Author's Note:

WHEW! This one took a lil' while to write. I hope it turned out okay. I didn't get a chance to have my beta reader look it over. But... anyway... ENJOY!

Final Fantasy does not belong to me... yadda yadda... etc. etc.

And much love to my spiffy reviewers! I heart you all!


Chapter Eight: Reunion

It had only been a half an hour since the train had set out for Balamb, but it felt like much longer to Seifer. He hated to admit it, but he was nervous. Quisits seemed to believe that everyone would welcome him with open arms, but he just couldn't picture it... Another kind of "arms" to greet him... that he could picture easily. Then again, he wouldn't expect anything less from specially trained SeeD. He hadn't been pardoned just yet.

Well, except by one person.

Seifer looked down at Quistis, who still had her arms wrapped around him. I could definitely get used to this... He thought with a smirk. But a frown soon took its place. Hmph... I'm all she needs. It's bad enough she's got all those Treppies following her around. Add me and she'd be the ring leader of her own freakish side show. Quistis shifted a little and tightened her grip on Seifer. Maybe she wouldn't mind being ring leader... She does already have the whip heh... He mentally kicked himself. Maybe I should just go back to sleep before I come up with any more bright ideas. He adjusted the tablecloth once more and closed his eyes.

A few minutes later, Quistis began to wake up. She yawned slightly, but completely froze when she realized her "pillow" was moving... and smelled slightly of cologne. Quistis cracked an eye open and confirmed her suspicions. ...How long have I been like this...? She carefully, slowly loosened her grip on the sleeping man and sat back in her seat. She could feel the blood rushing to her cheeks.

She cautiously looked over again. He's asleep... Maybe he didn't notice... Hyne, he smells good... She mentally slapped herself. What the... Quistis! Get a hold of yourself! He's your student for Hyne's sake! ...Well... former student actually... But that's still wrong! ...Isn't it? ...He is my age, though, so... Hmph... Who'm I kidding? When he shows up at Balamb I'm sure every girl will just flock to him. I can't fool myself. I'm not like those magazine girls. No matter what clothes I wear or how much I try to change, I'll still just be boring, old Instructor Trepe. She glanced back at Seifer's sleeping form. Maybe I'll get lucky and the train will run out of fuel or something. She slipped her arms back around his waist and hugged him tight. I don't want to go back yet.

Unconsciously, Seifer slid his arm around Quistis and pulled her closer. It made for a rather awkward scene – a nun with suspiciously masculine hands being literally glomped by a tall, blonde woman. Luckily, no one noticed the two, except for...

"...Hey... That's kinda weird, ya know?"

"AFFIRMATIVE."

-Meanwhile...-

Squall was pacing back and forth in his den. He no longer felt itchy and wasn't contagious anymore, so he was back to wearing his normal outfit. He knew very well that if a certain person hadn't been there to help take care of him, he would have been an absolute mess. However, he didn't know exactly how he should thank her.

At first he thought about getting her a necklace...

But then he realized there was only one necklace Rinoa ever wore. ...That and he really didn't know too much about buying jewelry in general, so he decided to skip that category altogether.

Then he thought about getting her some perfume or lotion...

But he couldn't really remember the names of any of her favorites. They were all named after some sort of flower, but that's all he knew. And then he remembered the time he had actually accompanied Rinoa in one of her favorite lotion shops... and had nearly died from being overloaded by spicy, tropical, flowery smells impacting him at first sniff. The thought of entering that place again sent shivers down his spine and he decided to move on.

He didn't even want to think about clothes or shoes... Rinoa had her own method for that kind of shopping and although she'd explained it to him, Squall still never really understood. There were certain types of jeans that only went with certain kinds of shirts and the shoes could only be worn with a specific type of sock... and... it proved to be just too painful to decipher.

Squall sighed as he flopped down on his couch. There's got to be SOMETHING I can do... He closed his eyes and rubbed his temples with one hand.

Suddenly, he stopped and slowly stood up. A grin spread across his face and he bolted out of his room and down the hall, cheering in his head. YES! WHY DIDN'T I THINK OF THIS BEFORE! IT'S PERFECT! I AM A GENIOUS! IF PEOPLE EVER TALK ABOUT ME IN THE PAST TENSE, THEY'LL SAY, "SQUALL WAS A GENIOUS!"...No... I still don't want to be talked about in the past tense... Whatever... I'm still a genious...

-Back on the train...-

A tall, muscular man and a shorter woman were still watching the two sleeping figures from nearby.

"Do you think that's that one instructor? Ya know, Instructor Trepe?" The man asked his silver-haired companion.

"POSSIBLY." She replied with a simple shrug.

The two crept to the next closest vacant seat.

"CLOSER." Said the woman, and the man next to her nodded. They slowly moved forward, until they were only one seat away from being across the isle from them.

"I still can't tell, ya know?" The man whispered.

"RIDICULOUS." The woman replied shaking her head.

"You're right. They're sleeping anyway, ya know? They won't see us..." With that, the two of them tip toed over to the sleeping twosome. Sure enough, they easily recognized Quistis's familiar updo.

The woman gently tapped her on the shoulder. Quistis stirred a little, which caused Seifer to stir a little.

"Nnhhh... Five more minutes..." Seifer mumbled.

The burly man and silver-haired woman stared at each other in surprise. They would know that voice anywhere.

"FOUND!" Cried the woman excitedly.

Quistis and Seifer's eyelids shot open and they sat straight up. Both of them stared wide-eyed at the two people looking down at them.

"...Fujin? Rajin?" Quistis asked, dumbfounded.

"Nice ta see ya, Instructor." Rajin replied with a nod.

-Back in Balamb...-

"Well, Squall, I must say I'm a little surprised at your request." Matron said smiling. "What's the occasion?"

"It's for Rinoa." Squall replied. "I want to surprise her."

"Ahh..." Matron nodded. "Well, I think she'll be very surprised. We'll need a few things before we get started." She ripped off a sheet of paper from a nearby notepad and began to write a list of items. "These should all be easy to find. When you've got everything, meet me back here and we'll get started."

"Thank you, Matron." He bowed to her, then left for the parking lot.

-Meanwhile...-

After quickly moving to an unoccupied section of the train, Quistis and Seifer had filled Fujin and Rajin in on everything they had missed out on. The two had simply listened and nodded, never looking the least bit surprised or showing much emotion at all.

That is, until Seifer finished talking...

"Oh man, YOU of all people, a nun?! That's hilarious, ya know?" Rajin laughed.

"UNBELIEVEABLE." Fujin agreed.

"Yeah, yeah, laugh all you want, guys," Seifer replied. "But at least I'm still in one piece." He smiled. "It's good to see you guys again."

"Yeah. It's nice to have the Disciplinary Committee together again, ya know?" Rajin agreed.

"We missed you." Fujin said quietly. She was immediately met by three surprised looks. The silver-haired woman rarely spoke in long sentences, and for Fujin, three words was a mouthful. "HAPPY." Fujin replied giving Seifer a firm pat on the back.

"So, uh, you're really going back?" Rajin asked.

Seifer nodded. "Yeah... Weird, huh?" A smirk slowly spread across his face. "Wouldn't want Puberty Boy to miss me forever, right?"

"I'd love to see the look on his face, ya know?" Rajin snickered.

"PRICELESS." Fujin agreed.

"Come with us." Quistis replied. "There's plenty of vacant rooms. I'm sure everyone would be glad to see you again."

Rajin scratched the back of his neck. "I don't know... ya know? I'm sure no one has really missed us, ya know."

"Aw, c'mon, guys. If only for the moment we surprise the shit outta Leonhart."

"Heh, you can count me in." Rajin replied.

"DITTO." Agreed Fujin with a nod.

-Meanwhile...-

Squall walked up and down the isles of Balamb's neighborhood supermarket. Earlier, the whole prospect of making something to show his appreciation for Rinoa's help had seemed like a fantastic idea. Now, however, Squall was beginning to seriously doubt it. He now found himself staring blankly in front of a massive supply of eggs.

...Eggs have grades?... But... they're all eggs... so... He frowned at the variety spread out before him. He picked up a liquid egg substitute and gave it a scrutinizing glare. What the hell is this supposed to be? The slightly frustrated brunette placed the container back on the shelf and decided to look at a different carton. Matron had warned him to check the container to make sure if any eggs were cracked. Upon inspection of the eggs, however, he became slightly more confused. Some are brown... That's weird... Oh, I know. Those came from brown chickens... I think... Maybe I should've asked Matron to be more specific. He scowled to himself. Tch, I can figure this out. These eggs are fine. He placed them in the cart and snorted at the egg shelf as he made his way to the next ingredient.

Okay... Now I need sugar... He glanced up from the list and took notice of the various kinds of sugar stacked on a few shelves. ...Crap...

Squall let out a heavy sigh. When he was younger, he had assisted Matron in the kitchen many times. Unfortunately, he couldn't remember anything except being excited to pour the ingredients in. I'll remember... I just need to think for a minute...

"Uhmmm... Excuse me, Mister Squall?" A nasally voice broke the brunette from his thoughts. Squall slowly turned around to find a shorter blonde man with deep blue eyes staring up at him nervously. He wrung his hands as he spoke. "Uhmmm... D-do... Do you know i-if Quist- I mean... if Instructor Trepe will be coming home any time soon?"

...Geez... They keep multiplying... Thought Squall. This Trepie seemed harmless enough, though, so he decided to be helpful.

"No clue." Squall replied with a small shrug.

The shorter man's face fell. "It's been so long... I hope nothing's happened to her..." He replied dejectedly.

Squall raised an eyebrow. "It's only been a few days."

The man clasped his hand to his heart. "But a day without Instructor Trepe is like a day without sunshine. It's like a day without hearing the birds singing or feeling the wind against your face. I NEED SUNSHINE TO LIVE!"

Squall was officially weirded out now. With one swift movement, he grabbed a box of sugar and dashed out of the isle...

...with the Trepie following close behind. "WAIT MISTER SQUALL! PLEASE!"

-A little while later...-

The train hissed as it let off steam and pulled into the Balamb station. Quistis's heart missed a beat when it completely stopped.

We're here...

She turned to Seifer, who was staring out the window. She could just make out the anxious look on his face from his reflection. But then the reflection's eyes caught sight of her own and tossed her a quick smirk. Quistis smiled as she offered her arm to Seifer. "Ready, Sister?"

"Yes, m'dear. Thank you." He replied in a raspy, high-pitched voice. The two of them had to fight back the snickers rising in their throats.

"CREEPY..." Fujin said, looking up at Rajin.

"Seriously, ya know?" Rajin replied as he raised an eyebrow at the odd couple in front of him.

The four made their way off of the train and towards a nearby shuttle headed for Balamb Garden.

-At the same time...-

Squall's eyes darted around nervously. He had somehow managed to lose the frantic Trepie, pay for his groceries, and make it outside in one piece. Up ahead, he spotted a shuttle headed for Balamb Garden. He decided it would be much better to take it than attempt to walk back with an armload of bags.

Cautiously, he stepped into the shuttle and glanced around. There were only a few Balamb students and none of them seemed very interested in Squall's approach. He let out a small sigh of relief and took a seat in the back of the bus, placing the bags on either side of him.

However, his relief would not last long...

"Oh, there you are, Mister Squall!"

...Hyne must really hate me... Squall hid his head in his hands. Maybe there's still time to walk instead...

Just then, the shuttle driver closed the door and the miniature bus began to make its way toward the garden.

"Hey, Mister Squall? Can you tell me more about Instructor Trepe? What's her favorite food? What's her favorite color? Does she prefer taller or shorter men? Has she ever worn her hair down? What..."

Shoot me shoot me shoot me shoot me...

-Meanwhile...-

Matron assembled a group of utensils, bowls, and pans on her kitchen counter.

Hearing the clatter, Cid walked in and scratched his head at the various objects. "What's this all about?"

"Oh, hello, Dear. I'm giving a cooking lesson this afternoon." She replied with a smile.

"Oh... Do you need any assistance?" Cid asked eagerly. "Possibly someone to help add the ingredients?" He added hopefully.

Matron smiled. "Thank you, Dear, but I'll let Squall handle that. Next time, though."

-A moment later...-

Squall bolted through the shuttle doors and sprinted for Matron and Cid's quarters. By some miracle, he was able to weave in and out of the mass of students while still regaining his balance and control of heavy bags of groceries in his hands. Behind him, he could hear the Trepie's muffled pleas.

"Mister Squall! Wait! I still have more questions! (Oops, excuse me, pardon me.) MISTER SQUALL! ...Rats..."

Squall grinned triumphantly as he entered the elevator. Safe at last. A moment later, the elevator doors opened and he walked out and down the hall to a big pair of oak doors at the end. He knocked a couple times and soon the door opened.

"Hello, Squall." Matron greeted him. "Come right in."

-Meanwhile...-

The students of Balamb suddenly went into a fit of quiet whispers. Quistis Trepe had returned and had some rather interesting souvenirs with her. Some of the students recognized Fujin and Rajin, but they were more curious about the nun that hobbled along at Quistis's right.

"Let's go talk to Cid and Matron first." Quistis whispered.

The nun remained silent and nodded stiffly in reply.

The four made their way down one of the long concrete pathways and entered the elevator at the end.

"NERVOUS?" Fujin asked her tableclothed friend.

"...Nah..." Seifer replied trying to sound confident. "Balamb's not the same without me. I'm doing them a favor, really."

Quistis smirked. "Oh really...?" She poked his side playfully.

"You'll see." Seifer replied, grinning at her.

"...They're in their own little world, ya know?" Rajin whispered to the silver-haired woman beside him.

Fujin nodded. "AFFIRMATIVE."

A moment later, the elevator doors opened and the four stepped out and made their way down the hall. Quistis knocked on the large, wooden doors.

"Just a minute!" Matron's voice called from the other side. "You continue, Squall. I'll be right back.

Squall picked two eggs out of the carton and looked them over. Should I use two white ones? Or maybe a white and a brown? Or what about two brown ones?

The sound of footsteps from the other side became steadily louder, and soon the door lock clicked open.

"Oh, Quisty!" Matron cried. "Welcome back, m'dear! Come in, come in!" The elder woman ushered the four into the living room and closed the door behind her. "Well now, who have you brought with you?"

Quistis smiled. "Someone who needs to be forgiven."

I wonder if the brown ones taste better than the white ones... Hmmm...

Suddenly, Squall heard a gasp from the other room. He jogged to the doorway and immediately dropped the eggs he held in either hand. "SEIFER?!"

"Good to see you again, Squall." The tall blonde replied with a smirk. He walked closer to the dumbfounded brunette. "I'd shake your hand but uh..." He said motioning to the residue egg on the shorter man's palms. His smirk widened as he continued. "Y'know, Leonhart, you didn't have to make me a cake. I'm touched."

...Hyne, no... Not HIM!