Chapter 11 Fate catches up
Seifer was awake but he didn't open his eyes. He knew that when he did reality would intrude on this perfect moment. The problem with perfect moments was they didn't last Seifer thought, when he felt Quistis move as she started to awaken.
Quistis sighed and rubbed her cheek against something soft and warm. She was fighting to stay asleep when she heard a steady heartbeat beneath her ear. She was confused for a minute before the previous night came back to her. Seifer. A small smile graced her lips as she snuggled closer to him. No one needed to know the guilty pleasure she experienced in his arms.
Seifer finally opened his eyes. As much as he wanted to stay like this he knew they needed to move out. "Quistis?" he spoke softly.
"Don't want to get up," she mumbled in answer.
"As nice as this is" he whispered in her ear "and as much as I'd like to stay right here," he chuckled softly "I think we need to get moving." 'Before I do something stupid' he added to himself.
When the words Seifer spoke registered in Quistis's brain she stiffened and pulled away.
"Sorry" she said. Looking into his eyes she was mesmerized by their green depths. Seconds ticked by as they gazed at each other. The screech of a hawk tore through the quiet of the early morning breaking the spell. Quistis muttered something and got up moving away from Seifer and into the cover of the woods.
Seifer also tried to rise. But the long night of inactivity had taken its toll on his abused body. It took several tries before he was able to raise himself to his feet. He grimaced as he stretched to his full height then walked around to loosen up his strained muscles.
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Quistis paced back and forth. "YOU IDOIT" she berated herself "what in the hell are you thinking…acting like some…some love struck little girl." She stomped back the other way. "And with Seifer…a man until three days ago…you thought was enemy number one."
She stopped and leaned against a tree "And as funny as it sounds you have a job to protect that man until we get back home." She smiled at the thought of telling Seifer she was protecting him. He'd laugh in her face. "Now act like the mercenary that you are. This is just a job." She straightened up "And for Hyne's sake DON'T look at those green eyes again. That's an order!"
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They came to the edge of the forest by mid afternoon. Quistis stood looking out at fields of farmland stretching away into the distance. This wasn't good. There was no real cover for miles.
She looked over at Seifer who was also gazing out at the landscape. "We'll wait here and rest until dark then try to get across those fields and find some cover on the other side" she told him.
He swung his gaze to her. "Wait here?" he asked in disbelief "Just sit here the rest of the day and wait to see who'll join the party?"
"Well gee Seifer, what's your idea. I know, we'll go out there in the wide open and get our butts shot off," she answered sarcastically. "Because you'll really blend in." She gestured at him. "Just like farmer Joe."
They stood there arguing for several more minutes. Quistis looked at Seifer, angry "I'm the one in charge and I say we here till dark."
Seifer let out a harsh laugh "Yeah and you've done such a good job too."
He started to add more when he saw her eyes widen and her fist swing towards him. He jumped to the side to avoid the punch that was coming his way. "Hyne, Quistis, I…." He started to say when he heard the impact.
Quistis's fist made a direct hit right between the eyes of the soldier that had stepped out from behind the tree directly at Seifer's back.
Seifer hearing the punch hit home swung around realizing he wasn't the one that had been hit. His eyes widened in disbelief when he saw the man lying sprawled out on the ground. Quistis dropped to the ground clutching her hand to her chest.
"Shit Quistis…" Seifer said looking down at the soldier. He didn't notice her bowed over in pain "…not to make you mad." She heard him talking as he moved over to the fallen man.
Seifer stood looking at the prone man shaking his head. He bent down and pulled the man up and over to a small tree. Then he pulled his belt out of his pants and tied the soldier's hands behind the tree. When he was happy that the other man was secure he turned away to find Quistis.
He saw her crouched down cradling her hand close to her chest. Seifer moved over to her and knelt down. "You could have broken your hand doing that," he said softly. She looked at him, pain evident in her eyes along with unshed tears.
Seifer pulled off his gloves then after stuffing them in his pocket he reached for her hand. He gently tugged each finger of her glove free until he was able to remove the whole thing. He bent his head to examine her injured hand. The knuckles were bruised and beginning to swell.
Quistis gasped in pain as he moved her fingers. He looked up, an apology in his eyes and saw the trickle of a tear slip down her cheek. Seifer reached up tracing it's path and with his fingertips brushed it away then wrapped his arms around her drawing her against him.
"Why did you do that?" he asked her. He felt her start shaking against him and thought she was crying but when she lifted her face away from his shoulder he saw she was laughing.
"It looks so easy in the movies" she replied. "Nobody ever told me it would hurt like hell." He couldn't resist the laughter in her eyes and leaned over to place a quick kiss on her lips.
"What was that for," she inquired blushing slightly.
Seifer gave her a slow smile then chuckled before answering, " For saving my life, Sweetheart."
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Ian Anders knew he was in deep trouble when he came to. The first thing he wondered was what the hell hit him. Then he noticed that he couldn't move. When he opened his eyes he wished he hadn't.
Kneeling in front of him was Seifer Almasy, his primary objective. He couldn't read the expression on his face but he could see the dangerous look in the other man's eyes.
Raising his gun level with the bound man Seifer asked in a cool voice "Tell me why I shouldn't just kill you now." He gave the man a cold smile before continuing "And it had better be good."
"It's not what you think," Ian said.
Seifer let out a cruel laugh and stood up slowly, never taking his eyes off his prisoner "Not what I think." He paused "I think…that your men fired on us killing two SeeD's. I think…. you've hunted us like animals for days with the intention of killing us as soon as you caught up with us."
The entire time he was talking Seifer had been advancing on the other man until he had the barrel of his gun pushed against the soldier's temple. "And I think you're going to die now" he crouched down and whispered in the man's ear. Seifer then smiled maliciously at him.
Quistis moved up beside Seifer and dropped her hand on his shoulder. "Seifer" she called to him. Seifer held the other man's gaze for another minute, hatred showing in his eyes, before he acknowledged her by looking up.
"We need to ask him some questions before you get all macho and go killing him" she said breaking the tension.
Seifer stood up, shrugged and moved away. "He's all yours."
Ian decided he better speak up "If I'd have been going to kill you it wouldn't have been hard. The way the two of you were arguing I was right behind him" he looked up at Seifer "before you even knew I was here."
Quistis knew he was right. "If you didn't come to kill us then who are you and why are you trailing us?"
"I'm here to help you." Ian looked up at her "President Loire sent me."
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Authors notes: I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Thanks for the reviews. They really do make my day.
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Seifer was awake but he didn't open his eyes. He knew that when he did reality would intrude on this perfect moment. The problem with perfect moments was they didn't last Seifer thought, when he felt Quistis move as she started to awaken.
Quistis sighed and rubbed her cheek against something soft and warm. She was fighting to stay asleep when she heard a steady heartbeat beneath her ear. She was confused for a minute before the previous night came back to her. Seifer. A small smile graced her lips as she snuggled closer to him. No one needed to know the guilty pleasure she experienced in his arms.
Seifer finally opened his eyes. As much as he wanted to stay like this he knew they needed to move out. "Quistis?" he spoke softly.
"Don't want to get up," she mumbled in answer.
"As nice as this is" he whispered in her ear "and as much as I'd like to stay right here," he chuckled softly "I think we need to get moving." 'Before I do something stupid' he added to himself.
When the words Seifer spoke registered in Quistis's brain she stiffened and pulled away.
"Sorry" she said. Looking into his eyes she was mesmerized by their green depths. Seconds ticked by as they gazed at each other. The screech of a hawk tore through the quiet of the early morning breaking the spell. Quistis muttered something and got up moving away from Seifer and into the cover of the woods.
Seifer also tried to rise. But the long night of inactivity had taken its toll on his abused body. It took several tries before he was able to raise himself to his feet. He grimaced as he stretched to his full height then walked around to loosen up his strained muscles.
………………………………………………………………………………………………
Quistis paced back and forth. "YOU IDOIT" she berated herself "what in the hell are you thinking…acting like some…some love struck little girl." She stomped back the other way. "And with Seifer…a man until three days ago…you thought was enemy number one."
She stopped and leaned against a tree "And as funny as it sounds you have a job to protect that man until we get back home." She smiled at the thought of telling Seifer she was protecting him. He'd laugh in her face. "Now act like the mercenary that you are. This is just a job." She straightened up "And for Hyne's sake DON'T look at those green eyes again. That's an order!"
………………………………………………………………………………………………
They came to the edge of the forest by mid afternoon. Quistis stood looking out at fields of farmland stretching away into the distance. This wasn't good. There was no real cover for miles.
She looked over at Seifer who was also gazing out at the landscape. "We'll wait here and rest until dark then try to get across those fields and find some cover on the other side" she told him.
He swung his gaze to her. "Wait here?" he asked in disbelief "Just sit here the rest of the day and wait to see who'll join the party?"
"Well gee Seifer, what's your idea. I know, we'll go out there in the wide open and get our butts shot off," she answered sarcastically. "Because you'll really blend in." She gestured at him. "Just like farmer Joe."
They stood there arguing for several more minutes. Quistis looked at Seifer, angry "I'm the one in charge and I say we here till dark."
Seifer let out a harsh laugh "Yeah and you've done such a good job too."
He started to add more when he saw her eyes widen and her fist swing towards him. He jumped to the side to avoid the punch that was coming his way. "Hyne, Quistis, I…." He started to say when he heard the impact.
Quistis's fist made a direct hit right between the eyes of the soldier that had stepped out from behind the tree directly at Seifer's back.
Seifer hearing the punch hit home swung around realizing he wasn't the one that had been hit. His eyes widened in disbelief when he saw the man lying sprawled out on the ground. Quistis dropped to the ground clutching her hand to her chest.
"Shit Quistis…" Seifer said looking down at the soldier. He didn't notice her bowed over in pain "…not to make you mad." She heard him talking as he moved over to the fallen man.
Seifer stood looking at the prone man shaking his head. He bent down and pulled the man up and over to a small tree. Then he pulled his belt out of his pants and tied the soldier's hands behind the tree. When he was happy that the other man was secure he turned away to find Quistis.
He saw her crouched down cradling her hand close to her chest. Seifer moved over to her and knelt down. "You could have broken your hand doing that," he said softly. She looked at him, pain evident in her eyes along with unshed tears.
Seifer pulled off his gloves then after stuffing them in his pocket he reached for her hand. He gently tugged each finger of her glove free until he was able to remove the whole thing. He bent his head to examine her injured hand. The knuckles were bruised and beginning to swell.
Quistis gasped in pain as he moved her fingers. He looked up, an apology in his eyes and saw the trickle of a tear slip down her cheek. Seifer reached up tracing it's path and with his fingertips brushed it away then wrapped his arms around her drawing her against him.
"Why did you do that?" he asked her. He felt her start shaking against him and thought she was crying but when she lifted her face away from his shoulder he saw she was laughing.
"It looks so easy in the movies" she replied. "Nobody ever told me it would hurt like hell." He couldn't resist the laughter in her eyes and leaned over to place a quick kiss on her lips.
"What was that for," she inquired blushing slightly.
Seifer gave her a slow smile then chuckled before answering, " For saving my life, Sweetheart."
………………………………………………………………………………………………
Ian Anders knew he was in deep trouble when he came to. The first thing he wondered was what the hell hit him. Then he noticed that he couldn't move. When he opened his eyes he wished he hadn't.
Kneeling in front of him was Seifer Almasy, his primary objective. He couldn't read the expression on his face but he could see the dangerous look in the other man's eyes.
Raising his gun level with the bound man Seifer asked in a cool voice "Tell me why I shouldn't just kill you now." He gave the man a cold smile before continuing "And it had better be good."
"It's not what you think," Ian said.
Seifer let out a cruel laugh and stood up slowly, never taking his eyes off his prisoner "Not what I think." He paused "I think…that your men fired on us killing two SeeD's. I think…. you've hunted us like animals for days with the intention of killing us as soon as you caught up with us."
The entire time he was talking Seifer had been advancing on the other man until he had the barrel of his gun pushed against the soldier's temple. "And I think you're going to die now" he crouched down and whispered in the man's ear. Seifer then smiled maliciously at him.
Quistis moved up beside Seifer and dropped her hand on his shoulder. "Seifer" she called to him. Seifer held the other man's gaze for another minute, hatred showing in his eyes, before he acknowledged her by looking up.
"We need to ask him some questions before you get all macho and go killing him" she said breaking the tension.
Seifer stood up, shrugged and moved away. "He's all yours."
Ian decided he better speak up "If I'd have been going to kill you it wouldn't have been hard. The way the two of you were arguing I was right behind him" he looked up at Seifer "before you even knew I was here."
Quistis knew he was right. "If you didn't come to kill us then who are you and why are you trailing us?"
"I'm here to help you." Ian looked up at her "President Loire sent me."
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Authors notes: I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Thanks for the reviews. They really do make my day.
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