First thing first, thank you Byron Lancaster and kookith for your reviews. Second, I went with Elizabeth and Charles for Natarle's parent's name. Now enjoy the chapter.

Chapter 3: Forgiveness?

DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything pertaining to the Gundam franchise.


While heading upstairs to see his wife, Charles looked at the pictures lining the walls. He saw pictures of him and his wife back when they first got married, of Natarle as a baby, and Natarle's graduation from boot camp and high school, each picture felt like a stab to the heart. The last picture they had of Natarle had been one of her standing in front for her chair on the Dominion, it had been taken done after they had been informed of her death.

FLASHBACK TO THREE YEARS AGO

Charles had walked to the door after hearing the knock, hoping his little girl would be standing at the door. He had heard the news report stating that the war was finally over, deep inside he felt like it was just wrong there was no way it would be over without one side killing another off. It was just how he felt. He despised Blue Cosmos because they started the war, the war that his daughter went to go fight in.

The news report failed to say anything about any of the Atlantic Federation's ships. For all they knew Natarle could be-

"Charles, what are you doing standing there, " his wife Elizabeth asked, her eyes showed that she was worried.

Charles opened the door, on the porch stood two men in the Earth Alliance uniform. Both he and wife knew what this meant, it meant that their little girl would never be coming home, she was gone.

"This is the Badgiruel residence, correct?" One of the men said, the other man, a chaplain, couldn't meet their eyes. He knew that the next few sentences would shatter this family's normal life, that their eyes would show a haunted look.

"Yes sir, please come in. What can I do for you," Charles said. He knew what this visit was about, but hoped that it may be about something else.

"It is about your daughter, Natarle. I am sorry to tell you that she has been killed in the line of duty. Her ship was disabled after a small battle with the Archangel, and later it was destroyed by the Archangel. There was nothing she could have done the weapons system was down. If there is anything I can do for you please let me know," the chaplain said to them, his hands reaching for Elizabeth's and Charles's.

"I have a question, sir. Who is the captain of the Archangel, because I thought it was destroyed at JOSH-A," Charles asked, anger could be heard in his voice.

"The captain is Murrue Ramius, she and the rest of the crew went AWOL at JOSH-A. She is believed to have been the one to have been in command in the final battle." The other man spoke this time, unlike the chaplain, his words were not in a soft tone.

After an hour, the two men left the grieving family. Cries of anguish could be heard from the little house. Life as they knew it would never be the same, their only child would never come home, and their little girl was dead. There would be no body in the casket, just a simple, empty casket in the ground.

END FLASHBACK BACK IN PRESENT TIME

Charles reached the bedroom, Elizabeth had already been in the bed, but she was not asleep. He approached the bed, trying to think of the words to say to his wife. It is one thing to for them to talk to the woman, but it was totally different for them to forgive the woman who killed their daughter in cold blood.

"You talked to that woman, Charlie," Elizabeth asked. She hated the fact that he would talk to that woman, the murderer.

"I did, Beth. She wants forgiveness. The fact that she-"

"She killed our daughter. How can we forgive her? Natarle was just doing her job, she was serving her country. She didn't deserve to be killed for it!" Elizabeth shouted, as her eyes watered, and rose in the bed. Charles could feel the anger that seeped through her words.

"Natarle knew that anything could happen to her. She knew the risks that would be associated with her work with the Alliance," Charles stated. He could still remember the day she said that she wanted to join the military. Yes, she knew the risks and it didn't bother her one bit.

"That woman was her friend. Why in the hell would her 'friend' do something like that to her? Her ship was disabled; she was out of the fight. Why would that bitch do that to her! " Elizabeth yelled, remembering the anguish that followed after they learned about Natarle's death.

"Perhaps if you listened to her long enough then you could have found out why. The Earth Alliance lied about the Peacemaker Unit, who knows what else they lied about. We can sit with her and learn what really happened. We can learn things from her perspective; we can have the answers to those questions you asked." Charles knew that the military often lied to protect their own asses. He only hoped that what Murrue would tell them would be able to put their hearts at ease.

"Elizabeth, you must know this, Murrue's heart is heavy with grief, something that a killer wouldn't show. Please, Beth, just listen to her. This is the only way to ease all of our hearts." Charles pleaded with his wife, hoping that she will see reason, for all their sakes.

AT A LOCAL HOTEL

Murrue lay in the bed, unable to sleep, thinking about what lead her to come to this small town in Georgia. Who would have guessed that the same ship that launched the kill shot for Natarle would have the truth to her death?


FLASHBACK THREE MONTHS AGO

"Captain, when going through the ship's database we discovered a video. The video entered the database on September 27, CE 71," Arnold Neumann, looking terrified, said.

Murrue was very disturbed. September 27, CE 71 was the day that she lost two of her closest friends, Mu and Natarle. Mu came back but Natarle would never see her family again. What would that video have on it that would have Arnold so scared.

"What is on it, Arnold?"

"Captain, you might not want to watch it. I watched it. It is really bad." Arnold, ever the protector, said.

"Damn it, Arnold. Tell me what is on the damn video," Murrue yelled, not because she was mad, she was scared.

"It is from the Dominion, Ma'am."

To Be Continued

AN: Well, my first cliffhanger. I am kinda getting used to this. YAY! Please read and review. I need to know problems so that I can find a solution. Thanks kookith, CrimsonHowl, and Byron Lancaster for your reviews