To Catch a Thief
Rating: PG
Summary: A year after Kefka's defeat, it seemed like Locke was over losing Rachel- but Celes doesn't think so. It's starting to get on her nerves, so what's she gonna to do about it?
Pairing: Locke/Celes, mentions Locke/Rachel
Disclaimer: Fair use act probably allows for fanfic, but just in case somebody from Squaresoft goes on a Metallica-like internet rampage, these characters and situations are not mine and I'm not making any money off them
A/N: I couldn't find a beta reader. Thanks for nothing, Sarah :P
~*~*~
"Locke."
Vish. Swoop. POW.
"I'm kinda busy right now, Celes, willya cover me?!" the treasure hunter managed between dodging the mace swung at his head and thrusting a few times with the flimsy tai chi sword he held. If he could only reach his poison-tipped dagger... "OW!" as he lunged towards the left to grab for the lost knife, the Gigan clipped him with a clumsy but powerful backhand, and he went sprawling on his back.
"Dammit, woman," he groaned, but Celes was finished preparing her spell, and mere seconds later the bacon-like aroma of roast giant filled the stuffy cave air.
"Locke," she repeated, helping him up and applying a cure spell to his mangled right arm, "how long has it been since that girl Rachel fell in the cave?"
The sandy-haired young man blinked at her in confusion, his ire rising quickly at the nerve and insensitivity of such a question. One look at her eyes, though, and his indignance was replaced by fear. A second look in her eyes, and fear was ousted by guilt and a general sense of obligation. Locke sighed. "How long have you been waiting to ask me that?"
"Since we entered this cave, and you wouldn't let me cross that stupid bridge until you'd gone over it. I was humoring you by waiting, you know. I could've just cast float on us both. You've really got issues."
"Well of course I have issues," Locke snapped, glaring in her direction but not quite meeting her eyes. He found himself tensing up again, and forced himself to relax. "Look. If you really wanna know about Rachel..."
"Yes, I do," Celes interrupted.
"If you wanna know about her... I'll tell you. But it's gonna be a long story, and I'm gonna need a few drinks."
"On me," she said, Her hands were on her hips now. She looked a little bit angry with a touch of... something Locke couldn't identify. "I thought you said you were okay when we went back to Kohlingen and you said goodbye to Rachel for good. But then when the magicite was gone you got weird all over again. I thought we were equal partners in this treasure hunting thing, but you try to take all the risks on yourself. You treat me like some dainty little princess and while I appreciate your concern, you know damn well I can take care of myself. As a matter of fact I prefer it. If you're always trying to shelter me, I'm going to lose my edge, so whatever it is that's bothering you, you're going to spill it so you can start acting normal again."
"But what about the..."
"Locke, nobody besides us could possibly make it past those stupid gigans, not to mention the lake of fire, the poison-shooting eyeball shaped things, and the mountain range we had to fly over to get here. The treasure can wait till tomorrow. This is more important."
"...but..."
His lame protest, whatever it was, died in the wind that swirled around them as Celes used their last remaining warp stone.
"Fine," he said when they were standing outside the cave entrance. He knew when he was defeated. "Let's just go to Jidoor. If you're buying, I'm getting the good stuff."
"Whatever," Celes said flippantly, and headed towards the airship.
After a fairly tense and silent trip across the rapidly darkening southwestern sky, they landed in Jidoor. There was a light drizzle, and the air dropped to a temperature much lower than the day's had been. Celes stayed quiet, feeling a little more relaxed in the fresh air and a lot less confrontational than she had in the stuffy cave. However, she fully intended to follow through with what she'd started. Beyond mere friendly concern for Locke, she had her own reasons for asking.
"This one," Locke said, nodding toward a brightly lit pub.
"Looks warm," Celes agreed, and stepped inside as he held the door for her in an uncommonly gentlemanlike moment. The corner of her lips quirked upwards. She'd fallen in status; at one time, two uniformed soldiers flanked her everywhere she went, and formed a miniature honor guard at every door she entered. Somehow, she preferred the clumsy attempts at chivalry from her scruffy ex-thief friend.
"What's so funny?" Locke wanted to know, shoving his hands in his pockets and ruining the moment.
"Nothing," she lied, dismissively. "I was just thinking about the last time we were here."
"Right," Locke said. "I'm going to order my drink now. Are you having anything?"
"Order for me," she replied.
"...yeah." He arched one eyebrow at her, dubious at the notion that they would have similar tastes. Oh well, she'd asked for it. "Barkeep. Bottle of your oldest and most expensive single malt scotch, preferably northern."
Celes didn't bat an eye. She'd expected as much. "On me, sir," she handed the man a wad of money with a wink.
Locke had no shame. He grabbed the bottle and went over to the table, sitting down without even waiting for her to sit first.
"Where should I start?" he asked, pouring a shot for each of them.
"Wherever you see fit," Celes replied. She wasn't about to help him this early on.
Her fellow Returner picked up his shot glass, inspecting it against the bright firelight in the pub. "I guess first I should tell you a little bit about Rachel," he began. "Maybe a bit about what life was like back then. It started a while after I got to Narsche..."
Celes listened, allowing herself to become absorbed in his words and his voice. This was what she'd been waiting so long to hear. She swallowed her scotch, and relaxed as Locke began to tell his story.
"Just a little background information. My mom was a war widow from just before I was born, died when I was 10, along with my little sister. I don't want to get into it. That's just the reason I was alone at 12 years old, is all. I had no other family and I ran away from the neighboors who tried to take care of me. They weren't nice people, and I was miserable, so I left.
"It's pretty obvious I couldn't make it alone as a kid without stealing. I mean, who'd hire a scrawny, dirty little kid for any real work? Once or twice I tried helping old ladies fix things in their homes, but for one thing I didn't know how to do any of that, and for another, the pay wasnt enough to feed a rat let alone a growing boy. I was pretty adept at it by the time I got to Narsche. I had no qualms about stealing, either. It was just a matter of survival at that point. I never gave it a second thought. My mother had taught me that it was wrong, of course, but she'd also told me from the day I was born that I was important and I should look after myself. Altruism was what had got my father killed. But we're not getting into that old stuff.
"Anyway I knew that Narsche wasn't exactly a rich city, but they were known for being the only mining town that paid its workers a decent amount, and everyone made a pretty good living. So, they wouldn't have the kind of security and paranoia they'd have in a city, like, say... here. But they'd have enough that a kid could survive on their scraps, you know? And, okay, not just the scraps. I've been known to swipe pies off of windowsills.. and roasts out of ovens... and money from wallets. After all, they say men don't live by bread alone, right? So, Narsche was really the perfect place. I knew it as soon as I got there.
"It was right in the middle of one of my classic "divert and distract" tactics, wherein I ask the manager of a place if he has a job, and while he's explaining to me that I'm too little to do the various chores involved I swipe whatever I want right from under his nose. Perfected that in South Figaro. Sailors aren't as polite as Narsche businessmen, but they're not as astute, either. I made good money in Figaro... too bad I got arrested, I couldn't go back for a few years till I looked different. You wouldn't believe what a cute kid I was. Charming as hell, I could convince them all I was a little baby angel while-
"You're getting off the subject, Locke."
"Right, sorry. Another shot?" he asked.
"You talk. I'll pour."
"Right, where was I? Oh yeah, Narsche.
"All it was, was a vegetable stand. When you're hungry, even as a kid you'll eat anything. I had a bundle of carrots under my coat and a few potatoes in my pockets, then I saw this girl and froze in my tracks. I almost blew my cover. Lucky thing the coat was so baggy, I would've dropped it if I'd just been hiding it up my sleeves. Another good thing about Narsche, the cold weather, everyone dresses like that and it's easy to stuff things under your clothes. So this girl, I was staring at her and the farmer who was selling those vegetables started yelling at me to pay attention. I think he'd actually been about to offer me a job, sadly. But since I had what I wanted, I mumbled an apology and wandered off in pursuit of this girl.
"She was with a man I later learned to be her father. I followed them for a good half hour before she spotted me. Humiliating... I was staring right at her, slack-jawed. I can't say what it was that made me stare... she was pretty enough, but not striking. I think it was just her smile and body language. She seemed so happy and so sweet, hanging on her father's arm while they did the shopping. Rachel's mom died when she was little... oh, I did explain that this was Rachel, right? Well, her dad was teaching her to do all the shopping so he wouldn't have to do it anymore. She saw me staring at her like an idiot, and she just giggled. I think a lot of girls would have glared, or given me the cold shoulder, especially since I was obviously just some dirty homeless kid.
Celes noted with interest as his hand clenched the glass he held a little harder at this point, but neither his expression nor his tone of voice changed at all. He continued, in his nonchalant manner.
"Instead of doing any of those things, she tugged on her father's sleeve, and pointed at me. They talked for a minute, and then she came over and invited me for dinner. I almost died of shock. Never once had I ever resorted to begging, even though I sorta realized some of the people in the town left things lying around for me on purpose, I never really admitted it to myself and they never really spoke to me. Until that moment, I hadn't even realized that even though I had enough to eat, I was starved for company. Like a typical prepubescent kid, I acted like an idiot. I just nodded, my mouth was probably hanging open that entire time. I can only imagine what she thought of me. She just smiled though, and said to come over at sunset. They lived in the house on the uppermost northwest side.
"So of course I went to dinner. Their house wasn't quite what I expected. They had money, I could tell from the amount of things they were buying in the square and the quality of their clothes and things, but they didn't flaunt it. The house was very simple, not at all elaborate like you'd expect of people with money. I thought it was weird, because if I were rich, I'd have everything I ever wanted filling the whole house. Of course, I've changed since then - a little - but at the time, it was beyond my comprehension. It aroused my curiosity, which was okay because they had me over every week after that.
"Rachel's father never invited me any other time besides those dinners, and didn't let her run around town by herself either. But sometimes, we did see each other. One day, maybe a year later, she came running out her front door when she saw me walking by. She was crying, and just then I realized how much I'd grown to care about her. Then she told me they were leaving... moving to some place I'd never heard of. She said she'd just found out, and they were leaving right away. She was furious at her father, who hadn't told her sooner. He'd said he didn't want to make her worry anymore than she had to, but I think really he didn't want to let her change his mind about the move. I didn't know what to say to her then, and to make matters worse, she grabbed me in this huge hug. "I love you, Locke," she said. Can you imagine my reaction? This crying girl, hugging me and telling me she loved me, and me some skinny little nobody 13 years old? I hugged her back and told her it would be okay. She pressed a pouch into my hand, and ran away before I could say anything else. I looked at the pouch, and it was full of small coins. Obviously, ones she'd been saving. Like the contents of a piggy bank. I looked at her house, and noticed crates and things piled outside. They loaded them onto some wagons just a little while later, and they were gone. That night I snuck into the deserted house and sat there for a long time. She'd told me she loved me, and I hadn't said it back. I counted the money she'd left me. It wasn't enough for more than a few meals, so I tucked it away and resolved not to use it. I decided I'd have to go find her.
"This proved to be a problem. First of all I had no idea where she'd gone. Second, nobody would tell me. The reason they didn't tell me was because the first person I asked glared at me and closed the door in my face, and after that I didn't ask anyone else. I figured there were better ways of finding out. By this point I'd lost my cute little kid looks and gotten kind of awkward and lanky, so they treated me more like a petty criminal and less like a helpless child. Which sort of became a self-fulfilling prophecy, since I broke into that guy's house that night and made off with most of his wife's jewelry. I didn't feel bad, since that woman had never been nice to me anyways, and it's not like stealing jewelry's gonna make 'em starve or anything. People can live without jewelry and stuff like that. I did.
"I didn't stay in Narsche much longer. After Rachel left, the town seemed so much smaller. It was so stagnant, boring, mundane. There was nobody to talk to. I decided to head back to South Figaro. Enough time had passed that they wouldn't remember my face anymore, and this time I was old enough to work the docks or something. Barely, but it would do.
"The trip to South Figaro was terrible. You know Narsche... too far north for chocobos, not that I could've got my hands on one anyway. On foot, it took me probably a week to get there. I didn't ration my food too well, and some of it got stolen. I got attacked by the wildlife- hey, don't laugh! I was still a kid. You know, Celes, you can be pretty harsh."
"Sorry," the blonde ex-general smiled into her drink. It was just that she could picture it so well... an even skinnier, gangly, frantic young Locke fending for himself in the wild... against a bunch of terrifying leafers. How could anyone not find that funny?
"Moving on. I got a job pretty quick, spent the next couple of years loading and unloading ships. The pay was enough to feed me, and a merchant's family let me stay in their spare room for pretty cheap. Nothing noteworthy really happened. I behaved myself, so I didn't get into any trouble... well, if I wanted something that I couldnt' have... but not that often. I tried to save up money but there really wasn't any extra. All the time I was listening for word of Rachel and her dad, though I never heard anything much. In a couple years I'd gotten a lot stronger, and got offered a job on a ship. The pay was a lot better, and I wanted to travel and hopefully find Rachel, so right away I took it. Um, I made it as far as Nikeah and vowed never to board a ship again. So I stayed in Nikeah, but I couldn't find a job. So I went back to my old ways, but I'd gotten a lot quicker too from all the running and work I'd done, and I didn't have the cute little kid charm anymore. None. At all. *sigh* I was an ugly teenager in a fairly wealthy city and I didn't know anybody. I had to find new ways to work. I must've been 15 or so... got better at picking pockets, sneaking into stores at night and taking what I needed, etc. Conned a few tourists. I'm not saying I'm proud of it. It's just that I couldn't find a job, you know?"
"We've all done things we're not proud of," Celes replied quietly, noting his defensive body language. Locke wilted a little under her words.
"I know," he said, cowed. "I just... well." He paused to down another shot and flashed a grin at her.
"That's better. Anyway, I got caught, and they threw me in jail. I escaped. They caught me again, 2 weeks later. I escaped again. This went on for months. It bordered on the ridiculous. Then, they put me in there with this other guy, Clyde, and I guess they told him if he kept me there his sentence would be up when mine was. That was awful. The guy never talked, and always woke up when I did. I couldn't get out. I had to stay, the whole 6 months. I never found out how long Clyde was supposed to be there, or what he'd done, but his behavior the entire time was so good that the guards stopped even watching him. But he never stopped watching me. He was on me like white on rice. It was eerie.
"By the time I'd gotten out of jail, and let me tell you those were the second longest months of my life, I was known to everyone in town. Of course, I had to leave. And I was actually desperate enough to hop a boat back to South Figaro. Such was luck, I got there the day after the king died- Edgar and Sabin's father. Heh, I ever tell you I saw Edgar's coronation? I wasn't there as a spectator or faithful citizen, of course. Admittedly, I never even thought about finding a job at that point. I figured I was already a criminal, so, why worry? I worked the crowd and had made a nice chunk of change when security came by, a mounted guard. He was HUGE. Bigger than Sabin. He picked me up by the collar and dragged me to the prison. This is what I never got... Edgar's got this problem with thieves, right? Yet it was practically his first act of king to come down to the dungeon and pardon me. He opened the cell door himself. His advisors freaked out, big time, of course. But all he said was that I was too young to be there, and offered me a job.
"To be honest, I was a little intimidated. I mean here I was, this criminal kid standing in front of a king. I had no way of knowing that Edgar was just a human being, with all the same problems as the rest of us and then some. I had no idea he'd just lost not only his father, but in a way his brother too. Edgar never let on how much he had to deal with... he just did his job. And it was inspiring. He hired me as a spy, and I was good at it. He sent me out into the Imperial towns to gather information. At that point it was nothing major, just basic reconaissance. He wanted to know what was going on that Gestahl wasn't telling him. You already know the important stuff about that part of the story. I did that for a few years and got to the point where I could call myself somewhat respectable. I had a place to live, I started to save up some money. Edgar didn't need me all the time, so that's how I got into treasure hunting. Looking for information on artifacts the Empire wanted, I got good at it. Often I would beat them to finding what they needed, and hand it over to Figaro. Edgar always bought the items off me, too. Since I wasn't a citizen of Figaro, technically you have to be born there, I was an "associate of the state". It was like being a hired free agent, and I was entitled to all kinds of fun perks like that. It didn't take long for a guy like me to start thinking that this was a way to get rich.
"You won't believe how I finally ran into Rachel again. Turns out she and her dad were hiding an Imperial fugitive! Kinda like you, Celes... this guy defected from the Empire, you might say. He was just a lieutenant, nobody of importance, but when he left he stole some very important documents. This guy was the one who tipped off the Returners about the newly developed Magitek armor. Edgar sent me to Kohlingen to find him, and that was a big deal. Only a handful of people, myself and a few top advisors, even knew about the Returners at that point. Nobody else had a clue old Ed was anything but a faithful Imperial citizen, so it was my biggest job yet. And there was Rachel.
"I won't bother telling you about the trip back. I did almost get killed a couple times, tres exciting, nothing new though. If you ever want to hear that story I'll tell you sometime. What mattered most about that mission was that Rachel was impressed. I can't believe she even recognized me, but she did. Five or six years had passed but it didn't feel like it. We just stared at each other for a moment. She'd become so beautiful, Celes... it's like she looked exactly the same, only she'd grown into herself. We didn't have time to talk, just then. I really had to run, and she was getting ready for the guards to show up. Most of the way to Kohlingen I was more worried about what would happen to her if they found out she was harboring a fugitive than I was about my own mission. I wasn't lonely anymore; with the Returners I had friends around me all the time, but nobody like Rachel. She was the first person besides my family that I ever cared about. Seeing her again was overwhelming. And I hadn't forgotten for a second what she'd said to me... that she loved me. I hadn't heard those words from anyone else in all that time since leaving Narsche.
"Were you in love with her?" Celes asked him, point blank. She shouldn't be jealous of a woman who had died over a year ago, arguably even longer, but the liquor was starting to effect her, and Celes couldn't help it if a note of insecurity entered her tone.
"Not yet," Locke said, turning away from her intensive gaze for a moment. "At least I didn't know it yet."
"Go on," she encouraged, a little less severe now. Locke nodded.
"As soon as I got back, I went straight to Edgar and asked him if I could take off for a while. He said yes, of course. Edgar didn't know why I was asking, but I'm sure he figured on it being about a girl. You know how he is. So I left almost as soon as I arrived, and headed back to Kohlingen.
"On the way I worried so much about her that it didnt' even cross my mind to worry what she'd think of me. As soon as I saw her, I couldn't help it. I just grabbed her and hugged her as hard as I could. And she didn't try to get away. She said, 'I've been waiting for so long to see you again.'
I didnt' believe it at first. All that time when I'd been running, working the docks, breaking out of prison, she'd been waiting for me? I felt like such a jerk. So undeserving. I think she must have sensed that somehow..."
Here, Locke trailed off. He stared into space for a moment, leaning back in his chair with his hands behind his head. His heart had suddenly twisted up inside, recalling vivid memories of his first love. Could it really have been a year since he'd lost her, really lost her for good? How could it be possible, when he could still so easily conjure the feel of her soft hands, scent of her raven hair? He was startled out of his reverie by Celes' surprisingly gentle touch on his shoulder. He looked at her and was shocked to see moisture in her eyes. Blame it on the alcohol, he thought. Celes never cried. Besides, she wasnt the touchy-feely type; she must just be a sentimental drunk. When tears didnt' fall from her eyes, and she stayed quiet, Locke wondered if he'd imagined it.
He hadn't. Celes had been listening to him all night, secretly revelling in the sound of his voice, caught up by his words, and warmed just by watching his face. Since the beginning she'd been wrapped up in his story, close to admitting to herself that she was really in love with this man who was so different from anyone else she knew. When his lids wrinkled slightly over his eyes with old grief, Celes' answering pang of empathy was stronger than she'd expected. She realized just then that she did love him, not just as a friend but more than anyone else she'd ever known, and she hated to see him in pain. But it was old pain that he was feeling, and it was good for him to finally get it all out. Knowing this, Celes withdrew her hand and allowed Locke to finish his story.
"There's not much else to tell, really," the treasure hunter shrugged. "I fell in love with her in about five seconds. I was in disbelief that she loved me back, and I wanted to give her the world. I wanted so badly to live up to what she thought I was, and to make up for everything I'd done. She... she never knew about any of what happened between Narsche and Figaro. She asked me sometimes but I never told her. I felt bad for hiding it from her, but even worse I was afraid she'd leave me if she knew the truth. I had her on a pedestal. Of course I did, we were just kids. But I wanted her to marry me. I couldn't imagine ever feeling that way about anyone else- at least back then. We were so happy, sometimes I think I should've just left it at that. Maybe we would've broken up anyway, like first loves usually do. But we never got the chance. I decided I would propose in my own special way. I was taking her to this beautiful crystal cave, one that opened up behind a waterfall. I'd hidden the ring there already. I wanted the moment to be perfect... but... Rachel proved to me that she loved me in a way more profound and permanent than anything else she could do when she pushed me off of that bridge.
"I could never figure out why she did it. All I wanted was to trade places with her, to go back in time and be the one who fell saving her. Why did she save me? She was so much better than I ever was. And I know now that I couldn't help it. It was her choice, and there was nothing I could've done, no way I could've moved faster. Every day I try to live up to her. She gave her life for mine so I'd better do something good with it. Otherwise there'd be nothing worth living for. So I threw myself into my work for Edgar... risked my life so many times because I just didnt' care. If I died serving the Returners, it wouldn't hurt anymore. And if I lived, all the more chances to make it up to Rachel. It wasn't my doing, preserving her like that. In my mind she was gone, but I couldn't bring myself to tell him "just let her go." If he said there was a chance she could come back someday, maybe it was true. But I didn't really believe it. You know the rest of the story... a couple years after the cave I found myself in the mines, surrounded by Moogles who wanted to help me save Terra, and here we are."
"But Locke..." Celes frowned, "there's something I don't understand."
"What is it?"
"How did you learn about the Phoenix magicite? If you knew about it all along, why didn't you go after it until after Kefka took over?"
"Oh. Well, remember that I never even heard of magicite till I met Terra. All that crazy old herbalist would tell me was that there was something in the world that could save her. I thought he was nuts, you know? But just in case he wasn't, I had always sort of looked for it, just by keeping my eyes and ears open in the course of my work. All I ever heard were old stories and myths, not much to go on. Then after Kefka took power, and everything got all messed up, the cave resurfaced. I got hurt in the fall from Setzer's airship, had nothing to do but lie there and recuperate and think all day for weeks on end. You missed the immediate aftermath... it's good that you did. Everyone was grieving for someone, and it didn't take long for stories about the Phoenix artifact to gain momentum. And by now I had learned a lot more about magic, enough that this time I could separate myth from fact. When I was healed up enough I went out to gather information, this time with real purpose. I read everything I could get my hands on and managed to divine that the artifact had disappeared at the end of the last War of the Magi. After a couple of months when things started to settle down - at least, as much as they could with that psychopath blasting everything in sight with his "light of judgement" - groups of people started to map out the new topography of the world. A new mountain range was discovered, and word got out that an impassable cave was right in the center.
"Ugh. Impassable is damn near right," Celes remarked.
"Try doing it without the help of 6 other people," Locke countered.
"Hey, how did you get in there anyway-?"
"Trade secret," Locke cut her off.
"Figures," Celes smirked.
"Let's just say it was difficult. It took me months to get in there. *Some* of us didn't have the luxury of an airship."
"And the rest is history, I guess?" Celes changed the subject before Locke got too high on himself.
"You were there for what happened next," Locke replied simply. "Is there anything else you want to know?"
Celes looked at him for a moment. It hadn't taken as long as she'd expected for him to tell her everything, but they'd started late, and the pub was nearly empty. "I guess I just want to know if you're okay now," she said, before even realizing that she was about to speak. "You say you have been, but you're still so paranoid and protective. So... are you?"
Locke was almost as surprised as she was, but he smiled. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm okay now," he nodded. "As a matter of fact, much better than okay."
"Good," she said. "Do you want to get out of here now?" The blonde woman seemed suddenly nervous.
"Just a minute, Celes," he said, motioning for her to sit back down. "I have a question for you now."
"Who's buying?" she retorted. "I'm the one asking the questions tonight."
"Just one," he reassured her, trying to supress a small grin.
"Oh... fine," she said, plunking gracelessly back down in her chair. "What?"
"My question is: why do you ask?"
Celes was cornered. She stared at her hands, folded on the fine oak tabletop. She didnt' reply right away.
"Oh come on, Celes. It's a simple question. What's the big deal?" Locke prodded.
"Why do you think?" she finally asked him, icy blue eyes turned on him almost dangerously.
"Woah. Okay. Again, this is *my* question and I only get one, so please answer it," he said, crossing his arms.
"I think you already know," Celes barely more than whispered.
"Yeah?"
"Locke, don't make me say it..."
"Don't make you say what?"
"You're not gonna let this go, are you?"
"Nope."
"Alright then." Celes stood again, and went to Locke's side of the table. "Stand up," she ordered.
Smirking unabashedly at this point, Locke obliged. He thought he knew what was coming.
Celes grabbed onto his shoulders then and kissed him, almost defiantly, but not so much so that there was no tenderness beneath it. Surprised, Locke did nothing at first except stand there, wondering just when he'd lost control of the situation. Then he forgot what he was thinking about, and his arms wrapped around Celes.
"Let's get out of here," he said after one breathless moment, and they escaped from the stuffy pub out into the late night misting rain. Taking shelter against the side of the building, they exchanged a few more kisses, clinging together.
"What did you expect?" she asked, when they broke apart, "that I was going to stand there and tell you that I loved you?"
"Do you?"
"Why do you keep asking me questions?" Celes growled, though smiling.
"Why can't you just take it easy for five seconds?" Locke demanded in reply.
"Well what do you think?" Celes asked him. "In all seriousness, Locke. You must already know how I feel."
He avoided her gaze.
"Locke! What are you, stupid?"
"Nice, Celes, real sweet. No, I'm not stupid... I know how you feel about me," he clarified. "It's just..."
"What?"
"I still have a hard time believing it."
Celes almost hit him, but thought better of it. "Believing it? What are you talking about? I think I'm insulted!"
"It's not like that, Celes, it's just... how could I possibly be this lucky?" he asked, finally looking at her again. "To have ever had Rachel, and then get a chance to see her one last time. To still be alive after all that I've been through, for all my friends to have survived the war, see the world rebuilt, *and* to have you love me? It's almost too good to be true."
"That's all?" she asked. "That's the problem?"
"What problem?" Locke asked, endearingly oblivious.
"I've been waiting for almost a year for you to tell me how *you* felt and I got sick of waiting. But I knew there had to be a reason. You're not a coward. So I decided I'd have to figure it out."
"That's why you asked about Rachel?"
"Yeah. I thought this was all about Rachel. You seem sometimes not to be able to tell the difference between her and me. I was worried you still weren't ready to move on, or maybe you were seeing me as some kind of substitute. I was getting tired of waiting for you to recognize me for who I really am... sorry, Locke, but I was."
"I'm the one who should be sorry. I felt like I was leading you on back before Kefka took over. Then I thought you were the one fooling all of us... that you were a traitor. I thought you might still be mad at me over that."
"Well, I was, but that was a long time ago," Celes admitted. "Now I know better. We both do."
"I'm still sorry," he said.
"Oh, don't be," she dismissed, rolling her eyes. "Get some perspective, for crying out loud. It's trivial compared to what we've been through."
"You're right. Celes... I..." he found himself staring at her, fingering strands of her hair. He hesitated for a moment. "Nevermind, I forgot what I was gonna say."
Uncharacteristically, the ex-general loosed a small giggle. "Good," she said, "you talk too much anyway, Locke."
"I'll be quiet now," he swore solemnly.
True to his promises, as always, Locke sealed his lips upon hers, and didn't speak another word that night.
Rating: PG
Summary: A year after Kefka's defeat, it seemed like Locke was over losing Rachel- but Celes doesn't think so. It's starting to get on her nerves, so what's she gonna to do about it?
Pairing: Locke/Celes, mentions Locke/Rachel
Disclaimer: Fair use act probably allows for fanfic, but just in case somebody from Squaresoft goes on a Metallica-like internet rampage, these characters and situations are not mine and I'm not making any money off them
A/N: I couldn't find a beta reader. Thanks for nothing, Sarah :P
~*~*~
"Locke."
Vish. Swoop. POW.
"I'm kinda busy right now, Celes, willya cover me?!" the treasure hunter managed between dodging the mace swung at his head and thrusting a few times with the flimsy tai chi sword he held. If he could only reach his poison-tipped dagger... "OW!" as he lunged towards the left to grab for the lost knife, the Gigan clipped him with a clumsy but powerful backhand, and he went sprawling on his back.
"Dammit, woman," he groaned, but Celes was finished preparing her spell, and mere seconds later the bacon-like aroma of roast giant filled the stuffy cave air.
"Locke," she repeated, helping him up and applying a cure spell to his mangled right arm, "how long has it been since that girl Rachel fell in the cave?"
The sandy-haired young man blinked at her in confusion, his ire rising quickly at the nerve and insensitivity of such a question. One look at her eyes, though, and his indignance was replaced by fear. A second look in her eyes, and fear was ousted by guilt and a general sense of obligation. Locke sighed. "How long have you been waiting to ask me that?"
"Since we entered this cave, and you wouldn't let me cross that stupid bridge until you'd gone over it. I was humoring you by waiting, you know. I could've just cast float on us both. You've really got issues."
"Well of course I have issues," Locke snapped, glaring in her direction but not quite meeting her eyes. He found himself tensing up again, and forced himself to relax. "Look. If you really wanna know about Rachel..."
"Yes, I do," Celes interrupted.
"If you wanna know about her... I'll tell you. But it's gonna be a long story, and I'm gonna need a few drinks."
"On me," she said, Her hands were on her hips now. She looked a little bit angry with a touch of... something Locke couldn't identify. "I thought you said you were okay when we went back to Kohlingen and you said goodbye to Rachel for good. But then when the magicite was gone you got weird all over again. I thought we were equal partners in this treasure hunting thing, but you try to take all the risks on yourself. You treat me like some dainty little princess and while I appreciate your concern, you know damn well I can take care of myself. As a matter of fact I prefer it. If you're always trying to shelter me, I'm going to lose my edge, so whatever it is that's bothering you, you're going to spill it so you can start acting normal again."
"But what about the..."
"Locke, nobody besides us could possibly make it past those stupid gigans, not to mention the lake of fire, the poison-shooting eyeball shaped things, and the mountain range we had to fly over to get here. The treasure can wait till tomorrow. This is more important."
"...but..."
His lame protest, whatever it was, died in the wind that swirled around them as Celes used their last remaining warp stone.
"Fine," he said when they were standing outside the cave entrance. He knew when he was defeated. "Let's just go to Jidoor. If you're buying, I'm getting the good stuff."
"Whatever," Celes said flippantly, and headed towards the airship.
After a fairly tense and silent trip across the rapidly darkening southwestern sky, they landed in Jidoor. There was a light drizzle, and the air dropped to a temperature much lower than the day's had been. Celes stayed quiet, feeling a little more relaxed in the fresh air and a lot less confrontational than she had in the stuffy cave. However, she fully intended to follow through with what she'd started. Beyond mere friendly concern for Locke, she had her own reasons for asking.
"This one," Locke said, nodding toward a brightly lit pub.
"Looks warm," Celes agreed, and stepped inside as he held the door for her in an uncommonly gentlemanlike moment. The corner of her lips quirked upwards. She'd fallen in status; at one time, two uniformed soldiers flanked her everywhere she went, and formed a miniature honor guard at every door she entered. Somehow, she preferred the clumsy attempts at chivalry from her scruffy ex-thief friend.
"What's so funny?" Locke wanted to know, shoving his hands in his pockets and ruining the moment.
"Nothing," she lied, dismissively. "I was just thinking about the last time we were here."
"Right," Locke said. "I'm going to order my drink now. Are you having anything?"
"Order for me," she replied.
"...yeah." He arched one eyebrow at her, dubious at the notion that they would have similar tastes. Oh well, she'd asked for it. "Barkeep. Bottle of your oldest and most expensive single malt scotch, preferably northern."
Celes didn't bat an eye. She'd expected as much. "On me, sir," she handed the man a wad of money with a wink.
Locke had no shame. He grabbed the bottle and went over to the table, sitting down without even waiting for her to sit first.
"Where should I start?" he asked, pouring a shot for each of them.
"Wherever you see fit," Celes replied. She wasn't about to help him this early on.
Her fellow Returner picked up his shot glass, inspecting it against the bright firelight in the pub. "I guess first I should tell you a little bit about Rachel," he began. "Maybe a bit about what life was like back then. It started a while after I got to Narsche..."
Celes listened, allowing herself to become absorbed in his words and his voice. This was what she'd been waiting so long to hear. She swallowed her scotch, and relaxed as Locke began to tell his story.
"Just a little background information. My mom was a war widow from just before I was born, died when I was 10, along with my little sister. I don't want to get into it. That's just the reason I was alone at 12 years old, is all. I had no other family and I ran away from the neighboors who tried to take care of me. They weren't nice people, and I was miserable, so I left.
"It's pretty obvious I couldn't make it alone as a kid without stealing. I mean, who'd hire a scrawny, dirty little kid for any real work? Once or twice I tried helping old ladies fix things in their homes, but for one thing I didn't know how to do any of that, and for another, the pay wasnt enough to feed a rat let alone a growing boy. I was pretty adept at it by the time I got to Narsche. I had no qualms about stealing, either. It was just a matter of survival at that point. I never gave it a second thought. My mother had taught me that it was wrong, of course, but she'd also told me from the day I was born that I was important and I should look after myself. Altruism was what had got my father killed. But we're not getting into that old stuff.
"Anyway I knew that Narsche wasn't exactly a rich city, but they were known for being the only mining town that paid its workers a decent amount, and everyone made a pretty good living. So, they wouldn't have the kind of security and paranoia they'd have in a city, like, say... here. But they'd have enough that a kid could survive on their scraps, you know? And, okay, not just the scraps. I've been known to swipe pies off of windowsills.. and roasts out of ovens... and money from wallets. After all, they say men don't live by bread alone, right? So, Narsche was really the perfect place. I knew it as soon as I got there.
"It was right in the middle of one of my classic "divert and distract" tactics, wherein I ask the manager of a place if he has a job, and while he's explaining to me that I'm too little to do the various chores involved I swipe whatever I want right from under his nose. Perfected that in South Figaro. Sailors aren't as polite as Narsche businessmen, but they're not as astute, either. I made good money in Figaro... too bad I got arrested, I couldn't go back for a few years till I looked different. You wouldn't believe what a cute kid I was. Charming as hell, I could convince them all I was a little baby angel while-
"You're getting off the subject, Locke."
"Right, sorry. Another shot?" he asked.
"You talk. I'll pour."
"Right, where was I? Oh yeah, Narsche.
"All it was, was a vegetable stand. When you're hungry, even as a kid you'll eat anything. I had a bundle of carrots under my coat and a few potatoes in my pockets, then I saw this girl and froze in my tracks. I almost blew my cover. Lucky thing the coat was so baggy, I would've dropped it if I'd just been hiding it up my sleeves. Another good thing about Narsche, the cold weather, everyone dresses like that and it's easy to stuff things under your clothes. So this girl, I was staring at her and the farmer who was selling those vegetables started yelling at me to pay attention. I think he'd actually been about to offer me a job, sadly. But since I had what I wanted, I mumbled an apology and wandered off in pursuit of this girl.
"She was with a man I later learned to be her father. I followed them for a good half hour before she spotted me. Humiliating... I was staring right at her, slack-jawed. I can't say what it was that made me stare... she was pretty enough, but not striking. I think it was just her smile and body language. She seemed so happy and so sweet, hanging on her father's arm while they did the shopping. Rachel's mom died when she was little... oh, I did explain that this was Rachel, right? Well, her dad was teaching her to do all the shopping so he wouldn't have to do it anymore. She saw me staring at her like an idiot, and she just giggled. I think a lot of girls would have glared, or given me the cold shoulder, especially since I was obviously just some dirty homeless kid.
Celes noted with interest as his hand clenched the glass he held a little harder at this point, but neither his expression nor his tone of voice changed at all. He continued, in his nonchalant manner.
"Instead of doing any of those things, she tugged on her father's sleeve, and pointed at me. They talked for a minute, and then she came over and invited me for dinner. I almost died of shock. Never once had I ever resorted to begging, even though I sorta realized some of the people in the town left things lying around for me on purpose, I never really admitted it to myself and they never really spoke to me. Until that moment, I hadn't even realized that even though I had enough to eat, I was starved for company. Like a typical prepubescent kid, I acted like an idiot. I just nodded, my mouth was probably hanging open that entire time. I can only imagine what she thought of me. She just smiled though, and said to come over at sunset. They lived in the house on the uppermost northwest side.
"So of course I went to dinner. Their house wasn't quite what I expected. They had money, I could tell from the amount of things they were buying in the square and the quality of their clothes and things, but they didn't flaunt it. The house was very simple, not at all elaborate like you'd expect of people with money. I thought it was weird, because if I were rich, I'd have everything I ever wanted filling the whole house. Of course, I've changed since then - a little - but at the time, it was beyond my comprehension. It aroused my curiosity, which was okay because they had me over every week after that.
"Rachel's father never invited me any other time besides those dinners, and didn't let her run around town by herself either. But sometimes, we did see each other. One day, maybe a year later, she came running out her front door when she saw me walking by. She was crying, and just then I realized how much I'd grown to care about her. Then she told me they were leaving... moving to some place I'd never heard of. She said she'd just found out, and they were leaving right away. She was furious at her father, who hadn't told her sooner. He'd said he didn't want to make her worry anymore than she had to, but I think really he didn't want to let her change his mind about the move. I didn't know what to say to her then, and to make matters worse, she grabbed me in this huge hug. "I love you, Locke," she said. Can you imagine my reaction? This crying girl, hugging me and telling me she loved me, and me some skinny little nobody 13 years old? I hugged her back and told her it would be okay. She pressed a pouch into my hand, and ran away before I could say anything else. I looked at the pouch, and it was full of small coins. Obviously, ones she'd been saving. Like the contents of a piggy bank. I looked at her house, and noticed crates and things piled outside. They loaded them onto some wagons just a little while later, and they were gone. That night I snuck into the deserted house and sat there for a long time. She'd told me she loved me, and I hadn't said it back. I counted the money she'd left me. It wasn't enough for more than a few meals, so I tucked it away and resolved not to use it. I decided I'd have to go find her.
"This proved to be a problem. First of all I had no idea where she'd gone. Second, nobody would tell me. The reason they didn't tell me was because the first person I asked glared at me and closed the door in my face, and after that I didn't ask anyone else. I figured there were better ways of finding out. By this point I'd lost my cute little kid looks and gotten kind of awkward and lanky, so they treated me more like a petty criminal and less like a helpless child. Which sort of became a self-fulfilling prophecy, since I broke into that guy's house that night and made off with most of his wife's jewelry. I didn't feel bad, since that woman had never been nice to me anyways, and it's not like stealing jewelry's gonna make 'em starve or anything. People can live without jewelry and stuff like that. I did.
"I didn't stay in Narsche much longer. After Rachel left, the town seemed so much smaller. It was so stagnant, boring, mundane. There was nobody to talk to. I decided to head back to South Figaro. Enough time had passed that they wouldn't remember my face anymore, and this time I was old enough to work the docks or something. Barely, but it would do.
"The trip to South Figaro was terrible. You know Narsche... too far north for chocobos, not that I could've got my hands on one anyway. On foot, it took me probably a week to get there. I didn't ration my food too well, and some of it got stolen. I got attacked by the wildlife- hey, don't laugh! I was still a kid. You know, Celes, you can be pretty harsh."
"Sorry," the blonde ex-general smiled into her drink. It was just that she could picture it so well... an even skinnier, gangly, frantic young Locke fending for himself in the wild... against a bunch of terrifying leafers. How could anyone not find that funny?
"Moving on. I got a job pretty quick, spent the next couple of years loading and unloading ships. The pay was enough to feed me, and a merchant's family let me stay in their spare room for pretty cheap. Nothing noteworthy really happened. I behaved myself, so I didn't get into any trouble... well, if I wanted something that I couldnt' have... but not that often. I tried to save up money but there really wasn't any extra. All the time I was listening for word of Rachel and her dad, though I never heard anything much. In a couple years I'd gotten a lot stronger, and got offered a job on a ship. The pay was a lot better, and I wanted to travel and hopefully find Rachel, so right away I took it. Um, I made it as far as Nikeah and vowed never to board a ship again. So I stayed in Nikeah, but I couldn't find a job. So I went back to my old ways, but I'd gotten a lot quicker too from all the running and work I'd done, and I didn't have the cute little kid charm anymore. None. At all. *sigh* I was an ugly teenager in a fairly wealthy city and I didn't know anybody. I had to find new ways to work. I must've been 15 or so... got better at picking pockets, sneaking into stores at night and taking what I needed, etc. Conned a few tourists. I'm not saying I'm proud of it. It's just that I couldn't find a job, you know?"
"We've all done things we're not proud of," Celes replied quietly, noting his defensive body language. Locke wilted a little under her words.
"I know," he said, cowed. "I just... well." He paused to down another shot and flashed a grin at her.
"That's better. Anyway, I got caught, and they threw me in jail. I escaped. They caught me again, 2 weeks later. I escaped again. This went on for months. It bordered on the ridiculous. Then, they put me in there with this other guy, Clyde, and I guess they told him if he kept me there his sentence would be up when mine was. That was awful. The guy never talked, and always woke up when I did. I couldn't get out. I had to stay, the whole 6 months. I never found out how long Clyde was supposed to be there, or what he'd done, but his behavior the entire time was so good that the guards stopped even watching him. But he never stopped watching me. He was on me like white on rice. It was eerie.
"By the time I'd gotten out of jail, and let me tell you those were the second longest months of my life, I was known to everyone in town. Of course, I had to leave. And I was actually desperate enough to hop a boat back to South Figaro. Such was luck, I got there the day after the king died- Edgar and Sabin's father. Heh, I ever tell you I saw Edgar's coronation? I wasn't there as a spectator or faithful citizen, of course. Admittedly, I never even thought about finding a job at that point. I figured I was already a criminal, so, why worry? I worked the crowd and had made a nice chunk of change when security came by, a mounted guard. He was HUGE. Bigger than Sabin. He picked me up by the collar and dragged me to the prison. This is what I never got... Edgar's got this problem with thieves, right? Yet it was practically his first act of king to come down to the dungeon and pardon me. He opened the cell door himself. His advisors freaked out, big time, of course. But all he said was that I was too young to be there, and offered me a job.
"To be honest, I was a little intimidated. I mean here I was, this criminal kid standing in front of a king. I had no way of knowing that Edgar was just a human being, with all the same problems as the rest of us and then some. I had no idea he'd just lost not only his father, but in a way his brother too. Edgar never let on how much he had to deal with... he just did his job. And it was inspiring. He hired me as a spy, and I was good at it. He sent me out into the Imperial towns to gather information. At that point it was nothing major, just basic reconaissance. He wanted to know what was going on that Gestahl wasn't telling him. You already know the important stuff about that part of the story. I did that for a few years and got to the point where I could call myself somewhat respectable. I had a place to live, I started to save up some money. Edgar didn't need me all the time, so that's how I got into treasure hunting. Looking for information on artifacts the Empire wanted, I got good at it. Often I would beat them to finding what they needed, and hand it over to Figaro. Edgar always bought the items off me, too. Since I wasn't a citizen of Figaro, technically you have to be born there, I was an "associate of the state". It was like being a hired free agent, and I was entitled to all kinds of fun perks like that. It didn't take long for a guy like me to start thinking that this was a way to get rich.
"You won't believe how I finally ran into Rachel again. Turns out she and her dad were hiding an Imperial fugitive! Kinda like you, Celes... this guy defected from the Empire, you might say. He was just a lieutenant, nobody of importance, but when he left he stole some very important documents. This guy was the one who tipped off the Returners about the newly developed Magitek armor. Edgar sent me to Kohlingen to find him, and that was a big deal. Only a handful of people, myself and a few top advisors, even knew about the Returners at that point. Nobody else had a clue old Ed was anything but a faithful Imperial citizen, so it was my biggest job yet. And there was Rachel.
"I won't bother telling you about the trip back. I did almost get killed a couple times, tres exciting, nothing new though. If you ever want to hear that story I'll tell you sometime. What mattered most about that mission was that Rachel was impressed. I can't believe she even recognized me, but she did. Five or six years had passed but it didn't feel like it. We just stared at each other for a moment. She'd become so beautiful, Celes... it's like she looked exactly the same, only she'd grown into herself. We didn't have time to talk, just then. I really had to run, and she was getting ready for the guards to show up. Most of the way to Kohlingen I was more worried about what would happen to her if they found out she was harboring a fugitive than I was about my own mission. I wasn't lonely anymore; with the Returners I had friends around me all the time, but nobody like Rachel. She was the first person besides my family that I ever cared about. Seeing her again was overwhelming. And I hadn't forgotten for a second what she'd said to me... that she loved me. I hadn't heard those words from anyone else in all that time since leaving Narsche.
"Were you in love with her?" Celes asked him, point blank. She shouldn't be jealous of a woman who had died over a year ago, arguably even longer, but the liquor was starting to effect her, and Celes couldn't help it if a note of insecurity entered her tone.
"Not yet," Locke said, turning away from her intensive gaze for a moment. "At least I didn't know it yet."
"Go on," she encouraged, a little less severe now. Locke nodded.
"As soon as I got back, I went straight to Edgar and asked him if I could take off for a while. He said yes, of course. Edgar didn't know why I was asking, but I'm sure he figured on it being about a girl. You know how he is. So I left almost as soon as I arrived, and headed back to Kohlingen.
"On the way I worried so much about her that it didnt' even cross my mind to worry what she'd think of me. As soon as I saw her, I couldn't help it. I just grabbed her and hugged her as hard as I could. And she didn't try to get away. She said, 'I've been waiting for so long to see you again.'
I didnt' believe it at first. All that time when I'd been running, working the docks, breaking out of prison, she'd been waiting for me? I felt like such a jerk. So undeserving. I think she must have sensed that somehow..."
Here, Locke trailed off. He stared into space for a moment, leaning back in his chair with his hands behind his head. His heart had suddenly twisted up inside, recalling vivid memories of his first love. Could it really have been a year since he'd lost her, really lost her for good? How could it be possible, when he could still so easily conjure the feel of her soft hands, scent of her raven hair? He was startled out of his reverie by Celes' surprisingly gentle touch on his shoulder. He looked at her and was shocked to see moisture in her eyes. Blame it on the alcohol, he thought. Celes never cried. Besides, she wasnt the touchy-feely type; she must just be a sentimental drunk. When tears didnt' fall from her eyes, and she stayed quiet, Locke wondered if he'd imagined it.
He hadn't. Celes had been listening to him all night, secretly revelling in the sound of his voice, caught up by his words, and warmed just by watching his face. Since the beginning she'd been wrapped up in his story, close to admitting to herself that she was really in love with this man who was so different from anyone else she knew. When his lids wrinkled slightly over his eyes with old grief, Celes' answering pang of empathy was stronger than she'd expected. She realized just then that she did love him, not just as a friend but more than anyone else she'd ever known, and she hated to see him in pain. But it was old pain that he was feeling, and it was good for him to finally get it all out. Knowing this, Celes withdrew her hand and allowed Locke to finish his story.
"There's not much else to tell, really," the treasure hunter shrugged. "I fell in love with her in about five seconds. I was in disbelief that she loved me back, and I wanted to give her the world. I wanted so badly to live up to what she thought I was, and to make up for everything I'd done. She... she never knew about any of what happened between Narsche and Figaro. She asked me sometimes but I never told her. I felt bad for hiding it from her, but even worse I was afraid she'd leave me if she knew the truth. I had her on a pedestal. Of course I did, we were just kids. But I wanted her to marry me. I couldn't imagine ever feeling that way about anyone else- at least back then. We were so happy, sometimes I think I should've just left it at that. Maybe we would've broken up anyway, like first loves usually do. But we never got the chance. I decided I would propose in my own special way. I was taking her to this beautiful crystal cave, one that opened up behind a waterfall. I'd hidden the ring there already. I wanted the moment to be perfect... but... Rachel proved to me that she loved me in a way more profound and permanent than anything else she could do when she pushed me off of that bridge.
"I could never figure out why she did it. All I wanted was to trade places with her, to go back in time and be the one who fell saving her. Why did she save me? She was so much better than I ever was. And I know now that I couldn't help it. It was her choice, and there was nothing I could've done, no way I could've moved faster. Every day I try to live up to her. She gave her life for mine so I'd better do something good with it. Otherwise there'd be nothing worth living for. So I threw myself into my work for Edgar... risked my life so many times because I just didnt' care. If I died serving the Returners, it wouldn't hurt anymore. And if I lived, all the more chances to make it up to Rachel. It wasn't my doing, preserving her like that. In my mind she was gone, but I couldn't bring myself to tell him "just let her go." If he said there was a chance she could come back someday, maybe it was true. But I didn't really believe it. You know the rest of the story... a couple years after the cave I found myself in the mines, surrounded by Moogles who wanted to help me save Terra, and here we are."
"But Locke..." Celes frowned, "there's something I don't understand."
"What is it?"
"How did you learn about the Phoenix magicite? If you knew about it all along, why didn't you go after it until after Kefka took over?"
"Oh. Well, remember that I never even heard of magicite till I met Terra. All that crazy old herbalist would tell me was that there was something in the world that could save her. I thought he was nuts, you know? But just in case he wasn't, I had always sort of looked for it, just by keeping my eyes and ears open in the course of my work. All I ever heard were old stories and myths, not much to go on. Then after Kefka took power, and everything got all messed up, the cave resurfaced. I got hurt in the fall from Setzer's airship, had nothing to do but lie there and recuperate and think all day for weeks on end. You missed the immediate aftermath... it's good that you did. Everyone was grieving for someone, and it didn't take long for stories about the Phoenix artifact to gain momentum. And by now I had learned a lot more about magic, enough that this time I could separate myth from fact. When I was healed up enough I went out to gather information, this time with real purpose. I read everything I could get my hands on and managed to divine that the artifact had disappeared at the end of the last War of the Magi. After a couple of months when things started to settle down - at least, as much as they could with that psychopath blasting everything in sight with his "light of judgement" - groups of people started to map out the new topography of the world. A new mountain range was discovered, and word got out that an impassable cave was right in the center.
"Ugh. Impassable is damn near right," Celes remarked.
"Try doing it without the help of 6 other people," Locke countered.
"Hey, how did you get in there anyway-?"
"Trade secret," Locke cut her off.
"Figures," Celes smirked.
"Let's just say it was difficult. It took me months to get in there. *Some* of us didn't have the luxury of an airship."
"And the rest is history, I guess?" Celes changed the subject before Locke got too high on himself.
"You were there for what happened next," Locke replied simply. "Is there anything else you want to know?"
Celes looked at him for a moment. It hadn't taken as long as she'd expected for him to tell her everything, but they'd started late, and the pub was nearly empty. "I guess I just want to know if you're okay now," she said, before even realizing that she was about to speak. "You say you have been, but you're still so paranoid and protective. So... are you?"
Locke was almost as surprised as she was, but he smiled. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm okay now," he nodded. "As a matter of fact, much better than okay."
"Good," she said. "Do you want to get out of here now?" The blonde woman seemed suddenly nervous.
"Just a minute, Celes," he said, motioning for her to sit back down. "I have a question for you now."
"Who's buying?" she retorted. "I'm the one asking the questions tonight."
"Just one," he reassured her, trying to supress a small grin.
"Oh... fine," she said, plunking gracelessly back down in her chair. "What?"
"My question is: why do you ask?"
Celes was cornered. She stared at her hands, folded on the fine oak tabletop. She didnt' reply right away.
"Oh come on, Celes. It's a simple question. What's the big deal?" Locke prodded.
"Why do you think?" she finally asked him, icy blue eyes turned on him almost dangerously.
"Woah. Okay. Again, this is *my* question and I only get one, so please answer it," he said, crossing his arms.
"I think you already know," Celes barely more than whispered.
"Yeah?"
"Locke, don't make me say it..."
"Don't make you say what?"
"You're not gonna let this go, are you?"
"Nope."
"Alright then." Celes stood again, and went to Locke's side of the table. "Stand up," she ordered.
Smirking unabashedly at this point, Locke obliged. He thought he knew what was coming.
Celes grabbed onto his shoulders then and kissed him, almost defiantly, but not so much so that there was no tenderness beneath it. Surprised, Locke did nothing at first except stand there, wondering just when he'd lost control of the situation. Then he forgot what he was thinking about, and his arms wrapped around Celes.
"Let's get out of here," he said after one breathless moment, and they escaped from the stuffy pub out into the late night misting rain. Taking shelter against the side of the building, they exchanged a few more kisses, clinging together.
"What did you expect?" she asked, when they broke apart, "that I was going to stand there and tell you that I loved you?"
"Do you?"
"Why do you keep asking me questions?" Celes growled, though smiling.
"Why can't you just take it easy for five seconds?" Locke demanded in reply.
"Well what do you think?" Celes asked him. "In all seriousness, Locke. You must already know how I feel."
He avoided her gaze.
"Locke! What are you, stupid?"
"Nice, Celes, real sweet. No, I'm not stupid... I know how you feel about me," he clarified. "It's just..."
"What?"
"I still have a hard time believing it."
Celes almost hit him, but thought better of it. "Believing it? What are you talking about? I think I'm insulted!"
"It's not like that, Celes, it's just... how could I possibly be this lucky?" he asked, finally looking at her again. "To have ever had Rachel, and then get a chance to see her one last time. To still be alive after all that I've been through, for all my friends to have survived the war, see the world rebuilt, *and* to have you love me? It's almost too good to be true."
"That's all?" she asked. "That's the problem?"
"What problem?" Locke asked, endearingly oblivious.
"I've been waiting for almost a year for you to tell me how *you* felt and I got sick of waiting. But I knew there had to be a reason. You're not a coward. So I decided I'd have to figure it out."
"That's why you asked about Rachel?"
"Yeah. I thought this was all about Rachel. You seem sometimes not to be able to tell the difference between her and me. I was worried you still weren't ready to move on, or maybe you were seeing me as some kind of substitute. I was getting tired of waiting for you to recognize me for who I really am... sorry, Locke, but I was."
"I'm the one who should be sorry. I felt like I was leading you on back before Kefka took over. Then I thought you were the one fooling all of us... that you were a traitor. I thought you might still be mad at me over that."
"Well, I was, but that was a long time ago," Celes admitted. "Now I know better. We both do."
"I'm still sorry," he said.
"Oh, don't be," she dismissed, rolling her eyes. "Get some perspective, for crying out loud. It's trivial compared to what we've been through."
"You're right. Celes... I..." he found himself staring at her, fingering strands of her hair. He hesitated for a moment. "Nevermind, I forgot what I was gonna say."
Uncharacteristically, the ex-general loosed a small giggle. "Good," she said, "you talk too much anyway, Locke."
"I'll be quiet now," he swore solemnly.
True to his promises, as always, Locke sealed his lips upon hers, and didn't speak another word that night.