You Were Mine
Chapter 14
Ending 1: Moment of Truth
Yuna breathed hard as she glared into Kelcie's face. The gun rested on the floor next to her foot, but she held fast to Kelcie's hand, making sure she couldn't and wouldn't move.
Tidus still lie on the floor, stunned at what had almost happened, and amazed to see Yuna before him. Nobody said anything for what seemed like ours, until Tidus finally spoke.
"…Y-Yuna…"
For the first time since Tidus had been there, he saw true surprise and fear written in Kelcie's eyes. In a way, it seemed satisfying. Yuna never turned her gaze away to see him, still holding Kelcie in her spot.
"Go Tidus. Go get Lindsay, you know where she is. Hurry."
Tidus felt a surge of pride to even know this woman. She was standing up for someone who'd dumped her without her knowledge three years ago, never thinking twice about whatever feelings might still exist for him. But the big question was…
What did he still feel for her?
He couldn't worry about that now, he decided. He had to get Lindsay out of there now, and sort his feelings out later. Lifting himself from his spot on the floor, he headed for the door Kelcie had said Lindsay was in, being careful to stay as far away as possible when passing the woman who'd tried to kill him moments before. He closed his hand around the doorknob, giving one last look to Yuna, who only urged him on.
Lindsay had heard barely any of the conversing going on outside the door, and was still wondering if Tidus was okay. As she heard the knob being turned, her heart leapt to her throat. It had to be one or the other…and she desperately hoped it was the one she'd been longing for.
The door flung open, and there stood Tidus, in all his glory. A bright grin was stuck on his face, and Lindsay had never been happier to see anyone in her life. A cry of joy escaped from her, and a lump rose in her throat. "Tidus!"
He leaned down and began undoing her bonds. All she wanted to do was kiss every inch of his face. "Thank God you're alive," she breathed, "I was so scared I'd lost you!"
"It'll take more than that crazy bitch to kill me." He released her hands, and she threw her arms around his neck. "Are you alright?" he asked, smoothing a hand over her hair.
She nodded. "I'm fine, but you look like you could use some TLC. What happened out there, Tidus?"
"I'll explain later," he told her, helping her to her feet and kissing her lips. "I missed you so much."
"I missed you more, I can guarantee you that. What do you say we blow this place?"
He agreed heartily, and led her out of the room by her hand. The scene before them then was one neither could forget for a long time afterward.
What happened next passed in seconds, it seemed to Yuna. Kelcie's arm was still in her grasp, the gun still knocked away from her. She wasn't quite sure what to do now…she'd felt so in control of things a few minutes ago, but now she was just standing there like a bump on a log. This girl she held was dangerous, that much was sure, and she wondered how to go about stopping her completely without flat out killing her.
"What are you going to do, Sweetcheeks?" Kelcie inquired, the fear gone from her eyes, replaced by a coy, knowing look. "We wouldn't want to mar that pretty face of yours, now would we?"
"Her name is Yuna," Tidus said as he came in the room. "And she's a lot prettier than you."
Yuna flicked her gaze to him, and felt her heart sink as she saw Tidus's hand in Lindsay's. She'd held out some hope that during this time with her he'd realize he really did love her…but those hopes were gone now.
Kelcie snapped her head to glare at him, but allowed a smirk to come to her face. She wouldn't give him the pleasure of aggravating her with words. "Well if it isn't Lindsay's hero. How is he in bed, Lindz?"
Lindsay's cheeks burned a fierce crimson. "Shut up, Kelcie. That's not of your damned business."
Kelcie shrugged, knowing how to push the girl's buttons. Turning back to the woman before her, she said with emphasis, "That still doesn't answer my question, Yuna."
Yuna had been quiet, contemplating her actions. Now she was ready. "What do I plan to do?" Taking Kelcie's focus from the grip on her hand to Yuna's words, she seized the opportunity of lost concentration, yelled, "This!" and twisted Kelcie's arm as far around as she could, leaving no room for pity in her muscles. Kelcie let out a cry of agony, feeling and hearing the crack of the dislocation of the socket bone in her shoulder. Yuna pushed her backward, releasing her from her clutches. She cradled her arm for a moment, feeling every person in the room's eyes on her, closed her eyes, and then opened them to reveal pure hatred reflected in eyes once so gentle in her friend's perspective. Yuna felt the weight of her gaze, and feared what was about to happen, but she never let it show.
Letting the silence linger for a few moments, Kelcie made a scramble for the gun a few feet away from her, and before any of them could move, brought the gun up, cocked it, and prepared to shoot Yuna in cold blood. But before she could pull the trigger, Rikku rushed in through the door, and shoved the gun the other way. A deafening shot rang through the house, and one person fell.
"Lindsay!!!" Tidus shouted as she slipped from the grasp of his hand and she sank to the floor. He fell to his knees beside her, examining the wound on her stomach and watching a growing scarlet stain form through her shirt. A look of panic came into his crystal eyes, and Yuna could merely stand in wonder and shock.
Rikku took the opening of wandering attention, and punched Kelcie in the jaw, flinging her back toward the wall and knocking her out. Giving a nod and smile of victory, it quickly faded as she looked over to see Tidus with Lindsay's head and upper body in his lap. Tears were quickly forming in his eyes, but he didn't allow them to fall.
"No, Lindz, stay with me. You can't leave me, not when we've come so far!" He ripped off his shirt, revealing defined muscles that glistened with sweat and bore several cuts from the fight with Kelcie earlier. He wrapped it around her wound, and cupped her face in his hands. Her breath came in ragged gasps, but she managed a wan smile nevertheless.
"I'm sorry, Tidus…" she said in a raspy voice. "I...I wish I'd never left for work…that morning."
Tidus shook his head to chase the apology away. "I should've found you sooner. I'll never forgive myself. Never." A few tears fell down his cheeks as he closed his eyes to will the image of his bleeding girlfriend away.
She brought her fingertips up to his lips to silence him. "Shh…there's nothing…to forgive. I love you…Tidus."
Her fingers slipped from his lips as she let her last breath of air escape from her body. His eyes widening, Tidus watched the woman's body grow still, and stared into her glazed eyes that no longer held any life.
A cry of pain so great, so emotional it couldn't be measured, erupted from him and filled the surroundings of the four people left in the darkening room.