We fall to the floor
The rest of the day stands still
A fine line between this and this
When things go wrong
I pretend that the past isn't real
I'm trapped in this memory
And I'm left in the wake of the mistake
Slow to react
So even though you're close to me
You're still so distant
And I can't bring you back
It's true
The way I feel
Was promised by your face
The sound of your voice
Painted on my memories
Even if you're not with me
I'm with you
(You, now I see, keeping everything inside)
With you
(You, now I see, even when I close my eyes)
No, no matter how far we've come
I can't wait to see tomorrow
No matter how far we've come I
I can't wait to see tomorrow
With you
--Linkin Park, "With You"
There was radio silence. The comm from Amy's pressure suit wouldn't reach the whole quarter of a mile to his ship.
Seifer sat, slumped, a cup of synthetic caffiene drink cooling near his elbow. He sipped it occasionally, grimacing at the bitter taste it offered, hoping, beyond hope, that Amy would make it back alright.
Space was dangerous, especially with the moon so close by. Monsters sometimes drifted off of the lunar surface, and some didn't die of asphyxiation automatically, living until they burnt during their entry to the atmosphere, or until they decided to die. Some survived quite well in space. Almost all of them attacked on sight.
Amy didn't know this. He wished he would have thought to send her with the small stunner that was onboard, or at least her gunblade. She had nothing but duraloy synthetic plastic tubing and fabric mesh protecting her from danger.
This is Amy. He thought to himself, cynically. She's not about to die. She's my student, for Hyne's sake. She can take anything.
Could she?
That's it. I'm going out there right now and seeing what's up. Seifer thought, standing up. Suddenly, a blip on the surface sensors. He touched the comm button. "Amy, is that you?"
"Roger that, Seifer." Amy said. Relief flooded him. "We've got a dish and we're gonna solder it in and see if this baby's hookups are too sophisticated for my poor twenty fourth century self."
"Poor my ass, you understand more about this rig than I do." Seifer was very happy; Amy seemed to be coming out of her shell with her friend around to encourage her.
"Roger that, home base." Another voice. Kira. They must have found a way to let her talk to him. "This shouldn't take too long. If all else fails we'll take my busted up ship; it's crappy, it took a lot of damage in passing, and it's not exactly made for atmospheric entry, but it has external sensors."
"I'd prefer not to."
"I know. That's why we're gonna make this work." Kira's ebullience was almost catching; Seifer thought she'd get along well with Selphie.
"You'd better make it work."
Amy's face blossomed onto the viewscreen.
"I've got visual, Amy. And you have a pimple on your chin."
"Go to hell." Amy said. She moved and he heard them. "We're coming in."
"The external shield was damaged by the gravity well of the black hole; at least, that's the best idea I can come up with." Amy explained. "It should hold through the passage through the atmosphere."
"Should?"
"I can't make any guarentees, Seifer."
Seifer sighed. "Well, it ain't over 'til the fat lady sings, right?"
Amy looked at him oddly. "That's an old phrase."
Seifer grinned. "Yep. Now let's get this show on the road."
Kira threw her hands up. "There he goes again! What's with the archaic anachronisms?"
"Well, there's simply a shortage of SeeD's willing to become Instructors, Squall." Quistis said, planting her hands on her hips firmly. "There's nothing we can do about that."
Squall sighed and rubbed his temples. "If only Amy and Seifer..."
"They aren't here, Squall. They've been gone for over six months. Stop it with the 'if only's." Quistis reprimanded him. "No wonder Rinoa's getting pissed with you."
Squall sighed.
"President Loire will be coming to Garden today. You'd better straighten up. A president, Squall! Thinking of giving Garden money!" she grinned. "We could offer better wages for Instructors and then we wouldn't have a problem."
Squall fidgeted; he knew that Laguna would give him money if he asked for it. He didn't really want to. He hadn't needed his father his entire life; why should he start now?
Then again, Quistis didn't know that. And she never would, if things went his way.
Two hours later, he stood in his official SeeD uniform, next to Quistis and Xu, also wearing their uniforms. They welcomed Laguna Loire and his aids, Ward and Kiros, formally. Laguna accepted the formality at face value, making no references to the ties that bound him and his son. He did, however, trip on the way up the stairs to Garden, so it was a little hard to continue on with pomp and circumstance.
They had just sat down with Cid and Edea for a late lunch when Nida burst in through the door. "Squall, sir, you should definitely check this out. We're getting something really weird on the scopes."
"What?" Squall asked, intelligently.
"We're picking up an incoming vessel."