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 19
Admission
6 hours later…
Yzak and Shiho stood at the arrival gate at the junction to the PLANT shuttles. It was the last place Yzak wanted to be, but the only place he felt forced to, thanks to his pal.
"Shouldn't this shuttle be here by now?" he asked dancing in his spot.
Yzak was definitely not one to wait patiently for anything. Just the thought of wasting his time in the shuttle port was enough to make him tear his hair right out of his scalp.
"Would you stop acting so antsy? They'll think there's something wrong with you when they arrive," Shiho scolded.
It was obvious the young Commander was frustrated with Shiho's perception of his demeanor. He remembered Dearka telling him how to him, Miriallia's father seemed like quite a callous man.
Shiho walked in front and turned to face him. A small blush formed across his face as she gently fixed his uniform and brushed the wrinkles away. She was always good like that. Although she would act as if she was not the mothering type, it was apparent to anyone she was more prone to the maternal instincts that were inherent to her.
"They may not be Coordinators, but I heard from Marie that Miriallia's father is somewhat of an important figurehead in Orb. We should make as good an impression on him as we can for Dearka's sake. Maybe it will help if he sees that Dearka has responsible and respectful friends by his side," Shiho said knowingly.
"Yeah I know, but this is a little much to ask of us isn't…"
Before he could finish his sentence, Shiho had turned and noticed a couple that looked slightly lost. Immediately seeing the resemblance to Miriallia, she dashed away from a confused Yzak.
Yzak followed promptly but remained behind Shiho, allowing her to make first contact. After all, he didn't see the need to get his hands dirty, or so he told himself. The fact of the matter was that Shiho may have been as nervous about meeting with Naturals as he was, but she tended to keep her cool better in these types of situations than he ever could.
"Are you, by any chance, the Haws?" Shiho asked politely as she approached the couple.
"Yes, we are. I take it you are the person that will bring us to our daughter and grandchildren?" Mrs. Haw answered in a sweet but uncertain tone.
"Yes, my name is Lieutenant Hahnenfuss, I'm a co-pilot of Lieutenant Elsman's and this is our commanding officer, Commander Joule," she replied introducing themselves.
"Great, more soldiers," Mr. Haw said rudely.
Yzak bit his tongue when he heard the man speak. Every part of him wanted to tell him off and rub his superiority in the man's face, but for the sake of Dearka he remained quiet.
Mr. Haw felt a light elbow in his gut and looked scathingly at his wife. "I apologize for my husband, it's been…a long trip," she said trying to make up for his comments and extending her hand to greet the young soldiers.
"Please, don't apologize, we take no offense," Shiho said kindly.
It was beginning to make Yzak sick. She wasn't even this friendly to other commanding officers and here she was pretending to be as sweet as sugar to these complete strangers.
After a moment of silence, Shiho spoke again. "Well, shall we get going? Did you have any other bags or is this all you brought with you?" she asked.
"This is all we brought. We wanted to get to our daughter as soon as possible," Mrs. Haw expressed with a slight bit of enthusiasm that she was that much closer to seeing her child again.
It was now Shiho's turn to nudge at her counterpart. As sparks of realization shined in his eyes, Yzak stepped forward. "Allow me to take those for you ma'am," he said holding out his hand for the couples' bags.
"Thank you," she replied as both she and her husband relinquished control of the belongings.
After another moment of awkward silence, Shiho turned and began to walk toward the exit. "Then follow me this way please. It won't take too long to get to the military hospital your daughter is currently at," she said as they made their way out.
At the military hospital…
"What are you doing?" Kelley asked agitated with Dearka as she watched him constantly flip his phone open and closed.
"Waiting," he replied with no explanation.
"For what?" she coaxed.
"Miriallia to wake up," he said realizing she had actually fallen asleep while playing the role of Sleeping Beauty.
"You know the minute she wakes up I'm supposed to collect her signature on those documents," she stated in an attempt to grab his attention.
The phone flipped closed with more force releasing a clapping noise. "Yup," was all he said.
"Wow, no yelling? No telling me that I promised to wait until tomorrow to follow through with your father's orders. Do you really have an ace up your sleeve, or are you just acting as if you do?" Kelley asked.
Dearka's eyes shifted from his phone and locked on to hers. "You know me better than that," he said with a wink, "I'm always a step ahead."
"Yeah well, I wish I didn't know you that well," she huffed as she looked away from him for a split second only to have her eyes drawn back to his handsome features.
Realizing he had made her uncomfortable, he decided to continue with their conversation for his own amusement. "I find it interesting, what you said earlier about me cheating on Cadey and how angry you were that she put up with it all, when you were no better," he said never taking his eyes off her.
"Yeah, so what?" she asked squirming uncomfortably under his glare.
"You still haven't told either of them, have you?" he asked.
Kelley's face flushed a crimson red. That was the last memory she wanted to relive and she definitely didn't want to speak at length with the person it had happened with.
"Of course not, she would never let you get within a hundred feet of me if she knew and Ian would have killed me a long time before we began fighting over Miriallia," he answered his own question.
"I didn't do it to deliberately hurt them," Kelley defended.
"I don't know what your true intentions were that day, but can you really sit here and lecture me on what a cad I am and how all you want to do is protect Cadey when you haven't even told her the truth yet? And poor Ian, how does he figure in all of this?" he coaxed.
"She doesn't need to know. It's better if she doesn't. It's the only way to protect her. And it's not worth hurting Ian anymore than I already have," Kelley said defiantly with a fire burning in her eyes.
"Right, is that how you've been able to sleep at night?" Dearka asked.
"What's with you anyway? You were as much a part of it as I was. And you agreed with me that it wasn't something we should ever tell them about," Kelley said angrily.
"But I'm not the one pretending that I am still her best friend after what happened," he said pausing to watch her reaction.
"I'm not pretending, it was a mistake and I'm just trying to protect her," Kelley reiterated.
"I'm beginning to wonder whom you're REALLY trying to protect and why you are truly angry about my indiscretions?" he stated.
"It's not like you came out and said anything about it either. And you had as much to lose friendship wise as I did," she replied as a form of retaliation.
"Because you asked me not to. And because, I'm not the kind of guy that is going to destroy a friendship over something so fleeting, one of yours or mine," he said again.
"Fleeting, huh? Don't think just because you're keeping our little secret that I'm going to do whatever you want in exchange for your silence. I don't answer well to blackmail Elsman," she warned.
"Now that's comical, using the word blackmail when that's exactly what you and my father are doing to me. I never said I was using it to blackmail you. Since you seem so desperate to talk to me about something I decided now was as good a time as any to finally figure you out. For someone who swears she hates me so much, it amuses me that it was you who jumped me, and not the other way around," he reminisced.
"Don't pretend I wasn't just another notch on that belt of yours Elsman. I'm not that naïve," she said.
"Or maybe it was really that I was another notch on yours," he insinuated still trying to see if that night meant anything to her.
"Even to this day, it would destroy her. You and I both know that and I don't even want to get started on how there would be no coming back from it for you if Ian ever found out. I'm sure you two have a chance to reconcile your differences still," Kelley said looking at him venomously.
Kelley was furious with Dearka. This was not something she was in the mood to discuss. It was because of him that her relationship with Ian had broken down in the first place. It was because of him that she had to tiptoe around Cadey every time Dearka's name was mentioned with the fear that her face may give away what she felt for the young man.
"I know what you're thinking. I've finally figured out why you hate me so much. But really, you have no one to blame but yourself. You offered, I accepted, it's as simple as that," Dearka responded to the fiery look in her eyes.
"I only offered because…" Kelley paused.
She felt so agitated at the line of questioning. What good did it do Dearka now anyway? It's not like it really mattered to him. He got what he wanted too that night and it's obvious that he's already moved on.
"I didn't even want you, I did it to teach Ian a lesson," she replied grumpily in an attempt to change her story.
"Some lesson you taught him. He dumped you within moments of finding out you cheated on him. Somehow I don't even think that was the real reason why you did it, regardless of what you just said," he replied still continuing with the conversation.
Kelley looked back up at him with annoyance. "It's funny how you are so desperate to keep Miriallia away from Ian because you are afraid of him stealing her from you, when you did the same thing to him and he doesn't even know," she said with an evil glint in her eye.
"I did no such thing. I wasn't the one that initiated our little rendezvous and I never tried to keep you afterwards," Dearka defended.
"Yeah well, you could have stopped it if you really wanted to," she replied rationally.
Dearka wasn't the type to allow the tables to turn on him so easily. Before she could even get another jab in, he responded to her comment.
"So what was it that made you want me so badly that night? Did you intentionally want to hurt Cadey and Ian and let's try this again with the truth this time," Dearka asked.
"Fine, I know it sounds silly and childishly competitive, but I guess that was part of it. And maybe you're right; I am still being a bit selfish. I was protecting the two of us more than either of them when I asked you not to say anything at the time. But now I know it will destroy her. Look at everything she's done to win you back. I couldn't tell her even if I wanted to. And you and I both know if Ian ever found out the man I was with was you that night, he wouldn't hesitate to kill you with his bare hands. You two have been at each other's throats for some time now and this would be the last straw for him," Kelley replied.
"I thought as much, it was obvious you weren't interested in me in the least after that day, so I always wondered what your angle had been after we hooked up," he said still trying to weed out her true feelings.
"I never said I wasn't interested in you," she shot back quickly.
"Bingo," he said with a wink.
She was fed up with him. He had tricked her once again so easily. It had to be his charm. That was the only thing she could contribute her loose tongue to.
"Oh fine, there, you caught me, are you happy? I'm just another girl that's infatuated with you. Why don't you add me to that long list of yours? I'm mad that you were with all those other girls and not for Cadey's sake, but for my own. And I never told Ian whom I was with because I don't want to see you get physically hurt. I love Ian, but for some reason unbeknownst to me, I lust for you," she said.
"So I'm guessing all this animosity towards me and my nights with the other girls is because had you really been in Cadey's place, you wouldn't have stood for it. Am I right?" Dearka replied ignoring the fact that Kelley just admitted she would practically jump him again if given the chance.
"I guess I look a little foolish, pretending that I could even be in the same league as she is, but yeah, if I had been in her place at the time, which I still wish I was, I wouldn't have let you get away with the things you did back then," she stated.
"You're really not far from her league. Think about it, even YOU know I don't sleep with every girl that passes by, just the gorgeous, interesting ones. You said it yourself, Dearka Elsman loves beauty and danger all wrapped into one," he said trying to lift her spirits.
"Hey, thanks for never saying anything to either of them, by the way. But even if you say something now…" she began.
"I know, I know, you'll deny it since she doesn't trust me right now anyway and Ian will just think I'm trying to get him back for the whole mess with Miriallia," he answered.
"I'm not the only one who seems to be denying things these days," she responded to his look tossing her own glance at Miriallia who was lying peacefully in the bed.
"I didn't sleep with Cadey on the ship, so you can stop thinking about it now," Dearka lied through his teeth.
"Fine, stick with your story, but if you did, my suggestion is that you tell Miriallia what really happened before she finds out on her own. The truth always has a way of coming out," Kelley said remembering the video Cadey showed her that Dearka didn't know existed.
"If the truth always comes out, then you and I will have a bigger problem in the future, don't you think?" Dearka asked speaking about their little tryst.
"I guess you're right, but I'm not really ready to deal with all of that right now and I can tell that you aren't either. Look let's just call a truce okay. I won't be so rude in person to you if you can just hold your tongue a little longer," she offered.
Dearka looked directly into her eyes and saw she was being sincere. Having had his say on the subject and weaseling her true feelings out of her, he shook his head in agreement.
"I do, however, have to follow through with my orders. When she wakes up, I need to have her sign these papers now. I know I changed your deadline, but you've already mentioned you have everything you need in order so there shouldn't be a problem with that. Anything that happens from here on out though, I have to report to your father. I hope you understand," Kelley said now sounding like the professional spy his father had set in place and yet still rolling her eyes at his previous statement about not sleeping with Cadey recently.
"I understand. So back to business I guess. It's obvious you don't believe me about the whole Cadey thing. That just leaves me wondering why? So are you planning on telling me or really watching the man you seduced go down in flames in front of you. After all, it wasn't like I was the one using you, so there is no real need for revenge against me," Dearka begged.
Kelley paused for another moment thinking about what Cadey had showed her. The video Kelley had been subjected to was extremely graphic and a few times it made her face blush. Cadey had believed Kelley was blushing because it was a little too revealing and more than she needed to know about her friends' sex life. In reality, it wasn't the recording that had made Kelley so hot and bothered, but the memories that flashed momentarily that she had relived from being with the same man.
Kelley sighed, knowing he was right. She had no reason to hate him so much. He never did anything as horrible as she had done to Cadey herself. Other than their intimate night together, Cadey knew about every girl Dearka had been with during their arrangement and the only reason she didn't know about their encounter is because she asked Dearka not to say anything in order to protect her friendship with her.
The moment it was over, she realized she made a huge mistake. Although she wanted to strike back at her friend who seemed to have the perfect life, she had never intended on dragging Dearka down the path of destruction with her even if she had wished she were the one in his bed every night.
"Dearka, there's…" before another word could come from her mouth, the door opened to the room revealing an extremely agitated Yzak and Mr. Haw, a calm Shiho and a desperate Mrs. Haw.
Dearka stood from his seat and dropped his cell phone behind him.
"Who is this?" Kelley asked with a bit of a shriek.
"The cavalry," Dearka said with a smirk.
Mrs. Haw walked by the three in the doorway and up to Dearka to give him a hug. "I'm so glad to see you are really doing all right," she said with a motherly tone.
"I'm doing as well as can be expected with both Miriallia and Nora in the hospital," Dearka replied.
"Nora?" Mrs. Haw asked with a smile filling her features.
"Yeah, we named her Nora Deanna. I hope that's all right?" Dearka replied.
"Of course it's all right. What a silly thing to ask me. She's your daughter after all. We would love any name the two of you gave our little granddaughter," she said making her way toward Miriallia's bed.
Mrs. Haw pulled her sleek black leather gloves off and placed them into her purse. As soon as they were secure, she slipped the bag to the ground and unwrapped her faux fur coat. She never had the stomach to keep a real one as many of her friends had, her conscience just couldn't allow it.
"I'm surprised you haven't killed my daughter yet with all your antics," Mr. Haw grumbled as he made his way to Miriallia as well.
"No, but I'll keep trying," Dearka said defiantly earning a glare from Mr. Haw.
Mrs. Haw just shook her head at the two men as she reached for her daughters' hand. Knowing Kelley wouldn't approach them with the agreement while Miriallia's parents in the room, he allowed them to wake her from her slumber. Yzak and Shiho just stared at Dearka who was watching the Haws interaction with their sleeping child.
As he turned his head, he walked over to his two friends. "Thanks," he said.
"Well, we're still unsure of what's going on here," Shiho replied.
"Yeah, why were you so desperate to get the Haws here in the first place?" Yzak asked.
Kelley walked over to the group feeling a little uncomfortable with the new set of people in the room and handed Yzak a copy of the agreement that Miriallia was meant to sign.
Dearka looked at her still confused about her true intentions, but gave her a polite smile as a way to thank her.
"Wow, a bit intense. So, what's his real motive behind having the two of you sign this?" Yzak asked.
"I'm guessing he wants us married, because in another document that we already both agreed to and signed, Miriallia will relinquish custody of the children to me if she leaves me for any reason once we're married," Dearka answered.
"Meaning he probably has a way to separate the two of you not long after you get married to one another," Shiho replied.
"Exactly. The problem is, I don't know what it is that he has waiting in the wings that could destroy our relationship," Dearka stated.
Yzak looked over to Kelley and then back at Dearka. "But you do, don't you Kelley?" he asked still looking at Dearka's features.
He didn't even need to look in her direction to tell she was feeling uncomfortable. Dearka now looked over to the girl and squinted. "Are you really going to stand there after the conversation we just had and let my father ruin me like this?" Dearka asked.
"I…" she began.
"Kelley, come on," Shiho interjected.
"But I…" she tried to get the words out again.
Before they could pressure her anymore, they all felt the ominous presence of Mr. Haw looming over them. It sent chills down all their spines when he spoke to them with his cold icy tone. Dearka turned around to meet the glare of the man he so despised.
"What is the meaning of all this?" Mr. Haw asked after speaking with his daughter.
Dearka looked over to see her eyes sparkling with a few tears and a lot of fear.
"Don't look at her, look at me when I ask you a question," Mr. Haw demanded.
Dearka's eyes shifted back to the man in front of him now. "The meaning of what Sir?" he asked trying to decipher what Miriallia had already told him.
"You and your father have another thing coming if you think you're going to take my daughter's children away from her!" he shrieked in anger.
"Well, technically, it's only if she leaves me of her own accord," Dearka corrected with a hint of sarcasm.
Part of him didn't even want Mr. Haw there. He had really wished that he could have just Mrs. Haw to help them out of this jam, but he knew Mr. Haw might be his only hope. The one thing that bothered him though, was the fact that he was insulted by the words that came out of Mr. Haw's mouth. After all, they were his children too and he had every right to them, as much as Miriallia did.
Knowing this wasn't the place to bring that up, especially since he wasn't planning on actually fighting Miriallia for custody of the children since his plan was for them to stay together anyway, he opted to keep his mouth shut on the subject.
"From what I know about you, it won't take her long to leave someone as pathetic as you are!" he bellowed.
"Daddy, that's enough," came Miriallia's calm, collected voice.
Everyone stopped and looked in her direction. Even Dearka thought her voice sounded too peaceful given the situation.
"Dearka, would you bring my mother down to see Nora. I'd like a moment alone with my father," Miriallia continued ignoring the looks she was receiving.
"Sure thing," he said snapping his head to the side to indicate he wanted the others to leave the room too.
Mrs. Haw gave her daughter a kiss on the forehead and then walked toward the exiting group. As she glided by her husband she mouthed something inaudible to everyone but Mr. Haw and continued to the door.
Dearka sent a smile Miriallia's way and she returned it. He paused for a moment before he twisted on his heel to follow everyone else's lead. Feeling his soon-to-be father in law's eyes burning into him, he continued forward. He knew it agitated Mr. Haw that the two of them had become so close again and Dearka was enjoying every moment of it.
As the door swished shut, she looked at her father the tears now uncontrollably falling from her eyes. "Please daddy, Dearka and I, we need your help."
ICU Hallway…
"Can we come too Dearka?" Shiho asked with a sense of excitement.
"Would you cut it out, you sound like a giddy school girl," Yzak reprimanded.
Shiho smacked him in the arm making Mrs. Haw laugh gently to herself.
"Uh…if it's all right with Mrs. Haw and the ICU nurses, then I don't see a problem," Dearka said ignoring Yzak's comment and Shiho's abuse.
Mrs. Haw realized it was her cue to speak. "Of course it's all right with me. You have all taken such good care of my daughter and any friend of hers is a friend of mine," she said sweetly.
"God, she really is as nice as you told us," Yzak said earning another smack from Shiho.
"We're really sorry, sometimes he just says whatever's in his head before thinking of how it may sound," Shiho said regretfully.
"No need to apologize to me, I've had many years of experience with a similar man. It's only because that type is passionate about getting their message out loud and clear," she said with a small smile.
Shiho and Dearka laughed under their breath as Yzak stopped in his tracks.
"Was I just insulted or complimented?" he thought unsure of how to take her reply.
Deciding to shrug it off, since he could tell how fond Dearka was of her, he caught back up to the group.
"He really doesn't like you, does he?" Yzak asked Dearka already knowing the answer.
"Would you like someone like me if you had a daughter in this position?" Dearka asked.
"Touché," Yzak replied.
Mrs. Haw felt sad for the group that had only seen the overprotective father side of him since the moment they arrived. Her husband wasn't nearly as frightful as they all seemed to think and she knew somewhere deep inside, he didn't really hate Dearka as much as he played himself off to.
She remained quiet as they continued down the hall. It wasn't her place to interrupt the private conversation between the two friends. But she could see why her daughter insisted on staying with Dearka up in space as opposed to Orb. Miriallia had more supportive people her age around her there than she did at home.
"Hey where's Kelley?" Shiho noticed as they made it to the nurses' station.
"Probably off reporting my every move to my father about now," Dearka replied before breaking away from the group to get admittance into the room.
"He's not going to be happy when he hears about this, is he?" Shiho said to Yzak.
"Somehow I think the Haws can handle themselves," Yzak answered as he looked on to the sweet woman standing next to them.
Mrs. Haw looked at him, overhearing what he had said. "I'm not wrong, am I? You're probably the person Councilman Elsman should really be more wary of," Yzak said with no regard for the rules of common courtesy.
Mrs. Haw had a sly grin on her face and was amazed at how well this young man could read her. Although Dearka hadn't noticed it, she was definitely a force to be reckoned with and if he though Mr. Haw was overprotective of Miriallia, he hadn't seen anything yet. She had no intention of allowing Dearka's father to drag them or her grandchildren through hell for his own reputation.
She hadn't been a homemaker her entire life and could hold her own in a room full of boardroom sharks. One Councilman wasn't much of a challenge for her. A spark of her former life flashed in her eyes as her attention returned to the two young adults in front of her.
It had been obvious to Yzak with the way she handled her husband on their trip to the hospital, that she wasn't as sweet as she seemed. In a way, she reminded him a lot of Shiho, just older with more life experiences that had probably subdued her own temper. He could just imagine Shiho was probably on the same path as Miriallia's mom and he was getting an early glimpse of what she may be like in the future.
"If pushed hard enough, I am the person he should be more cautious of. But as I said, only if I'm pushed," Mrs. Haw replied.
With that said, she excused herself and headed near Dearka as he waited for the clearance to enter the ward. Both Shiho and Yzak felt a shudder run down their spines. "And you thought she was so sweet," Shiho said.
"Not me, I was just going by what Dearka had told me. I don't think he knows that woman has a dark side to her yet. She hides it extremely well," Yzak said.
"It figures you would be the one to bring it out of hiding," Shiho scolded with a smirk.
"Hey, she had me snowed not too long ago too," he said defending himself.
"She must really be fond of Dearka despite the choices he and Miriallia have made if he hasn't seen this side of her yet," Shiho replied.
"Guess his charms worked on her too," Yzak said grabbing Shiho's hand and pulling her toward their friend as the doors to the ICU began to open.
"Well, he is somewhat irresistible," Shiho snickered.
Yzak raised his eyebrows at her comment.
"What? I said somewhat irresistible, not completely," she defended.
"Sometimes you make me wonder if I should leave the two of you alone," Yzak said pulling her forward without allowing her to get another word in edge wise.
The group headed down the hallway to see the baby girl and how she was fairing with the treatments and doctors Dearka's father had set up for her. Only time would tell if everything Dearka and Miriallia were about to give up was worth it.