Rating

Rating: R

Disclaimer: You know what...I've disclaimed 11 times now, I think that it's within the bounds of legality for me to stop at this point.

A/N: I know some of you are pretty antsy for updates. I do have a good excuse!! I was gone for an entire week in Idaho working at a free Humane Society sponsored spay/neuter clinic on a reservation. So, instead of sitting around writing fics for you guys, I was wondering across the country side spotlighting feral cats and getting my finger taped up. Anyway...I'll post the next chapter soon.

Chapter 12: Flight

Quistis awoke to a bright, sunny day and an empty bed. She blinked a few times before casting her gaze around the room. Seifer was sitting on the floor, packing his bag. As Quistis watched him, she thought back to the kiss he'd given her. She'd dreamt about it most of the night, and it was getting hard to distinguish fantasy from reality. Memories of her dreams were beginning to mingle with her memories of the actual event. Sleepily, she observed him until his aqua eyes rose up to meet hers.

"Good morning."

"Good morning to you too," she smiled. Seifer adverted his gaze from her, acting as if he was very involved with the process of packing his bag. They had a big day ahead of them, and Quistis guessed that Seifer was feeling a bit of the stress that accompanied their mission. Or maybe, she reflected with an odd amount of pleasure, he was still unnerved from the somewhat less chaste kiss they'd shared.

She'd been only half awake at the time, but even through a haze of sleep it had made her heart pound and her body tremble. It wasn't at all the kind of reaction she'd ever expected to have at Seifer's touch, especially one that, really, was so simple. There was nothing behind it other than gratitude. Despite herself, even that endeared him a tiny bit more to her. There was a soft center to Seifer's hard exterior.

Shaking her head, Quistis threw off the covers. The spot next to her where Seifer had been laying was still warm, and she paused for a second to visualize his sleeping form. Shivers raced through her, and they immediately brought her back down to the ground.

What the hell? This is Seifer! It's impossible to feel anything but irritated by him...pull yourself together, Quistis!

Confused at her newfound emotions for Seifer, she gave herself a firm mental shake and got onto her feet. The floor was chilled from the cool, morning air and made goose bumps rise on her skin. Seifer, from his position on the floor, looked over at her.

"Something wrong?" he asked, tension obvious in his strained voice.

"No, why?"

He shrugged and turned back to his bag. He was reorganizing it, putting the dirty clothes on the bottom and the clean ones on top, stacking his socks. Another thing Quistis had never visualized Seifer as being was organized. She supposed it was some form of control, Seifer thirsted for control of his surroundings like most men sought power and authority. Distantly, she realized that her own bag was a mess of tangled garments. Her underwear were rolled up in a shirt, her socks stuffed into a corner.

"So, what's the plan?" he asked, zipping his newly organized bag closed with an essence of finality. Quistis was mildly disappointed that he didn't intend to discuss their kiss, and at the same time she was relieved. She wasn't sure she was ready to explore the idea that Seifer could be romantic, could be the kind of lover she'd always wanted. He had the physical prowess of the knights in her dreams, the only thing that he really lacked was magic. He didn't make her head swim, didn't make her want to throw herself into his arms and never leave them.

She had to shake her head again to derail her thoughts from the path they were taking. She didn't want to go there, didn't want to think of Seifer that way, ever.

"Huh?" she finally knew she had to reply, but had forgotten the question.

"The plan," he repeated, narrowing his eyes suspiciously. "I'm sure, as the fearless leader, you have some sort of plan."

"Oh, right...I do," she announced, knotting one of her hands in the loose end of her oversized t-shirt. "We'll go and talk to the same man I talked to yesterday, say that with the baby on the way, we can't risk you being put in any sort of dangerous situation. Then, we'll board a train out of here."

"Strait to Timber? Don't you think that'll make them a little suspicious?"

"To Deling City," she replied. "Right back where we came from."

He chewed this over for a moment, then nodded slowly. Quistis glared down at him.

"What was that all about? I don't need your approval...you'll do what I tell you to," she barked, angry that he seemed to be reverting back to the more grating form of himself that had been with her in Deling City.

"I was just curious," he shrugged. "Not trying to criticize you."

"Yeah...well...okay," she pushed a stay lock of hair out of her eyes. "I'm going to shower, and we'll go."

"Fine." He rose up off the floor, his gaze suddenly half a foot above Quistis' own. His shoulders squared suddenly back, and the breadth of his chest filled her vision. His smoldering gaze danced erratically around their small room, avoiding any contact with her own azure eyes. He was already dressed in a pair of dark jeans and a tight, black t-shirt that his ample muscle strained the fibers of. The aqua color of his eyes, which had always seemed sandy and gold flecked when his hair had been blonde, were clear and deep when accented by black. The resemblance to Squall was minimal, but Quistis couldn't help making the comparison.

Turning, she pushed her hair securely behind her ears and started toward the bathroom.

"You're not going to say anything?" Seifer's voice stopped her.

"What do you mean?" she turned her head so she could see him. Restlessly, he forked a hand through his hair.

"I kissed you," he muttered, not looking at her. "Aren't you going to yell at me for it or something?"

Quistis opened her mouth to reply, only to realize that she didn't know what to say. There were warring feelings within her on the subject of Seifer. Try as she might, she couldn't rid herself of the stigmas her mind had used to thread its image of him. He was rude, arrogant, and a traitor. She, along with many people at Garden, still considered him the enemy. It wasn't fair, but she couldn't deny what she felt.

Another side of her was beginning to see through to the man underneath the cutting remarks. He was in pain, torn apart from the inside out, but through sheer strength allowed no one to see or even suspect his wounds. In all the time she'd spent with him, she'd only glimpsed it briefly the night before when she'd claimed to have forgiven him. In reality, her forgiveness was relative. Consciously she wouldn't hold his past against him any longer, but there remained the deeply ingrained distrust which, having become habitual, would be a struggle to rid herself of.

"I suppose it was as much my fault as yours," she finally announced.

He released a strained laugh, snorting a little.

"What?" Quistis felt self-conscious when he laughed like that and looked down at her feet.

"You going to be telling that to Squall?" he asked, leaning one shoulder against the wall and hooking his thumbs in his belt loops. "Gonna tell all the Trepies that perfect, cold blooded Quistis Trepe willingly kissed and cuddled up to the Sorceress' Knight?"

"What does Squall or the Trepies have to do with any of this?" Quistis asked, a little perturbed.

"Oh, I think they have everything to do with this!" he replied, his eyes fiery.

"Why?" she had fully turned toward him now, crossing her arms tightly over her chest. The stance was closed off, reserved, and clearly conveyed to Seifer that she wasn't going to be played with.

He flushed a little, at least having the decency to look embarrassed at his outburst. Shrugging, he waved a hand dismissively and turned his back on her.

"Never mind."

Confused, Quistis grabbed her crumpled bag and slammed the bathroom door behind her. She didn't understand men at all, and she wished they would quit sending her such confusing signals. There were the Trepies - she hadn't realized they were still around after she became nothing more than a simple SeeD - who were childishly infatuated with her. There was Squall who hardly realized that she existed. Irvine would flirt charmingly with her from time to time, but for him it was more of a hobby than a means toward romance. Now, she had Seifer to add to her list of men in her life who baffled her. He'd kissed her, acted possessive and jealous, then turned around as if she didn't matter.

Heaving a long sigh, she started to disrobe. She was finding it harder and harder to remember that her mission was to protect Dollet and Timber from Galbadian attack, not to figure out the twisted, inner workings of Seifer Almasy.

***

Seifer cradled his head in his hand with a long, feathery sigh. Things didn't seem to be going well. After Quistis got out of the shower, they finished packing and quickly departed to talk to arrange Seifer's departure with the Galbadian Army. Things were seeming to go well at first as they approached the large, impressive looking man and requested, very politely, that Seifer be allowed out of his contract. He had told them he understood their situation, but couldn't possibly just allow Seifer to leave.

He groaned and collapsed onto his back, covering his eyes with one arm. They could have left it at that and snuck out when night fell, but Quistis had to put her two sense in.

Why does she always have to be so stubborn? It's her way, or no way. Hyne, the minute I saw her cross her arms I wanted to die.

It was obvious that the man, who'd had a previous discussion with Quistis, was intimidated by her. She could sense it as well as he could, and she played off of it. Quistis had always been good at that, finding the one weak spot in her enemy and exploiting it to the fullest. He'd always wondered if it was that talent in her, that ruthlessness she could sometimes display, that had made her into a SeeD so early on in her life. Perhaps it was her stead fast determination, her stiff, strait exterior - whatever it was, he had lacked it for years.

The one thing that he knew was that her leadership skills certainly weren't what had given her a leg up.

She'd pressed the man earnestly, going as far as to threaten him if he didn't let Seifer out of his contract. The only results of her empty threats and bravado were to reinforce the man's already poignant dislike for her. So, instead of them escaping into the night, Seifer was sitting in detention, ready to go to jail in the morning. He'd be accused of treason, the result of his "coercing" an officer to let him out of his contract with the Galbadian government.

Anger rose up in him. If she'd listened to him, they would both be fine. But, she'd had to go and do things her own way, and he would be the one to pay the price for it. Quistis' punishment was that she had to leave the base in the morning. After all, she wasn't the one who'd been legally bound to serve the government. Once again, like so many times before, Seifer found himself on the raw end of the deal. He wondered if Quistis would just go on without him, meet up with Selphie, Paxx, and Krik in Timber.

That was, of course, assuming that they would be more successful in their escape plans than Quistis had been. But, maybe all out success had never really been her plan. His stomach turned as he thought of her plotting a seemingly innocent way to get him out of her hair. She'd been unusually pleasant and nice the past few days. Like the idiot he was, Seifer had assumed she was finally beginning to like him.

Why he even gave a damn whether she liked him was completely beyond his restricted capacity to understand. Seifer didn't shut people out like Squall had, but that didn't mean that they didn't have a lot in common when it came to social dealings either. Seifer liked to be in control, and he made no secret of the contempt he felt toward being pushed around by anyone. Yet, he was human and every once in a while someone did breach his defenses. There had been Rinoa, who had blindly accepted and put her faith in him.

Guilt rained down on him as he thought of her. He should have been honest from the start, her feelings were not mutual. However, the idea of someone pining after him - him, Seifer Almasy - was too much of a temptation to throw away. He basked in the glory of her affection. Of course, he'd had no idea that her feelings had been as strong as Quistis reported them to be. Yet, he couldn't fight the feeling that Rinoa fell in love frequently. She'd certainly moved on from him to Squall quickly enough.

Then, there was Quistis. His relationship with her had always been strange. She was his teacher, his sister, his enemy...his desire. It wasn't worth his time to try and convince himself that Quistis didn't stir his blood. She was a fine piece of woman, anyone with eyes could see that. Rinoa was as beautiful and fine as the moon, but Quistis was a bright, shining sun. Her hair was vibrant compared to Rinoa's sleek, ebony hair. Quistis was tall, and voluptuously filled out. Her hips had a definite flare to them, and her figure would startle any man. Rinoa was girlish yet in her physique. Narrow bodied and sometimes wildly immature, she remained in Seifer's mind as a childish presence.

He stood up and pressed his hot hands to the cool wall, regretting his kind thoughts toward Quistis Trepe. She was unimaginably beautiful and sensual, but that didn't change the fact that she'd hung him out to dry. It didn't change who he was, couldn't make her want him. She wanted a fairy tale romance, someone who would bring her flowers and chocolates, someone who would shield her from all that was bad in the world and make her burn with just one touch. Seifer could never be that man, even if he wanted to be.

"Fuck," he cussed, then let a few more swear words slide liberally past his lips. He wasn't particularly known for being reserved when it came to language, but this was one situation in which he felt the words were truly warranted.

He was moving to sit down, when he heard a noise from the other side of the door. A sharp, quick sound that was followed by a lower, muffled sound. Confused, he tilted his head and stared at the door as if he looked hard enough he would be able to see through it.

Seifer didn't have much time to sit and stare before the object he was staring at swung open and a lithe form crept into the dark with him. Seifer's instincts told him to protect himself, and he did just that by grabbing for the shadow. The thought that he had no weapon never crossed his mind, only the immediate need to restrain and learn the identity of his new companion floated in his mind.

As he pounced on and wrapped his arms around the person, he became immediately aware that whoever it was wasn't a man. She struggled in his grip, tossing her hair in his face. The scent of that silken heap of hair was what finally brought him back to his senses - lilac.

"Quistis?" He removed his hand from her mouth, thinking he did so just in time as he felt her jaw ease closed, the little imp had been about to bite him.

"What the hell?" she demanded. "Is this how you treat everyone who saves you?"

"Sorry..." he mumbled. "I didn't think it was you." A part of him soared as she reached for his hand in the dark.

"I killed the lights," she announced. "Everyone's distracted trying to figure out what's wrong. It should take them a while to find all the wires I cut...but, just in case we should get going." It took him a moment to realize why she was gripping his hand, but as he felt the hilt of Hyperion come to rest against his palm he understood.

"Thanks," he said, not sure what else to say.

"Thought you might need it," she laughed. "I've already got all of our stuff packed into one of the army vehicles...if we can get to it we'll drive until we run out of fuel and then abandon it."

"Alright...let's go." She reached for his hand again, and with their fingers linked together they crept out of Seifer's solitary confinement cell into the hallway.

"Careful, step over this guy," she whispered. Seifer's toe came into contact with the inert form of a solider, and he stepped over him with a light smile. Quistis was certainly a force to be reckoned with.

She led him down the darkened hallway, and the entire time his heart thundered with excitement. He liked the thrill of impending battle almost as much as the feel of Quistis' warm hand in his. The realization that he'd come to like her as much as he had was a bit sobering, and he tried his best to concentrate on the task at hand. They'd have their collective asses in a sling if they got caught.

Both of them froze and plastered themselves to the wall as they heard voices. Quistis' shoulder tucked close to his arm, and he could tell she had changed clothes. Her bare skin touched his right where the fabric of his short sleeved shirt ended. Through a haze, Seifer heard the voices slowly depart and fade into the distance. They both let out a long sigh of relief.

"We're almost outside," Quistis whispered. "The car is parked just outside the base...we'll have to run past the residential halls to get there."

"Alright...I'll follow you," he whispered back.

Quistis peeled herself off the wall and set out at a controlled jog for the door. Seifer was on her heels, nearly pressed up against her back as she swung the door open and stepped out into the humid night.

The warm, damp air wrapped around Seifer like a cocoon, and he almost coughed to keep from choking on it. He could smell ocean salt in the air, and it reminded him of Balamb. He'd never really felt at home in Balamb, but he'd never really felt at home anywhere. The sad truth was, Seifer wasn't even sure he really knew what having a home felt like.

They ducked quickly into some shadows as a group of men jogged by, their faces were grimly set and one of them, the fair haired man Quistis had walked with, looked down right pissed off. Seifer still remembered the unreasonable anger that had filled him when he saw her out in the field with the young man. He had everything that she was looking for - charm, good looks, and a pleasant disposition. Granted, he was a little young for her, but age was something love tended to be blind to.

Shaking his head to rid himself of the disturbing thoughts running through his mind, Seifer followed Quistis back out of the shadows. She was sprinting now, and she was surprisingly fast. He would have never guessed that a woman could move so quickly in boots, but somehow Quistis managed to out pace him. He still couldn't get over the fact that she'd actually broke him out of jail. From what he understood, it would have been easier for her just to leave him there. There mere fact that she'd bothered to lend him a hand - even if his going to jail was her fault - was both baffling and heart warming.

They came quickly upon the army issue vehicle, having encountered only a minimal amount of men on their trip.

"I don't think they realize that you're gone yet," Quistis announced. "Although, I think they do realize that someone cut wires."

"The patrolling men show they're worried about something," Seifer replied, climbing in the car beside her. Their stuff was piled in the back, the case for Seifer's gunblade on the top. He held it tightly in his hand as she started up the car, knowing that they could potentially run into resistance any second. They'd been able to run past the gates, and seemed home free. Yet, he was unwilling to let down his guard. They had both been trained too well from that.

"I hope Selphie, Paxx, and Krik are alright..." Quistis murmured, chewing on her bottom lip.

"We'll see soon enough," Seifer replied, knowing it was little consolation but also knowing Quistis would see strait through any kind lie he told her. It was better just to face the truth head on, people let themselves deny things in order to keep from dealing with them. Seifer's policy had always been to plow strait through everything with with a bull-like ferocity.

They both fell silent as Quistis tore down the gravel road, throwing up rocks and dust behind them. He hoped that she knew where she was going, and allowed himself to stare off into the bleak, dark night.