Heyas everyone! I'm finally back with an update. -laughs- I've been busy with work, but I still managed to find time to get this chapter written and posted. There will be a slight change with this chapter regarding the events in it. This chappie is a tad shorter than the others, there will be a brief questioning of Sting followed by a little bit of AsuCaga sweetness. Chapter 19 will have Athrun solving the crime and making the arrests, so this chapter will hopefully provide some hints and insight into who the murderers are and what Athrun's plan is. -giggles- Athrun says a few naughty things to Cagalli here, so it should be a fun chapter for everyone to read. Anyways...I hope everyone enjoys this chapter and I'm diligently working on preparing the next one just so I can make the murderer's capture more interesting. -smiles-

Disclaimer: I do not own GS, GSD, or any of the AsuCaga happiness that you are about to witness...though it would be nice if I did ne? -giggles-

-The Zala Files- Chapter 17 : Swingers Night Club part III-

-December City. March 8th,CE 75. Location: The Swingers Night Club. Time: 4p.m. -

Athrun and Cagalli sat in the back room getting ready for the final person that had to be questioned, the shifty lawyer Sting Oakley. Cagalli shot a worried glance over in Auel's direction. The poor boy looked incredibly depressed and angry, which was evident from the three shot glasses of Sky Vodka that now rested empty next to the chair he was sitting in. Cagalli turned on Athrun's lap and looked him in the eyes, only to come face to face with a worried expression similar to hers; so she asked with soulful amber eyes meeting his emerald ones: "You're worried about him too aren't you?"

Athrun chuckled a bit at her sharp powers of observation, and whispered: "You're very observant today...more so than usual...you seem to be worried about me as well I see."

Cagalli's eyes widened slightly: "H-How did you?!" ... "I never said...!"

Athrun chuckled again in his soft, gentle voice and then flashed her a warm smile as he cut her off: "It's all in your eyes...in the way you stare at me. Every time you look at me, there's something different on your mind..." He lifted one of his hands up and gently brushed a strand of her short, golden hair from her eyes: "...That's one of the first things that attracted me to you."

Cagalli blushed slightly and felt a shiver run down her spine at the brush of his fingers across her face. She managed to cover it up before Athrun could see it with an embarrassed hiss: "S-Stop it!"

Athrun smirked slightly and whispered innocently: "Stop what?"... "I'm just stating a fact."

Cagalli, the embarrassed blush still visible on her face; mumbled: "Y-Yeah...sure." She gave her red knight the eye: "Only I know what you're really up to."

Athrun's slight smirk from before had now turned into a mischievous one: "Really?"... "Are you sure about that?" He trailed one of his fingers across her lips and finished by whispering hotly in her ear: "Sorry Hime...only I know that."

Cagalli felt another shiver run down her spine at Athrun's hot breath against her ear and managed to hiss: "Alright...I get it!"... "S-Stop calling me Hime!"... "So...are we bringing in the last guy to question or what?!"

Athrun snickered a little bit at her tone, then a serious look crossed his face as if he were thinking about something: "Yeah...he should be stepping back here at any time."

Cagalli raised a golden eyebrow in her red knight's direction: "What's up with that look on your face?" She briefly played around with the Haumea amulet around his neck: "Do you think he's our man?"

Athrun coolly ran his fingers through his neck length navy hair and nodded: "It's a definite possibility. Remember when he made that remark about my father and how he's defended him in the past?"... "Well...let's just say it caught my attention."

Cagalli looked continued playing around with the Haumea amulet and asked in a curious tone: "You think he and your father might be in on this together."

Athrun looked her right in her beautiful amber eyes and replied solemnly: "I wish I didn't...but it's the most likely option of any of the other ones I've come up with."... "However...to make sure I was right about this whole thing, I set up this questioning thing as a ruse to see if I could make him sweat a little."

Cagalli glanced back over her shoulder at the melancholy and angry looking Auel, then looked back at Athrun, who simply smiled and nodded as he knew what she intended on doing. She jumped off of Athrun's lap, walked over to Auel, and placed a supportive hand on his shoulder: "Everything will work out. Whatever it is that's on your mind...I'm sure it's on Miss Loussier's mind too. If I were her, I'd drop that little brat and go out with you...well...you know what I mean." She placed a quick kiss on his cheek, which caused him to turn a slight red.

Auel blushed embarrassed and stammered: "L-Lady Cagalli...I...!"

Cagalli chuckled and slapped him hard on the back causing him to wince a little: "You're a sweet guy Auel-kun."... "Don't let one loser let you down. I say...if you want her back...do what he did...steal her back."

A slight smirk crossed Auel's face as he put his finger to his chin in thinking mode: "You know...that's not such a bad idea."

Before Athrun could make a comment on that, they heard a knock on the door. Auel, still in thinking mode; walked over to the door and opened it, only to reveal the last person they were questioning...Sting Oakley.

Athrun motioned for the young lawyer to take a seat and began asking him some of the same questions he had asked Shinn earlier, all of which he answered as politely and honestly as possible, which furthered Athrun's suspicion of him. It was now 10 minutes later and Athrun was now at the question he had been itching to ask this guy ever since he walked in the door. He leaned back in his chair: "So...Mr. Oakley...you've represented my father in the past, so then you must have some knowledge about the law...am I correct?"

Sting nodded and chuckled slightly: "Yes...that's what it says on my diploma." His tone then turned serious as he continued: "I see these kinds of cases presented all the time and most of the time...they go cold."

Auel raised a sky blue eyebrow in curiosity: "Not one was solved?"... "Not a single one?"

Sting shook his head and briefly adjusted the collar of his white dress shirt and shook his head: "Not the ones I've handled at least...who knows how many more are out there that have gone unchecked. There are a lot of criminals that could still be on the loose. Some you can spot right away, while others..." He looked first at Athrun, then Cagalli, and finally Auel before he finished in an ominous tone: "Well...they can be as average as you and me." ... "For example..how much do we really know about his ex-girlfriend Miss Haww or that other guy she had been dating...Dearkka Elsman?"

Athrun eyed him curiously, his tone as calm and cool as always, however, there was a slight glare in his eyes: "Yes...I understand that. Being a former soldier, I'm also aware of the same things, but what seems to be bothering me is that I knew Mr. Koenig personally and I know he wasn't a criminal..and I would refrain from making comments about people you don't know about. I'm the one who handles the questioning around here, so I would appreciate it if you would keep your personal feelings to yourself Mr. Oakley."

Sting lit the cigarette in his hand, took a quick drag and then finished coolly: "I never suggested that Mr. Koenig or any of the others were involved in any kind of criminal activity at all...but Mr. Koenig did have some debts and those, like weight; can catch up with a person over time. Sometimes you don't know a person as well as you think."

Athrun played around with a pair of dice that rested on his desk as he coolly replied: "Yes...that's true. Let's take you for example...you say you're a lawyer. When in all actuality, both you and I know what you really are..." He rolled the dice across the desk and finished: "A gambler and a debt collector."

He smirked as he noticed Sting's expression grow slightly agitated: "Look...snake eyes. People have said I have snake eyes just like the dice because I've never lost a case."

Auel smirked coolly: People say it's nearly impossible to get this roll twice in a row...that it takes someone with a lot of luck on his side to get it."

Athrun, the mischievous smirk still on his face nodded and continued: "You look skeptical...like maybe you don't believe me. I'll prove it." He motioned for Cagalli to come over, which she did while she eyed him curiously. He smiled coyly at her as he picked up the dice and held them in his open hand: "Blow on the dice hot legs...for good luck."

Cagalli blushed slightly, a slight smirk on her face: "With pleasure...sugar lips." She giggled slightly as she noticed a small blush dust his face... amused, she tickled under his chin, blew into the dice, and then watched as he rolled them.

Athrun grinned wickedly and tapped his fingers on the desk: "Well...well...well...snake eyes again."

Sting eyed Athrun as if he were insane: "What's the purpose of all this?"... "So you know what my real job is...that doesn't connect me in any way to this. I, Sir Zala; am not a murderer." He stood up and coolly pushed his chair in: "Now...are we finished here?"... "I have other more important matters that require my attention and this has put me considerably behind schedule."

Athrun nodded and smirked slightly as he leaned back in his chair again, this time with his feet up on the desk: "You're free to go...but just remember..." He pointed to the snake eyed dice on the table: "These snake eyes are always watching you." He chuckled to himself as the agitated young man showed himself out of the room.

Cagalli sat cross-legged on the edge of Athrun's desk and smirked: "Wow...way to go Captain Ruthless...you nailed that."

Athrun smiled coolly and joked: "He's got such a cocky attitude...if that hadn't gone the way I wanted it to, I was going to let you beat the crap out of him."

Cagalli cracked her knuckles a few times and heaved a heavy sigh: "Awww damn!"... "I have all this pent up frustration...what the hell am I supposed to do with it now?!"

Athrun stood up and playfully ran his fingers through her hair, a devilish smirk on his face: "I can think of a few ways to put that temper to good use...speaking of which...what are the sleeping arrangements for tonight...?" He leaned down and whispered seductively in her ear: "...Hot legs."

Cagalli felt a slight blush cross her face and hissed embarrassed: "S-Stop calling me that!"... "I don't know...whatever we can arrange I guess."... "My god...what are you...?" She smirked mischievously as she finished: "The damn Energizer Bunny?!"

Athrun's face flushed bright red in embarrassment, then a devilish wry smile tugged at his lips: "N-No...I just know something good when I see it. I can't help it that you're..." He glanced at her black dress that showed off every curvaceous inch of her body and whispered hotly in her ear as he nibbled on it: "So damn sexy I can't control myself."

Cagalli, who felt as if she had been blushing all day; smiled coyly: "Sounds like you have some pent up frustration too...how shall we deal with that...?" She placed a quick yet sweet kiss on his lips, then licked her lips afterwards and smirked mischievously: "Mmmm...sugar lips."

Athrun grinned devilishly: "Perhaps I should request that we share a room...I'll just say you were being targeted, this way I'll know where you are...safe...in my arms all night." He wrapped his arms around her from behind and hugged her close.

Auel, a slight shade of red from what he just witnessed; coughed to get their attention: "Ummm...I'm still here you know?"

Both Cagalli and Athrun pulled away from each other, embarrassed blushed on their faces as they realized how wrapped up in each other they were getting even while there was another person in the room.

Auel chuckled: "Sorry to interrupt the love fest, but what's the plan to catch this sucker since he's so obviously guilty?"

Athrun teased the sky blue haired boy: "What happened to Shinn?"... "A few moments ago you were all Gung Ho that he was the one."

Auel sighed heavily at the mention of that name and muttered in a sour tone: "Forget him...he's just stupid...too slow minded to pull off a murder. Stupidity isn't a crime...although, in his case; it should be made one."

Cagalli chuckled and then nodded: "I agree with you there...that little brat is a tad slow. He clearly has no idea what's going on in ZAFT's upper ranks." She eyed Athrun, who had somewhat of a twinkle in his eye and raised a curious golden eyebrow: "I recognize that look...what are you planning?"

Athrun sat back down at his desk and rolled the dice across it. A mischievous smirk tugged at the corners of his mouth. He pointed to the dice, which, once again; read "snake eyes" on the desk: "To catch this one, we're going to have to think like this one...Auel...I'm going to need you to make a phone call to this number." He handed Auel a small slip of paper with a post it attached to it: "Make sure you follow what I wrote on that post it...trust me...this part is key. I want everything to hit the fan at tomorrow night's grand opening."

Auel nodded intently: "Can do...I'll get on that right now...any excuse to get away from that asshole." (AN:// asshole: aka: What Auel calls Shinn. Just in case anyone missed chapter 16 -laughs-) He smirked as he read the post it note: "Consider this done." He turned on his heels and made for the hall closet with his unlisted cell phone in hand.

Athrun turned his attention back to Cagalli and motioned for her to come back to sit on his lap, which she reluctantly did: "My beautiful Miss Yula...my Desert Rose...you have the most important job of all...that is...if you don't mind acting as bait for part of it."

Cagalli eyes him skeptically, a small mischievous smile tugging at her honey colored lips: "That depends..." One of her hands started to unbutton his shirt as she found her fingers absentmindedly trailing across the smooth skin of his well toned chest while she finished: "...what's my reward?"

Athrun, a slight shiver running down his spine at her gentle touch; snatched her hand, pulled her close and place one of his long and passionate kisses upon her pouty lips and then answered with a devilish smile on his face: "Lots of that from me...and..." He whispered hotly in her ear: "You can kick the crap out of whoever pisses you off."

Athrun noticed Cagalli's beautiful amber eyes sparkle with delight in response to both of those rewards before she gently ran her fingers through his hair and replied: "You know I can't refuse rewards like that."

Athrun smiled devilishly along with Cagalli as they both glanced down at the dice that read "snake eyes": "Well then...let the games begin."

Okies everyone...that's the end of the chappie. I feel like it was a tad rushed at some parts, but believe me when I say that it was done this way for a reason. -winks and laughs- I hope everyone enjoyed the cute AsuCaga moments since I always have so much fun writing those. -giggles- Athrun is getting a little bolder ne? Well...wait till you see him in the next few chapters...and Cagalli too -lol- I can't wait to get started on the upcoming chappies, so I'll be working hard to make them extra special for all of you. -smiles- If anyone caught the hints about who the murderers are, then feel free to make guesses in the reviews when you press that little button at the bottom of the screen that says review. -lol- Athrun, Cagalli, and this busy little author would greatly appreciate all the wonderful reviews and comments we can get. -lol- Till next chapter then...see ya everyone! -waves and smiles-