Selphie spent two weeks in the hospital in Delling. Throughout the time Irvine had been in to see her, but during the time she was conscious, she wouldn't allow him to come in.

She didn't want to see him.

Rinoa came in everyday, and everyday she brought presents.

"If you continue like this, my room's gonna look like a flower shop" Selphie joked.

But this time Rinoa didn't smile, "Selphie," she sighed.

"What?"

"Irvine's alive."

Selphie looked away, "I know."

"So?"

"So what?"

She heard Rinoa sigh again and get up, "So? Is that all you can say? He's alive Selphie, this is something no one expected, and now after all this time you don't wanna see him?"

"That's right."

Rinoa brushed her fingers through her hair, "I don't understand, I mean, you love him and no-"

"No, you don't understand Rinoa!" Selphie was sitting up now, her green eyes fiery with a powerful emotion. "I fell in love with Irvine Kinneas. He died. I buried him, I got over him. This man is not dead, I don't know him and I don't want to!"

Tears stubbornly came to her eyes but she didn't let them fall, "Have you any idea how I'm supposed to feel? Because I don't know, I don't know whether to be angry, or confused, or happy or surprised because the man who I loved was dead, but- all this time. He was…with… another girl!"

Selphie flung her head into her hands and cried, uncontrollable sobs racked her body as she let out all those emotions she didn't know how to express.

Rinoa sat on the bed and held her close, "I know Selphie, I'm so sorry."

"It wasn't your fault, none of this is" Selphie muttered through her hands.

…it's mine…I let him go…

Another week later. Selphie was ready to leave, the others carried her baggage out whilst she hobbled behind with Rinoa. The only injury she had now was a sprained ankle which she was quite able to walk along slowly with a pair of crutches.

Irvine was at the entrance of the hospital.

Selphie stopped, their eyes met, but she looked away, afraid he would see the tears forming there.

"It's OK Ri" she said to her friend, "I can do this."

Rinoa looked at her for a second and nodded, "I'll be outside" she said softly to her.

As Rinoa passed Irvine, they said something to each other which Selphie was too far away to hear, and then Ri went outside.

Selphie started to walk towards him.

"Let me help you darlin'" Irvine walked towards her.

"No." the word was out before Selphie could stop it, "Don't."

She looked into his face, he wasn't smiling, but then again neither was she.

"Why didn't you come see me?"

Irvine looked puzzled, "I did Sephie, I came in everyday but you wouldn't let me see you."

"I meant during the time I thought you were dead!" Selphie spat out, she didn't care how harsh her words sounded, she was hurt and she had to let him know how much he hurt her. "Do you have any idea what I've been going through for the past three months? What any of us have been going through?"

Irvine looked straight at her steadily. "I didn't wanna hurt you." He said softly.

Selphie laughed, but it wasn't a happy laughter, it was a hurtful laughter, she felt betrayed, and all of a sudden she felt…exhausted.

"I'm tired and I'm in a lot of pain. I have nothing to say to a dead man." She started to walk off but Irvine blocked her path.

"But I do." He replied, "Listen Selphie, I know there's nothing I can do to make this less painful. I've hurt you and you have no idea how much it pained me to know that. No listen-"he put a hand up when Selphie was about to protest, "I'm not done yet. If you want, I can walk out of here right now and leave you alone. To you, I'd still be that dead man and you can hate me as much as you want. But the reasons I had for doing what I did I don't regret. I wish I didn't have to do it. But I did. I had to. I got over it." He stared meaningfully at her, "My love for you will never waver darlin' but I know that I can't be with you. All I do, is cause you pain. You deserve better than me."

This time Selphie didn't even try and protest, instead she stared dumbly at him, trying to figure out what he was trying to say.

"…and that's why I'm gonna walk away"

...Walk away?

"Y-you mean…forever?" Selphie asked fearfully.

"Forever." Irvine said with an edge to his tone. "It's best. For the both of us." He added.

He walked up to her, as close as he had ever been, and kissed her on the tip of her nose, "There's no room for a dead man in an aspiring woman's life. I realised that a long time ago."

As he walked away, Selphie looked at the ground; she couldn't face looking at the one whose heart she had given to, when he was walking out of her life.

…But-

"Irvine-"Selphie began, waiting for him to turn around.

When he did, and stared at her steadily with those deep green eyes she could never fathom, she was afraid she wouldn't be able to get the words out.

…but I have to know…

"Would you really have asked me?" Her voice came out, stronger than she thought they would have done.

Irvine stood there for a moment, his eyes betraying nothing. When suddenly, he smiled and put his hand in his pocket.

He withdrew a small blue velvet box; it was no bigger than a child's hand.

Selphie's heart stopped beating for an instant, she had no idea what would have happened next.

Irvine still smiled, this time Selphie could see all his pain, happiness and sadness rolled into that one moment.

It was his eyes that gave her the answer.

"Would you really have said yes?"

She gave a nod, so slight that she wasn't sure if he could see.

....thank you…

But he nodded back, and without another word, he walked away.

The dead man walked out of Selphie's life.

...yes Irvine…yes...

Rinoa remembered that memory; it had been eight months now since Irvine had left, and no one had heard anything from him again.

The others were afraid of Selphie never allowing herself to move on, never allowing herself to love another person ever again.

But then Locke arrived, he had been the one to break into that shell she had placed around herself and loved her for what she was.

Now, two months after officially being named a couple, Rinoa was asking her friend if she loved him.

"Everyday, I still remember what It felt like to watch him walk out of that hospital and my life altogether." Selphie reminisced sadly, "It had taken me so long to realise that there was someone else out there and what do you know-"

"Locke arrived" Rinoa finished for her.

…Locke...was it him?

…How can I not be sure...?

"Uh Ri" Selphie faked a yawn, hoping to get her point across, "I'm suddenly feelin' real tired, is it OK if I don't come into town tonight?"

Rinoa got up from the bed, "Sure Selphie, sorry I forced you to bring back painful memories."

Selphie gave a watery smile, "Hey, it's OK Ri, I know you always try and help, and I really appreciate that. I do." She looked at Rinoa

seriously, "I don't deserve such a good friend."

"Oh hey, now, none of that nonsense." Rinoa smiled, trying to hide the blush that appeared on her cheeks, "It's me who should be grateful to you. Now get some rest. I'll come see you later."

She gave her friend a hug and quietly went out of the room.

The soothing music and dimmed lights did nothing to calm Seifer's mood, even when he was nursing his favourite beer in Balamb Town bar; sitting in his favourite booth by the window facing out to sea.

Why don't you just admit it?

"Admit what?" he growled, trying to hide those mental protests from his mind.

You're attracted to her.

"Yea so what? What you gonna do 'bout it?" he slammed the beer on the table, drawing attention to himself from a few onlookers nearby.

Maybe you should ask her out…?

Seifer laughed to himself, not caring about the strange curious looks he was receiving, "Like I could ever compete with a ghost"

"What ghost?"

That's not my annoying protesting mind, Seifer told himself, turning around to face a smiling beauty with long black hair and a face like-

"Woah- Quistis?" Seifer appraised her and gave a laugh, "Man, you're looking real-"

"Don't even say it." Quistis lost her smile and sat down roughly, she leaned back and sighed. "I've had enough curious stares from total strangers and seedy comments from my own friends to then walk into a bar and get looked up by you."

"Yeah tell me bout it." Seifer looked around, the curious glances were still being thrown this way and he mentally growled at them, suddenly he whipped around to look at the reformed-Quistis, "Hey, what exactly do you mean by me? I've never had any insults from girls I've looked up in the past," he sniffed, pretending to be insulted as he downed his beer.

Quistis gave him a glare, "Just buy me a drink and I'll retract my comment."

Seifer shrugged his shoulders, "Fine, not in the mood for a fight anyways." He signalled to the waiter to bring another two beers over.

He was surprised to feel Quistis' curious stare on him, "What now?"

"You? Not in the mood for a fight?" she gave a little amused laugh, "Something's definitely not right."

"Yeah well, it's been a long week."

Her amused smile plastered on her face made him want to throw his bottle at her, "I guess, even though we do have another four days till the end of it. What's wrong?"

Her sudden switch from amusement to a gentle tone took Seifer by surprise, "What is this? A new way of trying to get me to talk to you?"

"I call it concern; you haven't been yourself for the past few days."

"That makes two of us then" Seifer took a swig from his beer.

To his surprise, Quistis simply sighed. It wasn't an angry or an impatient one, but a sad sigh.

As if something wasn't right with her…?

"Wanna talk bout it?" he wasn't really in the mood for sharing, but he knew what girls were like when upset, they always needed a shoulder.

"No, well-yes, but, not with you." Quistis took a swig from her beer.

Seifer inwardly chuckled, always was the blunt one…

"Well, guess that makes two of us again. Cheers." He tapped his bottle with hers, "Here's to loneliness and spending all our days and cash in the bar."

Quistis gave a smile and tapped hers, "I'll drink to that."