A very late Chapter 6! For those who are still reading Suppressed Emotions, here's the 6th chapter!

I don't want to say it again and again. This will be the last time. I don't own Gundam SEED Destiny XD

Akihiko stealthily walked towards the enemy base. He was doing the simulation for almost half an hour and is now on his way to take down the enemy. He hid behind trees, crouched to keep him from being seen and shot his enemies whenever he's found. He panted as a sign that he was getting tired, but his expression was like a killer's. He walked towards the base and slowly opened the door. He found a holographic Cagalli tied up and was pointed a gun at by someone. The blonde princess who was watching her butler just laughed at what she saw. Akihiko was about to get hit but was able to dodge and shot his enemy, piercing the heart. He put his gun down and took of his gear when the simulation was turned off, leaving the whole room back into it's original atmosphere. He left the room and was greeted by a smiling Cagalli.

"Wow... you're so awesome!" She clasped her hands and looked at him satisfactorily.

"Thank you for your praise, Princess." He bowed his head slightly and smiled.

"Thanks for your help!" She looked towards her employees, who bowed a little after she thanked them. She took Akihiko's hand and left the room.

"Are we going back to your office?" asked Akihiko as he walked behind her.

"We'll go check up on Kira... I have... something to say to him..." Her head was down as she responded. Her bodyguard just looked at her worriedly and didn't say anything.

Upon arriving at Kira's office, she knocked on the door. "Come in..." Cagalli opened the door as soon as she heard her brother's voice. As the door opened, Kira stood up when he saw Cagalli peeking.

"What's wrong?"

Cagalli and Akihiko walked towards Kira and then the blonde started to speak. "Go back to PLANTs... To Lacus..."

"Ca...galli..." The amethyst eyed Coordinator appraoched her and then put his hand on her shoulder.

"I'll be okay here. Go back to Lacus, alright? I know she wants you back there. I don't want to be the sister that's keeping her brother fromm loving whoever he wants to love..." She said in a painful voice. She looked at Kira with a tear that was about to fall. Kira hugged his sister suddenly and caressed the back of her head. "I care for you, that's why I stayed. Now, if you want me to go back, then I will..."

Kira let go of her and went to Akihiko. "Akihiko-san, promise one thing."

"What is it, Master Kira?"

"Protect Cagalli with your life."

"I will, surely." Akihiko responded as he bowed ninety degrees. Kira put his hand on his shoulder and then Akihiko stood up firmly. Kira offered his hand for a shake and Akihiko took it.

"I'll be leaving tomorrow, okay? I still have to pack up and finish some work here anyway." He glanced at Cagalli who was fiddling with her hair. "What are you doing?"

"Huh? Oh... Nothing... Hehe..." Cagalli didn't know why she was doing it and just tried to shrug off the uneasy feeling she felt. "Okay, I'll be going back to my office then... Oh yeah, Shinn and Athrun's job is to check up on the facilities and record the current status. Do they know already?"

"I think so. Athrun and Shinn were left at Kisaka's office. Maybe he briefed them already..."

"Okay, we'll be going then." Cagalli waved her brother good bye and left the room with Akihiko.

Cafeteria...

Athrun and Shinn sat down on one of the seats as they were advised by Kisaka to take a quick snack since they'll be working afterwards. "What do you want to have, Shinn?" Athrun asked his younger friend as he stood up, looking at the food counter. "Uhm... I think just a beef or chicken sandwich would do... and canned coffee." Shinn replied while still sitting down. Athrun nodded and proceeded to the food counter.

Shinn tapped his foot as he waited for Athrun to get their food. "Now I'm even more confused..." He said to no one in particular and sighed. "I don't really know what's going on with me... I mean, Luna's there... But, when I saw her pour out her feelings... I just..."

Shinn was cut from his line of thought when Athrun put down the tray containing their meal. "You're spacing out Shinn... What's wrong?"

"Huh? Oh... Uh... Athrun?" Shinn was fidgeting as Athrun sat down and handed Shinn his sandwich and canned coffee. "Hmm?"

"Do you... still have feelings for... Cagalli?" Athrun was silent. He hid his face from the younger man. He didn't know how to respond to his question. What kind of question was that anyway? Of course he still loves her. But he can't go back to the past. He already broke up with her and it was obvious that she didn't want him back... Or did she?

"You still do..." Shinn muttered with a sigh. The emerald eyed Coordinator looked at Shinn with confusion. "Shinn...?"

"Don't mind me... I was just thinking about my relationship with Luna... It's like... I'm not..." Shinn took a bite from his sandwich as Athrun just stared at his friend.

"...It's like what?" Athrun sipped from the previously undisturbed orange juice while looking at Shinn.

"I'm really not sure... So I better not jump to conclusions..." Shinn sealed off the topic. He wanted to assure that his feelings were true. "Feelings for Cagalli... or for Luna..." He thought and sighed again.

The two boys ate their meal quietly after that. No mentioning of each others' love life again, not with just the two of them that is. After eating, the older man stood up and gazed at Shinn."Let's go. We need to report to Cagalli before heading off to the military facilities." Athrun started to walk away without waiting for Shinn. The ruby eyed Coordinator just sat there, unable to decide whether he was going to stand up and walk or remain where he was seated and think.

At Cagalli's office...

"So, I want the both of you to go there and record the stats like number of mobile suit, repairs, and other things listed there. That's it for today. You have to submit the record by 6pm so that we could all get some rest afterwards. I insisted that Kira was to go back to the PLANTs and I want us to have a small feast at the mansion before seeing him off tomorrow." Cagalli said as she handed Athrun two clipboards with papers on it, one for Athrun and another for Shinn. Cagalli didn't ask why Shinn wasn't with him as she suddenly saw Shinn open the door as she talked. Athrun sensed a presence behind him and there he saw Shinn standing still. He gave him one clipboard and Shinn took it from him. "You heard everything, right Shinn?"

He nodded. "We'll be going now then." Athrun saluted her and she nodded. He turned his back and walked towards the door. Shinn saluted as well and followed Athrun.

"Are you okay, Cagalli?" A voice behind her called out to her.

"Yeah... Those two seem kind of weird today... I wonder if something happened while they were eating..."

"We wouldn't know for sure..."

"I guess you're right." She responded before going back to her work.

Parliament House Hallway, same floor as Cagalli's office...

"You'll be taking Hangar 1 and I'll take Hangar 2." Athrun said to Shinn as they walked through the hallway. Shinn nodded as he read the papers on the clipboard. Kisaka already told them the whereabouts of their destination, so it wasn't hard for Shinn to go there without anyone to guide him. Athrun, on the other hand, had been there before and so he knew where he was going.

They separated once they exited through the back door, located at the first floor. Shinn headed for Hangar 1 and Athrun, to Hangar 2.

With Shinn...

"Hmm... 500 Murasames... Delivery of ammunitions... repairs are going on smoothly..." Shinn shaded the box before each item as he analyzed his surroundings. He walked and kept on shading until he saw a certain item that surprised him a bit.

"... Update OS of ORB – 01 Akatsuki...?" He remembered the night he spent on the basement of the Mansion. He approached a mechanic and asked him. "Uh... Excuse me, when did they transfer the Akatsuki here?"

"Just this morning sir."

"Ah I see. I'll just update its OS." Shinn showed the list to him, the mechanic's eyes widened as he saw Cagalli's signature. He looked up as if trying to remembering something and he did.

"Ah yes. I've heard about that from Chief Murdoch. She's in your hands." The mechanic smiled at Shinn and left.

The young Ace went towards the Akatsuki and then used platform to go inside the cockpit. He sat down, looking at the controls just so he knows what buttons to push. "Let's see..." He turned on the power and the blank screen in front of him showed the opening sequence when someone powers up a mobile sit.

Meanwhile, with Athrun...

"I see everything's good..." He kept on shading the items as he scanned the area. "No problems so far..." He skimmed through the paper for one last check and then he put his pen on his pocket, satisfied. His gaze was focused on the Archangel. Hangar 1 had the mobile suits and artillery while Hangar 2 had the Archangel and the parts of the Kusanagi. Athrun stood in front of the main part of the Kusanagi and started to reminisce.

"FATHER!" Cagalli shouted as her tears fell down non-stop after her father decided to self-destruct the base to prevent the Earth Alliance from getting their hands on the Kaguya mass driver.

Athrun and Kira were inside their mobile suit and they felt the blonde princess' heartbreak as they witnessed the gruesome scene. "Kira... Cagalli's..." Athrun wanted to say something but can't exactly come up with something. "Athrun... I hope Cagalli's alright. I don't want to see her hurt... She... It was hard for her... Lord Uzumi was the only relative she had and yet she lost him... I..." Kira's tears fell down and like Cagalli, it won't stop. He felt so powerless.

"Kira..." Athrun said through their mobile suit's intercom. "She might have lost her father, but she has us... right? We better go inside. It's a few hours before we arrive at space..." He wanted to put his hand on his best friends's shoulder but since they were both inside the Freedom and the Justice, he couldn't.

"Cagalli..." Athrun uttered in a soft voice as he lowered his head. "If it isn't Athrun Zala." A familiar voice was heard. He turned his back to find a friend approaching him.

"Waltfeld-san..." Athrun smiled at him and he smiled back. "What are you doing here?"

"Just doing some errands for Cagalli." He responded with a little smile.

"Why?" The Desert Tiger's hands were on his hips as he asked the emerald eyed pilot. He knew about what happened between Cagalli and Athrun so he knew why he shouldn't be in ORB.

"Punishment for what we did during Lacus' meeting..."

"Ah. The pink princess... wait, 'we'?"

"Yes. Shinn Asuka and I."

"Shinn Asuka? You mean that kid who used to live here then enlisted in ZAFT?"

"Yes."

"I see. Opps.. Better get going. I was just checking things up." He waved good bye to Athrun and left.

Athrun waved back and smiled again before looking at the Kusanagi's main part once again.