The mob had finally been dispersed by Squall's stern demeanour and they had
all reluctantly gone back into Garden and their dorms, classes or whatever
it was they had left when they had all gathered to harass Squall.
Zell briefly explained what had happened, how two girls had been murdered and the evidence had pointed to Seifer who denied any knowledge but once word got out had to be put into protective custody until Squall and the others got back.
'We were hardly gone a week!' Squall sighed as he entered his office.
'I know sir but whoever did it would take advantage of your absence. We know that there's still a lot of bad feeling against Seifer it wouldn't take much to push people against him.' Jayson said.
'But murder?' Quistis added incredulously.
'Enough... everyone just go and relax, we've had a hard enough time with Spore over the last few days... Seifer seems to be safe in the cell for now and I can probably keep the rest of Garden calm for now until I get round to speaking with Seifer and seeing if we can sort this out.' Squall told them, rubbing his temples.
'You seriously can't believe Seifer did this?' Meia asked.
'We'll just have to see won't we?' Squall said sadly and waved them all out the room.
Meia and Jayson left the office leaving the older SeeDs to discuss what they planned to do.
'Why would Seifer kill two girls?' Meia asked allowed running a hand through her copper hair.
'I think the question is who made it look like Seifer killed two girls? You saw him in the exam, he wanted to make SeeD so bad, there's no way he'd do something to jeopardise that again.' Jayson replied his blue eyes watching Meia as she walked beside him.
He cast a look around them and noticed that the halls were empty. Then grinning to himself he moved an arm out behind Meia and let it snake around her waist making her giggle in surprise.
'Couldn't leave me alone huh?' she teased and rested her head against his shoulder.
'Well we're home now... I was hoping to get a lot more free time with you after all that business in Esthar but something tells me this Seifer business will be keeping us all busy.' Jayson said softly reaching round with his free hand and stroking her hair.
Meia murmured softly. 'I don't see why not... I mean we deserve a break after killing the father of WEAPONs, plus you have been made unconscious twice in the last few days I'm sure Kadowaki will make sure you're made to rest.' She told him as they continued to walk back to the dorms.
'Hmmm I don't know, me and rest don't exactly get along.' Jayson retorted grinning.
Meia rolled her green eyes at him. 'Well this we know but it'd at least mean we could get some time together...' she told him although there was a hidden question in her silence.
Jayson sighed and stopped suddenly making her turn to face him. Looking down into her eyes he told her softly and sincerely. 'Just because we're back at Garden now doesn't mean I'll let you go... I'll admit that I'm a private person and a loner but all I really want is to be alone with you.'
Meia's eyes lit up and her full lips stretching as she smiled. She then reached up with her hands, wrapping them around his neck and kissed him softly. Jayson's own hands slid down her back as he returned her kiss.
They finally broke away as cadets streamed into the halls from classes.
'So what shall we do now we've saved the world?' Jayson said grinning.
His clear blue eyes gazed around the pale walls of his cell, his hands limp in his lap as he sat on the small bed that folded down from the wall. He hated being confined like this, he needed freedom, action, anything but this. His voice was hoarse from his protestations of innocence and now he had given up. He knew that most of Garden resented even if he had now finally proven that he was one of them, knew that they wouldn't believe his words and would attack him mercilessly if he were free.
Fujin and Raijin had been to see him but they too were getting black looks from the others by association and so he had to turn them away. He should've expected something like this once Squall went away, but he had been so confident that he'd be fine, ignored the slight chills of paranoia and now he'd been locked away in here by the Chicken Wuss and the Cowboy, for his own protection... or rather the others protection cause he sure as hell wasn't going to stand there and take it from them. He never even knew the girls that had been killed, as if he'd be so stupid to leave a mark that'd lead to him if he had done so. Just because they had been branded with the Firecross that he bore on his shoulders didn't mean he was guilty.
Admittedly there was supposedly other evidence but all it took was for his symbol to be there and all of Garden was baying for his blood. He knew Squall was back now and wondered when his one time rival would come see him, with that sad look, and would he believe his words or those of others. Seifer lay back on the bunk closing his eyes as he tried to get away from these dull walls, cast his mind back to more fun times and there found two people who he might still call "Friends".
Squall closed his eyes as he threw the folder onto his desk. The pictures still floated in his vision, blood soaked and grotesque the symbol evident throughout. 'This is stupid... not even Seifer would be so arrogant to do that...' he thought to himself.
He was all alone in his office trying to make sense of it all, out of everyone in Garden he felt he knew Seifer best, they had trained together and even if they never really discussed anything he knew they shared the same feelings on most things. It had been his choice to let Seifer back into Garden and had been proved right when he had finally become SeeD, no doubt because he'd become mellow since Ultimecia.
He wasn't sure if he could cope with this right now, not after all he had witnessed with Spore and Jayson. He'd been outclassed there and he had been surprised at how he'd been angered by it, the pride burning him. Maybe now more than ever he understood Seifer and all he knew was one thing, Seifer was innocent. The only problem was proving it.
Sleep happened, it was good, especially when he had her beside him, sharing the warmth, the closeness. He wondered if he could ever go back to how he was before her. Orion had told him that the mental defences he had created throughout his life had been weakening in his sleep but now he knew they were as strong was ever. The fear he had felt in those few days with Meia had been the cause of that, that and Spore's invasion of his mind. Now his determination had rebuilt that steel barrier stronger than ever, which after Spore's words was just as well. He was aware of what lurked inside, what he kept locked within, but now wasn't the time to dwell on this, he'd rather immerse himself in her as she lay against him, breathing shallowly in sleep, her body tired from the last couple of days, the battles they'd fought in Esthar.
No one would ever know what had happened except those few people who had been there and President Laguna. This suited Jayson fine, the looks of the other SeeDs when he had slain Spore were bad enough, he preferred being in the background, out of attention because attention brought judgement and that he couldn't stand not with the dark core of his soul looming inside of him. He slid his arm around her waist still amazed by the fact that she was actually with him, this scenario had played out in his mind numerous times in the few years he had been watching her from afar, never realising that at the same time she was doing the same. He had caused her fear and pain in the last week, had been brought back from the brink because of her, had shown part of his hidden power just so she could be kept safe and now in the warm cocoon of the bed he let the feel of her and the promise of dreams take him and lull him so softly into peaceful sleep once more.
Zell briefly explained what had happened, how two girls had been murdered and the evidence had pointed to Seifer who denied any knowledge but once word got out had to be put into protective custody until Squall and the others got back.
'We were hardly gone a week!' Squall sighed as he entered his office.
'I know sir but whoever did it would take advantage of your absence. We know that there's still a lot of bad feeling against Seifer it wouldn't take much to push people against him.' Jayson said.
'But murder?' Quistis added incredulously.
'Enough... everyone just go and relax, we've had a hard enough time with Spore over the last few days... Seifer seems to be safe in the cell for now and I can probably keep the rest of Garden calm for now until I get round to speaking with Seifer and seeing if we can sort this out.' Squall told them, rubbing his temples.
'You seriously can't believe Seifer did this?' Meia asked.
'We'll just have to see won't we?' Squall said sadly and waved them all out the room.
Meia and Jayson left the office leaving the older SeeDs to discuss what they planned to do.
'Why would Seifer kill two girls?' Meia asked allowed running a hand through her copper hair.
'I think the question is who made it look like Seifer killed two girls? You saw him in the exam, he wanted to make SeeD so bad, there's no way he'd do something to jeopardise that again.' Jayson replied his blue eyes watching Meia as she walked beside him.
He cast a look around them and noticed that the halls were empty. Then grinning to himself he moved an arm out behind Meia and let it snake around her waist making her giggle in surprise.
'Couldn't leave me alone huh?' she teased and rested her head against his shoulder.
'Well we're home now... I was hoping to get a lot more free time with you after all that business in Esthar but something tells me this Seifer business will be keeping us all busy.' Jayson said softly reaching round with his free hand and stroking her hair.
Meia murmured softly. 'I don't see why not... I mean we deserve a break after killing the father of WEAPONs, plus you have been made unconscious twice in the last few days I'm sure Kadowaki will make sure you're made to rest.' She told him as they continued to walk back to the dorms.
'Hmmm I don't know, me and rest don't exactly get along.' Jayson retorted grinning.
Meia rolled her green eyes at him. 'Well this we know but it'd at least mean we could get some time together...' she told him although there was a hidden question in her silence.
Jayson sighed and stopped suddenly making her turn to face him. Looking down into her eyes he told her softly and sincerely. 'Just because we're back at Garden now doesn't mean I'll let you go... I'll admit that I'm a private person and a loner but all I really want is to be alone with you.'
Meia's eyes lit up and her full lips stretching as she smiled. She then reached up with her hands, wrapping them around his neck and kissed him softly. Jayson's own hands slid down her back as he returned her kiss.
They finally broke away as cadets streamed into the halls from classes.
'So what shall we do now we've saved the world?' Jayson said grinning.
His clear blue eyes gazed around the pale walls of his cell, his hands limp in his lap as he sat on the small bed that folded down from the wall. He hated being confined like this, he needed freedom, action, anything but this. His voice was hoarse from his protestations of innocence and now he had given up. He knew that most of Garden resented even if he had now finally proven that he was one of them, knew that they wouldn't believe his words and would attack him mercilessly if he were free.
Fujin and Raijin had been to see him but they too were getting black looks from the others by association and so he had to turn them away. He should've expected something like this once Squall went away, but he had been so confident that he'd be fine, ignored the slight chills of paranoia and now he'd been locked away in here by the Chicken Wuss and the Cowboy, for his own protection... or rather the others protection cause he sure as hell wasn't going to stand there and take it from them. He never even knew the girls that had been killed, as if he'd be so stupid to leave a mark that'd lead to him if he had done so. Just because they had been branded with the Firecross that he bore on his shoulders didn't mean he was guilty.
Admittedly there was supposedly other evidence but all it took was for his symbol to be there and all of Garden was baying for his blood. He knew Squall was back now and wondered when his one time rival would come see him, with that sad look, and would he believe his words or those of others. Seifer lay back on the bunk closing his eyes as he tried to get away from these dull walls, cast his mind back to more fun times and there found two people who he might still call "Friends".
Squall closed his eyes as he threw the folder onto his desk. The pictures still floated in his vision, blood soaked and grotesque the symbol evident throughout. 'This is stupid... not even Seifer would be so arrogant to do that...' he thought to himself.
He was all alone in his office trying to make sense of it all, out of everyone in Garden he felt he knew Seifer best, they had trained together and even if they never really discussed anything he knew they shared the same feelings on most things. It had been his choice to let Seifer back into Garden and had been proved right when he had finally become SeeD, no doubt because he'd become mellow since Ultimecia.
He wasn't sure if he could cope with this right now, not after all he had witnessed with Spore and Jayson. He'd been outclassed there and he had been surprised at how he'd been angered by it, the pride burning him. Maybe now more than ever he understood Seifer and all he knew was one thing, Seifer was innocent. The only problem was proving it.
Sleep happened, it was good, especially when he had her beside him, sharing the warmth, the closeness. He wondered if he could ever go back to how he was before her. Orion had told him that the mental defences he had created throughout his life had been weakening in his sleep but now he knew they were as strong was ever. The fear he had felt in those few days with Meia had been the cause of that, that and Spore's invasion of his mind. Now his determination had rebuilt that steel barrier stronger than ever, which after Spore's words was just as well. He was aware of what lurked inside, what he kept locked within, but now wasn't the time to dwell on this, he'd rather immerse himself in her as she lay against him, breathing shallowly in sleep, her body tired from the last couple of days, the battles they'd fought in Esthar.
No one would ever know what had happened except those few people who had been there and President Laguna. This suited Jayson fine, the looks of the other SeeDs when he had slain Spore were bad enough, he preferred being in the background, out of attention because attention brought judgement and that he couldn't stand not with the dark core of his soul looming inside of him. He slid his arm around her waist still amazed by the fact that she was actually with him, this scenario had played out in his mind numerous times in the few years he had been watching her from afar, never realising that at the same time she was doing the same. He had caused her fear and pain in the last week, had been brought back from the brink because of her, had shown part of his hidden power just so she could be kept safe and now in the warm cocoon of the bed he let the feel of her and the promise of dreams take him and lull him so softly into peaceful sleep once more.