Disclaimer: I don't own this stuff

A/N: just wanted to say thnks to the people that reviewed XX

Fran eventually came to in the medical area of the Strahl; she had to admit it was a lot easier to lye on her back now that Balthier had snapped the back part of her armour. She would not admit this to him though.

Blasted mist had knocked her out cold, she had no idea how long she had been unconscious but she felt groggy and as if she was in slight shock, she had woken with a start and it had left her feeling confused and slightly shaken.

It was strangely chilly so she took a blanket and wrapped it round her shoulders she sat back down on the bed again and tried to get her head together; she rubbed her temples and got to her feet. Eventually, after downing a potion, she made her way to the cockpit.

Balthier was fussing around and poking at the controls.

He heard her enter and rushed to the door. He put his hands on the sides of her arms and tried to block her path.

"Nothing to worry about here, no you just go and rest."

She ducked under his arm and glanced around. It seemed that they were stationary, parked on the ground in the middle of a snow storm.

"Where are we? What happened?"

"Honestly don't worry; I think we're in the Paramina rift, somewhere. And um oh only one of the Glossiar rings has given out, so really everything is just hunky dory."

Fran rolled her eyes. "How did you get so off course?" she asked as she leant across the controls to look at the navigation equipment.

"It seems that Nono isn't as adept at navigating as you are and we got a little off course, and then this storm hit. So it's really not my fault at all, its natures."

"Looking at the charts it seems we aren't far from a village, we'll go there with much haste and get some replacement fluid for the glossiar ring."

"Okay, Nono you stay with the ship, we will come back for you." Promised Balthier, he accepted Fran's plan without a second of hesitation. He raided the closet for their winter clothes.

Nono looked up sceptically, that's what they had said last time and he ended up spending the year with Vaan and Penelo.

Balthier straightened up and dumped the collection of clothes into one of the passenger seats. He put Fran's long black coat on her and she did up the buttons. She sat down in one of the empty seats and changed her shoes to a pair of long black boots with heels as high as her normal pairs.

"Best take these as well." He said as he hacked the tips of a pair of gloves of with his katana.

She pulled them on over her hands and realized that he had cut the tips off so her nails could poke out the top without breaking; she couldn't help but think that that was extremely considerate.

"Are you sure it's a good idea to go out into the snowstorm?" asked Nono.

Fran shrugged, "We are not far from the village, if we keep on track we should be okay."

Balthier nodded, his faith forever in his partner, and buttoned up his jacket. It was a double breasted number with tails, very posh and blatantly Arcadian in design, Fran noted that it made him look like an old fashioned buccaneer. It did him justice to dress a little more pirate like she thought.

"Come then." He beckoned.

Fran chucked her blanket over Nono and told him to keep warm.

"He'll be fine, he's got fur. We haven't." Pointed out Balthier as he lifted Fran, by her hips, down from the exit of the Strahl into the snow. "Remember where we parked okay."

Fran looked around for any distinguishing landmarks. The sky was white, the ground was white it was hopeless.

She ran after Balthier as he disappeared into the white abyss. They walked onwards in what they hoped was one direction but they could be certain.

Fran could usually keep her cool in any situation but her heart was betraying her by Thudding hard within her chest. Hour after hour passed and the storm got considerably worst than it had been to begin with. The wind whipped against her ears, the air was so thin she couldn't pick up any scents at all and the snow fell thickly on her long dark eyelashes obscuring her vision.

Fran gave in and reached out for Balthier through the thick falling snow.

She slid her arms under his and wrapped her arms around his chest, grasping tightly at the fabric of his jacket. She hid her face between his shoulder blades.

"This was a mistake; this is how we die isn't it?" She said near sobbing, ever thankful that no one else was here to witness her weakness.

He loosened her grip and turned to her. He put his hand on the side of her face. She slumped down on to her knees and clasped his belts.

"No, this is nothing. You are strong Fran think of all we've been through before now."

She shook her head and clung to him ever tighter.

"Don't give up on me now." He picked her back up on to her feet and put his arms around her middle.

"Look at how you survived the Pharos lighthouse, and the Bahamut." He soothed as he fought back the shivers that threatened to erupt over him.

"I would surely have died if you hadn't have been there with me." She admitted.

"Fran, listen to me I'm here okay, I'll always be here." He pulled her head against his chest so she could hear his heart beat. His voice was warm in stark comparison of the cold wind.

He felt her nails claw at the back of his coat.

"It's just this storm; it confuses your perceptive senses. Don't be afraid just concentrate on listening to my voice and nothing else."

He was right; it was just an extra strain on her as her senses are so greatly heightened than those of a Hume, she felt a fool for panicking in such a way even though she knew she could not help it.

Just as she had started to calm herself another rush of fear came over her.

"Balthier?" he wasn't talking anymore and she found that she was holding him up.

How selfish she had been, her own fear had clouded her judgement. Hume's were not equipped for such cold.

For a moment she stood completely still holding his body as tight as she could, she was utterly devastated by the emptiness that came with the loss of his consciousness. Never before had she felt like this. Pain and loss were second nature to her but this was different. It felt as though her heart might not ever beat again and if he did not wake she would not want it to.

"No, there is much we have left to share Balthier. I will not allow this." She was going to save him, she had to save him; nothing else mattered but getting Balthier somewhere safe.

Closing her dark eyes she concentrated hard, which way? Her mind cleared and she was sure that if she just went a little further she would find the village.

She lifted his arm over her shoulder and dragged his unconscious body with her.

After 15 minutes she noticed a stone footpath that was half covered by snow. Anyone else might have missed it but Fran's eyes were sharp.

Shifting his weight up slightly she rushed onwards, greeted by dull lights and an inn. She could smell food cooking and could hear people talking jovially with one another.

Sighing with relief she tried to rebuild her composure and pushed open the door. She stumbled over the door step and landed underneath Balthier on the welcome mat.

"Oh you poor thing!" exclaimed the female Seeq who was standing behind the reception desk, she ran out and helped Fran to her feet.

Fran leant down and picked up Balthier.

"Oh dear, what's wrong with him?" asked a near by Bangaa who had come to see what the commotion was.

"My partner has passed out; do you have any vacant rooms?"

"Yes of course, come I'll show you. Help this poor girl will you" the Seeq shouted to the Bangaa. He took Balthier's other arm and helped Fran carry him.

They put him down on the sofa in the hotel room.

Fran stepped back and requested that the other two fetched the doctor. They nodded and left.

Fran stood staring at her partner for a moment or too. Only when she was completely sure they were alone did she fall down on to her knees beside him. Clutching his hand tightly in hers, she rested her head on his chest.

"Don't die." She murmured. "'Tis my fault, I should have been patient instead of insisting we leave the Strahl. You trusted my judgement so and I let you down."

Her ears detected the other people returning; she stood up and wiped the tears off of her face. It would be shameful for a Veira to be seen in such a state.

"Hello." Said the newcomer that Fran presumed was the doctor.

She gave a nod.

"What happened to…"

"Balthier, that's his name."

"What happened to Balthier then?"

"We were lost in the storm and then he fell unconscious."

The doctor checked him over. She took of her stethoscope and turned back to Fran.

"He should be fine, just stay inside and keep and eye on him okay."

Fran nodded and bid the doctor farewell.

She sat down next to him and felt stabs of guilt. All this time he had trusted her blindly, he always followed her advice and directions. She remembered the day he had snapped at Vaan because he did not have the same faith in her. How could she have been so blind to his devotion?

She wandered round the room as she removed her gloves and coat; whispering promises that she would do whatever it would take to make sure he would be happy.

She took the covers of the bed and carried them over to where Balthier was still unconscious. She took off his coat, armour, shoes, belts, anything that might make him uncomfortable and then put the covers on top of him.

She paced the room for again as she removed her armour, she left it all scattered around the room and went to sit back down on the edge of the sofa so she could be close with Balthier. The Veira laid beside him placed her hand across his forehead.

"Once you said I was special? To you I am aren't I?" She asked fully aware that he would not answer but finding that she knew the answers anyway.

"You have proven yourself to me time and time again. I beg your forgiveness for not noting it sooner." Fran spoke, she leant forward and watched him breath softly. She kissed him hard on the mouth and grasped the back of his neck.

She stared straight into his grey eyes as they opened, not breaking her lips away from his. She closed her eyes and kissed him deeper still.

He freed his hand from under the covers and placed it on her back, feeling her soft and toned bare skin under his hand. She felt shivers run up her spine as he slowly and teasingly traced "I love you" onto the small of her back with the tip of his finger.

She pressed her finger down onto the soft fabric of his shirt and mimicked his confession atop of his rapidly pounding heart, still kissing him with furious and hungry affection.

A/N: reviews please