Dearka & Miriallia
Book II
Disclaimer: It is obvious by now if I'm here that I do not own Gundam SEED, Gundam SEED Destiny or any other Gundam Series. But any characters I create to place in this world are mine (But I don't mind if you guys want to use them too. I have no problem with that. You don't even need to ask me. I enjoy sharing to make other stories the best they can be.)
Chapter 4
Coming Together
The hour passed by slowly for Miriallia as the loud crashes made her begin to feel nervous. The words the young man named Dearka had said continued to run through her head. She didn't know what to think about it all.
"Is it true? Is he the father of my baby? And do we really have a daughter together already?" she thought to herself as she buried her head into his pillow more.
The lights were still flashing red and the alarms were blaring. Her head was beginning to ache. She wasn't sure if it was because of the ruckus or because of the overwhelming amount of information she was given all at once.
"It can't be true. I don't even remember having a daughter. But why would he lie about something like that? And why did I remember feeling his arms around me when I fell into him during the attack?" she thought again.
On one hand it made sense to her, but on the other hand, she couldn't understand how she hadn't recognized him before. She had been with him on the trip into space and he never mentioned a thing to her. Why wait all this time to say something so important? She had focused all her attention on Ian on the way back due to her nervousness and memory of only him that she had barely even looked at the young blonde man.
"I just don't know. He's handsome and seems sweet, but I still can't remember him. All I remember is that scent. But anyone could wear that cologne," she tried to rationalize in her head.
More footsteps raced down the hall startling her out of her thoughts. Not long ago, she had been one of the people running down the hall to get ready for battle. But now, she was grateful that she could cower in the corner and hopefully remain safe for her baby's sake.
"But then again, maybe what he said was true. I did feel attracted to him when I looked into his eyes. And he does seem to know a lot about the baby and me. But how can I even be sure that this isn't some kind of trick. For all I know, I was safer with the Earth Forces. This could be some sort of mission for ZAFT in an attempt to gain intelligence on the Earth Forces," she thought.
She buried her head deeper into the pillow trying to block out the sounds of the obnoxious alarms above her and started to drift off. All the conspiracy's and conclusions she had come up with had exhausted her and now she just wanted to close her eyes and sleep. She was so tired that little by little the sounds of the blaring alarms faded into the background of her mind as she fell into a deep sleep.
A few hours later…
Dearka made his way toward his room now that things were calming down. He was tired from the battle and just wanted to get back to speak with Miriallia again. He hadn't meant to slip up with his declaration but he had been so worried when she had fallen, regardless that he caught her, that she or the baby may have been hurt.
"How was I supposed to know? It's not like I was with her the first time through it and again she's close to halfway there and I haven't been with her at all," he thought sluggishly walking down the halls with his hands in his pockets.
"Hey Dearka, do you hear a word I'm saying to you?" a voice screamed from behind him.
Dearka snapped out of his thoughts and turned to see Yzak trying to catch up to him. He had a feeling he knew what he was being followed for.
"I'm going back to my room, so you don't have to nag me. I know I was only let out due to special circumstances," Dearka stated hoping to stop Yzak from lecturing him.
Yzak rolled his eyes and moved up next to him.
"If you were actually listening to me and not daydreaming about that Natural, you would know I didn't even mention anything about your suspension," Yzak scolded.
Dearka stopped in his tracks and gave him an 'I'm listening' look.
"I said that you need to go to the shuttle bay and wait there. Now that everything is safe, I have ordered the shuttle that has your daughter on it to launch for the Voltaire," Yzak stated before pushing off and continuing down the hall.
"What?" Dearka yelled after him in confusion.
"You heard me. I have things I have to attend to. You just go and get your daughter and take her back to your room. And don't forget you owe me another one Dearka!" Yzak reminded him.
Dearka watched him as he floated further away before turning to head back toward the shuttle bay.
"I wish he had mentioned that before I left the damn shuttle bay," Dearka thought as he moved back the way he came from in a more quickened pace.
He made his way toward the shuttle bay again longing to get his daughter back in his arms as much as he longed to be back in Miriallia's arms. As he continued down the hall, what he had to deal with hit him. Or more like, who he had to deal with, hit him.
"Damn, I wouldn't doubt Cadey is the one bringing Belle back too. The last thing I need is her hanging around right now. Until I can get Miriallia to remember about Belle and I, she'll just get in the way," Dearka thought irritably finally entering the bay.
He leaned against the wall with a scowl on his face. Just moments before, he had been so happy that he would soon have his daughter back and now a dark cloud was lingering over the reunion. Dearka looked around the area as he patiently waited for the shuttle to arrive.
The bay was bustling with activity from the previous battle. Mechanics and pilots were still scurrying about trying to get machines up and running again in case of another attack. All sorts of colorful phrases were being tossed back and forth between the technicians. The cold steel wall Dearka was leaning on was refreshing from the heat that tore through the air as some of the propulsion systems for the ZAKUs were being worked on.
The scent of oil and grinding metal filled the air with noises that reminded many of an automotive body shop. In what seemed like no time at all, Dearka heard the announcement that a shuttle was about to land. As the area prepared for the arrival, Dearka pushed himself off the wall with his right foot with his arms remaining crossed in front of him.
Moments later, the door to the shuttle opened and a soldier was helping the person he feared most of seeing again with her bags and his daughter. Dearka moved toward the shuttle cautiously trying to figure out what he should say to her. She sensed his presence before he had even approached her and she looked up to see the man she had fallen in love with walking toward her.
A small blush began to form on her face while Belle remained peacefully sleeping in her arms. Cadey continued down the stairs of the shuttle and began heading in Dearka's direction. The two finally met face to face once again. It had been quite a while since their last encounter.
"I hope you don't mind that I brought her myself. I wanted to make sure she made it back to you safely," Cadey said with a hint of innocence in her voice.
If Dearka hadn't known better, he would have fallen for the inflection she cast in her voice making her seem as though she wasn't up to something. Although, in an attempt to not evoke a fight, he let it slip by without calling her on it.
"Thank you Cadey," Dearka said as he reached out to take the sleeping child from her arms.
He looked down at her peaceful face and smiled to himself. He hoped Miriallia would remember Belle as soon as she saw her. She just had too. Belle was her little girl and even though they had a rocky start, he knew Miriallia never stopped loving her no matter what she said or did.
"So, I heard that you were able to find Belle's mother and she is safe on the Rousseau," Cadey said starting idle chit chat as she followed Dearka down the hall carrying Belle's bag for him.
"Well, she's safe, but she's not on the Rousseau. She's here on the Voltaire," Dearka said already knowing what Cadey had been suggesting.
A look of shock came across Cadey's face. Dearka didn't even have to look back at her to know what she was thinking right then. It actually made him feel good to crush her the way she tried to do to him not too long ago.
"I thought she only remembered Ian and…" she began working on Dearka for some more information.
"You thought wrong. She remembers me too," he lied as he continued down the way.
They were getting closer to his quarters so Dearka decided to stop the little two-step she was trying to have with him by turning around to look at her. He reached out his hand and slipped Belle's bag off Cadey's shoulder lightly brushing her skin. The sensation gave her chills in a pleasant way even though she knew he hadn't meant to do it on purpose.
"Look, I don't know what your plans are now. Thank you for bringing Belle back to Miriallia and I, but I would appreciate it if you kept your distance from us," Dearka said coldly brushing her off.
"Sure, I'll just stay on the Rousseau to spend some time with Ian then. That is, if that doesn't interfere in your life too," she said slightly sarcastically returning his cold shoulder.
"As long as the two of you aren't trying to plot something against Miriallia and me, then I don't care in the least. But if you are and I find out about it, you'll wish you never crossed me. Got it?" Dearka asked his voice reflecting the warning.
Cadey closed her eyes and shook her head at him. As she opened them again and looked at him she huffed in frustration.
"I went through all that trouble to help you out and this is how you are going to treat me. So I made some mistakes in the past, but my intention was to never hurt that little girl and you know it! I'm not wasting my time on you any more Dearka Elsman so you don't have to worry. I'll find someone who really loves me and isn't just settling," she said bitterly turning away from him and heading back down the hall.
Dearka shook his own head and turned to continue to his room. This was his last chance to convince Miriallia she belonged with him or else she would be heading back to the Rousseau calling his bluff to Cadey. Before reaching his door he heard Cadey call from a distance to him.
"If you change your mind, you know where I'll be," she said changing the tune she had just sung moments before.
"I wouldn't hold your breath if I were you. You may turn blue," Dearka called back sarcastically causing the little angel in his arms to stir a bit from the noise.
Softly Dearka rocked her back in to her deep sleep before hitting the code on his room panel. The door swished open and he saw the most beautiful sight before him. Miriallia was sound asleep on his bed with strands of her soft brunette hair falling on her face.
Dearka moved over to the crib in his room and place Belle down gently, dropping her bag on the floor. He set up the system to protect his little girl in case of any sudden shifts of the ship due to unavoidable turbulence or battles as they coasted along. As soon as he was sure she was well protected, he moved over to the bed and brushed the strands of hair from Miriallia's face softly caressing her cheek.
"You are so beautiful," he said softly leaning over to kiss her gently on the lips.
A small smile crept up onto Miriallia's face, as she remained fast asleep. Quietly he began to take off his uniform leaving himself in his boxers and t-shirt and carefully slipped into bed next to Miriallia.
Unconsciously, she moved in closer to him placing her head against his chest and wrapping her arms around him. Dearka slowly moved his right arm over her to hit the button to the lighting system in the room and then held her close to him. He had missed holding her in his arms and this was a moment he wasn't going to pass up.
"Now I just have to hope she doesn't try to kill me in the morning since she has no memory of me," he thought as he closed his eyes and took in the sweet smell of the ocean breeze shampoo she had been using.
On the Rousseau…
Cadey made her way down to Ian's quarters. She had been given permission from Yzak to see him on his last night of probation and she had a few things to discuss with him.
Crewmembers walked down the halls looking her up and down. They all knew she was the daughter of Councilman White, but they were just curious why she was on the ship to begin with. Unlike Yzak and Dearka, she wasn't a soldier and they all knew Dearka wasn't even assigned to the Rousseau.
"Shouldn't she be over on the Voltaire? That is Cadey White, right?" one girl whispered to another walking down the corridor.
"Yeah, that's Dearka Elsman's fiancée. I wonder why she's over here then," the young woman whispered back.
"Maybe she's cheating on him with someone over here," the girl giggled out softly to the other thinking Cadey couldn't hear them.
Cadey moved quickly by them as they stared her up and down. She was feeling so uncomfortable being the center of their gossip and just wanted to make it to Ian's room as soon as possible.
Rushing down the hall, Cadey tried not to look back. She was tired of all the whispering voices around her. Everyone recognized her and had some inkling of her current relationship with Dearka, but they didn't know the whole story leading to many rumors.
In a matter of moments, Cadey reached Ian's door. Her hair swept by her as she came to a sudden stop and fell into place down her back after it caught up with her paused motion. Quickly she rang the bell to the door before punching in the code Yzak had provided her to unlock the unit.
Ian had barely sat up before she flew through the door and pressed the button for it to close swiftly, eyes of curiosity trying to catch a glimpse of her. She was sure now that people saw who's room she was entering there would be even more rumors floating about. Letting out a sigh, she walked further into the room not even looking at Ian's reaction to her presence.
"Cadey? What are you doing here?" he asked in shock.
Her brown eyes opened softly with a smile on her face that reeked of trouble. Ian was afraid to ask what was on her mind, but it was too late. He had given her the opportunity to fill him in on her scheme before realizing the look on her face.
"I'm here to make sure all your dreams come true. That is, if you still want that silly Natural of Dearka's," she replied deviously.
That proved it! She was up to no good again leaving Ian to debate if taking her advice would really be in his best interest or be the biggest mistake of his life. He had after all, decided to be as devious as she was in order to win Miriallia away from Dearka. Now he had to make the final decision to follow through with it or not.
"So, what do you have up your sleeve this time Cadey?" Ian asked sealing his fate.
"Just this," she said pulling a small object out of her pocket and tossing it in Ian's direction.
"A recording? Of what?" he asked curiously looking at its case over as he flipped it through his fingers.
"Just something that will devastate that girl beyond belief and send her running into your arms regardless of the fact that she has a daughter with Dearka. I certainly wouldn't stand for such a recording if I was as fragile as that girl seems to be," Cadey said with an evil grin.
"What do I have to do?" Ian asked now gripping the tape in his hand firmly.
Cadey walked closer to him looking him straight in the eyes and then sat down next to him on the bed. She leaned closer to whisper in his ear as if there was a possibility of them being spied on.
"All you have to do is show it to her after she gets close to Dearka again. Let him build up her trust for just a little while longer and then act as a concerned friend that found this tape among Dearka's things in the locker room after a battle," Cadey stated now moving away from his ear and remaining comfortably on his bed next to him.
"That's not so easy Cadey. I would have to get my self assigned to the Voltaire for that scenario to work," Ian answered back finding a flaw in her plan.
"You don't think you can charm your way back into being friends with Dearka? He does need help still you know. Yzak can only do so much for him. The more support he gets from friends, even former ones, is better than nothing. Plus if Dearka feels he needs your help he'll beg Yzak to move you over to the Voltaire. Especially if you help that girl to remember him," Cadey replied feeling as though her friend was stupid.
"It's still not that easy! I'm sure he knows you're here and he'll be able to put two and two together in no time. He'll know I'm up to something with you to drive him and Miriallia apart," Ian replied adding a bit of rationalism to the insanity.
"What if I said I wasn't going to be staying? I was thinking of heading home for a while and getting some rest. That kid of his is exhausting and a selfish little thing. She wants to touch everything and thinks everything is hers," Cadey answered in annoyance.
"Sounds like someone I know," Ian said mocking her.
"Oh shut up! You can be such a jerk when you want to be. Now are you going to stop whining and take my advice or are you going to sit here and let Dearka be happy while you are miserable? You know this is a foolproof plan if you play it right. He won't even see it coming, particularly if I'm nowhere in sight," Cadey replied as she hit him in the back of the head.
"I don't know about this. It's seems to be a pretty intricate plan that has to be executed perfectly in order for it to work. If one part gets screwed up, the whole plan is dead. Why aren't you just giving Miriallia this extremely suspicious recording of yours?" Ian asked finally realizing he hadn't even tried to figure out why Cadey needed him in the first place.
"Well, mainly because if Dearka found out it came from me, he would be able to discredit it too quickly. Even if he is able to in the future, it will be too late from the time that will lapse if you do it. Even more so if you say you found it in his stuff. Then he may not have the ability to discredit it at all. You want that girl to remember a lot about her time with Dearka, but not so much his personality and character. It may seem difficult, but it's actually pretty simple. Just help Dearka remind her of actual events and not how she felt during them and you are golden," Cadey said smiling again.
"Do I even want to know what is on this tape?" Ian asked curiously.
"Probably not, but I guarantee it will blow their relationship out of the water!" she exclaimed happily.
"Then I guess I should say, 'here we go again'," he replied accepting the deal with the devil that had been so happily placed in his lap.