( This is an AU story, a continuation of the storyline I began with the fic 'Inochi'. For ze big sis XD )

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The sun was setting over the sea, the water being turned orange and pink by the glowing orb. The woman smiled as she watched it, diverting her attention from the road ahead to take time to enjoy it's beauty. The little red car sped along the rough track to the beach house, the road surface causing the many objects in the car to bounce and rattle. Several plush toys fell to the floor of the vehicle, as well as a half-full juice cup. The woman smiled again, brushing aside dark hair. The car was a mess...as was her life now. But that was all right. It was to be expected, after all.

I can't even blame it all on him, either. Not anymore. It's just as much my own fault as it is his. But I can't expect things to be as neat as I would like.

Pulling up outside the wooden house, she knocked on the door, seeing the welcoming light shining through the windows in the encroaching twilight. The door opened slowly, and a little girl looked up at her, smiling when she saw who the visitor was. "Hi!" she chirped brightly. "Big sister Lacus! Murrue-san's here!" A moment later, the child was joined by a young woman, candyfloss-pink hair flowing over her shoulders. "Oh, Murrue-san! Good evening!" Standing aside, she beckoned in the older woman. "Come inside, please."

The tiny house was filled with the scent of cooking, and the orphan children who lived here were all sitting around a well-scrubbed table, eating. Lacus gestured to the table. "Would you like something to eat? There's plenty left..." Murrue smiled. "Thank you, but no. After I pick him up, I'm going to drive back to see if Mwu's all finished." She looked to the next room. "How has he been today? Not too much trouble, I hope?"

"Of course not." the young woman replied gently. "He's been very well behaved." Murrue shook her head at that. "Odd how good he is, considering his father. But I'm grateful for it.." Pushing open the door, she moved into the other room, leaning over a small cot. "Hey, sweetie." She was greeted by a happy gurgle, and the cot's occupant waved their little arms. "Lacus-san says you've been a good boy today. Is that right?" The baby gurgled again, and she smiled. Reaching in, she picked up her son, hugging him close. "Shall we go find your daddy?" she asked, and little Alex patted her cheek with a chubby hand. Kissing the baby, Murrue turned to Lacus. "Thanks so much for taking care of him so often while Mwu and I are working. I feel bad imposing on you and Kira-kun so often.."

The young girl smiled. "It's no trouble, really."

"It's just that...I wonder if I'm really being a good mother, out at work all the time.." said the woman, stroking her baby son's copper curls. "I know he's only a baby, but does Alex even know who his parents are?"

"Oh yes," replied Lacus. "Alex likes me, and he likes Kira. But when it gets to around this time, and I tell him his mommy will be here soon, he looks all around for you, and laughs a lot. He knows who his mommy and daddy are, I'm sure of it. He's very smart."

Murrue beamed at that, giving her baby another kiss.

"Does he know he's getting a new brother or sister?" the pink-haired girl asked, and Murrue grinned. "Not yet. But then...Mwu doesn't know either. I only found out yesterday, after all. You and Erica are the only ones who know so far. But I'll tell Mwu soon...I'm just waiting for the right moment.."

"It still seems strange," mused Lacus. "It's only been two and a half years or so since the war ended, but you and Fllaga-san are together and married with a child already...and now you have another on the way. You two settled down so fast, much faster than anyone else. But you know...no-one was surprised." The auburn-haired woman blushed, shifting her son in her arms. "We did try to keep everything secret back then...but I guess it didn't work." she mumbled.

The roads were dark and quiet as the red car made it's way back towards the Morgenroete complex. Lights were on in all the houses, other families already together and eating dinner, chatting about their day. Little Alex stared out of the car windows at the street lights flashing past, favourite stuffed bear clutched tightly in one small hand.

"You think Daddy will be happy to see us?" Murrue asked her son, and the little boy gurgled, waving the bear around. The woman smiled, turning the corner into the car park. "You know what?" she said, parking the vehicle. "So do I."

Mwu was in the pilot locker room, stuffing his purple pilot suit into one of the metal lockers lining the walls. Murrue smiled as she saw him through the glass window of the door, zipping up his Orb uniform jacket, and laughing at a joke one of the other pilots cracked. Carefully, she opened the door, holding Alex in her other arm. Mwu turned to see who the visitor was, and his scarred face lit up in surprise and delight. "Oh, hey!"

Crossing to where his wife stood, and ignoring the friendly ribbing of the other pilots, he lifted his son from his mother's arms, bringing him close for a noisy kiss. Alex giggled at the rough tickling of his father's stubbly chin against his face. After greeting his baby, Mwu took Murrue into his embrace, kissing her too, only this kiss was much gentler and more loving.

"You didn't have to come pick me up, you know," he told her when they broke apart. "I could have gotten home by myself." Murrue simply smiled. "I know. But I wanted to. And we can go for takeout on the way home."

Back in the little house, Murrue bathed baby Alex and put him down to sleep. The little boy was exhausted from his long day, and was quick to nod off, snuggled in the blankets and sheets of his cot. Setting the mobile above the cot spinning gently, the woman kissed her son goodnight. "Sweet dreams, honey..." she whispered, tiptoeing out of the nursery and closing the door behind her.

"He asleep?" Mwu asked, as she sat down beside him on the sofa. Murrue nodded, picking up a carton of the Chinese takeaway they had stopped off for on the way home. "He was really tired." she said softly, stirring the noodles around with a chopstick.

"He's not the only one," chided her husband, reaching out to cup her face in his hands. Carefully, he smoothed out the dark circles under her amber eyes. "You've not been getting much sleep lately. I thought that now Alex was sleeping through the night that it wouldn't be a problem anymore. But..." He sighed. She looked away. "Sorry.." she murmured. "Work's been kinda hectic the last few days.."

"I know." Mwu replied, kissing the tip of her nose. "But still, you've got to take better care of yourself. Okay?"

"Okay," she agreed, pushing some noodles into his mouth.

Later, after their meal, the couple lay together on the sofa. The room was lit only by one dim lamp, and the atmosphere was really rather romantic. Murrue smiled, resting her head on Mwu's shoulder. "You know.." she began, causing his attention to drift lazily to her, "Lacus-san said..that it was strange to see us like this."

"Why?" he asked, his hands gently stroking her back through the thin fabric of her yellow T-shirt. She laughed a little. "She said that it was because we settled down so quickly. Do you think that it was too quick?"

"Not really." he replied. "We were together for a year before we even thought about getting married. Although it was only a couple of weeks or so after the wedding that we found out about Alex.."

"That's true," Murrue said quietly. "But then, you were in hospital for a long time with all your burns and injuries. Maybe if you hadn't been, things would have happened faster?" Mwu smiled. "Maybe. But we'll never know, will we? I guess that people are surprised because we kept everything such a secret back on Archangel, but now we're together and married with a kid. It's no surprise to us, but maybe it is to everyone else..."

"And we're doing just fine." the woman murmured, with a smile of her own. She reached up to run her fingers through his thick blonde curls. "Is there anything else, do you think? To make things better?"

He considered this for a moment, then nodded. "You know what? I think there is. For Alex to have a kid brother or sister one day. What do you think?"

Murrue closed her eyes, a soft giggle escaping her. "We'll see."

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( After yesterday's angst, today we have AU fluff. All for teh big sis, 'cause she loves this storyline. :smiles:

Please read and review! )