Chapter 7

the sun rose over the city, a silent reminder that they had survived the night before. Two people stood alone as close as they could get to the remains of the building where their lives had been irrevocably changed. The young woman stared at the wreckage with tears streaming down her face unable to believe that it had ended like this. The blonde man beside her just stared blankly hands clenched in fists. Neither moved when a third person joined them.

"Y'all all right?"

"No how could this happen?" Zell demanded rounding on the man still in the clothes from the night before but now they were blood caked and smelled of smoke.

"no clue, this has never happened before, we must have gotten a lot of them last night."

"And what about my brother!"

"And Nami and Riku?" Kairi interjected.

"From what you said yourselves they were with them and seemed happy to side with them."

"So now what are we supposed to do? I can't go back to Ma and tell her Hyne got turned into a vampire and then burned up in their lair."

"Some of them got away, they always seem to Fujin found an escape tunnel under the kitchen it leads to an old church on the other side of town but it's empty. There are signs that someone has been in there recently though she says."

"could they have gotten out in all of that fire and fighting?"

"Some of them no doubt did and moist likely the younger ones seem to be the ones they send away in these kind of situations." He looked over at the building where their group had holed up after the fight had ended in a riot of fire and sirens.

The fire department had arrived after Zell had shot Rinoa and they had to drag Seifer and Squall out of the way before anyone saw them. Now the others were still sleeping except for himself and Fujin and these two.

"Why don't you come with us?"

"What?" blue and purple eyes were filled with confusions.

"We need more people and you need to find out what happened to your siblings and Riku."

"I'll help I have to find out about Hyne."

"Me too I have to find Namine."

"Right come on we're planing to go back to the hotel and pack up we need to stop by Jeckt's as well."

They split up, Seifer, Fujin and Raijin taking Squall to Jeckt's while Irvine, Zell, and Kairi went to the hotel. It wasn't hard to get everyone's things as they had little in the first place. Kairi wanted to go home but Irvine wouldn't let her.

"Would your parents let you go and find your sister or would they make you stay here Darlin'"

"they would make me stay here they've already lost Nami." she sighed.

"You should fit some of the girls' things of not I'm sure they'll take you shopping later."

"Okay."

At Jeckt's the house was being torn apart and a few things were landing in suitcases. Tidus came out to greet them.

"Hey Kairi we're going with the hunters."

"Me too."

"Great hopefully I'll get to see more of Yuna."

"I'm sure you will Tidus." She smiled.

"Especially since she is a hunter you know." Irvine told the boy as he helped carry a heavy box out to the waiting truck.

"oh yeah." he blushed.

They finished moving everything to the truck and went to pick up the others. Jeckt looked at his home and sighed before climbing in his truck he never thought he'd ever be going back to the hunters' camp after his wife and elder son had died nearly ten years before.

The hunters' camp was really a compound over five square miles in size. It was made up of about three buildings and one underground bunker that was connected to all the buildings. It was safe only because their enemies had no idea where it was at the moment since it moved every few years. Luckily they burned their dead so there was no graveyard either. A brunette woman who smiled at them met them at the doors to the compound.

"Irvine Kineas we were worried about you all. Where is my Daughter?"

"She's in the back of the truck Shierra." Paine told her as she jumped out and helped Rikku and Yuna out all three were pale and slightly shaken but looked no worse for wear.

"Hi mom." Rikku smiled as she leaned on Paine's shoulder. "I'm fine."

"Sure you are dear everyone inside now and tell me everything."

"Yes mam."

"Hello Shierra." Jeckt greeted. getting out of his own truck with Tidus."

"Jeckt!" she hugged him. "and this is Tidus? you've grown so much."

"thank you.' he answered. He wasn't sure how this woman knew him but she might have known him as a baby.

"We've brought a couple of new recruits." he gestured to Zell and Kairi who were hanging back s the others surrounded Shierra

"I noticed come along and meet the captain." She turned to lead them inside the main building.

"I'll take care of the truck and get Squall somewhere to sleep." Seifer told them taking the keys and driving towards the garage.

the main part of the compound was a room full of monitors and various tracking devices,. Four men were in this room at the moment. Two were in their early twenties one with blonde hair and dressed only in a pair of pants, the other had lighter blonde hair and wore a white shirt and black pants. The third looked like a little kid with blond hair in a yellow hoodie and pants. The fourth person who was sitting at a huge terminal He was also blond but it was cut almost to the scalp. He wore a pair of pilot's goggles on his head and a blue jumpsuit. He was chewing on the end of a cigarette as he looked over whatever it was he had on his screen.

The first one to notice them was the shirtless guy who automatically stopped what he was doing to come over.

"Rikku What happened to you?" he asked loudly enough for the people in the town they had just left to hear him.

"I got in a fight with a vampire Brother it happens when you hunt them." She told him no longer leaning on Pain and Yuna but still pale.

"The rest of us are fine too Brother." Yuna said smiling at her cousin

"that's great Yuna."

"So who's he?" Tidus asked his father.

"That's Rikku's big brother, his name is Kain but everyone called him Brother because he acts a lot like his father."

"Oh.'" he exchanged a glance with Kairi who shrugged and shook her head.

"What the hell is going on over there?" the captain yelled looking over at the group.

"Dear Squall's and Seifer's groups have returned along with the girls." Shierra told her husband simply.

"About time get the hell over here."

The group walked over to him and he looked up at them.

"Where are Squall and Seifer?"

"Parking the truck." Raijin said simply.

"Fine, Jeckt you're back with us?"

"Yeah I brought Tidus along too the kid should learned the family trade."

"and these two?"

"I'm Zell this is Kairi we want to join you."

"Why?"

"They lost family to the vamps uncle it was horrible." Yuna told him.

"Fine go to medical and get checked out, Shierra find places to put these new guys."

"Yes Dear." she smiled and led them off.

"hopefully Squall's in medical already."

" Seifer knows to go there everytime we get back."

"Yeah."

the medical part of the compound was like a small hospital all on it's own. A woman with long orange hair ran it. She smiled as they walked in.

"Irvine about time you got back all three of your groups have been missed."

"Sorry Shalua, we didn't find any trace of her either."

"I know." she said softly then turned on them all business. "Well all of you need to be checked out. Squall's in a recovery room right now and Seifer's supposed to be at the mess hall tucking into some real food."

"Right Darlin."

they were separated and taken to rooms to be looked over, it was like a normal check up with blood taken and any wound no matter how small looked at. Blood pressure and heartbeat were also monitored. The girl who was looking Kairi was dark blonde with bright blue eyes, she was sweet and quiet as she worked.

"Miss?"

"Kairi please."

"Okay Kairi there's something odd in your blood I'm going to take the sample and get it checked I'll be right back."

"Okay."

A short time later the girl returned looking slightly confused.

"Is something wrong?"

'Kairi I have some news but I'm not sure how to say it."

"what?"

"you might be pregnant"

"Pregnant?"

"Yes your hormone levels are right for about two weeks along."

"Two weeks." Her mind flashed back to the last time at the club and the two of them had been.. "Oh no."

"Are you all right?"

"I think so I'll be fine I just need to rest."

"Of course."