Chapter 6

Zell walked into the Library, Peep at his heels.

He cast his eyes around. Nodding, he went over to the desk.

The girl at the counter was reading, one hand supporting her chin while she turned the pages of her book.

The library was quiet, with only the clicking sound of the person typing, the girl turning the pages and a drunk quietly singing to himself in the corner.Nobody liked to tell him to go away as he immediatly started to tell the long and rambling story of his life.

Zell approached the desk uncertainly. He tilted his head slightly, and waved a hand in front of him. "Um, yo?"

The girl suddenly looked up, and on catching sight of him, she flushed a deep red and slammed her book shut.

"Hello Zell." She squeaked, and turned to the computer "I'm sorry but Pupurun does ballroom dancing isn't in yet. Sorry." She turned to him and gave a quick nervous smile before dropping her gaze to the desk.

"Anything else?" she inquired quickly.

Zell realised he looked surprised and gathered his wits "Lina, right?"

She gave a stupid smile and looked as if she had been waiting to hear that for a long time.

But of course Zell failed to notice that as he was busy staring at the counter

"Um, I was wonderin', ya know if you have any books on chocobos?" There was a slight pause "Please." He finished.

She flashed him a quick shy smile again and typed into the computer very fast.

She turned to him, her eyes still on the computer "Yes, there are," she stopped. Then her eyes widened and she froze.

Zell looked concerned "You ok?"

She swallowed "I think," she carefully "There appears to be something…climbing up my leg."

Zell choked "Peep!" he began looking around his feet for the bird then leapt over the counter.

The person typing away at the computer had stopped and was craning their neck back to see what was going on.

Zell spied the bird halfway up the girl's leg and he picked the bird up, flushing. "Sorry about that." He held Peep in one hand and scratched the back of head sheepishly with the other.

The girl laughed awkwardly, then Peep decided to jump again. Zell dived down with a muffled exclamation and feeling rather awkward the girl bent down to help.

The person at the computer looked on with wide eyes as the two dived beneath the desk.

With an air of 'what I don't know can't hurt me', they carried on typing.

But they did turn up the volume of their music.

The drunk didn't notice and went on to the next verse of 'hey diddle diddle the cat and and the fiddle…'.

Meanwhile the two were scrabbling underneath the desk while Peep ran around them happily, having a jolly good time.

"I've got it!"

"Ow! That's my hair!"

"Uh…sorry!"

She blushed, his hair had kinda looked yellow and feathery.

An inane giggle escaped her.

"Peep!" The girl looked up to see Zell, looking half irritated, half amused as he picked up

a small bird.

It crooned and snuggled up into his face.

The girl had to resist the urge to 'aaaaaah…'

"Excuse me?" an arrogant voice enquired, and banged on the bell several times.

The girl brushed her self off, and pushed a pigtail onto her back. She bounced up to see the man she had mentally dubbed 'arrogant ass'.

The arrogant SeeD's roving eye took in her rather flustered appearance, he raised an eyebrow.

The girl smiled primly "Can I help you?"

"My name's Jorren, Lina, you know that."

Lina didn't dare tell him she'd forgotten. "Sorry Jorren, can I help you?"

Unfortunately, Zell chose this moment to get up after scolding Peep. "Thanks for that."

He grinned at Lina, not noticing Jorren.

Jorren's eyes switched from Zell to Lina, Lina to Zell.

His eye then twitched.

He stood up to his full height, and began to almost swell in indignation. "Well," he started in an indignant voice.

Zell did the first thing he thought of.

He held out the small bird with an apologetic smile.

Zell sighed and looked angstful, glancing between the hot dog and his book.

The hot dog or the book.

Making a decision he took a bite out of the hot dog and continued reading the book.

'Chocobos are yellow'

There was a splodge of yellow.

'Chocobos run'.

There was a yellow splodge with legs.

'Chocobos wark'

There was a yellow splodge with wark next to it.

Zell sighed impatiently and set the book down on the table. He looked musingly at the title.

It was 'Chocobos!' then in very small writing below it 'For 2 to 5 year olds, make learning fun!'

He frowned and picked up the next book. Peep decided to start nest building again when the 'Chocobos!' book came her way.

Engrossed in looking at the next book, Zell never noticed the ripping sounds.

The cafeteria ladies had been silenced from complaints by the machinations of Peep.

Nobody, it seemed, could resist her wide eyed gaze.

The next book was 'Chocobos- a thesis that they are the instigators of the divine will of Hyne'.

The first page began to explain that the only way to achieve a higher level of existance was to eat Gyshal Greens and wark periodically.

Zell pushed the book away; Peep cheeped comfortably and started testing the softness of the pages.

The next one was 'The Chocobos- the greatest band of all time'.

Zell finished the one hot dog he had managed to scrape by bribing one of the dinner ladies with a copy of 'Boy next door'. He pushed the plate away then caught sight of Peep's labours.

"SHIT!"

He snatched the books back and Peep regarded him mournfully.

"Peep." She uttered and her eyes turned on him.

But he was too busy trying to piece the bits of paper back together. She cheeped irritably.

"Need some help?" an amused voice enquired.

Zell looked up with a sheepish grin to see Rinoa.

"Hey, yeah, Peep decided these books make good nesting material."

Rinoa smiled and sat down opposite him. "Ah so this is the famous Peep."

The chicobo looked up, decided that the Gyshal Green that Zell had just set out was more interesting- but the bird made a mental note to try and make a nest out of her coat as soon as possible.

Rinoa was not exempt from the cuteness of the bird, she unconsciously tilted her head "Aw she's so cute!"

Zell looked at Peep with maternal pride, who seemed to know she was being complimented and was looking the epitome of all things good in the world.

Squall entered the canteen and on catching sight of the epitome of all things good in the world, tried to walk straight out the way he'd come.

Unfortunately it was not to be so.

"Squall! Over here!" the dark haired girl waved at her boyfriend.

He grimaced and walked over, gingerly taking a seat furthest away from Peep.

Peep glanced at him.

Some might say he flinched.

Rinoa smiled at him "Hey." She said tenderly.

The sides of Squall's mouth upturned slightly, his eyes still on the bird. "Hi."

Rinoa grinned "I'm going to get a sandwich, want anything Squall, Zell?"

Squall shook his head.

Zell propped his head up on his hands "Um, some coffe-"

Zell caught Rinoa's look "Um, I mean, I'd like some TOFFEE, yes TOFFEE."

Squall had the look of long suffering about him.

He stood up abruptly and stalked over to a table a few metres away and sat down resolutely.

From a distance it seemed like he was counting and breathing in deeply.

Rinoa followed Zell's concerned gaze and sighed "He's trying to overcome it."

However, this did not explain Squall's behaviour when he shouted to the cafeteria lady to bring him an double expresso.

Rinoa's eyes widened and she dashed over to him.

Zell rolled his eyes, maybe they should have done something about Squall's problem earlier.

He stood up and gathered his possessions efficiently while Peep leapt into his pocket with the ease of long practice.

Zell waved quickly to Rinoa who was scolding a sheepish looking Squall. Surprisingly she didn't wave back.

Zell chuckled and shook his head.

Irvine was on a mission somewhere and Selphie was visiting her friends in Trabia. Quistis was doing admin work (arguably because no one else could be bothered, and Squall's work ethic had died

somewhat since 'that' incident) and Seifer….well Seifer was being Seifer.

There was no actual hard evidence to prove that the accident with the Trepies and the manhole was anything to do with him.

They couldn't really tell anything from the ashes of the hard evidence anyway.

Thoughtfully Zell practised a few swipes, his parenting had been getting in the way of his training.

"Peep…What do you say to going to the training centre?"

Peep was busy lining Zell's pocket with the bits of 'Chocobos!' she had managed to salvage (a yellow splodge had pride of place in the middle of it) but she quickly peeped and continued making adjustments to the nest.

"Right." Zell made his way to the training centre, automatically checking his junctions.

They entered and Zell caught sight of a Grat. He bared his teeth in an evil grin.

But the Grat recognised Zell as the Evil Destroyer and began to run for it.

Zell's canine smile faded as he saw the Grat skedaddle "Hey! Hey wait!" he shouted, stumbling over himself to chase the fleeing Grat.

He soon lost the Grat as he lost it in the exotic foliage. The Grat lived to see another day (or at least five minutes, he was taken down by lucky strike from a Cadet escaping from the Hydrangea bush).

Glumly, Zell walked through the empty Training Centre. Monsters aren't that smart, but they do have basic survival instincts. Zell continued past the large shaking bush which signified that there would soon be new life in the Training Centre of Balamb.

He entered the Secret Area and caught sight of Quistis leaning on the railing and looking over.

"Hey Quisty!" he called and jogged over to her.

She was about to greet him back but was interrupted by a long drawn out pleasured roar.

Her eyes strayed to the entrance "They're at it again." She sighed wearily. "Hey Zell." She finished with a smile.

He waved "Not doing admin?" he questioned jokingly.

She groaned "Do NOT mention that. It's drained most of my will to live…" she put a hand on her brow "I feel a headache coming on. How's parenting going?"

Zell smiled "Its okay, we're coping. Aren't we Peep?"

There was a muffled agreement from his pocket.

Quistis laughed quietly and turned back to the view, she closed her eyes.

This meant that when Seifer entered, she didn't know.

This also meant that Seifer had never heard the expression 'one burned, twice shy'.

Namely sneaking up on an unaware Quistis was seriously not a good idea.

"BOO!"

Her eyes flew open and automatically she performed the self defence manoeuvres she had known since the age of twelve.

Solar Plexus, instep, nose, groin.

Zell winced for the downed man.

On catching sight of her 'attacker', Quistis gasped and knelt down beside him. "Crap! I'm so sorry Seifer! Are you okay?"

After a few minutes of Seifer curled up in the fetal position, he at length replied.

"I fink my dose is bwoken."

Sorry for the delay! I have literally been buried under work. Really. I've been calling for help for three days; nobody has found me, as yet. Listening to The Thrills has kept me marginally sane,and have been surviving on canned peaches.

However reviews can help me.

Tell me what you think!