A/N: La la la! I decided to give Quistis a TOUCH of happiness ;)

Silent Screams Chapter 37

Quistis looked confusingly at the people surrounding her. "My mother?" Nero nodded his head. Quistis blinked a few times, only to chuckle out loud. "My mother died eleven years ago," she spoke, and as she spoke. Odine hung his head. "She died, and an Estharian soldier took me to the orphanage. I was the first one there, and that's really all what I can remember. Matron continuously told me despite my cries that my mother was still alive, that she was dead."

Nero sighed. "The only way we could have revived you was through a blood transfusion of another Blue Mage SeaD." Odine looked up suspiciously towards the cloaked man. "Your mother went under missing condition from Hyne."

Odine held up his hands. "Vat iz it zat you are talking about? Vat iz vith da Hyne and Blue Mage ZeaD? Vat iz going on in my laboratory!"

Nero spun around, his eyes flashing a dangerous silver through the darkness. "Stay out of this, you old kook!" Odine held up his hands in defense. Nero spun back towards Quistis, grasping her hand and pulling her off the examination table. "Allow me to show you."

He walked through the door that Odine had opened and paused, directing Quistis to look towards the blue tube. Quistis took one step, then another, inching towards her enclosed mother. She placed a hand on the tube gingerly, afraid that if she touched the tube, it would break. She lay her other hand on the tube, glancing up at her...mother. She was exactly how she remembered her. Tall, blonde, strong facial features, a mothering glance, and loving arms. "What happened to her?" Quistis' raspy voice echoed through the lab.

Odine waddled next to her, looking at the fine specimen. "She iz my vinest zpecimen. She came here, to me, in order to zave up zome money so she could get avay vrom here."

Quistis had tears lodged in her eyes. "What's her name? never think of it..."

"Calanthia Lee. Zat iz her maiden name, though."

Odine handed Quistis the file containing all of her mother's information. She walked out to the main lab, sitting down on the examination table. She opened the file, seeing a picture of her mother. Squall sat next to her, wrapping an arm around her. "Calanthia Lee Chambers. Chambers? My father's last name is Chambers?" She continued to read on, seeing that her mother was in fact divorced. "Richard Chambers, Ph.D. My father..."

Quistis sat there stunned. Everything was happening so fast. She continued to read on, reading that her mother was an art major at Esthar Art University. One daughter, Quistis Lee Chambers, age seven. "But...I was seven when I went to the orphanage."

Odine walked up to her, hanging his head. "I...vell...in order vor you to be zafe and not traumatized, we gave you a memory erazing shot. It erazed your entire memory az a child..."

Quistis stood up, her entire body pulsing rage and hatred. "You killed my mother!" she screamed.

Seifer hooked onto her waist, holding her back. "Squall...get Odine out of here!"

Squall nodded and grabbed Odine, yanking him out of the room. The doors closed behind them. "Let me go!" Quistis screeched.

Seifer lifted her up, her legs kicking and her arms flailing. "Nero! Can you go out there and try to explain things to them? I'm gonna have a little...chat with Quistis."

Nero nodded his head and walked out of the room, holding up his hands as Laguna and Irvine tried to peek their heads in. The doors shut and Seifer placed Quistis down onto the exam table. He held down her wrists, looking dead into her eyes. "Quistis, relax."

"How the hell am I supposed to relax?" she screamed. "I see my mother, a person who I thought I lost years ago!" She was sobbing now, her entire frame of mind weakened. "I...just wish I had...a normal life..."

Seifer sighed, and released her wrists. "We all do. Hell, I wish I was still alive. I wish that I could be with you. I wish that...Squall was your true love and that way, I could be with you." Quistis hung her head. Seifer lifted it up with his finger. "I wish I knew who my parents were. I think we all wished that. Squall got granted it, but then again, Laguna doesn't really count as a father, considering the fact he's a raving lunatic." Quistis let out a soft smile. "Zell's adoptive parents loved and adored him, but more than likely, he wanted his real parents. Selphie had no clue who even her adoptive parents were half the time. Irvine...well Irvine hung out at strip clubs thanks to his father. Squall and I...we got shipped to Garden. You had your family, as well." Quistis sniffled. "Now this Richard Chambers guy is probably wondering where you are. Your mother is still alive; or else we would have never been able to heal you. Ok?"

Quistis nodded her head. "I...I'm sorry, Seifer."

Seifer took a step away from her, only to feel her grab his arm. He looked at her, his blonde hair covering his jade green eyes. "Look, we can try to get information on your father. Hey...maybe you can even go see him."

Quistis nodded her head and solemnly looked at Seifer. The door opened up and Odine was pushed in by Squall. "Tell her," he commanded.

"Tell me what?" Quistis asked.

"Vell, zere iz vone zing zat can be done. Ven she came in, ve needed to remove thiz zertain pieze of her brain. Vat ve didn't realize vas zat zis pieze of brain, if plazed back in, would cauze her to...well, die within a few hourz."

Quistis blinked, taking in the information that was just told to her. Her heart thumped against her chest. "I...want to talk to her. I want to hug her, hold her, love her...I want to remember her." She looked over at Seifer who only nodded his head. "How long does the operation take?"

Odine held his hand to his head, scratching it softly. "About zree hourz."

Quistis walked away from him, towards the exit. "Do it."

Squall walked next to her as she marched past Laguna and out into the field. "Quistis...do you really want that?" Squall asked.

"Yes, I want to have my mother back, even if only for a few hours." She looked around. "Where's the Ragnarok?"

Irvine walked next to her as well, scratching the back of his head. "Well, ya see, it took on so much damage that all what it can do is well...be a boat."

Quistis groaned loudly. "Fine. We need a computer."

Ooooooooooo

Quistis sat at the computer, looking at the screen. 'Do I really want to meet my father?' she asked herself. She slowly began to type "Richard Chambers" into the computer database search system. The system slowly returned the reply.

Seifer leaned over her shoulder, breathing in her strawberry scented hair. "Strawberries?"

Quistis turned and looked at him, a shocked expression on her face. "Yes. Strawberries. It was all that they had here."

"So, your father lives in Dollet? Isn't that where the Trepes live?"

Quistis hung her head. "I've been so close to him all along." Quistis quickly wrote down the address to the office he worked at. "Seifer, I just want it to be us going."

Seifer had a shocked expression on his face now. "Me? Why me?"

She looked down at the floor and walked away. She walked into the room where everyone was sitting. "Did you find it?" Nero asked.

"Yes. He lives in Dollet. I think it would be best if Seifer and I just go."

Squall got an angry look on his face. "Why?"

"Because, if anything goes wrong, we all don't die. Nero will be here to protect you guys." Squall stood up and walked over to her, grasping her arms.

"Are you sure this is what you want? We can call up Odine and tell him to stop the procedure." Squall pulled her into a hug.

Quistis smiled, rubbing her face into the familiar fur. "Yes, I'm sure this is what I want. I...always wanted to know who my family was."

Squall nodded his head. "If anything happens, call me, ok?" he asked as he handed her a cell phone. She smiled warmly at him, leaning up to give him a soft kiss. "Get going, before I change my mind."

Ooooooooooo

Quistis walked up to the office, staring at the yellow siding. The door was a warm oak, and white curtains were blown in from the outside wind. "Go ahead. I'll wait in the waiting room."

The two walked in together. The receptionist looked up at Quistis then Seifer. "Do you have an appointment?"

"Oh, no. I just came here to ask Dr. Chambers a question."

The receptionist smiled. "I'm sorry, sweetie, appointment only." Seifer walked up to the desk and put down one thousand gil. The receptionist smiled and stood up, taking the money and shoving it into her pocket. "But, if it's a real quick question!" The receptionist scurried off down the hall, motioning for Quistis to follow her. She looked at Seifer and walked towards the door. "Dr. Chambers, there's a woman here to ask you a question."

"Let her in," his deep voice echoed out from the office. Quistis took in a small breath, almost frightened to go in.

She took one step, then another, and finally entered the room. Her hair hung loose and she wore a tight pair of jeans with a low cut yellow top. The door closed behind her and the man who was her father turned and looked at her.

He immediately stood up. "Um...hi?"

"Cal? Is that really you, Cal?" He walked over to her, his dark brown locks waving in front of his face. The curls bounced up and down and Quistis notice the fine gray hairs. "Cal! I...I can't believe its you!"

The man grasped her arms and pulled her into a warm hug. "Richard..."

"Call me Rick, sweetie. Oh my Hyne! I can't believe this! It's been fifteen years! How's Quistis? Is she out there with you? My you haven't aged!"

"Please! Listen to me!" Richard stopped and looked at her. "I'm not Calanthia. I'm...Quistis." Richard took a step back, blinking slowly. "I know its been so long, I just wanted to see who my father was. I'll...I'll go."

"Quistis. Don't go." He grabbed her hand and pulled her to the chair and sat on his desk as she sat down. "How's Cal...I mean, your mom?"

Quistis took in a silent breath. "She's dead. Or, rather, on the brink of death." Richard placed his hands on his forehead, pushing the locks back. "I...I never even knew, I got sent to an orphanage at the age of seven. I never knew you or her." Richard sighed, his back slumping down. "I...My name is Quistis Trepe."

"Trepe? As in Marie and Robert Trepe?" Quistis nodded her head, placing her hands gingerly into her lap. He began to let out a sad laugh. "My parents, of course."

"Parents? I thought that your last name was..."

"Chambers, yes. My real father was Paul Chambers. He died when I was three. When I was eleven, my mother remarried a man name Robert Trepe. I kept my fathers last name out of pure hatred. I can't believe my mother would adopt my daughter..."

"Do I have siblings?" Quistis immediately asked.

Richard sighed and stood up only to take a seat in his chair. "We have so much to catch up on. Let's make a dinner date."

"I...may not be able to do that. You see, I'm sure you've heard of me being a child prodigy."

"You always were."

"And being a Garden Instructor by the age of sixteen, and saved the world from sheer destruction by the age of eighteen. Well, I...I'm not really what you think I am. But that's not important." She quickly grasped her father's hands. "I'm just so glad to finally meet you. I have a son, you know."

"I'm...a grandfather? My lord, how old is the boy!"

"About one and a half years old. His name is Dante. And my last name is no longer Trepe. It's Leonheart. I'm married to Squall Leonheart. He's the President of Esthar's son."

Richard leaned back in his chair, smiling at his daughter. "I'm so proud of you. I should have never let you and your mother go. I feel so...stupid."

Quistis smiled softly. "Richar..."

"Call me dad, or pops, or father, or anything!"

"Dad, I...I really must go." She scribbled down onto a piece of paper on his desk and placed it down. "My phone number. Call me sometime soon. We can all go out to lunch."

Richard laughed loudly. "Including the President?"

Quistis grinned. "Please, Laguna Loire is a moron. I wouldn't even call him President Laguna. But, the people love him."