I THOUGHT YOU PROMISED ME FOREVER
Chapter 2: Falling In Love Again
It has only been a couple of weeks since Aya started working at Frank's Bar and Grill yet Seifer couldn't help but feel as if he'd known her for a long time. It's been a long time since he felt anything like that for anyone. He had a lot of lovers in the past but none of them ever made him feel like how he was feeling at that moment.
"Maybe it's just her innocence that attracts me to her." Seifer thought to himself as he served drinks at the bar and watched Aya take orders from a couple of customers at a nearby table. "But then again, maybe it was that innocent kiss we shared."
A couple of days after Aya started working at the bar, Mary, the girl that Aya replaced, returned for her going away party. After work, Frank, Seifer, Aya, and a couple other people joined Mary at a nearby club to celebrate her new job.
Everyone was having a great time, some probably even more than others. As everyone in the group got up to dance, Seifer watched a tall handsome guy approach Aya and ask her to dance. Seifer thought that she would say, "Yes," but instead she just smiled and said that she didn't want to.
Seifer was dancing with a very beautiful redhead, but for some odd reason, he found himself always looking at Aya, who was sitting on their table. He could tell that she was getting really drunk. He watched her drink her third glass of wine and from the look of things, she was not really good at holding her liquor. She looked out of it by the time she ordered her fourth glass.
Seifer watched her face. He was not really sure but he swore that he saw pain and sadness in her eyes as she continued to drink. It occurred to Seifer that she was probably drinking to forget whatever it was that was bothering her. At one point, he even saw her wipe a tear that rolled down her rosy cheek.
A while later, Seifer watched her get up and walk over to Frank to tell him that she was going. Frank offered her a ride home but she just smiled like she always did and said that she was going to be okay catching a ride home by herself. Frank insisted but she reassured him that she was going to be fine.
Seifer watched Aya about to walk out of the front door when he saw her grab a nearby chair for support. Quickly, the handsome stranger who asked her to dance earlier in the evening approached her and placed her arm over his shoulder and helped her out of the club. Seifer thought that it was nice of the stranger to help her, but what Seifer didn't like was the sex-crazed look on his face as he walked her out.
Seifer quickly left his dance partner and ran after the guy with Aya. When Seifer got outside, the stranger was putting Aya very gently inside his car because she had fallen asleep. Seifer walked up to the guy and told him that he was going to take her home instead. The guy got angry and told Seifer to find himself some other girl to take home for the night. Seifer was not exactly a total saint when it came to women, but he knew better than to take advantage of a girl who was drunk.
Seifer talked to the guy and asked him again to give Aya to him. But instead of cooperating, the guy threw a punch at Seifer. Seifer punched the guy back, and after a couple of punches, the guy was down on the floor. Seifer took Aya out of the guy's car and took her home.
Seifer opened the door to her apartment and laid Aya down gently on her couch. Seifer was slowly removing his arm from the back of her neck when her arms came around his neck. She pulled him down for a kiss, and Seifer found himself kissing her back. The kiss was gentle, passionate, and sweet. As he kissed her, the light scent of her perfume filled his senses.
When the kiss ended, Seifer lifted his head up to look at her face and saw that her eyes were closed. "I'm so sorry for leaving you," he heard Aya whisper as a tear rolled down the side of her face. "Please forgive me."
It occurred to Seifer then that Aya was dreaming when they kissed. "Who are you dreaming about?" Seifer asked her in his thoughts as he gently brushed the tear away with his thumb. "Could it be the same guy who was the reason for your heavy drinking tonight?" Seifer didn't know the answer to that, but he did know one thing: Kissing Aya that evening was like nothing he ever experienced before.
"Hi there, handsome." A pretty blonde said as she sat on a stool right in front of Seifer.
"Oh hi, Jessica." Seifer said as he was brought out of his thoughts.
"Hmm, I see you're interested in that girl over there." Jessica said as she turned her head away from Seifer and at Aya.
"What are you talking about?" Seifer asked as he served a drink to a customer to his right.
"You know very well what I'm talking about Seifer." The woman grinned. "Admit it, Seifer. You want her, don't you?"
Seifer wanted to admit it. "Quit making things up, Jess. Nothing is going on between me and Aya." He said instead as he served another drink.
"Aya? So that's her name. She's pretty, but I doubt you'll stay with her once you have her." Jessica said as she took a sip from her drink.
Seifer stopped what he was doing and stared at Jessica. It's true that he wanted to have Aya but for some reason, he knew that he wanted her as more than just another fling.
"We both know what kind of girl you really want." She smiled as she lazily reached out and touched Seifer's hand on the counter.
Seifer's jaw tightened as he pulled Jessica to the side so they could talk in private. "What do you want, Jess?!" Seifer said angrily.
"You know exactly what I want!" she said with just as much anger on her face. "I want you, but since that girl showed up here a few days ago, you haven't been coming over to see me." She said as her voice calmed.
"It's over between us, and you know that it has nothing to do with her. Leave her out of this!" Seifer said with a straight face.
"I don't believe you!" She said angrily as she shook her head slowly.
"Well, believe it. It's over between us!" Seifer said as his grip tightened on Jessica's wrist. "We always fight and the only time we ever get along is when we're in bed together. I don't want that kind of relationship, Jess. I want something more than that."
"FINE!" she said as she yanked her arm away from Seifer's hold. "You think she can give it to you, huh?"
Seifer just looked at her.
"I knew it!" she said. "A relationship based on love? Well, dream on, Seifer! She can never love you the way I can. Besides, what makes you think that an innocent-looking girl like that will fall for a playboy such as yourself? She wants a good boy, Seifer." Jessica said. "We both know that you're on the other end of the scale."
"Shut up, Jessica!" Seifer said as he pulled Jessica further in the back room so no one could hear them arguing.
"I honestly don't see what you want with her other than her body," she said. "You think she can give you what you want but I don't think she can. She's too naïve for you. I don't think you'll be happy with her for long once you realize that."
Seifer's jaw tightened again. "I've had enough of this. Jessica, I think you should leave."
"Fine, I'll leave." She said with a fake smile as she started to walk away. "Well, you know where to find me, Seifer. Give me a call when you get sick of her."
"Don't hold your breath." Seifer said as he went back to work.
As Jessica walked out of the bar, she gave Aya a deadly look. "I'll make you pay for taking Seifer away from me, you little bitch!" she thought to herself.
MEANWHILE, BACK AT BALAMB GARDEN
"Did they find Aya?!" Zell immediately asked when Irvine and Squall entered the room.
"I'm afraid they still didn't find her, Zell." Irvine said as he watched Zell's hopeful look change into that of disappointment.
"Where could she be?" Zell asked, looking exhausted after days of lack of sleep. "Are you sure they check everywhere?"
"They checked every possible place that she might go to. Do you know any other place where she could be at?" Squall said as he placed a hand over his friend's shoulder. When Squall and Rinoa got back from their honeymoon a few days ago, they were both surprised that this went on while they were away.
"That's the thing, Squall." Zell said. "I don't know any other place. Her parents both passed away, she doesn't have any relatives, and all her friends live here in Balamb."
"Are you sure that everything was fine between the two of you when you last saw each other?" Irvine asked.
"I'm perfectly sure. Well, before I left on my last mission, she did ask me to stay for another day. She said that she had something important to tell me."
"What was it about?" Squall asked.
"I don't know. I told her that we'd talk about it when I get back."
"It must've been really important." Squall answered.
"Do you think she's pregnant?" Irvine asked.
Zell quickly looked at Irvine. "No, Irvine. She's not pregnant."
"Are you sure? I mean, did you ask her?"
"Trust me on that, Irvine. Aya is not pregnant."
"How do you know?"
"I just know, alright?! I don't have to explain it to you."
"Irvine, cut it out with that question, okay?" Squall said.
"Sorry, Zell. I just thought that maybe she left because of that."
Zell punched the wall. "I should have stayed with her when she asked me to. If I did, she'd probably still be here. This is all my fault." Zell blamed himself.
"Calm down, Zell." Irvine said. "Don't worry, we'll find her."
"I should have at least made sure that she was fine before I left her. She was crying at the harbor where I left her!"
"Stop doing this to yourself." Squall said. "Focus on finding her right now. Think! Where or who could she possibly go to?"
"I'm running out of ideas, Squall." Zell answered. "I don't know."
A FEW HOURS LATER
"Are you sure you're from Balamb Garden?" Seifer asked as he joined Aya during her break.
"Yes, why?" she asked as she looked at Seifer who was leaning against the wall in front of her.
"Well, I used to live there too, but I don't remember ever seeing you there." Seifer answered as he gazed down at Aya sitting on a stool a few feet away from him.
"I was in the library committee." Aya answered. "Most of my time was spent there."
"I see." Seifer said. "That explains a lot. You see, I never visited the library. I was too busy looking for troublemakers."
"You mean you were in the disciplinary committee?" Aya asked as she raised her eyes to meet his.
"Bingo!" Seifer said proudly.
"I guess that explains why I never saw you, too," she chuckled. "You see, I was never a troublemaker."
They both laughed.
"I guess our paths were not meant to cross then, huh?"
"I guess not." She smiled. "Seifer?"
"Yeah, Aya?"
"Was she your girlfriend?"
"Who?" Seifer asked.
"That girl you were having an argument with earlier this evening."
"Oh, her," Seifer said as he remembered his argument with Jessica. "She's not my girlfriend...she sort of was but it didn't work out. Why do you ask?"
"I don't know." Aya said as she stared at ground. "I just sensed that something was going on between the two of you. Plus, she was giving me the mean look the whole night. I thought that maybe she thought I was involved with you or something."
"I see." Seifer said as he put both his hands in his pockets.
"If you don't mind me asking, why did you two break up? From the way she looked at you at the bar, I could tell that she still had feelings for you."
Seifer sighed. "I guess it's safe to say that we never really got along. It was all good at first, but lately, it seemed as if all we ever did was argue over petty things." He answered.
"Do you still love her?"
"I care about her...but as for love, I'm not really sure. The last time I can remember ever loving someone was about three years ago." Seifer said as he thought of the pretty young blond instructor at Balamb Garden.
When he left Balamb Garden three years ago, many believed that his reason for leaving was because he felt restrained. However, the truth is, his main reason for leaving was Quistis Trepe. Seifer and Quistis had a relationship but they kept it as a secret. Seifer wanted everyone to know about it, but Quistis felt that it was better that no one knew about it because she was scared of what others were going say. They loved each other very much but the thought of keeping it a secret was putting a strain on their relationship. One night, Quistis and Seifer had a fight. They were so angry at each other that they ended up breaking up. The next day, Seifer left Balamb Garden.
"I'm sick of hiding our relationship from everyone!" Seifer said angrily.
"Seifer, please give it a little more time. I.I just don't think that everyone is ready to hear about us yet."
"Everyone?!" Seifer asked. "Who cares what everyone thinks!"
"Seifer, we can't."
"Are you ashamed of going out with me, Quis?" Seifer said as he looked into her eyes.
"No," Quistis replied. "You know that I love you."
"Then let's stop hiding from everyone. I don't want to hide anymore, Quistis! Three months is long enough!"
"Just a little more time, Seifer. Please I need more."
"Do you know how much it hurts me to see guys flirt with you all the time?" Seifer snapped.
"It hurts me too when girls flirt with you, Seifer!" She said back.
"Then you can understand why it's for the best that we stop all this hiding."
Walking to the opposite end of the room, Quistis crossed her arms. "I'm scared of what might happen once everyone finds out about us, Seifer. I'm scared!"
"I'm scared too, Quistis, but I can't go on like this anymore." Seifer said as he wrapped his arms around her from behind.
"As you know, I recently got my job back as instructor. If they find out that I'm going out with you, they might take."
"You are ashamed of me!" Seifer said as let her go.
"NO!" she said as she shook her head.
"Then prove it to me!" he said. "Tell everyone about us, Quistis."
"You're being unfair!" She answered.
For a moment, they simply stared at each other in silence. They both knew what was going to happen next.
"I need you to choose, Quistis." Seifer said quietly. "It's either me or your job."
Tears filled Quistis' eyes. "Please don't make me choose, Seifer." She cried. "I love you so much and you know how hard I worked to get this far with my career."
Seifer closed his eyes as he braced himself for what he was about to do. "Then I'm going to choose for you." He said. "Goodbye, Quistis."
"I'm sorry to hear that it didn't work out for you, Seifer." Aya said as she stood up and laid a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"There's no need to apologize, Aya," Seifer said as he smiled at her. Having Aya next to him was making his heart beat faster. "We were just not meant to be, I guess."
"Don't worry, Seifer," Aya said. "I'm sure you'll find someone to love again."
"Aya?" Seifer said a while later. "Can I ask you a question?"
"Sure, Seifer." She answered with a light smile.
"Do you have a boyfriend?" I've been wanting to know.
Aya dropped her hand to her side and walked a few steps away from him. "I...did, but I couldn't stay with him." Aya said softly as she thought of her illness getting in the way, and her decision for leaving Zell because of it.
"Why not?" Seifer asked as he noticed the heartbreaking look on her face as she spoke.
"Because things changed," Aya said as tears suddenly filled her eyes.
"What do you mean?" Seifer asked as he placed his hands on her shoulders.
"I found out that...I'm sorry, Seifer, but I should get back to work." Aya said as she raised her tearful eyes to his and left.
"Aya!" Seifer called out to her, but she was already inside so she didn't hear him. Seifer could tell that she loved the guy very much but he must've done something awful to her that caused her to leave. "What did he do to you?" Seifer thought to himself. Sitting on a crate, he took out a cigarette and began to smoke.
THE NEXT DAY
Aya stood at the harbor looking in the direction towards where Balamb Garden was located. She missed her home, she missed her friends, and most of all, she missed her beloved Zell. When Seifer asked her last night if she has a boyfriend, she started to cry because she missed Zell so much.
Aya wished that she could go back home but the last thing she wanted was to cause everyone she loved pain because of her illness. When she left Balamb Garden, she was glad that she was not able to tell Zell that she was sick. Causing Zell any pain was the last thing she wanted to do.
"Hi, Aya."
Aya turned around and found Seifer smiling down at her. "Hi, Seifer."
"What are you doing here?" he asked as he stood beside her and looked in the direction where she was looking.
"I just thought I'd catch some fresh air." She said.
"You miss Balamb, don't you?" He said as he turned his head to face her.
A sad smile touched her face. "Yes, I do," she answered.
"Why don't you go for a visit? I can talk to Frank about it if you want?"
"I...I can't. It's best that I don't," she said. "I better go. I'll see you at work tonight, Seifer."
Seifer grabbed her wrist as she turned to leave. "You're running away from your boyfriend, aren't you?" Seifer asked as he looked into her eyes.
"It's nothing like that," she answered. "I..."
"Admit it, Aya. I can tell that it has something to do with him." He said as he loosened his hold on her. "What did he do to you?"
"Seifer, please don't do this!" Aya cried.
"Did he hit you? Did he..."
"I don't have to answer you!" Aya said as she freed her wrist from his hold and walked away.
Seifer muttered a curse under his breath. "Aya, I'm sorry," he said as he turned her around to face him. "I didn't mean to upset you. I'm just worried about you, that's all. I'm sorry, Aya. Can you forgive me?"
Aya raised her eyes to look him in the eye. She saw the genuine look of his concern there. "I guess I..." Aya started out to say as she fainted.
Seifer immediately caught her before she fell on the ground. "Aya!" Seifer said as he held her in his arms. "Aya!"
"Seifer?" she whispered as she looked disoriented for a minute.
"Yeah, it's me. Are you okay?"
"I'm fine." She said as she placed a hand on her forehead. "I just got a bit light-headed there for a minute."
"Are you sure you're okay? Do you want to see a doctor?"
"No!" she quickly answered. She couldn't let Seifer know that she was sick. "I'm fine."
Seifer helped Aya back up on her feet.
"Aya," Seifer said a few minutes later when he thought that she was feeling much better. "Would you like to go fishing with me for a while?"
"Fishing?" Aya said with a questioning look on her face. "Where?"
"Just down the docks." Seifer pointed. "I was on my way there before I ran into you."
"I don't think I should." She answered hesitantly.
"C'mon, let me make it up to you for upsetting you a while ago."
"I guess it'd be okay." Aya answered a moment later as she saw the fishing gear for the first time.
"That's great to hear." Seifer said as he walked down the docks with her.
Seifer looked at Aya as she stood next to him. He had no idea what came over him when he started asking her questions about her boyfriend earlier. All he knew was that he wanted to know what the guy did to hurt her. Once he found out, Seifer told himself that he'd make that guy pay.
Thinking about the other guy was making Seifer really angry. "Why would anyone want to hurt such a beautiful and sweet girl like Aya?" he thought to himself. "If I were her boyfriend, all I'd want to do is love her."
"Love her?!" Seifer quickly thought to himself. It's been a while since he used that word to describe what he'd like to do to a girl he was interested in. "What is going on with me? I can't fall in love with her. I can't." But Seifer knew that it was already too late. He was already in love with her.
"Seifer, can you help me with this?"
"Oh, okay." Seifer answered as he was brought out of his thoughts.
"Do you always go fishing?" Aya asked as Seifer stood closer to her.
"Actually, I never used to like fishing that much before I moved here at FH. But when fishing boats and fishermen surround you, you can't help but want to fish after a while, you know? You start acting like one of the local folks." He smiled.
"Is this right?" Aya asked as she held the fishing pole.
"No, this is how you hold it." He said as he got behind her and placed his hands over hers so he could show her how to properly hold it. The side of Seifer's face was pressed against her right cheek.
"Like this?" Aya asked as she realized that her back was pressed on his chest. Aya was so close to him that she could smell the scent of his aftershave. A sad smile touched her lips when she realized that it was the same as the one Zell used.
"Exactly." He said. "Now all we do is wait for the fish to go after the bait."
"Thanks, Seifer." Aya said as she turned her head to the right and found her lips to just be an inch from Seifer's. He was so close to her that she could feel his warm breath lightly feathering her lips.
Seifer was also aware of how close they were at that moment. He couldn't help but stare at her lips and get intoxicated by the light scent of her perfume. For a minute, he remembered the kiss he shared with her at her apartment a few days ago. The kiss that Seifer could clearly tell that she doesn't remember.
"It was my pleasure," he said as he continued to stare at her lips. After a few seconds, Seifer found himself leaning closer for a kiss when all of a sudden, a fish yanked the fishing line.
"That was quick." Aya said as she turned her head away and thanked the fish for the interruption. If that moment wasn't disturbed, Aya knew that she probably would have kissed him back. She was still in love with Zell but for some reason, she found a part of herself attracted to this man.
Seifer, on the other hand, muttered a curse under his breath. Stupid fish! He thought.
THE NEXT DAY
After that dizzy spell she had with Seifer the day before, Aya decided to see her doctor in Deling for a checkup on her condition. After learning about her latest condition, Aya decided to go back home. However, instead of taking the train back to FH, she mistakenly took the train headed for Balamb.
When Aya realized her mistake, she panicked and didn't know what to do. The last thing she wanted was to be spotted at Balamb. After learning that the next train out of Balamb was in an hour, Aya decided to keep herself from being spotted by spending her time at Rinaul Coast until it was time to go.
Rinaul Coast felt strange without Zell beside her. As she walked along the coast, the times she shared with Zell there crossed her mind. Rinaul Coast was their special place. It was the place they spent most of their time together and it was also the place were they realized that they shouldn't be apart.
When Aya reached a certain spot, the memory of the day she almost married Rex came to mind. She remembered sitting in the bride's waiting room just before the ceremony when Zell went to see her. At first, Zell congratulated her for going to marry Rex, but just when he was about to leave, he grabbed her and told her that he wanted her to be with him instead. Aya remembered the passionate kiss that Zell planted on her. It felt right but it suddenly felt wrong when the memory of seeing Zell kissing Quistis came to mind.
Aya remembered telling Zell that she couldn't be with him. The look of hope on Zell's face quickly changed to that of pure disappointment. He asked her to believe in his love for her. She wanted to but she ended up telling him that she couldn't.
After accepting his defeat, Zell held her one more time and wished her the very best. Aya watched him walk out of the room, and when the door clicked shut, she remembered the tears that she cried.
Aya walked down the aisle with pain in her heart. With each step she took, the thought that she was making the wrong choice went through her mind.
The priest read the wedding vows and as she listened to the words, it became more and more clear to her that she was making a very big decision; a decision that will affect the rest of her life. With tears in her eyes, Aya told Rex that she couldn't be with him. She cared about Rex, but her heart kept telling her that she'd be happier with the man she loved. She saw sadness in Rex's eyes as he looked at her, but soon after, also saw understanding.
Aya ran all over Balamb looking for Zell, but he was nowhere to be found. All hope of finding Zell seemed lost until she realized that there was still one place that she hadn't checked; that one place being Rinaul Coast.
Aya spotted Zell walking along the coast. She called out his name as she ran towards him. She remembered him look up, but just as quickly look down again. It occurred to her that he probably didn't' see her. He started walking back and Aya planned on meeting him halfway. As she watched Zell walk with his head staring at the ground, her heart ached at the thought that she caused him pain when she told him that she couldn't be with him.
When they were finally standing in front of the other, Aya remembered seeing Zell's sad face turn to that of disbelief. He closed his eyes as if expecting her to disappear when he opened them again. When he opened his eyes and realized that she was no mirage, she remembered him pulling her so tight in his arms that she could hardly breath. They said their love for each other, and at that moment Aya knew that nothing will ever come between them again.
Aya began to cry as she thought of that poignant memory. Sitting herself down on the sand, she hugged her knees and cried some more.
"Zell," she sobbed. "Why is fate being so unkind to us?"
When Aya talked to her doctor earlier that day, she was told that her illness was getting worse. The medicine that she was given to help slow down her illness was not very effective. Because of that, the doctor gave her other pills and told her that she only had a couple of months left instead of the six months that she was told before.
Some time later, Aya headed back to Balamb to catch her train. As she approached Ma Dincht's house, which was located along the way, she decided to walk faster so she wouldn't get spotted. Aya was almost passed Ma Dincht's door when Ma Dincht suddenly came out along with Big Bad Rascal's mom. Aya quickly lowered her head and walked behind a group of people.
"Don't worry, Mrs. Dincht. I'm sure things will work out well really soon."
"I really hope so. It breaks my heart to see Zell so heartbroken.and Aya.poor girl, where could she be?" Ma Dincht said sadly.
"Cheer up, Mrs. Dincht. You don't want Zell to see you like this."
"You're right." Ma Dincht said as she looked at her watch. "We better hurry. Zell's train from Timber will be here in 10 minutes."
"Timber?" Big Bad Rascal asked. "What is he doing there?"
"Zell got some leads saying that Aya was spotted there a few times."
"That's great news."
"I hope so, but I'm not going to get my hopes up. A week ago, Zell got some leads saying that Aya was in Dollet, but it turned out to just be a girl who resembled Aya."
As Aya listened more to the conversation, her heart broke at hearing that Zell's been looking for her. She told him in the letter to forget about her, but from the look of things, he was far from doing just that.
Aya looked at the time on her watch and realized that if she didn't get to the train station soon she was going to miss her train. Aya wanted to walk past Ma Dincht but she was afraid that she might get spotted. However, just when she thought that all hope was lost, a lady called out to Ma Dincht and started talking to her. Aya seized that opportunity by quickly running past Ma Dincht while Ma Dincht turned to look at the lady.
Aya entered the train just as the train conductor made the last call. As she sat on her seat next to the window, she made a sigh of relief as she thought of how close she was to getting spotted. A few seconds later, as the train started to leave, she saw Zell getting off the other train that just arrived. "Zell," she said softly as she pressed her hand on the window and began to cry.
Zell got off his train and walked with his head staring at the ground. Just like many times before, the leads that he received concerning Aya's location proved to be disappointing. Zell quickly stopped walking when a familiar scent filled the air. "Aya!" Zell said as he raised his head and looked around him. "Aya!"
"Zell, did you find her?" Ma Dincht asked when she heard her son call out Aya's name.
"She's here, Ma." Zell answered as he continued to look around.
"Where, Zell?" Ma Dincht asked.
"I don't know, but I know she's here."
Ma Dincht's look of joy turned to that of sadness when she realized that Zell was loosing it. "Zell, Aya's not here. Please don't do this to yourself."
"I can smell her perfume, Ma!"
"Aya is not the only with that perfume, son. I'm sure other girls buy it, too." She said a short moment later as she placed a hand on Zell's shoulder. It broke her heart to see her son being that way. "She's not here, Zell."
Zell nodded his head lightly. "I guess you're right, Ma. Aya couldn't possibly be here."
At that moment, the train headed out of Balamb started to move. Zell and Ma Dincht watched it leave.
"Cheer up, Zell." Ma Dincht said. "I'm sure that you're getting closer to finding her."
"I really hope so, Ma. I really hope so." Zell said as he continued to watch the train leave.
ON THE ROAD BACK TO BALAMB GARDEN
Zell decided to walk instead of renting a car back to Balamb Garden. He needed to clear his head and get a few minutes of peace. In the past 2 weeks, he did nothing but worry about where Aya could be. As Zell walked, the gentle breeze blew his hair forward. The weather was cool and he wondered if Aya was somewhere warm.
Zell continued to walk and wondered when it all went wrong with Aya. He loved her and he knew deep in his heart that Aya loved him too. They went through so much together and for her to just throw it all away just didn't seem right. Zell looked around him and noticed the green leaves on the trees; spring was on its way.
(FLASHBACK) The leaves on the trees were golden brown and orange. As a couple very much in love walked by the side of the road, the leaves very gently fell on them. Winter was on its way, but they didn't seem to feel the cool breeze. They were too caught up in the warmth of each other's love.
Aya laughed. "That's the corniest joke I've ever heard, Zell."
"You really think so? Well, don't blame me, I heard that joke from Irvine." Zell laughed. "I know some other jokes, want to hear them?"
"I think I'll pass," Aya giggled. "If you're going to tell me another chicken joke, I think I'm going to loose my mind."
"Awww, babe. You're hurting my feelings." Zell smiled as he walked backwards so he could face Aya while she walked. "I thought you like my jokes."
"I do, you silly person, you!" Aya said as she kissed him.
"More than me?"
"Maybe." She stuck her tongue out and smiled.
"Oh really, eh?" Zell untied the yellow ribbon on her hair and started to run ahead of her.
"Zell!" Aya laughed as she chased after him. "Give that back!" Her hair flowed freely behind her back.
"Say that you love me first!" Zell grinned.
"I love you."
"I can't hear you." Zell said in a sing-song voice as he stood in place and waited for Aya to reach him.
"I love you. I love you. I love you." Aya said as she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.
"Now I feel so much better."
"That's good." She smiled. "Well, aren't you going to say that you love me, too?"
Zell looked up at the sky and pretended to be lost in thought.
"Zell! Say it!"
Zell looked down at her sweet face and grinned. "Maybe."
"Why you!" Aya laughed as she messed up his hair and ran. "Take that!"
Aya was a few yards ahead of Zell when she suddenly tripped and fell hard on the ground. In a matter of a few seconds, Zell was there to check on her. "Aya, are you okay? What happened?"
"I.I don't know." She answered as she tried to focus her vision. "I felt dizzy for a second."
"Are you feeling sick?" Zell said as he tried to help her up on her feet.
"No, I guess I just.AHHH!" Aya cried in pain as she looked at her knee. It was scraped pretty badly.
Zell immediately got Aya to sit back down so he could examine her injury. "This looks pretty bad. I'm gonna have to take you to Dr. Kadowaki so she could treat it."
"Is it that bad?"
"Yeah, I'm afraid so." Zell answered as he lightly removed the dirt on her scraped knee. "Aya?"
"Yes, Zell?"
"I love you."
Aya smiled. "I didn't expect you to say that."
"What do you mean?" Zell said as he brushed a strand of her hair to the side of her face.
"I thought you were going to say something about my injury again."
"Well," Zell smiled at her. "I guess now you know that I love you when you least expect it." Leaning forward, Zell gently kissed her lips.
All of a sudden, a car passed them by and beeped at them. "GET A ROOM, YOU TWO!"
Zell and Aya looked at the vehicle and noticed a cowboy hat being waved in the air on the driver's side window.
"Freakin' Irvine." Zell said as he shook his head and laughed.
(END OF FLASHBACK)
3 DAYS LATER AT GALBADIA GARDEN
"He'll be out in a minute." A Galbadian student informed Zell. "In the meantime, please make yourself at home while you wait."
"Thanks." Zell said as he sat down on the couch and waited.
"A few minutes later, the man that Zell came to see entered the room.
"It's a surprise to see you again, Dincht."
"The same goes for you, Barton." Zell said as he stood up.
It has only been a couple of weeks since Aya started working at Frank's Bar and Grill yet Seifer couldn't help but feel as if he'd known her for a long time. It's been a long time since he felt anything like that for anyone. He had a lot of lovers in the past but none of them ever made him feel like how he was feeling at that moment.
"Maybe it's just her innocence that attracts me to her." Seifer thought to himself as he served drinks at the bar and watched Aya take orders from a couple of customers at a nearby table. "But then again, maybe it was that innocent kiss we shared."
A couple of days after Aya started working at the bar, Mary, the girl that Aya replaced, returned for her going away party. After work, Frank, Seifer, Aya, and a couple other people joined Mary at a nearby club to celebrate her new job.
Everyone was having a great time, some probably even more than others. As everyone in the group got up to dance, Seifer watched a tall handsome guy approach Aya and ask her to dance. Seifer thought that she would say, "Yes," but instead she just smiled and said that she didn't want to.
Seifer was dancing with a very beautiful redhead, but for some odd reason, he found himself always looking at Aya, who was sitting on their table. He could tell that she was getting really drunk. He watched her drink her third glass of wine and from the look of things, she was not really good at holding her liquor. She looked out of it by the time she ordered her fourth glass.
Seifer watched her face. He was not really sure but he swore that he saw pain and sadness in her eyes as she continued to drink. It occurred to Seifer that she was probably drinking to forget whatever it was that was bothering her. At one point, he even saw her wipe a tear that rolled down her rosy cheek.
A while later, Seifer watched her get up and walk over to Frank to tell him that she was going. Frank offered her a ride home but she just smiled like she always did and said that she was going to be okay catching a ride home by herself. Frank insisted but she reassured him that she was going to be fine.
Seifer watched Aya about to walk out of the front door when he saw her grab a nearby chair for support. Quickly, the handsome stranger who asked her to dance earlier in the evening approached her and placed her arm over his shoulder and helped her out of the club. Seifer thought that it was nice of the stranger to help her, but what Seifer didn't like was the sex-crazed look on his face as he walked her out.
Seifer quickly left his dance partner and ran after the guy with Aya. When Seifer got outside, the stranger was putting Aya very gently inside his car because she had fallen asleep. Seifer walked up to the guy and told him that he was going to take her home instead. The guy got angry and told Seifer to find himself some other girl to take home for the night. Seifer was not exactly a total saint when it came to women, but he knew better than to take advantage of a girl who was drunk.
Seifer talked to the guy and asked him again to give Aya to him. But instead of cooperating, the guy threw a punch at Seifer. Seifer punched the guy back, and after a couple of punches, the guy was down on the floor. Seifer took Aya out of the guy's car and took her home.
Seifer opened the door to her apartment and laid Aya down gently on her couch. Seifer was slowly removing his arm from the back of her neck when her arms came around his neck. She pulled him down for a kiss, and Seifer found himself kissing her back. The kiss was gentle, passionate, and sweet. As he kissed her, the light scent of her perfume filled his senses.
When the kiss ended, Seifer lifted his head up to look at her face and saw that her eyes were closed. "I'm so sorry for leaving you," he heard Aya whisper as a tear rolled down the side of her face. "Please forgive me."
It occurred to Seifer then that Aya was dreaming when they kissed. "Who are you dreaming about?" Seifer asked her in his thoughts as he gently brushed the tear away with his thumb. "Could it be the same guy who was the reason for your heavy drinking tonight?" Seifer didn't know the answer to that, but he did know one thing: Kissing Aya that evening was like nothing he ever experienced before.
"Hi there, handsome." A pretty blonde said as she sat on a stool right in front of Seifer.
"Oh hi, Jessica." Seifer said as he was brought out of his thoughts.
"Hmm, I see you're interested in that girl over there." Jessica said as she turned her head away from Seifer and at Aya.
"What are you talking about?" Seifer asked as he served a drink to a customer to his right.
"You know very well what I'm talking about Seifer." The woman grinned. "Admit it, Seifer. You want her, don't you?"
Seifer wanted to admit it. "Quit making things up, Jess. Nothing is going on between me and Aya." He said instead as he served another drink.
"Aya? So that's her name. She's pretty, but I doubt you'll stay with her once you have her." Jessica said as she took a sip from her drink.
Seifer stopped what he was doing and stared at Jessica. It's true that he wanted to have Aya but for some reason, he knew that he wanted her as more than just another fling.
"We both know what kind of girl you really want." She smiled as she lazily reached out and touched Seifer's hand on the counter.
Seifer's jaw tightened as he pulled Jessica to the side so they could talk in private. "What do you want, Jess?!" Seifer said angrily.
"You know exactly what I want!" she said with just as much anger on her face. "I want you, but since that girl showed up here a few days ago, you haven't been coming over to see me." She said as her voice calmed.
"It's over between us, and you know that it has nothing to do with her. Leave her out of this!" Seifer said with a straight face.
"I don't believe you!" She said angrily as she shook her head slowly.
"Well, believe it. It's over between us!" Seifer said as his grip tightened on Jessica's wrist. "We always fight and the only time we ever get along is when we're in bed together. I don't want that kind of relationship, Jess. I want something more than that."
"FINE!" she said as she yanked her arm away from Seifer's hold. "You think she can give it to you, huh?"
Seifer just looked at her.
"I knew it!" she said. "A relationship based on love? Well, dream on, Seifer! She can never love you the way I can. Besides, what makes you think that an innocent-looking girl like that will fall for a playboy such as yourself? She wants a good boy, Seifer." Jessica said. "We both know that you're on the other end of the scale."
"Shut up, Jessica!" Seifer said as he pulled Jessica further in the back room so no one could hear them arguing.
"I honestly don't see what you want with her other than her body," she said. "You think she can give you what you want but I don't think she can. She's too naïve for you. I don't think you'll be happy with her for long once you realize that."
Seifer's jaw tightened again. "I've had enough of this. Jessica, I think you should leave."
"Fine, I'll leave." She said with a fake smile as she started to walk away. "Well, you know where to find me, Seifer. Give me a call when you get sick of her."
"Don't hold your breath." Seifer said as he went back to work.
As Jessica walked out of the bar, she gave Aya a deadly look. "I'll make you pay for taking Seifer away from me, you little bitch!" she thought to herself.
MEANWHILE, BACK AT BALAMB GARDEN
"Did they find Aya?!" Zell immediately asked when Irvine and Squall entered the room.
"I'm afraid they still didn't find her, Zell." Irvine said as he watched Zell's hopeful look change into that of disappointment.
"Where could she be?" Zell asked, looking exhausted after days of lack of sleep. "Are you sure they check everywhere?"
"They checked every possible place that she might go to. Do you know any other place where she could be at?" Squall said as he placed a hand over his friend's shoulder. When Squall and Rinoa got back from their honeymoon a few days ago, they were both surprised that this went on while they were away.
"That's the thing, Squall." Zell said. "I don't know any other place. Her parents both passed away, she doesn't have any relatives, and all her friends live here in Balamb."
"Are you sure that everything was fine between the two of you when you last saw each other?" Irvine asked.
"I'm perfectly sure. Well, before I left on my last mission, she did ask me to stay for another day. She said that she had something important to tell me."
"What was it about?" Squall asked.
"I don't know. I told her that we'd talk about it when I get back."
"It must've been really important." Squall answered.
"Do you think she's pregnant?" Irvine asked.
Zell quickly looked at Irvine. "No, Irvine. She's not pregnant."
"Are you sure? I mean, did you ask her?"
"Trust me on that, Irvine. Aya is not pregnant."
"How do you know?"
"I just know, alright?! I don't have to explain it to you."
"Irvine, cut it out with that question, okay?" Squall said.
"Sorry, Zell. I just thought that maybe she left because of that."
Zell punched the wall. "I should have stayed with her when she asked me to. If I did, she'd probably still be here. This is all my fault." Zell blamed himself.
"Calm down, Zell." Irvine said. "Don't worry, we'll find her."
"I should have at least made sure that she was fine before I left her. She was crying at the harbor where I left her!"
"Stop doing this to yourself." Squall said. "Focus on finding her right now. Think! Where or who could she possibly go to?"
"I'm running out of ideas, Squall." Zell answered. "I don't know."
A FEW HOURS LATER
"Are you sure you're from Balamb Garden?" Seifer asked as he joined Aya during her break.
"Yes, why?" she asked as she looked at Seifer who was leaning against the wall in front of her.
"Well, I used to live there too, but I don't remember ever seeing you there." Seifer answered as he gazed down at Aya sitting on a stool a few feet away from him.
"I was in the library committee." Aya answered. "Most of my time was spent there."
"I see." Seifer said. "That explains a lot. You see, I never visited the library. I was too busy looking for troublemakers."
"You mean you were in the disciplinary committee?" Aya asked as she raised her eyes to meet his.
"Bingo!" Seifer said proudly.
"I guess that explains why I never saw you, too," she chuckled. "You see, I was never a troublemaker."
They both laughed.
"I guess our paths were not meant to cross then, huh?"
"I guess not." She smiled. "Seifer?"
"Yeah, Aya?"
"Was she your girlfriend?"
"Who?" Seifer asked.
"That girl you were having an argument with earlier this evening."
"Oh, her," Seifer said as he remembered his argument with Jessica. "She's not my girlfriend...she sort of was but it didn't work out. Why do you ask?"
"I don't know." Aya said as she stared at ground. "I just sensed that something was going on between the two of you. Plus, she was giving me the mean look the whole night. I thought that maybe she thought I was involved with you or something."
"I see." Seifer said as he put both his hands in his pockets.
"If you don't mind me asking, why did you two break up? From the way she looked at you at the bar, I could tell that she still had feelings for you."
Seifer sighed. "I guess it's safe to say that we never really got along. It was all good at first, but lately, it seemed as if all we ever did was argue over petty things." He answered.
"Do you still love her?"
"I care about her...but as for love, I'm not really sure. The last time I can remember ever loving someone was about three years ago." Seifer said as he thought of the pretty young blond instructor at Balamb Garden.
When he left Balamb Garden three years ago, many believed that his reason for leaving was because he felt restrained. However, the truth is, his main reason for leaving was Quistis Trepe. Seifer and Quistis had a relationship but they kept it as a secret. Seifer wanted everyone to know about it, but Quistis felt that it was better that no one knew about it because she was scared of what others were going say. They loved each other very much but the thought of keeping it a secret was putting a strain on their relationship. One night, Quistis and Seifer had a fight. They were so angry at each other that they ended up breaking up. The next day, Seifer left Balamb Garden.
"I'm sick of hiding our relationship from everyone!" Seifer said angrily.
"Seifer, please give it a little more time. I.I just don't think that everyone is ready to hear about us yet."
"Everyone?!" Seifer asked. "Who cares what everyone thinks!"
"Seifer, we can't."
"Are you ashamed of going out with me, Quis?" Seifer said as he looked into her eyes.
"No," Quistis replied. "You know that I love you."
"Then let's stop hiding from everyone. I don't want to hide anymore, Quistis! Three months is long enough!"
"Just a little more time, Seifer. Please I need more."
"Do you know how much it hurts me to see guys flirt with you all the time?" Seifer snapped.
"It hurts me too when girls flirt with you, Seifer!" She said back.
"Then you can understand why it's for the best that we stop all this hiding."
Walking to the opposite end of the room, Quistis crossed her arms. "I'm scared of what might happen once everyone finds out about us, Seifer. I'm scared!"
"I'm scared too, Quistis, but I can't go on like this anymore." Seifer said as he wrapped his arms around her from behind.
"As you know, I recently got my job back as instructor. If they find out that I'm going out with you, they might take."
"You are ashamed of me!" Seifer said as let her go.
"NO!" she said as she shook her head.
"Then prove it to me!" he said. "Tell everyone about us, Quistis."
"You're being unfair!" She answered.
For a moment, they simply stared at each other in silence. They both knew what was going to happen next.
"I need you to choose, Quistis." Seifer said quietly. "It's either me or your job."
Tears filled Quistis' eyes. "Please don't make me choose, Seifer." She cried. "I love you so much and you know how hard I worked to get this far with my career."
Seifer closed his eyes as he braced himself for what he was about to do. "Then I'm going to choose for you." He said. "Goodbye, Quistis."
"I'm sorry to hear that it didn't work out for you, Seifer." Aya said as she stood up and laid a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"There's no need to apologize, Aya," Seifer said as he smiled at her. Having Aya next to him was making his heart beat faster. "We were just not meant to be, I guess."
"Don't worry, Seifer," Aya said. "I'm sure you'll find someone to love again."
"Aya?" Seifer said a while later. "Can I ask you a question?"
"Sure, Seifer." She answered with a light smile.
"Do you have a boyfriend?" I've been wanting to know.
Aya dropped her hand to her side and walked a few steps away from him. "I...did, but I couldn't stay with him." Aya said softly as she thought of her illness getting in the way, and her decision for leaving Zell because of it.
"Why not?" Seifer asked as he noticed the heartbreaking look on her face as she spoke.
"Because things changed," Aya said as tears suddenly filled her eyes.
"What do you mean?" Seifer asked as he placed his hands on her shoulders.
"I found out that...I'm sorry, Seifer, but I should get back to work." Aya said as she raised her tearful eyes to his and left.
"Aya!" Seifer called out to her, but she was already inside so she didn't hear him. Seifer could tell that she loved the guy very much but he must've done something awful to her that caused her to leave. "What did he do to you?" Seifer thought to himself. Sitting on a crate, he took out a cigarette and began to smoke.
THE NEXT DAY
Aya stood at the harbor looking in the direction towards where Balamb Garden was located. She missed her home, she missed her friends, and most of all, she missed her beloved Zell. When Seifer asked her last night if she has a boyfriend, she started to cry because she missed Zell so much.
Aya wished that she could go back home but the last thing she wanted was to cause everyone she loved pain because of her illness. When she left Balamb Garden, she was glad that she was not able to tell Zell that she was sick. Causing Zell any pain was the last thing she wanted to do.
"Hi, Aya."
Aya turned around and found Seifer smiling down at her. "Hi, Seifer."
"What are you doing here?" he asked as he stood beside her and looked in the direction where she was looking.
"I just thought I'd catch some fresh air." She said.
"You miss Balamb, don't you?" He said as he turned his head to face her.
A sad smile touched her face. "Yes, I do," she answered.
"Why don't you go for a visit? I can talk to Frank about it if you want?"
"I...I can't. It's best that I don't," she said. "I better go. I'll see you at work tonight, Seifer."
Seifer grabbed her wrist as she turned to leave. "You're running away from your boyfriend, aren't you?" Seifer asked as he looked into her eyes.
"It's nothing like that," she answered. "I..."
"Admit it, Aya. I can tell that it has something to do with him." He said as he loosened his hold on her. "What did he do to you?"
"Seifer, please don't do this!" Aya cried.
"Did he hit you? Did he..."
"I don't have to answer you!" Aya said as she freed her wrist from his hold and walked away.
Seifer muttered a curse under his breath. "Aya, I'm sorry," he said as he turned her around to face him. "I didn't mean to upset you. I'm just worried about you, that's all. I'm sorry, Aya. Can you forgive me?"
Aya raised her eyes to look him in the eye. She saw the genuine look of his concern there. "I guess I..." Aya started out to say as she fainted.
Seifer immediately caught her before she fell on the ground. "Aya!" Seifer said as he held her in his arms. "Aya!"
"Seifer?" she whispered as she looked disoriented for a minute.
"Yeah, it's me. Are you okay?"
"I'm fine." She said as she placed a hand on her forehead. "I just got a bit light-headed there for a minute."
"Are you sure you're okay? Do you want to see a doctor?"
"No!" she quickly answered. She couldn't let Seifer know that she was sick. "I'm fine."
Seifer helped Aya back up on her feet.
"Aya," Seifer said a few minutes later when he thought that she was feeling much better. "Would you like to go fishing with me for a while?"
"Fishing?" Aya said with a questioning look on her face. "Where?"
"Just down the docks." Seifer pointed. "I was on my way there before I ran into you."
"I don't think I should." She answered hesitantly.
"C'mon, let me make it up to you for upsetting you a while ago."
"I guess it'd be okay." Aya answered a moment later as she saw the fishing gear for the first time.
"That's great to hear." Seifer said as he walked down the docks with her.
Seifer looked at Aya as she stood next to him. He had no idea what came over him when he started asking her questions about her boyfriend earlier. All he knew was that he wanted to know what the guy did to hurt her. Once he found out, Seifer told himself that he'd make that guy pay.
Thinking about the other guy was making Seifer really angry. "Why would anyone want to hurt such a beautiful and sweet girl like Aya?" he thought to himself. "If I were her boyfriend, all I'd want to do is love her."
"Love her?!" Seifer quickly thought to himself. It's been a while since he used that word to describe what he'd like to do to a girl he was interested in. "What is going on with me? I can't fall in love with her. I can't." But Seifer knew that it was already too late. He was already in love with her.
"Seifer, can you help me with this?"
"Oh, okay." Seifer answered as he was brought out of his thoughts.
"Do you always go fishing?" Aya asked as Seifer stood closer to her.
"Actually, I never used to like fishing that much before I moved here at FH. But when fishing boats and fishermen surround you, you can't help but want to fish after a while, you know? You start acting like one of the local folks." He smiled.
"Is this right?" Aya asked as she held the fishing pole.
"No, this is how you hold it." He said as he got behind her and placed his hands over hers so he could show her how to properly hold it. The side of Seifer's face was pressed against her right cheek.
"Like this?" Aya asked as she realized that her back was pressed on his chest. Aya was so close to him that she could smell the scent of his aftershave. A sad smile touched her lips when she realized that it was the same as the one Zell used.
"Exactly." He said. "Now all we do is wait for the fish to go after the bait."
"Thanks, Seifer." Aya said as she turned her head to the right and found her lips to just be an inch from Seifer's. He was so close to her that she could feel his warm breath lightly feathering her lips.
Seifer was also aware of how close they were at that moment. He couldn't help but stare at her lips and get intoxicated by the light scent of her perfume. For a minute, he remembered the kiss he shared with her at her apartment a few days ago. The kiss that Seifer could clearly tell that she doesn't remember.
"It was my pleasure," he said as he continued to stare at her lips. After a few seconds, Seifer found himself leaning closer for a kiss when all of a sudden, a fish yanked the fishing line.
"That was quick." Aya said as she turned her head away and thanked the fish for the interruption. If that moment wasn't disturbed, Aya knew that she probably would have kissed him back. She was still in love with Zell but for some reason, she found a part of herself attracted to this man.
Seifer, on the other hand, muttered a curse under his breath. Stupid fish! He thought.
THE NEXT DAY
After that dizzy spell she had with Seifer the day before, Aya decided to see her doctor in Deling for a checkup on her condition. After learning about her latest condition, Aya decided to go back home. However, instead of taking the train back to FH, she mistakenly took the train headed for Balamb.
When Aya realized her mistake, she panicked and didn't know what to do. The last thing she wanted was to be spotted at Balamb. After learning that the next train out of Balamb was in an hour, Aya decided to keep herself from being spotted by spending her time at Rinaul Coast until it was time to go.
Rinaul Coast felt strange without Zell beside her. As she walked along the coast, the times she shared with Zell there crossed her mind. Rinaul Coast was their special place. It was the place they spent most of their time together and it was also the place were they realized that they shouldn't be apart.
When Aya reached a certain spot, the memory of the day she almost married Rex came to mind. She remembered sitting in the bride's waiting room just before the ceremony when Zell went to see her. At first, Zell congratulated her for going to marry Rex, but just when he was about to leave, he grabbed her and told her that he wanted her to be with him instead. Aya remembered the passionate kiss that Zell planted on her. It felt right but it suddenly felt wrong when the memory of seeing Zell kissing Quistis came to mind.
Aya remembered telling Zell that she couldn't be with him. The look of hope on Zell's face quickly changed to that of pure disappointment. He asked her to believe in his love for her. She wanted to but she ended up telling him that she couldn't.
After accepting his defeat, Zell held her one more time and wished her the very best. Aya watched him walk out of the room, and when the door clicked shut, she remembered the tears that she cried.
Aya walked down the aisle with pain in her heart. With each step she took, the thought that she was making the wrong choice went through her mind.
The priest read the wedding vows and as she listened to the words, it became more and more clear to her that she was making a very big decision; a decision that will affect the rest of her life. With tears in her eyes, Aya told Rex that she couldn't be with him. She cared about Rex, but her heart kept telling her that she'd be happier with the man she loved. She saw sadness in Rex's eyes as he looked at her, but soon after, also saw understanding.
Aya ran all over Balamb looking for Zell, but he was nowhere to be found. All hope of finding Zell seemed lost until she realized that there was still one place that she hadn't checked; that one place being Rinaul Coast.
Aya spotted Zell walking along the coast. She called out his name as she ran towards him. She remembered him look up, but just as quickly look down again. It occurred to her that he probably didn't' see her. He started walking back and Aya planned on meeting him halfway. As she watched Zell walk with his head staring at the ground, her heart ached at the thought that she caused him pain when she told him that she couldn't be with him.
When they were finally standing in front of the other, Aya remembered seeing Zell's sad face turn to that of disbelief. He closed his eyes as if expecting her to disappear when he opened them again. When he opened his eyes and realized that she was no mirage, she remembered him pulling her so tight in his arms that she could hardly breath. They said their love for each other, and at that moment Aya knew that nothing will ever come between them again.
Aya began to cry as she thought of that poignant memory. Sitting herself down on the sand, she hugged her knees and cried some more.
"Zell," she sobbed. "Why is fate being so unkind to us?"
When Aya talked to her doctor earlier that day, she was told that her illness was getting worse. The medicine that she was given to help slow down her illness was not very effective. Because of that, the doctor gave her other pills and told her that she only had a couple of months left instead of the six months that she was told before.
Some time later, Aya headed back to Balamb to catch her train. As she approached Ma Dincht's house, which was located along the way, she decided to walk faster so she wouldn't get spotted. Aya was almost passed Ma Dincht's door when Ma Dincht suddenly came out along with Big Bad Rascal's mom. Aya quickly lowered her head and walked behind a group of people.
"Don't worry, Mrs. Dincht. I'm sure things will work out well really soon."
"I really hope so. It breaks my heart to see Zell so heartbroken.and Aya.poor girl, where could she be?" Ma Dincht said sadly.
"Cheer up, Mrs. Dincht. You don't want Zell to see you like this."
"You're right." Ma Dincht said as she looked at her watch. "We better hurry. Zell's train from Timber will be here in 10 minutes."
"Timber?" Big Bad Rascal asked. "What is he doing there?"
"Zell got some leads saying that Aya was spotted there a few times."
"That's great news."
"I hope so, but I'm not going to get my hopes up. A week ago, Zell got some leads saying that Aya was in Dollet, but it turned out to just be a girl who resembled Aya."
As Aya listened more to the conversation, her heart broke at hearing that Zell's been looking for her. She told him in the letter to forget about her, but from the look of things, he was far from doing just that.
Aya looked at the time on her watch and realized that if she didn't get to the train station soon she was going to miss her train. Aya wanted to walk past Ma Dincht but she was afraid that she might get spotted. However, just when she thought that all hope was lost, a lady called out to Ma Dincht and started talking to her. Aya seized that opportunity by quickly running past Ma Dincht while Ma Dincht turned to look at the lady.
Aya entered the train just as the train conductor made the last call. As she sat on her seat next to the window, she made a sigh of relief as she thought of how close she was to getting spotted. A few seconds later, as the train started to leave, she saw Zell getting off the other train that just arrived. "Zell," she said softly as she pressed her hand on the window and began to cry.
Zell got off his train and walked with his head staring at the ground. Just like many times before, the leads that he received concerning Aya's location proved to be disappointing. Zell quickly stopped walking when a familiar scent filled the air. "Aya!" Zell said as he raised his head and looked around him. "Aya!"
"Zell, did you find her?" Ma Dincht asked when she heard her son call out Aya's name.
"She's here, Ma." Zell answered as he continued to look around.
"Where, Zell?" Ma Dincht asked.
"I don't know, but I know she's here."
Ma Dincht's look of joy turned to that of sadness when she realized that Zell was loosing it. "Zell, Aya's not here. Please don't do this to yourself."
"I can smell her perfume, Ma!"
"Aya is not the only with that perfume, son. I'm sure other girls buy it, too." She said a short moment later as she placed a hand on Zell's shoulder. It broke her heart to see her son being that way. "She's not here, Zell."
Zell nodded his head lightly. "I guess you're right, Ma. Aya couldn't possibly be here."
At that moment, the train headed out of Balamb started to move. Zell and Ma Dincht watched it leave.
"Cheer up, Zell." Ma Dincht said. "I'm sure that you're getting closer to finding her."
"I really hope so, Ma. I really hope so." Zell said as he continued to watch the train leave.
ON THE ROAD BACK TO BALAMB GARDEN
Zell decided to walk instead of renting a car back to Balamb Garden. He needed to clear his head and get a few minutes of peace. In the past 2 weeks, he did nothing but worry about where Aya could be. As Zell walked, the gentle breeze blew his hair forward. The weather was cool and he wondered if Aya was somewhere warm.
Zell continued to walk and wondered when it all went wrong with Aya. He loved her and he knew deep in his heart that Aya loved him too. They went through so much together and for her to just throw it all away just didn't seem right. Zell looked around him and noticed the green leaves on the trees; spring was on its way.
(FLASHBACK) The leaves on the trees were golden brown and orange. As a couple very much in love walked by the side of the road, the leaves very gently fell on them. Winter was on its way, but they didn't seem to feel the cool breeze. They were too caught up in the warmth of each other's love.
Aya laughed. "That's the corniest joke I've ever heard, Zell."
"You really think so? Well, don't blame me, I heard that joke from Irvine." Zell laughed. "I know some other jokes, want to hear them?"
"I think I'll pass," Aya giggled. "If you're going to tell me another chicken joke, I think I'm going to loose my mind."
"Awww, babe. You're hurting my feelings." Zell smiled as he walked backwards so he could face Aya while she walked. "I thought you like my jokes."
"I do, you silly person, you!" Aya said as she kissed him.
"More than me?"
"Maybe." She stuck her tongue out and smiled.
"Oh really, eh?" Zell untied the yellow ribbon on her hair and started to run ahead of her.
"Zell!" Aya laughed as she chased after him. "Give that back!" Her hair flowed freely behind her back.
"Say that you love me first!" Zell grinned.
"I love you."
"I can't hear you." Zell said in a sing-song voice as he stood in place and waited for Aya to reach him.
"I love you. I love you. I love you." Aya said as she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.
"Now I feel so much better."
"That's good." She smiled. "Well, aren't you going to say that you love me, too?"
Zell looked up at the sky and pretended to be lost in thought.
"Zell! Say it!"
Zell looked down at her sweet face and grinned. "Maybe."
"Why you!" Aya laughed as she messed up his hair and ran. "Take that!"
Aya was a few yards ahead of Zell when she suddenly tripped and fell hard on the ground. In a matter of a few seconds, Zell was there to check on her. "Aya, are you okay? What happened?"
"I.I don't know." She answered as she tried to focus her vision. "I felt dizzy for a second."
"Are you feeling sick?" Zell said as he tried to help her up on her feet.
"No, I guess I just.AHHH!" Aya cried in pain as she looked at her knee. It was scraped pretty badly.
Zell immediately got Aya to sit back down so he could examine her injury. "This looks pretty bad. I'm gonna have to take you to Dr. Kadowaki so she could treat it."
"Is it that bad?"
"Yeah, I'm afraid so." Zell answered as he lightly removed the dirt on her scraped knee. "Aya?"
"Yes, Zell?"
"I love you."
Aya smiled. "I didn't expect you to say that."
"What do you mean?" Zell said as he brushed a strand of her hair to the side of her face.
"I thought you were going to say something about my injury again."
"Well," Zell smiled at her. "I guess now you know that I love you when you least expect it." Leaning forward, Zell gently kissed her lips.
All of a sudden, a car passed them by and beeped at them. "GET A ROOM, YOU TWO!"
Zell and Aya looked at the vehicle and noticed a cowboy hat being waved in the air on the driver's side window.
"Freakin' Irvine." Zell said as he shook his head and laughed.
(END OF FLASHBACK)
3 DAYS LATER AT GALBADIA GARDEN
"He'll be out in a minute." A Galbadian student informed Zell. "In the meantime, please make yourself at home while you wait."
"Thanks." Zell said as he sat down on the couch and waited.
"A few minutes later, the man that Zell came to see entered the room.
"It's a surprise to see you again, Dincht."
"The same goes for you, Barton." Zell said as he stood up.