A/N: Welcome to the first chapter of, what I will hope to be, a (somewhat) long and (hopefully) entertaining story revolving around Quistis. One of the great injustices of Final Fantasy history was the lack of attention Quistis got, and is the reason I write her. She was developed so nicely in the bits we were able to enjoy her; imagine what could have been done if she didn't bow out when Squall and Rinoa's relationship took center stage.

Anyways, I call this story A Little More because it is what Quistis should have gotten: a little more. A little more respect, a little more attention, a little more love. And she's always willing to give a little more of herself to others.

Enjoy!

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The familiar landscape of the train ride from Galbadia Garden to Dollet had a calming affect on Quistis. She had traveled it an innumerable amount of times over her career as a SeeD. The soft hills, the mountains: they were all landmarks to her. She swore she could tell how far away they were from their destination just by seeing a familiar tree or mountain peak.

There were so many memories in the landscape that it failed to remind her of any particular one.

"Commander Trepe! Balamb has been informed of our successful mission and that we will be back to Garden before sundown." Quistis raised her head in the direction of the door to her compartment, her mind being brought back to reality. Standing before her was a young SeeD, not many years younger than herself.

"Thank you very much, Officer Lutka." Quistis nodded in approval to the novice SeeD. A slight blush rose to his cheeks, confirming the woman's suspicions that he was a closet Trepie. "And word on a new mission for me?"

"Not yet, Commander, but if I receive any notice I will be sure to inform you."

"That would be wonderful. Now, why don't you go and enjoy the rest of the journey home – you all did a spectacular job on this mission." The blonde dismissed the young man with a smile; he stumbled slightly as he left the compartment, disappearing and then reappearing briefly to give his senior a forgotten salute.

Quistis pretended to not notice the fumble as Lutka left. He was thoroughly embarrassed as it was. Instead, she returned to the paperwork sitting before her. Only one new comment had been written before she leaned back in her chair with a sigh. The compartment Quistis was working in was set off slightly from the one her team of SeeDs occupied; she could hear an occasional peel of laughter or highly emphasized word drifting through the wall. They deserved this short respite from their SeeD duties. The mission, even if it was a simple and inconsequential one, was done with the excellence Quistis Trepe was known for, and she was proud of them. Every one of them had performed with great professionalism and precision, especially for their first mission as SeeDs.

As she gazed out the window at the forest the train was passing, her mind wandered back to the same path it had been traveling before being stopped by Lutka's message.

For the past six months, this had been the life Quistis was leading. She was taking every mission available to her, which meant that most of the time she was only at Balamb Garden long enough to receive her new mission briefing, repack, and gather the team she would leading. It was a busy, hectic life – but it was what Quistis wanted. She wanted to be kept busy, to not be at Garden any more than she had to. While she wasn't about to admit it – to herself or anyone else – Quistis was avoiding the one place she had learned to call "home." Avoiding her memories, avoiding having to deal with her new found fame, avoiding the Trepies that seemed to be multiplying at an alarming rate…avoiding her unfinished relationship with Squall…

Refusing to let her mind follow that path, she tore her eyes away from the window and replaced them on her paperwork. But the damage had been done. Squall's face had appeared in her mind, followed closely by Rinoa. She couldn't even escape the couple in her own imagination. Quistis shook her head violently, trying to remove the image of them together from her thoughts. "You're just torturing yourself, you know that, don't you?" she grumbled to herself.

With a sigh, Quistis put her head in her hand and dove back into her work. It was the only thing that could eliminate Squall from her thoughts, nowadays.

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The next thing she knew, her compartment was growing dark as the train entered the tunnel leading from Dollet to Balamb. Quistis stood up to turn on the light, and took a moment to stretch before returning to her chair. They would arrive in Balamb soon, and she still had no word on her next mission. This made her uneasy; it meant she would have to spend more time at Garden than she would have liked. Hopefully it won't be any longer than two nights - three days, she thought to herself. I can make myself scarce for that long…

She had just finished the last of the individual SeeD reports – extra points to Lutka for being such an informative messenger – as the train slowed in anticipation of the Balamb stop. The SeeD commander slid her papers back into the folder, which was then placed into her bag. After gathering the rest of her things and checking her hair in the mirror (still perfect), Quistis smoothed her skirt before exiting her private compartment and entering the one her team of SeeDs were relaxing in. They grew silent as their leader began to speak.

"We will be arriving in Balamb soon, so I just have a few brief final notes for you all," Quistis began, in her best "Instructor Trepe" voice. "First of all, congratulations on a job well done. You all performed with excellence, and I am proud of the job we accomplished. Second of all, I have completed individual reports for each of you…but I wouldn't be too concerned about those," she added, smiling in reassurance to the young SeeDs, the mention of "individual reports" putting uncomfortable looks on their faces. "Finally, when we arrive in Balamb, you are free to enjoy the city and celebrate your accomplishment – but you must be back to the Garden by 2200 hours." The team cheered at the unexpected free time in Balamb.

Exiting the SeeD compartment and walking into the hallway, she could see the sun low on the horizon, and a few of the lights in Balamb flickering on. As much as Quistis didn't want to be in this place, she still felt her spirits lighten with the feeling of a homecoming.

After unloading their supplies, the SeeD team lined up before their leader, waiting for their final dismissal. Quistis inspected them visually one last time before raising her hand in a salute. "Dismissed until 2200 hours, when you will report back to Garden." And with that, the group dispersed. She stood and watched them head off on their way, proud of what they had done and ready to celebrate. Quistis wouldn't be joining them this evening, however, as she needed to report back to Garden with the final mission report. Besides, it would be quiet in the Garden at this time – perfect for her to move about without the hassle of other people. She was about to turn and request a trolley from one of the attendants when she head her name being called out. Facing the direction of the exclamation, Quistis' face visibly showed her surprise at the source.