'Okay that's one thing sorted... for now we should rest.' Jayson said and caught Squall's look. 'If you fell that's the best course of action sir.' He added.

'Well there's nothing we can do until Odine is done.' Squall replied.

'Okay so it's settled.' Jayson said softly.

Squall, Quistis and Kiros filed out leaving Jayson and Meia alone.

Jayson sank down beside her sighing. 'Are you okay, you hardly said anything.' He asked her softly.

Smiling, Meia stood and then sat on his lap to his surprise. 'What is there to say? We fight Spore... I trust you.' She whispered and placed a hand on his cheek as she leant in kissing him.

Jayson kissed her back softly, his hands sliding around her waist drawing her in. Meia finally broke away her green eyes looking directly into his. He smiled up at her and slid his hands up her back rubbing her gently. Meia kissed him again giving him a quick peck on the lips as her body shivered under the motion of his hands.

'I think it's time we went back to one of our rooms... it'd be just our luck for someone to walk in on us.' Jayson said softly.

He slid an arm under Meia's knees and stood up making her shriek in delight as he held her.

'So you're going to carry me like this? What will the other's think?' she teased.

'Let them think what they want.' Jayson told her and started to carry her back to his room.

Quistis had watched Squall quickly stroll off to be with Rinoa and Kiros had gone back to his office, which had left her all alone. It was times like this she hated her life, the segregation brought on by being above others, placed in solitary due to social conventions. As much as she loved being an Instructor, she loathed the loneliness it created. She had seen the way Jayson acted around Meia, wouldn't anyone ever act that way towards her? She was also worried by her light flirting with Kiros, a man old enough to be her father, but the feeling of being noticed was worth it. She lay on her bed and found herself dwelling on Jayson's scheme to kill Spore. She just hoped it would work, but then no one else had come up with anything better.

'So did you find them?' Rinoa asked Squall as he entered the room.

'Yeah they'd been on some excursion.' Squall said approaching her as she lay in the bed, her arm encased in plaster.

'Without telling you? Even Quistis?' Rinoa asked incredulously.

'Yeah, Jayson decided not to disturb me, well us.' Squall replied sitting down beside her.

'So he's becoming adept at leadership then? Must be her influence.' Rinoa said darkly.

'What are you talking about?' Squall asked surprised.

'No I didn't mean anything bad...just that having Meia around has made him more confident don't you think?' Rinoa replied.

Squall grinned. 'Well you had the same effect on me.' He told her.

Rinoa blushed. 'So what happens next?' she asked, shuffling closer to him.

'We go for Spore.' Squall said simply.

'What?' Rinoa asked stiffening.

'They found something out about Spore at the Centran ruins, something we can use to beat him... hopefully.' Squall replied slipping a reassuring arm around her.

'I take it this was Jayson's idea?' Rinoa said curtly.

'Yes but at least we know what to expect, we can prevent being controlled by Spore and then kill his minions. However we have to do it without magic.' Squall replied.

Rinoa looked up at him. 'And you agree with this madness?' she snapped.

'Are you okay?' Squall asked surprised by her bitterness.

'We saw what happened last time we went against Spore... how do you know Jayson isn't still being controlled? It could be a trap.' Rinoa replied doubtfully.

'No if he was being controlled he wouldn't have said what he did to me.' Squall replied softly.

'What was that?' Rinoa asked resting her head on his chest.

'He just calmed me down when I went for him, I was so angry that they'd left me behind, didn't tell me they'd gone. I actually thought that Jayson had taken them to a trap just like you did but when I saw them come back I knew he could be trusted but I was still so angry at being pushed aside so easily.' Squall explained.

'So you're actually starting to like being needed then?' Rinoa giggled. 'You still haven't told me what he said.' She added reproachfully.

'He just reminded me that you didn't blame me for what happened to you... I guess he could sense my guilt...' Squall said softly.

'Well he's right I never blamed you Squall.' Rinoa replied and held him tightly with her one good arm. 'Besides it's him I blame.' She thought to herself.

Meia lay stretched out on Jayson's bed enjoying his slow soft touches as he caressed her tummy. He lay next to her his legs tangling with hers, his scoured mind at peace as he traced her pale skin with his fingertips. She looked up at him smiling her lips twitching as he tickled her.

She closed her eyes her arms stretched up over her head feeling at ease with his touch. She wasn't sure what about him could make her feel this way, she had only know him truly for a few days, in which she had seen him nearly killed twice, had seen his strength, but most of all had seen his tenderness. She would never known that this was hidden inside him, but she was aware there were plenty of things hidden in Jayson some of which she may never know.

He rested his hand flat on her tummy slowly moving it up her body as he leant down and kissed her forehead making her smile widen. This sense of bliss and peace had evaded him so long and he never expected he'd find it in her arms. There was a worried thought in the back of his head that this was going too fast but he could control himself, he wanted to revel in her warmth, her love, to shower her body in the tenderness he had kept pent up way too long. He wouldn't force it, his passions were too tightly constrained for them to suddenly explode. He wouldn't give in to lust, she meant more to him than that, what he was feeling was so much more pure and it surprised him.

'Sure as hell surprises me!' Orion quipped sarcastically in his mind.

'Do you mind? This is a private moment!' Jayson retorted in his head.

'Well excuse me!' Orion laughed. 'With thoughts as loud as those how can I avoid them?' he replied.

'Can't you go do something else?' Jayson asked his hand still gently moving up Meia's side so she was not aware of what was going on inside his head.

'I'll just shut up.' Orion told him and faded away.

Meia shifted under him, her legs wrapping around his as she rolled onto her side so she was pressed up against him. She opened her eyes and looked into his stormy blue ones as she placed her hand on his and started moving it further up and round to the front. She was surprised when his hand stopped before it got to where she was leading it and he wrapped his fingers in hers. She looked at him with a mixture of surprise and hurt.

'Don't you want to?' she asked him whispering.

Jayson moved his free hand to her cheek gently stroking it. 'It's not a case of wanting to Meia, it's just that I don't want to go too far too soon.' He replied softly and then kissed her tenderly.

Meia melted into the kiss her hurt fading away as she knew he wasn't rejecting her in any way, just that he felt for and respected her so much he didn't want to rush, wanted to savour every experience he shared with her.

She wondered if she'd really had wanted to give into lust then herself or whether she was testing him. She had known of guys her friends dated that had been all sincere but that was only an act so that they'd get sex. She chided that small part of her that could even suggest that Jayson was like that and she turned her attention back to the kiss, Jayson's soft lips pressed against hers.

There was a knock at the door that interrupted them. Jayson broke away from Meia slowly, hesitantly, and got up off the bed to get the door. He opened the door and found Kiros stood outside in a semi-official stance.

'Odine is ready.' Kiros told him.

'What already?' Jayson asked in surprise.

'Yeah... seems like he was already preparing for this.' Kiros said with a wry grin.

'Hmmm... should we be worried?' Jayson asked and heard Meia getting up off the bed behind him.

'He may seem a bit crazy but the man's a genius in his own twisted way.' Kiros replied.

'Okay so where do we go to see him?' Jayson asked wondering how much of what he and Meia were up to was obvious to Kiros.

'Go to his lab. I'll meet you there after I've got Quistis and Squall.' Kiros said softly and left them.

'Well he knew Meia was here with me... I just hope he didn't know what exactly was going on...' Jayson thought to himself blushing.

'It's time already?' Meia asked him coming up behind him slipping her arms around his waist and resting her head on his shoulder.

'I guess so...' Jayson replied softly.

They walked across the translucent blue byways of Esthar following the directions they were given to Odine's laboratory.

'I hope he hasn't made some crazy invention which means we're encased in metal...' Jayson said out loud concerned.

'Well you did say you wanted to be protected from parasites, you never said anything about mobility.' Meia replied laughing.

They reached the small building near the Air Station and entered, only to be welcomed by a small room containing a circular seat.

'I take it we sit here then.' Jayson said and sat down, Meia following.

The two of them were not surprised when light circled the seat and it rose into the air moving up into a shaft carrying them elsewhere. They ended up in another area with a large electric door, which swished open as they approached revealing a bustling Odine.

'Ah good, good. You are here.' He said to them as they gazed at the assortment of objects that lined the room.

'So you've got something made up ready?' Jayson asked trying to see if he could spot what it was Odine had created for them.

'Of course! You underestimate me!?' Odine said switching from pleasant to vibrating with indignant rage within seconds.

'Odine!' Kiros' soft voice came from behind them.

The older man looked up and calmed instantly.

'Fine, zo everybody here now yes?' he asked as the Squall and Quistis followed Kiros into the room.

With a huge grin Odine pressed a button and revealed his latest creation.

'It looks like a giant tie!' Meia said out loud as the armour appeared.

'You mock me?' Odine started and then noticed a warning flash in Jayson's eyes making him subside.

'Ahem.' He coughed and then continued. 'Thiz iz zee Parasite Preventive Collar.'

'How does it work?' Quistis asked.

Odine's face lit up, revelling in the attention. 'Simple. The flexible metal is worn around the neck and the rest is attached at the back along the spine enabling full body movement and preventing parasite attachment.' He told them beaming.

'You've proved that have you?' Squall demanded, slightly sceptical.

'Of course! You think I'm crackpot?' Odine growled.

'Just want to be sure before we go out and get into serious trouble.' Squall replied calmly.

'Anyway lets get kitted up.' Jayson said and approached the table picking up one of the collars.

He slipped the long flexible metallic strip down his back under his top and then clicked the collar around his neck. He jolted in surprise as the collar locked and the metallic strip grew to envelop his whole back.

'Hey!' he muttered in shock and then calmed as he realised nothing more was going to happen.

'So how do we get these back off?' he asked Odine.

'Eazy! There is a small panel near the clasp, place your thumb on it and it pops open.' Odine said triumphantly.

'Right.' Jayson muttered and watched as the others put on their collars.

'Let's go.' Squall said to them all and they filed out to get prepared for the next battle.

Jayson was still surprised over how well the collars fitted, as if they were a second skin.

Meia looked at him with a grin and said 'At least you don't have to worry about not being very mobile now.'