---Chapter 9---

Seifer woke up to Quistis shifting uncomfortably in her sleep. He noticed that tears were coming from her eyes and he decided to calmly wake her.

"Quistis wake up," he said with a soft voice. "It's okay it's only a dream. It's all right," he comforted her and lightly kissed her forehead. She finally opened her eyes, and within her eyes he could see the physical pain she had been hiding from him from the past month, but he only smiled to hide his own pain from her as well.

"How are you feeling?"

"Okay I guess," she tried to return his smile.

"Do you want something to eat? Drink?"

"Not really," she said remembering how much it hurt for her to simply swallow, or do anything for that matter. A month ago she could still eat and she still had strength to walk around. Now she was in pain and too weak to do anything.

"Does it hurt?"

"Not really…" Seifer looked at her. "Yes…," she admitted. "Everything hurts. Everything I do hurts, even thinking hurts."

"Even being with me?" Seifer asked trying to lighten up the mood.

She reached her hand out to touch his face and smiled.

"I take the smile means 'yes,'" he answered and leaned in and kissed her.

"Seifer you're the only pain I couldn't live with out," she managed to say.

Seifer patted her hand as he looked out the window and saw it was dark and the moon was out and climbing its way to the top of the vast sky.

"It's late, you must still be tired. I'll let you get some sleep again okay?" He crossed over her to turn off the lamp and laid back down next to her. He draped his arm over her waist holding her close to him as he whispered "I love you" before he fell asleep.

Quistis laid still in Seifer's arms as she listened to his slow even breaths. She knew they were both avoiding the truth with their sad smiles. Every time she saw Seifer's smile, her heart broke. She didn't know how much longer both of them could keep lying to themselves. Every minute she could feel herself growing weaker and weaker. She was even beginning to be afraid to go to sleep, afraid that she might not wake up again. She slowly turned her body around so she could face her husband. The moonlight fell upon him. She observed his serene and sad face. She looked at the tired lines on his face, and lightly glided her fingers over his cheek. Seifer moved slightly under her touch, but remained asleep. She did not remember how long she was awake watching Seifer sleep, but she eventually fell asleep in his arms feeling secure.

Seifer unfolded the handkerchief in his hand and noticed there was more blood this time. In the past couple weeks Quistis condition was deteriorating quicker then he expected, and he could do nothing but only watch as his wife fall apart before his eyes. He closed his eyes to try to prevent tears from coming up, but the tears just seeped from under his closed lids.

"Seifer…," he heard Quistis's shaky voice call out to him as another set of violent coughs seized her. He quickly folded the handkerchief in his hand and wiped the little bit of blood escaping from her lips.

As he tried to wipe her mouth, Quistis shook her head to keep him from tending her. "It's no use." She managed to say as she painfully tried to swallow back the coppery taste in her mouth. Seifer ignored her and continued caring for her.

Out of frustration to get his attention, she clapped her hand around his face and forced him to stop and look into her eyes. "Seifer stop, it's no use." Seifer's eyes darted back and froth in confusion, fear, and worry. "Please," she pleaded, "listen to me." She let go of Seifer's face and continued. "It's almost sunset please take me outside. I want to see the sun set into the horizon one last time, please." She pleaded again.

Without a word Seifer leaned in to kiss her and stood up. He easily carried her and took her out to the spot on the beach where they use to sit daily just months before to end their days together.

Seifer had thought or at least hoped that Quistis had fallen asleep in his arms as they sat in the sand, since she was so still and quiet. Instead he looked down to see tears coming from her closed eyes. Just as he was going to speak, Quistis opened her eyes.

"Everything hurts," she slowly managed to say as she turned her head to look at him. "I'm sorry."

"You don't need to be sorry," he said to comfort her. She placed her fingers over his lips to keep him from speaking.

Still with struggle she continued, "Please…I need to say this now. I'm sorry. I'm sorry I could not be a good wife to you. I'm sorry I could not be the mother of your children. I'm sorry that I let you love me. I'm sorry that I let myself love you so much, and I'm sorry I can't stay with you until we both turn old and grey. I'm sorry."

"Apology not accepted," Seifer responded abruptly. "I know what I got into and I accept it. So stop apologizing," he explained giving her a small smile.

Quistis returned his smile, and lifted her left hand to reveal her Save the Queen in her grasp. Seifer was surprised that he did notice it in her hand when he carried her out.

"What's this?" he as he took it from her hand.

"I want you to keep it…to remember me."

"I marry you, and all I get is an old whip?" He joked. "I don't need anything to help me remember you. I don't think I can even forget." His voice was starting to waiver and tears where gathering around his eyes. He blinked his eyes a few times to try o hold back his tears, but his eyes were already reddening from his sadness.

"Don't be too sad. Like they always say…I will always be with you."

"I know," Tears were slowly streaming down his cheeks.

"And I'm very tired…," her voice trailed off as she gasps a little for air.

"I know."

"…and I love you."

"I know." He placed his warm lips on to hers one last time and kissed her tear stained cheeks.

She started to cough again, and a small stream of blood seeped out from the corner of her lips. She weakly turned her body, so she could wrap her arms around him in an embrace.

"Seifer…hold me, I'm cold." She whispered to him. He wrapped his arm around her tighter and kissed her forehead. He held her like that for what seemed like an eternity and a second all at the same time. Finally he felt his wife's hand wrapped around him slowly drop away, as a breeze blew by as if to take her spirit away. He closed his eyes once again and let the tears come as he held his wife's lifeless body tighter to him and whispered, "Good bye."

A/N: Okay the inevitable finally happened. sobs I know a lot of you wanted her to live, but there are so many fics out there that have the miracle happy ending. I just wanted to write something that I guess is Hemingway-ish. I believe it was Hemingway who said that a love story doesn't end until someone dies, or I might have imagined it.

Anyways enough excuses from me, I've posted up chapter 10 at the same time as repentance for killing off Quistis in this chapter. I'll let you guys go finish the story now.