She sat alone in her office, unfinished paperwork on the desk, as well as a forgotten mug of coffee. She had work to do of course, going over the proposals for the peace negotiations between Orb and ZAFT, but in reality, her mind was wandering too much for her to be able to concentrate. It had been several weeks, almost a month in fact, since she'd recieved a piece of news that had turned her life upside down.

She was...pregnant.

And I don't know..what to do now... She hadn't spoken to anyone about it, preferring to keep her condition secret for as long as possible. But sooner or later..it would show itself. Sighing, she leaned back in her chair, brushing a lock of auburn hair back behind one ear. Glancing down, she smiled a little as she placed one hand on her stomach. Despite the shock of the news...she was actually happy about it. Deep in her heart of hearts, often in the last two years, she had secretly wished for this, allowed her mind to wander and imagined what it might be like to be a mother. But she hadn't expected this to happen so quickly...and it made her feel more than a little guilty.

"Murrue-san?" The soft voice from the open doorway startled the woman, causing her to look up. "Oh..Lacus-san," she said with a smile. "Can I help you?" The young girl stepped into the small office, skirts swishing around her. "It's more a case of whether I can help you" she said quietly. "May I sit down?" At Murrue's gesture, Lacus pulled out the chair opposite, seating herself gracefully. "Are you all right?" she asked. "You've been so quiet recently - distant. And we never see Fllaga-san with you either. I'd have thought that the two of you would have been inseparable now. Did something happen?"

"You could say that.." murmured the older woman. She rubbed her stomach absently, closing her eyes and leaning back against her chair again. Lacus tipped her head to one side, looking confused. "You had a fight?" Murrue smiled a little. "No, not exactly. Something happened..that neither of us could have foreseen. But then again, maybe we should have foreseen it. Accidents do happen, after all.."

Her younger friend gasped, blue eyes wide. "You're..."

"Don't tell anyone...please," asked Murrue. "It's hard enough dealing with the idea as it is.." Lacus nodded. "You must be scared...it happened so quickly.." The woman nodded, focusing on her desk. "Whatever else has changed about people over the years..the fact that it only takes once isn't one of them. And we never even considered it.."

"What did Fllaga-san say? It must have come as a big shock to him..." was Lacus's question.

"I have no idea what he thinks." replied the young captain shortly. "All he did was read the test results..then leave. It's been almost four weeks since that day, and he's barely even looked at me, never mind talk to me. I realise it must be a lot for him to take in, but how does he think I feel?" The fatigue and illness that went with her condition seemed to be getting worse as the days passed. She badly wanted someone to talk to, to confide in, but her erstwhile lover - her baby's father - didn't want to know.

"Is he angry?" Lacus asked softly, reaching over to place her hand over her friend's. Murrue shrugged. "I don't know. I know that...I should talk to him, but I don't know what to say..."

"What about you?" asked the young girl kindly. "What is it that you want?"

"To be happy." was the reply. "I have Mwu back in my life, when I thought I would never see him again. And now, accident or not, I have the chance of a family. Even if...it's not what he wants. If needs be," she glanced down at her lap, "it'll be just me and the baby.."

"Talk to him," urged Lacus. "How do you know how he feels about it all unless you ask him?"

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Which is how she ended up in the hangar, amber eyes trained on the deck. Her heart was racing wildly, and it took all of her self-control not to turn and leave - she had to know. Up ahead was the familiar golden form of the Akatsuki, and beside it...Her heart skipped. He was talking with Murdoch, chuckling at a joke the older man was telling. His blue eyes shone with amusement. Murrue sighed, her chest tight with emotion - she loved him so much it hurt. If he rejected her, rejected their child...what would she do?

"Colonel?" she asked, voice barely above a whisper. Mwu turned in surprise...then, to her astonishment, smiled. "Hey, Captain," Murdoch nodded to the young woman, then left, leaving the rather estranged couple alone together.

"Here, c'mon," Mwu said gently, taking her hand and kicking off to float up to Akatsuki. Once there, he took her into his arms and hugged her tightly, pressing his face into her hair. "I missed you.." Murrue closed her eyes and returned the embrace. "I missed you..but I thought that you were mad at me."

"No, not mad. I just...had a lot to think about," he replied. "I wanted to talk to you, but I didn't know what to say...how to get the words out." The two of them sat down on the shoulder of the golden mobile suit, and she rested her head on his shoulder. Murrue sighed softly. "I'm glad...you're not angry."

"It's not your fault, sweetheart.." he told her, pressing a light kiss to the top of her head. "Only..what do we do now?"

She looked up at him in surprise. "What do you mean?" Mwu looked down at his feet, not speaking, but his silence spoke volumes. His scarred face was sad, azure eyes half-closed. Murrue understood then. "I see.." Her voice was calm, but infinitely sad and weary. "You...don't want this baby." She knew that she should have guessed by his absence, by his averting his gaze. She should have guessed...but it still hurt terribly. He looked up at her then, regret mixing with affection in his gaze. "I...don't know," he replied finally. He pulled her close again, wrapping her tightly in his arms. "I love you, more than anything or anyone...and I want to be with you. But this - I don't know if I'm ready for this. Please Murrue...give me time, okay?"

The young woman nodded, tears shimmering in her eyes. "I will. But Mwu, whatever happens, please understand...it could have happened at any time. And this baby..." She placed a hand on her stomach, smiling tenderly despite her sadness. She could never contemplate ridding herself of the tiny form. "It's an innocent, it didn't ask for any of this. Whatever happens between us, this little one deserves a chance at life.."

"I know," the blonde man said gently, brushing aside a lock of her hair before leaning down to capture her lips in a loving kiss. "Please...wait for me, okay?"

Murrue sighed, a silvery tear rolling down her cheek. "I gave you two years...I'm not sure how much longer I can give you..." Taking a deep breath, she turned to him. "Two weeks, okay? Decide what you want in that time, and I'll accept it." Kissing him again, she kicked off from Akatsuki, leaving the hangar.

Once in the relative privacy of the corridor, she burst into tears, hugging herself tightly. He...didn't want this child. The sadness and uncertainty in his eyes had said far more than his words could have. He loved her, she had no doubt about that, but...what if she had to choose? Between the one she loved with all her heart..had waited patiently for - and their baby?

I love him so much...but if he decides that he's not ready..what do I do? How can I choose between them?

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( w angst. But this needed to be written to set it up for the next chapter, y'see...

Birchfire...they did do something, trust me lol

Please read and review..and don't be mad! )