Avarìa

Disclaimer: The only thing I own is a Seifer bobble head doll, don't sue!

(Thoughts)

"Spoken words"

Author's Notes: And we're back for yet another round of Squall angst. Poor thing. We've really been mean to him. Don't worry, in the next story we won't be so crazy. Few things I need to address. Tsuonae, sweetie, thank you so much for letting us know that, we really appreciate that. Actually we posted our story at Mediaminer, and a few other places. So no worries, it's up other places if something happens on Zaleone wrote a story similar to ours, though not Yaoi, it's still good, so we wanted some of our reviewers to go check it out, cause she worked really hard on it! Honey Nut Loop, we're going to try to make these next chapters as long as we can, but no guarantees. We know you all want to see what's going on, and so for you, we'll try to do what we can! ON TO THE FIC!

Chapter 9: Getting Back What Was Taken!

"Seifer?!?" Matron's voice broke through the blackness that surrounded him.

"Seifer," She called once more.

Seifer groaned forcing himself to sit up. The world spun around and he immediately closed his eyes and lay back down. He took a few deep breaths, before once more forcing himself into a sitting position. He had been moved onto the bed, his head resting in Matron's lap.

"Matron, where's Squall?"

"I don't know Seifer, when Selphie and I came in, you were the only one here."

"SHIT!" He jumped to his feet, fighting down waves of nausea as his vision swam.

"Seifer, you need to lay back down, you may have a concussion." She laid a steadying hand on his shoulder, easily slipping to his feet.

"Matron, they took him. Zell's people took him away and god only knows what they'll do to him. I have to go find him. I promised him I would." Seifer said, showing his infamous stubborn streak.

"All right, Seifer, we'll find him, in the morning."

Seifer opened his mouth to protest, but then chose not to once he caught the glare Matron gave him.

"You up?" Selphie's voice rang from the doorway.

The little brunette stood there, a worried look plastered across her pretty face. He nodded and she raced across the room, catching him up in surprisingly strong arms.

"We were so worried. I didn't even know how I would begin to tell Irvine something happened to his baby brother. Thank God, you're all right."

"I'm fine baby girl." Seifer said, as he gently embraced his sister-in-law.

It was a familiar nickname he had begun to call her after he had heard Irvine use the term. Selphie used to tell him that it was Irvine's pet name for her not his, but he would laugh it off, saying that if it was good enough for his brother, then it was good enough for him. She pulled back, glancing around the room.

"Where's the boy?"

"They took him Selphie." Matron spoke as she took a step towards them.

"Who?" She asked, her voice taking on a hard note.

It was hard to really anger Selphie, but once you did, you got the hell out of dodge as quick as possible. Her fuse seemed to be her protective streak of Seifer, Matron, and Irvine, since she didn't have a family of her own. They were killed in the many gang wars of the feuding families. Her family had been allied with the Italian side and so when news of their deaths reached Irvine, he immediately ordered that Selphie come and stay with them. She and Irvine had always been good friends and when they announced that they planned to get married, everyone was happy.

Selphie was just like Seifer's big sister and he loved her for it. Although there were times when her protectiveness annoyed him, he knew it was only because of the brutal deaths of her family. He smiled as she gently lifted her hand, cupping his cheek. Her eyes held a note of worry and the promise of lots of pain to those that dare lay their hands on her "little brother".

She knew Seifer loved the slave they had bought for him. She had seen the looks on his face, the way he lit up whenever he held the boy on his lap. It was obvious to anyone that even the slave reciprocated his master's feelings and she had been happy. Seifer had finally found someone to love. And she would be damned if anyone was allowed to break them apart.

"Seifer thinks it's Zell's people that stole Squall." Matron said softly.

"Are you certain?" Selphie asked, looking to Matron and then back to Seifer.

"Yeah, I'm positive."

"Then we better call Irvine." Selphie said, her eyes narrowing.

"I wonder where Quistis is?" Matron asked.

Squall opened his eyes blinking at his surroundings. He lay in a small room with gray walls and a stone floor. A single light bulb lit up the center of the room, but cast the corners into dark shadows. He had been tossed carelessly into the room, without much thought to his position. His side and neck ached from the uncomfortable position and he was sure that his wrist was fractured or at least badly bruised. He tried to move it, only to have mind-numbing pain shoot up his arm. He closed his eyes, forcing back the tears the movement caused.

He opened his eyes once more and looked around the room. A thick heavy wooden door stood along the opposite wall and he had doubts with his slight form and probably fractured wrist that he would be able to break it down and get out. He made out the outline of a toilet in the left corner closest to himself and across from the door, located on the opposite wall was a bare mattress. /Guess they don't believe in comfort. Whoever they are./

He slid across the floor and over towards the bare mattress, curling into a ball on top of it. He cradled his wrist for a moment, and began to think about his owner. / "It's okay baby. I promise. Go with them and I'll find you..."Seifer, where are you. You promised you'd come and find me. I need you now. Please, I'm so scared. I've never been so scared in my life./

Fear was not something Squall easily admitted to; in fact he was disgusted with himself to feel that way. Everyone knew he was the strong one, the cold Ice Prince. But Seifer saw right through that façade to the scared little boy underneath the snow that needed the warmth and protection of another, someone stronger than him.

Within a few weeks, Seifer had become his everything, which surprised him but at the same time, he was thrilled by it. He was happy when he was with Seifer, a happiness he would've never felt had he not been sold into slavery. /I suppose everything does happen for a reason. Seifer is the best thing that ever happened to me. We never would've known each other at all had I not been given to him./

The thought suddenly left him cold. He remembered Seifer's sister, Quistis. She was actually a very attractive woman had it not been for the cold ice of her eyes. She was hard and emotionless, like people claimed he was. But unlike her, he had a heart underneath the cold. She didn't and it was obvious in the way she looked at those around her. He shuddered, his thoughts drifting to the desire he had seen in her eyes when the slave trader had first presented him to the audience. /She wouldn't have hurt Seifer like this....would she?/

He closed his eyes, straining to hear anything that might give him a clue if it was Quistis that had him kidnapped and taken somewhere, but silence was his only answer. /Suppose I just have to wait till they decide to see if I'm awake. Maybe, I can escape if they think I'm asleep or something./

"Well, well look who finally decided to join the world of the living." A soft voice cut into his thoughts.

Authors' Notes: And we're spent. I've been sick and so I've been sucking on lots of Vitamin C drops and genuinely making Kira miserable. Sorry, it took us a while to get this one out. Like I said, I was sick.

Kira: I'll gladly beat her for you, if you like.

Rosiel: You will not! She loves me, I'm just a really bad patient!

Kira: That's the understatement of the century.

Rosiel: Excuse me, while I go and beat her up, or give her my illness which ever comes first.

Kira: Right. We'll try to get the next chapter out soon. See ya. Avoids Rosiel, since she's trying to hack in her face.