Author's Note: I'm glad you all liked chapter 2. Well, I assumed so because no one said otherwise :D On another note, have you seen the new image loader? I used it to update a cover image for this story. It's up there at the top of this page actually. I think that picture conveys Stellar in my story so that's why I put it up there. If you don't think so, forget what I just said xD. Anyways, without further ado, hajime!

Disclaimer: All characters belong to sunrise for creating the GSD series. I do not own any of the names mentioned in this story.

Chapter 3

Kira couldn't help but stare as Stellar slept on his shoulder. She looked so peaceful with her eyes closed, the way her fluffy, yellow bangs swept down her forehead and hair that softly hung just above her neckline.

He wondered what he could do since he didn't know where she lived. He thought of calling Shinn but decided not to in case she wasn't ready to see him again. Looking at his watch, he noticed it was already 9:30 p.m. He didn't want to wake her up, considering how peaceful she looked compared to a while ago. Glancing at the ice cream truck, he saw the old man beginning to pack up as he served the last few customers. He knew it was time to head back with night having already fallen. The park wasn't exactly safe during the night, not with the recent grisly murders that had the Orb Police Force scrambling for answers. It was in the news the other day. Innocent people were targeted and if they didn't give up their possessions, they were beaten to a pulp. It reminded him of a certain anime he saw in a store selling pirated movies. What was the name? Oh right it was Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni. He shuddered as the video played in his mind.

Quickly brushing those thoughts aside, he carefully pushed Stellar off.

"Stellar are you awake?"

No response.

A bit sad that she hadn't replied, he did what he had to do and shook her casually. "Stellar?"

Tired eyes slowly opened and met his gaze, causing him to grimace inwardly at what he had done.

"Here get on my back." Kira turned around and knelt down in front of her, hoping she would get on.

Stellar slowly got up and sleepily latched onto Kira. Her arms wrapped around him and her head rested on the back of his shoulder.

"Hold tight alright?" said Kira. He suddenly felt a gentle squeeze, causing him to look at her, but she was already asleep again. He decided to take her to his place at the orphanage. He figured that even if he called Lacus to ask where Stellar lived, he wouldn't want to wander the streets trying to find her place late at night.

Back at the orphanage, Lacus had just finished getting the children to sleep. Taking one last glance at the sleeping figures, she quietly slipped out the door and closed it behind her. She made her way down the stairs and wondered if Kira had gotten back yet. Seeing a light in the living room, she hurried her pace.

But her hope dimmed when she saw that it was just Mu and Murrue.

Mu was busy reading a battle journal that supposedly belonged to him during C.E 71. Murrue had retrieved them from the Archangel's computers. She had hoped it would help Mu to regain his memories. Murrue, meanwhile was enjoying a sip of coffee as she read the newspaper in her hand. Even though the war had ended with a peace treaty between the Earth Alliance, Orb, and ZAFT, there was still a lot going on to repair the damage, and to mend the broken relations between the three factions. As a result, there was a lot of political activity going on ever since the war had ended. Orb Aims for Withdrawal from the EA, United Factions Committee Formed, ZAFT and OMNI Forces to hold Joint Training Exercises, and EA Seeks Out Remaining LOGOS Members, were all the titles on the front page.

"Is Kira back yet?" Lacus asked, with slight worry in her voice.

"No we haven't seen him come through there if that's what you mean," answered Mu, where he pointed his finger at the front door. This caused Murrue to give him a look that said Why did you have to say that?

"Here sit down," Murrue gestured to the open seat beside her, across from where Mu sat.

Lacus nodded and sat down beside her.

Murrue could sense her insecurity right now. "I'm sure he's fine Lacus. Kira would never leave without telling us beforehand. Besides, he cares too much for a certain someone," she said and nudged Lacus. She was hoping that Lacus would respond positively to her comment, but Lacus only remained silent.

"Kira should be back by now, but he isn't," said Lacus.

Murrue suddenly found herself in an awkward moment as Lacus remained silent, and Mu just plainly ignored the two as he kept reading.

"Well, has he tried calling you or sent any text messages?"

Lacus shook her head. "There's nothing from him. And I think his phone is off, I can't reach him for some reason."

Strange, thought Murrue. Kira was a punctual person, and that meant he never forgot to recharge his phone. Nor would he forget to bring it with him when he left the house. Also, he would always call if he were to come home late.

"Don't worry, that kid doesn't go down easily. Trust me, I've fought against him once before," said Mu who suddenly spoke up. "In fact, I think he's just outside walking up the stairs right now."

This earned him a quizzical look from both females. Unbeknownst to them, Mu was a Newtype. He had a sixth sense that could tell him of any various changes regarding people in his surroundings. But something was different. Aside from Murrue and Lacus, he detected not one but two beings in his presence. One was dominant, pure, and soothing. But it was… The other was soft, playful, and carefree, but it was tainted with fear, anger, and doubt from within.

As if on cue, a gentle knock sounded from the door.

Lacus and Murrue looked at Mu but he only shrugged. Everyone had the same question in their heads. If that was Kira, he wouldn't have to knock. So who was it?

Another knock sounded, followed by a shout, "Is anyone home?"

Having recognized the voice, Lacus rushed to the door before anyone else could react. She quickly flicked the switch for the door lamp, adjusted her hair, and opened the door.

Lacus was about to jump out and give him a hug. But she hesitated upon seeing the blonde that was latched to her Kira, causing her expression to turn stern and cold as she stared at him. "Kira…" she said.

Kira knew he was in trouble once he caught Lacus' expression and her tone of voice. "Lacus," said Kira warmly in an effort to calm her down. He hoped Lacus wouldn't take it the wrong way, though he had to admit, it looked pretty bad with Stellar nestled into shoulder. "I've got Stellar with me, she's actually hurt," he continued. His eyes pleaded with hers, waiting for her reaction. Please, please, don't take this the wrong way.

Lacus mentally scolded herself for jumping to conclusions, and for not recognizing Stellar behind the blonde hair. Like Kira, she knew who Stellar was, but had lost contact with her after they met at the Orb Memorial after the war. "I'll get the medical supplies!" She quickly turned around and ran down the hallway to the supply cabinet.

"Lacus wait!" yelled Kira in a hushed voice, not wanting to wake up Stellar or the children who were sleeping upstairs. But Lacus was a longshot away already, so he gave up and entered the house, using his leg to close the door behind him.

"Hey kid so you're finally back." Mu did a double take when he saw that Kira was carrying Stellar, and put away his journal to stand up. "Wait, what are you doing with Stellar?" Meanwhile, Murrue was giving Kira an intrigued look.

"Can you help me get her off?" replied Kira. He made his way into the living room, and together with the help of Mu, they laid Stellar down the sofa. Kira didn't turn around to face Mu and Murrue who stood behind him as he continued to watch Stellar.

Finally, Murrue spoke up, "Kira what happened?"

"She's hurt," said Kira.

"Hm." said Mu as he looked down at Stellar, contemplating what could have happened to his favourite mobile suit pilot.

Just then Lacus returned to Kira's side with a box of medical supplies. "Kira how is she?" she asked.

"Lacus…bandages won't help her at all. She's not hurt on the outside, but the inside," said Kira. He knew he had to explain everything now that all eyes were on him. "Stellar actually bumped into me on the street. There was something off about her. It looked like she was crying, so I took her to the park for some ice cream. Next thing I knew, she fell asleep so I carried her back here."

Later that evening, Kira and Lacus were in the kitchen. Mu and Murrue had already returned to their sleeping quarters upstairs after making sure Stellar had enough blankets. They even put a cup of water on the table beside her in case she woke up at night. Mu had also retrieved the cylinder glass that kept a little fish inside. He had placed it on the table knowing that Stellar would enjoy seeing it again. During the whole time, Stellar hadn't woken up.

"Kira, what's on your mind?" asked Lacus. Holding a cup of water, she walked over to the kitchen table where he sat at, and pulled up a chair across from him. She could tell that something was bothering him, and it evoked her concern.

"Do you think we've forgotten about Stellar?" There was guilt in his voice, which didn't go unnoticed.

For a moment, it was silent as Lacus brought up her elbow and thought about it for a while.

"Well who did you stay in touch with after we met them at the Orb Memorial? And you can't say Cagalli, Athrun, nor anyone in the Archangel. Which only leaves you with Stellar, Shinn, Lunamaria, and Meyrin."

"No one," Kira said, his head lowered a bit.

"See it's not that we forgot about Stellar, we just went with our own ways after the war."

"I see…" said Kira, not entirely convinced at Lacus' reasoning. He paused for a bit. "Maybe if I had gotten to know them better including Stellar, Stellar wouldn't have had to cry. She could've told me instead of being frightened."

Lacus inwardly sighed with relief. There, there it was. She got it out of him, that was what he was unsure about and he finally let it out.

"Kira you're being too hard on yourself. You can't blame yourself for not doing everything." Lacus reached her hand over the table and softly grasped Kira's, causing him to look at her in surprise.

"I love you Kira, you know that right?" said Lacus. Cerulean eyes pleaded with lavender eyes. For a moment, Kira couldn't help but admire the beauty that sat in front of him. The way her soft, pink hair flowed down her body. The way her simple, light-pink t-shirt fit and accentuated her figure perfectly without being too tight or loose, only hanging a tiny bit loose at the neck to signify a casual manner. It gave her a simplistic modern look that was fashionable.

Kira quickly got out of his senses. "Lacus, of course I do." he said, tightening his grasp on her hand.

"Well in that case, I suggest we head to sleep now. We have a big day tomorrow." Seeing he was back to himself, Lacus got up and went to the kitchen sink to rinse her cup.

"Huh? What big day?" was the reply she got back. She quickly turned around to face him and put her hand at her hips.

"Kira Yamato!" said Lacus which caused his back to stiffen at her use of his name in that manner. She had a suspicious look on her face. "Did you forget to buy the food when you went out earlier?" Kira's face was filled with shock that could have rivaled Shinn's when Shinn found out he was the pilot of the Freedom. He had completely forgotten about the barbecue tomorrow! To celebrate the first day of summer, Lacus had decided to throw a party for the children, along with Athrun, Cagalli, plus the crew of the Archangel and the Eternal.

"That means you'll have to wake up early tomorrow," Lacus said suddenly while giggling slightly.

No way! On a Saturday? Oh it was on, thought Kira.

"I think someone just wants to get in bed with me sooner," Kira smirked. He looked at Lacus who despite her best efforts, blushed madly as carnal thoughts invaded her mind. I'll get back at you for this Kira, she shouted mentally.

Kira woke up the next morning. He looked at the clock that read 9:30 a.m. Wait, 9:30 already? Lacus will have my head if I don't get going soon! He quickly got up and ran straight to the washroom. A few minutes later, he was out and quickly took a pair of jeans and a light sweater to change into. Running to the mirror, he eyed himself. Everything looked good except his hair which was a bit unsettled, but still decent looking. Deciding it was good enough, he rushed out the bedroom door downstairs. In his rush, he forgot the car keys since he usually walked but today was an emergency. So midway down the stairs, he ran back up and then back down moments later.

Unbeknownst to him, a door was slightly open at the other end of the hallway. Lacus had heard his rushed antics and saw him rush down and up the stairs with a smile. She couldn't help but laugh after seeing Kira run down the stairs a second time. She quietly closed the door and returned to bed. Her clock read 6:30 a.m.

As Kira neared the end of the stairs, he couldn't believe his eyes. Stellar was up and awake! "Stellar?"

Stellar was playing around with the bottle. With curious eyes, she looked at how the fish swam back and forth freely in the water. When she dawdled around by moving the bottle in different directions, the fish's rhythm wasn't affected, which piqued her curiosity even more. But she suddenly stopped when she heard someone call her name.

Looking around, she saw Kira walking quickly towards her. Stellar thought that Kira really wanted to see her so it made her happy inside. "Kira!"

"Good morning Stellar. Sorry but I really need to get going." Kira said a bit rushed. He was just about to leave when her voice reached him.

"Does Kira not like to be with Stellar?" It was sad and innocent.

Kira quickly turned back to look at her. But when he caught her magenta eyes staring back at him, Stellar immediately looked down and away, as if afraid to face him.

"N-no Stellar I didn't mean it that way. Do you want to come along then? It's for a barbecue, but I forgot the food yesterday aha," said Kira a bit sheepishly as he remembered Lacus' reaction. For some reason by talking to Stellar, he found himself calm again compared to how rushed he was a while ago.

Stellar nodded quickly. But Kira found himself staring again. When she smiled, it was pure and cheery, and her eyes were almost closed. He had never seen something like that before. To think she was actually the pilot of the Destroy… He couldn't fathom the thought of taking away a life that was in fact her.

"Hello Kira? Kiraaa…" Stellar waved her hand in front of his face. She pouted when she didn't get any reaction from him. "Kira asked Stellar to come."

Regaining his composure, he quickly looked away before heading to the garage, which only caused Stellar to be even more intrigued as she followed him.

The drive to supermarket wasn't that eventful. On the occasional glances that he took at her, he only found her staring out the window. But there was nothing there except for the rough rocks that littered the coastline. Wait, why was the lighthouse still on? He quickly looked at the clock and couldn't believe his eyes, it read 7:00 a.m… How! His own clock in his bedroom, there was no mistake, he knew for sure that it displayed 9:30 when he woke up. Lacus! He had to admit, she had gotten him good.

His thoughts were confirmed when they arrived at the supermarket. Most of the people were the elderly and married and he knew they were always the early birds on a weekend. Most of the young people, like him, would never wake up this early on a weekend. He noticed that as he and Stellar filled up their shopping cart, many elderly couples gave them an appreciative look and smile. Kira only knew their thoughts too well, that he and Stellar looked good together. It was the same look when he and Lacus went shopping. The thought didn't sit well with him. He was with Lacus still. He turned to Stellar a few times to try and read her expression, but it seemed as though she was oblivious to the stares. Not being able to do anything, he put his thoughts to the back of his mind.

It didn't take as long as expected with Stellar pushing the cart while he grabbed the food off the shelves, freezers, or from the meat section chef.

"Alright we have the sausages, hot dog and hamburger buns, steak, kebobs, watermelon salad, green salad, and corn. Do you think we missed anything?"

Stellar looked down at the shopping cart thoughtfully, then at him. "Drinks?"

"You're right on that one," replied Kira as he regarded her with a smile, which prompted Stellar to smile happily back at him.

They made their way to the drinks aisle, which wasn't as crowded. Two long shelves ran down each side of the aisle, each carried a wide assortment of beverages that one could ever want.

"Stellar you can pick the drinks. I already chose the food."

He watched as Stellar went ahead of him. Taking her place behind the cart, he slowly followed her. At first, he thought she wouldn't know what to choose. But her close scrutiny of the products on the shelves lead him to believe that she was indeed looking for something. His thought process stopped when she stopped in front of some drinks. She prefers 7-Up, Coke, and Iced Tea? He mused at the thought. He didn't think that Extendeds actually had a favourite drink. Maybe they weren't as lifeless as he expected. But then again, he had been proved wrong by Stellar's behaviour.

"So you like 7-Up, Coke, and Iced Tea?" he asked, as Stellar carefully put the packages the cart. He caught hold of her change in expression. It looked like she turned a bit sad after he asked her.

"Sting, Auel, Stellar."

"Sting? Auel?" he repeated after her. He wasn't sure what she meant.

"Stellar's teammates. Sting's favourite is 7-Up, Auel's is Pepsi, and Stellar's is Iced Tea." She said in a sadder than her regular tone.

It was then that he remembered the reports on Stellar that Mu had given the Archangel after the war. She had two teammates. One was killed in action while piloting a Destroy and the other was killed in action by the Impulse. He suddenly felt bad for bringing up her bad memories.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring it up."

"Kira doesn't have to say sorry…because Stellar is happy when she's with Kira." She flashed him another of her cheery smiles. It made him realize how volatile her behaviour was. One moment it was happy, then sad, and then back to happy. Although it was good to easily recover from unhappy thoughts, he knew that the volatile change wasn't healthy for the human psyche.

"Well I'm glad you think of me that way," Kira said as he ruffled her soft, blonde hair. "Alright let's go checkout." He looked at his watch and saw it was still early in the morning. He thought of how he could return the favour to Lacus.

They walked to the nearest checkout line that didn't have too many people ahead of them. That was until Kira noticed the people ahead of him had bought many products. He looked back and saw a huge lineup already. Giving a quiet sigh, he crossed his arms and leaned against the counter, closing his eyes. It would be a long wait indeed. Meanwhile, Stellar was bent down with her hands on her knees as she gazed over the candy bars on the checkout shelves with curious eyes. Looking over her shoulder, she saw Kira seemingly sleeping, so she ignored him and began taking various candy to look at more closely before putting them back.

Somewhere along the way, Kira opened one eye and saw Stellar's actions. I wonder if she wants one. He smiled. Uncrossing his arms, he turned and walked over to her. "Did you want one? You're free to pick whichever you want you know."

"Stellar hasn't tried this before. But Stellar would like this one." She took the candy named Skittles Tropical, and placed it in his hands. He noted how soft her touch was when she grasped his hand. Yet she was an elite mobile suit pilot, with the sole purpose of killing coordinators. But when he looked up, she had already gone back to explore the rest of the candy on the shelves.

The line finally shifted up, and the cashier started to scan their items.

"That'll be $150.23," said the cashier.

Kira almost bawled in surprise at the price, his eyes widening ever so slightly. Lacus never told him it would be that expensive. Score one for Lacus, again.

"Are you sure? That's double what I thought it would be," said Kira. He tried peering over to see the cashier's screen.

The cashier only gave him a look. "Look, even if I wanted to charge you extra, the system won't let me do it. It's made to prevent anyone from hacking into it. Boss says it's real tight."

Any system can be hacked, Kira thought. He knew too well of course. After all, he took part in creating the operating system for the exoskeletons back in Heliopolis. He suddenly had thoughts of hacking the system from inside the Freedom with its superior processing power. Casting his thoughts aside, he reached into his pockets but found nothing. Wait a sec, this isn't good. He turned to Stellar, but ended up bumping into her. He hadn't realized she had walked up close beside him all of a sudden. "Sorry Stellar. Uhh…I think I forgot my wallet."

Stellar giggled at his mistake. "Kira said he would buy it for me," she chided. Kira blushed at that comment. But her cheery mood brightened his spirit and he knew she was just playing with him, something that only friends did. Well at least she considers me as a friend now.

Stellar handed the cashier the money and then turned to Kira with a gentle smile. Kira smiled back. Even though he had to wake up early, he was glad that Stellar came with him.

Author's Note

Alright I hope you enjoyed this chapter, but if you didn't then I'd like to hear your opinion. I'm always open to opinions.

FAQ

1. Why 7-Up for Sting, Pepsi for Auel, and Iced Tea for Stellar?

Answer: Sting has green hair, Auel has blue hair, and Stellar has yellow hair but wears a blue cerulean dress in GSD. Sorry if I went by hair colour, I couldn't think of anything else to go by :D

2. Why did Stellar choose Skittles Tropical?

Answer: Again, the light blue packaging fits her colour scheme well I think^^.

3. Why is Mu acting weird?

Answer: I'm writing Mu as though he hasn't recovered all his memories. That's why his personality is still like Neo's, which is quite blunt. But correct me if I'm wrong!