Cadey sat in the room waiting for Dearka to arrive at their scheduled meeting. She hadn't seen him since a few days prior when he asked her to do something special for him.

"Was he really serious? Now that I think about it, when I finally agreed, he seemed disinterested. I wonder what that was all about," she thought.

She was wearing a light blue dress with little white flowers embroidered on it and small light blue satin buttons that went down the entire front of the dress. When the door finally opened, it revealed her extremely handsome fiancˇ standing in the doors with Gerald not far behind.

"Before you lock me in here with her Gerald, can I at least run upstairs and grab something from my room?" Dearka asked, obviously having no time to regroup before the meeting with her.

"I'm sorry Sir, you know I must abide by your fathers' request. I was to bring you to the room immediately upon your arrival home," Gerald replied.

Dearka avoided taking it out on Gerald. After all, he was just another puppet of his fathers. Although he was beginning to become irritated as he was continually forced into this situation time after time when all he wanted was to rest before his next mission.

Cadey stood up quickly from her place with a small smile on her face. Finally she had something that might make him happy. "It's okay Gerald, I don't mind. If he really needs a few minutes to himself, I understand," she said with a sweet voice.

Dearka looked at her with a shocked expression. He definitely hadn't expected her to say something like that after what he did to her not too long ago. "Uh... thanks Cadey," he said sincerely.

"No problem," she said with a wink.

Gerald moved from Dearka's path and allowed him to head upstairs to get whatever it was he needed. He didn't mind disobeying Councilman Elsman's orders when the request of the guest came into question. He was, after all, there to serve all her needs out of respect to the White family.

Dearka made it quick like he had promised and came back into the room. He still didn't have any intention of talking with Cadey much for the next few hours, but he was thankful that she let him get the stuff that he left on his desk.

They both watched as Gerald disappeared from sight and the sound of the door clicking into the locked position was completed. "Well I guess it's just us again," Cadey said hoping things between them would be better.

"Looks like," Dearka replied flopping down on the couch and crossing his legs over one another as he made himself comfortable. He gained Cadey's curiosity extremely quick and he noticed he had some prying eyes over his shoulder.

He moved the front cover back over the paper he was reading and looked up, meeting her eyes in a full out stare. "Can I help you?"

"I was just curious to see what you went upstairs to get," she said innocently.

Dearka sighed knowing she was going to be a bother once again. "It's military related. I don't think you'd understand it," he stated coldly.

"Well, maybe you could try me? It can't be classified because you would have never left it out in your room, so it can't be too important," she said moving around the couch, giving herself an invite to sit next to him.

Dearka was caught off guard. She hadn't been so forward just a few days ago. "Maybe it was that comment I made. Great, now she may think that's what I really want from her," he thought with his eyes widened with distress.

"Hey you know, you're a little close and I really need to investigate this claim and get the paperwork done or Yzak will have my head," he said trying to get her to move away from him.

She had prepared herself for his brush-offs today. This time, he wasn't going to get away with it and she wasn't going to allow him to yell at her either. "I looked into the type of girl he usually goes after, so I have to be as forward as they are. Besides, it's not wrong, we're supposed to be married. I can do this," she thought before making her move.

She grabbed the papers out of his hand and tossed them on the coffee table before grabbing his shirt and pulling him close to her. Definitely not what he expected. "Well I need you to investigate something else right now," she replied leaning in to kiss him.

He tried to pull his head away, but she had a firm grip on him and before he knew what was happening their lips were touching. Inadvertently, his hands moved across her body. Making it apparent to both of them how experienced he really was with where this was leading.

Before his mind could let go of everything that held him back, 'she' flashed through. "We can't do this," he said separating from her.

"But I thought this is what you wanted. This is what you said I could do to make you happy. I know you felt something or you wouldn't have begun..."

"I can't explain this right now to you. It was just a reaction. It didn't mean anything. I'm really not in the mood for these games. I told you I have to get this done," he said completely thrown by the incident.

"Fine, do your stupid paperwork," she said angrily as she picked them up off the table and tossed them at him. She wasn't going to let this go so easily. He had made it clear not too long ago that 'that' was all he was interested in and she had to stop acting so sweet and innocent with him. Unlike her, he was a veteran in that department and the only way he would take her seriously is if she acted like all those women he had been with, fearless.

The files fell out of order onto the floor and Dearka let out an angry cry. "Hey, what the hell do you think you're doing?"

"There, now I've given you something else you can do to pass the time while being stuck in here with me. You can reorganize your files and I can only hope you don't have the mental capacity to figure them out," she said bitterly.

"You are just a piece of work, you know that Cadey!" he yelled at her.

"Yeah, whatever," she replied back no longer treating him kindly as she had been up to this point.

Dearka began picking the pages up and putting them back in numerical order. "The nerve insulting my intelligence. It's not like she risked her life out there during the last war. Hell, she probably can't even figure out how to open the cockpit to a mobile suit," he thought with an evil smirk running across his features.

He was extremely upset at her antics, but didn't want to start another argument with her, so he kept his witty comebacks to himself. Besides, she was acting completely different than she had before and he didn't want to test it.

Within moments he had the papers back in order and he looked up only to begin blushing when he saw her next. "What the hell are you doing now?" he screamed.

"I'm hot!" she stated still angry and walking toward the window.

Dearka knew all the gardeners were outside today. It was Thursday and that was his mother's favorite day to have all of the yard work completed in case of last minute weekend visitors. He jumped from his spot and grabbed her away from the window, shielding her from their view, practically knocking her to the ground.

"Hey, get off me, what are you doing Dearka?" she yelled.

"If you're hot, I'll turn on the air conditioner. Don't just take off all your clothes and stand in front of the window like that!" he continued to scold her.

"I didn't take them all off," she replied grinning viciously at him.

His face was still bright red. It wasn't anything he hadn't seen before but prior to this moment; he had something to do with the women getting to that state.

"I'm sorry, did I embarrass you?" she asked running her hand up his chest.

"Cut it out," he snipped standing up and pulling her with him. He grabbed her dress and tossed it on her head.

"Put it back on," he said moving back to his work.

She stood there in disbelief. How could he not even make a move after all she did to gain his attention? He wouldn't talk to her; he wouldn't hold her and he wouldn't do what he said he wanted to do with her. What was it she was missing?

"Are you gay or something?" she asked thinking it was the only logical explanation and that all the rumors about him being such a womanizer were in fact false.

That was the last straw. He had enough of her for today. He stood up and walked to the door and began banging on it. There was no way he was going to let them keep him cooped up in the room with her for any longer. Cadey heard the sound of the lock coming undone and she quickly scurried back into her dress slipping it over her head and straightening it.

She had just gotten it to look decent when the door popped open. "Dad!" Dearka cried unaware that his father had returned home. "What's the ruckus in here?" his father asked disapprovingly.

Dearka thought quickly and looked over to Cadey for support. Not that he really expected her to follow through with his excuse, but it didn't hurt to try.

"Cadey isn't feeling well. I thought I could take her outside for a little fresh air," he said trying to act concerned.

Tad looked over at Cadey who nodded in agreement. "I guess it wouldn't be too much trouble. Just be back here in twenty minutes. I don't want the two of you wandering the grounds for that long. It's extremely hot today and she may get dehydrated," he said from the temperature outside.

"We won't be long, I promise," Dearka said playing the dutiful son.

He walked back around and grabbed Cadey's hand moving swiftly by his fathers' figure and the door. Just as quickly as he moved by his father he headed outside. "I'm not gay you little tramp," he said as they were out of earshot.

"And I'm not a tramp, gay boy," she replied.

He stopped dead in his tracks making her knock into his back and released his grip on her. "If you don't want to be in this relationship either, why don't you just do something about it?" he snipped.

"Why don't you say something?" Cadey retorted.

"I've tried," Dearka said honestly.

"You know, you're not the only one that has to abide by his fathers' wishes. I just choose not to argue or embarrass myself when it comes to my family," she replied and grabbed his hand again with a firm grip.

He looked down at their hands and felt her lean over and kiss him on the cheek. "Let's go dear, take me for that walk you told your father you were bringing me on," she said snidely.

They began walking the grounds and she moved in closer to him, wrapping herself around his arm. "I'm tired of you treating me the way you have. So just stop it. If you want to do what you claim to want to do with me, then let's just do it and get it out of the way. And if you don't then just say you don't right now and stop using that as the excuse to hide behind in order to avoid me," she said in earnest.

"It's not that I'm NOT tempted, but I haven't sorted through some things yet when I was at war. I was just saying that a few days ago because I thought it would shut you up. I never expected you to go out of your way to follow through with my request. I figured you were too sweet for that," he said telling her the truth.

She laughed to herself and shook her head. "What's so funny?" he asked curiously.

"You are, Dearka Elsman. I was beginning to think that you weren't serious today and then with everything you did to avoid the situation I thought, well, you know what I thought. So what is it that you have to sort out? All your other girlfriends?" she said still giggling.

He stopped walking again and she felt the pull back from his arm. "No, I'm just not in the mood right now. It's not the same as when I've gone out looking for someone myself. Being forced to be with them is completely different and I'm just not ready yet. Besides, like I said, I think you're too sweet for me," he replied.

"I see, you didn't scout me out yourself, so you have to wait and see how you really feel about being with me. But in the end, does it really matter how we feel? We have to end up in that bed together no matter what. We don't have a say anymore," she replied.

"Yeah, but I still want to wait it out a little longer and I'm also not interested in learning all about your life right now. I'm a little bitter over the whole situation. It's not your fault, but it does make me not want to even hear your voice at this moment," he admitted.

"I guess I can relate, but I don't think I would have been quite as blunt as you are. How about we make a deal? I'll be quiet from now on during our visits if you buy me a cell phone so I can at least text my friends to keep myself occupied and I'll let you read or do whatever work you have to get done. You won't even know I'm there until you feel like accepting me as part of your life," she proposed.

"Sounds reasonable enough. But I'm not getting you anything fancy," he replied knowing the cell phone would have to come out of his paycheck if he was planning on getting it past his fathers' watchful eye.

"If it can text, I'll be good," she answered relieving the pressure on him to impress her in any way.

"It's a deal then," he said shaking her outstretched hand.

The two of them walked around the garden before heading back in. "Maybe this won't be so bad after all. Besides everyday that passes is making it easier to move on. I hope you can forgive me and be happy with someone else out there that can give you more than I can," Dearka thought mentally beginning his emotional parting with Miriallia.