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Chapter 3: Hierarchy-Helen's Story

The next morning Helen entered High Commander Squall's office for her next assignment.

"Sir, ready for assignment." Reported Helen

"We're having a slow day today so there's no assignments for your team." Replied Squall

"So we have the day off?' asked Helen

"Well yes, but I wanted to ask you a favor."

"Anything Commander."

"Being a gunblade master, you're a weapons expert, so I was wondering if you'd like to help out the weapons training course for the Seed cadets?"

"I'm not much of a teacher, but I'll do it."

"Thanks, head down stairs and you'll meet your partner for this assignment."

"Partner."

"Another weapons expert like yourself."

When Helen reached the classrooms, she found Brandon there leaning against the wall with a smirk.

"Hey teach." He winked at her

"Ughh, Hey Brandon." Sighed Helen

"Ready to enrich some minds?

"Try to stay focused today."

"It's going to be hard with you around."

"Oh please, come on take this seriously."

"Sure thing Captain."

Brandon smiled as he saluted Helen. She chuckled slightly at his antics then headed into the classroom with him following behind. The teacher welcomed the two Seeds.

"Okay everyone today we have some special guests. Would you welcome Captain Helen Almasy and Rank A Seed officer Brandon Leonhart." Said the Teacher

"Welcome." Replied the class

"Hi." Smiled Helen

"Hey." Shrugged Brandon

The class separated into two groups one group went with Brandon to weapons training room A the other group followed Helen to weapons training room B. Helen stood at the head of her group and inspected the cadets.

"Okay everyone today I've been called here to show you an example of the gunblade. Soon you'll make the choice of what your weapons specialty will be. If you think your up to it, you can choose the gunblade. But mind you it is one of the most difficult weapons to master. Any questions?" Stated Helen

"How many people have ever mastered the gunblade?" asked a student

"Well in Balamb Garden there are only three known masters. High Commander Leonhart, Myself and Seed Brandon." Replied Helen

"Wasn't there another one?" asked another cadet

"Yes there was, but he left the organization." Helen tried to keep her cool

"I heard he went crazy and turned against the Seeds." Smirked one of the students

Helen glared at the student. Then a devilish idea came to her.

"You know just talking about the gunblade doesn't really do much. How about a demonstration." Smirked Helen as she pointed at the cadet who made the comment

Reluctantly the cadet made his way over to Helen standing a foot or two away from her. Helen pulled out her gunblade and pointed it at the cadet. The cadet took a big gulp. Helen made one swift swipe gunblade, the cadet looked down and sighed with relief. Suddenly his belt buckle snapped in two causing his pants to fall to the floor. The cadet's face turned red with embarrassment as he ran out of the room. The other cadets laughed as Helen sheathed her gunblade.

An hour later the class broke for lunch Helen hung around in the classroom after everyone left. She sat on top of the teacher's desk staring out over the empty desks. Brandon slowly walked up to the door and leaned on the frame. He watched her a while with a lopsided grin on his face.

"I heard you put on quite a show." Smirked Brandon

"One of the cadets made a crack about my dad." Responded Helen

"Oh I see. Big mistake. These are just cadets they don't know any better."

"I know."

"Don't worry about it. Hey wanna go out for some coffee later?"

"No I promised Jillian I'd help her study again, but thanks."

"Its okay. Hey….you going to be back here tomorrow, I signed on for an extra day of teaching class."

"Maybe I will, see ya later."

"See ya."

Helen smiled at Brandon then headed out the door. An hour later Helen was sitting in the common room with Jillian. The two of them were sitting at a table books and notes strewn about.

"I heard from one of the other cadets that you got a bit wild in class today." Stated Jillian

"It was just some punk who got on my nerves." Replied Helen

"Sorry to hear about that. Hey thanks for helping me these past couple of days, things have just been so stressful lately."

"I'm glad I could help. It's been boring around here. It's usually quiet around this time for High rank Seeds. We only get the really dangerous or well paid assignments."

"So what's Brandon been dong with this free time, Nathan's just been hanging around, With me being so busy its hard to find time for each other."

"Brandon helped out in the class today so his doing fine. Maybe you should find some time to spend with Nathan."

"I want to, but I also want to make the most of the chance I've been given. I want to be a good Seed and make up for my past."

"I understand……Hey could you believe Brandon actually asked me to go get some coffee with him."

"And you turned him down?"

"Yeah I had to help you out."

"I would have understood if you went."

"Oh, forget about Brandon."

"Well I wouldn't just turn down a guy, who gave up a promotion for me."

"What?"

"You didn't know. This morning I went to go see Nathan. He was still kinda buzzed from last night. He told me that Brandon gave up being captain of his own squad to stay in yours."

"That's crazy. Brandon wouldn't do that, would he?"

"I can't say I haven't really known him that long. Besides I'm not sure we can trust anything Nathan says while he's out of it."

"I guess."

"If he did do why do think he would have?"

"I don't know."

The next day Helen returned to the weapons class with Brandon. All morning she avoided speaking with him the best she could. She just kept turning over the information in her head over and over. Would Brandon turn down a promotion? Of course he wouldn't, All Brandon has ever wanted was to be acknowledged for his own accomplishments. But what if he did do it? Then why, why would he turn down everything he worked so hard for?

When lunch time came Helen waited for the classroom to clear out before she approached Brandon. He was sitting on a stool looking out one of the windows at the clear blue sky. Helen didn't know quite how to approach the subject.

"Is it true?" she asked with a tinge of hesitation

"Is what true?" asked Brandon confused

"Did you turn down a captain's position?"

Brandon got out of his chair. He started rubbing his temples, irritated.

"Where did you hear that?"

"From Jillian."

"Dam it, I told Nathan not tell anyone. He is so dead."

"So it's true. Why is this what you wanted."

"Look, I have my reasons. I turned down the captain's position because……of…my own reasons. Let's leave it at that."

"We just can't leave it at that. Brandon what's wrong. I'm your friend you can tell me."

"Nothing is wrong, it was my choice. So please I'd appreciate it if you stayed out of my business."

"I'm just trying to help."

"Well you're not helping! Just….just leave me alone."

Brandon turned away from Helen then stormed out of the classroom. Helen was dumfounded. She couldn't understand why Brandon was acting so strange. Usually she could sense what was eating him right away, but this time.

Helen sighed, she was worried about Brandon. Something was different this time. She looked out the window at the sky. Now that she realized it something had been different since they defeated Locke. He was different, she was different, something changed.

That night Helen laid out on her bed staring up at the ceiling. She was still mulling over the events of the day trying to make sense of everything. Just then the front door opened and Quistis stepped into the house. She took a look around, it was oddly quite today. Quistis headed to her daughter's room to find Helen lost in thought.

"What's eating you?" asked Quistis

"Well….I don't know if I should tell you." Sighed Helen

"Well you don't have to, but I just want you to know I'm here if you need me."

"Well…..it's about Brandon."

Quistis raised an eyebrow. She smiled at her daughter as she sat down on the bed to talk with her.

"What about Brandon?"

"He's been acting strange lately…well stranger than usual."

"How so?"

"Well I just found out that he turned down a position as captain of his own squad, then when I asked him about it he got all defensive. I just don't know what is going on with that man."

"I see. Did I ever tell you the story of how your father and I got together?"

"A little bit, but what dose this have to do with anything?"

"Just stay with me here. At first I thought he was a rude, arrogant, bullheaded man."

"And?"

"I learned that I was right."

"This is some story Mom."

"Just keep listening. Anyways it was a year or so after the defeat of Ultimecia. As the High Commander of the Garden system, one of Squall's first acts was to rebuild Trabia Garden. The president of Estar funded the project on the grounds that we saved the world. After the defeat of Ultimecia, your father wandered around for a long time. We asked him to rejoin the Garden, but he refuse every time. Eventually he ended up supervision the rebuilding of Trabia Garden. Squall was still a little skeptical of your father so he decided to send some one to keep an eye on him."

"And that person was you, wasn't it?"

"I drew the short straw. When I first arrived I couldn't stand your father. I had know him for a long time and I still had trouble putting up with him. But I was impressed by one thing."

"What?"

"He generally seemed to want to help in the rebuilding. He was always the first one to arrive at the construction site, he was always the last one to leave. He made sure everyone was on schedule and that nothing went wrong. Over time I just figured he wanted to make up for the bad things he had done. One day he and I were sitting around and we got to talking."

"What did he say?"

"At first he acted like his same old self, but more and more we started to open up to each other. Eventually he told me that the reason he turned down the offers to rejoin the Garden was because he didn't feel he was good enough. He felt with all the bad things he did he wasn't good enough. He didn't even think helping to rebuild the Garden was going to wipe his late clean."

"And he just told you all this?"

"Not all at first, it was a slow process. He didn't really start to open up until the Garden was almost finish. When it was done he was ready to wander about again. I asked one last time if wanted to be a Seed. He said no. Then he did the most surprising thing, he told me he loved me. In all that time we spent together I'd grown to love him too. The point is you just can't force things. Your father didn't just come clean with his true feelings right away. We built up a bond, then when he was ready he came to me. When Brandon's ready, he'll come to you."

"He doesn't seem like he wants to tell me anything."

"All people have their way of dealing with things. It's just a matter of time. But maybe if he doesn't want to tell you, then it's something he doesn't feel like he can talk to you about. So maybe you should just let him be, for now at least."

"I don't know…..maybe I should talk to him."

"I can't tell you what to do. This is between you and him. But you should probably consider one thing before talk to Brandon again."

"What's that?"

"How do you really feel? Are you concerned about Brandon for his sake or because you care about him in a way you never thought about before. Consider your own feelings in this one."

Quistis smiled at her daughter and left. Helen sat there confused. Of course she was concerned about Brandon, they were friends. There couldn't be more to it, could there. Helen thought back to yesterday. That punk really got under her skin, good thing Brandon was there to cheer her up. Brandon was always there, in battle, as a friend.

She was just so worried about him. Things had been kind of strange lately what with defeating the order and everything. After everything Brandon had been through why would he just give the one thing he always wanted. Helen suddenly thought why'd she care so much. Brandon was a friend, but was that all, was that really where he feelings about all this ended. Helen was so confused

She laid her head against her pillow and stared at a picture of her with all her friends. Nathan, Sabin, Ami, Jillian….Brandon. It's funny but until now she didn't realize that all her friends were moving on in life. Nathan and Jillian were dating, even Sabin and Ami found love. Love….when did all of this become about love.

Helen shook these thoughts out of her head. She sighed then turned over. It was best not to think of all these things right now.

Quistis sat on her bed looking over some papers when she heard the sounds of the front door open and close. Seifer made his way down the hall briefly looking in on Helen before heading into the bedroom. He smiled at his wife as he put his stuff down.

"What's wrong with Helen?" remarked Seifer

"Oh, that. Yeah, she's in love." Retorted Quistis

"That's nice……..Wait…what the Fck. Who….I'll kill him." Said Seifer as his eyes grew wide

"Calm down. It's Brandon."

"Oh great, a Leonhart. Are you sure about this?"

"Well she's still in denial about it, but as her mother I can tell."

"Great just great…..My daughter is in love with a Leonhart, where does he fall in all this?"

"I think he feels the same way too, I've seen him around. But he prefers to not say anything and act all tortured about it."

"That whole god dam family. If they can't deal with an emotion, they have to mope around about it. I don't see why Helen wants to get involved with that kind of a head case."

"Oh, leave her alone. She needs to be able live her own life and fall in love with who ever she's meant to be with. And you need to learn to finally get over your petty rivalry with Squall."

"I'm not petty. And…..I must admit Helen could do worst than Brandon Leonhart. She could have a thing for that Dincht kid, the little chicken wuss."

"Cut that macho act out, there's no need for it here."

"Really, I thought you liked when I acted all manly."

"Please."

Seifer scooted closer to his wife and looked deep into her eyes. With a cocky smirked he locked lips with her and gently pushed her down on the bed.

"I got paper work." She chuckled

"Fck it." He replied as he kissed her again

Seifer kissed Quistis with increased passion as she kissed him back.

"I've been a bad boy Instructor." Chuckled Seifer

"Well then, I'll just have to discipline you." Laughed Quistis

To be continued……………..

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter the next one will be up soon. Remember send your reviews, thoughts, questions, etc. Next chapter: Chapter 4: Miss Fire-Nathan's Story