Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy so blah blah, don't sue me.
" Quistis! I have someone here you should meet!" I yelled when I entered my quarters. She came from the dining room with a book in hand. She looked at me then to Matthew, then to me again.
" He looks familiar. I swear I've seen him before," Quistis said. She paused then exclaimed," He looks like Seifer!"
" Meet Matthew Heartilly," I introduced. Quistis gasped happily.
" Hello Matthew. I'm Quistis," she said to him.
" She's my quite lovely wife," I added.
" No sucking up," she smiled and gave me a look.
" Doesn't hurt," I smiled back.
" Wow," the little boy slowly looked around.
" Are you hungry?" Quistis asked.
" A little," Matthew said humbly.
" I'll order up some food," she said.
" You don't have a kitchen?" said the boy curiously.
" We don't usually cook. You wouldn't want my cooking anyway," she laughed.
" That's true," I muttered aloud.
" I heard that," Quistis mumbled. The boy crouched down, bag still in hand, and looked at the white tiled ceiling.
" We'll have to go shopping tomorrow. He needs some new clothes," she whispered to me.
" I don't go shopping," I replied. Why would I want to?
" Well, how long is he going to stay here?"
" Until the Headmaster gets back. Maybe two days."
" What's going to happen then?" she looked at me.
" He'll have to go before the Esthar court. They'll judge who's earns custody or if he has to go to the orphanage."
" Rrrow!" a moomba growled. It's head peeped from the boy's bag.
" Sidney!" the boy quieted him. The orange creature sneezed. Matthew grinned.
" A pet?" Quistis asked.
" A friend," Matthew replied, rather wisely.
=================
" Leonhart, Headmaster Cid may see you now," Xu directed me from the waiting room. I walked into his office. He was sitting quietly in his chair. His face lit up when Matthew and Quistis had followed me in.
" Is this him?" Cid smiled.
" Yes sir," I replied.
" He's a cutie," said Cid. More serious now," Matthew, can you explain what your mother told you before you left your home?"
He hesitated, " Mommy said that I'd have to go meet Squall. She said he was really nice. Boss Shumi told me that he couldn't keep me safe after my mommy gone away. He gave me Sidney for luck. To be my friend when I was by myself. He said Moombas had un-use-ual power."
" Did she mention your dad?" Cid asked calmly.
" Yeah. She said I'd meet him someday. But I only know his name. I've only seen him once when he visited my mommy at the village. And I can't remember good. Mommy said it was when I was littler. She told me that his name was Sigh-furrrr. Almayonnaise."
" Seifer Almasy, actually." Cid corrected," Well, Matthew, this is very strenuous. Did your mother tell you where Seifer was?"
" No. She only said I'd meet him someday."
" Thank you Matthew," Cid smiled and signaled Quistis to take him out of the room. Once they left, Cid shrugged.
" We have no idea where Mr. Almasy is. He doesn't attend the Garden anymore. He quit four years ago. I already called the Esthar mayor. He doesn't live in Esthar City. Or FH. Or Deling City, Timber, or Dollet. To tell you the truth, we aren't sure if he's either -"
" Sorry, sir, your wife is on line A," informed a secretary.
" Thank you," Cid replied.
" I apologize Squall, this won't take long," Cid hit a switch. Edea's face appeared on the monitor.
" Cid, I found him. Seifer. He's here right now. I told him the situation. He said he was going to the Garden tomorrow," Edea said.
" Good job dear. We'll be expecting him." Cid said goodbye and turned off the monitor.
" We'll be ready soon, Squall. Not long now," he looked to me.
===========
It was weeks later and Seifer had not be seen or heard from. The Esthar Court wasn't very patient and went ahead with Matthew's case. I stepped through the door of the Court with Quistis at my side. It was a large room. At the front of the room, seven people waited for the debate in their tall podiums. The crowd was starting to settle down. This wasn't a major case. Despite their superior technology, they must be really bored. I was directed to the front row.
" In the presence of the Honorable Court, the debate will begin over who has the right of custody of Matthew Heartilly. First being, please stand and speak for yourself why you would be the most responsible for this position. If no ones dare claims the child or if no one is suitable, the child will be turned over to adoption services." a man proclaimed.
I looked around on my bench. Nobody stood.
" Squall, stand with me," Quistis whispered. Her hand grasped mine gently and we stood up.
" Who are these individuals?" a woman of one of the podiums asked.
" General Leonhart and his consort Quistis Trepe," our advocate said.
" Aw, the distinguished Leonhart and captivating Trepe. What do you have to say?."
I found myself at odd with words and I glanced at Quistis. She smiled and was ready to speak but she was interrupted by an old man entering the courtroom doors.
" Excuse me," the man said politely.
" And who are you?" someone from the podiums asked.
" I am General Caraway. The boy's grandfather. I'm here to claim my daughter's son."
I exhaled anxiously. We weren't going to win custody now. The court would prefer the blood family to care for Matthew. It was too predictable. From Quistis's sigh, I could tell she knew the truth of the matter too. The only chance we had was to reinforce the awful relationship between Rinoa and her father. That she had changed her last name to her mother's surname because of him. That she never even requested his help when she needed it. But Caraway had simply stated it was a " rebellious teenager" thing.
In two weeks, the court had made the decision to award guardianship to Caraway. My stomach turned as they announced it. And I wasn't certain why.
~Note: This is the last chapter narrated by Squall. Matthew will take on the story. Yeah!~
" Quistis! I have someone here you should meet!" I yelled when I entered my quarters. She came from the dining room with a book in hand. She looked at me then to Matthew, then to me again.
" He looks familiar. I swear I've seen him before," Quistis said. She paused then exclaimed," He looks like Seifer!"
" Meet Matthew Heartilly," I introduced. Quistis gasped happily.
" Hello Matthew. I'm Quistis," she said to him.
" She's my quite lovely wife," I added.
" No sucking up," she smiled and gave me a look.
" Doesn't hurt," I smiled back.
" Wow," the little boy slowly looked around.
" Are you hungry?" Quistis asked.
" A little," Matthew said humbly.
" I'll order up some food," she said.
" You don't have a kitchen?" said the boy curiously.
" We don't usually cook. You wouldn't want my cooking anyway," she laughed.
" That's true," I muttered aloud.
" I heard that," Quistis mumbled. The boy crouched down, bag still in hand, and looked at the white tiled ceiling.
" We'll have to go shopping tomorrow. He needs some new clothes," she whispered to me.
" I don't go shopping," I replied. Why would I want to?
" Well, how long is he going to stay here?"
" Until the Headmaster gets back. Maybe two days."
" What's going to happen then?" she looked at me.
" He'll have to go before the Esthar court. They'll judge who's earns custody or if he has to go to the orphanage."
" Rrrow!" a moomba growled. It's head peeped from the boy's bag.
" Sidney!" the boy quieted him. The orange creature sneezed. Matthew grinned.
" A pet?" Quistis asked.
" A friend," Matthew replied, rather wisely.
=================
" Leonhart, Headmaster Cid may see you now," Xu directed me from the waiting room. I walked into his office. He was sitting quietly in his chair. His face lit up when Matthew and Quistis had followed me in.
" Is this him?" Cid smiled.
" Yes sir," I replied.
" He's a cutie," said Cid. More serious now," Matthew, can you explain what your mother told you before you left your home?"
He hesitated, " Mommy said that I'd have to go meet Squall. She said he was really nice. Boss Shumi told me that he couldn't keep me safe after my mommy gone away. He gave me Sidney for luck. To be my friend when I was by myself. He said Moombas had un-use-ual power."
" Did she mention your dad?" Cid asked calmly.
" Yeah. She said I'd meet him someday. But I only know his name. I've only seen him once when he visited my mommy at the village. And I can't remember good. Mommy said it was when I was littler. She told me that his name was Sigh-furrrr. Almayonnaise."
" Seifer Almasy, actually." Cid corrected," Well, Matthew, this is very strenuous. Did your mother tell you where Seifer was?"
" No. She only said I'd meet him someday."
" Thank you Matthew," Cid smiled and signaled Quistis to take him out of the room. Once they left, Cid shrugged.
" We have no idea where Mr. Almasy is. He doesn't attend the Garden anymore. He quit four years ago. I already called the Esthar mayor. He doesn't live in Esthar City. Or FH. Or Deling City, Timber, or Dollet. To tell you the truth, we aren't sure if he's either -"
" Sorry, sir, your wife is on line A," informed a secretary.
" Thank you," Cid replied.
" I apologize Squall, this won't take long," Cid hit a switch. Edea's face appeared on the monitor.
" Cid, I found him. Seifer. He's here right now. I told him the situation. He said he was going to the Garden tomorrow," Edea said.
" Good job dear. We'll be expecting him." Cid said goodbye and turned off the monitor.
" We'll be ready soon, Squall. Not long now," he looked to me.
===========
It was weeks later and Seifer had not be seen or heard from. The Esthar Court wasn't very patient and went ahead with Matthew's case. I stepped through the door of the Court with Quistis at my side. It was a large room. At the front of the room, seven people waited for the debate in their tall podiums. The crowd was starting to settle down. This wasn't a major case. Despite their superior technology, they must be really bored. I was directed to the front row.
" In the presence of the Honorable Court, the debate will begin over who has the right of custody of Matthew Heartilly. First being, please stand and speak for yourself why you would be the most responsible for this position. If no ones dare claims the child or if no one is suitable, the child will be turned over to adoption services." a man proclaimed.
I looked around on my bench. Nobody stood.
" Squall, stand with me," Quistis whispered. Her hand grasped mine gently and we stood up.
" Who are these individuals?" a woman of one of the podiums asked.
" General Leonhart and his consort Quistis Trepe," our advocate said.
" Aw, the distinguished Leonhart and captivating Trepe. What do you have to say?."
I found myself at odd with words and I glanced at Quistis. She smiled and was ready to speak but she was interrupted by an old man entering the courtroom doors.
" Excuse me," the man said politely.
" And who are you?" someone from the podiums asked.
" I am General Caraway. The boy's grandfather. I'm here to claim my daughter's son."
I exhaled anxiously. We weren't going to win custody now. The court would prefer the blood family to care for Matthew. It was too predictable. From Quistis's sigh, I could tell she knew the truth of the matter too. The only chance we had was to reinforce the awful relationship between Rinoa and her father. That she had changed her last name to her mother's surname because of him. That she never even requested his help when she needed it. But Caraway had simply stated it was a " rebellious teenager" thing.
In two weeks, the court had made the decision to award guardianship to Caraway. My stomach turned as they announced it. And I wasn't certain why.
~Note: This is the last chapter narrated by Squall. Matthew will take on the story. Yeah!~