Chapter 10 Questions
The day had been a long, difficult one. The luck Quistis and Seifer had that first night seemed to have fled them. They had run into several monsters that they'd had to fight and now both were exhausted as night was quickly falling.
Quistis looked around trying to find a sheltered spot to rest. She was still worried about Seifer. He hadn't complained about the steady pace they kept that day and even though she knew he'd never admit it, he was pushing himself to keep going.
"Seifer over here" she called quietly. Quistis found a protected spot behind several boulders. Lying together on the forest floor they formed a type of crude wall. She dropped the pack she was carrying and released her weapons belt then dropped to the ground.
She sighed. It was going to be a long, cold night with no fire. But not knowing who was after them and how close they might be put a stop to that idea.
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The squad searched the area further and discovered that the SeeD's had split up into two groups. But Lt. Forbes wasn't going to let that keep him from following his orders.
He looked over his men, assessing them before barking out an order "Change of plans. I want two of you men, you Anders and you Griggs," he said pointing at them "to each scout out a trail and report back to me. They may have gone in two different directions to throw us off then doubled back. We will set up camp for the night and wait here."
"Yes sir" the men stepped to the front of the group. A pointed look passed between Lt. Forbes and the two scouts before they turned to go.
After they had left Lt. Forbes looked around in distaste at the makeshift battlefield. He turned to the nearest soldier and snapped out an order " Get someone to clear away this mess…and take care of the bodies."
"Yes sir" the soldier said turning away.
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Seifer could feel Quistis shivering as they sat hunched side-by-side sharing the blanket. This wasn't going to work. They were both freezing and would never get any sleep like this.
"Quistis" he said. When he didn't get any reply he nudged her arm "Quistis" he repeated a little louder.
"Huh" she mumbled, finally looking up.
"This isn't working, you're shivering." He reached over and took her arm.
"Sorry I'm bothering you" she snapped at him "I'm cold."
"Exactly" he started pulling her toward him "that's why we're going to try something different."
"What in the hell are you doing" Quistis snarled angrily as she landed in Seifer's lap. He didn't answer at first, as he was busy trying to get his coat unbuttoned.
"It's called body heat, Baby" he looked down at her with a sly smirk "Remember?"
"Funny" she said, her cheeks turning pink as she remembered the last time they had shared their body heat. 'Thank Hyne he couldn't see the blush in the dark'.
"Open your coat" Seifer ordered.
Quistis decided not to argue with him. She was too cold and tired to fight. After she did as requested Seifer pulled her against his chest, wrapping his arms around her.
Quistis snuggled up closer to Seifer when she noticed he was right, this was warmer. He smiled to himself as he tugged the blanket up around them.
He never thought he'd find Quistis willingly in his arms. Seifer let out a small breath and dropped his cheek to the top of her head, content for a moment.
Quistis relaxed against him, listening to his heartbeat and closed her eyes. She was starting to drift into sleep when she heard Seifer call her name.
"Quistis" he said softly.
"Hmmm" she answered. Not really paying attention.
"Quistis….." he nudged her.
"I'm not hurting you, am I?" she asked starting to pull away but he tightened his arms to prevent her from moving.
"No……I need to know something" he thought for a minute before continuing "Why..did you come for me?"
Quistis lifted her head to look up at him, briefly. "Cid sent us. There were rumors going around that you were in prison. Then it was said that you would be executed. Edea was very upset when she heard them. She went to Cid and they agreed that you couldn't be left there."
"Edea" Seifer whispered. His mind drifted back to childhood for a moment.
Quistis's voice got soft "I…I have to confess something." This comment brought Seifer's focus back to the girl in his arms.
"What?" he asked.
"When I first heard…..you were in prison….I thought" she sighed before continuing "I thought you had done something bad again….I'm sorry."
Seifer looked out into the distance. 'This is how people still think of me.' In a way it hurt to hear Quistis tell him what she, no everybody thought of him. It had been almost a year and a half and still the first thing they thought was Seifer equaled trouble.
When he didn't say anything Quistis looked back up at him. "Seifer" She saw the remote expression on his face as he gazed off "Seifer…I'm sorry."
He shook his head "No it's ok. Better to know what people think. It's not like I've done anything to show the world that I've changed." A bitter laugh escaped him.
Quistis reached up and cupped his face with her gloved hands, saying softly "but you have….changed."
"Yes" the whisper escaped his lips as he searched her eyes.
She smiled then. "Edea and Cid knew that. And now I see it as well." He looked away and she removed her hands with a sigh. "They never gave up on you."
"So" he asked as she settled back against him "if Cid sent a team of SeeD's to get me and this was all on the level, why are we being hunted down. Why didn't he just go through President Loire instead of making some sort of deal with Perry."
Quistis shrugged "Even Presidents can't go against popular public opinion. Cid did contact President Laguna but they decided that it would be prudent to keep this quiet. They thought it would be better to make a deal with the Warden and slip you out of the country unnoticed. As Cid explained it to me, they also suspected Warden Perry of keeping his own agenda and this was a test of his loyalty." She paused momentarily "I guess he failed."
………………………………………………………………………………………………
The lone soldier stepped into the clearing. After looking around he headed to the decaying building he had noticed across the meadow. He knew he was on the right trail. All his instincts as a soldier told him he was close.
He was slightly disappointed but not surprised to see the room empty as he moved cautiously into the cottage. He scanned the room. Nothing. Just some leaves scattered about the room.
He walked over to the fireplace and knelt down. The ashes were cold but fresh. Something caught his eyes. He reached out and picked it up. A hairpin. The soldier smiled. Yes this was the right trail. He stood glancing around the room once more before heading out. It wouldn't be long before he caught up with them
………………………………………………………………………………………………
Seifer sat holding Quistis while she slept, listening to her soft breathing. He longed for this to be real. But he knew that once they got back to Balamb everything would be different. She wasn't his. Not meant for him. But at this moment with her sleeping he could let his guard down and pretend she belonged to him. He realized he was already lost.
Seifer sighed. He put his cheek down against her soft hair and closed his eyes breathing in the scent of gardenias.
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Author's notes: *hugs* to everyone for the wonderful reviews. Special thanks to Diskord for recommending my story.
……………………………………………………………………………………………
The day had been a long, difficult one. The luck Quistis and Seifer had that first night seemed to have fled them. They had run into several monsters that they'd had to fight and now both were exhausted as night was quickly falling.
Quistis looked around trying to find a sheltered spot to rest. She was still worried about Seifer. He hadn't complained about the steady pace they kept that day and even though she knew he'd never admit it, he was pushing himself to keep going.
"Seifer over here" she called quietly. Quistis found a protected spot behind several boulders. Lying together on the forest floor they formed a type of crude wall. She dropped the pack she was carrying and released her weapons belt then dropped to the ground.
She sighed. It was going to be a long, cold night with no fire. But not knowing who was after them and how close they might be put a stop to that idea.
………………………………………………………………………………………………
The squad searched the area further and discovered that the SeeD's had split up into two groups. But Lt. Forbes wasn't going to let that keep him from following his orders.
He looked over his men, assessing them before barking out an order "Change of plans. I want two of you men, you Anders and you Griggs," he said pointing at them "to each scout out a trail and report back to me. They may have gone in two different directions to throw us off then doubled back. We will set up camp for the night and wait here."
"Yes sir" the men stepped to the front of the group. A pointed look passed between Lt. Forbes and the two scouts before they turned to go.
After they had left Lt. Forbes looked around in distaste at the makeshift battlefield. He turned to the nearest soldier and snapped out an order " Get someone to clear away this mess…and take care of the bodies."
"Yes sir" the soldier said turning away.
………………………………………………………………………………………………
Seifer could feel Quistis shivering as they sat hunched side-by-side sharing the blanket. This wasn't going to work. They were both freezing and would never get any sleep like this.
"Quistis" he said. When he didn't get any reply he nudged her arm "Quistis" he repeated a little louder.
"Huh" she mumbled, finally looking up.
"This isn't working, you're shivering." He reached over and took her arm.
"Sorry I'm bothering you" she snapped at him "I'm cold."
"Exactly" he started pulling her toward him "that's why we're going to try something different."
"What in the hell are you doing" Quistis snarled angrily as she landed in Seifer's lap. He didn't answer at first, as he was busy trying to get his coat unbuttoned.
"It's called body heat, Baby" he looked down at her with a sly smirk "Remember?"
"Funny" she said, her cheeks turning pink as she remembered the last time they had shared their body heat. 'Thank Hyne he couldn't see the blush in the dark'.
"Open your coat" Seifer ordered.
Quistis decided not to argue with him. She was too cold and tired to fight. After she did as requested Seifer pulled her against his chest, wrapping his arms around her.
Quistis snuggled up closer to Seifer when she noticed he was right, this was warmer. He smiled to himself as he tugged the blanket up around them.
He never thought he'd find Quistis willingly in his arms. Seifer let out a small breath and dropped his cheek to the top of her head, content for a moment.
Quistis relaxed against him, listening to his heartbeat and closed her eyes. She was starting to drift into sleep when she heard Seifer call her name.
"Quistis" he said softly.
"Hmmm" she answered. Not really paying attention.
"Quistis….." he nudged her.
"I'm not hurting you, am I?" she asked starting to pull away but he tightened his arms to prevent her from moving.
"No……I need to know something" he thought for a minute before continuing "Why..did you come for me?"
Quistis lifted her head to look up at him, briefly. "Cid sent us. There were rumors going around that you were in prison. Then it was said that you would be executed. Edea was very upset when she heard them. She went to Cid and they agreed that you couldn't be left there."
"Edea" Seifer whispered. His mind drifted back to childhood for a moment.
Quistis's voice got soft "I…I have to confess something." This comment brought Seifer's focus back to the girl in his arms.
"What?" he asked.
"When I first heard…..you were in prison….I thought" she sighed before continuing "I thought you had done something bad again….I'm sorry."
Seifer looked out into the distance. 'This is how people still think of me.' In a way it hurt to hear Quistis tell him what she, no everybody thought of him. It had been almost a year and a half and still the first thing they thought was Seifer equaled trouble.
When he didn't say anything Quistis looked back up at him. "Seifer" She saw the remote expression on his face as he gazed off "Seifer…I'm sorry."
He shook his head "No it's ok. Better to know what people think. It's not like I've done anything to show the world that I've changed." A bitter laugh escaped him.
Quistis reached up and cupped his face with her gloved hands, saying softly "but you have….changed."
"Yes" the whisper escaped his lips as he searched her eyes.
She smiled then. "Edea and Cid knew that. And now I see it as well." He looked away and she removed her hands with a sigh. "They never gave up on you."
"So" he asked as she settled back against him "if Cid sent a team of SeeD's to get me and this was all on the level, why are we being hunted down. Why didn't he just go through President Loire instead of making some sort of deal with Perry."
Quistis shrugged "Even Presidents can't go against popular public opinion. Cid did contact President Laguna but they decided that it would be prudent to keep this quiet. They thought it would be better to make a deal with the Warden and slip you out of the country unnoticed. As Cid explained it to me, they also suspected Warden Perry of keeping his own agenda and this was a test of his loyalty." She paused momentarily "I guess he failed."
………………………………………………………………………………………………
The lone soldier stepped into the clearing. After looking around he headed to the decaying building he had noticed across the meadow. He knew he was on the right trail. All his instincts as a soldier told him he was close.
He was slightly disappointed but not surprised to see the room empty as he moved cautiously into the cottage. He scanned the room. Nothing. Just some leaves scattered about the room.
He walked over to the fireplace and knelt down. The ashes were cold but fresh. Something caught his eyes. He reached out and picked it up. A hairpin. The soldier smiled. Yes this was the right trail. He stood glancing around the room once more before heading out. It wouldn't be long before he caught up with them
………………………………………………………………………………………………
Seifer sat holding Quistis while she slept, listening to her soft breathing. He longed for this to be real. But he knew that once they got back to Balamb everything would be different. She wasn't his. Not meant for him. But at this moment with her sleeping he could let his guard down and pretend she belonged to him. He realized he was already lost.
Seifer sighed. He put his cheek down against her soft hair and closed his eyes breathing in the scent of gardenias.
…………………………………………………………………………………………….
Author's notes: *hugs* to everyone for the wonderful reviews. Special thanks to Diskord for recommending my story.
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