They neared Lindblum and Isobelle felt something slip away. As they went into the gates of the castle and got out of their ship, Garnet being escorted into the castle by guards, Isobelle hung back. She followed carefully into the lift to see the Regent and avoided eye contact with everyone. When they got into the regent's quarters, she bowed to him and wasn't surprised to see he was an oglop. The rumour had been spreading around the city and Isobelle had heard it many a time. She smiled when she was supposed to, kept her mouth shut, didn't speak her mind and then backed out with Zidane and Vivi whilst Steiner and Garnet talked to the Regent.

'I suppose you can go home now.' Vivi came up to Isobelle as she got into the lift. She looked at him and smiled

'Yeah. Yeah, I guess I can.' She volunteered the answer and crossed her arms over her chest, where Zidane was absent-mindedly looking at from the other side of the lift.

'I'd love to see where you live.' Vivi replied, looking up at the girl with his big eyes.

'Yeah? Well… I may show you sometime… but I need to tidy it up now, it'll be in a mess.' She smiled down at him and pushed herself out the door as soon as they touched down on the right level. She hurried her way towards the air cabs. 'Business District please' she said quickly and sat down.

'Wait! Wait!' Vivi's voice rang out from the platform. The air cab settled back down again and let the two others on. Zidane sat down in front of Isobelle and Vivi sat by her side.

'Are you still worried about Blank?' Zidane asked her sweetly, putting his hand on her leg. She looked at it without saying a word, then up at him.

'No. he'll be fine, I know that.' She replied just as sweetly.

'Why do you want to get away from us so quickly?' Vivi asked. Isobelle let her head loll backwards.

'I don't…I loved our adventure together, it was the most fun I've had for years…I just want to get…' she sighed '…Home.' She closed her eyes.

'Where is your home?' Vivi persisted

'The Industrial District.' She said, her guard down

'Why are we going to the Business District then?' Vivi asked just as sweetly.

'Because I have some things I need to do. Shopping…' she trailed off.

'But you said you just wanted to get home…' Vivi prompted

'If you live in the industrial district, why did you convince Tantalus to get a room for you in the inn?' Zidane piped in

'Because I wanted to treat the whole thing as a mini-break!' Isobelle snapped and pulled her head forwards again. 'Don't follow me.' She growled at them as she stood up and walked to the front of the ship as it settled at the air station in the business district.

'Zidane…' Vivi looked at the blond haired guy '…I don't think she has a home…' Vivi finished, watching the girl run down the steps into the street

'No, Vivi… I don't think she does…' Zidane agreed, watching the girl also,

Isobelle finished her tale to the moogle in the inn and smiled

'And now, I need to find myself a place to sleep for the night…' she wryly commented

'I could get you to stay here for a night… credit…pay back when you want…' The moogle was volunteering but Isobelle didn't want to be charity anymore.

'No. I need to stand up tall, be the woman my mother always told I would be.' She said, physically standing up from where she was sitting on the floor so she was the same height as the moogle. 'I'll see you later.' She said, smiling.

Isobelle walked out the inn and immediately started to brisk walk, her head down, to the fountain, where her world had changed. She sat down on the side and put her head in her hands. How was she going to get a home? She knew the stupid laws: 'you need a property to send money to for a job, you need a job to secure a property' and she was trapped by those two rules. Against her will, tears scored her cheeks and her shoulders convulsed quietly.

'Do you realise how wind-swept your hair is?' Zidane's voice came from above her and she felt a being sit next to her, a tail playing on her back. 'aww, come on, don't cry. I'm not that bad.' He joked to no avail. 'Isobelle…' he said. He was no good with girls crying. He put his hand on her back, but she elbowed it away. 'Look, sweetie, what's wrong?' he said, pushing one of her hairs behind her ear again 'I'll take you to the hideout. You can calm down there, ok?' Zidane said, his hand regaining its position on her back and pushing her softly to her feet.

'NO!' she shouted, causing a few people to look at her. Zidane drew back from her and looked at her shocked 'S...sorry.' she managed to stutter to him and then cried harder 'Oh, it's all gone wrong.' She mumbled into her hands. She lifted her face, not caring how he saw her. 'Take me to the hideout…' she said and his arm went round her shoulders, leading her towards the cabs. Vivi went to run up to her, but Zidane shook his head as she sobbed a little more.

When they got to the hideout, Zidane sat her on a stool and held both her hands. 'Now, tell me what it is.' He said. He knew why she was upset, but he knew from past experience that girl likes to spill her heart out on her own accord, not be told what is wrong with her.

'Well. I don't have a home. I was born in Treno, lived in Treno…I've never had a home… not since I was 4. My dad was a filthy scumbag that left my mum as soon as I was born. He didn't like the responsibility of a daughter…'Zidane coughed quietly and couldn't look Isobelle in the eye. '...well, when I was 4, my mother died and this man decided that it would be great to take me in for a bit…' Isobelle smiled 'I nearly died… he put me in cages with monsters and forced me to fight them with a single dagger. Well, when I was able with the money I was tipped with I brought my own pair of daggers, so I could fight better. Well, turns out that this man… this man was my father. He wanted me dead. He couldn't cope that he had a daughter, a legacy of him, so he put me in cages with people jeering for me to die, with a dagger that barely scratched, and left me to die. But I was strong.' Zidane looked up, wide-eyed at the girl. It wasn't the story that she was telling that was incredible; it was how strong she was when she was telling it. She didn't falter, she didn't cry… 'I ran away to Lindblum, have lived on the streets since. Of course, I've had guys and lived with them for a bit… as you saw…and heard.' Isobelle smiled wryly. 'What a life.' She finished and wiped a cold tear from her cheek.

'Live here.' Zidane replied

'What?' Isobelle asked, astonished.

'Live here. Tantalus isn't back yet… they'll need someone looking after their hideout.' Zidane explained, getting up. 'Problem solved.' he smiled

'I can't… I'd feel like you were doing a favour for me… I don't want charity.' She replied, wiping her eyes with her sleeve.

'I'm not…'

'Yes you are! You're offering me kindness, a place to stay, when I just wanted you to listen and agree…'

'I'm giving you an alternative than sleeping on the floor of a grubby street! A place…'

'Maybe I want to sleep on a street…'

'Then you're stupid for making me care. For crying! You want your fate, yet you cry yourself to sleep! You'd be better off in a Brothel!'

'You…You…UGH!' she spat at him and sat down again.

'I'm actually giving you a death sentence. One Tantalus is back, they'll want to know why you're here, and saying that I let you stay will not help at all. You'll have to battle for your existence under this roof. Believe me; I'm not giving you a place to stay on a plate. More like a bloodied, rotting, slashed cloth.' Zidane replied, his voice getting calmer but keeping a serious tone.

'Thank you Zidane!' Isobelle ran to him and hugged him

'Don't mention it.' He said, hugging her back. 'Just don't girlify the place.' He joked and Isobelle playfully punched him on the arm. 'Heh, come on, lets go get some food. Caviar really doesn't fill a stomach…'