FIVE YEARS LATER
The small, amphibious transport craft screeched up the grassy bank towards the garden, and it stopped.
Mission complete. Again.
Zell Dincht breathed in
relief, and the hatch doors slid open. Squall jumped out, followed by Selphie,
Irvine and Quistis, and finally Zell. They were all laughing and joking, but
Zell was scanning the welcoming committee.
Xu had been on the command
team, but he was constantly worried whenever they were apart. It had taken them
two months, maybe even more to get themselves shared quarters, but that had
been treated with extreme caution, since the Garden faculty said that they
didn't usually approve of mixed-sex shared rooms unless the two were
'committed'
This thought had been
bouncing around Zell's head for some time, and while he hadn't mentioned it to
Xu, he now felt ready for a long-term commitment. As if going out for five
years wasn't long term, he thought, but he essentially wanted that permanent
partnership that many young men craved – Husband & Wife.
He still wasn't sure if
that was what Xu wanted, but…he knew that was what he wanted, the awkward part
was deciding when he'd tell her.
"Zelly!"
He looked, and grinned
towards the familiar voice. Xu waved from the command group, and ran towards
him, he ran towards her. He saw Rinoa and Squall embrace, and proceeded to do
the same to Xu.
When they hugged, he
kissed her, picking her up so that her toes only just touched the ground.
"Hey" she said.
"Hey" he replied, and
squeezed her to him "Nice back-up we had there"
Xu blushed.
"Aw, well it's the least
I could do" she said.
"Uh, people!" the voice
belonged to Quistis "I know that you're glad to see each other, but I'm afraid
we have a debriefing to go to"
Zell smiled, put his arm
around Xu and together they followed the others towards the briefing room.
Xu held onto Zell as they
walked, spinning in her own thoughts. She had something to tell him…
Xu had wanted to marry Zell
for maybe a year now, but he hadn't talked about it very much, neither had he
seemed too enthusiastic about it.
Just as they were about to
walk into the debriefing room, Xu called out to Quistis
"Uh…Quistis? Can I speak to
you?"
She turned to her love.
"Go ahead, I'll catch you
up"
He smiled, kissed her and
went into the room.
Quistis lagged behind, and
just before they walked in, Quistis turned to Xu.
"What's wrong, Xu?"
"Who says anything's wrong?"
she asked, a little defensively.
"Xu, ever since we've known
each other you've never asked for any kinds of help unless you were in serious
trouble"
"Its…" Xu looked at her feet
"…It's not that"
"What's up?" Quistis asked,
softly.
Xu told her.
Quistis rolled her tongue
around in her mouth, thinking hard.
"Well…It's certainly
important – Don't you think you had better tell him?"
"Yes" she said "I'm
just…really nervous…y'know?"
"You have to talk to him –
This is something that could change both your lives"
Xu nodded.
"You're right. I'll tell him
tonight"
Quistis nodded, smiling.
"Good – And good luck"
It was a warm evening, only
due to the warm breeze that had sprung up, and gently blew the light grass of
the park in waves, so it seemingly rippled in the moonlight.
The stars burned like gas
lanterns, and it was beneath this speckled sky that Zell and Xu now walked.
They walked in silence,
awkwardly. For the first time in a long time, they didn't say anything.
They reached a corner in
the path. Xu stopped. So did Zell.
"This is where it started"
Xu said, suddenly "Where we had our first proper meeting"
Zell saw that she was
right – That summer afternoon, five years ago. They had started their relationship
on that day, and now here they were. Zell had spent a lot of money today – On a
ring for Xu. A silver engagement ring that signified everything he felt for
her.
"Yeah…The day I got a
reason to live…and still do now" Zell replied.
Xu nodded, taking Zell's
hand.
"I've got something to
tell you – It concerns us, but don't worry, I don't want to break up or
anything"
"Fine – I…got something to
say myself" Zell said.
"You go first" she
prompted.
She looked at him, eyes shining
like diamonds.
"Well…I…"
Zell fiddled in his pocket,
only to have his hand clench around the ring.
"Are you okay?" she asked.
"Yeah" he replied, brightly
"I've just got something to say"
"What?"
He hauled his hand out of
his pocket, but kept it tightly clenched. Zell suddenly felt a little shy, and
turned away slightly.
"Uh…"
"Oh c'mon" she grabbed his
arm, and pulled it towards her, her hand falling on his clenched one…which
slowly opened.
There was a long silence,
as Xu looked at the ring. She was numb with shock.
Zell took the ring, and
gently slipped it onto Xu's finger.
"Marry me, Xu" he said,
quietly "I know I'm a long shot – But sometimes long shots pay off big"
Further silence, and Xu's
face slowly cracked into one of delight and joy, tears leaking from her eyes.
"I…I…I…I…I…"
Zell held his breath, as Xu
held her ring finger up to the moon, catching the light on the silver ring.
"Yes! " she cried "Oh God,
yes! I will!"
She threw herself against
him, and he felt tears of his own slide down his cheeks.
"Crying too, huh?" he
asked her, hoarsely.
"I've wanted this all my
life" she whispered "I just – want you to know that"
He nodded, and gently
kissed her forehead.
"Um…" she drew away for
just a moment "…I've also got something to tell you"
Zell held her hands.
"What?" he asked, gently.
She looked up, tears still
fresh in her eyes.
"I…I…I'm going to have a
baby"
He stared at her. Zell
felt as if his heart was going to stop.
"And…you're the father.
You always have been"
Zell tried to say
something – but he couldn't. He tried to move – but he couldn't.
Then, his vocal chords
managed something, a feeble, scratchy exclamation;
"I'm…going to be a dad?"
Xu nodded.
Zell's smile was so wide
it could barely fit on his face, he took Xu in his arms, and kissed her
passionately.
"That's fantastic!" Zell
whispered "Now…we can live the rest of our lives together…with something to
look forward to"
They hugged, kissed,
screamed, hollered and cried for maybe fifteen minutes.
"Hey, you two…" Squall
walked up, Rinoa on his elbow "I heard screaming – Is everything okay?"
"It is now" Zell said,
squeezing Xu "It will be forever, now"
Squall & Rinoa looked
at him quizzically.
"Uh…What are you talking
about?" Rinoa asked.
"Zell proposed to me" Xu
said, grinning.
Rinoa's face split into a
smile.
"…and Xu's pregnant" Zell
added.
This time it was Squall's
turn to be surprised, but for a change – he smiled too.
"So…What are you two going
to do now?"
Zell grinned at Xu.
"I wonder what" Rinoa
said, wryly.
THE END
Authors Note: Whee! THIS IS THE
COMPLETE VERSION!!! AS IN THE FULL, BIGGER, LONGER AND UNCUT VERSION! (Although
I may cut the sex scene out due to a complaint I received about the certificate
being a little low for the story content)