Zell handed Selphie a wet flannel and smiled at her gently. Her face was sheet white and her eyes were still a bit dewy, she curled up further into her blankets and slid the flannel across her forehead. 'Need anything else?' He asked her softly. 'Apart from a weeks rest?' She looked up at him with a weak smile, their eyes locked and she licked her lips.
'Could use some headache pills.' She told him, he grinned and went to fish them out of the medicine cabinet in her bathroom. She swallowed them with difficulty and she lay down again. He sat on the edge of her bed and she was curled tightly around his back. He stroked her hair softly, and smiled down at her with concern. 'What are you gonna say to Squall?' She asked him.
'Dunno... the truth I guess, we've encountered enough wierd things in our lifetime for him to believe this.' He frowned. 'I can imgine what he will say though.' Selphie grinned.
'I'm glad one of us can, I've never been able to figure him out.' Zell screwed up his face at her.
'Nah it's easy, once you get the 'whatever's in the right places.' Zell looked over to the videophone. 'I guess I'd better get a call in to him.' He grinned down at her. 'Don't worry, if all else fails to get you better, I have a couple of curagas in my posession.' He winked and she smiled faintly.
'I don't think it's that serious yet but thanks for the offer. Go on, go report in.' She told him, he nodded and squeezed her hand gently before striding across the room and tapping in the number. He picked up the handset rather than having him on speakerphone. It took about ten rings before Squall answered and his picture flashed up on the screen.
'Zell! I was just heading home for the night, you sure know how to pick your times.' He paused and looked at his face. 'Is something wrong?' Zell nodded a little then he went to adjust the camera towards Selphie lying in bed. He saw Squall's face as he took in the scene. Then he turned the camera back. 'Is she okay?'
'Sort of yes, sort of no.' Zell looked at him. 'Look I know you probably aren't going to believe this...' He paused waiting for Squall to deny it and continued after a few seconds of silence. 'Selphie says that Bahumat went on a bit of a rampage.'
'Why did she summon him? Was there a fight?' He asked and Zell shook his head.
'She umm didn't summon him, we were at the Trabia winter festival concert...' He frowned and did a quick mental recap of that sentence. 'Yeah... anyway, this guy started to come over and he and Badier, he's Delta Wistanley's asisstant had a go at him, then apparently Bahumat flipped.'
'In what way?'
'Selphie said that he began screaming something, I didn't get the full story on that, then she said he 'took' hold of her, and I really didn't understand that.... and then she collapsed.' Squall was looking at him in exasperation.
'So finally something you did understand... Do you not think it would be better to report this when Selphie is well enough to tell me herself?'
'She was pretty insistant that I tell you right away, she was worried about what could frighten a sixty foot dragon and frankly that worries me too.' Squall growled.
'Okay good point, well made.' He rubbed his head. 'How the hell could you get into so much trouble? You've only been there a day.' Zell squirmed a little and shrugged.
'The day isn't over yet.' He pointed out. 'And there's always tommorrow.'
'Remind me again why I sent you with Selphie? I should have put her with Quistis.' Squall had on his 'I'm really not very happy with you' frown.
'Look Squall, I'm only speaking to you because Selphie had an experience and thought you should know about it straight away. Isn't that what a good SeeD is supposed to do? Report back?' He snapped back at his friend.
'Stop arguing!' Selphie exclaimed. 'It's very unsettling.' Squall heard her and winced at her weak little voice.
'Sorry Sel.' He said over his shoulder and turned back to the screen.
'Well I'll try to help out in anyway I can...' Squall said.
'Sure, we were thinking about going to Edea, she knows about all sorts of this kind of junk.' Squall nodded.
'I can get her to contact you.' He said. 'Meanwhile, don't do anything untoward, go to the party tonight, if she's well enough that is.'
'Hang on how did you know there was a party?' Zell frowned and Squall grinned at him.
'My timing is always impeccable.' Squall told him.
'Shall I ring ahead and warn Rinoa about the very smug husband that is heading her way?' Squall raised his eyebrows. 'Hey it was a joke.'
'Mmm, if you say so. Take care of Selphie... but then you always would, wouldn't you?' Zell opened his mouth then having nothing to say he closed it again.
'For a guy who don't talk a lot you sure do notice everything.' Squall... blushed... no Squall's never done that, but regardless he looked slightly abashed.
'I don't actually, Rinoa notices a lot, I just take it in when she thinks I'm not listening.' Zell covered his eyes.
'Does this mean everyone knows?'
'I'm not gonna tell anyone Zell.' Zell looked directly into the camera.
'I was thinking more about about Rinoa.' Squall frowned.
'No I wouldn't think so, not on this subject, you know what I'll find out for you.' Zell choked.
'Don't you da...' He noticed Squall's grin. 'Oh funny. Aha aha I'm splitting my sides.' It was at that point Selphie's pillow caught him in the side of the head. He heard Squall wetting himself laughing at the other end of the receiver.
'Enough with the chit chat, I wanna go to sleep!' She said, whining.
'Yeah okay... Squall?'
'Yeah I heard her.' he coughed as he tried to choke down laughter. 'Okay, anything new happens I want a report, and I really do want the daily report from you two now, I gave you those GF's for protection and if one of them has gone mad on you... has she removed him?' he asked as an after thought.
'She can't find him to remove him, he's hidden himself.'
'I didn't know that they could do that.' Zell gave him a 'neither did I' look. 'When he shows himself get her to remove him, I'll order Delta to issue her with a suitable GF.'
'I honestly don't think she wants to remove him, she's worried about Bahumat.' Zell told him.
'That was an order.' Squall said and Zell gave him a salute, an aoutomatic reaction now, Zell stared at his hand in discust. 'Look Zell I'm gonna have to jet. Your mother is keeping hold of the girls while me and Rinoa are working. I don't want to impose.'
'Impose all you like, my mum loves your kids.' Zell grinned and then looked across at Selphie. 'Look, give my mum a hug from me would ya?' Then he realised who he was talking to. 'Or get Rinoa to, either way make sure she knows I said hi.'
'Of course I will, keep me posted about Selphie's health 'kay?' Zell nodded.
'Catch you later man.' Squall nodded and signed off. Zell switched off the computer and turned back to Selphie to apologise, she was curled up in a tiny ball with a peaceful expression on her face. He walked over to her softly and knelt down to look at her. A gentle smile played across her lips and a strand of her tousled hair fell across her cheek. Smiling he moved it and kissed her gently on the forehead. 'Sleep well Selphie.' He whispered. 'Feel better.' He crossed her room in three strides, opened the door softly and walked out closing it with a quiet click.
Selphie opened her eyes and looked after him. She licked her lips, it was getting harder, she had never expected that. The feeling had been growing since the finals last year, when they had caught each others eye and her whole world had skipped a beat. It hadn't happened since, but the feeling had stayed with her, why should it return now? Back then she had, had Irvine, but for a few weeks after, everytime she had seen Zell talking to another woman, she felt that she was watching him walk away from her. She sighed and closed her heavy lids. A damp spot appeared on her pillow.
*
Quistis looked at Irvine staring into space again, she knew exactly what his mind was on. She cleared her throat. 'You know that she's not going to appear magically in the ceiling tiles don't you?' He blinked and turned to her.
'I'm sorry what?' She sighed and put down her papers.
'Still thinking about Selphie?' He nodded miserably.
'I can't believe I treated her so badly. After what you told me, I can't believe I ever thought that of her. I hit Zell as well... when he was the one sticking up for me.' Quistis nodded.
'Yes you did behave like an arse.' She said unsympathetically.
'You still mad at me?'
'Yup... Although this whole pitiful thing you have going on is kind of making me feel sorry for you.' He stared at her in slight outrage and then deflated... it was true.
'How can I have lost the one woman I cared about through my own stupid jealousy?' He shook his head.
'Wouldn't be the first time it's happened to a man... or a woman for that matter. Only Selphie can decide if she forgives you though, and even then, forgiving you and getting back together with you are two different matters... Now you looked at this class...'
*
Zell poked his head round Delta's office door. 'Can I have a word?' She nodded.
'How's Selphie?' He shrugged.
'Kind of what I wanted to talk to you about, erm... she doesn't get migraines, suffice it to say she's been having trouble with her current GF, I didn't really want to tell everybody about it. But it kind of kicked off when Badier and that Rathi bloke started arguing, so I was wondering if you could make a little effort to keep those two away from her? I know it's a lot to ask but... well I'll consider it a favour.' Delta grinned at him. She nodded.
'Of course, I'll give them a job to keep them both busy. It's not a big deal, they are actually really good friends, if you can believe it, they just argue a lot.'
'Sounds like me and Squall.' He said and she grinned at him. 'We should both still be coming to the dance though.'
'Good, will she be well enough?' Delta asked and Zell gave her wicked grin.
'I have a few cure spells I'm willing to dole out on her, if she's asleep she'll never know.' Delta laughed and winked at him conspiritorily.
'Anyway I'm expecting a phone call from a woman named Edea...' Delta interuppted him.
'Soceress Edea?' She asked slightly alarmed.
'Ex-Soceress Edea, people always forget that, the only soceress we know of is Rinoa. Anyway I just call her matron. Squall told her to call here, it's really important.'
*
Selphie woke to a darkened room, the sky outside was black as pitch. She reached out and turned on the light and waited for the headache to return. She was surprised when it didn't. Reaching out she took a good look at her bedside clock, she figured she had about an hour to get ready for the dance. A faint knock came from outside her door. 'Yes?' She called and Zell came wandering in. A bright smile lit her face and she quickly subdued it.
'Feeling better?' He asked her, was that a faint grin playing around his lips, she nodded. 'Cool, you feel like going to the dance.'
'You ever known me to miss a party?' She asked and began to get up. 'Do I get to see you in smart clothes?' She asked and he winked at her.
'Maaaaaaaybe.' She laughed. 'But I know how long you take to get ready, so I figure we'll have enough time to be fashionably late and make a grand entrance, hope your dress is up to that scrutiny.' She giggled and tilted her head to the side considering. He looked at her and then down at his clothes. 'Don't worry this is not what I am wearing.' She laughed.
'I wasn't even thinking that ya know?' She grinned wickedly. 'I was wondering what you'd look like in a suit.' He laughed slightly.
'Like most men in suits I guess, ruddy awful.' Selphie smiled and winked.
'Believe me women don't see it that way.' She said playfully.
'Okay now you are making me nervous, I'll meet you in the hallway in an hour. Roo said she'd come and take us down there.' Selphie nodded and fought to keep the smile on her face as he made his way out the door, why did she feel so threatened by Roo? And then she remembered what she had been thinking about before she had fallen asleep.
'Oh.' She whispered softly. She stood up and walked to the mirror, it was time for Selphie Tilmet to knock everyone at Trabia off their feet.
*
Authors note ~ Okay chapters are getting shorter as my deadlines are getting closer, I'll keep on posting these shorter ones for you, don't go away, the story is just getting started *giggle*