Disclaimer: sadly, I do not own Tales of Symphonia. it'd have more story and less action if i did.

Just something I thought of while at work a while ago. Raine's really protective of her students, so when Kratos pays more attention to Lloyd than anyone else, I'd think she'd do something like this. Then Kratos would be forced to tell her something personal. Enjoy!

Raine's Misconception

Kratos liked having the night watch, or so he told his companions. Truth be told, he didn't sleep much so he preferred to use his time accordingly. The teenaged part of their group was joking around the campfire while attempting to do homework. From his position, he could watch them play and keep an eye out for monsters and wild beasts. He could even hear what they were talking about (which wasn't much really), but he was fine letting their voices fade into the background.

Mostly he just liked watching his son being happy, even if it wasn't with him. The Chosen and young half-elf lit his boy's eyes up so easily, and he didn't have to lift a finger. It gave him both peace and reminded him of how little of the boy's life he could be a part of.

"Mind if I sit down?"

The swordsman looked up to the other half-elf curiously before shrugging. She was a bright young lady and Kratos had to be careful about how much he did around her. Unlike previous companions, she was selected for her intellect. She was both motherly and sisterly to her students and brother... much like Martel at times. Biggest difference between them though was their personalities. Martel's anger was adorable to watch, not something to fear. Raine Sage was not someone he wanted on his bad side. Not yet at least.

Smiling politely, the teacher sat down nearby and looked back to the others. "I told them to work on algebra, but it looks like only Genis will be getting full marks again. Colette does her work, but knowing her and Lloyd, they'll get distracted and never get done."

"They're already distracted," the man murmured, looking back to the woods nearby. Why was she talking to him now?

"Yes, distracted talking about you." Kratos showed some interest for her sake, but he already knew they moved on from him and were talking about old classmates. Sage smile darkly. "Lloyd told us you agreed to train him."

"That I did." He shifted slightly to get a rock out of his thigh. This information was nothing new.

"That surprised me." She looked at the man critically, something he didn't like. Something told him this was not going to end well. "You were so insistent that it just be the three of us, and yet you caved in immediately when Lloyd asked you to teach him."

"It wasn't that easy." It certainly wasn't. If he had any say in the matter, Lloyd would be back with Dirk outside Iselia, but he was now wanted by the Desians. Forcystus would not stop until he attained his goal and Anna's exsphere was one of them. Lloyd wasn't safe there, or anywhere really. The hunt had begun again.

"Then why teach him?" Was Miss Sage leading this somewhere? Kratos wanted to roll his eyes.

"He'll get himself killed if someone doesn't." It was a simple, obvious matter. Lloyd needed training, badly. He wasn't bad on his own, but if they kept going up against Desians, he would pit himself against a much better opponent and be killed. Kratos lost his son once because of them. He'd be damned if he let that happen again.

"And you care because?"

That notion made him give the woman a sidelong look. What was she leading to? Even heartless mercenaries avoid unnecessary deaths. "His death will change the Chosen. She will likely do something reckless before releasing all the seals should he die."

"Is that the only reason?" Her eyes narrowed in on him, trying to bore the answers out of him.

Too bad he was an expert at interrogations. "Does there need to be another? He needs training, he asked me, I said yes. That's all there is to it."

"No it isn't." Kratos actually had to look at her to try and get an idea of what she was thinking. Miss Sage's stare would chill most people, but all it did was confuse him more. "I've seen the way you look at him. Those long looks you take when you think no one is looking. You don't look at anyone else that way. Not me, not Colette, thankfully not Genis, and no one we've met. Just Lloyd, and that's not a normal look."

She turned icy cold as she demanded an answer. "Tell me, what do you really have planned for Lloyd Irving?"

The man eyed her, wondering if she was implying what he thought she was. "I plan on making him a better swordsman, better able to defend the Chosen. Exactly what he wants."

"Really?" Miss Sage didn't believe him for a minute. "Because if I find out you did something inappropriate to him or convince him to do something unholy, I swear I'll-"

"As valiant as your intentions are Miss Sage," Kratos interrupted, rubbing his forehead for a moment before shifting to comfortably adjust his gloves, "there is nothing to fear. I have no foul intentions towards the boy."

This didn't stop her. "You don't look at someone like that unless-"

"For all your intelligence and observation skills, you neglected one thing." Carefully he took off his left glove and wiggled his fingers at her. An old, plain steel ring with engravings, rested on the fourth digit. The half-elf paled as she realized her big mistake. "I have not looked at either you or the Chosen, or any maiden on our journey, because only one has ever truly caught my eye. She remains in my heart forever, and there will never be another."

"Ah... Oh..." Guilt from her accusation flooded her as he put the glove back on. "I... I'm sorry. I didn't..."

"Little need to apologize," he stated evenly, though he was fuming a little inside. To think he was almost accused of such a heinous act! Him of all people! Still, she was a teacher looking out for her students. She had to be suspicious about strange men taking interest in her charges. "You were merely doing your duty."

"But..." Her brain started to work again, curiosity getting the better of her. "Then... why haven't you talked about her? Your wife I mean. Where is she?"

"Dead." Kratos stonily looked forward, watching the teens once again laughing in the night. His eyes stayed on Lloyd. "Along with our son."

"Oh..." Miss Sage fell completely silent, watching him as he stared lonely at the group. The mercenary didn't bother to hide what he was feeling that time. His part was the wandering swordsman, and why he wandered was now clear.

"When I look at Lloyd, I can imagine what he would have been like if he was allowed to grow up." He steeled himself as he looked back to the teacher. "So yes, I do look at him differently. But I see a memory, and possibilities that will ever be. Allow me a chance to do what I could not for my son and teach him how to defend himself and others."

Not looking for an answer, he turned forward again, both watching the group and not seeing them. Besides him, the woman fumbled with her words. "Ah... of course... My apologies... I shouldn't have... I'm sorry."

She took to her feet, not certain what to do next. Kratos knew the information was a heavy burden on her now and would distract her for the rest of the night at least. Probably well into the next week. As she started walking away, he did the only thing he could think of to rectify this. "If he were still alive, I would be relieved if his teacher kept an eye out for strange men and warned them away from him. You did nothing wrong."

He could see Miss Sage staring at him from the corner of his eye and sense the relief coming from her. The old soldier didn't look at her, just propped his elbows on his knees, held up his head, and kept his vigilant watch over their group. She knew now all she needed to trust him, at least with these children's lives. Kratos the Mercenary would not let anyone harm them, or any child for that matter. In this, they were the same.

She nodded, smiling slightly. "Thank you. And... I'm sorry about your family."

The man said nothing, didn't move, didn't blink. Knowing she would get nothing more, the teacher finally left him to his solitude. Eyes watching every motion and breath of the son he believed died fourteen years ago, his heart ached. He could never get his son back, even when he was alive. "So am I."

END

A/N: X3 Yeah, fun times. Had them dance around the topic long enough to keep it pg rated, yet kept the story intact. So Raine probably should have questioned Kratos a few times to make sure her students were safe with him, especially since he talked to Lloyd and healed him more than the others. Plenty of grounds for interrogation right? So to save his own hide, Kratos tells her part of the truth, or the truth as far as he knew until he learned more. It's a great excuse, and totally believable. She did notice how Kratos looked at Lloyd differently in the game once, so I thought this fit.

Remember to leave a comment! Constructive criticisms okay, but just telling me what you liked and didn't, or even a line or thought, makes me happy too. I talk back. ;D laters.