SEQ CHAPTER \h \r 1Disclaimer: I don't own them.

 Drummer of life though sweet,

You won't suffice,

In this land controlled by time.

When night comes,

One soul is tortured by his wrecked

                Life.            

                                       -frost

                                                        .13 It's out of the bag now!

         Seifer didn't know what to think, everything that she was doing to him was too much for him to make sense of. One minute she wants him to leave the next, she's there trying to hug the life out of him. He desperately wished he could understand what she was thinking, so that he could say something to make her feel better, the tears had been falling onto his bare torso and he felt a jabbing pain from the knowledge of her tears.

     Though one side of him was angered, the other was happy, she was there with him, yes not happy but at least he was with her. Seifer sighed as he thought about what she had told him about her memories. He didn't understand what she wanted from him, what was he supposed to do now? Luckily she beat him to it, by separating herself and with both hands on above his wrists as he kept his grip on her; she looked sad, trying to find the words to tell him what she wanted to say. She looked at him; he still had the towel draped around him, covering most of his chest and shoulders. For once she was glad that he had tried to keep himself covered.

"Seifer....I don't know why I don't remember that night, I'm sorry I don't but that's just how things are. If you'd like we can be.....friends. I can try to be friends with you, okay?" she told him. Seifer's heart, ripped a little but he kept his face neutral.

"Friends? I...would love to be friends with you." he told her, albeit difficultly.

"Alright. But it's late and you should go to your room."

"Wait! Why did you cry?" he asked, she looked away, and turned to open the door, he walked to stop in front of it.

"Because I couldn't remember you."

           Seifer looked at the closed door, towel still in place, hair still a little damp, but his heart hurt. What he wouldn't give to just be there with her, so she wanted to remember? He asked himself. At least she's willing to be my friend, shit I don't want her to just be my friend what the hell? And she's so emotional, why is she so easy to cry? Maybe I make her cry, he thought as he walked to his room. Smiling he noticed it was next to hers, hyne was a tricky bastard, he thought as he entered. It had been hard, he had so much he didn't want her to know about, he looked in the mirror of his bathroom, like those scars, he thought with a sigh.

"Lets hope she didn't see them, I don't think she did." he murmured as he ran a finger across on of them, the towel was then thrown on the porcelain by the sink and he shed his clothes and slowly let the water grow warm as it hit his skin.

    I didn't think I would care so much if she saw my scars, but I guess I do care, the whole time I was around her I made sure she couldn't see the scars, thank hyne the towel was big, and long, he thought as he washed his chlorine infected hair.

  Friends? Well, it's a start. And she didn't know I was the bartender, how is that possible? I should ask about the father, maybe after I gain her faith.

         Seifer wondered about what had happened to her to make her lose her memories, he couldn't understand it, the ceiling wasn't very entertaining and he felt his eyes grow heavy after a while of such thoughts. Snapping out of it, he tried to stay awake, he got up and went to sit down on a chair and watch TV instead of staying down. Around five o'clock he had finally let it take over him, and sadly he couldn't stay awake anymore, submittedly letting his lids drop.

       Wandering around the forest, Seifer followed the river to the swamp area; it was night time and foggy. Yet as he traveled deeper into the swamp, he saw that day was starting to spread around him, looking around he saw beautiful orchids. White orchids that grew on swamps, smiling he walked in the waist deep water with ease.

       His hands grazed the water as he moved, and noticed for the first time how thick the water was, even for a swamp. Looking down his eyes grew wide; the crimson waters reflected him back. He backed away, the color was overwhelming, all that red, on such a beautiful day, the blood soaked his shirt and pants, and he felt the faces of the dead stare up at him from the bottom of the swamp.

  He stumbled as he tried to get away, the faces taken a liquid form, the blood that was the swamp, taking the forms of the dead people. They tried to follow him as he struggled to get out of the swamp, yet with so many after him, how could he have enough strength to get out of it. The souls gripped his legs tried to push him down.

      He cried out as his face touched the blood, the vile souls pulling him down under, the swamp of blood, the blood he shed. He panicked as he tried to get away, his arms now moving wildly and his eyes shut tight, the screams of the dead mixed with his tortured ones. Crying he broke free from the morphing bloody souls and awoke in a pool of sweat, and tears.

      The sheets lay discarded on the floor, his boxers clung to him with sweat. Seifer sat up and climbed out of bed, the sweat glistened on his face as he walked to the bathroom. The coldness of the room didn't help him feel any better, washing his face; he decided he needed a shower.

     The warmth of the water was a relief to him, at least he didn't dream with that witch, she should burn in hell.....hell, and I should too, all those dead, he thought. Though nothing about his war life was clear to him, the dreams and distorted images stayed with him forever.

        He saw what he had done and he had pieced quite a few things together and what he saw never did anything to make him think he should go anywhere else. Quistis, he didn't deserve to be with her, be friends with her, or anyone else for that matter. Seifer's thoughts disturbed him until he got a knock at his door, sighing he climbed out of the shower, quickly dried himself and pulled on the pants closest to him.

"Coming! Hold up!" he yelled as he found a shirt, a simple muscle t-shirt and he walked to the door with the towel over his hair as he dried it.

"Yeah?" he asked before fully opening the door, expecting it to be room service, when he saw one of his crewmen from the boat, he nodded his head.

"Hey boss! Ya know me and my men were wondering when we could leave, ya know? We got a lot of deliveries to make and well, we got to go." Seifer rubbed his hair dry as he thought.

"I don't know, why don't you do me the favor of dropping of my packages at my shop and I'll pay extra for everything you've done so far?"

"Nah! Don't worry about a thing! We'll drop it off and I'll get a guy to work the shop for ya! You know how I feel about you; after all you did save my crew a few weeks ago from that snake monster! I'll make sure your shop is cared for, of course this can only be for a few days since we'll only be in that area for a while." Seifer smiled with gratitude, he never had people care so much of him, or respect him so much. Except for the posse, but they were his friends and he'd known them for years.

"Damn it bud, I can't ask you to do that. But thanks." he told him.

"Too late, it's already been taken care of. Later Seifer!" just like he came, he left, and Seifer stood watching him stride away. Shaking his head, he was turning when he caught Quistis staring at him.

"What?" he asked unsure, Quistis looked confused.

"You....I. you said thank you and...You saved them? You have really changed....I just, I'm used to seeing an asshole." she admitted. Seifer lifted both eyebrows at the last comment but let it slide, chuckling he shook his head.

"Maybe it was the atmosphere of garden that made me an asshole, ever think of that?" he retorted, defensive tone, but yet not harsh.

"Whatever." she was walking away now.

         Seifer chuckled at her as she left, and with a quick run into his room, he was running to the elevator trying to catch it before it closed. When he turned to look inside she had been holding it open for him, he smiled at her for it. Seifer let a small smile tug at the corner of his lips, as she pressed the button to the lobby; Seifer stole a sideways glance at her when she did.

"Seifer didn't you sleep at all last night, you have the worst bags under your eyes." she commented before he could ask her something.

"Just a bad dream, it's not important. Anyway what are you going to do today?" he asked casually, or trying to be casual as he looked at her. She smiled politely as she patted her stomach.

"I have to see a doctor." she said absently as the elevator opened and they got out to the lobby, Seifer stopped her with an arm.

"Maybe I can walk with you?" he asked hopefully. 

        He wasn't the father, he could understand that she slept with others, but it didn't mean he couldn't ask her a few questions about it. She nodded her head, inside she was smiling, so he wasn't freaked out about her...situation; in fact he hasn't said anything about it, she thought as she glanced at him for a second. They walked outside and turned at the corner, he motioned for them to take a transpod but she told him that they made her sick and he chuckled.

"So Quistis, huh what's it like?" he asked, starting slow.

"What is what like?" she asked and raised an eyebrow when he made a motion with his hands to indicate her belly.

"It's....different. I can't eat almost anything without throwing up, and I throw up a lot either way. It's hard to explain, I feel different. Its strange, sometimes, not a lot but sometimes my mood changes, though I'm not exactly at that point yet, the doctor says I should get a lot of mood swings." she told him as they stopped at a red light.

"Do you know what it is yet?"  He asked after a few steps into the street, she shook her head and looked at him, debating if she should tell him about it being his.

"So Seifer, doesn't this bother you?" she asked, okay so she had always had a problem with being too forward.

"Huh .what do you mean?" he asked, sweat trickled down his rib.

"About me being pregnant?" she asked.

"Look Quistis, I care about you. I understand, one thing led to another and you slept with some people. I'm not judging it's your right." he said in a low tone. Quistis' eyes widened as she realized what he meant and her face grew red with anger.

"What!?!" she cried in his face, some people stopped to stare, and she lowered her voice and grabbed his arm, her grip was digging into his arm. She walked off into an alleyway by a dinner and shop. Seifer was complaining the whole way.

"What the hell?!" he cried when she let him go.

"What the hell are you talking about?!" she asked clearly upset, Seifer was at loss for words, not knowing what he done.

"What?" he asked confused.

"I don't sleep around, you jerk! What the hell do you think I am? You think you need to sleep around with hundreds to get pregnant?! No! Just once can do it Seifer." she said and yelled; Seifer waited till she stopped.

"Hey! It's not my fault, that's the impression you left me with! You come and drink some wine and then sleep with me, next morning you leave. Your letter being clear what you thought of it all! What do you expect me to think of you? At first I didn't believe it, but you're pregnant! What? Do you sleep around with the guys around garden, or maybe just squall? So those rumors I stopped those trepies from spreading, they were true?!" Seifer yelled, angered.

"You stupid asshole! What rumors? I never slept with any trepies, hell Seifer the only guy I've ever been with is you!" she cried, outraged, then she realized what she had just told him and covered her mouth. Shock covered both of their faces, and they didn't move their muscles tense as they stared down the other.

"What? I'm it? What? Wait....oh hyne...you mean, its mine?" he asked as his voice was raspy, she couldn't speak, and nodding her head he backed away against a wall and held his head in his hands.

"Oh...okay. wow." he mumbled a little bit later.

         Quistis expected him to have a different reaction, okay he's in shock but she thought he would scream out against that fact, or something, he's just standing there, looking like if he was learning something for the first time. Awed Seifer stepped up to her and placed his hands on her belly, she frowned as she saw his face, still had his mouth hanging open and his eyes were wide. He bent forward and placed his ear against her belly, though you couldn't tell that she was pregnant yet. Seifer chuckled and moved away, surprise written all over his face.

"Uh....I....would like to be with you...to.... take of It." he stammered. Quistis bit her lip, not sure if she could rely on him.

"As a friend."

"Okay."

"Alright I have to go; I'm gong to be late."

"We are going to be late." he said. Quistis checked her watch and frowned.

"We've been standing here for an hour and forty minutes!" she told him.

"So?"

"I'm an hour and thirty minutes late!"

"No big deal, come on." Seifer looked at her, not understanding the big deal, shrugging his shoulders he started walking towards the office building; Quistis despite herself smiled at the way things have turned out so far, everything in her life had been so planned out, now everything is happened on a moments notice.

Thanks so much for the reviews! Quistis 88 thanks for letting me know about that sentence, I'm glad you think the descriptions are good. And hope you've enjoyed these last few chapters, I've gotten kind of crazy and written up a storm, so to speak. J And yes it was a little bit romantic that last one wasn't it.

Kyra-dante thanks so much for the review, and yeah I like long chaps too. Glad you like it, hope you've enjoyed this one too.