Chapter 17
Squall was stood at attention in the headmaster's office.
"…and that concludes the mission briefing." He said, after explaining the details of the events in Esthar.
"Hmm." Said Cid, he leaned back into his chair, holding the directive given to Squall by Captain Verson. "So, you have all these men under your control?"
"I believe so sir."
"Interesting. And how do you propose to use them?"
"I've all ready got them looking for Odine." Squall sighed. "I have no idea where he went."
"So, we find Odine, we get answers?" Squall nodded. Cid yawned and stretched out his arms. "I'm sorry," he said. "I was up late last night. Problems with Eddy." Eddy was the pet name he gave to his wife. Before the awkward silence that would immediately follow as Cid waited for Squall to give some sort of reply to his problems, Cid said, "Is there anything else?"
"Er, actually yes. I would like to request a few days leave."
"Another one eh?"
"I'm sorry?" asked Squall.
"Oh, uh, never mind. Hmm, let me see…" Cid consulted his desktop calendar. "No major events happening this week. Yes, should be fine. We can live without you for a few days." He looked up over the top of his glasses and gave a light laugh. "Can I enquire as to why?"
"No." Squall could have hit himself for being so rude. He tried to rectify. "I uh, mean, its, um personal. I…I'd rather not say."
"Oh. All right then. You are free to go. When will you be leaving?"
"Tonight."
"Very well. Have a good trip. I hope you find what you are looking for." Strange response thought Squall.
"Uh, thanks." Squall turned and left the room. When he had left, Cid said to himself,
"Say hi to Rinoa for me."
***********************
After she had been given the all clear from Doctor Kadowaki, Yannie went to her room to freshen up. After she had had a shower, and changed her clothes, she felt a lot better. As if what had happened earlier that day was all just a dream. On the way back in the Ragnarok, Squall had debriefed her on the mission. And she thanked and hugged everyone. She even hugged Squall much to his annoyance. No one had ever been so selfless towards her. They had gone out of their way to save her. When she asked them why, Selphie quickly replied,
"Cause you are one of us. You're our friend."
[I]One of them? Friend?[/I] no one had ever said those words to her. She was part of a team. A cog in a well-oiled machine. She fitted in, something, she had never achieved before. I scared and excited her at the same time. [I]Don't screw up this time Yannie.[/I] she said to herself.
She had chosen, today to wear some figure hugging faded denim jeans, open toed sandals and a green vest top She was rubbing her hair dry when there was a knock at the door.
"Who is it?"
"Its me." She smiled.
"Come in Ged." Gered walked in. he was out of his SeeD uniform and was wearing baggy jeans, trainers and a white sleeveless shirt.
"Hey Yann. Thought you might be hungry. They're about to serve diner. You coming?"
"Just drying my hair."
"I bought you something." he held out his hand. In it he held a rose. Yannie stopped rubbing her hair, and gasped.
"Oh, Ged. Isn't that…"
"Alcauld Rose?" He nodded. "I know that it's illegal to pick them but…"
"If you get caught, you'll get a fine and…"
"It reminded me of you." He held it out. She delicately took it from his hand.
"How?"
"Look here." He pointed to the interwoven layers of petals "See how the petals are in layers? Under each layer, is another, and each a slightly different colour than the last. The further you go, the deeper the colours. And right here in the middle, nobody ever sees. Hidden from the world is the most beautiful colour of all." She took his hand.
"Thank you, she whispered." As if by magnetism, they slowly became drawn towards each other. Their faces were only inches apart.
"Ged…" she could feel his breath on her cheek.
"Yann…" the door burst open, and Yannie let go of Gered, pushing him away.
"Yo, you two!" shouted Zell, oblivious to the fact that he burst in on a party he wasn't invited to. "You coming to dinner. They're serving up now."
"Be there in a minute." Said Gered practically pushing Zell out the door. Yannie was sat at the bottom of the bed, looking at the rose. "That Zell, just don't take a hint." He laughed. He sat down next to her on the bed. He took her hand, but she immediately pulled away. "What is it?" he could see tears forming in her eyes.
"I think you should go now." She said to him.
"But, I thought…"
"What did you think?" she spun to face him. "That, there could be something between us?"
"Yann…"
"Don't 'Yann' me! Just go, and take this with you!" she threw the rose at him.
"Why are you being like this?" he stood up to face her.
"Why do you think that you can just walk into my life, and turn everything upside down?"
"I never meant to…"
"But you did. Why couldn't we just be friends." She began to cry. "All I wanted was a friend."
"Bull shit!" shouted Gered. "I saw the way you looked at me just then. You want more than friendship! You're just scared. You think I'm going to go away like the others. But I'm not. If you'd just give me a chance, you would see that." She opened the door, and with as much dignity as she could muster she said,
"Get out."
"Talk to me."
"Please. Just go." Gered opened his mouth to speak, but decided against it. He walked out of the door, and before leaving, he gave her one last look. Yannie slammed the door behind him. She slid down the side of the door, and burst into tears. He held her head in her hands and sobbed.
[I]I knew you'd do it.[/I] the little voice inside said. [I]I knew you would screw it up. Just like you always do…[/I]
"Shut up!" she shouted out. She looked up, and saw on the bed, the precious Alcauld Rose. She could hear Gered's voice still.
[I]"It reminded me of you."[/I] She stood up, and walked over to the bed. She picked up the rose and cradled it in her hands. [I]"And right here in the middle, nobody ever sees. Hidden from the world is the most beautiful colour of all."[/I] She crushed the rose in her grip. "Ow." One of the thorns was stuck in her finger. As she pulled it out, a slow trickle of blood followed. She let the blood stained petals fall into the wastepaper bin.
Squall was stood at attention in the headmaster's office.
"…and that concludes the mission briefing." He said, after explaining the details of the events in Esthar.
"Hmm." Said Cid, he leaned back into his chair, holding the directive given to Squall by Captain Verson. "So, you have all these men under your control?"
"I believe so sir."
"Interesting. And how do you propose to use them?"
"I've all ready got them looking for Odine." Squall sighed. "I have no idea where he went."
"So, we find Odine, we get answers?" Squall nodded. Cid yawned and stretched out his arms. "I'm sorry," he said. "I was up late last night. Problems with Eddy." Eddy was the pet name he gave to his wife. Before the awkward silence that would immediately follow as Cid waited for Squall to give some sort of reply to his problems, Cid said, "Is there anything else?"
"Er, actually yes. I would like to request a few days leave."
"Another one eh?"
"I'm sorry?" asked Squall.
"Oh, uh, never mind. Hmm, let me see…" Cid consulted his desktop calendar. "No major events happening this week. Yes, should be fine. We can live without you for a few days." He looked up over the top of his glasses and gave a light laugh. "Can I enquire as to why?"
"No." Squall could have hit himself for being so rude. He tried to rectify. "I uh, mean, its, um personal. I…I'd rather not say."
"Oh. All right then. You are free to go. When will you be leaving?"
"Tonight."
"Very well. Have a good trip. I hope you find what you are looking for." Strange response thought Squall.
"Uh, thanks." Squall turned and left the room. When he had left, Cid said to himself,
"Say hi to Rinoa for me."
***********************
After she had been given the all clear from Doctor Kadowaki, Yannie went to her room to freshen up. After she had had a shower, and changed her clothes, she felt a lot better. As if what had happened earlier that day was all just a dream. On the way back in the Ragnarok, Squall had debriefed her on the mission. And she thanked and hugged everyone. She even hugged Squall much to his annoyance. No one had ever been so selfless towards her. They had gone out of their way to save her. When she asked them why, Selphie quickly replied,
"Cause you are one of us. You're our friend."
[I]One of them? Friend?[/I] no one had ever said those words to her. She was part of a team. A cog in a well-oiled machine. She fitted in, something, she had never achieved before. I scared and excited her at the same time. [I]Don't screw up this time Yannie.[/I] she said to herself.
She had chosen, today to wear some figure hugging faded denim jeans, open toed sandals and a green vest top She was rubbing her hair dry when there was a knock at the door.
"Who is it?"
"Its me." She smiled.
"Come in Ged." Gered walked in. he was out of his SeeD uniform and was wearing baggy jeans, trainers and a white sleeveless shirt.
"Hey Yann. Thought you might be hungry. They're about to serve diner. You coming?"
"Just drying my hair."
"I bought you something." he held out his hand. In it he held a rose. Yannie stopped rubbing her hair, and gasped.
"Oh, Ged. Isn't that…"
"Alcauld Rose?" He nodded. "I know that it's illegal to pick them but…"
"If you get caught, you'll get a fine and…"
"It reminded me of you." He held it out. She delicately took it from his hand.
"How?"
"Look here." He pointed to the interwoven layers of petals "See how the petals are in layers? Under each layer, is another, and each a slightly different colour than the last. The further you go, the deeper the colours. And right here in the middle, nobody ever sees. Hidden from the world is the most beautiful colour of all." She took his hand.
"Thank you, she whispered." As if by magnetism, they slowly became drawn towards each other. Their faces were only inches apart.
"Ged…" she could feel his breath on her cheek.
"Yann…" the door burst open, and Yannie let go of Gered, pushing him away.
"Yo, you two!" shouted Zell, oblivious to the fact that he burst in on a party he wasn't invited to. "You coming to dinner. They're serving up now."
"Be there in a minute." Said Gered practically pushing Zell out the door. Yannie was sat at the bottom of the bed, looking at the rose. "That Zell, just don't take a hint." He laughed. He sat down next to her on the bed. He took her hand, but she immediately pulled away. "What is it?" he could see tears forming in her eyes.
"I think you should go now." She said to him.
"But, I thought…"
"What did you think?" she spun to face him. "That, there could be something between us?"
"Yann…"
"Don't 'Yann' me! Just go, and take this with you!" she threw the rose at him.
"Why are you being like this?" he stood up to face her.
"Why do you think that you can just walk into my life, and turn everything upside down?"
"I never meant to…"
"But you did. Why couldn't we just be friends." She began to cry. "All I wanted was a friend."
"Bull shit!" shouted Gered. "I saw the way you looked at me just then. You want more than friendship! You're just scared. You think I'm going to go away like the others. But I'm not. If you'd just give me a chance, you would see that." She opened the door, and with as much dignity as she could muster she said,
"Get out."
"Talk to me."
"Please. Just go." Gered opened his mouth to speak, but decided against it. He walked out of the door, and before leaving, he gave her one last look. Yannie slammed the door behind him. She slid down the side of the door, and burst into tears. He held her head in her hands and sobbed.
[I]I knew you'd do it.[/I] the little voice inside said. [I]I knew you would screw it up. Just like you always do…[/I]
"Shut up!" she shouted out. She looked up, and saw on the bed, the precious Alcauld Rose. She could hear Gered's voice still.
[I]"It reminded me of you."[/I] She stood up, and walked over to the bed. She picked up the rose and cradled it in her hands. [I]"And right here in the middle, nobody ever sees. Hidden from the world is the most beautiful colour of all."[/I] She crushed the rose in her grip. "Ow." One of the thorns was stuck in her finger. As she pulled it out, a slow trickle of blood followed. She let the blood stained petals fall into the wastepaper bin.