Chapter Eight---Losing A Moment

Five years.

Five long years had passed.

Seifer looked at the boy who was sleeping in his arms. The son that Fujin had given him. Even now, hair messy and unkept, hands clutching Seifer's large shirt and nose all stuffy, Dante was the most beautiful thing Seifer had ever seen. Just like his mother. Seifer sighed and looked out the window at the rain. Even now, two weeks later, he still didn't believe. He was still waiting for Fujin to come home. But she never would.

Garden had assigned her on a drug bust with a slightly higher then average danger level. It should have been fine. But there had been a mole in on the operation and Fujin was caught in the middle of two rival gangs, a too-small group of SeeD's and gunfire. She lost.

Seifer had waited for two days. Waiting for a call from her, from anyone. To say that the mission would take longer then expected. To say anything really. He just wanted to know where his wife was. And then there was Rinoa. Standing on his front porch with tears in her eyes and a little girl clutching her pant leg.

Seifer had sat Dante on to his lap and listened as Rinoa managed to tell him how Squall and Fujin's mission had gone horribly wrong. How neither Fujin nor Squall would ever be home again.

Suddenly, Seifer couldn't breathe. This was a dream. Fujin was coming home. She'd be home late tomorrow, exhausted and slightly scratched up, muttering about how Zell had almost got them caught but they got their bad guys and locked them up.

Dante looked from his father to his aunt. They were crying. Something was wrong. Why wasn't mommy here to tell him what it was? Why had she been gone so long? Dad said she'd be home already. But she wasn't there. They were talking about mommy. And Uncle Squall.

"Daddy? Daddy! Where's mommy!" Seifer tried to calm the frightened boy but he bolted off his lap and backed into a corner, screaming for his mother.

"No! I want mommy! Where is she! Give me back my mommy! Mommy!" Suddenly, Dante darted outside, tearing around the back yard, calling for her, looking under and behind everything.

"Mommy! Mommy! I've been good, I promise! Mommy!" Seifer finally managed to catch the screaming child and held him tightly.

"Mommy's not coming home Dante. She's not coming back." Dante continued to sob, looking into his father's green eyes, so like his own.

"Why? Wasn't I good? I was good, wasn't I Dad! Why isn't she coming back! I want mommy!" Seifer's own tears burned his face as they trailed down his cheeks.

"Because...because she can't come home. Mommy was hurt so bad she can't come home. Mommy died, Dante. That means she can't ever come home."Dante was breathing in short, gasping breathes, trying to understand what his father was telling him.

"Why not? Won't she get better? Didn't she love us?" Seifer hugged the boy close.

"Of course she loved us Dante. She loved you and me and Cale very much. But she can't get better. Mommy got hurt so bad she died. You can't get better from that." Dante nodded and wrapped his arms around his father's neck, sobbing.

"Does Laguna know?" Seifer asked, wiping his eyes and looking to Rinoa. Her gaze was far off and hazy, seemingly looking right through him as her daughter cried beside her.

"Yes. I told him just before I came here. I'm so sorry Seifer. I...I have to go now." Seifer stopped her.

"I'll call Quistis. She'll come get you, you can't drive like this." Rinoa simply nodded and held Eden close. The girl was so very much like Squall. Quiet, intelligent. Pale blue eyes and messy, yet strangely perfect chocolate locks. But she had her mothers radiant smile.

Seifer knew it must break Rinoa's heart to look at her. And at the same time it was comforting, knowing she still had her daughter who would soon be safe at home.

But it wasn't home anymore.

A.n: Muwahahahaaha -cough- Ahem. I threw a wrench in the plot. I warned you. Heheh Ok Once again this is NOT the end. But soon the End is COMING! Muwhahahaa -cough- Ahem. REVIEW!