Author's note~ Okay, I of course don't own any of these characters blah blah blah and all that stuff thank you.

I'll so very sorry for the long delay, but the first chapter is finally here. I hope you enjoy, and thank you so much for the reviews, and if you read this now, I'd really like it if you also would tell me how you like it or even despise it. Anyway, on to the story aye?



Chapter I~ The Storm



"Good morning, or would it be good evening? Oh whatever." Were the first words Garnet heard as her eyes flickered open.

"Huh?" She mumbled stitting up and looking at her surrounds. A small room filled with only a simple table, chair, and the bed on with she was positioned. "Where am I? What happened? And who are you?" Her eyes were still trying to make the figure at the far end of the room come into focus.

"Slow down princess." The young man said. "One question at a time please."

"Who are you?" That was the first one she wanted to know. Although, the other two were also bothering her greatly.

"I'm Zidane Tribal. Remember? I told you this when I kidnapped you." He smiled.

Suddenly everything came back to her. It had been her birthday. Tantalus from Lindblum were putting on a play for her. She was going to run away when.

"Where am I then, and where are you taking me?" She wanted to know so many things. She had been able to sense that something was wrong. That was why she was running away after all, but why was she being kidnapped? What did she have to do with anything? This wasn't just some stupid ransom plea. That was obvious.

The boy, Zidane, had said something pulling Garnet from her thoughts. "What was that? I'm sorry." Her eyes focused on him. Questions were still running through her mind, but she chose to ignore them.

"We are at in inn. I'm not sure what town really, but that's okay. I think." He scratched the back of his head then smiled apparently having shaken off the thought of there being any danger. "Anyway, you should get some sleep."

"Where are you taking me?" Garnet put her feet on the cold stone floor and leaned forward.

Zidane stood up and walked over placing his gloved hands on Garnet's shoulders. "I'll tell you in the morning, but right now, as I said, you need to get some sleep." He pushed her back onto the bed.

She jerked back up. "But I'm not tired, and I don't like it here."

"Just sleep please." Zidane sat down in the chair tiredly. Just don't go under the covers."

Garnet tilted her head in curiosity. "What do you mean?"

"It means go to sleep, okay?" He closed his eyes and leaned back.

Zidane had sparked Garnet's interest, and she wasn't giving up. "Tell me, please?"

"Never mind. Forget I said anything." He waved his hand limply.

"Oh, Zidane, please tell me, please."

"Nope."

Garnet scrunched up her face a moment. "What is it?"

"Trust me, you don't want to know." Zidane said.

"Yes I do." Garnet said slowly.

Zidane opened his eyes and looked at her. "Do you really want to know?" Garnet nodded. "Okay, look this is a honeymoon suite, and small towns like these don't change the bed sheets all that often."

Garnet's face filled with confusion. What was that supposed to mean anyway? The sheets weren't. Realization struck her and her face went pale. She stood up but stumbled, her ankle pulsing. Zidane stood up and helped her over to the chair.

"I told you that you wouldn't want to know." He said as he knelt down to take off her shoe.

"How long are we staying here?" Garnet asked changing the subject and trying to igore the throbbing pain in her ankle.

Zidane held her ankle gingerly. It was swelling, but to him, it didn't look al that bad. "I'm not really to sure. We'll probably leave tomorrow sometime."

"I want to leave now. I don't like it here." Garnet shivered.

"One thing is that I'm tired. I did carry you after all, but even if I wasn't, you can't walk on that ankle. You'll hurt it even more."

"Why did you abduct me?" Garnet asked suddenly.

"Well, because my boss ordered me to. It's as simple as that.." Zidane pulled a long thin cloth from pocket and began wrapping Garnet's ankle.

"Why does your boss want me? I can tell this isn't just for some ransom. Am I right?" Garnet winced as Zidane tightened the temporary bandage.

"Oh, you can tell that, huh?" Zidane stood up and Garnet smiled. "Well you are right. Some guy asked him to."

"Can you remember who he was?"

"Oh, what was his name again? Muja. Luja."

Garnet gasped. "You mean Kuja?"

"Yeah that's what it was, but how would you know? You know him?" Zidane leaned against the small table and looked over at Garnet.

"Well. umm. In a way. I guess." Garnet lifted her feet onto the edge of the chair and hugged her knees. Zidane gave her a questioning look, and she continued. "He's been around the castle quite a bit in the last few months."

"That's weird. Why would he hire someone if he could have done it just as easily himself." Zidane thought out loud.

"I don't know. Can we leave now?"

Zidane tossed her another sideways glance. "Why are you in such a hurry?" Garnet didn't reply. "Well, since I'm tired, I think I'm going to go to bed."

"You can but I refuse." Garnet's response came bluntly.

"Whatever." Zidane mumbled sitting down with his back to the wall and head resting on his chest.

Garnet waited several minutes after Zidane's breath had become slow and even. As a precaution to see if he was asleep, Garnet leaned over him to check. She smiled prepared to make her escape.

Before she knew what had happened, Zidane's hand was resting on the back of her head, and their lips were touching. Zidane loosened his grip a minute later, and Garnet quickly pulled away.

"What was that for?" Garnet was fuming.

"This is a neat little trinket. You could hawk it for quite a bit of gil I'm assuming." Zidane held Garnet's crystal necklace in his hand.

"Hawk.?" Garnet tilted her head in confusion.

"It means sell." Zidane replied.

"No." Garnet whimpered.

Zidane chuckled. "Don't worry. I'm not going to do anything to it."

"Thank you, but would you mind letting it go, please?" Garnet tugged lightly at the chain.

Zidane dropped the necklace and sat up.

"Why did you kiss me?" Garnet asked again.

Zidane changed the subject. "Why were you trying to run away?"

"That's a buisines all my own." She replied.

"Don't you trust me?" He smiled.

"Actually expect me to trust you after you go and kiss me like that? You are absurd."

"I still don't see why not."

She sighed. "I was going to seek help from my uncle, Regent Cid, in Lindblum."

"Seek help? What do you mean?" Zidane asked.

"Now that I will not tell you. No let me have the key so I may leave." She held out her hand.

He pulled the small item out of his boot. "Oh you'll have to get it from me first." With that he stuck it in his mouth.

Garnet stood and frowned down at him with her hands on her hips. "Give it to me."

"No," Zidane said around the key standing up and looking down at his royal opponent.

Suddenly the room was illuminated as lightning flashed above then and thunder crackled a moment later.

"Hello to you to." Zidane said to Garnet who had linked her arms around Zidane's neck.

Garnet jumped back and cupped her hands behind her back. Her cheeks were beginning to turn a light shade of pink. "Sorry." She murmured.

"I didn't mind." They stood in silence for a moment, listening to the rain as it began to pour down on the roof above their heads. "So what's wrong?"

"N-noth-thing." She stammered.

"Do you actually expect me to believe that?" Zidane lifted an eyebrow.

Garnet lowered her gaze to her feet, but Zidane was quick to lift her chin gently until their eyes met. Zidane's lips were set in a slightly crooked smile, and his blue eyes sparkeled in the short moment of moonlight when it managed to shine through the dark clouds. Garnet's lip quivered and her legs gave way. Zidane caught her firmly in his arms and sat down as Garnet began to cry.

Zidane held her close and whispered to her for several minutes until her shoulders stopped quaking and the tears subsided. Garnet pulled herself away and wiped away the few lingering tears.

"Garnet, what's wrong?" Zidane stared intently into Garnet's glistening eyes, his smile long since gone.

Garnet shivered uncontrollably and slowly shook her head as the tears again threatened to come. Zidane grabbed her shoulders and pulled her back into his embrace not knowing anything else to do. "Zidane, we have to leave."

Zidane could barely hear Garnet whisper, but he nodded in agreement at the words he had heard. He was beginning to feel a presence fill the room, and he didn't like it. Let's go." He said lifting Garnet to her feet.