Welcome to chapter 4, which I should have written last night but I had to babysit, and trying to write with a five year old and a two year old crawling all over you is not easy. I hope you're enjoying this story, if you are…reviewing lets me know that, plus it makes me update faster because I usually won't post another chapter until I get a review. Sorry if the characters aren't perfectly in character, but I'm not trying too hard on that, and I know my paragraphs are getting smashed together…can't help that. I don't own FFXII or its characters…which makes me sad. Enjoy!

To See You Again

Chapter 4: The Flower Continued

"Breathe Goddamnit!" Basch yelled as he pounded on Balthier's chest a third time, "Come on, Balthier, BREATHE!"

Water spewed from the pirate's lips as his breath returned to him. He was cold, and soaking wet, and for a moment he wasn't sure where he was before it all came rushing back to him, "Vaan!" he shouted as he bolted upright, "Where is Vaan?"

"He's here," said Basch as he grabbed the pirate by the shoulders in an effort to calm him, "Don't worry he'll be fine."

"Is he hurt?"

Basch didn't answer.

"Basch I asked you a fucking question!"

He heard the captain sigh, "He'll be fine. Fran has healed him…he's just resting now."

"What happened?"

"You were attacked," he said cautiously, as if he didn't want the pirate to know the whole truth, "The fish the Viera warned us about…you two were attacked by them…Vaan more than yourself."

Balthier rubbed his sightless eyes, "This is all my fault. He shouldn't have even been down there."

"Balthier you can't do this alone," said Penelo, "Vaan will be fine. His injuries don't compare to some of the others he's had before. It's just a couple dozen bites.'"

"A couple DOZEN!" yelled the pirate as he bolted up and stumbled in the direction of the girl's voice, "Where is he?"

A soft hand grabbed his own, he was unsure if it belonged to Penelo or Ashe, and led him down the beach a few feet to where Vaan was sleeping on a blanket.

"Vaan?" Balthier asked as he reached out to stroke the boy's hair, "Vaan can you hear me?"

He felt the boy move under his touch, "I'm fine," he whispered, but Balthier could hear the pain in his voice. He moved his ringed hand down to the boy's cheek and immediately the boy winced in pain. He wasn't sure how he knew, but he was aware that the strange wetness on his fingers now was not water, but blood.

"I shouldn't have let you go down there," he said, cradling the boy's head in one hand, "I swear I'll never put you in danger again, Vaan."

"Don't be stupid Balthier," chuckled Vaan, "I don't think our current quest allows for such a luxury as not being in danger. Besides, don't think I'm gonna let you guys have all the fun."

Balthier smiled down at the boy, wished for the thousandth time that he could see the blue of his eyes, "You're sure you're ok?"

"I'm fine…here," he felt the boy press something into his hand.

He held the object for a moment, feeling it gently with both hands in order to assess what it was, after a moment, he smiled, "I'll be damned…you got the flower."

Vaan chuckled, "Of course I did. You don't think I'm gonna let you miss seeing our wedding day do you?"

Balthier laughed, "No, I suppose not."

He heard the small tinkling sound that accompanied the casting of magic, a sound he had never really been able to appreciate until he'd lost his sight. There were a lot of sounds like that, one's he'd never noticed before. Like how he could hear the smile in Vaan's voice when he was happy, the gentle sound of the wind shifting just before it began to rain, or the sharp twang of Fran's bow when she let an arrow fly from it. He hadn't realized how much he was beginning to be able to hear, he'd been so busy sulking about his lost sight that his more acute hearing had gone unnoticed, but he realized it now. He could hear Basch's breathing next to him, full of paternal concern, the swish of Ashe's skirt as she bent down to see to Vaan somewhere in front of him, and he could hear…danger.

With one quick fluid motion he grabbed Basch's sword from the older man's side and spun on his heels. The sword made contact with flesh, and he could tell by the weight that he had impaled whatever had been sneaking up behind them so silently.

"Hold shit," Basch muttered as he watched Balthier pull the sword from the wolf's body, "How did you know he was there?"

"I heard him."

Basch looked at him skeptically, "You…heard him? I didn't hear a thing."

"I think my ears are making up for my eyes."

"So it would seem," said Basch, and Balthier could hear the smile in his voice. He returned the smile with one of his own; perhaps he wasn't as useless without his sight as he'd thought.

They rested for three days, giving Vaan a chance to heal completely, and Balthier used the time to practice with his weapon. With Basch's help, he'd found that if he listened closely he could anticipate the moves of both his enemies and his comrades. Once he really started to listen he fought better than he had before losing his sight.

"That's just amazing," said Basch as he watched the pirate's pole make contact with another wolf that had ambushed him from the side during his practice, "He's better than he ever was now."

"Most Humes do not listen," said Fran gently, making Basch turn in her direction, "Balthier has no choice now. He must listen."

Basch nodded, somehow understanding what it was Fran was saying, "Do you think the items we are after will cure his eyes?"

The Viera shrugged, "I hope so, but if not Balthier will not let it slow him down. His spirit is too strong…and he is too stubborn."

They watched the pirate from a short distance away and they all knew that either way Balthier was going to be fine.

To Be Continued…

Hope you enjoyed, I know that one was a little short but the next one will be longer. Please review!