After we all left Cid's office, Squall and I walked the hallway aimlessly. "I can't believe someone would do that to another human being," I commented, shivering. "To reanimate a person's dead body... it's so... so... "

"Cruel," Squall finished for me. I nodded. I couldn't imagine how he felt about that. We walked in silence for a little while, and then my stomach made a funny noise.

"I forgot, I didn't get to eat yet," I moaned, holding my rumbling stomach. "Do you think the cafeteria is still open?"

"It may be," Squall mused, "but I doubt there's anything decent left. Let's go take a look anyway."

When we got there, hardly any students were left in the lineup. "Hold the place in line here, and I'll go see what's left in the vending machines," Squall said. "I can still keep an eye on you from over there," he added when I looked at him, concerned.

I watched Squall walk away, but not a moment before he had his back turned to me did Rinoa seemed to come out of nowhere, smiling and waving at me. I looked around frantically, but I then remembered that it could be dangerous if Rinoa managed to be alone with Squall, so I kept my gaze away from the vending machines.

"Hi Sierra," Rinoa greeted me, standing beside me in line. "Say, have you seen Squall?"

"H-hi Rinoa. No, I haven't seen him all day. How are you?" I really didn't know what else to say. "Sorry we left you behind in Esthar."

"Oh, it's okay. I know how pressing SeeD business can be, especially when Cid's in charge," Rinoa replied, waving her hand as if brushing my words away. "I feel better now. In fact," she said, her eyes narrowing on me and grinning in a way I knew wasn't meant to be friendly, "you could say I'm more alive now that I've ever been, since a HUGE BURDEN has been lifted from my shoulders."

My eyes widened in fear. "Wh-what did you just say?" I stammered.

"I said I feel better now," she replied innocently. She looked closer at me, concerned. "Are you okay, Sierra? You look really pale all of a sudden."

"Uh... actually, I'm feeling a little sick, so... so I should go lie down for a while," I replied rather loudly, moving toward the entrance on the far side of the cafeteria, away from where I knew Squall was standing. "I'll see you later okay?" I cried as I started to run off.

As I ran down the hall I knew that it was a bad idea to separate from Squall, but I also knew it would be worse should she get ahold of him alone. I figured that I had talked to her long enough for Squall to realize she was there, so that he could get out of sight and watch from afar. If he was smart enough to do that, he'd have heard what I'd said to her before I ran off, and seen which direction I had run in. That way, he'd know that I'd be waiting for him at my dorm room.

I continued in the direction of the dorms, and almost made it there, when a hand grabbed me on the shoulder. I was abruptly turned around, and who should I stand facing but Seifer. 'Oh no, oh no, oh no... ', the words repeating over and over in my head like a stuck record.

"Hello Sierra," he said, a smirk on his face. "Long time no see."

"What do you want, Seifer?" It was really more of a statement than a question.

"Just to see you is all," he replied, grabbing my upper arm and hustling me in the direction of the dorms. "Let me walk you to your room, since your bodyguard is nowhere to be found. Doing a terrible job, isn't he?"

I squirmed in his grip. "No! Seifer, let me go!" I cried. "Squall's going to be here any minute and-"

"Oh is he?" Seifer mocked, grinning. "Great, then I can lock your door in his damned face!"

I struggled and fought to get out of Seifer's grasp but his grip was so strong that he hardly seemed to notice. He stopped and held me in front of my dorm door. "Open it." It was a command, and I knew that if I didn't do what I was told he'd break down the door himself. Shaking, I took my room key out of my pocket and slowly unlocked it. I was hoping Squall would make it before the locked clicked, but there was not one person nearby, not even a sound of footsteps approaching. Seifer grabbed the key from the door and wrenched it open, throwing me inside. Before I could think to dash past him back out into the hallway, he'd let himself in and locked the door behind him. He dropped the key into his pocket, grinning maniacally at me in the semi-darkness.

"Looks like we're all alone now," he said, slowly approaching me. "There's no one here but you and me."

I darted away, so that the coffee table was between us. "What are you thinking?" I cried. "I told you Squall will be here any minute! He'll break in here if he has to and you know it!"

"Oh no he won't," Seifer said, shrugging off his grey coat and sliding his arms out of the sleeves. "I made sure that Squall was occupied before I came after you. There's no one coming, Sierra. And no one will realize that I'm here until it's too late." He tossed his coat into a nearby chair.

"Wh-what... ?" I whimpered. I didn't want to sound as helpless as I did, but I definately felt it. Seifer was obviously much stronger than I was, and the door wouldn't unlock without the key, which he had. I was completely at his mercy - and he didn't seem to be in a very merciful mood.

"You see, Sierra," Seifer began, still coming slowly towards me, "you've been nothing but a little cock tease since Squall began convincing you to stay away from me." I was backed up against a wall now, and I couldn't get past him. "I don't like cock teases, Sierra. I REALLY don't like cock teases. So I thought I'd show you how much I don't like them, so that you wouldn't be one from now on."

Before I could do anything else, he grabbed me and wrestled me onto the couch. "No!" I screamed. "Seifer, get off me!" I wriggled against him, trying to get free.

"Mmm I love girls who fight back," he breathed, pressing himself against my thigh. "It gets me so hot." Now I was pinned between him and the couch. He took hold of my wrists so I couldn't do anything like hit or scratch him.

"Stop it!" I cried, but he only pressed harder against my thigh.

"Now Sierra," he replied calmly, looking me in the eyes, "I'm much stronger than you are. If breaking your arm is what it takes to make you be a little more quiet I can, and WILL do it."

My lip started to quiver, and I could feel tears starting to well up and run down my face.

"Yes, that's right," Seifer crooned, smiling that wicked smile, "show that you're sorry for being a slutty little cock tease. But you know, I can't accept your apology just yet." He held both of my wrists with one hand as his other starting unzipping my pants, and slipped down my rear to slide them down my legs. I whimpered.

"Does that feel good?" he chuckled, still smirking at me. "Let's see how I'm affecting you, shall we?" His hand started sliding around my hips to my front.

"Please don't," I whispered, tears still running down my cheeks.

"Why not?" he replied. "Don't want me to know how much this is turning you on?"

Just then there was a pounding on my door. "Sierra!" Squall's voice cried. "Sierra, open the door! I know you're there, let me in!"

"Shit," Seifer muttered, climbing to his feet and gathering his coat. I quickly scrambled to pull my pants back on and fastened them again. Seifer, meanwhile, had made his way into my bedroom and had lifted the window open.

"This isn't the last you'll see of me. Sorceress." Seifer reached into his pocket and threw the key at me, then disappeared out the window. I hastily snatched the key from the floor and fumbled with the lock. Before Squall could barge in, I rushed into his arms just outside the door.

"S-Squall!" I cried, sobbing.

"Sierra! What- what's the matter?" Squall's arms folded around my shoulders, holding me. My face was buried in his shirt so I couldn't see his expression, but he sounded confused.

I looked up at him. "Seifer was here! He made me open the door... took the key... called me a cock tease... and... and... oh, SQUALL!" I started crying into his shirt again.

"Where is he?" Squall pried me from his shirt. His voice was low, but thick with rage as he stalked into my room and searched in every corner, every possible hiding place. "Where is that bastard! I'll kill 'im!"

"H-he jumped out th-the window," I hiccoughed. "He th-threw the key back... I d-don't know wh-hy he did that-t... "

Squall came back over to me and led me to the couch to sit down, and held me close. "The keys have tracking devices set into them. The son of a bitch probably knew he'd be found if he kept it on him." He gently rubbed my shoulder as I kept sobbing. He didn't say anything for a while, just let me cry and held me close. After quite some time, I fell asleep with my head in his lap.

When I awoke next, my head wasn't lying in Squall's lap. Squall wasn't sitting on the couch at all - I was alone in my dorm living room. I sat up slowly, and a blanket of mine fell from my shoulders. I smiled a little as I pushed it aside, bunching it up. I was heading to my room to crawl into bed, because it must have been near midnight, when I spied Squall sprawled out there fast asleep. He had taken his jacket and hung it on the back of the chair next to the bed, but besides that was still fully clothed. I made to leave because I didn't want to wake him, but he looked up and smiled at me.

"I hope you don't mind that I passed out here. I didn't want to leave you alone after what happened," he explained with a yawn, propping himself up on one elbow. "If he came back, he'd be coming through here."

"Thanks for sticking around," I said, coming closer and sitting on the edge of the bed. "I was so scared... he threatened to break my arm if I wasn't quiet... " I bit my lower lip.

"Hey," Squall said gently, putting a hand on my arm. "It's okay. Though you really shouldn't have run off without me earlier."

"It was my plan," I replied, straightening up. "I knew you'd probably seen Rinoa, and I said loudly that I was going to go lie down because I wasn't feeling well. I thought for sure you'd know to meet me at my dorm."

"Well Rinoa knew I was standing there," Squall replied. "When you left she pounced me and nearly knocked me to the floor. I was tangled up with her for a while before I could get here."

"But... Seifer had said he'd made sure you were occupied before he came after me," I said, puzzled. "You don't suppose that-"

"He and Rinoa are working together?" Squall finished my thought for me. "It's quite possible. Whether Seifer likes to admit it or not, he's definately attracted to power. He and I were on the same team for my SeeD exam. Because he was bullheaded and wanted to take charge, I passed. He didn't. Then he was Ultimecia's knight, and you know what a situation that turned out to be." I nodded vigorously.

"What time is it?" I asked, looking around my room for my clock. I squinted in the dark. "Sheesh, it's after 1am. We should get back to sleep."

Squall lifted up one arm. "C'mere," he said. I shuffled nearer on the bed. He grabbed me and made me lie down with him, holding me close to him again. I could just feel my cheeks flush.

"You don't have to be afraid," he whispered. "I'm here to protect you. Not because you're a sorceress, and not because it's my job - because you're you. I don't want to see you hurt in any way."

"Thank you, Squall." I was sleepy, and starting to nod off again. "You... will you be here when I wake up again?"

"Count on it." He sounded like he was dropping off too.

"Good," I replied. I yawned and closed my eyes. "Good."