Next Generation
(Author's Note: A bit of fluff. This is hard to believe but Aliasha's rape doesn't affect her that much. She's convinced that she's stronger than the average person, and once you know you can do something, you do it. I remind you that Aliasha has been brought up by 'everyone-needs-to-depend-on-themselves' Leonhart, and the lovely Rinoa. She's extremely strong. Also, I want the story to move away from that area and move onto something else. Kapeesh? Square owns everything except Aliasha, Debra, Zack, Leyton, Lisa and Phoenix. I've got nothing, so don't sue me. This chapter is dedicated to all the "someones" who are neglected when they want love. Also thanks to Avril Lavigne, for her great and inspiring song, Naked.)
Chapter Three: Leyton's Confession
Aliasha stared at the ceiling of the van. It was moving and she was alone. Alone, like usual. Sometimes she convinced herself she liked it this way, other times she thought it was hurtful. Yet, in the end, you died alone. Once you were in those dying moments, you passed through the barrier, life's biggest test, alone. Aliasha wasn't afraid to do that. Death was but a new door, to another adventure, perhaps the greatest adventure. Thinking about death brought her mind to her mother's funeral.
Against Ma Dincht's wishes, she'd attended. She remembered the way her mother had looked so peaceful. The way her mother had only looked asleep. But even at that age, she'd known, her mother wasn't going to wake up. Aliasha had asked her mother questions as she had been buried. At present she could only recall one, why did you make sure I was left alone? Quistis had never made any attempt to get hold of Seifer, Aliasha knew. Quistis had known she was going to die but had still left it until the last minute to tell him he had a daughter. Why had her mother wanted her to be alone?
Quistis had been alone though. She had had to depend on herself, as no one had ever helped her. She had been the ice queen, and no one had ever tried to thaw her out. Not until Seifer. He'd thawed her out then left her unfrozen, pregnant and vunerable. Why had he left? Why had she not tried to stop him? How had it all happened? Who even says the visions she'd had were real?
The vans came to a stop and Aliasha banged her head while sitting up. Sudden dizziness and nausea sprang through brain in an instant. Maybe she'd stay lying down? Then again she hadn't really thought about the damage that had been done to her, as long as she could walk out of the caves, it hadn't mattered. She peeked at herself under the covers. Someone had changed her into a pair of loose silk pyjamas. She examined herself. Whoever had bandaged the wounds had been doing it hurriedly. She heard the door open and dropped the top. Quickly pulling the covers that had been placed over her, up to her chin.
"Hey, steady! Careful, you've got quite a few bumps!" Leyton's voice broke through her curses as the nausea and dizziness returned. He laughed at a few of her made up ones and sat on the edge of her bed. He gently reached out and removed a strand of hair from her face. Aliasha stiffened. Leyton was showing affection, he'd never done that before, though there had always been a hint of the four letter L word.
"I'm okay, really. So... I take it I failed, what about the others? Do you know yet?" Aliasha asked. She would leave Garden in fear if Phoenix didn't pass because of her decision. She expected some kind of formal answer from Leyton, a rehersed speech, a lecture, even an arguement. But instead he laughed. A nice, jolly laugh, like one you expect to hear from a man of his age without a care in the world.
"You ever think about anything but SeeDship?" He replied. Aliasha blushed. Whatever was he talking about?
"Like what?" She asked. Leyton became serious again. Aliasha wondered if she should add an extra "sir" in for good measure. Maybe not... He looked at her, just studying her features, then finally he spoke.
"Like after you've got bored of being a mercenary? What comes after SeeD? I can't see you settling down and having a family like the rest, so, cough up!" Leyton said, adding a happy twist to the end. Aliasha wondered where this was going. She had never thought about a life not doing SeeD things. She would retire, she supposed, but when and what she'd do then was just a complete mystery. She couldn't think of an answer. Her mother, and father, had been Instructors at Garden, what would they have wanted her to do?
"A-After SeeD? I never thought of it before... I think starting a family is something I'd consider, only if I met the right guy... I guess I'd rebuild the Lighthouse Orphanage and make it a special Garden for those who are orphans. You know, those weird White SeeDs from that floating orphanage," Alisha explained. Leyton smiled at her and gently took her hand. Physical contact? What was wrong with him? Was he? Could he be trying to get her to give up Garden? Why? For him?
"Aliasha, I want to hold you to that. After SeeD, you and I, are gonna rebuild Edea's Orphanage. It's always been a dream of mine to teach, it would be great to train children to be SeeDs like ourselves. You're wondering why I'm telling you this... I-I guess it's because I realised something today-" He coughed nervously. Aliasha tried to look mildly puzzled, having no idea what to do if he declared he loved her. She wasn't all too sure if she returned the feelings. "-I don't want you in danger. You're like a sister to me, and that has always made me respect you. I just don't wanna see you hurt, if you survive your SeeDship that is," He stopped. It had been hard for him to say that. But there was more, Aliasha could tell. He wasn't completely relaxed.
"I have decided to become a SeeD to help people. If I live to reach a retirement age, then I'll gladly take up Edea's Orphanage with you. I'd love to train SeeDs with the youngest Instructor for about twenty years!" Aliasha said, trying to get the conversation back where she knew where it was going. The van door suddenly opened and Leyton jumped out of his skin. He banged his head on the over-head storage and then stood to attention.
"Anyone'd think you were doing something you weren't supposed to cadet," Squall said, amused. Aliasha looked from Leyton to Squall. Cadet? What the hell? Leyton looked as though he was going to cry. Aliasha wanted to get out and comfort him, but after the tense and scary moment a second ago, she wasn't sure she could do it.
"We were just talking, commander," Leyton replied, stiff as a board. Aliasha sighed and looked pointedly at Squall. He took the hint and waved to Leyton to relax. Immediately a sense of foreboding coursed through Aliasha's body. The look on Squall's face had gone from amused to deadly serious and strangely sad. Leyton was still standing half to attention, half casual. Aliasha bit her lip.
"Leyton? I'll catch up with you back in Garden," She hinted. Leyton bowed to her and saluted Squall, before leaving quickly. Aliasha shook her head.
"Okay, what'd he do to get demoted?" She asked. Squall took her hand, talking to her as an uncle not as a Garden Commander. He gently kissed her forehead, in a fatherly way. Aliasha looked at the man who had looked after her for twelve years. He'd never pretended to be her father, never tried to tell her to call him father, but he was, in the end, a good father. No one deserved the title more. If she went against him he came down like a ton of bricks on her, and when she put a foot out of line in Garden matters she would be sitting detention after detention. Yet, she'd always known he loved her. Always.
"What do you think? Went against the instructor codes. I can't make an exception for him, even if he is your sweetheart," Squall smiled at her. He was teasing. Aliasha wondered if Leyton had had the father-love prospect talk with Squall? It usually scared half the guys away, thinking that they were getting involved with someone with a psycho parent. Leyton wasn't a sweetheart however, more of a... More of a what?
"Sweetheart? Leyton? No, I don't think so. He's just not my type. I prefer the strong guys, like, say... Like my mother did, must've inherited it!" Aliasha regretted having to have this conversation, but she had to know. If Almasy was her father, then that would give her a little more of her identity. A bit of family tree, perhaps a grandmother or father?
"You're mother did go for the strong and silent types," Squall said, chuckling. Aliasha thought it was fitting to call himself strong and silent. A complete Squall-thing. Or didn't he know that Quistis had loved him.
"Why didn't you tell me my father was Seifer Almasy?" Aliasha demanded. Squall didn't say anything and the silence went on, for what seemed like an age. Aliasha wondered if there was a better time for them to have this conversation. Aliasha bit her tongue to stop herself from breaking the silence.
"Seifer... He is your father, and he loved Quistis very much, and she him. I'm afraid it was I who made sure they were on opposite ends of the globe. Only after four months of Seifer disappearing to Trabia Garden, did Quistis admit she was four months pregnant. Apparently Seifer hadn't answered her calls. I knew why, because under his coldness, he was just as scared of everything as she was. I tried to get hold of him, but everytime I redirected him to Quistis he'd hang up. It seemed that the relationship was doomed.
"When he heard she was dying, he came immediately. She spent her last hour with him, and she was happy, dying but happy. Seifer then threatened to kill himself, but as soon as he saw you, he couldn't. Then the train he was in crashed. He was buried and propaganda from the Sorceress War was spread around, Seifer was portrayed as a bad guy, that was it. We never encouraged you to look into who your father was, for fear you'd freak." Aliasha listened to Squall silently. She waited for him to finish his story then spoke.
"So he's buried somewhere? Where?" Aliasha asked quietly. Squall gently hugged her, bringing her up into his strong arms.
"Edea's Orphanage, with Quistis. He has a Liberi Fatali grave, as all of us will have," Squall explained. Aliasha then did something she'd never done before, she got onto Squall's knee and cried into his shoulder. Everything caught up with her. Memories, some from that day, some from her childhood, zoomed around her head, getting muddled and mixed. Then the face of the torturer sprang into her mind. She just cried and cried into Squall's arms.
"Shhh, shhh. I know what happened in the caves. I also know you won't want to talk about it, therefore what happened there is top secret. Tell only those who need to know. In light of the courage you showed, we're giving you another chance at graduation. Tomorrow you'll go with Instructor Zell Dincht and Instructor Selphie Kinneas to get a serial killer from Timber. Don't fail me again," Squall said, rocking her slightly. He stroked her hair and she found herself feeling better. Perhaps she could get used to depending on people? She fell asleep, being rocked in the arms of the only man she could ever call dad.
Leyton was outside, leaning against the metal of the van. He looked up into the sky, it was clouding up. Like his mood. She'd been nervous of him in there. He'd been nervous in there. Yes, he admitted, there was a feeling there. Love? Love was a big word, and he just wasn't going to use it until he was sure. Yet how could they be made for each other? Her father was his mother's- Squall opened the door of the van and quietly shut it.
"Leyton?" He said, falling into step with the younger man. Squall was what Leyton had always wanted to become, a strong and formidable presence to those who he didn't know, yet a father to those he did. Garden needed a figure head like him, there was no one in the world who commanded more respect, but at the same time made you at your ease. Out of battle he was a fun guy, but during battle he was ruthless, go outside the wording of the contract and you would find yourself looking up at your body.
"I was wondering sir, is she okay? It's just, she seemed a little... Freaked... And that's why there was a strange tension," Leyton explained. To his surprise Squall chuckled. Leyton saw that the Commander had stopped and he turned around to find Squall in fits of laughter.
"S-sir?"
"You're trying to give excuses to a guy who's heard all of them! That was original. No, she is not okay, but don't push her about it, I have a feeling you'll know what's wrong soon enough. The strange tension, I think I'll let my imagination deal with that. Now, son, how about some sort of food? I'll get Phoenix to feed our little fairy in the silk pyjamas," Squall gestured to the van. Leyton nodded. He was hungry. Something wasn't right however, why would the commander of Garden want anything to do with him? He was a rebel Instructor, why should he be treated like a son? Perhaps Commander Squall just wanted to have lunch with someone who talked to the everyday students?
"Good. Now, you find Phoenix and I'll find the food. I last saw him in the last van with Miss Debra and Lisa Dincht, but he could be anywhere by now. Meet back here with him," The commander walked away. Leyton didn't have anything against Phoenix, but he had never really spoken to the Commander's son. Although he had taught him for just under a year, the guy had kept to himself. Leyton didn't hold it against him, it would be too easy to out your foot in it.
Leyton tried the end van and found Zack, Debra and Lisa sitting talking. They all hushed up when he walked in. There was a nervous cough. Leyton knew that Phoenix wasn't here, but his curiosity got the better of him. What had they been talking about?
"You seen Phoenix? He's supposed to be feeding his adopted sister," Leyton asked. They all shook their heads and the tension in the room mounted. Leyton knew that they were hiding something. Commander Leonhart and Aliasha had. Something had happened in that cave, something really bad. And it had happened to Aliasha... Poor poor Aliasha...
"If you see him tell him that his father wants him pronto. Have you visited Aliasha?" Leyton sat down next to one of the twins, after a quick inspection he decided it was Debra, the nunchaku by her side. Lisa was across from him and Zack diagonally to his left. He put his feet up on the opposite seat.
"Yes we did earlier, but she was asleep. We've been invited for grub with Commander Squall, he's probably gonna come get us soon," Zack said, absently. Leyton shrugged, his job was to find Phoenix. Perhaps the rivalry between the Dincht/Kinneas combination and the Loire/Trepe combination was finally coming to an end. Maybe?
"I'mm having lunch with him as well. I think you should probably come with me. I'll go find Phoenix and meet you outside Aliasha's van. You sure you haven't seen him?" Leyton asked again. Again he got shakes of heads all round. He gave up on them and walked outside into the darkened light. Storms were incredible things, powerful and mighty. They held a certain amount of mystical energy as well.
Leyton tried every van, until only two were left. He doubted that Squall would send him to search for Phoenix in the Commander's private van, so that left... Aliasha's... She'd be awake, he was certain, but he still thought about the tension earlier. He shivered and jogged up to the door. However, just before he got there, the heavens opened up and soaked him. Cold and hungry he opened the door to Aliasha's van without a second thought. Only when he got inside did he realise his mistake. Always knock before entering a girls room. You never know what state they're in.
"Leyton! Turn around!" Alaisha screeched. Leyton coloured and turned quickly. Aliasha had only been in her underwear. Yet that had been enough for a good view of her figure. Not to be sniffed at, she was an angel. She must have the perfect statistics. Breasts, not too big, hips, wide enough without giving her a big ass, and a nice slim waist. Leyton scolded himself for thinking about that. Suddenly a towel appeared in front of his face.
"You're soaked, and yes, I'm decent," Aliasha said. Leyton took the towel and dried his hair. He didn't think much about the way he looked, or the way others did for that matter. However he found himself in sheer delight at watching Aliasha. She was graceful, from the gunblade and fencing work, and a certain amount of mystery surrounded her. She was serious about what she did, loyal and she only let her hair down when you dragged it out of her. Leyton had been good at setting her at ease, and she'd got better since she'd known him, but the uncomfortable silence eariler still haunted him.
"So, Phoenix gave me my food. He says my uncle has given up on lunch and when we get back to Garden he'll eat dinner. He invited the other SeeD candidates for lunch. He'll make it up to you, with, er, Rinoa's nice home cooking. Trust me, even the cafeteria food is better than that," Aliasha told him. Leyton smiled. Was this a dream? Why did he feel slightly spaced out? He wanted to pinch himself, but he didn't want to wake himself up. The warm fuzzyness was kind of nice.
"Cafeteria food huh? If she cooks hotdogs like the cafeteria then I'll be glad to come! She can get me the recipe as well!" Leyton said, trying not to let the warm fuzzies attack his voice. Yet even to him, his voice was soft and gentle. He coughed, trying to summon his voice from somewhere. Then something appeared in his mind. The conversation that Squall and he had had when Aliasha had been missing. Had he been in love with her? The answer, he was.
"What's the matter? You seem a little weird," Aliasha asked. Leyton frowned, was he that easy to read? He sat down on her bed and she sat down next to him. Leyton wondered if telling her was the best possible course of action? What if she rejected him?
"I don't know if I should tell you... I don't know if you want to know," Leyton said, unwillingly. Aliasha moved closer and put her arm around his shoulders. He felt his heart begin to race and warm fuzzies attack his brain again. If he didn't tell her, he'd have to spend the rest of his life pretending that she didn't mean anything to him.
"Leyton, what ever it is, you can tell me! I'm not going to hit you if it's bad!" Aliasha replied. Leyton sighed, this was going to be hard. He'd spent his life denying that he loved her, now he'd admitted it, he was stupid enough to tell her. Damn it was hard! The road through love is never easy, Leyton had read that once, scribbled in the margin of a library book. It seemed the librarians wrote things like that in books when they were bored.
"I guess the simpliest way for me to tell you wouldn't be with words. I'm not all that good with them, as you know," Leyton leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers. To his dismay she didn't kiss back. He had just felt something wonderful, but she hadn't. She'd just had a friend kiss her. Leyton drew back and put his head in his hands. He felt like crying. Aliasha just sat there beside him.
"Let's stay as friends, Leyton. I'm-I can't-Please, it's not you, it's me, if you'll pardon the cliche. Please Leyton, understand, you're wonderful, but I can't," Aliasha said quietly. Leyton nodded, he understood. She didn't love him, but he would forever be tormented by the hope that she could. He stood up and left without a word.
Aliasha hadn't been expecting Leyton, so when he burst in, soaked to the bone, she'd over-reacted somewhat. After the initial shock had worn off, for both of them, she'd told him to turn around and given him a towel. But something wasn't the same. She felt, strange. She'd felt this feeling before, but not in her own body. In that of her father and mothers. It was love.
Aliasha couldn't love yet. Whenever she thought about the contact that would be involved her skin crawled and her mind went to that room. When Leyton had sat down, she'd sat as close as she could, without being on his knee. The words he'd said had been said seventeen years ago by her father to her mother. Then he'd done exactly the same thing. Aliasha hadn't ever known anything so romantic.
Yet as she had begun to enjoy the kiss, the face of the terrorist had sprang into her mind. She had been unresponsive and Leyton had looked so unhappy. He was pretty easy to read. She had made up some lies, half true and he'd got up and left with a hurried goodbye. Aliasha waited until he'd gone and then broke down on her bed, crying. Being strong had it's down sides as well as good ones. She couldn't give in, and when she did she felt she was doing it wrong.
It was like crying into her pillow that Squall found her. He took a dim view on the matter.
(Author's Note: A bit of fluff. This is hard to believe but Aliasha's rape doesn't affect her that much. She's convinced that she's stronger than the average person, and once you know you can do something, you do it. I remind you that Aliasha has been brought up by 'everyone-needs-to-depend-on-themselves' Leonhart, and the lovely Rinoa. She's extremely strong. Also, I want the story to move away from that area and move onto something else. Kapeesh? Square owns everything except Aliasha, Debra, Zack, Leyton, Lisa and Phoenix. I've got nothing, so don't sue me. This chapter is dedicated to all the "someones" who are neglected when they want love. Also thanks to Avril Lavigne, for her great and inspiring song, Naked.)
Aliasha stared at the ceiling of the van. It was moving and she was alone. Alone, like usual. Sometimes she convinced herself she liked it this way, other times she thought it was hurtful. Yet, in the end, you died alone. Once you were in those dying moments, you passed through the barrier, life's biggest test, alone. Aliasha wasn't afraid to do that. Death was but a new door, to another adventure, perhaps the greatest adventure. Thinking about death brought her mind to her mother's funeral.
Against Ma Dincht's wishes, she'd attended. She remembered the way her mother had looked so peaceful. The way her mother had only looked asleep. But even at that age, she'd known, her mother wasn't going to wake up. Aliasha had asked her mother questions as she had been buried. At present she could only recall one, why did you make sure I was left alone? Quistis had never made any attempt to get hold of Seifer, Aliasha knew. Quistis had known she was going to die but had still left it until the last minute to tell him he had a daughter. Why had her mother wanted her to be alone?
Quistis had been alone though. She had had to depend on herself, as no one had ever helped her. She had been the ice queen, and no one had ever tried to thaw her out. Not until Seifer. He'd thawed her out then left her unfrozen, pregnant and vunerable. Why had he left? Why had she not tried to stop him? How had it all happened? Who even says the visions she'd had were real?
The vans came to a stop and Aliasha banged her head while sitting up. Sudden dizziness and nausea sprang through brain in an instant. Maybe she'd stay lying down? Then again she hadn't really thought about the damage that had been done to her, as long as she could walk out of the caves, it hadn't mattered. She peeked at herself under the covers. Someone had changed her into a pair of loose silk pyjamas. She examined herself. Whoever had bandaged the wounds had been doing it hurriedly. She heard the door open and dropped the top. Quickly pulling the covers that had been placed over her, up to her chin.
"Hey, steady! Careful, you've got quite a few bumps!" Leyton's voice broke through her curses as the nausea and dizziness returned. He laughed at a few of her made up ones and sat on the edge of her bed. He gently reached out and removed a strand of hair from her face. Aliasha stiffened. Leyton was showing affection, he'd never done that before, though there had always been a hint of the four letter L word.
"I'm okay, really. So... I take it I failed, what about the others? Do you know yet?" Aliasha asked. She would leave Garden in fear if Phoenix didn't pass because of her decision. She expected some kind of formal answer from Leyton, a rehersed speech, a lecture, even an arguement. But instead he laughed. A nice, jolly laugh, like one you expect to hear from a man of his age without a care in the world.
"You ever think about anything but SeeDship?" He replied. Aliasha blushed. Whatever was he talking about?
"Like what?" She asked. Leyton became serious again. Aliasha wondered if she should add an extra "sir" in for good measure. Maybe not... He looked at her, just studying her features, then finally he spoke.
"Like after you've got bored of being a mercenary? What comes after SeeD? I can't see you settling down and having a family like the rest, so, cough up!" Leyton said, adding a happy twist to the end. Aliasha wondered where this was going. She had never thought about a life not doing SeeD things. She would retire, she supposed, but when and what she'd do then was just a complete mystery. She couldn't think of an answer. Her mother, and father, had been Instructors at Garden, what would they have wanted her to do?
"A-After SeeD? I never thought of it before... I think starting a family is something I'd consider, only if I met the right guy... I guess I'd rebuild the Lighthouse Orphanage and make it a special Garden for those who are orphans. You know, those weird White SeeDs from that floating orphanage," Alisha explained. Leyton smiled at her and gently took her hand. Physical contact? What was wrong with him? Was he? Could he be trying to get her to give up Garden? Why? For him?
"Aliasha, I want to hold you to that. After SeeD, you and I, are gonna rebuild Edea's Orphanage. It's always been a dream of mine to teach, it would be great to train children to be SeeDs like ourselves. You're wondering why I'm telling you this... I-I guess it's because I realised something today-" He coughed nervously. Aliasha tried to look mildly puzzled, having no idea what to do if he declared he loved her. She wasn't all too sure if she returned the feelings. "-I don't want you in danger. You're like a sister to me, and that has always made me respect you. I just don't wanna see you hurt, if you survive your SeeDship that is," He stopped. It had been hard for him to say that. But there was more, Aliasha could tell. He wasn't completely relaxed.
"I have decided to become a SeeD to help people. If I live to reach a retirement age, then I'll gladly take up Edea's Orphanage with you. I'd love to train SeeDs with the youngest Instructor for about twenty years!" Aliasha said, trying to get the conversation back where she knew where it was going. The van door suddenly opened and Leyton jumped out of his skin. He banged his head on the over-head storage and then stood to attention.
"Anyone'd think you were doing something you weren't supposed to cadet," Squall said, amused. Aliasha looked from Leyton to Squall. Cadet? What the hell? Leyton looked as though he was going to cry. Aliasha wanted to get out and comfort him, but after the tense and scary moment a second ago, she wasn't sure she could do it.
"We were just talking, commander," Leyton replied, stiff as a board. Aliasha sighed and looked pointedly at Squall. He took the hint and waved to Leyton to relax. Immediately a sense of foreboding coursed through Aliasha's body. The look on Squall's face had gone from amused to deadly serious and strangely sad. Leyton was still standing half to attention, half casual. Aliasha bit her lip.
"Leyton? I'll catch up with you back in Garden," She hinted. Leyton bowed to her and saluted Squall, before leaving quickly. Aliasha shook her head.
"Okay, what'd he do to get demoted?" She asked. Squall took her hand, talking to her as an uncle not as a Garden Commander. He gently kissed her forehead, in a fatherly way. Aliasha looked at the man who had looked after her for twelve years. He'd never pretended to be her father, never tried to tell her to call him father, but he was, in the end, a good father. No one deserved the title more. If she went against him he came down like a ton of bricks on her, and when she put a foot out of line in Garden matters she would be sitting detention after detention. Yet, she'd always known he loved her. Always.
"What do you think? Went against the instructor codes. I can't make an exception for him, even if he is your sweetheart," Squall smiled at her. He was teasing. Aliasha wondered if Leyton had had the father-love prospect talk with Squall? It usually scared half the guys away, thinking that they were getting involved with someone with a psycho parent. Leyton wasn't a sweetheart however, more of a... More of a what?
"Sweetheart? Leyton? No, I don't think so. He's just not my type. I prefer the strong guys, like, say... Like my mother did, must've inherited it!" Aliasha regretted having to have this conversation, but she had to know. If Almasy was her father, then that would give her a little more of her identity. A bit of family tree, perhaps a grandmother or father?
"You're mother did go for the strong and silent types," Squall said, chuckling. Aliasha thought it was fitting to call himself strong and silent. A complete Squall-thing. Or didn't he know that Quistis had loved him.
"Why didn't you tell me my father was Seifer Almasy?" Aliasha demanded. Squall didn't say anything and the silence went on, for what seemed like an age. Aliasha wondered if there was a better time for them to have this conversation. Aliasha bit her tongue to stop herself from breaking the silence.
"Seifer... He is your father, and he loved Quistis very much, and she him. I'm afraid it was I who made sure they were on opposite ends of the globe. Only after four months of Seifer disappearing to Trabia Garden, did Quistis admit she was four months pregnant. Apparently Seifer hadn't answered her calls. I knew why, because under his coldness, he was just as scared of everything as she was. I tried to get hold of him, but everytime I redirected him to Quistis he'd hang up. It seemed that the relationship was doomed.
"When he heard she was dying, he came immediately. She spent her last hour with him, and she was happy, dying but happy. Seifer then threatened to kill himself, but as soon as he saw you, he couldn't. Then the train he was in crashed. He was buried and propaganda from the Sorceress War was spread around, Seifer was portrayed as a bad guy, that was it. We never encouraged you to look into who your father was, for fear you'd freak." Aliasha listened to Squall silently. She waited for him to finish his story then spoke.
"So he's buried somewhere? Where?" Aliasha asked quietly. Squall gently hugged her, bringing her up into his strong arms.
"Edea's Orphanage, with Quistis. He has a Liberi Fatali grave, as all of us will have," Squall explained. Aliasha then did something she'd never done before, she got onto Squall's knee and cried into his shoulder. Everything caught up with her. Memories, some from that day, some from her childhood, zoomed around her head, getting muddled and mixed. Then the face of the torturer sprang into her mind. She just cried and cried into Squall's arms.
"Shhh, shhh. I know what happened in the caves. I also know you won't want to talk about it, therefore what happened there is top secret. Tell only those who need to know. In light of the courage you showed, we're giving you another chance at graduation. Tomorrow you'll go with Instructor Zell Dincht and Instructor Selphie Kinneas to get a serial killer from Timber. Don't fail me again," Squall said, rocking her slightly. He stroked her hair and she found herself feeling better. Perhaps she could get used to depending on people? She fell asleep, being rocked in the arms of the only man she could ever call dad.
Leyton was outside, leaning against the metal of the van. He looked up into the sky, it was clouding up. Like his mood. She'd been nervous of him in there. He'd been nervous in there. Yes, he admitted, there was a feeling there. Love? Love was a big word, and he just wasn't going to use it until he was sure. Yet how could they be made for each other? Her father was his mother's- Squall opened the door of the van and quietly shut it.
"Leyton?" He said, falling into step with the younger man. Squall was what Leyton had always wanted to become, a strong and formidable presence to those who he didn't know, yet a father to those he did. Garden needed a figure head like him, there was no one in the world who commanded more respect, but at the same time made you at your ease. Out of battle he was a fun guy, but during battle he was ruthless, go outside the wording of the contract and you would find yourself looking up at your body.
"I was wondering sir, is she okay? It's just, she seemed a little... Freaked... And that's why there was a strange tension," Leyton explained. To his surprise Squall chuckled. Leyton saw that the Commander had stopped and he turned around to find Squall in fits of laughter.
"S-sir?"
"You're trying to give excuses to a guy who's heard all of them! That was original. No, she is not okay, but don't push her about it, I have a feeling you'll know what's wrong soon enough. The strange tension, I think I'll let my imagination deal with that. Now, son, how about some sort of food? I'll get Phoenix to feed our little fairy in the silk pyjamas," Squall gestured to the van. Leyton nodded. He was hungry. Something wasn't right however, why would the commander of Garden want anything to do with him? He was a rebel Instructor, why should he be treated like a son? Perhaps Commander Squall just wanted to have lunch with someone who talked to the everyday students?
"Good. Now, you find Phoenix and I'll find the food. I last saw him in the last van with Miss Debra and Lisa Dincht, but he could be anywhere by now. Meet back here with him," The commander walked away. Leyton didn't have anything against Phoenix, but he had never really spoken to the Commander's son. Although he had taught him for just under a year, the guy had kept to himself. Leyton didn't hold it against him, it would be too easy to out your foot in it.
Leyton tried the end van and found Zack, Debra and Lisa sitting talking. They all hushed up when he walked in. There was a nervous cough. Leyton knew that Phoenix wasn't here, but his curiosity got the better of him. What had they been talking about?
"You seen Phoenix? He's supposed to be feeding his adopted sister," Leyton asked. They all shook their heads and the tension in the room mounted. Leyton knew that they were hiding something. Commander Leonhart and Aliasha had. Something had happened in that cave, something really bad. And it had happened to Aliasha... Poor poor Aliasha...
"If you see him tell him that his father wants him pronto. Have you visited Aliasha?" Leyton sat down next to one of the twins, after a quick inspection he decided it was Debra, the nunchaku by her side. Lisa was across from him and Zack diagonally to his left. He put his feet up on the opposite seat.
"Yes we did earlier, but she was asleep. We've been invited for grub with Commander Squall, he's probably gonna come get us soon," Zack said, absently. Leyton shrugged, his job was to find Phoenix. Perhaps the rivalry between the Dincht/Kinneas combination and the Loire/Trepe combination was finally coming to an end. Maybe?
"I'mm having lunch with him as well. I think you should probably come with me. I'll go find Phoenix and meet you outside Aliasha's van. You sure you haven't seen him?" Leyton asked again. Again he got shakes of heads all round. He gave up on them and walked outside into the darkened light. Storms were incredible things, powerful and mighty. They held a certain amount of mystical energy as well.
Leyton tried every van, until only two were left. He doubted that Squall would send him to search for Phoenix in the Commander's private van, so that left... Aliasha's... She'd be awake, he was certain, but he still thought about the tension earlier. He shivered and jogged up to the door. However, just before he got there, the heavens opened up and soaked him. Cold and hungry he opened the door to Aliasha's van without a second thought. Only when he got inside did he realise his mistake. Always knock before entering a girls room. You never know what state they're in.
"Leyton! Turn around!" Alaisha screeched. Leyton coloured and turned quickly. Aliasha had only been in her underwear. Yet that had been enough for a good view of her figure. Not to be sniffed at, she was an angel. She must have the perfect statistics. Breasts, not too big, hips, wide enough without giving her a big ass, and a nice slim waist. Leyton scolded himself for thinking about that. Suddenly a towel appeared in front of his face.
"You're soaked, and yes, I'm decent," Aliasha said. Leyton took the towel and dried his hair. He didn't think much about the way he looked, or the way others did for that matter. However he found himself in sheer delight at watching Aliasha. She was graceful, from the gunblade and fencing work, and a certain amount of mystery surrounded her. She was serious about what she did, loyal and she only let her hair down when you dragged it out of her. Leyton had been good at setting her at ease, and she'd got better since she'd known him, but the uncomfortable silence eariler still haunted him.
"So, Phoenix gave me my food. He says my uncle has given up on lunch and when we get back to Garden he'll eat dinner. He invited the other SeeD candidates for lunch. He'll make it up to you, with, er, Rinoa's nice home cooking. Trust me, even the cafeteria food is better than that," Aliasha told him. Leyton smiled. Was this a dream? Why did he feel slightly spaced out? He wanted to pinch himself, but he didn't want to wake himself up. The warm fuzzyness was kind of nice.
"Cafeteria food huh? If she cooks hotdogs like the cafeteria then I'll be glad to come! She can get me the recipe as well!" Leyton said, trying not to let the warm fuzzies attack his voice. Yet even to him, his voice was soft and gentle. He coughed, trying to summon his voice from somewhere. Then something appeared in his mind. The conversation that Squall and he had had when Aliasha had been missing. Had he been in love with her? The answer, he was.
"What's the matter? You seem a little weird," Aliasha asked. Leyton frowned, was he that easy to read? He sat down on her bed and she sat down next to him. Leyton wondered if telling her was the best possible course of action? What if she rejected him?
"I don't know if I should tell you... I don't know if you want to know," Leyton said, unwillingly. Aliasha moved closer and put her arm around his shoulders. He felt his heart begin to race and warm fuzzies attack his brain again. If he didn't tell her, he'd have to spend the rest of his life pretending that she didn't mean anything to him.
"Leyton, what ever it is, you can tell me! I'm not going to hit you if it's bad!" Aliasha replied. Leyton sighed, this was going to be hard. He'd spent his life denying that he loved her, now he'd admitted it, he was stupid enough to tell her. Damn it was hard! The road through love is never easy, Leyton had read that once, scribbled in the margin of a library book. It seemed the librarians wrote things like that in books when they were bored.
"I guess the simpliest way for me to tell you wouldn't be with words. I'm not all that good with them, as you know," Leyton leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers. To his dismay she didn't kiss back. He had just felt something wonderful, but she hadn't. She'd just had a friend kiss her. Leyton drew back and put his head in his hands. He felt like crying. Aliasha just sat there beside him.
"Let's stay as friends, Leyton. I'm-I can't-Please, it's not you, it's me, if you'll pardon the cliche. Please Leyton, understand, you're wonderful, but I can't," Aliasha said quietly. Leyton nodded, he understood. She didn't love him, but he would forever be tormented by the hope that she could. He stood up and left without a word.
Aliasha hadn't been expecting Leyton, so when he burst in, soaked to the bone, she'd over-reacted somewhat. After the initial shock had worn off, for both of them, she'd told him to turn around and given him a towel. But something wasn't the same. She felt, strange. She'd felt this feeling before, but not in her own body. In that of her father and mothers. It was love.
Aliasha couldn't love yet. Whenever she thought about the contact that would be involved her skin crawled and her mind went to that room. When Leyton had sat down, she'd sat as close as she could, without being on his knee. The words he'd said had been said seventeen years ago by her father to her mother. Then he'd done exactly the same thing. Aliasha hadn't ever known anything so romantic.
Yet as she had begun to enjoy the kiss, the face of the terrorist had sprang into her mind. She had been unresponsive and Leyton had looked so unhappy. He was pretty easy to read. She had made up some lies, half true and he'd got up and left with a hurried goodbye. Aliasha waited until he'd gone and then broke down on her bed, crying. Being strong had it's down sides as well as good ones. She couldn't give in, and when she did she felt she was doing it wrong.
It was like crying into her pillow that Squall found her. He took a dim view on the matter.