The phone shrilled loudly, the strident tone jerking the man awake from his uncomfortable doze. Sitting up and blinking blearily, he looked around for the source of the noise. His neck ached, and the room was pitch dark. Funny. It had been broad daylight the last time he had checked...He looked around wildly as the noise sounded again, and he finally was able to recognise it, and why he was hearing it. Mwu sighed, reaching out to pick up the handset. "Hello?"

An apologetic female voice came to his ear. "Hello, Fllaga-san? This is Erica Simmons.." Mwu grinned, leaning back on the sofa cushions. "Let me guess. She fell asleep again?"

"I'm afraid so. I had a meeting to go to that ended pretty late, so I wasn't able to check up on her and send her home. I'm really sorry about this.." Erica replied. The man laughed. "Don't apologise for her. She should know better. Thanks, I'll come pick her up." Setting down the phone, Mwu stood up and stretched, picking up his jacket from the back of the sofa. Shaking his head in amusement at the workaholic nature of his fiancee, he stepped outside to where the little red car stood waiting.

Typical Murrue. No wonder I fell asleep. What time is it...11:30? Things haven't changed much in a year, have they?

Morgenroete was practically deserted this time of night, the skeleton shift just about to take over. He wandered through the empty corridors, the twisting passageways always the same shade of ivory white. Mwu was heartily grateful that he had memorised the way to Murrue's office. Let's see...down here, then a sharp turn to the left, then...there!

Quietly, he pushed open the frosted-glass door. The office was tiny, containing only a desk, a chair, and a small table. A rose in a pot stood on this table, and the desk was strewn with papers of all kinds. Beside the papers stood a framed photograph - the picture Kira had taken of the two of them not long after he'd recovered his memories. He always remembered that day so clearly, how happy they both had been. He picked up the small picture, and smiled at the expression on Murrue's face, at her disbelief. Of course, the disbelief was mirrored on his own face, as well as the happiness. Looking down, he saw the one he had come to find. Her head was pillowed on her arms, her soft dark hair partly covering her face, which wore a peaceful smile. Her hands were filthy, coated with oil and grime, a testament to the work she did for this company. Erica had spoken often about it..that even though Murrue was a consultant and designer now, she would often fuss about things happening too slowly, and take matters into her own hands. And when something needed repairing down at the dockyards...well...

Mwu sighed, taking her small left hand in his. It was almost black with grease, yet the engagement ring she wore was pristine and perfect. He had asked her about this, why even though her hands resembled the proverbial 'ace of spades' half the time, the small piece of jewellery never suffered even the slightest hint of dirt, and she had smiled, lifting her hand to gaze at the ring.

"Because it's a promise, one we made together. I have to take care of it, don't I?" she'd replied simply, standing on her tiptoes to kiss him lightly.

Her red jacket sleeves had ridden up as she'd leaned forward, and her forearms were visible, and on her left wrist...Mwu frowned, leaning forward. That looked oddly familiar. It was simple enough, a grey band...a watch. The watch was battered and scratched, the numerals barely noticeable. It was also much too big for the one who currently wore it...it was made for someone with a much larger wrist. As he stared, everything clicked into place. Before Jachin Due, he'd left his own watch, as well as the rest of his uniform, in his locker on the Archangel. Since he'd been presumed dead, then his personal effects would have been sent to his family. But..he had none. Who was the only person he had been close enough to...who could have been considered family?

You.. he thought, reaching out to brush aside the hair from his sleeping fiancee's face. I told Murdoch before we started getting ready for that battle..that if anything happened to me, all my personal effects should go to you. Because even though they were worthless, just my uniform and odds and ends, I knew that you would take good care of them...and that they might remind you of me.

There was no doubt about it. The watch she was wearing...it had been his. She'd worn it as a reminder of him, and even though they were together again now, she still wore it. Mwu smiled gently, squeezing her hand. This means more to me than the fact that you kept my hat. The hat was just an object, something to be looked at. But this...the watch was something you kept close to you always. Did you decide to wear it because I always wore it?

Whatever the reason, it made him very happy. Leaning down, he carefully lifted the sleeping Murrue from her chair, cradling her close and trying not to wake her. She murmured slightly, and smiled in her sleep, resting her head on his shoulder.

Come on, sweetheart. Time to go home.

As he settled her into the car, Murrue woke up. "Mwu? What - "

"You fell asleep at work again, hon." he replied, starting the engine. "Isn't that desk uncomfortable?" She flushed a little, looking out of the window at the night sky. Yawning, she checked the watch on her wrist, causing Mwu to smile fondly. "Didn't know it was that late.."she mumbled, clearly still sleepy. "Did you fall asleep waiting for me? I'm sorry..."

"That's okay.." he reassured her, grinning as he noticed her head nodding. "By the way, that's an old watch you've got there. Where'd you get it?"

She didn't answer for a moment, then she smiled softly, caressing the battered timepiece. "It belonged to someone important to me." She looked up at him, cheeks pink. "Someone I loved - still love - very much." Mwu nodded. "I see. You've taken good care of it. The one it belonged to must be very happy."

Murrue's blush deepened, but she didn't say anything more, just continued to gaze at the old watch.

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( Lol. I was inspired here by something MapleRose picked up about Murrue-san in Destiny. When she's talking with Talia-san at Morgenroete, she's wearing something that looks very like the wristband/watch that Mwu always wore in Seed. We have no proof that it's the same one, or if it's even a watch. But isn't it nice to think that she wore something that belonged to her beloved in memory of him?

Please read and review! )