Disclaimer: I do not own anything owned by someone else. Also, I do not own "Attack of the killer tomatoes" or Tarzan just to be precise.

Notes: Remember, I am a virgin, so I didn't even bother embarrassing myself with trying to write details…

Chapter 40: Shhh

Rated Medium PG 13 to R: Adult situations, and humor.

     Selphie sat outside Laguna's room, along with the others. They had just learned that the man had barely escaped death. Had he even suffered one more minor blow, he would have died. He had internal bleeding, and many cuts, bruises, and other such complications. The group sat in silence, digesting the news. Ellone rose to check on Dewn, who had insisted on staying with her father, and mother that night.

     She walked down the halls, and found herself to Oceania's room, where she found the child still asleep.  She smiled at the scene; Dewn had crawled into bed with the two during the night, and stayed fast asleep now. Ellone picked up the small child, and took her to the palace to sleep comfortably.

     Selphie met her in the hall, and decided to help her. Irvine nodded as his love left with Ellone, and went back to the others, where they waited in silence.

_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+

     A couple months later Dewn walked into her mother's room, whom was not hospitalized, but instead in the palace as well, chipper. Ellone had given her soda in hopes of raising her spirits, and the bundle of carbonation rattled on about something that she knew that no one else did. She smiled, and giggled in her delight, having leverage over her friends.

     Oceania leaned over, and told her that if Dewn told her secret, that she would reveal hers. Dewn agreed after much "serious" thinking, and belches. The small child leaned over, and whispered her secret into Oceania's ear. Her look of surprise caught Squall, whom was in bed with Oceania, off guard. Oceania looked at her child in disbelief, and told her own secret. Dewn giggled, and skipped off with Ellone into the garden.

Squall, "What was her secret?"

Oceania hesitated and answered, "I can't tell you. But it's mine too."

     Squall looked puzzled at his bed mistress, confused by their actions, and words. However he didn't ponder it too long, and tended to her almost fully healed wounds. She looked up at him as he removed the bandage from her abdomen, which had been severely cut in many places due to the strain of her summoning. His hand tickled her, and she quietly giggled. He kissed the wounds, and as she found pleasure, ran his tongue up her scars. She laughed, and called him disgusting, saying no one would want to kiss that mouth now.

     He got on top of her, and held her wrists by her head, and kissed her on the mouth. She kissed back, and fell into a fit of giggles.

Squall (playfully): If that's the case, then why did you kiss me back?

Oceania: You're terrible! kisses him again

     His hand glided down her pajama shirt, and undid the buttons. Her warm hand caressed his bare chest, and sashayed to his belt buckle. She removed it with one hand, and held his face to her with the other. His other arm held him up, and removed the sleeve of her shirt with his other. Soon they well, ya know…

_+_+_+_+_+_+_+

     Laguna smiled weakly, his "granddaughter" (for the sake of argument, let's consider Dew his granddaughter, k?) handing him a handful of dandelions. Almost his entire body was in a cast, but his upper torso was healed enough for ace bandages. The small child climbed up on the bed, and continued to jabber on about how the weather is cold, and how pretty snow is outside the Shumi village. He used his one good arm to run his fingertips through her hair to put it behind her ear. Ellone smiled, trying not to chortle at the petite girl's behavior.

     Ellone's look changed when she saw the hate in her foster father's eyes. He hated Dewn, and her heritage. He knew all too well that she would be the cause for time compression, and such. Zell hadn't realized that Laguna could hear him when the older man was comatose, as Zell spilled his guts about what he knew. Laguna heard the words all too well, faking sleep, and hearing in horror that he had a monster calling him "Gampa Lagooonah."

     Ellone turned away, knowing then that Laguna knew her secret, their secret. She hoped that she could change Dewn, make her a pure spirit of good, not evil. She wanted to raise the child to love, and prosper, not hate humanity to the point where she longed for its destruction. But then again she couldn't blame her. She parted from her mother on bad terms, her father died before her eyes, her aunts using her as leverage, and eventually cast aside to the human fearing Shumi's as the spawn of evil. Plus she had witnessed the gruesome murders of innocents by her own mother among other things (no, not the dirty way. Eww..).

      Ellone sighed, and went to Laguna, smiling at his sunken face. The injuries have taken their toll on the old man, his age more evident. He lost weight, and his eyes, and cheeks sunk into his bony face. Bags of sleeplessness were under his eyes, but his appearance didn't matter to Dewn. He was her "Gampa" and didn't judge by looks. She only wanted him to like her, maybe even love her. The closest thing she ever had to a father figure was the Shumi mage. He was old inn years, and had died shortly before her stowing on the Ragnarok.

     Dewn looked sadly upon Laguna. He had only said "thanks", and returned to his studying of the ceiling. She sat on the ground, telling him about how cool Esthar was, and about all that she had seen in the city. The mall had particularly intrigued her. The lights, the sounds, the people. And the small of blood, and death still lingered there.  She didn't say the latter, knowing full well the possible consequences of uttering that. The Shumi's lived a grounded life, not bothering with most superficial customs the "outsiders" had.

     They all spent time there, Laguna listening to the child, but also his head spun in a million directions of hate. Humans tend to hate what they don't understand, and Laguna was no exception. Ellone sat in the chair, helping a conversation along with the two. She always had a bad habit of playing mediator, even as a child.

_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+

     Selphie sat Irvine in a bench. He groaned in annoyance, and held the many bags in his arms. The girls had gone into a clothes-shopping spree, and Selphie bought too many clothes- all orange. Selphie grabbed Quistis' arm, and dragged her into the shop. Which was a lingerie store. Zell started to follow, but got pushed out by Selphie, who called him a pig.

     The girls seemed to take forever, giggling loudly as they browsed the racks, and tried things on. Zell tapped his foot impatiently, eager to see what Quistis would get. Irvine sighed, and laughed quietly at his friend, knowing all too well the dangers of shopping. An hour later, and many evil stares by women passing by at the men, the girls returned, with only one petite bag Quistis held. Selphie came out smiling, and Quistis blushing a darker red than hr dress.

     Zell went to his wife, and stared at the bag, and pointed to it.

Zell: That's all you got? After all that time, you only got that little bag? Does it even have anything in it.

Irvine: shakes his head The smaller the bag the better.

Zell: Huh?

     Irvine took his dense friend aside, and explained the many mysteries of nighties. A large grin spread across Zell's face, and he returned to the girls, laughing stupidly. Quistis shook her head in embarrassment, and gave him the bag. Zell immediately sat down, and looked at the contents. One leopard thong for him, and one leather jungle costume for her. Zell held his costume in bewilderment, and looked in horror at it. Irvine laughed hysterically at his friend. Selphie went to her beau, and decided to tease him a bit.

Selphie: I bought something too, but I'm wearing it.

Irvine: evil grin What would that be?

Selphie: You'll see. they start walking

Zell (His face flushed): Eeeegh! What is this for?!

Quistis: It's Tarzan cosplay.

Zell: Feh. Sicko.

Quistis: It's the same as me wearing that cat costume you like.

Zell (changing subject): Hey, what did Selphie get?

Quistis: Don't ask…

+__+__+__+__+__+__+

Don't read if you don't want bad mental images!

     Edea sat on the ground in utter silence, playing in the dirt with a stick. Cid was inside, attempting to fix a leak in their bedroom. That was her excuse for not sleeping with him the night before. She couldn't bear to be with the man that had betrayed her. She longed for his touch, but knew it wasn't she that he'd be touching, but Rinoa in his mind.

     "Her raven black hair, and perky breasts, "she morbidly thought, "How can I compete with that?"

     Cid came out, hammer in hand, sucking on his hurt thumb. "All fixed," he announced, sitting next to his wife. He put his arm around her, and she coldly fell into his grasp, unfeeling to his embrace. She could feel anything anymore, her spirit broken beyond repair. Pain was her only company, despite his feeble recent attempts to win her over.

     He helped her up, and held her in his arms. She said nothing, but stared off into space, her mind focusing on her issues. He bent to kiss her, and she slightly parted her mouth for his tongue. She barely moved as his tongue caressed hers, sliding around in her mouth, massaging the inside of her cheeks, and other oral parts. "Oh, gawd," she thought, "I'm his back up. His second choice. And… I know what he wants. Fine. I don't care anymore. It can't make me feel any worse."

     She went inside to their bedroom, staring at the ceiling in disgust. He had done a piss-poor job, but at least he tried. He entered, turned on by her more revealing dress from her sorceress days. He went to her, and kissed her neck, getting no reaction from his wife. He moved her to the bed, her will broken, and not giving a damn what he did anymore. He laid her down, and tried to remove her clothes clumsily. His hands aching with arthritis, he did it, and removed his own.

Author's note: I can't write anymore! Ugh! Bad mental pics in my head! Aaaugh! Old people sex!

_+_+_+_+_+ You can look now!

     Squall looked at Oceania, her breathing still rapid. She curled up in the covers, though she was sweating form heat, and their last act. He breathed deeply, trying to regain his normal breathing rate, and composer. He curled up to her, his arm around her healing waist. She cringed at it, but it only hurt for a moment. She had ignored it all this time, but without something that was enjoyable to keep her mid from it, it hurt worse.

     He gently rubbed her stomach, sunken in from lack of eating. Her ribs sticking out like an unfed horse. He had tried every way to get her to eat, but she barely ate enough to survive on. Her true hunger on blood, and flesh, normal food was not important to her. Let alone satisfy her. She could live without eating, but her frail condition would worsen, causing delusions from her body turning on itself. But she had to eat, but knew to do so would be considered evil, and cost Squall a bad reputation. She couldn't hurt him anymore than he already was. He had fought his own father to save her, and Dewn.

     Her stomach gurgled at the thought of flesh, and she licked her flushed lips hungrily, the salty taste of sweat in her mouth. He saw the look in her eyes, and got out of bed. He grabbed her clothes that Selphie had bought her, also orange. He tossed the clothes at her, and started to dress himself. She gave him a perplexed look, and put them on. Her bandages long ripped off, letting her bare skin chafe against the clothing. It mattered little to her, knowing worse pain then freshly ripped off scabs.

     Squall put on his undershirt, and coat. Quistis had retrieved his clothing from the Garden while he stayed at the hospital. Oceania slipped on the last part of her orange tube top/ board shorts ensemble. She gazed into the full-length mirror, sighing at how stupid she looked. Burnt orange made her feel like a rotten orange from a tree, and the orange flip-flops didn't help.

Oceania: Is there anything else to wear? I feel like an orange threw up on me, or that a truckload of oranges fell on me. Maybe even attacked by the killer oranges.

Squall: … You do. shakes head, w/ hand on face I have a shirt in the drawer. You have to wear the shorts though. I'll ask Quistis, or Ellone for some shoes. leaves

Oceania: I feel like a fat, navel orange. Thinks dirty (Rated R Joke: "Maybe Squall will eat me. Heh heh heh…")