Chapter Fourteen : Final Distance

"Judith, I heard that Flynn's due to arrive at the port tomorrow." Tristan's statement caused Judith to halt sewing a patch onto a pair of pants. Two days had passed since the debacle of a ceremony, and the entire world was still feeling the effects of what Estelle had pulled in the capital. Judith turned to Tristan, smiling faintly. "I just thought it'd be nice if you went to welcome him home."

"I'm afraid," Judith admitted. Returning to the task at hand, she gave a sad smile. "I did an awful thing to him the last time he was here. He has every right to be angry with me."

Tristan took a seat next to her, handing Judith another spool of thread as he noticed she was about to run out. "Hey, you're both still human. Once he gets back, if you make the first move, maybe you can start all over."

"I know that," Judith took the spool and began preparing the thread and the needle. "I know that in my head. Yet my heart is still afraid; that fear paralyzes me, because each and every passing day the doubt that he'd forgive me overpowers me."

"Yeah, rejection is hard." Tristan set his chin down on the table, staring at Judith's hand movements as she gingerly patched up the pants. "Isn't the uncertainty that if you did nothing being worse than trying something even harder, though?"

Judith put the pants down as she looked at Tristan's earnest eyes. "I don't think I quite understand what you're getting at."

Leaning back into the chair, Tristan sighed. "He won't be able to forgive you unless you make the step to give him the opportunity to forgive you. I have no idea how to make it any simpler than that."

"I think Christina's attitude is rubbing off on you a little too much," Judith resumed her work on sewing.

"You're deflecting again," Tristan stated.

"This is why I could never become a parent," Judith sighed – she hoped that would make it clear enough that she had no intention on continuing the conversation.

"I did it!"

Both Judith and Tristan turned their heads to the stairwell, where the steps of the young Krityan woman were racing down the steps, nearly falling down until she leapt from the midway point to the dining room floor. Holding the metal ball excitedly in her hands, her teeth beamed brightly as if lighting up the entire room. "I finally did it, Senior! I can see what's inside of the sphere!"

"Congratulations," Judith smiled as she set aside the project she was working on. Walking up to the younger woman, she gave her a tight hug. "The strength of our bonds with others is our gift as part of the Kritya race – being able to see past the surface and understand what's inside of someone or something else is the beginning of being able to master our gift."

"The bond with others," Tristan repeated as he took in this information. Walking up behind Judith, he smiled. "Flynn said something similar: 'our sorrow is proof that we share our sadness.' If that's the case, then our joy is proof that we share our happiness."

"You're lucky you're adorable," Judith patted Tristan's head as she chuckled. "Otherwise you just come off as preachy." Turning back to Christina, Judith released the young Krityan from her embrace. "Are you going to head off to Yuzorea then?"

Christina's eyes widened – she was so busy trying to see the image inside of the sphere, she hadn't given any thought to the implications after she mastered this one technique. Taking a step back, she lowered her head. "I don't," she began, "I haven't thought about it." Setting the ball on the floor, Christina took a seat on the stairs.

"Just stay here," Tristan folded his fingers together behind his head, as if it were the easiest thing to say in the world. "I mean, we're your family now, right?"

Judith picked up the sphere, and stared at it. "Family, you say?" Closing her eyes, she already knew what to expect. She knew what the image was since the first day she met Christina, but focusing, she saw it once more.

It was crude, but it was a stick-figure drawing of two adults and two children.

Opening her eyes, she smiled at Christina. "He's right," she continued. "This is our home now."

Christina looked at Tristan, then at Judith. After a moment, her smile returned; "Right."

-.-.-

The fresh air of Aurnion certainly was different from the air at Zaphias; taking in the crisp autumn air into his lungs, it felt liberating to be away from the chaos that was engulfing the imperial capital. There was a definite pang of guilt, but Prince Ioder was fairly insistent that Flynn return to Aurnion; in case the worst happened to Ioder, there needed to be someone else far away. Someplace that was safe from those who would fight for the interests of imperial rule.

The world was upside-down thanks to the stunt that Lady Estellise pulled, but Flynn didn't find himself minding; sometimes, chaos was needed to appreciate order.

That, and the sight of a certain couple high-tailing it out of the capital amidst the commotion elicited the brightest smile Flynn could muster.

Entering the gates, he politely bowed to each passerby and the guards who caught sight of him – he had a striking appearance, and he heard a few murmurs as well; of course, he paid them no need. The engagement was broken, obviously, but he didn't find himself minding. Puzzled looks met his cheerful demeanor as he strode into the town square, with the empty and broken blastia standing tall. Turning his head, he noticed Repede and the children outside of the door to the orphanage.

"Welcome back," Presea greeted.

"Yeah, welcome home!" Kyle beamed.

"I hope you brought us some expensive souvenirs!" Anise chuckled.

"It's good to be back," Flynn sheepishly chuckled, scratching the back of his neck as he approached the orphanage.

"Not quite yet," Tristan stopped him, holding up his palm.

"You should go home, first!" Christina grinned, pointing to Flynn's house on the other end of the plaza.

"Is she still mad at me?" Flynn sighed – that must be why the children weren't allowing him inside. "It's good to see you on your feet," he nodded to Christina.

"Maybe," Tristan turned to Christina with a faux confused look. "If anything, it would be because he didn't write in advance."

"Totally," Christina shrugged as she played along. "Besides, you reek of ocean and sweat. You should totally go home first and wash up before going inside of here!"

"If I didn't know any better, I'd assume you were trying something," Flynn raised an eyebrow. Turning as his cape followed his movements in midair, Flynn's gait toward his house was one that was earnest; he wished to speak with Judith as soon as possible.

"This seemed really unnecessary," Kyle whispered, leaning against the building.

"Sometimes it's nice to put a little effort into this sort of thing," Presea commented.

"They're going to do something that couples do," Anise shrugged, opening the room before letting herself in. "We can take care of ourselves for just a bit."

"We can handle it, right?" Christina grinned at Tristan.

"I certainly hope so, Chrissy!" Tristan couldn't help but laugh as he also went in. "Let's go and get dinner ready, everyone."

The clanging between Flynn's armored fingers and the doorknob seemed to resonate through his entire being as he took a deep breath and opened the door, surprised at the sight before him.

Even in the dimly lit room, she was positively radiant.

For what light was available, it shimmered across the white and soft blue hues of the dress; the shine clung to the curves of her crossed legs, her feet adorned with pearl-white heels as the shoes themselves had absolutely no imperfections – yet they paled in contrast to the visible slit of leg, her skin's flawless nature making the carefully calculated sheen of the dress' abrupt gradient designed to accent her breasts seem stained in comparison. His eyes traveling up, the dress had a very obvious plunging slit for a neck line, leaving a gratuitous diamond-shaped opening about her navel as the straps narrowed as they reached her shoulders, tightly hugging her neck as it rivaled the platinum-plated choker adorning her delicate neck with a striking blood-red gemstone set into it. Starting at her biceps, pure white dress gloves covered her arms to her nails as they helped to support her weight against the cushion of the bed.

Her lips pursed, her piercing ruby eyes looked at him as they finally locked into eye-contact, the sparkle reflected in her eyes stronger than that of her dangling silver earrings; her hair was tied up, though her antennae were flowing down behind her arms.

"It turns out that I did have an occasion to wear this outfit you gave me," she finally broke the silence. Standing up, she took a step toward Flynn before hesitating, clenching one of her fists against her near-bare chest as she forced the best smile she could manage. "I was beginning to wonder if you'd ever show up, honestly."

Shutting the door behind him, Flynn gave a bit of an awkward smile – he knew that something was up, but nothing like this. Giving a bit of a nervous chuckle, he took a step forward, closing in the distance between them ever so slightly. Averting his gaze as if he'd be blinded by staring at her for too long, he scanned the room once more before settling his eyes on Judith's figure once more.

"I hope I wasn't keeping you waiting for too long," Flynn finally spoke after what felt like an eternity. Making his way to the counter, he pulled out two glasses as well as a new bottle of wine out of the cabinet; it seemed appropriate enough.

With all of the strength that Judith possessed over her controlled reactions, she could not help but feel the warmth of her cheeks heighten as she averted her gaze, a bit embarrassed. Not only was the dress something that revealed a lot, it was being open to someone else – another human being that frightened her. "I know I have no right to do this sort of thing. If you'd like, I can leave. I have a few things I'd like to say, but after what happened last time," her voice trembled, "I wouldn't blame you if you didn't care about what I had to say."

"I'm glad you're here. I actually wanted to speak with you." Setting aside the glasses and bottle, he instead focused his attention on what Judith had to say. Flynn extended his hand; taking her gloved hand in his own armored on, the sultry beauty stood. "Ladies first, though." He forced a chuckle, awaiting her reaction.

"You unholy tease," Judith's face twisted just slightly in an annoyed expression, but she held it back. "You're really going to make me do this?" With her free hand, she laid it on his shoulder pad; instinctively he placed his free hand on her hip. His sheepish grin was all the answer she needed as she became resigned to the situation. There were several things she had wanted to say, all running through her mind seemingly simultaneously. After a few seconds, her eyes involuntarily darted to a corner of the room obscured by shadow, as she was unable to figure out the exact words she wanted to start off with. Parting her lips, she closed them once again after several seconds of rumination lead to no foreseeable conclusion. However, frustration was not a factor in this moment. Wrapping her arm just the slightest bit more tightly around him, her eyes met with his once again.

"You don't have to say anything," Flynn reassured her, unable to conceal his smile.

"No, I have to do this," Judith nodded slightly before she realized she was this close to another person; if she made any sudden movements, Flynn would probably end up with a bruise of some sort. Taking in a deep breath, she made a resolution to carry through this simple task. The most important thing she wanted to say left her lips with her exhale, soft and evanescent as the aer that disappeared from all existence without a trace: "Welcome home, Flynn."

Pulling her closer to him, their lips met.

No further words were needed.

-.-.-

It seemed almost fitting that a full moon was present that night as the two basked in its light atop of the roof of the orphanage. As Flynn changed into something a bit more comfortable, Judith slipped on a coat to shield herself from the cold as well as brought up a picnic dinner and set up a table on the rooftop. Presea was young, but she was an excellent craftswoman. The picnic dinner was also supplied by Tristan and Christina – it was nice, as if this dinner date was supported by everyone around them.

"Rather than getting me this dress, we really need to take you clothes-shopping at some point." Judith teased, as she handed Flynn a glass of wine. He was wearing a simple beige tunic and pair of pants with a light coat in stark contrast to Judith's elegant dress.

"This basically sums up all that I have, aside from armor." Flynn sighed, taking the glass that Judith poured for him. "Besides, when I don't have to dress up, I'd rather not; being the Imperial Commandant may be one thing, but being Flynn Scifo is quite another."

Judith's eyes must have given away her surprise as he just chuckled nervously at that confession. "Out of everyone, I wasn't expecting to hear that from you." She then proceeded to take a sip of the drink.

"Hey, nobody's so simple that they can be boiled down to one or two words, right?" Flynn nervously laughed as he also took a sip of the beverage, sitting as casually as his clothes as he stared at the distant moon. "I was always going to come back here. Everyone else sees me as the Commandant; here, I can be something else."

"One thing isn't true," Judith commented as she shifted her position so that she could face him. "You have people who don't see you as the Commandant. Yuri's known you since childhood, and Estelle wouldn't think so highly of you if she simply thought of you as a member of the knights." She couldn't help but smile as she teased the poor knight. "Then there's Repede who stayed with us ever since we started this little project of ours. Raven has also taken quite the liking to you, and that's in spite of his feelings toward the knights. I'm certain that says something, too."

"The way I feel about any of them isn't the way I feel about you," Flynn stated, unable to return her gaze as a slight blush was clearly visible on his ears despite the cool air. "Yuri understands me in the sense that we can share everything, and while we don't agree on everything, we always have each others' backs."

"You're making me jealous," Judith chuckled, pulling her kneed toward her chest as her head tilted to rest on it.

"Lady Estellise is the princess," he continued without as much as a blink. "I find it disgusting how the Council uses her position to lord over the Imperial Knights, but that fault is not of her own. It was actually quite worse before she went out in the world and experienced it, but again I have Yuri to thank for that. I knew that in his hands, she would be safe."

"Thank goodness that's no longer an option," Judith earnestly listened. "No longer must the princess be shackled to her duty, though I do wonder how she intends to fulfill her pact with Origin."

"Where there's a will," Flynn chuckled in turn, "there's always a way. If anyone can find it, it's those two."

Judith nodded, taking a bite of the sandwich prepared on the table. The children may not have had certificates of accomplishment in refining fine dining dishes, but at least it was difficult to spill.

"At times, I think Repede's more here for you than for me," he scratched the back of his neck as he looked up. "Then we have Captain Schwann, who always has and always will be my hero; there's no way he'll see me as anything but a little boy yearning to accomplish everything out of his reach."

Judith sighed; Raven wasn't around, so there was no need to correct Flynn on his name. "The more you delay this, the colder your meal's going to get." Judith crossed her legs, following Flynn's gaze to the stars. "Then again, it's one of your more endearing qualities." Pausing, she noticed the silence that lingered. Inhaling deeply as if to prepare herself, she knew that the following words would be difficult to say; however, it was the only way to know. It wasn't as if they could be connected through her antennae, after all. "Who can you be to me?"

"I think it's more of a question as to what you currently are to me," Flynn corrected her.

"You're making this more difficult than it has to be," Judith put down her sandwich and sighed, growing a bit frustrated. "You're not really going to make me work this hard for it, are you?"

Flynn turned his head to take in another view of Judith, gulping air as if that would help. Nervously laughing, he jerked his view away to take a look at the sandwich at his side.

"Never mind," Judith rubbed her temples, and then began to move away and toward the ladder. "I should be getting to bed, anyway. Enjoy your food, all right?"

"Wait!" Flynn grabbed her hand, stopping her in her tracks.

"Unless you have something to say, you're going to be suffering from a different kind of red marking on your face," Judith's eyes narrowed.

She knew what she wanted to hear, but at the same time she wasn't entirely certain if she liked the word: love. What was love? Judith certainly felt love for others; affection wasn't something she withheld, especially considering that the children definitely needed it. She felt love for Ba'ul, the being who stayed by her side the longest out of anybody. She felt love for Repede, the dog standing vigilant at the door and who helped her out by playing with the children when she had things to take care of.

But feeling love and being in love were to completely different things.

Judith never knew that longing for someone could be that painful.

"There's a lot of things I want to say," Flynn stammered out; it was enough to make Judith sit back down, scooting closer to the table to hear what he had to say. "You're beautiful, for one. I mean, you just don't across very many attractive women when your days are spent amongst the knights, and I'm pretty sure it's pretty inconvenient to shave your legs when they're always covered by greaves."

"That's something a lady always wants to hear," Judith put an elbow on the table as she leaned her chin against her hand.

"Um, there's also the fact that you're intelligent!" Flynn scratched the back of his head once again as his eyes darted to the corner of an imaginary sight behind Judith. "I mean, not in the way a mage is or anything, but you know things that I couldn't even begin to imagine existing. You speak of things like the Circle and blastia cores and the Entelexeia, and I just have a feeling that there was a lot more behind your journey than the snippets Yuri let me in on."

"You certainly do listen when I tell stories to the children."

"Moving along," Flynn coughed, "You have this incredible fighting spirit – nobody else can compare! It's a shame I never got to see you in actual combat, but if your spearhead is as sharp as your tongue, I'd rather not be on the receiving end of your artes."

"I don't imagine many people refusing my tongue," Judith teased.

"The more you do that, the less inclined I am to know what to do next," Flynn softly spoke, before making eye contact with her again.

"Flynn," Judith took her free hand and gently caressed the side of Flynn's face with it; the amusement in her tone and face were quite evident. "Words are nice and all, but sometimes there is such a thing as too many words."

"Which words would you use then, Judith?"

A couple of seconds passed as Judith thought about this, but then her smile grew even brighter as Flynn took her hand into his own, gently kissing it. Pulling the man closer to her their foreheads touched ever so slightly as the Krityan prepared to give her answer to him.

"Please be my partner."

The third kiss was the charm.