Chapter Three

Reunited

Auron grabbed a glass of water and quickly downed a few pills. He immediately put the bottles back in his desk before Wakka strolled in. He hadn't been able to tell him about his condition yet. Why was he holding back? Wakka would be able to handle it. He was accustomed to pain. It was arrogant of him to think that his death would even cause Wakka distress. But, he reasoned, the boy had come to rely on him. Maybe there was a small chance that he could beat it. He probably could if he stopped smoking at least. Did he even want to beat it? Wasn't he ready to join the rest of the Morgan family in the farplane? He and Wakka were the only members left and since he hadn't fathered any children, the generation would end with Wakka's offspring and so forth.

At least there were no children as far as he knew. Some woman could have easily left the city carrying his seed. He wondered if he should have a Spira wide search. He shook his head. He didn't have the energy to travel. He thought about his doctor appointment two days ago. What was it Dr. Zeep said he had again? Oh, yeah. Cancer. He wasn't completely surprised. His love of cigars had finally done him in. He opened his desk drawer and took one out. He ran his fingers along its texture lovingly, and then placed it in his mouth. He lit it and decided he might as well enjoy it. He was on his way out. To the farplane. In a way, he was ready. He'd done everything he'd wanted to do with his life. Telling Wakka was something he didn't want to do. That kid had been through enough. Maybe he could put it off a little longer. He got up from his desk to go check on things.

The restaurant was packed. Hadn't these people heard that there was going to be a heat caution? He could hardly blame them for risking it to eat at his restaurant. It was one of the best in downtown Zanarkand. He saw Gatta sitting in a booth with his friends and scowled. That particular young man had been a waste of his time and energy. Well, he was someone else's problem now.

"Auron, you rescheduled your last appointment. You can't keep avoiding me," he heard suddenly and turned to see Dr. Zeep walking over to where he stood observing the restaurant.

Not here. Not now.

"I did reschedule," he pointed out.

"And what's going to happen when that date gets here? Going to find another reason to weasel out of it? We have to talk about treatment and soon," Dr. Zeep informed him, peering at him closely from behind his thick glasses.

"I'm well aware of all of that. Why don't you finish enjoying your dinner?"

"I'm waiting on dessert. I'm serious, Auron. You can't play around with this kind of disease. Make sure you keep the appointment."

"I will. I'll see you soon, doctor."

"Make sure that you do. I haven't done it in awhile, but I'll make a house call if I have to," he threatened, turning to return to his table.

Auron sighed deeply. It hadn't been that he had been trying to avoid picking a treatment option. But, if he did that, it would finally settle in that he was sick. And he had never been sick before. He couldn't believe his body had the nerve to betray him. Shelinda came over to ask him if they were going to close down early because of the impending heat.

"We'll just play it by ear. If we have to, we have to," he'd said casually.

She'd smiled at him and went back to the waitress' station. He turned to go back to his office. He stopped. Wakka was standing by the kitchen door wearing a grave expression.

"There's no time for a break, Wakka, we're busy," Auron said lightly.

"I heard you talking to that doctor. What's wrong with you?" he asked quietly.

Auron sighed. Now he would have to tell Wakka everything. He really didn't want to trouble the boy any more than necessary. Was there some way he could sugar coat this and make it seem insignificant. Probably not. Wakka was no fool.

"Come into the office with me. I'll tell you everything," he lied, leading Wakka back into the kitchen.


Paine picked up the empty pail and left the barn. She closed the door and sighed deeply. She was trying her hardest not to have to give up the animals. Folene had stressed to her the importance of keeping the animals as long as she had the farm. And if she wanted, she could make the farm profitable again. After all, people still needed their dairy products. She would seriously consider this if things really got too rough. She had spent the past two days cleaning the place up and making it livable again. She picked up the broom and began sweeping the kitchen floor, trying to ignore the fact that Baralai hadn't bothered to come by.

She swept around the old, tattered throw rug wondering what he had been doing with his time. She paused in her sweeping, thinking that she had heard someone knocking on the front door. She shrugged and resumed. There it was again. Someone was at the door.

Baralai, she thought, setting the broom aside and running a hand through her hair. Finally, he had come to see how she was doing. She rushed through the living room to the door. She paused for a moment, thinking about what she was going to say to him. Deciding to tell him off, she swung the door open. Her scarlet eyes widened.

"Hi, Paine. How've you been?" Mr. Isaaru asked, wearing a bright smile.

"Mr. Isaaru. You're the last person I expected. What are you doing here?"

"Can I come in for a minute and talk to you?"

"Sure," she said, holding the door open. What the hell was he doing here? She was certain he hadn't risked the heat just to see how she was doing.

"Well, um, this is…nice," he said, trying not to grimace at the paint peeled walls and old furniture. He marveled to himself that this house had probably been a real beauty in its day. With the right kind of dedication and money, it could be a real valuable piece of real estate.

"Have a seat. And then tell me why you're really here," she said, closing the door.

"Right to the point, huh? Well, um, see I was wondering if you needed some help around here."

"What?"

"A farm is a huge responsibility for a young girl to handle. Plus, you have your classes to concentrate on soon."

"I won't be in class. I'm not going back after the break."

He frowned. "Why not?"

She scowled.

"Oops, I guess I have to keep remembering that I'm not a guidance counselor anymore. I promise you won't regret it," he said, hoping he was giving her a genuine smile.

Paine debated silently. She could really use his help at the farm, but she didn't like him nor did she trust him. He did look pathetic, though.

"I guess you can help out for a short while," she finally relented.

"Great. When do I start?"


Chappu Jenkins listened closely to the announcement over the airship station's speakers. It sounded like the flight to Zanarkand had been canceled. Shit. Again. He had been trying to fly to Zanarkand for three days now. He was stuck in Kilika. It seemed as though the weather would never ease up enough for an airship to fly in safely. The winds had been far too rough to fly in. He picked up his bag and walked up to the counter for a standby ticket.

"It'll be an extra twenty gil," the counter girl informed him.

"What? I don't have any extra."

She stared at him. Who was this boy with red hair wearing ill-fitting cheap clothing? He certainly looked like he didn't have another coin to his name. How had he managed to pay for the original ticket, anyway? Would her boss be upset if she let him slide by? She felt sorry for him. He had slept in the station for three days straight.

"Okay. Here's your new ticket. You should expect to fly out tomorrow morning if the weather permits."

"Gee, thanks," he told her, taking the new ticket and heading back to his spot by the vending machines. His stomach grumbled as he looked longingly at the snack food. Was this trip to Zanarkand even worth it? Would he find the answers he was looking for? He sure hoped so.

His mother had certainly thought so. She had urged him to sell their tiny hut and go to Zanarkand after her imminent death. She had known she would succumb to her illness soon and didn't want her only son to try to scrounge out a living without her. Chappu had been a good son. After his mother's passing, he had done what she had asked of him. He had sold the hut and taken the gil to purchase this ticket. His mother had told him that his only remaining family was in Besaid.

Supposedly, his father had lived in Besaid. He had never met him. His mother had met him on a trip there and the two of them had carelessly spent a night together. She found out he was married the next morning and returned to Kilika. A few months later she discovered that she was pregnant and had decided to keep the baby, anyway. She never told his only problem was that he and his wife had passed away a long time ago. Massac Morgan would never know he had a son that lived in Kilika.

Now, he hoped he wouldn't be wasting his time going to Zanarkand as well. He had been told that the Morgans had a son there. He had no idea how he would find him, but he had to try. Zanarkand was a very big city and his brother could be anywhere. His brother. A brother that most likely didn't know of his existence. What would they say to each other when they finally met? Would he be happy or upset? There was only one way to find out. Get to Zanarkand. He hadn't been able to find out his brother's name because for some reason, the people of Besaid wouldn't tell him or couldn't remember. Maybe they thought he wanted to hurt him. Island people could be like that. Giving out names was almost a sin against Yevon.

"Hey, where are you heading?" a boy about his age asked.

"Zanarkand. Ever been?"

"Yeah. I'm from there. I'm traveling on the road with my band."

"Do you know a guy about our age that maybe looks like me?"

The boy scratched his head. "I don't know. Maybe I do. Maybe I don't. I'm into a lot of recreational stuff, if you know what I mean."

"Did you say you were in a band?"

"Yeah. Penance. You've heard us on the radio."

Chappu wouldn't know whether he had or not. He didn't exactly have time to stay up on the current trends. He was busy working to help his mother pay the bills. He didn't have time for music, movies, or concerts. At least, he didn't used to. Now, he had all the time in the world on his hands.

"Yeah," he lied, wondering why this stranger's approval was important. It was just that the boy looked cool with his spiked black hair and tattoos.

"What's your name?"

"Chappu."

"I'm Mallet. Why don't you come hang out at the hotel with me and my bandmates? Unless your flight is about to leave. They just told me that flights were canceled today."

"Um, okay."

There was certainly nothing wrong with going to hang out in a hotel room. Maybe he could even get a bite to eat. Mallet looked him over. He frowned at his sandals.

"Dude, I wouldn't go to Zanarkand dressed like that. Your feet will get smashed in the crowds."


Darcy stepped into the warm spring air and lifted her chin. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the feel of the sun on her skin for a few moments. She'd spent the past six months at the Zanarkand Detention Center for Young Adults and now she was free. She frowned slightly when she noticed a familiar dejected-looking figure standing next to a smoking white piece of junk. Her father looked less than pleased to see her and the feeling was mutual. Sure, he'd come to see her every weekend for the past six months and took most of the blame for her incarceration, but she'd come to terms with her past with Tidus.

Tidus. Tidus Stone. The only boy she'd ever loved. And still loved. She'd prayed to Yevon for six months straight that he would forgive her for what she'd done. She'd even sent him letters every month, but they always came back marked 'Return to Sender'. She slowly walked down the cracked sidewalk to where Howard stood waiting for her. She hated the idea of returning to his rat's hovel of an apartment. But what other choice did she have? She couldn't return to Zanarkand University. She still had to respect the restraining order that Tidus had in place. She could go to Zanarkand Community College, but she considered herself too good for that.

"Well, Darcy, it's good to see you," Howard said, trying not to sound too forced. He'd been looking at the calendar all month long, dreading this day. His worst fear had been confirmed: his daughter was exactly like her mother. Probably worse.

"Hi, Dad," she said, hugging him reluctantly.

"Well, let's head home unless you want something to eat."

"I am hungry. Let's go to the Tornado," she said, remembering that Tidus worked there. She would rather die than be seen in public with her father, but any chance in catching a glimpse of her favorite blond would be worth it.

"We'll pick something up at a drive thru window. I'm expecting company," Howard said evasively. He hadn't exactly enjoyed the conversation he'd had with Jecht Stone yesterday. He had listened attentively as Jecht told him about his son's condition. Naturally, Howard wondered what this had to do with him. And then Jecht mentioned that all of Tidus' current memories were of Luca. And Darcy. Howard didn't approve. He thought the kids had an unhealthy relationship, but Jecht asked him if he could bring Tidus over for a few hours, and Howard had relented.

Now, he hesitated to tell his daughter. He knew that Darcy would milk the situation for all that it was worth. And now he practically had no choice but to tell her. Jecht had cautioned him not to try to warn Tidus about anything. They returned home before he told her anything.

"I, um, spoke to Mr. Stone yesterday," he began hesitantly watching her big brown eyes widen as she held a huge chunk of hamburger in her mouth.

Darcy chewed quickly and swallowed. "What did he want?"

"You haven't been watching TV lately?"

"No. You had to kiss major butt to get special privileges."

"Anyway, during a blitz game a few weeks ago, Tidus got hurt…"

"IS HE OKAY!"

Howard held up a hand. "He's physically fine. He's having some memory problems and doesn't remember much."

"Good. Maybe he'll forgive me and we can at least be friends," Darcy said, still polishing off her meal.

"I'm sure he will. He…" Howard paused as the doorbell rang.

Darcy kept impatiently eating. The last thing she wanted right now was to be bothered with some of her father's crummy old friends. She wanted to find out everything Jecht had said. She picked up her soda and took a sip as her father swung the door opened. She choked on it. Mr. Stone and Tidus stood there. She didn't even care why they were here, she was so happy to see him.

She wiped her mouth and stood up. Jecht let Tidus enter first. She stared up at him, noticing the way his blue eyes seemed to be smiling. She felt hope in her heart. Had he forgiven her? She noticed Jecht's narrowed eyes, but she disregarded him as she always had.

"Hey," Tidus greeted her, leaning to give her a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek.

Darcy's eyes almost exploded. Jecht looked at Howard quickly. He shook his head, indicating that he hadn't told his daughter anything yet. Jecht cleared his throat.

"Hi, Ti," Darcy said, smiling widely up at him.

"I need to talk to you for a minute," Jecht said, coming over to interrupt what would have been a rather sweet reunion scene had the boy not been his son and the girl a slut in his mind. Inside, he was positively seething. He couldn't believe this girl was about to get her claws into his son again. And he knew she wasn't the type not to take advantage of this situation by simply breaking up with Tidus, but he'd ask outright, anyway.

"What about, Mr. Stone?" Darcy asked nervously.

"Let's just talk," Jecht said, ignoring the nervous quiver he heard in her voice. She had good damn reason to be nervous.

He followed her down the hall and shut the door to her bedroom quickly.

"Look, I'm not gonna beat around the bush with you. The boy had a accident, and I'm not gonna let you think the two of you are just gonna go strollin' off into the sunset. Not gonna happen."

Darcy folded her arms. "What does his accident have to do with me?"

"For some goofy reason he thinks the two of you are still together. I told him you moved here with your Dad after we did to be near him. He doesn't remember anything about his time in Zanarkand since we moved here."

Darcy began to smile.

"Don't go grinning yet. One of these days, at any moment, it can all come to him. Just because he can't remember, don't mean I can't, either. Don't try nothing stupid."

Darcy ignored him. Her heart was already racing with the fact that Tidus thought she and him were still a couple. He'd forgotten about Yuna completely! It was a blessing from Yevon! Seriously, a blessing.

"I'm wasting my breath with this but don't try to make him remember nothing. That should be no problem for you since I'm sure you don't want him to remember, anyway."

Ha! She wasn't going to tell Tidus a damn thing. Mr. Stone needn't worry. This was the best news she'd heard all year round. She wanted to pick things up where they'd left off, when Tidus had moved to Zanarkand.

"I want to help Tidus, no matter what you think, Mr. Stone."

"Right. Just heed my warning, girl," Jecht said, opening the door to return to the living room. Darcy almost skipped behind him. Tidus was sitting on her father's tattered sofa, appearing to be in an animated conversation with him. Darcy looked at Jecht, wishing he would leave. She and Tidus had a lot of making up to do, and she preferred to spend the afternoon doing most of it naked.

"So, Dad, I'm going to hang out here for awhile," Tidus said.

Jecht nodded, but he didn't like it. He told his son he would be back for in a few hours and left.

"Come on, Ti, let's go hang out in my room," Darcy said, beckoning him.

"Darcy, I don't think it's proper for a young man to be in a young lady's bedroom," Howard interrupted, though he was hardly surprised.

"Fine, let's go in the kitchen," she said, barely hiding her annoyance. Tidus got up and followed her to the adjacent kitchen. He looked around. It really needed a woman's touch, but he knew Darcy was no decorator.

"So, sit down and tell me what you remember," she said, grabbing his hand as soon as he was seated across from her.

"Not much. My Dad had to remind me that we moved here. I can't believe it. I don't know anyone and I don't play for the Goers now. This sucks."

"Well, you have me. I'll help you get through it all. We'll be tighter than ever," she promised. And she meant it. Nothing was going to come between them again.

"Did I ever tell you about the other girls in Luca? I always meant to."

She frowned. "No. But, I knew, anyway. Don't ever cheat on me again!"

Tidus winced at the sound of her yelling. Suddenly, a memory came to his mind. He and Darcy standing somewhere he couldn't place, arguing. He seemed really upset. Just as quickly as it entered his mind, it was gone. Was that something from the long ago past or had it been relatively recent?

"I'm sorry. I couldn't help it. You know how easy girls put out for the captain of a blitz team?"

"Well, you shouldn't have that problem here."

"I know. I'm not sure if I'm going to play blitz again. It'll be weird without my team."

"Well, we've got the whole summer to fill. I'll help you. We'll be the best friends we never were. We won't keep anything from each other."

He stared her, wondering why he didn't like the sound of this. He had come over here to confess to his cheating and make amends, but he wasn't sure if he wanted to share his innermost thoughts with her. He never had. But, if she wanted to try, he was game. After all, she was one of the many holes in his memory that he could place. What had he done his senior year of high school? He found the yearbook in his room so he knew he had graduated from Zanarkand High and he'd completed his freshman year of college at Zanarkand U. How could he forget two years? Would he ever remember?

"How long have you lived here?" he asked suddenly.

"About a year and a half," she said absently, wanting to run her fingers through his silky locks.

He frowned. "So, you haven't been here the entire time that I have?"

"No. What difference does it make?"

He wondered what he had done the six months she'd been missing. He knew himself well enough to know that his bed hadn't been empty. But who?

"You haven't kissed me yet, Ti," she said suddenly.

His nose slightly crinkled. Hadn't she been wolfing down a cheeseburger when they'd come in? He was a huge fan of fresh breath and she knew it.

"Sorry," he said, leaning over to press his lips against hers.

She pulled him closer, relishing the taste of spearmint on his tongue. She sighed with contentment when he pulled away. This must be what being in the farplane felt like. She was going to enjoy every second of this. As she looked into Tidus' blue eyes, a wicked thought came to mind. Yuna who?


"Hello, Merlene. Is my father home?" Yuna asked, as she placed her shopping bag in the hallway. She had let Lulu talk her into doing some afternoon shopping to get her mind off of things. She turned expectantly to Braska's live in housekeeper.

"He's in his office, Yuna," she said, pausing.

"Is something wrong?" Yuna asked, watching as the housekeeper nervously twisted her hands together. Obviously, something was troubling her.

"Well, it's Braska. I mean, Mr. Riley. I know that he's been attending his AA meetings like he's supposed to, but…"

Yuna gasped. "Has he been drinking again?"

Merlene nodded slowly. "He thinks I don't know about it, but I've been finding the glasses hidden all over the house. I even found a decanter filled with scotch."

Yuna's heart sank. She had hoped that Braska had finally been able to put the drinking behind him. He had been doing an excellent job fooling not only Merlene, but everyone else. She hadn't heard a thing about this from Cid or Kinoc. She had thought that he had been making great success. What had set him back? Why had he turned to the bottle again?

"Why?" she blurt out, confused.

"If I can be forward, Yuna, I think it has a lot to do with you. He's confided in me about your relationship with Tidus. He's very unhappy about it and thinks he's failed as a father."

Yuna had been afraid of that answer. Especially after Braska had just told her recently that he was unhappy about the relationship himself. What could she do? Did he expect her to break up with Tidus? The thought of that made her unhappy enough to consider drinking. Even with Tidus' recent memory problems, she hoped to resume the relationship once he was back to normal. She walked into the living room and sank in Braska's recliner.

"I don't know what to do. I feel like this is all my fault," she moaned.

"I don't know, either. I've never seen him so depressed. I wish there was something that you could do. Braska's such a delightful man. I haven't come across such an intelligent, witty man in a long time."

Yuna looked up at Merlene. Was there something going on here? Did she have any reason to be concerned? The middle aged woman was actually beaming with a small smile on her lips.

"I meant all of that as an observant housekeeper and friend, Yuna."

She found Braska seated at his desk, his head slumped on the top. He was asleep. She noticed the empty glass sitting next to the phone. She wasn't about to lose both parents. She walked around the side of the desk and shook his shoulder gently.

"Father, I need to have a word with you."

"What is it, honey? I'm, um, working."

"It didn't look like you were working. It looked like you were sleeping."

"Since when is it against the law to nap after a hard day's work?"

"It's not. Just unusual for you," she said carefully, taking notice that he was testy for no apparent reason.

"How is Tidus?" he asked, trying to change the subject. What exactly was Yuna trying to ask him? Why didn't she just come right out and ask. On the other hand, he felt uncomfortable by the fact that he was glad Tidus Stone had lost his memory. He wouldn't be hanging around looking for any opportunity to soil his daughter. It would give Yuna time to cleanse herself. There was still hope.

"About the same. I don't know what to do."

"There's nothing you can do, Yuna. He'll remember it all in due time, I'm sure."

"I hope so. It's going to be a long year without him."

"Maybe you should use this opportunity to go out with other boys."

Yuna's eyes narrowed. "I don't want to go out with other boys. Why would you even suggest that? You're happy about this, aren't you?"

Braska held up a hand. "Don't get excited. Of course, I'm not happy about it, but I don't want to see you wasting your summer away."

"I won't. I'll still do things. How are your meetings going?"

"Oh, the same old, same old. You know how repetitive those things can be. So, what are your plans for tonight?"

"I might go to the movies with Rikku to see The Tonberry Strikes Again."

"Sounds fun. Well, I have some paperwork to go over before dinner. I'll see you then, honey," he said, dismissing her and turning to his computer.

Yuna left the room slowly. There was no denying the smell in there. Brandy. She made a mental note to go by the AA center to ask about Braska's progress. She wanted to call Tidus and tell him everything, but what good would it do? Suddenly, an idea came to her. Tidus hadn't known her when he'd first moved to Zanarkand. What if she just took the time to let him get to know her again? Maybe it would jog his memory and she'd be able to spend some time with him. But how?

Tidus knew her now as a fan of the Goers or Abes. Maybe she could convince him that she was someone else. Or maybe she wouldn't have to convince him of anything. After all, he had fallen for her once, how hard could it be the second time around? She smiled to herself, her former self-confidence returning. She could do this. She just needed the proper opportunity to execute her plan.

End of Ch. 3. Thanks for reading.