"Zone! Slow down! Where are you going?" Rinoa was panting as she ran after a surprisingly swift Zone. "That's the training center! Stop! You don't even know where you're going, do you?" He stopped just as he was going to open the door that would probably lead to his death or piece-by-bloody-piece dismemberment.

"I know exactly where I'm going. I just don't remember how to get there."

"Well, you still need my keycard to get in, silly. But I'm not letting you in until you tell me what that was all about! Are those some of the guys after you?" Rinoa stamped her foot, putting emphasis on every other syllable, hoping to make an impression. It instead made her look like a circus horse with the ability to count single numerals.

Zone nervously ran his fingers through his hair. "That van probably belongs to one of Fat Moe's goons. If they followed us today, then that's because they know I'm here. It's not quite five o' clock yet. I can be gone before the sun sets. Please Rin. I have to get out of here before someone gets hurt."

"Well, well. This is interesting. And to think that I believed you when you told me he was here to assist me. So what is it? Did you film the wife of some politician? His daughter, perhaps? Do you owe money? Oh, how deliciously droll. That's it, isn't it?"

Zone and Rinoa immediately stopped speaking when they heard the clipped footsteps behind them. If Quistis had seemed a little upset earlier in the day, she was now positively dripping venom. "Why didn't you inform me that his primary motivation was concealment from an outside threat? Garden code 298, paragraph 14, lines 22-24, clearly states, 'If at any time members of a populace (said populace must be contained within one of the fourteen shared Garden territories illustrated in table 23) are under imminent and/or unavoidable threat of attack, invasion, or assault; the Gardens may serve as a temporary base and/or fortress, until such threat is eliminated or neutralized.' Timber is in territory twelve, so Zone could have gone to either Galbadia or Balamb Gardens for protection." She narrowed her eyes to dangerous blue slits. "Protection, indeed. Do you really think this Moe stands a chance against one of the most highly trained and respected fighting forces in the world?" Rinoa tried to interrupt, but Quistis silenced her with a single raised finger. "Do me a favor, Rin. Next time your buddy is here to hide from some thugs, don't try telling me he's here to help save my job. Don't insult me like this."

Rounding on Zone, she tried to continue her tirade, but she was too exhausted and hurt to fully release her rage. Tears were starting to cloud her vision, but she'd be damned if she would allow any to fall. "And you! You, you…you just…pretend… stand there and listen…and then you…you…damn it all! Never mind!" Zone opened his mouth to speak, but with one final disappointed glance, she turned from him and walked away.

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"What the hell happened here?"

Zell met a dazed Irvine dragging a mop and bucket to the quad. The smoke had dissipated, but there were still intermingled trails of scorched marble and Cheery Cherry slushee residue lining the halls. "What have you been doing? Where's Selphie?"

"Well…She ordered that espresso earlier and I thought I was man enough to handle her, but I need a saddle and a rodeo clown to help me out when she gets going like that." He looked at Zell with a mischievous smirk. "But I didn't mind at all. I've never had that much fun in my life. She's in bed right now, sleeping it off."

Zell's head swiveled from ceiling to floor, surveying the peculiar blasting pattern that remained after Selphie tried to use a coat hanger and live ammunition to retrieve a candy bar from a stubborn vending machine. He reminded himself to ensure that Selphie had easy, immediate access to chocolate the next time they got together to play video games. He managed a long, low whistle at the smoldering devastation. "Did she actually get the candy, or did it melt in the inferno? She is kind of determined once she wants something, isn't she?" Irvine chuckled. "You have no idea, partner. I think next time; we'll go camping and make some coffee outdoors. Then she can destroy whatever the hell she wants. And it won't cost Xu a single gil. Besides, I've got some great ideas for a new series of movies. And Selphie is all for it! She wants to star in a few. Just gotta think of the perfect title…"

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"No. Don't be stupid. You are not going anywhere tonight. We'll talk to Squall when he gets in from work and figure out how to take care of these guys." Rinoa pushed Zone back into her room and slammed the door. "Now, just sit down, and we'll think of something."

"Come on, Rin. I'm not even worried about those assholes anymore. I just can't stay here any longer." Zone threw his bag on the floor and started pacing. His mind was filled with depressing images of blazing blue eyes and pooling tears. "Did you even see that look she gave me? She fucking hates me. I have to get out of here."

"Who? Quistis?" Rinoa blinked hard, trying to avoid getting emotional and weepy. She knew Zone would really lose it if she started crying. "I'm sorry Zone. That was my fault. I should have told her why you were here from the very beginning." Her eyes followed him as he walked back and forth, over and over again. He seemed determined to wear a hole in Rinoa's favorite braided rug. "And stop pacing. It's driving me batty." Grabbing his wrist, she pulled Zone down to the couch with her. "And she doesn't hate you. I'd almost swear that she likes you. That may be why she is pitching such a fit. I think we hurt her feelings."

Zone covered his face and groaned. "You really are funny, Rin. Seriously, I'm going to go see all of your shows when you go on your comedy tour. Funny stuff. Ha ha. Ow! What was that for?" Zone rubbed the back of his head where Rinoa's hand had slapped him.

"That's for being a smart-ass. And this one," She slapped him again, much harder this time. "Is for thinking that she couldn't be fond of you. And this one…Hey! No dodging! I'm just trying to knock some sense into you!" She laughed as he hit the floor, covering his head like they had been taught to do in air raid drills. He cautiously raised his head from the rug, indigo eyes searching for the next attack. "Get up, silly. I'm not going to hit you again."

He warily sat on the edge of the couch, watching carefully as Rinoa turned to look him squarely in the face. "Now, listen to me, Zone. You're the good-looking, talented, nice guy that made the fearsome Quistis Trepe laugh. I think you should go talk to her. Whatever you were doing earlier obviously worked. She hasn't been that happy in a long time." Rinoa giggled loudly as Zone blushed. "Oh, don't get me wrong. She's furious right now, but you pulled her out of that wicked mood once, surely you can do it again. It would appear that you are able to do something for her that no one else can do. It's either that, or you have magical powers."

"Are you talking about the same Instructor Trepe I know?" An exhausted Squall entered the living room, bringing a curious burnt cherry odor in with him. "Wow, Zone. That really is quite an accomplishment."

"See. I told you so!" Standing to give Squall a kiss, Rinoa instead wrinkled her nose at the smell of slushee syrup and burnt fichus tree that lingered in his hair. "Whoo. That smells really familiar. Selphie and Kablooey again?"

"Who else? Long story. I'll tell you later. I don't want to relive it right now." Squall closed his eyes at the memory of helping Irvine carry Selphie back to her room. They had been forced to place her in a burlap sack to restrain her rapidly moving limbs. He still ended up with a black eye and a few sore ribs, while Irvine had to see Dr. Kadowaki for some facial x-rays. "And what are you talking about? What happened to Quistis?"

Rinoa related the day's events (skipping the part about Selphie purchasing the espresso in her presence) leading up to the argument in the hallway. "And now I think that Zone can work his voodoo again and cheer her back up. You should have seen her today. It was like having the old Quisty back."

"Hmm… Hey, Rinoa. Let's go out and get some dinner. I want to get out of Garden for a couple of hours. You get ready while I grab a shower." Rinoa squealed as she ran into the bedroom to get dressed. She loved going on dates with her handsome boyfriend.

"Zone, I'd invite you to dinner, but I think you need to go talk to Quistis. Trust me, she never stays mad for long. She's a very forgiving girl." Squall thought for a second, vaguely remembering a long ago conversation. "Now that I think about it, all the responsibilities and pressure have been pretty hard on her. I guess it comes from being so smart and so damned ambitious. She's never really had a sounding board for what was bothering her. I don't know, just try listening to her. That may be all that she needs." After pushing a protesting Zone out of the door, Squall removed his uniform and threw it in the trash. That smell would never come out of the fabric. Now he just hoped to be able to get the sticky cherry syrup out of his hair.