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Here's your next chapter…Please R&R!

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Disclaimer: I don't own it. Squaresoft does. I wrote it. Squaresoft didn't. I don't send lawyers to Squaresoft's doorstep. Please don't send them to mine.

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Dagger laid him down on the bed and lit a candle. His face was bruised where the Cat has stuck him and he had five very precise puncture wounds on his face from what Dagger could only assume was the Cat's claws.

A small amount of blood stained his vest in the front where the Cat had kicked him as if he were no more than a piece of trash. With bated breath, Dagger gently pulled off the vest and shirt.

The area where the beast had struck him was slightly bruised and was bleeding acutely. Dagger felt the tears coming again.

He did this for me, she thought, closing her eyes in the pain of this realization, he sacrificed his life for me…

Dagger slipped out of the infirmary and called for the Doctor.

"He's been attacked again," she whispered, and the doctor nodded solemnly. Dagger returned to bed.

Over the course of the next few weeks, the doctor refused to let Dagger into the infirmary. But finally, the day came when he let her in. That morning, Dagger forced herself out of bed and walked down to the infirmary. She met Steiner on the way there.

"Is he…?" she asked, staring into his eyes for some small hint to the truth.

"I'm not sure, yet." Steiner said, before turning and following Dagger into the infirmary.

"I'll be fine, Rusty," said a weak, but stable voice. As Dagger looked into the infirmary, she saw that Zidane was standing!

Dagger stared at him, only for the space of a minute, before pulling him into her arms. She squeezed him for a second, and then pulled back to look at him. He gave her a soft smile, and she looked into his eyes for a second before surprising him with a gentle kiss. As soon as she did, however, Zidane turned away. Dagger thought she caught a rather sad look in his eyes, but it vanished instantly. He took her hand delicately in his and gently brought her over to the balcony. Alexandria glimmered in the early morning light.

Dagger stole another glance at Zidane, who seemed to be longing for something. As quiet as she could (so as not to attract attention) she asked the question that hung in the air.

"What's wrong, Zidane?" she asked, touching his arm lightly. Again he turned away from her. "Nothing," he whispered softly, his voice breaking ever so slightly. "Zidane," Dagger whispered in the sweetest voice she could muster, "please tell me..." She thought she saw him wince as she rubbed his arm tenderly.

And then she remembered.

She couldn't help looking down at the tiny red stain that marred the perfect marble balcony and recalling how the large, black Cat had kicked him so callously…the sadism in her eyes….

Dagger shook the thought out of her head and looked up at Zidane. She could have sworn she saw the tiniest tear slip from his deep blue-green eyes.

"Please Dagger…" he whispered, and Dagger massaged his arm encouragingly, "please leave me alone…I promise you things will turn out alright…"

Dagger nodded solemnly, but just as she turned to walk away, Zidane gently wrapped is arms around her neck and kissed her cheek tenderly.

"But don't doubt that I love you," he whispered against her ear, "ever."

He let go of her and watched as she walked out of the door. He sighed softly. You have no idea how much I love you, he thought. I love more than life itself….

The Cat landed in front of her with panther-like grace, staring into Dagger's eyes with the cruelty of a crocodile. Dagger hardly felt the rain pound against her as her breath caught in her throat. She stared up at the Cat. Zidane lay between her front paws, five long gashes across his chest from the cat's large paw. He had stopped breathing long ago.

Dagger couldn't run. She could only stand and watch the Cat touch Zidane's lifeless chest with her nose. Dagger's stomach turned as the Cat raised her head, her muzzle coated in Zidane's blood….

Dagger awoke in a cold sweat. Something was wrong. Without hesitation, Dagger ran as fast as she could to Zidane's quarters.

She opened the door and saw Zidane lying peacefully on the bed, his chest rising and falling rhythmically. She breathed a soft sigh of relief and walked over to him.

She caressed his face tenderly, watching with small satisfaction as a small smile crept across his face.

She returned to bed.

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Don't worry. There will be more. R&R!