Chapter 4 – The hidden truth

Welcome back to the fourth chapter! In the last three I took turns introducing the main cast of the story. And now I will be bringing in the last and final person to join us! Please welcome Jennifer West!

Jenny: Hi everyone!

Jason: JENNY! (glomps her)

Jenny: (giggles) Hi sweetie!

Nikki: (gags) Give it a rest guys

Jason: Like you're one to talk when you playing tonsil hockey with Kai!

Nikki: Shut it before I shove my fist down your throat!

Woah! Alright guys lets settle down before blood is spilt.

(They don't hear and continue to shout)

(Growls) Kai do me a favour and control that girlfriend of yours so we can start the blasted chapter!

Kai: No problem (walks over, grabs Nikki and kisses her)

Nikki: O.O…(melts)

Well….okie I guess that's one way…alrighty! Moving onto the chapter! Aw come on Jason don't you start making out as well! FRIGGIN FIFTH WHEEL MUCH?

Kai couldn't help but laugh at the stunned expression on Lacus's face. Sure Kira was surprised to see him but when he saw the look on the pink haired girl; it was an effort not to lose it in front of her.

Judging from their reactions, he had a feeling that everyone thought he was dead, but the truth was, both him and Jenny were very much alive. Now what he planned to do was to explain just how that was possible.

His thoughts were interrupted by Lacus's voice. "I don't understand... how did you survive? The ship was destroyed minutes after our warning, how did you get out?"

Kai put his hands up. "Whoa, calm down Lacus, I'll explain, don't you worry. But first I need to know something."

Lacus nodded at him "Of course"

Kai leaned forward, and she saw concern shining in his eyes. "How…how's Nikki?"

Lacus sighed and shook her head. "Not too good is heaven compared to how she's been. After she saw your ship's destruction she…. she just lost it".

Kai became confused. "What do you mean she lost it?"

Lacus turned to the side with a sad expression. Seeing her struggle, Kira stepped forward and took over for his girlfriend.

"After the ship was destroyed, the enemy fleet started retreating. To put it simply, she went after them and wiped them all out. We didn't see any of it, but she came back barely 15 minutes later…it must not have taken her very long to destroy everything."

Kai buried his face in his hands; he couldn't imagine Nikki being that way. She had always told him that she wished to not have to cause unnecessary bloodshed, that all she wanted was peace between Naturals and Coordinators. Now, she tore apart a whole army single handled, all because she thought he had perished in an explosion.

Looking back up at Kira and Lacus he asked "What about Jason?"

Jenny who was on a bed next to him, looked up at Jason's name. He turned to look at her and gave her a nod of reassurance before turning back to the younger couple.

"He's doing better than Nikki is, he did do a lot of crying the first night but he's still showing signs of life at least." Lacus said with a small smile.

Kai nodded, feeling better that at least his best friend was doing ok. Kira suddenly spoke up. "So how did you guys survive?"

Kai sighed. "I will explain but not right now, things are too risky at the moment."

Lacus leaned forward, staring in disbelief at him. "Too risky? What are you talking about? Where are you?"

"We in Orb, that's all we can say for now, we called in behalf of Cagalli. She wants you to navigate your way here, both her and Athrun want to have a word with you…both of you actually, she said it was urgent."

Kira stepped forward. "Very well, we'll make our way down there as soon as possible"

"Wait!" Lacus spoke loudly. "What about Nikki and Jason? Aren't you going to tell them you two are alive? They've been completely miserable since yesterday!

A sad expression came over Kai's face as he shook his head. "I'm afraid we can't, like I said it's too risky." He put up a hand before Lacus could protest. "I know we're not making much sense, but I have to ask you, to not tell them that we're alive."

Lacus was horrified. "Why not?" Why can't you talk to her? Please Kai, you haven't seen her, I barely recognise her! You're the only person that can bring the Nikki we all know back."

Kai sighed deeply before answering. "I know…believe me I know, but I'm not doing this because I don't care. I love Nikki very much and it's killing me to hide this from her. All I want more than anything is to see her face, but I know that if I want to see her without anything bad happening, you have to land safely in Orb first. Please Lacus, the sooner you get here the sooner you'll have your sister back."

Lacus wanted to say something, she wanted to run and tell Nikki that Kai was alive, and that he was waiting for her on Earth. But from the way things sounded there was obviously some danger involved.

Not prying any further, she squared her shoulders and looked at Kai. "Alright, we will head down there as soon as possible; we should be there in the next few days."

Kai nodded at her. "Thank you, look I need to go, I will see you all when you arrive. Take care."

They heard Jenny saying goodbye in the background before the call ended. Lacus turned towards Kira, feeling mixed emotions.

"What do we do now Kira? How am I supposed to last a few days without telling Nikki? She's been so lost without him, how can I hold such a secret when she's slowly dying inside?"

Kira gently put his arms around her in a hug. "We'll do our best to look out for her, Nikki needs at least someone to be there for her." He pulled back and held her at arms length. "You should go to her Lacus, you're her sister. You're all she has for now, go and comfort her. Even if she doesn't say anything to you, let her know that you care about her."

Lacus smiled at him, before leaning up and placing a gentle kiss on his lips. "Thank you Kira, you always know what to say to me."

Giving him one last peck, she walked out of the bridge with her boyfriend smiling after her.

Meanwhile in Orb, Kai was gazing sadly at the now blank screen of the computer. When Lacus had told him the state Nikki was in, he was very tempted to just drop everything and fly up to the Eternal himself. He knew that his supposed death would affect her in some way, but he had no idea it would be that bad. Lacus had told him that she could barely recognise Nikki, the thought that she was in a state where she was not herself, scared him. The girl he saw in his mind was happy, her eyes sparkling with life whenever she was excited about something. The fiery, yet lively glare she would give Jason when he annoyed her. These small things were what defined Nikki, and imagining her otherwise was something Kai couldn't do. Reaching into a pocket in his shirt, he pulled out a gently folded piece of paper. Unfolding it he gazed at the two people in the picture.

It was a divided photo with two pictures, both of Nikki and himself. They were taken a few weeks earlier, before they were pulled into this chaos. Jason had taken them both, in the first one Kai was sitting behind her with his arms lazily resting over her shoulders; she was reaching up, holding onto his arms while leaning back into his chest, both wearing happy carefree smiles. Kai ran his thumb over Nikki's face before turning his attention to the second picture. Nikki had reached up with a hand and pulled Kai's face towards hers. The photo showed her caressing his face with one hand, while he had tightened his hold on her, the two sharing a deep and passionate kiss.

While Kai stared at the photo in his hand, Jenny watched him from where she was sitting on the bed with a small smile. She knew what picture he was looking at; from the look in his eyes she knew that he missed Nikki terribly.

She remembered the day the photos were taken, the four of them had gone on a picnic in a park for fun. Jason had brought his camera, and had started taking pictures of random things around them. He had decided to be sneaky so he snuck up close to Nikki and Kai, who were snuggled together in an intimate moment. The flash caused them to look up in surprise while Jason burst out laughing. Just as he was about to take another one, Nikki had turned around and very passionately kissed Kai. Although both pictures were jokes, Nikki and Kai wanted to keep them for the memory. So they printed out two copies and kept one each.

Jenny shook her head in amusement; her precious Jason never knew when to stop. When he does something to Nikki, she's always able to plant revenge on him. She wondered when he was going to learn his lesson.

Looking back over at Kai, she saw he was still gazing at the two pictures, his thumb caressing the photo. Jenny had to admit, as much as she loved Jason, there was just something about the other two that was unexplainable. The love they shared was so strong and passionate that it made a bond that was impossible to break. She often wished she had that level of understanding with her boyfriend.

Standing up, she stretched her arms over her head. The sudden movement snapped Kai out of whatever trance he was in, as he turned and looked over at her.

"How're you doing Jen?"

She smiled at him "Oh I'm fine, I just wondered off into space for a moment"

Kai gave a crooked grin. "Yeah I suppose I did too."

Jenny giggled, "Obviously thinking about Nikki…am I right?"

She laughed when she saw a slight blush appear on Kai's face.

"Well…of course I'm thinking about her, she's my girlfriend isn't she?"

Kai turned back and stared at the photo for another moment, before folding it and placing it carefully back into his pocket. He looked back at Jenny to see her giving him a sweet smile causing him to raise an eyebrow.

"What?"

She leaned forward a little staring intently at him, making him feel a little uneasy. "You really love her don't you?"

Kai was startled by the seriousness of the question, but he answered back with a gentle smile. "Yeah…I really do, more than anything."

Jenny leaned back again and turned chirpy again. "Well that's great! Well we better get things prepared around here; we'll be seeing them in a few days!"

She skipped out of the room, leaving Kai staring after her in awe. He found it amazing how she changed moods so quickly, but he guessed that was one of the mysterious things about Jenny. Looking back around the room, he saw that it was a bit of a mess.

"Don't want Nikki chewing me out for being a slob, guess I better start cleaning."

He moved around, picking up clothes, all the while with his mind on a girl with bright sky blue eyes and long wavy brown hair, thinking about just how much he missed her and how he couldn't wait to see her again.

Back on the Eternal, things were starting to become livelier. Lacus had announced that in a few days they would be landing in Orb, so everyone was rushing around getting ready for a well-deserved vacation.

The two pilots however didn't take much notice; Jason was in his room packing his clothes, deep in thought about what he was going to do once arriving there. Orb held many memories for him and his friends, and the thought of walking around slightly scared him. It was going to be painful thinking about everything that he had done there with Jenny, but he knew he had to be strong. After packing everything, he sat on his bed still thinking. He was planning on following Nikki wherever she went, just to make sure she didn't do anything stupid, he knew she wouldn't but he wanted to make sure anyway. With his mind made up, he continued sitting in the dark, waiting patiently until the ship arrived into the neutral country.

Meanwhile in Nikki's room, she was sitting on a chair, staring blankly at the clothes on her bed. She had yet to pack but she wasn't in any rush, they still had a couple of days before they would reach Orb.

She wasn't sure what she wanted to do once arriving there, maybe just walking around and getting some fresh air. An idea suddenly crossed her mind; there was a certain place that was precious to her. It held many memories for her and Kai, and despite how painful it might be to go there, it was one of the quietest places and it would allow her more time to think. Finally deciding, she stood up, walked over to her bed and slowly started packing her things.

While she was packing, a light knock was heard on her door. "Come in" she called out and turned to see her sister walk in.

Lacus smiled nervously at her. "Hey Nikki…um…can I talk to you?"

Nikki nodded. "Sure, come sit down."

The two girls sat on the bed; it was silent for a minute before Lacus turned to the older girl.

"Listen, I know you're hurting…but I want to do what I can to help you. You're all I have left of family Nikki, and seeing you this way is tearing me apart."

Nikki sighed. "I'm sorry, I'm grateful you're here Lacus." She turned her head away. "But I need some time. This pain is unbearable, and I need to deal with it. If you want me to be the way I was, you're just going to have to wait and be patient" She looked back at Lacus. "Ok?"

Lacus smiled at her, this was the most Nikki has said since her return from the battle and was happy her sister was opening up enough to let her know what was on her mind.

Feeling better she nodded. "Ok Nikki, if you want your space I can give it to you, but I'm always here alright? Remember that."

Nikki nodded, a ghost of a smile appearing on her face.

Smiling back, Lacus stood up. "I'll be on the bridge if you need me." She let her gaze linger on her sister for a minute before walking out of the room.

Nikki watched her sister leave. She was grateful that Lacus was there, and that she was offering her comfort. She felt horrible pushing her sister away slightly. But she knew that Lacus understood and that her sister was there when she needed her. Content with that thought, she turned back to her clothes and continued packing, patiently waiting for their arrival to Orb.

The two days journey to Earth was uneventful for those on the Eternal. Because it was a warship there wasn't much to do. Some people had brought something of their own to occupy themselves with like a book or a pack of cards to play with friends. Most people though were just talking amongst themselves or lazing around. All in all it was mostly quiet, so when it was announced that they would be descending and arriving in Orb soon, there was a flurry of activity as people rushed back and forth in excitement.

In her room, Nikki heard the announcement of the ships descent. She stood up from the chair she was sitting on and walked over to the door. Opening it, she peered around the corners looking out for anyone that might run past. She was well aware that people were happy and rushing around the ship, so she didn't want the risk of accidentally running into someone.

After checking again that it was clear, she made her way down the corridor and wondered over to the first window she came across. Walking over she stared out and saw they were in the middle of landing on Earth. She felt the weight as the Earth's gravity pulled the ship down into its atmosphere, and after another minute she saw the planets blue skies and green lands. It had been a few weeks since she had been on Earth and had almost forgotten just how beautiful it all was. Around her she could hear crewmembers pointing and gazing in awe at the planets' wonders. Most of the ships recruits were still young and fresh from the PLANTS, so coming to Earth was a new and wonderful experience for them.

Not wanting to be around when it became crowded, Nikki walked back to her room to collect her belongings. Entering her room she went over to her bed where her bag was. Picking it up, she slung it over her shoulder and made her way back to the door. Before exiting, she stopped and looked back, giving the room a final glance. She wasn't sure when she would be coming back to this ship, but knew she wouldn't ever forget it. After double-checking that everything was in order, she walked out and started making her way towards the ships entrance.

End of Chapter

Hmm well not much excitement coming from Nikki right now.

Nikki: Can you blame me? I think my boyfriend is dead, wouldn't you be in a right state as well?

Finally pulled away from Kai's mouth have you?

Nikki: (blushes) Shut up….

(grins) Hey…where did Jason and Jenny go?

Nikki: Don't know don't care.

Kai: They went off somewhere

Jenny: (appears out of nowhere) I'M HERE!

GAAHH! Holy HELL! Give me a heart attack why don't you?

Jenny: Yay!

(groans) Glad you're happy. Where your hubby be at?

Jenny: Bathroom!

Ok I'm sorry I asked. Moving onto the preview!

Jenny: Hello to all of you people reading this!

THANK YOU!

Jenny: …sorry….

(rolls eyes) See you all next chapter!

There sat Kai and Jenny, who, at the sound of the door opening, lifted their heads and stared at him. When seeing who it was, Jenny stood up from her spot on the bed and smiled brightly at him.

"Jason!"

Kai also stood from his chair and grinned at his best friend.

"Hey there mate, how've you been?" Jenny rushed over and threw her arms around him. "Oh, I'm so happy to see you! I've missed you so much!"

Finally realizing that his best friend and girlfriend were actually real and not a figment of his imagination, he hugged his girlfriend tightly, feeling happier than he had in a long time.