Chapter Five---Fireworks

Two weeks hadpassed since the night Seifer had kissed her, leading Fujin into a timid, yet progressive relationship with Seifer. God, he was so much different then Squall. So open with his affection, so caring. And when they held hands walking down the street... well. It was safe to say Seifer was twice as cocky as he had ever been and Hyne knows that Seifer was the cockiest man on the face of the planet.

He wrapped Fujin in one large arm, tucking her close to his side, while hoisting Arien up in the other one, looking for all the world like he was the luckiest man alive. And in Seifer's mind, he was. After all, he had the woman he'd loved since he was 10 (stubborn shit ain't he?) and a son that he swore he would be there for. Swore to be the father Seifer himself had never had. And he would make them a family. The one Fujin had always wanted, though she probably had long forgotten telling Seifer that little detail.

However, their relationship was strained by Squall. His constant sarcasim and bitterness towards them both drove him to test their patience far beyond its limits. Each push made both Fujin and Seifer a little snappier, a little more edgy even towards each other. They got in arguments over things they would have laughed at normally. They started screaming matches with each other over the most trivial things and it ended up upsetting everyone so much that Arien would cry for hours on end, Seifer would slam his way from the apartment and Fujin would begin to clean everything until it was spotless. She cleaned when she was angry.

Fujin had just about lost it by the time SeeD tests came around. Of course, she was adept at channeling her anger, so she did so with her tests, passing with flying colors.

Seifer had expected nothing less and neither had Arien.

"Go mommy!" He clapped delightedly from with in Seifer's arms as Seifer leaned down to place a kiss on Fujin's lips. He didn't even get in a 'congratulations' before Squall ruined yet another moment.

"Fujin, my office, now." Squall's voice was as cold and hard as steel, but the woman entering his office was angrier then all hell. And every single ounce of that fury was direct at him.

"What! What can you possibly have to say to me now Squall! What!" Squall narrowed his blue eyes, so like Arien's and glared at her.

"I deserve an explaination." Fujin laughed.

"Right, Squall. What was I going to do? Say, 'Hey Squall, I'm pregnant, so you're going to be a dad now.' You were 19 for Hyne's sake and you made it more then clear you did NOT want children. So what, Commander, should I have done?" Squall stood shocked a moment. Arien...that boy...was his? That was why she left? A child?

"...M-my child?" Fujin rolled her eyes, not caring that she was being callous to the man that had give her the most precious thing on Earth.

"Yes. Yours. I left to save him from the rejection I knew he would get from you. I didn't want that. Not for my son. Admit it Squall, you weren't ready. You aren't even ready now." Squall simply nodded, his expression vague. He hadn't been ready. Hell, Squall still wasn't ready. He thought the news that Arien was his son would fill him with an odd sense of warmth or...or something. But nothing was there. It was a shock yes, but truth be told, Squall just didn't care.

"Maybe your right, maybe you did deserve an explanation. But I did was I felt was right for him. And now, Seifer is right for him. Squall...I know...this is difficult to take in, but I do want you to be apart of his life if at all possible." Fujin was trying to give him a fraction of the chance she'd taken away. Squall thought about that. But in his mind, it all ended up like Laguna and himself; hopelessly clueless and distant, forever trying to win the boys affection and forever failing.

Squall turned his attention to his window where he could see Seifer and Arien playing, the child laughing in delight and even through the window Squall could see how much Seifer already loved Arien. The boy who wasn't even his.

"No. I don't want that. It wouldn't be fair to him." Fujin took a step back, unsure if she heard Squall Leonheart correctly. He didn't want his own son?

"What?" Squall's spectral eyes focused on her with vague anger.

"I don't want him." It was a harsh reality, even for Squall to face. Fujin crossed her arms.

" He's your son!" She bellowed at the man, acidic fury racing through her veins like never before.

"I don't care!" Squall couldn't find the words to say that would tell Fujin why. That it was better for Arien to be with Seifer and not have anything to do with Squall in a father-son kind of way. Seifer loved the boy. It was not an emotion Squall could cultivate so soon. Squall couldn't imagine himself being a father, it was just...not him. But he didn't know how to tell Fujin that without making her even angrier, so he said all the wrong things and pissed her off anyways.

"I should have figured. You never cared about anything besides work Squall. Not friends, not family, not this damn Garden and not me. Well, guess what?" Fujin's voice lowered two octive's and her eyes darkened dangerously.

"I'm not looking my son in the eyes and telling him that his father doesn't want him. You are."

A.n: Ohhhhhh rage and sadness!

Sorceress Fujin: grins- Yes ma'am! I feel as though this chapter wasn't up to par or perhaps something was just missing, but I do like the ending, however harsh it may be.-muches her gummy bears- Well, I hope you enjoyed, I'm off to update Duality! And maybe, just maybe I'll figure out the next chapter for All You Got Left. lol

Becca: I'm sorry your having a rough time -gives her huggles and a Fujin plushie- here, smiles! Hoped you liked this chapter

Jasmine: WHERE ARE YOU! I MISS YOU! lol

i Ultimate!