ok I promise" He watched her walking off down into the woods. It made him nervous to see her leave but it felt like the right thing to do. This was her journey. He was here to protect her not inhibit her.

Before the hour was up she returned just as promised, and in one piece no less. She walked over to the fire where Dearka was pour each of them a bowl of freshly made Veggie Soup. "Here" He said kindly as he passed her a bowl.

"Mmmmm… it smells so good!" She said as she sat down beside him. "I don't know you could cook!"

He laughed at her slightly "And yet you we willing to leave me to do the cooking while you explored."

She just smiled at him for a few seconds before trying the soup. It was the single best soup she had ever tasted. It even rivaled her mother's. Was there nothing coordinators couldn't do? The warmth of the soup filled her belly. It was almost like she could taste the love and care that went into it. "Who taught you to cook?" She asked as she continued to eat.

"Who teaches anyone to cook?" He replied sarcastically. Seeing she was confused he answered for real. "My mother taught me. She believed it was a very important life skill."

"You've never really talked about your mother before"

"There was no reason to."

"What is she like… if you don't mind me asking that is" She was worried what his reaction was going to be asking him this. He was a bit volatile when it came to questions about his father, not that she asked it the best way.

"She… was a great mother"

"Was?" Miriallia asked.

"To be honest I haven't spoke to her much since the fight my father and I had before I joined the academy. She supported his decision not mind and being an immature kid I was I decided to focus on myself and go forward with them being my past not my future. I haven't spoken to either of them since joining the Creuset Team."

"Do you miss her?"

She could see he was sad. "Yeah… she is my mother. But going back is not that easy. A lot of things were said that can never be taken back."

"By you or her?"

"She was just an innocent bystander to a fight. No words were directed at her but seeing her means seeing him. And that is something I'm not willing to do. Not now maybe not ever."

"You hate him that much?"

"Our views on the direction of my life didn't line up back then. It caused a fight, many fights. That hasn't changed. It will never change. Especially now. I can't imagine his face if he knew I was here with you. Protecting a natural, even saving your life."

"I'm sorry"

"Huh?"

"I always thought you high society people had such wonderful lives. But you're just like everyone else, you have struggles… just different ones."

"Who ever said I was high society?" He questioned.

"Please, you're a councilman's son. Everyone, even in Orb, knows that those families are well off"

"Maybe so" He said taking her empty bowl from her.

"It was delicious by the way."

"Thank you"

Miriallia stretched her arms up high before leaning back and laying down on her back. She looked up at the sky. It was now dark. It seemed to get dark so early. Of course it was January. She stared at the stars and then at the PLANTs "Hey Dearka?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you ever think about going back? To ZAFT that is"

He looked over at her confused. "I betrayed them. There is no way they would ever let me join again" He lied. He knew it was a possibility. Yzak had told him so himself. A spot on his team was waiting for him, reserved for when he 'figured out' his life.

"But if there was a chance would you do it?"

"It depends..."

"On what?" She asked sitting up to look at him.

"If there was something here on Earth that was better. We only get one life right. Maybe spending it in the military isn't what I want anymore… Why do you want to know anyway?"

"I just… don't want to be holding you back from anything."

"I'm committed to this I promise. I'm not going to leave you high and dry. When this is all over then I'll think about your question again but until then… I'm all yours."

"Good" She said with smile before laying down. "Because… I think I need you more than you think. You're more than a bodyguard to me Dearka. You're… a friend."

He smiled at her. It was nice to know she had some kind of affectionate feelings for him. He was trying to fight off the feelings he had for her, but would friendship really be all that bad? "You shouldn't lay in the snow to long. You'll catch a cold" He advised.

"Then maybe you can come with me to warm up" She stood up and smirked at him devilishly. It was a smirk he had never seen on her before and yet one he knew all too well. It was one he had given many girls before. He raised an eyebrow questioningly before speaking.

"What do you mean by that?"

"When I was exploring earlier I found something very interesting."

"Which is?"

"A natural hot spring. Let's go take a dip! Unless you're scared."

"Me? Scared? Fat chance" he replied.

"Then come on I'll show you"

They walked together through the mountain side until they could see steam just beyond the bushes. Dearka looked at it in awe. "It's amazing" He said under his breath.

"Have you never seen one before?" She asked curious.

"It's not something we have in PLANTs" he admitted.

"Then I guess you're in for a treat" She said winking at him. Placing her hands on the bottom of her shirt she whipped it off quickly and threw in on top of his head, block his sight. He was so dumbfounded it he just stood there for a second. Snapping out of it he pulled the shirt of his head and looked at the vision of beauty in front of him. Her clothes were now all on the ground and she was walking into the hot spring. He could just barely see her naked butt before she fully submerged herself to her neck and turned to look at him. She smiled noticing how much he was blushing. "Your turn" She said softly.

He could tell she was nervous, then again so was he. He took a deep breath then stripped down to his boxers. "Do you mind?" He asked raising one eyebrow. She giggled a second before covering her eyes. Once he knew she wasn't looking he removed his boxers and walked into the water. He wasn't quite sure why it mattered if she saw him naked or not. Any other girl he won't care… but she wasn't any other girl.

They both leaned back against the rocks, relaxing in the heat of it. It was the most soothing feeling either of them had felt in a while. Like all their pain and troubles were melting away. Mir looked up at the stars, it was a beautiful night surrounded by land rocked by tragedy.

"What was it like?" Miriallia finally asked after almost ten minutes of complete silence. "When we were fighting in Alaska? You were all alone. You didn't know what was happening."

He looked her in the eyes, struggling to find the words. "I… was torn to say the least. For so long I fought to destroy the ARCHANGEL. But in the battle I was on the ship. For the first time I was praying for ZAFT to lose or at least for the defeat to be swift and my death quick." He said honestly. "But… I was afraid too."

"It was a battlefield in the middle of war… it would be hard not to be afraid."

"This was a different kind of afraid… one I never had felt before" He wanted to explain further but didn't dare. He wanted to tell her he was afraid that he would lose her. But that would require him admitting that he had feelings for her. "Maybe it was because I wasn't in control or something"

"Yeah that makes sense" Silence fell over them once again until Mir thought she heard something in the woods "Eeeee" She squealed. Deciding she didn't want to be over by herself she floated over towards Dearka.

"It's just icicles falling" Dearka reassured her trying not to laugh.

"Right" She said quietly as she sat beside him. She was so close she was almost touching him. She felt knots in her stomach. She had never felt like this in her life. Her feelings for him were starting to boil up again. Dearka felt like the steam was suffocating him all of a sudden. This feeling only increased when Miriallia moved to be between his legs.

She leaned back resting her head on his chest. Nervously he rested his chin on her shoulder. "Ah Mir?"

"I never… " She whispered. "I never thanked you for fight alongside us. You lost everything because of it… Your home… Your Family… Your friend." She said sadly.

"It… was all worth it." He said in a husky tone. She turned her head to look at him. She had never seen him look at her like that before. It was a longing desperate look.

Turning away quickly her face turned a bright crimson, one she knew his face must have been covered in as well. "We should get back to the camp… it's late… and we have a lot of work to do over the next few days."

"Yeah… you're right." He felt her pull away from him and he closed his eyes to give her privacy. He didn't want to. He wanted to look at every inch of her, but it was better to just leave it this way. She was forbidden fruit and he needed to remember that.

The next few days of the shoot was spent talking about work related things. Tensions were still high from the hot springs. Anytime they found themselves close to one another the nerves would build up until they felt like they would explode. With the photoshoot done, Miriallia wasn't sure how the ride in the skygrasper was going to go. They had tried their best to stay out of each other's way, but now they were going to be cooped up together for who knows how long.

They climbed up into the fighter jet. Miriallia leaned back in the seat and prepared herself for a long ride spent in tension filled silence… again. She could help but mentally kick herself for the hot spring incident. What was she thinking getting so close to him like that… getting in between his legs like that? Maybe the problem was that she wasn't thinking, she was following what her heart was telling her.

They were in the air for almost an hour when Dearka finally said something. "You know…" She looked up at him surprised that he was actually talking again. "You should actually learn some self defense one of these days. We're going to get to some battlefield eventually that aren't going to be abandoned. If you had some training I wouldn't have to ride you all the time about safety."

"We're in the middle of nowhere on a schedule, when am I supposed to find a place and time to get a trainer?" She asked.

"We'll you know there is this ex-soldier you're traveling with who happened to graduate with summa cum laude. He might be able to show you a thing or two."

Miriallia couldn't help but smile. The prospect of learning to protect herself actually was very intriguing. It would definitely be something nice to know, especially if this was a career she was going to stick to for a while. "You would teach me? Where? When" She asked excited.

"Why not now? That island looks pretty good. We'll land and set up there."

"Are you sure we can spare another day?"

"Yeah, we have more then enough time to spare a few days here and there. Besides I think something like this should take priority. It is all about your safety after all."

"Then sure, let's go for it" Dearka landed the fighter jet on the small island. Before long they were setting up camp once again. They were getting to be pros at it already.

Miriallia couldn't help but blush and be nervous when she saw her bodyguard remove his shirt. The other night had been too dark to notice his toned muscles. He was so lean and muscular, but it was well hidden but the clothing he wore. He was definitely one handsome young man. She watched as he raised an eyebrow at her. He looked almost confused… or maybe he was noticing how red his face was.

"You should get changed" He finally said. "Something more comfortable that you can really move around in."

"Ahh… right" She said snapping out of her staring contest with his abs. She grabbed her bag and headed into their tent. Before long she emerged where yoga pants and a sports bra. It was his turn to stare at her. He smiled slightly before getting down to business.

"Come on then... let's get started." He walked over to the sandy area only about 20-30 feet from their camp. She stood a few feet from him ready and eager to learn. "Okay the first thing you want to learn is how to get away if someone has you by the wrist. Just grab hold of mine and I'll walk you through it" She nodded and grabbed hold of his wrist. "Don't try to beat a wrist hold by pulling away from your attacker. Instead what you want to do it rotate your wrist..." He said as twisted his wrist. "... So that your thumb meets his fingers and jerk sharply but bending your arm at the elbow." He explained without fully demonstrating. He didn't want to hurt her. "And you'll be free." He said before taking hold of her wrist with his other hand surprising her. "Now your turn"

"looks easy enough" She said a bit scared to try. He seemed to have a tight grip on her. He wasn't joking around with this self defense stuff. She swallowed hard and prepared to free herself. Slowly she rotated her wrist and jerked sharply as instructed. Much to her surprise she managed to shake him off. "Oh...oh my god! I did it." She said surprised, smiling ear to ear.

"Don't get too excited" He said seriously. "You've only learned one more. There is more to protecting yourself then just that"

"You can't at least be proud I did the first one right"

"I'd think you were hopeless if you didn't" She pouted for a second before looking back at him. She gave him a faint smile.

"So what next?"

He smirked devilishly at her before starting to explain some more moves. Some her demonstrated fully others, for his own safety only explained how they were performed. "When you're in a confrontation, you only have a few seconds and a few moves to try before the fight may be decided. Before an attacker has gained full control of you, you must do everything you can, conserving as much energy as possible, to inflict injury so you can get away. This is no time to be civil. In a physical confrontation that calls for self-defense, it's hurt or be hurt. So aim for the parts of the body where you can do the most damage easily: the eyes, nose, ears, neck, groin, knee, and legs. Got it"

"Got it" She replied nodding.

"Alright Mir it time" He said crouching down slightly into an attack stance. "I'm going to come after you. It's you job to stop i. And don't think I will go easy on you. The same goes for you, don't you dare go easy on me. I don't care if you make me bleed, show me that you can protect yourself. Then maybe I can loosen my reins on you a bit."

"And if I really hurt you?"

"We'll worry about that if it happens. Now let's do this"

Miriallia took a deep breath, she didn't have much time to think before Dearka started to head towards her. Remembering everything he had taught her in the last couple of hours she readied herself for the worst. First thing he did was grab her wrist. She quickly broke free using the technique he had taught her. Next he moved behind her. She really didn't want to hurt him but she knew it was all in the name of her learning. Taking her elbow she jabbed him as hard as she could in the stomach. This caused him to stumble back slightly. She took this as her opportunity to kick him in the back of the knee causing him to fall into the water. Unfortunately for her she lost her balance as well forcing her to fall straight on top of him.

They were now both soaking wet. Looking deep into each other's eyes. Miriallia lying partly on him. Dearka couldn't help but think the last time they were in the ocean together he thought he lost her. It was the most helpless feeling in the world. It made everything else in his life seem so unimportant. It stirred up more confusion in him that anything ever had before. He thought he might have had feeling for her before that day, but when he was giving her mouth to mouth her realized there was no might about it. Maybe it was time he stopped fighting it.

Dearka reached up and brushed her wet hair out of her face. She blushed at his gentle touch. They were only inches apart. "Mir…" He said in a nervous raspy voice. "I'm not a perfect person

There's many things I wish I didn't do. All those things I did when I was a ZAFT soldier… I never knew I was doing those things to you. And now… I just want you to know that... " He looked so scared to finally say the word. Say the things he had been dying to say since they were soldiers on the ARCHANGEL. "I've found a reason for me to change who I used to be. A reason to start over new and the reason is… you" He finally confessed.

She looked at him eyes wide. What was he trying to say she wondered. This thought all went out the window when he leaned forward and kissed her. She was so surprised, she didn't know how to react. She didn't know whether to lean in or pull away. Instead she waited for him to pull away. The stayed in the water looking deep into each other's eyes, face covered in a medley of red tones. Neither one of them knew what to do next or say. It was a moment they wished would last forever and end quickly all at the same time.

They luckily got a moment of relief when their laptop began to ring. Miriallia awkwardly stood up. grabbing a sweater quickly she wrapped herself up and answered the call. "Hi Frederic" She said, blush still across her face. Dearka stood up and walked over to start building a fire so they could warm up.

"Miriallia you look soaked to the bone"

"Yeah… it's nothing. I just took a dip in the water" She explained.

"I see… I trust everything is going ok with Derrick." He said in a questioning tone.

"Of course" She looked at her self-defense trainer for a second then back at the screen. "Nothing has changed since the last time we spoke…"