Disclaimer: The Square-Enix characters own themselves.

Garret laughed inwardly as the teenagers turned in surprise. Good... he thought, he had the drop on them.

"We meet again Almasy." he sneered at Seifer.

"Well Garret, I can't say I'm not surprised to find you behind this shit, but really, couldn't you hire better help?" Seifer returned his sneer.

"Sadly, you are correct. Good help is hard to find. When I've found what I've been looking for, however, it will be YOU who needs the help." Garret laughed.

"Whatever you're up to, we're going to stop you." Squall stepped foreward.

"Ah Leonhart, so brave, such a martyr. Very well then, let us do battle!" Garret launched himself into the air, raising his already unsheathed sword and leveling it downwards, towards Squall. Squall stepped out of the way with lightning quick reflexes, and pulled a gun from his pack, firing at Garret, who now rolled to avoid being shot. Seifer had managed to carry Hyperion along with him in a sealed case, which he then opened, and produced his weapon from. He joined the fray, slashing wildly at Garret, who met Seifer's slashes with his sword.

"This time it's gonna be a REAL fight Garret, not a GF stomp down!" Seifer cried.

"Don't be so hasty in your assumptions, Almasy, I've got a few tricks up my sleeve." Garret grinned, and began to summon a spell.

"He's summoning Ultima!!" Irvine pointed at Garret. The spell took effect, knocking the party back into the floor.

"And now for the final blow!" Garret yelled, summoning his new GF. Ultima Weapon appeared, apparently unscathed from Squall's conflict with it during the Sorceress War, and performed it's deadly Ultima Beam that hit everyone before they could react. The GF returned to it's master's brain, waiting for a time to be called again.

"Tsk tsk, and no Rinoa around to revive you or cast Full-Life. Too bad. Rot in the depths of the sea!" Garret chuckled as he spat on the corpse of Almasy. Too easy... he thought, and headed for the airlock.

10 minutes later....

A glow began to appear in the room, above the fallen teens. The glow quickly turned red, and soon the whole room was engulfed in the light. Phoenix appeared in a great flash in the middle of the room, casting Full-Life on the entire party. It's job done, the bird retreated to the dimension from which it came.

"Ugh.......are we alive?" Squall sat up.

"Booya! Phoenix came to rescue us! See! There's a plume from it's tail!" Zell pointed at a large rainbow feather which nearly floated above the ground.

"Ah shit......what happened?" Seifer sat up and shook his head.

"We just got beaten....." was Squall's reply.

"Let's get the hell outta here." Irvine pointed to the ceiling, which had been burst open, water flowing into the room at a decent pace.

"I hear you there!" Zell ran for the exit.

On Ragnarok, five minutes later....

"I'm sooo glad you're ok Irvy!" Selphie squeezed Irvine.

"Ow....Selphie, don't squeeze me so hard." Irvine complained.

"I thought you were a man!" Selphie sulked, and sat down in the pilot's seat.

"Just get us home Selphie......" Squall pointed out the window.

"Roger that!" Selphie veered the ship to the left, and slammed on the throttle, causing everyone to take a step back.

On the passenger deck of Ragnarok, same time:

"You okay Quisty?" Seifer sat down in the chair adjacent to Quistis's.

"I'm fine. You?" Quistis looked up.

"I've been through worse, and you know that from first hand experience." Seifer smirked.

"Yes. I didn't enjoy battling with you though..." Quistis did not smile back.

"So.... to change the subject......what's going on....ya know....with us?" Seifer looked her in the eyes.... his pleading silently to her.

"I don't know Seifer.... I don't know. I mean, you come back, and you're just as cold to me as you've always been, and then you're nice, and then cold again. So I should be asking you what's going on!" Quistis flared up.

"Me acting cold again!? When!?" Seifer was taken aback.

"Whenever we get in a battle situation, you always ignore me. You act like I'm not there. I don't need any damn proteciton from you Seifer, but it'd be nice if you offered it even still!" Quistis snapped, and stood up, stomping out the door.

"Hyne....women...." Seifer sighed, and put his head in his palm.

"Hey. That's my gesture of disgust." a voice came from the seat next to him. Squall had silently crept into the room. "What's wrong with Quistis? She looked quite angry in the hall."

"I dunno Squall. I'm no expert on women." Seifer waved a hand.

"Well.... you could tell me what's going on......." Squall said hesitantly.

"Whoa.... Squall. Before your Mr. Ice now you're Mr. Nice? What the hell!?" Seifer looked up in amazement.

"Look. Rinoa's taught me that holding emotions or problems inside, and trying to deal with them yourself, is a bad idea. She's taught me to voice my concerns, and really talk with my friends...........sort of let them know what I'm thinking." Squall explained.

"Does it work for you?" Seifer chuckled.

"Yes.... actually, it does." Squall nodded.

"Fine.......Quitis and I kind of have some energy between us." Seifer gestured with his hands.

"Like everyone hasn't noticed that already." Squall scoffed.

"Right.......well, I kinda kissed her in the Infirmary." Seifer went on, "and just now I asked her what was going on between us.... and she said that I don't pay enough attention to her. Something about me not being attentive of her in battle situations. I guess she's taking what happened in Garret's base as an example." Seifer shook his head.

"Seifer..... Quistis has a lot to deal with right now. As much as she puts up a front that she's tough, and she can handle herself..........she can't." Squall pointed out.

Seifer sighed, "I guess I'd better apologize or something."

"That would help..." Squall nodded.

Ragnarok Engine Room, three minutes later.....

"Hiya Quisty... "Seifer walked in to find Quistis staring at the cooling tanks.

"Seifer..." Quistis nodded.

"Look.... I'm sorry, Ok? I should have said something." Seifer scratched his head.

"I'm sorry too. It's just that..........well.......you're not the most attentive guy Seifer. You're too much of a loner. I am too, but I'm not sure I could handle a relationship with another person like me....." Quistis hadn't looked at him yet.

"....." Seifer struggled with words, but none would come to him. Finally, "Quisty.... I'm.........here for you.......ok? If you need anything......I'm here." he finished, and opened the door.

"Seifer! Wait!" Quistis suddenly called out to him.

"Yes?" he turned around. Quistis walked up to him, and embraced him, kissing him pationately. Seifer returned the kiss, and moved his hands to her hips, her arms finding their way around his neck. She put a gloved hand through his hair as their kiss intensified, gripping and brushing it softly. After a moment they broke the kiss, and neither had anything to say, so they embraced again, Quistis laying her head against Seifer's warm chest.

Later... back at Garden:

The Ragnarok settled down in Balamb Garden's hanger, and the party descended the ramp. Seifer and Quistis were the last two out. Seifer had his arm hooked around Quistis's waist, and Quistis had done the same to Seifer.

"Aw....how cute!" Selphie whispered to Irvine. Irvine chuckled at seeing Quistis Trepe and Seifer Almasy acting like a couple. He hadn't been around for their teenage years, but he'd heard of the arguments and battles they'd had. He also remembered when they were kids and Seifer used to tease Quistis on a regular basis.

"How times change..." Irvine murmered.

"They sure do." Squall looked over, only to be nearly toppled by Rinoa.

"Squall! I'm so glad you're back!" Rinoa planted many kisses on his cheek.

"Rinoa! You should be resting! Dr. Kadowaki nearly had a conniption over you coming here to greet me last time we came back!" Squall hollered.

"Oh I'm fine! Remember Squall.... I'm a sorceress..... I was healing myself from the inside out the whole time!" Rinoa winked at him.

"Well good, because we're probably going to need you on upcoming missions." Seifer said as he and Quistis reached the group.

"What the....?" Rinoa was a bit confused about Seifer and Quistis in the postition they currently held.

"Quistis and Seifer... sittin in a tree......k-i-s-s...." Zell was interrupted by a swat from Seifer.

"Shut the hell up Chicken-Wuss!" Seifer was only mildly irritated.

"You're still NO FUN Seifer!!" Zell snorted and ran off towards the caffeteria.

"Oooh oooh! Can I be the maid of honor?" Rinoa jumped up and down excitedly.

"Can I be the wedding designer!?" Selphie spoke up.

"Cool it people. No one said anything about a wedding!" Quistis said sternly.

As Seifer and Quistis headed off towards Quistis's apartment, Selphie yelled out, "YET!"

Quistis's apartment, a few minutes later......

"Would you like some more whiskey?" Quistis reached into her liquor cabinet.

"No thanks, just some.....er..... Southern Comfort I guess....." Seifer sat down on the couch.

"That's Irvine's usual drink..." Quistis remarked.

"How would you know?" Seifer fumed in jealousy.

"Squall takes us out the BalambBar once in a while." Quistis chuckled.

"Oh.....sorry." Seifer turned red.

"It's okay. See? That's how I'd like you to be.... just pay a little more attention to me." Quistis smiled.

"You haven't changed a bit Quisty. You always wanted to be center of attention, and you were always batttling me for it...." Seifer remembered fondly.

"Oh come on Seifer, you know who's attention I was REALLY trying to get..." Quistis put her hands on her hips.

"Squall, I know......." Seifer nodded.

"No, you fool! You!" Quistis was angry.

"Oh....well you always seemed to like Squall better!" Seifer sounded like a little boy.

"Seifer....it was just my feelings of being a big sister to him. You're my age.......not younger. I always had feelings for you, but you pushed everyone away as you got older." Quistis explained.

"So........you weren't in love with Squall?" Seifer asked.

"Not really... I mean, I thought I was, but the GF caused me to forget why I loved him in the first place. I wasn't romantically attracted to him... I just loved him like a little brother." Quistis smiled.

"Have a seat." Seifer patted the area next to him on the couch. Quistis complied and sat down, pouring herself a glass of Irvine's favorite drink. Seifer hesitantly put his arm around her.

"Getting comfy aren't we?" Quistis teased. Seifer responded by leaning over and kissing her. Once again, they both felt that burning intensity they had felt on the Ragnarok. Both set down their drinks on her coffee table and lost themselves in the kiss.

Before Seifer knew what was going on, he was unbuttoning Quistis's pink blouse. She didn't stop him, but instead pushed his trenchcoat off and tossed it on the floor without breaking their kiss.

He removed her blouse and felt around her back until his hands discovered her bra clasp. He undid it, and tossed her bra on the floor along with her blouse. He broke the kiss for a moment to admire her ample breasts, then continued to the task of taking off her boots, which was an easy one. Quistis had already begun unbuttoning his blue an grey shirt as he unzipped her skirt. She stood up with him, and let the skirt fall to the floor. She was wearing a black lace thong that suited her perfectly. She bit her lip in a sexy way and unbuttoned his pants. Seifer kicked off his boots as his pants dropped to the ground. Quistis removed his now unbuttoned vest and tossed it on the couch. She moved her hands over his well-chisled chest muscles, bringing them lower until she felt his solid six-pack. She stood back up and embraced him again... tugging at his blue and grey plaid boxers. Seifer followed her into her room. Once there, she pushed him onto the bed, and climbed on top of him, kissing him pationately. She sat back and let him pull off her panties, and then tugged his boxers off. He was ready, so she climbed back on top of him, and brought the blanket up behind her because she was cold.

In the quiet solitude of Quistis's room, she and Seifer made love slowly and pationately, enjoying every second......

Allright! Quistis and Seifer hooked up! R&R. Oh btw, I forgot to post the answer to the quote I used. It's from the book and later of Attraction. One of my favorites, to say the least. Next chapter coming soon to a near you!