Heyas everyone! It's been awhile, but I'm finally back with the next installment of The Zala Files. It took me quite a bit to figure out what to do with the characters in this one, but I came up with quite a few interesting ideas. I hope everyone enjoys this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. I will just leave you all with just one thing to mull over...how many times do you think Athrun can go in two hours? -giggles-

Disclaimer: I do not own GS, GSD, or the AsuCaga happiness that runs throughout this whole story. It would be nice if I did though. -giggles-

-The Zala Files- Chapter 16 : Swingers Night Club part II -

-December City. March 8th,CE 75. Location: The Swingers Night Club. Time: 1p.m. -

Athrun and Cagalli exchanged worried glances as the elusive Meer Campbell managed to slip out a back door they hadn't accounted for. Athrun frustratedly ran his fingers through his hair and thought out loud: "It's weird."

Cagalli raised a golden eyebrow in curiosity: "What is?" She looked him square in the eyes: "It's because she keeps showing up isn't it?"

Athrun nodded firmly: "Yes...and not only that, but...have you noticed it's always in places where she knows I used to regularly pay visits to? Some patterns remain constant, for instance; she used the same drug that Fllay put in your father's tea, also, it appears friends and family are primary targets...and..." He took Cagalli's hand in his and gazed worriedly into her amber eyes: "She's trying to kill you."

Cagalli gave her companions hand a reassuring squeeze, then asked: "Do you think maybe she's doing this to get even with my family?"

Athrun shook his head: "She really had nothing against your father or brother...it was Miss Allster who dispatched her to do what she did."

Cagalli raised and eyebrow skeptically: "So...what're you thinking then?"... "Do you think it's a conspiracy cause that's what it sounds like to me."

Athrun casually ran his fingers through his hair and nodded: "The most recurring pattern of them all here seems to be that there's always two murderers...the one who hires the assassin, and then the assassin themselves. I've been mulling this over ever since the Fllay incident."

Cagalli eyes him seriously: "To be able to afford those kinds of services..."

Athrun nodded firmly: "Yes...someone would have to have quite a bit of money. There's only really two people here with that kind of cash to throw around. Dearkka, as we all know; has no money since he spends it on trivial things all the time. Miguel, Rusty, Heine, they're all the same...they don't even have their own checking accounts. I'm sure Miri has some money, but Tolle was her closest friend even though they weren't dating anymore. Miss Loussier is new to everything...I did some background research on her and she's got a clean record. Meyrin-san's sister LunaMaria..." He shook his head and sighed in frustration at the mention of her name: "The only thing that girl's guilty of is being a flirt. So...now we're down to two...the young master Shinn Asuka and the lawyer Sting Oakley."

Cagalli nodded: "Yep...totally agree with you there, but the main objective is how do we get the real suspect to cave?"

A small smirk crossed the cunning Coordinator's features as he replied: "You just leave that to me. I'm gonna need you to follow my lead when the time comes...okay?"

Cagalli responded to his small smirk with one of her own and placed a soft kiss upon his parted lips: "Does that answer your question?"

Athrun playfully licked his lips and nodded: "Loud and clear Miss Yula."

Cagalli grinned mischievously: "Good...so...you up for the rest of that tour?" She opened the door to her dressing room and posed seductively against the door frame.

Athrun closed the distance between them with a passionate kiss as Cagalli then kicked the door closed behind them.

-Two Hours Later... -

The two emerged from Cagalli's room, their faces a touch sweaty and flushed, their clothes in a slight state of disarray. Before opening the door to get back to everyone in the main room, Cagalli whispered in his ear with a small smirk on her face: "Six times...I underestimated you...Lord Zala."

Athrun felt his face begin to grow warm as he buttoned up the last two top buttons on his shirt. He flashed her a devilishly sexy smile and responded: "I never back down from a challenge..." He placed a hungry kiss on her lips and then finished his sentence: "...and a free guided tour."

Cagalli felt a blush creep up her cheeks as she grinned: "You know...you shouldn't do that when we have to go back out there right now. It makes me wanna take you back in that room and teach you a lesson."

Athrun grinned devilishly and gave her hand a squeeze: "A lesson huh?"... "I'll have to keep that in mind for next time." As the two opened the door and walked back into the main room where the others were waiting, they heard Shinn's angry voice mutter loudly: "Took you long enough."... "Did you find anything or what?"

Athrun countered the irate boy's attitude in a cool manner: "Since you weren't around screaming in my ear...yes, I did find out some things, but that information is for me to withhold until the time is right." He then turned around to address everyone: "I will call everyone into the back room one by one so I can say a few more things to each of you. Of course, I won't be able to do this on my own, so I have some help who should be arriving here any minute." As if on cue, he heard the door open and turned to see Auel standing at the entrance in his khaki cargo pants and a black tee shirt with a red star in the middle. He smiled and waved him over: "...and here's my help now."... "Over here Auel-san!"

At the mention of Auel's name, both Shinn and Stellar's eyes widened; as did Auel's himself. Both Shinn and Auel's stares went from shocked to angry in a matter of seconds, while Stellar appeared to be very nervous.

Shinn turned to Athrun and hissed: "What the hell is he doing here?!"

Athrun heaved a heavy and frustrated sigh: "He's the one who's helping me Shinn."

Auel briefly glared at the red eyed boy, and then smirked as he spoke coolly: "Well...I never thought I'd ever have to hear that sound ever again. Did anyone ever tell you that when you screech like that, you sound like a howler monkey?"

Shinn hissed angrily at Auel, his red eyes blazing: "I should've reported your breakout the second I had the feeling it was gonna happen." He then turned his attention back to Athrun: "Why did you help him escape?!"

Athrun glared at the boy mercilessly: "He was unjustly put in there for a crime he didn't commit...and he was being treated inhumanely." ... "Also...you seem to keep forgetting...I am the chairman's son...nobody was going to question me no matter what you said or did."

Auel nodded in agreement and pointed at Athrun: "He was the only one who would even bother to come check on me to see how I was doing, so when he slipped me the escape key and offered me a job as one of his partners; it was my decision what I was going to do with it." He then turned and glanced in Stellar's direction, a hurt look flashed in his eyes as he said: "It was an easy decision to make."

Stellar whispered in a small voice: "Auel-kun...I..."

Auel shook his head and held up his hands: "No...it's fine. Forget what I just said. I was just babbling."

Athrun eyed the three curiously, then turned to Heine: "If you could come to the back with me first. Miguel...could you go with Auel over by the bar?"... "We'll both be asking the same questions, so if you'll just follow us..."

-1 hour Later -

Athrun hit the stop button on the tape recorder in his pocket. It was as he's expected. All but two of the people in the room didn't have enough money that could be used to pay off an assassin. He had yet to interview the two main suspects...the lawyer Sting Oakley, and Shinn; of whom he knew would be the biggest headache of his entire life. He asked Heine if he could send Miss Yula into the back room where now both he and Auel resided reviewing the tape recorder. Cagalli entered the room a few short minutes later.

Cagalli raised a curious eyebrow in his direction: "So...how's it going?"... "Find out anything new?"

Athrun motioned for her to come closer, which she did, and without warning...he snatched her from around the waist and placed the most sensuous of all of his kisses upon her parted lips. He then pulled away quickly and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and turned to Auel: "That's how I think it was done. It had to be done that way."

Cagalli, flushed from head to toe, her chest heaving as she caught her breath; growled: "What the hell?!"... "How what was done?!"... "Y-You can't just kiss me like that in front of him!"

Athrun smirked playfully and chuckled: "I believe I just did..." He tilted her chin up to meet his sparkling emerald eyes, his lips a tempting few inches from hers yet again: "I didn't hear any objections."

Cagalli blushed in an embarrassed fashion and mumbled: "Yeah...well...what did you do that for anyway?"

Athrun gently brushed a strand of her short golden hair from her face and then offered her his chair, which she accepted: "Did you feel something poke you when I did that just now?"

Cagalli's face burned bright red as she hissed in a whisper: "A-Athrun...n-not here!"

Athrun felt an embarrassed blush creep up his face as he heard Auel snickering: "T-That's not what I meant. I meant...I poked your side with my finger...did you feel that?"

Cagalli nodded firmly: "Come to think of it...yeah...I did." She punched him hard in the arm: "Why'd you do that?"

Athrun rubbed the sore spot she just hit and explained: "We think Tolle was being distracted by something when the stuff was slipped to him. If it was who I think it was, he was defiantly kissed. I've seen this technique before, but it's very rare. Around the ZAFT base it was referred to as "The Kiss of Death." A person kisses the victim and while the victim is distracted by that, they poke them in the side with a needle filled with the same drug that was used on your father. You had a delayed reaction to that pinch I gave you because you were distracted by my kiss. If I had been trying to kill you, I would have probably succeeded."

Cagalli, a slight tint of red in her face, grumbled: "Yeah...well...forget that...so..." She eyed the emerald eyed Coordinator curiously: "This technique is all about catching someone off guard right?"

Athrun nodded firmly: "You got it...so...with that information, we know who suspect number one is, but now we just need to know which of these last two are the second suspect...in other words, the one who hired the assassin."

Auel raised a blue eyebrow skeptically: "Wouldn't one of them know how to do that technique?"... "Shinn is still with ZAFT right?"

Athrun sighed heavily at the mention of that name: "Ahh yes...Shinn...almost forgot about him. Yes, he's still with ZAFT, but that doesn't automatically mean it's him."

Cagalli eyed Athrun in a skeptical manner: "Hmmm?"... "Why not?"... "He's the only one of the two guys that are left that's part of the ZAFT military and has the cash to pay an assassin."

Athrun nodded in agreement: "Yes...that's true, but only a select few members of ZAFT's special forces know about "The Kiss of Death" and how to execute it."

Auel fidgeted with a pen that he found on the desk Athrun was sitting at: "So where does that place Shinn in all of this?"... "Isn't he a part of the special forces?"

Athrun shook his head and placed his tape recorder out on the same desk Auel found the pen on: "No...as far as I have been told by Yzak, Dearkka, and everyone that's still there; Shinn is still ranked as Ensign. He could have moved another step up...but even if he did, you don't get to learn that stuff until you get to Lieutenant or Commander ranks."

Cagalli's amber eyes met Athrun's emerald ones as she asked curiously: "How do you know all this?"

Athrun met her gaze, and with a serious expression on his face; he answered: "Because I've done it." ... "Remember over two years ago...that incident involving Blue Cosmos starting up again?"... "This woman who worked under Azreal and Jibril in a different sector was getting ready to make up a new order for it?..."

Cagalli's eyes widened: "I remember father and also myself receiving threats from them." She paused for a moment and then asked: "That assassination...that was you?"

Athrun nodded and casually ran his fingers through his neck length blue hair: "It's not something I'm proud of, but it had to be done...not just because I was ordered to, but because your life was on the line Cagalli."

Cagalli covered his hand with hers and gazed deeply into his beautiful emerald eyes that were full of warmth and love: "Athrun...thank you. I know you must've struggled with that decision, but you saved my father then...and you saved me too. I always felt as if you were still watching over me during those hard times."

Athrun nodded and confessed, a slight tint of red in his cheeks: "Well...I was...for the first year after I decided to..." He cut himself short and then smiled warmly at her: "But what's most important is that you're safe and ..." He reached out and caressed her cheek: "I'm never leaving your side ever again."

Cagalli blushed at his heartfelt words and nodded as she took his hand in hers and gave it a squeeze. She sighed in an irritated manner: "So...we gonna call that little brat in here first?"

Auel sighed heavily in frustration: "Do we have to?"... "God I wish we didn't...let's just get it over with."... "The faster we finish with him, the faster that asshole is outta my face."

Athrun placed a couple of aspirin on the desk along with a glass of water: "Okay...I'm ready. Tell him to come in..." He then turned to Cagalli: "Cagalli?"

Cagalli raised a golden eyebrow: "Yeah?"

Athrun smirked devilishly and patted his lap as he sat in his chair: "Come sit on my lap."

Cagalli shook her head: "You've gotta be kidding me with that...nothin' doin'...there's no way in hell I'm..." Before she could finish her sentence, he looked up at her with a pouty face, his emerald orbs filled with the innocence of a little boy and begged: "Please...just this once."... "If you're not sitting here, I may throttle him...do this for me...please?"

Cagalli's face flushed a slight red as she reluctantly compiled to his request: "Fine...just this once because I know how much he pisses you off."

Once Auel let Shinn in the room and they began asking him questions, Athrun could feel his headache growing worse and worse with every snide remark the boy made: "Look...all I want to know is if you've been promoted within the last two years. You are obligated to answer me as if this were a court of law."

Shinn sighed in frustration: "And I'm telling you...I haven't okay?!"... "I haven't moved an inch since you were there. I mean...they had me in special forces for a little while, but when they found out I rescued Stellar...since she's not a Coordinator, and since I disobeyed a direct order...they knocked me back down to Ensign for it."

Athrun nodded: "Okay...so that means you weren't on special forces long enough to learn anything complicated." He left the tape recorder running on his desk, only pretending to shut it off to confuse Shinn. Cagalli still remained seated on his lap, which seemed to be the young Shinn Asuka's primary focus.

Cagalli raised a golden eyebrow at the red eyed boy as she fiddled with the top buttons on Athrun's shirt and asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm: "Can I help you with something?"

Shinn glared at the girl and then replied through a frustrated hiss: "Do you have to be sitting on his lap like that?"... "This isn't that kind of place is it?"

Cagalli glared at him and then smirked as she replied coolly: "No "little boy"...it isn't, but if it were...you couldn't afford or handle me." She casually ran her fingers through Athrun's soft hair, brushing his bangs from his eyes.

Athrun chuckled as he took Cagalli's roving hand in his and kissed it. He then smirked at Shinn and replied with a small smirk: "I'm afraid Miss Yula is right about that." He waved his hand dismissively at the ruby eyed boy and smiled: "You're free to go for now. Thank you for your time."

Auel muttered as he saw the boy out: "You of all people shouldn't be judging other people's relationships." He brushed past the angry Shinn and called to Athrun over his shoulder: "I'll be right back for the last interview. I just need to get a drink."

On his way to the bar, he passed by Stellar, who immediately pulled him aside and asked in her usual soft voice: "Auel-kun...please...can I talk to you?" Athrun and Cagalli peeked out from the back room to see what all this was about.

Auel ignored her and walked to the bar. He quickly downed a shot of Vodka and then turned around only to see that she had followed him over there. He sighed heavily and shook his head: "You just don't quit do ya?"... "Look...stop following me around okay...I'm fine, so just leave me alone." He glanced down and noticed she was still wearing the sapphire colored ring he had given her for her birthday three years ago: "So...you're still wearing it?"... "He passing it off as his?"

Stellar shook her head sadly: "You're not being fair Auel-kun."

Auel laughed out loud: "Me?!"... "I'm not being fair?!"... "Oh...wait...wait...let me get the tape recorder for that one!"... "If anyone's not being fair here...that's you and him...not me." He calmed himself down and finished speaking: "Why do you still have that?"... "Why can't you give me an answer?"... "I'll tell you why...it's because you still have feelings for me Stellar...I know you do."

Stellar felt her face turn a slight red in embarrassment: "Auel-kun...I..." Before she could finish her sentence, Auel drew her close against him and gave her the same kind of passionate kiss he'd seen Athrun give Cagalli before. When he pulled away, he then turned his back to her as she was noticeably trembling, and he said in a soft, yet serious voice: "Now can you still tell me that you don't have any feelings for me?"... "It hurts doesn't it?"... "Not paying attention to how someone else feels about you until it's too late." He turned on his heels and walked back to the bar for another shot. In the meantime, Athrun and Cagalli were watching the whole thing from the back room in a state of shock and awe.

Cagalli's amber eyes widened: "Whoa...it's a good thing that little brat went to use the bathroom so he couldn't see that. It would've been some fight if he was out there."

Athrun nodded in agreement: "I'll say." He then smiled one of his devilishly sexy smiles and drew her close: "How about you sit on my lap for the last interview too?" He placed a soft kiss on her neck and begged: "Please?"

Cagalli turned a slight red again and then heaved another hopeless sigh. It was impossible to say no to that innocent face: "Alright...fine, but don't push it. This isn't going to be an everyday thing."

Athrun winked at her and smirked mischievously as he placed another soft kiss on her honey colored lips: "How about six times a day then?"

Okies everyone...that's the end of chappie 16! -giggles- If any of you guessed that Athrun could go six times, then gold stars all around and a special kiss from Athrun as a bonus! Yay! Gotta love those bonuses! -giggles- So the next chapter will have them interviewing Sting, which will prove to be quite interesting, and also, the murderers will be revealed in it as well, although I'm sure some of you already know who the assassin is. -grins- I'm not telling. -giggles- And we're also seeing here that Auel and Stellar have a past...and somehow Shinn is a part of it too...Dun Dun Dun!! -evil laughter- lol...More mysteries will be revelaed and solved in the next installment, so see you all there!..and don't forget to press that little button on the bottom that says review cause Athrun, Cagalli, and this hard working little writer would greatly appreciate your comments. -smiles-