If I Never Knew You

Chapter Three Mother Dearest

Fujin had fallen into a seemingly restful sleep in Squall's arms. However, he couldn't keep the nightmare's away forever, and when they came back, they returned with a vengence.

-----Fujin's Dream of when she was 9-----

"Father!" The little silver haired girl ran into her Father's arms, hugging him tightly.

"Hello my little Fujin, did you have fun with mommy?" Fujin's eyes went dark but she nodded.

"Yes, Mother and I had a lot of fun." Father didn't notice the look and he smiled at her, setting her down on the floor to kiss his wife.

"Hello dear...what did you and Fujin do today?" Alexandra smiled sweetly and told him that they had gone to the zoo and then out for ice cream. Her husband ruffled the nine-year old's hair.

"I have to stay at Balamb for the weekend. I thought I would take Fujin to the Garden there and show her how a real Garden works."

" I don't know..." Fujin prayed Mother would say yes; she couldn't stand to be without Father for two days. No, she really wouldn't be able to stand.

"It's only two days Alexandra." Mother smiled and nodded. Father gave her a big kiss and went to take a shower. Once she was sure he was out of hearing, she turned to Fujin.

"Quite a little treat isn't it, Fujin?" Fujin backed up nodding. Mother pushed her hard and stumbled onto the floor.

"Enjoy it because when you get back..." A wicked grin lit Mother's beautiful face. "You're going to wish you'd stayed here." Alexandra hissed, slapping the girl soundly. Mother went back into the other room and turned on the T.V.

" Look Daddy! Real SeeD!" Fujin only called Father Daddy when they were alone. A young SeeD with long black hair turned to smile at Fujin and that smile filled her with a sense of worth. She'd dreamed of becoming a SeeD when she grew up. Fujin's father smiled and patted the girl on the back.

"Fujin, I want you to meet Seifer, his father is one of my best friends." Father left the two and Fujin smiled, earning a smile from the quiet blonde.

"I'm Fujin."

"Seifer." The two quickly became friends and ran around while their parents finished up business.

"Fujin, come on honey. We have to go back home." Fujin froze. Home. Mother was Home. And she was waiting.

---Fujin's Room (12 yrs.)-----

Fujin woke up in a cold sweat. She always had that dream, the dream of when she was nine, when something bad was going to happen. Her door flew open and there stood Mother.

"Get up you brazen little hussy!" Fujin climbed out of bed and followed her Mother into the bathroom. Alexandra turned on the shower, leaving the water horribly cold.

"Get in. NOW!" Fujin began undressing, but Mother told her to leave her clothes on. So she stood shivering under the cold water for ten minutes before Mother let her get out. Alexandra grabbed Fujin's shoulder hard enough to bruise and marched her outside, into the falling snow.

"Stand there and don't you dare move. If you so much as squeek you'll wish you were dead, just like I do." The door was slammed shut and Fujin stood. The snow swirled around her and she began to cry. Mother hated her. Father didn't know what his wife did to the 12 year old girl. Shivering uncontrollably, Fujin sank to her knees in the white snow. Silver hair froze in curled icicles and her body became so numb, she wasn't sure if she was alive anymore. The door opened and there stood her Father.

"My god." He ran outside, swept up the frozen girl and carried into the warm house.

"How could you do that to her?! She's a little girl, YOUR little girl!" The screaming had been escalating for an hour. Finally when Father screamed this last statement at Alexandra, Alexandra screamed back.

"That's not my little girl! Look at her! I did it because she needs to be punished! You don't have parents that look like us and look like that freak show in the corner!!" Alexandra's husband stared at her.

"You're sick. I'm talking her to Balamb and then I'm putting a restraining order on you. You should be in jail...what kind of Mother does that to her child?" Alexandra snapped. She grabbed a kitchen knife off the counter and sank it into her husband's chest. His eyes were wide and disbelieving. Blood stained the front of his shirt and he fell to the floor with a thud. Fujin's red and violet eyes were wide with horror as she screamed.

"Shut your mouth! GET OVER HERE!!!" Alexandra demanded. Fujin walked over, a sick feeling setteling in.

"This is your fault! If you had never been born, this would have happened!!! Do you hear me?! THIS IS YOUR FAULT!!!!" Alexandra smacked hard, leaving a stinging red mark on the young girl's face. Smack, smack. Fujin begged her Mother to stop.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I'll be good mommy I promise, I'll be good!" But this wasn't enough. The child must pay. Alexandra picked her up by the shirt and threw her into the wall. Fujin struggled to stand while she screamed, for once, back at her Mother.

"STOP IT! It's not my fault!!!"Alexandra narrowed her brown eyes at Fujin, stepping closer. Too close.

"You flithy little wretch. How dare you talk back to me?! This IS your fault and your going to pay for it!" The knife lunged at Fujin. Rolling to one side, she tried to dodge the weapon aimed at her but failed. The blade sunk into the side of her rib cage. Fujin screamed from the pain and stared up at her Mother. Alexandra smiled down at the girl, expecting her to die. But Fujin got up and ran, stumbling out of the house into the snow, leaving a bloody trail in her wake. Alexandra wasn't done, however.

"Get back here girl! I'm not done with you!!" Fujin couldn't run fast enough and a hand clamped down on her shoulder, spinning her to face Alexandra while her Mother's other hand ripped the knife from her side. The girl screamed for the last time in her life.Smack, smack, smack.

The knife made for Fujin's head but she ducked, the knife grazing her left eye. Fujin picked herself up and tried to run, anywhere. Just to get away from Mother.

"I'll find you, Fujin! No matter where you go, I'll find you!" Mother called into the night.

The hospital lights were a welcome sight and Fujin stumbled in the doors, blood slowly falling to the ground. The nurses gasped and rushed to catch her as she collapsed on the floor.

"Hold on honey, hold on." The world went black.

a/n: thankees much for the reviews!!!! Keep em coming! Hope you like this chapter..it's short but I'm tired and need to go to bed...will update soon!

i Ultimate !