Chapter Four
Return to Gaia


Kuja had been living with Clover for six months. He taught Clover some basic magic (gradually getting more advanced), and in return, she taught him how to drive. He wasn't nearly expecting how fast the drivers drove in the heart of the city. He was even more fascinated by the prospect of electricity.

Clover taught him as much as she knew about her world, and he did the same for her. He didn't know it was possible for him to open up as much as he did with her. He missed Flare, and Esuna. He hadn't know the girl long enough to miss her as much as he missed his dragon, but he still missed her.

He didn't have time to be homesick, however. He and Clover traded days to cook, and each time they cooked something the other had never tried. Kuja found that a grilled cheese sandwich was one of his favorites.

He was studying a book on the American Revolution when Clover came up to him and tapped him on the shoulder.

"Hmm?" Kuja asked.

"Wanna go see a movie?" Clover asked brightly.

"Sure, but where do we go to see one?"

"That's right! You haven't seen one yet, have you? Alright, then, let's go! I've already got a movie picked out," Clover said, grabbing her keys off a table next to the front door.

"If you say so," Kuja said skeptically.

Kuja wasn't exactly prepared for the movie Clover had picked out. It was a romance film, and it had a lot of kissing. Clover didn't seem to be really into it, and secretly, he was glad. She turned to look at him, and smiled. He smiled back.

After the movie, Kuja and Clover had been walking in silence back to the house. It was a comfortable silence, though. Kuja was happy where he was. No one here but him knew what he had done, and he was ultimately glad. Only Clover knew where he came from, and he trusted her.

"Do you have a boyfriend?" Kuja asked suddenly.

Clover laughed. "Me? No way. All the boys at school are morons who only discuss how well their girlfriends kiss."

Kuja chuckled slightly. "I bet you just love hearing that."

She smiled. "Why, of course I do!" she cried, batting her eyelashes, her voice loaded with sarcasm. "I couldn't possibly think of anything else I'd rather do!"

"What's kissing like?" he asked timidly.

She grinned. "From the stories the boys tell at school, it doesn't matter how a girl kisses as long as she's a babe. But your asking the wrong person. I wouldn't know."

"You've never been kissed?"

Clover snorted. "I could say the same for you."

He stopped and turned to her. He just stood there, looking at her.

Finally he asked, "How old are you?"

"Sixteen."

"Only sixteen? How come you have your own place?"

She smiled sadly. "My parents died last year, in a plane crash. I got legal permission from the state to live on my own."

"I see." Kuja grinned suddenly, then blushed.

"What?" Clover demanded. "I know that look! What are you planning on doing?"

"Doesn't matter. I can't do it anyway."

"How come?"

His grin widened. "It'll embarrass you."

"No it won't."

"Yes it will."

"I don't believe you! C'mon, what is it?"

"Tempting, but I can't."

"Argh! Why?"

"I already answered that."

"I don't care if it'll embarrass me, you got my curiosity up. What were you thinking of doing?"

"This," he said, and swiftly brought his lips down to hers. She just stood there for a moment. Clover had really not expected this. She hesitantly slipped her hand around his neck, not sure if he meant the kiss, or if it was a joke.

Kuja wrapped his hands around her waist, delighted that she was kissing him back. He finally pulled back, and they were both breathing hard. Kuja's hands tightened around her waist.

"Did you mean that, Kuja?" Clover asked seriously.

"Did you?"

She hesitated. Kuja's head immediately pulled back farther.

"You didn't!" he accused.

"Yes! I mean, no! I was. . .just scared that if you hadn't meant it, we'd never be able to look at each other again..."

The sadness in her voice made him wrap his arms round her. She tilted her head up to look at him, and he got so close that their lips barely brushed.

"I meant it," he said softly, and effectively silenced any response from her.



"Jeez, Kuja, your slow! Can't you cook any faster? I'm starved!" Clover cried from the living room.

"You ungrateful little girl! I'll make sure I put poison in it!"

The sarcasm in Kuja's voice made Clover grin. She was slightly giddy around him, though she tried to hide it.

He came out with a spoonful of sauce. "Try it."

She took the spoon from him and sipped it gingerly. She burned her lips, but the sauce was delicious. She told him so.

"I'll have to try some then," he said.

"Gee, thanks! Testing your poison on me first!"

He grinned. "You're welcome."

Clover followed him into the kitchen. "Your making spaghetti! No fair, I've had that before!"

"Really? Hmm, what a shame. Too bad. I'm not cooking anything else."

"You meanie! You did that just so you didn't have to think up something I've never had."

"Guilty," he said innocently, and he lowered his head to kiss her neck. Clover couldn't stop the happy shudder that ran through her.

He reached out and absently flipped the "Off" switch on the stove.

"Kuja? What about din --"

He cut her off once more, his hands wrapping slyly around her waist. Before she could do anything, he pulled back.

Clover shook her head. "You confuse the hell out of me."

Kuja grinned. "I know. Dinner is done anyway. I want to show you something."

He beckoned her to follow him in the bedroom. She slightly hoped that this wasn't leading where she thought it was, but a bigger part of her secretly wished that it would.

He opened the drawer on her nightstand and pulled out a gold chain, with a single amethyst on it. Clover gasped and paled as she saw it.

"What?"

"I've seen myself wearing that necklace...in my dreams."

"What dreams?" he asked softly.

"I'm in a field, and I'm not wearing anything except that necklace. It's all red grass, and it almost reaches my neck. There are...three planets surrounding me."

"Three?" Kuja asked sharply.

She blinked at him. "Yeah. A bright blue one, which is very close to a red one. It almost looked like they would merge. And then, in a complete other direction, there was a planet that looked a lot like Earth, except for the continent shapes."

Kuja paled.

"What?" Clover cried.

"Those worlds...are where I come from."

"Really?"

He nodded. "I was born on the blue one, Terra. I think the red one is the other moon of Gaia that was so close to Terra, that died when I tran..." He broke off suddenly and looked away. "I don't want to talk about it. But, I do want to talk about the necklace. I got it from a lady named Esuna. She died, I think. When you found me so beat up, she was, too. But on Gaia. We both got hit by the same blast."

"I'm sorry. Was she a friend?"

"Sort of."

Clover nodded and pulled him down to sit on the bed beside her.

"You know, Clover? I'm happy. . . happy that I'm living here, that," and he grinned," you kissed me back."

"Mm. Did I? I can't seem to remember..." she replied slyly.

"Perhaps I can refresh your memory?" he asked innocently.

He pressed his lips against hers, and there was no resistance from her this time. She pulled back after a few minutes, feebly trying to breathe.

Without realizing what he was doing, he gently leaned over her, forcing her down to the bed. He kissed her gently, and his hand slid up the front of her shirt.

Whatever part of Clover's mind didn't want this, it must have been busy doing something else at the time, because she had no complaints.



"Hey, Clover?"

"Yeah, Kuja?"

"I know a way that I can get back to my world, and you can come with me. But. . .I'm not liked there too much, and I don't think we'll be able come back here."

"Don't worry," Clover said. "We'll figure out some way that we can. And who knows? Maybe I'll like it so much I won't want to leave."

He grinned ruefully. "I don't think so. At least we don't have to worry about. . .well, I guess we do have to worry about a place to stay."

"Why? What about your house?" she asked in puzzlement.

"It's not exactly a house, and it has a magic barrier around it. I'm not weak, but I'm not good with weapons. I'll be helpless, so we can't stay there."

"If it's not a house, what is it?" Clover asked, more confused that ever.

"A palace," he said with a grin.

She laughed. "I should have expected as much from you. Do you want to go back?"

"A little. But I really enjoy being here. Much more than I enjoyed my old world. I consider this place home, here with you."

She nodded. "Yes, I guess so. But this isn't my home. My home is where ever you are, now. You got here, didn't you? However we need to, we'll be able to get back."

"You sure?"

"Absolutely. So, how do we get there?"

"Through a mirror that Esuna gave me to get out of the palace. You'll end up in a lake, but it won't matter. It's near to shore."

"Okay. Let's do it. Let me go grab a swimsuit for both of us, though."

He grinned and stopped her. "We don't use swimsuits there. We don't have elastic, either."

She smiled. "I can live with that."

"Good." Kuja said as he took out the mirror. He pointed at it. "Tok Ahkim!"

Clover's eyes grew wide as the mirror did.

"C'mon," Kuja said, and stepped through.

Clover took one last look around, wondering if she was crazy for doing this. She shrugged and stepped through.