THE CALL...
"Yeah Rinoa, she's safe. Luckily Seifer found her..." Squall informed his girlfriend about Quistis' whereabouts over the phone.
"Oh what a relief! Is she mad at us?"
"I don't think so. Look, I know she still really wants to go to Trabia so I'll bring her down and..."
"And?"
"And I'll stay as well."
"Yes! Thankyou Squall" Rinoa grinned happily to herself, "you wont regret this."
"Hmmm..."
"Hey Squall, do you know where Selphie and Irvine are cos they haven't arrived yet either."
"You left Irvine alone with Selphie! Poor Irvine, he must have earache by now."
"Poor Selphie more like, no doubt he's still trying to work his act on her." Squall laughed.
"No, I haven't seen them. Knowing Selphie though she's probably took Irvine on some detour and you know how he follows her around."
"Yeah, aww I think it's cute" Rinoa giggled and saw Zell in the distance waving at her, "...okay I have to go now. Zell's calling me. I'll see you soon, alright?"
"Yep, we should be there tomorrow evening."
"I love you, Squall..."
"...... I love you too, Rinoa" Rinoa smiled as she clicked the phone back on it's hook.
TRABIA SNOWFIELDS...
Irvine and Selphie struggled through the beating snow across the fields. Morning had come, the blizzard had died down only slightly and the car had now become buried in a mountain of snowflakes.
"I hope you know where you're going, " Irvine shouted over the wind.
"It isn't too far... I recognise the rock structures..." Selphie yelled back, " I hope..." She whispered softly. Her hands and feet were numb. Her limbs ached for the heat of a warm fire. Carelessly, she stumbled over the icy rocks falling to the floor.
"Ow, ow!" She grumbled.
"Here..." Irvine held out his hand. Selphie hesitated, then took it, "you okay?"
"Yeah, yeah. I have a numb bum now though!" Selphie grinned. Irvine was glad to see she was looking and acting a little better since the daylight had appeared.
"Need me to help you with that?" Irvine remarked, raising his eyebrow.
"Ewww, Irvy!" She punched his side and he wrapped an arm playfully around her shoulders. To his surprise and delight she didn't shrug him off. Progress!
"Heyyyy! Look!!!" Selphie pointed to the distance. There, like a mirage was Trabia Garden.
"We weren't that far away. Geez... we could've made it last night!" Irvine laughed.
"Yay!!! "Selphie cried, her hyperactiveness gradually returning. Then without warning she wrapped her arms around Irvine and hugged him tightly.
"Come on, let's go," she whispered in his ear.
A VISITOR...
Quistis sat on the side of the infirmary room bed. She was lucky not to escape with only a minor fracture in her leg. She was also lucky not to have pneumonia or otherwise... thanks to Seifer. Surprising wasn't it? Her enemy had been the one to save her life...
"Instructor..." A male voice sounded next to her. This time she recognised it.
"Quistis. I'm no longer your instructor, Seifer..."
"Yeah... I just wanted to check up on you. Can't have the much loved Instructor Trepe being badly injured now can we?" Seifer smirked. Quistis smiled.
"I didn't get a chance to thank you, I'm glad you came."
"Yeah well... " Seifer hesistated. There was an awkward silence as the two of them stared at the floor. Then Seifer turned to leave.
"I'd better go before Squall and the rest of the scooby gang come n kick my ass outta here..." He began to walk away. Quistis stood up,
"Wait!"
"You're trying my patience Quistis," Seifer said aggressively. Quistis started to walk towards him to stop him but her injured leg gave way. Instinctively, Seifer reached out for her.
"Hey! Watch what you're doing!" Seifer yelled, steadying her with his arm. Quistis looked up into his eyes, surprise and shock engulfed her as she realised she was in his arms. Seifer stared back and for once he had no smart-ass comment.
"Seifer I... Will you..."
"C'mon, spit it out!" Seifer said, this time there was a more gentler edge to his voice.
"There's a party at Trabia... As you saved my life I'd like you to go."
"No way!" Seifer shook his head, letting go of Quistis.
"Please Seifer, consider it my thanks to you..."
"Quistis..." He stroked her cheek with his hand, "you really think Squall would want me there? You really think anyone would want me there? Remember, I'm the big bad wolf..."
"I want you there... Never mind about Ssquall, if he doesn't like it then so what," Quistis whispered. Seifer raised his eyebrow.
"Really? Interesting..." He looked at her again. She could feel her pulse rising, what was going on? No... not Seifer. She didn't love Seifer... she was just... just... thanking him for saving her... Seifer moved closer, reaching for her hand, clasping his own around it.
"I don't know what you've done Quistis but..." He bent over and kissed her softly. She surrended to his touch, wrapping her arms around his back, leeting herself be caught up in this emotion.
Then as fast as it had started, the kiss stopped. Without a word, Seifer simply turned and walked out of the infirmary leaving behind a shocked and dazed Quistis.
CHRISTMAS DECOR...
"Wow!" Selphie exclaimed as she walked into Trabia's main hall, recently constructed after the missile attack, "you guys!" She looked to a grinning Zell and Rinoa. The whole hall had been decorated with holly wreaths, bells, angels and many, many baubles. It had been Rinoa's idea but Zell had found the decorations in basement. Selphie and Irvine had arrived that morning and had instantly been taken to the first aiders. They had gotten through their ordeal with a few scratches and a few frozen limbs that were easily thawed out by the heaters in Trabia Garden's first aid room. Due to Selphie's inactiveness she had been worried that the party wouldn't be organised in time so Rinoa and Zell had worked all day to make her dream possible.
"Oh look Irvine!" She grabbed Irvine's coat and motioned to the tinsel decorated Christmas tree in the corner.
"Courtesy of Zell," Rinoa looked to Zell who was still grinning from ear to ear.
"Chopped it down all by myself from the forest!" Zell said, pleased with himself.
"On Zell," Selphie gave him a hug and then gave Rinoa one.
"Thank so much. This is the BEST Christmas EVER!" Selphie danced across the floor, chatting to her Trabia friends on the way.
"She seems much happier," Rinoa looked to the bouncing girl.
"We'll never hear the end of it now!" Zell agreed.
"Yeah..." Irvine watched as the small girl knelt by the Christmas tree, looking up into it's branches.
"Irvine," Rinoa put a hand on his shoulder, "why don't you tell how you really feel?"
"I already have done. She thinks I'm kidding," Irvine looked serious.
"You gotta stop flirtin' around. Selphie's one cool chick... sometimes... she wont stand for none of your nonsense," Zell put his hand on Irvine's other shoulder.
"She adores you, I can tell, call it women's intuition. She just needs to be sure that you're not going to leave her," Rinoa sqeezed Irvine's arm.
"You're right... I'm gonna go for it, tonight. I'm a one woman man now," He grinned at Rinoa and headed towards Selphie who was now preoccupied with recieving Christmas cards off her friends.
"You think he'll keep his word?" Zell asked Rinoa.
"You know Zell, something tells me he will..."
REUNION PARTY...
The hall was filled with people all laughing and having a good time, just what Selphie wanted. In the corner, much to Selphie and Irvine's amusement sat Zell, all decked out in a Santa'a outfit. Rinoa handed out gifts to the younger classmen of the garden.
"Zell looks to funny in his oufit, bless," Selphie laughed to Irvine.
"And to think that could've been me.." Irvine snickered.
"Oh come on! You'd have looked cute!" Selphie reached for his arm and dragged him to the dancefloor. Cute... hey she called me cute! Irvine grinned as she used his arm to twirl herself around to the sounds of 'Rockin Around the Christmas Tree'. Now, I should do it now... Irvine thought to himself.
"Selphie, listen I need to talk to you..."
"Hmmm, what is it?" She looked up at him with innocent emerald eyes. She was beautiful dressed in her faerie wings and Santa hat.
"Well we've know each other for quite some time and...-"
"Oh, hold that thought for a minute, Irvy. Hey, Squall! Quistis!" Selphie left a stunned Irvine on the dancefloor and ran towards the two figures that had just entered the room.
"Selphie," Quistis laughed at her friend as the two exchanged hugs.
"Whoa, hey what did you do to your leg?" Selphie enquired, noticing the bandage.
"A little accident but I'm ok now," Quistis smiled weakly. Selphie noticed a saddness to her blue eyes.
"I'm glad. I'm sorry we left you. We're still friends, right?"
"Of course," Quistis patted Selphie's arm, "Everything's fine."
"You sure?" Quistis nodded.
Squall and Selphie exchanged further greetings and then he went over to where Rinoa was standing with Zell.
"Guess who," He crept up behind her and covered her eyes with his hands.
"Squall!" Rinoa spun around and kissed him on the cheek. Squall wrapped his arms around her waist.
"Now that you're here how about showing me a little of that dancing that you're so good at." Rinoa took his arms and willingly he followed her onto the dancefloor.
Zell watched as the two left. 'Yeah just leave me...' All of a sudden a boy of about six climbed onto his lap.
"What the- Oh ho ho ho, merry christmas." He put on his Santa voice.
"Hey you're not santa!" The little boy grabbed Zell's fake beard.
"Yo kid, what the hell do you think- I mean, you shouldn't say things like that to me. I AM Santa and I DO own a reigndeer called Rudolph. If you dont believe in me then you wont get any frickin' presents," Zell boomed.
"Hiya Chicken-wuss. Wow, that outfit suits you. Nice to see that you're still hanging out with people of your mental age," Zell heard a familiar, annoying voice behind him.
"Seifer! What the hell are you doin' here?!?" He yelled
"Just passing through..." Seifer sauntered across to the other side of the room.
Quistis sat at a table twirling her cocktail stick around her drink. 'He never came...' She watched Squall and Rinoa dancing. They were so good together. Rinoa really made Squall happy and vice versa. Even Selphie and Irvine had a little thing going although Quistis wasn't exactly sure what.
" Dont' think so hard, you'll wrinkle your forehead," Quistis looked up to find Seifer sitting directly opposite her.
"You're here!" She exclaimed in surprise.
"Of course. I'll take any chance I can get to see the look of surprise on Squall's face. Look instructor, I wanna clear something up about before. I don't know what happened, the cold must have gone to my head. I don't find you in the least bit attractive, in fact I find you annoying and bossy and far too serious. So there's nothing going on right?" Quistis' heart throbbed with pain. So that's how he felt... it was just the cold huh...
"I feel the same Seifer. I think you're difficult and stubborn and far too egotistical. Yeah there's nothing there between us, right?"
"Yeah nothing..." Seifer edged nearer to her.
"Of course not..." Quistis breathed.
"When Hell freezes over..." Seifer leaned towards her.
"When pigs fly..." Quistis leant towards him, their lips only a small space apart. For a moment time stood still. Quistis felt a little dizzy. Seifer moved his hands to her face.
"I wanna kiss you..." he whispered.
"Go ahead..." Quistis grabbed his shirt. Their lips suddenly touched, causing an electric current to flow through Quistis.
"Something tells me that my initial plan wont work..." Seifer murmured.
"Mmmm" Quistis noddeed.
"This IS a new one!" Selphie looked at Seifer and Quistis in their intimate embrace. Irvine looked puzzled.
"Love is strange huh?" He glanced at Selphie.
"Certainly is... So you wanted to talk to me?"
"Yeah can we go somewhere a little more private?"
"If you want, you're scaring me now. What is it?"
Irvine led Selphie to the far, darker corner of the room and reached for Selphie's hand.
"What are you doing?" She looked up to him.
"Something I should've done ages ago..." Selphie grinned at him.
"Oh wait a minute!"
"What is it now?" Irvine groaned. Selphie stood on her tiptoes and kissed him gently on the cheek. Irvine stepped back in shock.
"What... was that for?" He stuttered.
"Be careful where you stand!" Selphie nodded at the mistletoe above their heads, giggling.
"Oh..." Irvine looked disappointed, "well in that case..." He bent down to Selphie's level and kissed her full on the lips. At first, Selphie tried to resist and then began to kiss him back.
"Selphie, I love you, I really do... Will you be mine?" He breathed into her hair as the kiss ended.
"Irvine... can I trust you?"
"Yes, forever. I promise. I don't want anyone else. Just give me a chance to show you..." He looked at her with pleading blue eyes. Selphie smiled back at him and then pulled him down kissing him softly.
" Guess what... I love you too..." She hugged him and he lifted her and spun her around.
"You make me so happy," Irvine kissed the top of her head. Selphie smiled mischieviously and stole his cowboy hat and replaced it with her own Santas hat.
"Merry Christmas Irvy. Now let's party!!!" She pulled him along with her into the crowd. This was THE perfect Christmas...