Silent Screams
A/N: This chapter is a transaction chapter. Stupid transaction chapters...
Chapter 26
She tapped her fingernails against the railing as she watched her guests appear on the dock. She counted them out as they each left the Ragnarok. There was Squall in the lead, who was looking around, observing the surroundings. Following him was Zell, who quickly led the Headmaster towards the door. Quistis walked out next, carrying her child. Eleni glared straight towards her, praying she didn't know. Following Quistis was Seifer, whose eyes quickly darted up towards Eleni. She smiled softly, knowing he would remember her.
The foursome walked towards the door and waited there. Eleni turned around and nodded her head towards a camera. She looked back down, seeing the group jump back as the doors opened. After a few seconds, they went in, disappearing from her sight. "Nadia?" she called out. One of her many assistants stepped out towards the light. "I may get the urge to kill Quistis now. Do not let that happen. We still have a month until the timing is just perfect."
"Yes, Mistress. What about Seifer?" the assistant asked.
Eleni narrowed her eyes towards the setting sun. "He's not allowed to see me...at all. Tell them Garden Personnel only."
Nadia nodded her head and walked back into the shadows and towards the door. Eleni placed her hand on her head and sighed. This was going to be more stressful than she intended.
~*~
They sat in the lobby, waiting patiently as Zell explained in full details how the Deep Sea Research Garden looked. Quistis nodded her head in acknowledgment to Zell, but continued to wipe Dante's face. Squall looked over to the ominous hallway that was littered with children running back and forth. Seifer held his head, the growing sensation of a headache looming over him. "Then you guys should see the cafeteria!"
Seifer growled out, "Surprised its still here if you saw it..."
Zell glared over at the fallen angel. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Quistis bit her lip as the nervous tension grew between all of them, especially Seifer and Zell. "Guys," she muttered out, still trying to hold onto Dante.
"I'm just saying, you've always been one to destroy a good café."
Zell stood up, shaking his fist wildly at the blonde. "You wanna say that to my face!"
"Guys," Quistis muttered a bit louder.
Seifer stood up, pushing his fingers towards Zell and watching him be knocked over. Seifer grinned and Zell stood up and started to bounce in place. "You wimp! Can't even really hit me!"
"If I did, you'd be dead..."
"Guys!"
The three of them turned towards Quistis surprised by her outburst. "Hon?" Squall muttered out.
Quistis placed Dante on the chair and stood in between the two. She held up her hands, watching them both stiffen. "Zell, you're representing Balamb Garden, and Seifer, you're representing Hyne. How dare you two fight when you are both representing such figures! Now either stop it or else!"
The two hung their heads and both sat down. They knew when to fight and not to fight. "Well...he started it," Zell whispered. Quistis rolled her eyes and sat back down, lifting up Dante onto her lap.
"You both started it and now I'm stopping it. End of discussion."
Seifer hung his head and let the blonde locks drop in front of his eyes. He shook his head and stood up, walking back towards the entrance. Quistis groaned. Squall grasped hold of Dante and lifted him over into his lap. "Go on, Quistis. Only you know how to deal with him," Squall managed to say through the shots of jealousy and pain. Quistis gave him a longing look and kissed his lips softly. "I think Zell and I can take care of Eleni."
Quistis nodded her head and walked quickly to catch up to Seifer. She didn't see him at the entrance lobby so she quickly ran outside. She looked to her left and then to her right, only to see him staring out at the ocean. She walked over to him and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "What?"
She sighed. "Would you relax?"
He shrugged her hand off of him and walked towards the Ragnarok. "I see no point of me being here. I'm just here to protect you, and I can't even do that. So I'm going to go wait in the guest room."
Quistis ran in front of him, holding up her hands. "Seifer, you're not here just to protect me. You're apart of the team."
"Yea? And what team is that? Team lets all make Seifer the scapegoat?"
Quistis groaned. "Seifer, why can't you just keep your mouth shut?"
"See? Always the blame is put on me."
"Cause it's always your fault!"
"Again I say see."
Quistis glared at him and crossed her arms. "Just ignore Zell like the rest of us do. He goes on and on about miniscule things."
Seifer shook his head and side stepped her, walking onto the Ragnarok. "You just don't understand, Quistis."
~*~
Squall walked into the large office, staring at the amount of TV screens across the back wall. His eyebrow arched as he noticed a camera in the far- left corner of the room. Quickly, the large chair that was facing the back wall turned and revealed a dirty blonde, short haired, skinny, and fairly tall woman. She stood up and walked over to Squall, extending her dainty hand. "My name is Headmistress Eleni. Pleasure to meet you, Squall."
Squall nodded his head and switched the arm that he was holding Dante with so he could shake her hand. Eleni's eyes lit up as she saw the child. "It's a pleasure to meet you as well, Eleni. I assume you know Zell?"
"Yes, the envoy that knows his rules. And who is this little child?"
Zell noted that she acted...different from the time before. Squall nodded his head to the child and said happily, "This is my son, Dante."
Eleni rose her hand so Dante could shake it, but before she knew it, spit was all over her face. Dante began to giggle and clap his hands while Zell held in a laugh. "Charming little fellow," she said while wiping her face with her hand.
"Forgive him, he's just a year old," Squall said while glaring at his son. "There are two other people here, so if we could not start until they come?"
Eleni nodded her head and smiled. "They are of course both Garden members?"
Zell and Squall both looked at each other. Eleni smiled innocently. "Well, one technically isn't..."
Eleni sighed. 'Stupid Nadia...can't even tell them that...arg! Must I do everything!' she thought in her mind. "Well, under code four point number fifty-three, only Garden personnel are allowed to be involved with the entrance of other Gardens."
Zell opened his mouth to speak, but Squall caught him before hand. "Understood." Squall quickly picked up his cell phone and hit a number. The phone rang once, twice, and finally someone picked up. "Quistis?"
"Yes? Everything ok?"
"Everything's fine," he said in a loving way. Eleni walked over to her desk and sat on top of it, waiting. "Um...Seifer can't join the meeting."
Squall quickly pulled the phone away, only to hear Seifer screaming on the other end. "What the fuck! What the hell do you mean I can't join this fucking meeting!"
Zell grabbed Dante and whispered in his ear, "Earmuff time!" Dante grinned and covered up his ear, smiling happily. Eleni cocked an eyebrow, ready to see a fight. "You may not want to hear this, either, Eleni."
"Listen, Seifer! It's not my decision! Put Quistis back on the phone, now!" Squall screamed. After a few seconds, he heard Quistis' calming breath. "Seifer can't come because he's not Garden personnel."
"I understand. We can't just leave him alone, can we?"
"No...but..."
"Hm?"
He sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "I need you here with me..." Zell started to laugh and Squall shot him a deadly look. "Please?"
Quistis giggled. Her giggling ceased as she said, "I...Seifer...he can't be left alone...I want to be there."
He heard Seifer say something in the background. "What did he say?"
"I'll be up there in a second..."
A/N: This chapter is a transaction chapter. Stupid transaction chapters...
Chapter 26
She tapped her fingernails against the railing as she watched her guests appear on the dock. She counted them out as they each left the Ragnarok. There was Squall in the lead, who was looking around, observing the surroundings. Following him was Zell, who quickly led the Headmaster towards the door. Quistis walked out next, carrying her child. Eleni glared straight towards her, praying she didn't know. Following Quistis was Seifer, whose eyes quickly darted up towards Eleni. She smiled softly, knowing he would remember her.
The foursome walked towards the door and waited there. Eleni turned around and nodded her head towards a camera. She looked back down, seeing the group jump back as the doors opened. After a few seconds, they went in, disappearing from her sight. "Nadia?" she called out. One of her many assistants stepped out towards the light. "I may get the urge to kill Quistis now. Do not let that happen. We still have a month until the timing is just perfect."
"Yes, Mistress. What about Seifer?" the assistant asked.
Eleni narrowed her eyes towards the setting sun. "He's not allowed to see me...at all. Tell them Garden Personnel only."
Nadia nodded her head and walked back into the shadows and towards the door. Eleni placed her hand on her head and sighed. This was going to be more stressful than she intended.
~*~
They sat in the lobby, waiting patiently as Zell explained in full details how the Deep Sea Research Garden looked. Quistis nodded her head in acknowledgment to Zell, but continued to wipe Dante's face. Squall looked over to the ominous hallway that was littered with children running back and forth. Seifer held his head, the growing sensation of a headache looming over him. "Then you guys should see the cafeteria!"
Seifer growled out, "Surprised its still here if you saw it..."
Zell glared over at the fallen angel. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Quistis bit her lip as the nervous tension grew between all of them, especially Seifer and Zell. "Guys," she muttered out, still trying to hold onto Dante.
"I'm just saying, you've always been one to destroy a good café."
Zell stood up, shaking his fist wildly at the blonde. "You wanna say that to my face!"
"Guys," Quistis muttered a bit louder.
Seifer stood up, pushing his fingers towards Zell and watching him be knocked over. Seifer grinned and Zell stood up and started to bounce in place. "You wimp! Can't even really hit me!"
"If I did, you'd be dead..."
"Guys!"
The three of them turned towards Quistis surprised by her outburst. "Hon?" Squall muttered out.
Quistis placed Dante on the chair and stood in between the two. She held up her hands, watching them both stiffen. "Zell, you're representing Balamb Garden, and Seifer, you're representing Hyne. How dare you two fight when you are both representing such figures! Now either stop it or else!"
The two hung their heads and both sat down. They knew when to fight and not to fight. "Well...he started it," Zell whispered. Quistis rolled her eyes and sat back down, lifting up Dante onto her lap.
"You both started it and now I'm stopping it. End of discussion."
Seifer hung his head and let the blonde locks drop in front of his eyes. He shook his head and stood up, walking back towards the entrance. Quistis groaned. Squall grasped hold of Dante and lifted him over into his lap. "Go on, Quistis. Only you know how to deal with him," Squall managed to say through the shots of jealousy and pain. Quistis gave him a longing look and kissed his lips softly. "I think Zell and I can take care of Eleni."
Quistis nodded her head and walked quickly to catch up to Seifer. She didn't see him at the entrance lobby so she quickly ran outside. She looked to her left and then to her right, only to see him staring out at the ocean. She walked over to him and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "What?"
She sighed. "Would you relax?"
He shrugged her hand off of him and walked towards the Ragnarok. "I see no point of me being here. I'm just here to protect you, and I can't even do that. So I'm going to go wait in the guest room."
Quistis ran in front of him, holding up her hands. "Seifer, you're not here just to protect me. You're apart of the team."
"Yea? And what team is that? Team lets all make Seifer the scapegoat?"
Quistis groaned. "Seifer, why can't you just keep your mouth shut?"
"See? Always the blame is put on me."
"Cause it's always your fault!"
"Again I say see."
Quistis glared at him and crossed her arms. "Just ignore Zell like the rest of us do. He goes on and on about miniscule things."
Seifer shook his head and side stepped her, walking onto the Ragnarok. "You just don't understand, Quistis."
~*~
Squall walked into the large office, staring at the amount of TV screens across the back wall. His eyebrow arched as he noticed a camera in the far- left corner of the room. Quickly, the large chair that was facing the back wall turned and revealed a dirty blonde, short haired, skinny, and fairly tall woman. She stood up and walked over to Squall, extending her dainty hand. "My name is Headmistress Eleni. Pleasure to meet you, Squall."
Squall nodded his head and switched the arm that he was holding Dante with so he could shake her hand. Eleni's eyes lit up as she saw the child. "It's a pleasure to meet you as well, Eleni. I assume you know Zell?"
"Yes, the envoy that knows his rules. And who is this little child?"
Zell noted that she acted...different from the time before. Squall nodded his head to the child and said happily, "This is my son, Dante."
Eleni rose her hand so Dante could shake it, but before she knew it, spit was all over her face. Dante began to giggle and clap his hands while Zell held in a laugh. "Charming little fellow," she said while wiping her face with her hand.
"Forgive him, he's just a year old," Squall said while glaring at his son. "There are two other people here, so if we could not start until they come?"
Eleni nodded her head and smiled. "They are of course both Garden members?"
Zell and Squall both looked at each other. Eleni smiled innocently. "Well, one technically isn't..."
Eleni sighed. 'Stupid Nadia...can't even tell them that...arg! Must I do everything!' she thought in her mind. "Well, under code four point number fifty-three, only Garden personnel are allowed to be involved with the entrance of other Gardens."
Zell opened his mouth to speak, but Squall caught him before hand. "Understood." Squall quickly picked up his cell phone and hit a number. The phone rang once, twice, and finally someone picked up. "Quistis?"
"Yes? Everything ok?"
"Everything's fine," he said in a loving way. Eleni walked over to her desk and sat on top of it, waiting. "Um...Seifer can't join the meeting."
Squall quickly pulled the phone away, only to hear Seifer screaming on the other end. "What the fuck! What the hell do you mean I can't join this fucking meeting!"
Zell grabbed Dante and whispered in his ear, "Earmuff time!" Dante grinned and covered up his ear, smiling happily. Eleni cocked an eyebrow, ready to see a fight. "You may not want to hear this, either, Eleni."
"Listen, Seifer! It's not my decision! Put Quistis back on the phone, now!" Squall screamed. After a few seconds, he heard Quistis' calming breath. "Seifer can't come because he's not Garden personnel."
"I understand. We can't just leave him alone, can we?"
"No...but..."
"Hm?"
He sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "I need you here with me..." Zell started to laugh and Squall shot him a deadly look. "Please?"
Quistis giggled. Her giggling ceased as she said, "I...Seifer...he can't be left alone...I want to be there."
He heard Seifer say something in the background. "What did he say?"
"I'll be up there in a second..."