Hi guys, sorry this has taken sooooo long, but you know the way life goes……

Thanks to my reviewers;

Alonia Everclear, Oneiromancy, Dragon Princess Isis and Vanisher!! feel the love guys :)

oh, and Oneiromancy, others too, please keep pointing out mistakes, or ways in which you think the format should be changed, as I have no beta :(

and as a future note, the rating may change (from T) depending on scenarios, but I'm happy with it for now...

enough from me, enjoy

x

...

chapter 3-

It had been four days since she had been told about Seifer's return, and yet it still hadn't managed to sink in yet. He had occupied her thoughts, almost entirely, for those past four days. Her mind was like a sandstorm of conflicting thoughts about his attitude, his actions, his words...his eyes, his face , his body... and yet, she was horrified at herself for having these thoughts! He would be a student...HER student...HER responsibility...HER mission...

...Her headache...

'Well here is the perfect opportunity to show them just how much better you have become at being an instructor'......as if that thought would comfort her...

She still wasn't 100 certain when he was returning, Cid had been rather vague on that point. Martine's interruption of their meeting hadn't helped. The issue of the meeting must have been of great importance, as not only had the meeting not been re-scheduled, Cid had not been seen out and about around the school. That was one thing that could be said about Cid, no matter how much time and effort the paperwork and bureaucracy, ministers and officials, missions and organisation required, he would ALWAYS find the time to wander the halls and talk to students. Whether it was just walking through the corridors looking in classroom doors, or wandering through the grounds asking about how their days were going, he always loved interacting with his students.

That lack of interaction was going unnoticed by the students, but to the instructors, it was starting to crop up on the radar screen.

'Heeeeeeeya Quisty!!'...Selphie, whatever the circumstances, was always Selphie it seemed...

...up went the emotional shields and the fake smile...'Hi there Selphie'

'Don't suppose you have any ideas 'bout what's going on? with Cid I mean. I guessed since I noticed him not being around as much, you woulda noticed too'

'Yeah, I did. I'd been starting to wonder myself. You know that meeting I got called into with him the other day?'...she paused slightly to allow for Selphie's response, which consisted of three seconds of extreme nodding...

'Well, Martine arrived, IN PERSON, and said it was urgent so Cid ended the meeting then and there'

'Musta been important then. Come on, we'll grab Irvy enroute and go an' talk ta Squall'

Well, it seemed like a good enough plan. So before Quistis had a chance to respond, she was being dragged, wrist first, by an over excited Selphie towards the gym.

Irvine, after deciding his hand-to-hand combat skills were woefully inadequate, had been getting extra training from Zell. Despite his seeming undirected hyper energy, he was turning out to be very good at his instructor/personal trainer role. Irvine was noticing a lot of changes in his own physical fitness; he was a lot stronger and looked more muscular...of which Selphie highly approved...he could run further, fight longer and fight better than he ever thought he could...again, this pleased Selphie, or at least the thought of increased stamina did... and he loved his new found athleticism. Not that he wasn't fit before, seed's did have regular physical examinations, but being a sharpshooter (he always thought it sounded cooler than 'sniper') he spent his extra training time at the shooting range and not in the gym. The change suited him.

' an' the ladies sure love it...'...he had such a one track mind...

Although there was one athletic discipline he was struggling to get the hang of...

'Hey Irvine, had enough yet? as I am absolutely tanning your hide!'. Zell was wrapped around Irvine in some spectacular looking Greco-roman wrestling hold.

'Dammit, I thought I had him to'...to give him due credit, he had been getting better...'I give I give already!! gimme my arms back!!'

With a particularly Seifer-like smirk on his face, and an ounce of pride in his heart, Zell released his opponents' trapped arms and got off of him. He enjoyed sparring with Irvine; he was challenged, but still able to win without too much effort.

They shook hands, and walked off of the mats towards the showers and changing rooms.

' Good try Irvine, you're definitely getting better. I ACTUALLY broke a sweat this time, for a cha...mmfftt...'. His gloating interrupted by a swift towel thrown at the face and perfectly hitting the target.

'At least I know how ta shut ya up!!'

'Haha, fair enough! Oh look, there's Selphie and Quistis. Or should I say, Selphie dragging Quistis'

' Oh thank hyne they're there, maybe she'll stop dragging me now'...and as if she had read Quistis' mind, Selphie let go of herand proceeded to run at and leap at Irvine in a dramatic-film-reunion-scene sorta way.

' Heeeeeeeeyyyyyy Irvy-poo!!'

' Seffy-kiiiiiiiins!!'

'Eeeeeeeewwwww, Irvy you're all slimey!!'

' Well sorry Selphie darlin', but me an' Zell here have been trainin', so we gotta go shower. We'll catch up with y'all in the canteen'

' 'kay, bye byes then, mmwwaaaah!!'

Quistis and Zell just stood there, rolling their eyes and smiling. Seeing both of their so happy was great, but sometimes they were just, just so...so...dear hyne, get a room...was the thought that came to mind...

' bye guys'.

They waved and parted ways. I hope they realise just how lucky they both are. I wish I was that lucky. Quistis' mind spinning, her thoughts still consumed by her friends and their actions before. She was so consumed in her own thoughts, she hadn't realised that they had walked all the way to the canteen, sat down with the others and the others had started talking to her.

''Quis...Quisty...HEY,QUISTIS!!'

'Hmmm...what...oh, sorry guys, I was a million miles away...

' I was at the orphanage...I was with him...we sat at the beach and watched the sunset, like we used to...listening to the waves lapping gently on the shore, the seabirds nesting for the night...I smiled at him, his sparkling green eyes lit up his face, and his smile lit up my heart... it was bliss...'

...what were you all talking about?'

' We were just talking about the arrangements for ...(Squall lowered his voice ever so slightly)...his return...'

She slapped her hand against her forehead and shook her head in disbelief

'Squall, I have a few things to say to that:

1- he has a name

2- if you don't want anyone to hear us, we should talk IN YOUR OFFICE"

"...oh yeah, forgot about that..."

"...shush,Seffy, n let her finish..."

"...sorry..."

'It's fine. Now, as I was saying ...(she lowered her tone, as if thinking out loud rather than talking)...I said 1 and 2,what were the others...hmmmm...

this went on for a moment and just as they decided it was safe to talk amongst themselves...

' AHAH!! I remember!!'

The sudden shout, made all but one of the six at the table jump, Zell and Irvine sitting down unnoticed, until they both screamed like girls when she raised her voice.

'Oh, hey guys. Like I was saying;

3-hes our childhood friend

4-I'm his instructor and so can't ignore him...

but, THE most important thing...you're gonna need to deal with the other students prejudiced ideas, so GET OVER IT!!'

It wasn't until she noticed her friends strange looks she realised she was standing and had gone inta total instructor mode.

'awww crap...'

'Quis, you ok?'

' wow, he must be concerned, Squall NEVER calls me anything except Quistis...'

'Yeah,yeah i'm fine. I need ta...I need ta go...I'll see you guys later...', she ran off as fast as she could manage. Her legs were fast, so she got to her dorm in record time. She fell in her door, closed it over ,then collapsed onto her sofa. She lay on her back staring at the ceiling and panting in some attempt to calm her over-running emotions. She was worried...her emotional 'attacks' of recent had worried her. This was the last straw. That does it, i'm gonna go see doctor Kadowaki later on

...

'What's up with her?'

...

'ATTENTION, ATTENTION EVERYONE. THIS IS HEADMASTER CID, WOULD INSTRUCTORS TILMITT, KINNEAS, SEEDS DINCHT AND HEARTILLY AND COMMANDER LEONHART PLEASE REPORT TO SUB-COMMANDER XU'S OFFICE. OH,AND WOULD INSTRUCTOR TREPE PLEASE REPORT TO MY OFFICE, I REPEAT WOULD INSTRUCTOR TREPE REPORT TO MY OFFICE PLEASE, THANK YOU'

'Guess that answers my question about the meeting. Oh well, here goes nothing'...

...

wow,that was long especially from me!! as I said at the start, please feel free to point out any errors I've made, and constructive criticism is always welcome.

Because of the length of the chapter and the addition of a few story threads, if anyone is confused comment and I shall clarify...or possibly include a 'previously on' in the next chapter...as this is my first fanfic, so i'm learning as I go :)

but honesty is appreciated, so ta

x