Author's Note: Ha ha, I finally updated.

Summary: Seifer, in an effort to find as place where he won't be criticized for what he had done, leaves Garden and travels. He writes his old instructor, informing her of his findings.

Rating: Whatever the equivalent to PG is, I think.

In the Moment

By: Mazzie May

Quistis sighed as she leaned back in her large and comfy chair behind her desk. It had been a long day.

And it just got longer, she thought as Zell Dincht slid into the classroom, seven seconds before 16:00, the set time he was required to be there. She glared over her glasses at him, and he blushed terrible, shuffling to over to the front desk and taking a seat.

Leaning forward and popping her neck, Quistis rolled her eyes. Zell was receiving only so-so grades in her Advanced Placement: Complex Junctioning class. He'd hardly managed to pass it last year, but he was so determined to take the AP version of it, she couldn't refuse him. He really did like the class and never skipped it. But But now it's come back to bit him in the butt.

Which is why I'm wasting my afternoon here. Another bitter thought. The night before mid-terms of last semester, Zell had shown up at her door in the Instructor's Dormitory in near tears, begging her to help him study. Desperate to avoid a scene and not being able to stand seeing any student in that kind of situation she let him and cracked open the books. They ended up studying the rest of the night and the next morning. He was struggling so much, she ended up having to call in a sub for her morning classes and excuse Zell from his.

When it was time for the class with the actual test in it, she and Zell walked into the classroom together looking half dead. Quistis ended up passing out the test and then laid her head down on the table, sleeping. Two days later she past backed the graded test and Zell had received a B plus, an un heard of record high for him.

Now, by that time the rumors had already started. Some female students had seen him sneak into the instructor dormitory and watched Quistis let him in. And then, when both were no where to be seen the following morning, the gossip really picked up. Both walking into to class looking like they hadn't slept a wink didn't help the case either. But now that Zell had gotten such a good grade, nearly everyone was convinced that the two were "deeply involved in the forbidden love between teacher and student" and all sorts of nonsense.

Quistis had gotten wind of it by the end of the first day when a fellow instructor brought it to her attention. Over the next two days she did a fairly good job of dispelling the lies. But when she passed back that mid-term, Zell had looked up at her with tear clouded eyes of disbelieve. Later, when she was heading back to her room, Zell had met her in the hall and hugged her. He was just so happy that he wasn't going to fail.

And, of course, everyone was there to see it.

And, of course, the rumors started anew.

And, this time, there was nothing she could do about it.

Though, in an effort to at least try and put an end to it all, Quistis refused to do anymore late night studying with him. However, when she told him that, he again looked as though he might cry. Feeling more than a sting of guilt, she agreed to help him after both his and her classes were through.

The whole thing could've been avoided had he passed the regulatory exam. It's one thing to become a SeeD, and another to stay one. All Garden students who become SeeDs must take tri-monthly tests to make sure they're still qualified to remain a SeeD. Zell failed two in a row, and has to take refresher courses in the sections he did most poorly in.

He wasn't alone, however. Several former students of hers have returned to her classes, heads bowed in shame. Selphie Tilmett was one of them. Though she never failed any of Quistis classes, she did fail the same subject for the last two tests.

Item Managing.

Quistis felt sympathy for the girl. Item Managing was a tough mathematical procedure, and Quistis was thankful that this checking up process was not required of her when she first became a SeeD. She'd only passed with a 62.

She pursed her lips together in distaste at the memory and moved around to the front of her desk, leaning against it and folding her arms as Zell pulled out his book, composition note book and a pen.

"Do you remember where we left off at, Mr. Dincht?" She asked, half turning from him to grab her book, Instructors Guide to Complex Junctioning. What a bland title. Oh, well. She turned back to find Zell filing through his small note book.

"Uhm, uhm… yeah, I just… gotta find it…"

She brought her right hand to her forehead and sighed, something she picked up from Squall. She wasn't hiding a scowl, however. She was smiling. It was just so Zell. She looked over at him through her fingers. He kept having to push his hair from his face, as he focused hard on finding where they left off.

"Heh…" She breathed out. The door slid open, and she dropped her hand looking to see who it was. A Junior Cadet, probably a first year, stood in the doorway, looking very shy.

"Yes? Come in."

Zell looked up and was watching the younger girl as she made her way to Quistis slowly. Quistis flashed a kind smile, and the girl blushed and looked down. That's when she noticed the young girl had a light orange, nearly coral ribbon tied around her left forearm. The sign of a Trepe.

With a sigh, Quistis tapped her forehead a moment before tilting her head back, while still smiling at the girl. "What may I help you with, cadet?"

The small girl jumped and brought her hands forward, revealing a small, but long box. Quistis guessed it to be smaller than her forearm but not by much. The cadet continued looking at her shoes. "Th-this came in the m-mail for you, Instructor Trepe… The, uh, the mail attendant asked me t-to give it to you since I w-was heading this way anyw-way."

Quistis took the box and flipped it over to look at the top. Her eyes widened. In all capitals, it read:

FOR INSTRUCTOR TREPE

"Doesn't say who it's from so…" The little girl began playing with her sleves. Quistis knew who it was from.

Quistis nodded, not really listening. "Yes, yes. Thank you, cadet. That will be all." The little girl squeaked, looking up. Quistis turned to her, the smile slipping slowly. "Dismissed" she said.

The cadet's eyes widened, but she gave a sloppy salute and headed for the door in a hurry. It slid closed behind her with a soft shink.

Zell watched her go, then turned to his instructor. She seemed to be examining the box careful. "Mr. Dincht…" Zell looked up from the box to her.

"Huh?"

She didn't look up, but stayed focused on the box. "Would you mind if we didn't have our lesson today?" He blinked at her, confused.

"Well, uh, yeah. I mean, no, I don't mind. Yeah we cannot have the lesson."

She turned and walked behind her desk. She opened a drawer and pulled out a letter opener, stabbed the box, then pulled the office tool across. Quistis didn't sit in her chair as much as she dropped down in it.

She held the box away from her, at arms length, and use the letter opener to flip the flaps open, slowly. Had she been looking at Zell, she'd have seen the huge question make hanging over his head. He stood and walked around her desk, standing behind her and the chair, looking over her shoulder.

"HA!" Quistis called out happily. Zell couldn't see what was inside the box. She pulled out a small, yellow doll. A chocobo. A very bright, yellow chocobo. "Not going to make that mistake again," she whispered.

She held it out to look at it, then held it up for Zell to take. Again, she wasn't looking at him. He took the plushie, looked it over, and then held it to his chest as Quistis retrieved an envelope from the bottom of the box.

It was a really faded yellow, like old lace, and had deep green, fancy lettering in the bottom left hand corner, saying:

Fishermen's Horizon

Sunrise is the Perfect Time

Quistis made a soft "Ooo" sound, and opened the letter. Zell read over her shoulder, still holding the chocobo.

Dear Instructor,

I'm passing through FH today, obviously. It's still pretty early in the day, so I'm going to keep going.

Quistis' eye twitched. "What..?"

Zell squinted at the messy, block handwriting. All capitals. He had no idea who it was.

I'm just taking the time to write this. It won't be too long. I appreciate the offer, but I don't think I'll need any help from your friends in Esthar.

"What?" she asked again.

Zell swallowed.

I talked to one of the guys here. He says he heads to Esthar every couple of days to see his grand kids, or something. Today is one of those days, so I'm going to follow him. I mentioned the way you, Edea and the twinks got in last time. He laughed, saying there was a much safer, much more legal way.

Quistis made a face that, and began tapping her fingers on her desk.

Zell leaned forward, his right hand on her desk, his chin nearly on her shoulder, reading.

To be honest, I almost turned the guy down just so I could get in the way you did. If the Chicken-Wuss can do it, I know I can.

Quistis stopped tapping her fingers and smiled a little.

Zell's arm twitched. She didn't notice.

But I want to get there by night and find a room. Anyway, we're heading out now. I'll write when I get to Esthar.

Seifer Almasy

Quistis didn't even set the letter down when the chocobo was on her desk and Zell was heading for the door. She hadn't realized he was reading over her shoulder.

"Mr. Dincht, wait!" She jumped out of her chair, almost knocking the Chocobo off. A few students were coming in for their night class. Neither of them noticed.

He turned to her, looking very upset. "When I asked if you had heard from, you said you hadn't! You've been talking to him all along, right?" The students took their seats.

"Zell, please, try to understand…" She tried to straighten the doll, and Zell cursed.

"No! You lied to me!" The students eyes widened as they looked from one to the other. "And-And you that's how you talk about me, when I'm not around?"

Quistis was getting angry. "Listen! I'm just helping him! He needs someone to be on his side! Someone has to be there!"

Zell shook his head and punched the wall. "No, no! I'm telling Squall!" He glared hard at her through unshed tears. Before she got another word out, he ran out of the door, no doubt heading towards Squall's room.

Quistis briefly considered going after him, but was too drained. She plopped into her chair. She wasn't worried about Squall's reaction. He might be disappointed with her, but he would understand once she talked to him. Zell, though… Zell was just too emotional. He was the one who was going to loose in this.

Quistis took her hair out its bun and ran her fingers through to her scalp and sighed. As she looked up the chocobo she noticed all of the students and a few fellow instructors staring at her.

With a groan, she dropped her head to the desk. I can see it now, she though with little humor. "Instructor and Student Lover's Quarrel: Mysterious Third Man!" It'll be all over the school newspaper tomorrow… Cid was going to want to have a word with her later.

She drew her arms up, and rested her chin on them. She looked lazily at her students, before sitting up sharply, standing, and pinning her hair back in its bun, saying crisply, "Alright, class. Show's over. Books out."

Authors Note: I am so sorry it took this long. After my second computer meltdown, I just didn't have the heart to rewrite it all. It was so depressing to see it all go again. But I've gotten new inspiration, so here it is! Next Chapter: Enter Miss Heartly and Mr. Leonheart.

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