Gem: Emzies is actually another FFIX writer who asked a while back to be put in. I only own the random plot bunnies with ADD (yes they do have it) and Gem. And please pardon any spontaneous things done by the characters.


Marcus was pounding through the Business District desperate to not be late. Boss said he had important news for all of them. He wondered what it was but knew that he would find out at the same time as everyone else. He was so focused on reaching the aircab in time that he missed the girl who slipped in front of him and consequently made him fall. He somersaulted over the girl to avoid crushing her.

"Oh! I'm sorry!" the girl exclaimed as she picked herself up.

He found a hand extended towards him and allowed himself to be helped up. Feeling bad for the girl because he was the one who ran into her, he asked her where she needed to go. Boss couldn't get mad at him for apologizing and making it up to someone he ran into. Besides, the girl was cute.

Long waist length brown hair was tied back into a tight braid with the girl's bangs falling out, a blue and green cloak swirled around her shoulders, and she wore what would be considered male clothing: blue jeans and a tight fitted green top that left her arms bare. He missed the sword sitting on her right hip; Marcus jumped a foot in the air when she poked him.

"Since I finally found someone who seems to have a clue, could you point me to where Uncle Baku lives?"

"Uncle?" Marcus thought. Aloud he said, "That's where I was headed. I'll take you there and wherever you need to go afterwards."

"Just there would be fine."

Marcus followed her onto the aircab and sat across from her to watch her reactions. He also found her cute despite the fact that she was very bold and straight forward.

"We're here," he said.

She stood up and followed him out onto the platform. He could tell that she was examining him and Marcus wasn't sure if he liked it or not. Marcus however didn't like the other guys checking her out; all those guys ever wanted was to have sex.

"When did I start getting protective of girls I just met?"

"You're late."

"I ran into this girl here and she asked me to bring her back here," said Marcus as he did a slight dance to get the girl out from behind him.

Marcus finally succeeded to get the girl to quit hiding behind him and come look Baku in the face. He really wanted to know why the girl had called Boss her uncle. Marcus was even more surprised when the girl hugged Baku.

"Hiya Uncle Baku," she said.

Marcus held in a laugh at the expression on Baku's face. Baku had managed to look confused, happy, and annoyed all at the same time. He didn't think those three emotions could all be shown at the same time.

"Hiya?" Baku asked her. "I'm sorry but I don't remember anyone calling me uncle."

The girl giggled; it was a strange sound to hear such a childish giggle out of a full grown adult.

"Uncle Baku, Daddy used to be yer patron long ago."

A smile, laughing brown eyes, an open refusal to wear skirts, being tackled after a play by a girl wearing a skirt for possibly the last time in her life…..

Marcus stared at her. If she was who he thought she was, he would probably fall over in shock. Baku was obviously in shock too from her comment.

"Tell me then girl, what your daddy's name was."

"Locke. Mumma's was Irene. Last name for both was Fairbain."

Baku's eyes were wide open in shock and Marcus had a feeling that he was mimicking Baku's expression.

"What's your name girl?"

"Gem."

A light hearted giggle, overprotective of all the guys, learning how to use a sword along with the rest of them, two girls fighting while the guys avoided the fight, her cleaning him up after a nasty fight with another boy….

She was staring at him again; Marcus realized then that he was being rude by not introducing himself.

"I'm Marcus."

Thunder crashed overhead forcing the three of them to retreat into the hideout.

"Where did you go?" he asked her. The other girl in his memory had to be her.

"Everywhere. I stayed close and followed Tantalus for a couple of months before leaving the continent."

While she talked, a shape slipped into the hideout and set down a slightly wet bundle in one corner. Shortly afterwards, the guards started banging on the door.

"Open up!"

Gem opened the door enough to block everything else with her body.

"My lady! What brings you back here? Have you seen a tailed teenager?"

She looked back over her shoulder, saw Zidane sitting shivering in a corner, and lied to the guards with a straight face.

"No, I'm very sorry but I haven't. Good day!"

She shut the door in their faces and started laughing. He had to laugh too; he had honestly forgotten about her ability to lie with a straight face.

"What's so funny darlin's?"

Ruby had entered the room with a small girl in tow. She ignored the three of them standing basically in the doorway and walked over to a sopping Zidane. Ruby ordered him to go get a shower and warm clothes before turning to face all three of them.

"Hi darlin'. Ah'm Ruby. 'oo might yew be?"

Marcus saw the recognition in Gem's eyes but Gem didn't say anything to having known Ruby before. Instead, Gem introduced herself. Well it was definitely better than the first time he had seen them together in the same room.

"Who's this?" Gem asked Ruby kneeling down to the little girl's level.

The girl shied further behind Ruby if it was even possible. Ruby grinned and pulled the girl out from behind her.

"This is Emzies," said Ruby and then to the young girl, "Will you quit hiding? Please?"

"I don't bite," said Gem.

"Hard," Marcus muttered under his breath. He got the two older girls to stare at him and Ruby smacked him upside the head. "Ow. What was that for?"

"For being an idiot," Ruby answered. "Besides, since it's raining; it's your turn to tell. And it seems Zidane brought us enough food for the next week."

Marcus wandered over to take a look in Zidane's bundle of something. Ruby was right, there was food in there. They had been running low again; maybe by now one of them would have learned how to shop before they started having only cheese and crackers.

"Zidane's going to want to hear it too. I'll wait until he's out of the shower."

"Okay," came Ruby's slightly muffled reply. He turned to look and realized her head was in a cupboard. "Cinna and Blank went out briefly to get some essentials. They should be back soon."

"I thought Boss had something to tell us," Marcus replied as he handed Ruby a jar of salted ham.

"He does. But if and when we take a bathroom break, wouldn't you like some toilet paper?"

"When did we run out of that?"

"Shortly after you left for wherever you went this morning," Ruby answered as she took a jar of beef jerky from Marcus. "Ack!"

Marcus snickered at Ruby. Blank had come running in and in a very spontaneous move, pulled her off the counter. He thought the two of them should just admit to each other that they liked the other. Marcus heard snickering and realized he forgot about their guest. He found her sitting on the floor playing with Emzies and laughing at Ruby and Blank's antics.

Marcus snickered again at the look on Zidane's and Cinna's faces when they walked back into the room. Ruby and Blank were apparently trying to wrestle while standing up and due to the amount of bags still on the floor, neither was moving very far. He finally managed to quit snickering at the general craziness and then addressed the room in general.

"So do you want to hear this or not?"

At that, Blank lost his footing and fell onto and promptly off a chair with Ruby falling on top of him.

"I suggest you follow their example without the falling off the chair part," he deadpanned.

Once everyone was seated, he took a deep breath and began.

"My story starts a little father back. I lived once years ago in Treno…."