11: Second Chances Taken and Refused

"You're doing well, but remember to fight her a little. She's a strong-headed ship." Setzer adjusted Relm's hold on the wheel. "You tell her where to go."

Relm giggled. "This is so rad!"

Setzer chuckled. "Just don't tell your grandfather. Strago would skin me alive if he discovered I've let you pilot the Falcon on more than one occasion."

"I'm not scared of that old fuddy-duddy," she informed Setzer. "He wants to take away all my fun."

Setzer pulled back on the wheel, guiding the Falcon up into the clouds as Relm squealed with laughter. "Strago seeks your safety, Relm. That is all. You will most likely understand that when you're older."

Setzer released his hold on the wheel and allowed Relm to straighten the Falcon's path and level her off. She had a bit of a fight with it, but eventually got it done. Quite a task for a petite 12-year-old.

"Well done," he told her as he tousled her blonde curls.

She waved his hand away. "Stop it, Setzer. Geez. You and Marée. I swear."

Setzer's face hardened; the smile eradicated with the single word. "Here. Let me have a turn," he said with a tight smile her direction.

Relm stepped clear of the wheel, sending him an odd glance before leaning her elbows against the ship and blinking into the wind. "It's great up here. So far away from everyone and everything."

Setzer clenched his jaw and slightly altered their heading toward Kohlingen. "Being so far removed has its moments, yes, but nothing compares to family and friends, Relm."

Relm looked over at him. "But you're alone."

"Not completely," he disagreed, momentarily meeting her gaze. "Though I wander, I know that I have many places to call home. Those of my friends."

Relm moved her focus to the distant horizon. "But that's different. You're welcome to visit, sure, but you can also leave whenever you want. You can visit whenever you want, too. Me? I have to stay in Thamasa because grandpa says so. He won't let me have adventures. He won't let me find where I belong. Not like you have."

Where I belong? In a constant state of wandering? A perpetual search for the next turn of card? The next adventure? What was a ship without a port to rest?

Setzer looked over at her again, and then he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Don't be so eager to leave your roots behind, Relm. Seek out what you can in the time you have. Your adventure of life will come soon enough. Wait for it."

Relm wrinkled her nose and looked away from his face. "I know. I just hate waiting."

Setzer chuckled and gave her small shoulder a squeeze. "I understand that, Relm. Waiting most often causes more than its share of disappointments."

But we mustn't rush the experiences we have. We must hold the cards until all others have revealed their hand. And though Marée had revealed hers more than once, he'd still resisted; a slave to adventure. Addicted to the gamble. Setzer released a deep breath. Looking back proves nothing. Play your hand, gambler.

"There's Figaro," Relm said with a smile in her voice. "Kohlingen will be… right… there!" She gave a couple hops as she pointed. "Rad! We're here!"

Setzer took the Falcon down as Relm hurried below to gather the children and prepare them for the visit into a new town, rules and things of that sort. Setzer doubted the little ones would remember the rules once they stepped from the ship, but it was a good experience for Relm. An experience of responsibility that Strago seldom allowed her.

Setzer released a slow breath as he anchored the ship and made his way below. Relm helped the younger ones into their sweaters as the older wrestled with their own. Setzer watched the adventure with a smirk before stepping forward to help.

"Cera, when'd you lose the bottom button?" Relm asked as Setzer finished buttoning Robbie's jacket.

"I don't know."

"Did you put it in your pocket?" Relm checked the girl's pockets and gave a shake of her head as Setzer moved to Peter. "Oh man. Well, I guess we'll look for it tomorrow. Do you have your sweater on, Alyxis? Good girl. Everyone ready? Alright. Take each other's hands so we don't get lost. Let's go."

Setzer led them off the Falcon with Relm bringing up the rear. The children 'ooh'd and 'ahh'd at the different sights, pointing at this, that, and the other as the line of littles and bigs made their way through town. Tyrian made a fuss when Relm scolded her for letting go of her hand to pick a flower, but quieted when Relm followed the scold with a promise to do flower-picking after their visit with Terra. Setzer chuckled and, at a groan from the boys, made his own promise of a game of 'Kefka War' if they behaved themselves. They cheered and heartily agreed.

The group passed the café, more cheers voiced when told they were going there later for cider and chocolate milk, and dutifully made their way to the alchemist's home. Once outside the door, Setzer opened it, ushered them inside, and gave Relm the final duty of leading them to the basement. He, on the other hand, would keep Edgar company once he retreated from the reunion, as Setzer knew Edgar would. Relm gave a nod and went on in, Setzer closing the door after her.

Squeals and giggles were heard very few moments later. Setzer chuckled with a slight shake of his head as he moved to lean against the wall directly to the left of the door. He crossed his arms. While Setzer had never thought of himself as 'family' material, his few adventures with Terra's children had begun to smooth and fade that boundary. How lucky I am not to be instantly inheriting ten. Setzer couldn't help but feel a touch of pity for the young king of Figaro who would so quickly find himself to be both husband and father at the age of 30… or is it 28? Setzer shook his head. How does one adjust to such an extreme role change? It was an intriguing quandary.

More laughter and joy-filled squeals erupted within, followed by a chorus of child voices and a battalion of questions. Edgar would likely do his best to answer, but in the end Terra would need to calm the children down and tell them the story of her adventure as only she could. Edgar would then give her an adoring smile, likely pat one of the children on the head, and then make a timely exit to allow Terra and the children some time to themselves--

The door opened and Edgar exited with a smile and a chuckle before closing the door behind him. "At least they didn't groan and shudder," he said in a laughing tone.

"Too true."

Edgar gave a startled jump as he looked to his right. He saw Setzer and reluctantly smiled. "You gave me a fright, Setzer."

Setzer chuckled. "Of course. That was the point."

Edgar smiled wryly. "I reasoned as much." He motioned ahead. "I don't suppose you could be persuaded to join me at the café."

Setzer straightened, pushing away from the wall with a continual smirk. "Only if you play a game of cards."

"Ah. It's been ages. Of course I will." And they made their way to the café. "Thank you for bringing the children, Setzer. I've never seen her so happy."

"It was Relm's idea. She has quite a knack for things of that sort."

Edgar nodded. "She and Gau both."

"Quite an unexpected talent, I would say."

"Agreed." Edgar motioned to the door. "After you."

Setzer entered the café to head for the table to the right. Edgar sat across from him and ordered two ciders.

"I meant to ask before what had come of your interest with Captain Marée," Edgar commented as Setzer retrieved his cards.

Setzer's hold on the cards twitched, but his face showed nothing. He shuffled. "Nothing of any great importance, unfortunately. The roll of the dice, I suppose."

"Stuff and nonsense," Edgar grumbled. He placed his ante in the center of the table with Setzer's and accepted the cards dealt. He adjusted his hand. "You need to control your own destiny, Setzer. Lady Luck and the Fates can't be trusted."

"Yet didn't they play a hand in your own happiness?" Setzer adjusted the cards of his hand with unseeing eyes.

Edgar scoffed. "Indeed. They arranged for Terra to be controlled and abused near death. It was my own choice that kept Terra and myself apart. Just as it was her choice and my own to confess our feelings of love."

Unfortunately, what Edgar said rang of many truths.

"Lady Luck is a tease, as are her sisters the Fates. They dangle what we want in front of us only to take it away when we want it most." Edgar requested two cards and adjusted his hand again.

"For a gambler," Setzer said as he discarded and took one card, "Lady Luck is--"

"Stuff and nonsense," Edgar interrupted. He tossed a few gil into the pot. "There is a time and place for everything, Setzer, and Lady Luck belongs at the table. Not at the wheel of your life."

Setzer called the bet and lowered his cards. "Full House. Kings over Aces." He raised his eyes to meet Edgar's. "While I appreciate the thought behind what you've said, I can't help but think you wrong. Luck and the Fates have made me who I am, Edgar. Denying their role would be denying myself."

Edgar regarded Setzer a moment before presenting his hand. "Royal Flush. Hearts." He gestured to the money. "Keep it as compensation for listening to the advice I'm about to give. The person you've become, Setzer, was made possible by the decisions you have made at each crossroad approached. Joining us, you decided to do so. Allowing us to use the Falcon to find our friends and thereby defeat Kefka, you decided to do. Giving Marée a chance to defend herself against the information I'd discovered, again, was your choice. If nothing came of a relationship with her, such is life, but it is your decision where you go from here. Marée's a closed door, fine. Look, then, for the open window."

Edgar stood and moved past, pausing long enough to give Setzer's shoulder a firm grip. Setzer stared at Edgar's winning hand long after he'd left, absorbing his words while desperately trying to decide which path to follow.

» § «

Setzer gauged his appearance in the mirror as he adjusted his vest and coat. He had approximately two hours before he had to leave for Kohlingen to return the children and Relm to Mobliz. He would make the most of those two hours. The very most. No games. No 'not yet's. He would relax into her presence and do what he wanted.

Setzer smirked, but it appeared more of a grimace. You're as flighty and nervous as the first evening you were with a woman, he accused with a tug on his jacket. But to be completely truthful, it was the first time in ages he would leave Lady Luck, his cards, his dice, and thoughts of Marée behind.

He was visiting Maria.

Setzer gave his reflection a brusque nod before striding from his office and through the main room with a distracted mind and an unseeing gaze. He had sent word ahead that he would be coming for a visit. Now Setzer was left to hope the Impresario had given Maria the note and not jumped to the conclusion Setzer would attempt to steal her away again. Setzer allowed himself a chuckle as he disembarked. He had to admit that seeing the Impresario's face at a second - and this time more successful - attempt would be worth any and all problems as a direct result.

The Opera House loomed ahead of him. Setzer pressed on. There was no need to worry about impressing her. She already loved him. Then why am I quivering like a mouse as it looks into the jaws of the cat? Setzer swallowed hard, lengthening his stride. Perhaps expectation that has lain dormant for nearly two years… But Setzer set it aside. He'd had a shock during his last meeting with Marée. He had to be careful not to use Maria as a balm, for he suspected she'd be all-too-willing.

Setzer cleared his throat and entered the huge building. Glancing toward the front desk, he saw that night's performance was also 'sold out'. Setzer smiled. Maria would be happy.

"Ah. Mr. Gabbiani."

Setzer turned, pausing his ascension of the stairs leading to Maria's dressing room. "Impresario," he greeted with a slight bow. "I see the new show is doing well."

"Extremely well." The Impresario came to stand at the foot of the stairs. "Dinner will be served shortly. Until then, Maria waits for you in the gardens behind the Opera House. This way, if you please."

Setzer raised an eyebrow as he descended the stairs and followed the Impresario out the front entrance and back around the left of the building. Once there, they entered a garden encircled by wrought iron and a green hedge. The walk was marble and lined with fragrant white blossoms falling in clusters along it. As they made their way behind the Opera House, the walk split to encircle a large gazebo. Maria waited there, sitting on one of the marble benches.

Maria saw Setzer and the Impresario approach and stood, making her way to and gracefully down the steps with outstretched hands and an eager smile. Maria had dressed in the palest of yellow gowns with ivory lace at the cuffs and hem. Her bodice was modestly cut, enhancing the delicate sophistication of her shoulders and neck as well as the slim line of her waist. Her hair was up in a mass of curls that danced around her ears and neck with each motion of her head. She presented a vision of ethereal loveliness that left Setzer breathless and drowning in memories.

The Impresario bowed and left them as Maria's hands enfolded Setzer's in greeting. Their warmth and gentle pressure were inviting and erotic as he gazed down into those bright, pale-blue eyes. He saw welcome and… Setzer brought each palm to his lips. "You are an entrancing vision, Maria," he said as he straightened. And he was surprised that his voice sounded so calm and steady. His insides seemed caught in a whirlwind.

Maria's hands tightened on his as her cheeks slightly flushed. "Thank you, Setzer. I wanted everything to be perfect."

She spread his arms out wide as she took in his light tan trousers, burgundy-black-green striped vest, antique-white shirt with a modest ruffle at the collar, and rich black jacket with folded cuffs and emerald cuff-links.

Maria raised her eyes to his with a touch of a smile. "You are as elegant as ever."

Setzer smiled a denial - he felt less than elegant when having to beat back desires and urges to see how quickly he could unlace her corset - and followed her up the stairs to the gazebo. Maria sat in the direct center of the center bench of three and gently urged him to the space to her left. Setzer surrendered, his knee brushing against hers as he did. His stomach twisted in on itself and then surprisingly relaxed.

Maria smiled as she motioned around her. "It's my sanctuary. The Impresario had it built for me a few months ago."

Setzer's eyes didn't - or rather couldn't - leave her face. High cheekbones. Pure and silk-soft skin. Delicate nose slightly tipped up at the end. Laughing mouth. All encompassed a hypnotic profile from his past that so desperately wanted to become a part of his future.

Maria's sparkling eyes met his again, and she smiled as she adjusted her hand in his. "I'm glad you came. Your presence here makes me feel as if I'm reliving my past." She lowered her eyes and caressed the knuckles of his hand with a single finger. "Those were happy times. Weren't they, Setzer?"

"Yes, Maria. They were."

"Then I'm glad I have those memories," she said as she raised her eyes to meet his gaze again. "I am."

Setzer's smile was gentle as he lifted a finger to caress her cheek. Maria took in a steady breath, and her eyes seemed to glimmer. Setzer lowered his hand again. "The year has been ugly and hard, Maria. I'm glad these memories gave you strength or hope. I find myself wishing I had done the same."

"Oh, but you did," she told him with wide eyes. "All of us here know what you and your friends have done for us."

"But what of you? I abandoned you here for an adventure of my own. I put my previous promises aside with no word of farewell to you." Setzer hadn't realized before the depth of his guilt.

Maria cupped his jaw in her hand as her smiling face and eyes looked full into his. "I know, and I was heart-broken at first, but you had a greater purpose to fulfill, dearest. You had lives to save. It would have been selfish of me to deny everyone that end simply to have you to myself. You're a 'wandering gambler'. Could I cage that spirit I loved so much?" She slightly shook her head. "The memories had to be enough. You deserved your freedom."

Setzer's mind and soul grew silent and still at that statement.

Maria's smile seemed to dance with a laugh as she lowered her hand from his chin to caress his cheek with the back of it. "I can hardly persuade my heart to believe you're here." Her expression faded to shadows of dread and agony as she met his gaze. "I'm not dreaming, am I? You are here with me in my sanctuary holding my hand? I haven't allowed the memories to control my visions, have I?"

Maria's tone sounded so lost and desperate that Setzer's chest and throat tightened in a vicious torture of guilt. Setzer gently pulled her close, pressing her head to his chest as her arms enfolded him. "I am here, songbird." He pressed his lips against her hair when her shoulders began to quiver with tears.

After a moment of vulnerability and comfort, Maria pushed back. She dried her cheeks with an embarrassed glance toward him. "I'm sorry. Ruining this quiet and lovely day with weeping wasn't my intention. Perhaps I'm more tired than I first thought."

Though Maria's eyes glimmered with a memory of her tears, her face glowed with a determination to relive happier times. So very different from Marée, and yet so similar. Maria wasn't ashamed of her 'softness', and it perfectly complemented her dedication to a life as a performer of opera, as well as her determination to keep her eyes facing a better future. Yes, Maria was brave and firm on a much more complete and balanced level.

"Maria, I've missed your gentle soul," he said with a smile as he enfolded her hand in his again. "I have only just now realized how much."

Her smile was almost patient. "Yes, I believe you have, but only because I am here with you now. Your heart is too wild and free to miss those women you've left behind. Your ship fills the emptiness."

Setzer found himself trapped by the truth of her statement. He chuckled. "I never realized you knew me so well, Maria. It seems to me that you've grown since I last met you."

She flushed and lowered her gaze to their hands. "Yes, and many things I learned because of your presence in my life. You taught me how to look at life. How to live it instead of existing within it. My singing has broadened because of that. Because of you." Maria released a musical giggle as she raised her eyes to meet his. "I believe I have more of a spine than I did before," she told him with twinkling eyes.

Setzer's smile lightened his face. "This is a story I must hear."

Maria nodded delicately and stood, pulling Setzer to his feet. "But let's walk about the garden. All right?"

He tucked her hand around his arm and into the nook of his elbow. "Today is your day, Maria."

She released a deep breath as she brought her other hand to his arm. "I love the way that sounds. The timbre of your voice. The gentle way you say my name. They remind me of a song, though I don't know which. Perhaps I never learned it? Perhaps it's the song of you?" She sighed again and slightly shook her head.

"What is it?" Setzer asked gently.

"Oh, it's silly, but I wish I were not so cultured and delicate at times such as these. Rambling on of romantic nonsense. It likely makes me sound as if I have a head full of nothing."

Setzer halted her, gently turning her to face him as he enfolded her upper arms with his hands. "Maria, you should never be ashamed of who you are or the gentleness of your soul. Don't you realize these are seen as a haven for those people who come to hear you? Your voice and your very self lifts their eyes and imbues their life with loveliness."

Maria's eyes held his gaze. "But oh how I wish I would surrender to the fire and passion raging within." She took his face in her hands. "At times I believe it will consume me, taking control and doing that which I've wanted to do for so long…"

Setzer's blood roared in his ears at the light in her eyes, and his grip tightened ever-so-slightly. When she lowered her eyes and hands, his breathing came easier.

"But that is not who I am. I cannot control or force or push or take," she said, and her voice seemed sad. "My passion is my song."

Setzer's hands caressed her arms to take up her hands. "Yes, your passion is your song, but not how you believe. The song and the story you tell with it are the outlet for your zeal and fire, Maria. You share it with those around you, using your gift of song."

"Yet the one I wanted to share it with could not hear it."

Setzer brought her hands to his lips. "That isn't true, Maria. I could hear it, in my memories of you and our time together. Who else could have kept me pushing onward? I remembered your fire, Maria. How could I not?"

Maria continued to stare at the ground, and her very stance was hesitant and uncertain. It creased Setzer's forehead with worry and tightened his gentle grip on her hands. Finally, she slowly raised her eyes to his. The look there made Setzer stop breathing.

"Before you leave again…" Maria's voice faltered, as if she didn't want to continue. But then the look in her eyes firmed and she pressed onward. "Dearest Setzer, before you leave could you kiss me as you once did? Please. Renew that memory for me."

Setzer's smile shook. "Of course, Maria. Today is your day. Now, come along and tell me the stories of your life."

Dinner was divine, spiced with Maria's presence and Setzer's memories of her in both past and present. Their shared laughter over shared memories was intoxicating, spreading warmth through him that beat back the ache and brightened his smile. She had changed, but only as a wine properly aged. Maria had become more tangible. More complete. More desirable.

Once dinner in a secluded wing of the Opera House had resolved to lingering sips of each other's voice as well as their champagne, they adjourned to the gardens to spend their last minutes amidst its quiet welcome. Now, as she escorted him through the garden toward the gates, he dreaded to leave her without further exploration of what she meant to him.

"Time was always against us," Maria said in a silken tone of regret.

Setzer smiled slightly, caressing her hand as it rested so content in the nook of his elbow. "Yes, but we did our best by it; taking what it gave us and living it to the fullest extent."

Maria sighed with a wistful smile. "We did, didn't we? Each moment has a memory."

Setzer unwrapped her hand from his arm to bring each slight finger to his lips. "I will come again soon, Maria. The reminiscing has been enjoyable, just as hearing of your new adventures has made me laugh."

"I'm glad," she said softly. "You seemed so sad when I met you that first time, after Darryl's passing. I never wanted to see that expression in your eyes again." Maria looked over at him. "Yet when you visited me after such a long time… I saw it again." Her voice hesitated as her scrutiny deepened. "I'm glad you come to me when your soul aches. I'd give my life to take it away."

Setzer's steps faltered and ceased as he continued to stare ahead, the sun fading as other promises and duties pulled him away. His heart felt safe with her; his soul insulated and warm because he knew her and she knew him. A haven… "I wish I did not need to go," he said quietly.

"So do I, but you must. The wind calls for you, dearest, and you must answer. It's a part of you."

Setzer faced her, still holding her hand as the other caressed her cheek and moved to hold it. "You would tempt me to ignore it, songbird. If you asked it, I would stay."

Maria's pale-blue eyes shimmered with tears as she brought her free hand up to pull his away. "I can't ask that of you," she told him in a choked voice. "Dearest Setzer, who am I to anchor what should soar? Your soul is free, and it is that which I love."

Setzer gazed down into her pale face with quiet calm as his mind ceased all workings and mysteries. Then, he brought his hands up to caress and cradle the soft skin of her face. "I could easily love you, songbird."

Maria's eyes fluttered closed. "And that would be enough," she whispered.

A smile tickled Setzer's lips moments before lowering his hands to her shoulders to place a caress of a kiss on each cheek. When his lips hovered near hers, he resisted. He didn't want their kiss to be tainted by his memories of the same with Marée. But Maria's gentle sob at their parting, the tickle of her breath against his face, the fragrance of the flowers of her skin and hair… it enticed his senses with the promise of more.

When their lips touched, his mind sparked with a joining of past and present as a flame of memory and desire burned his lips and seared his skin. A haven. Still more sobs broke through her lips as his caressed and spoke to the soul that had begun to entwine itself with his. A haven. Maria's arms encircled him, drawing her warmth closer as he enfolded her slight form with quivering arms. Nights of song, mornings of laughter, days of passion and wholeness. A haven.

Then Maria was tearing herself away, covering her mouth with her hands to muffle the sobs as she turned and ran.

"Maria!" He took a step after her, arm and hand extended. "Maria!" But she had disappeared around the side of the Opera House, and moments later he heard the back entrance slam closed. "Maria…"

Setzer stared after her for a long moment of stillness and confusion as the wind tickled his face and lifted his hair to dance in the air around him. Then he turned and walked absently through the garden gates toward the Falcon, his hands behind his back. Any thoughts couldn't break through the pleasant turmoil of raw emotion and vivid memories. All he could process were the feelings, the lingering burn, the feather-whisper of a memory of her lips. Gods! finally broke through the passion that had sealed off his mind. And what else could he say?

Setzer gave the guards an absent nod as he boarded the Falcon and made his way to his private office to change. Marée's portrait halted him in the center of the room. He turned his head slightly to view it, feeling again her overwhelming persona of freedom and control. Her force of spirit. Setzer looked away from it, staring at the floor at his feet a moment before stepping toward his desk to retrieve his cards. He gazed down at the Esper design and then gave the deck a one-handed shuffle. Then, with only a slight hesitation, he turned the top card.

Ace of Diamonds.

Setzer smirked and set the deck back onto his desk before stepping toward the portrait and tucking the card into one corner of the frame. He stepped back from it and crossed his arms, examining the portrait with a slight smile. She'd had her distraction. True, the dice hadn't fallen the way they'd hoped, but she'd move on easily enough to the next adventure. Setzer, on the other hand, had wandered enough. He was ready for a home port.

» § «

Setzer noticed Edgar's intense scrutiny as he steered the Falcon from Kohlingen and set the heading for Mobliz. Relm and the children were below exchanging stories and making up games that only children could imagine. Edgar, not looking nearly as exhausted as Setzer had expected, had excused himself to the flight deck after promising to show the boys his battle machines a little later. Setzer smirked. The girls would be there too, but only because many of them had already fallen victim to the king's natural charm.

"Well?"

Setzer spared the king a quick look. "Well what?"

Edgar crossed his arms as he leaned against the bow of the ship. "Don't attempt that, gambler. Too often have I been the 'innocent' letch to believe it."

Setzer laughed. "I had a nice escape from Lady Luck and her empty promises, Edgar, if that's what you're asking."

"Good." Edgar looked out toward the horizon. "I sincerely hope the view from this open window was a pleasing one."

A refreshing vision of Maria in her pale yellow gown with her twinkling smile and caressing laughter brought a smile to his lips. "Yes. Yes, it was."

"Again, good." Edgar changed his sharp eyes to Setzer's face. "Don't close it too hastily this time."

Setzer looked over at him. "Pardon?"

Edgar smirked. "No, gambler, I don't know where you went or whose skirts you ruffled, but I know your tendency to let the Fates guide your step. That will be a hard habit to break. I'm only wanting to caution you against keeping your hands on the window sill."

Setzer chuckled and moved his eyes back to the horizon. "I believe that is a reminder that should be voiced again from time-to-time."

"I'll do my best, but the wedding will take most of my attention, understand."

Setzer nodded, his lips still lifted with his smile. "Yes. I understand."

"Good. I wouldn't want you to believe I'm purposefully snubbing you and the others."

"I'm sure Locke and yourself will find a way to keep me involved. Locke has already kept me and my ship busy with gathering supplies and things of that sort for the ceremony and reception."

"While I doubt I will have that particular need of you, I was to request a favor."

"A favor?" Setzer asked. "And what would that be?"

"Terra wanted me to ask you to lead her up the aisle."

Setzer looked quickly toward Edgar. "What?"

Edgar laughed at the expression of disbelief. "Come, come, Setzer. You've been a great friend to Terra and the children. It's only right that you be the one to give her away. General Leo should have had the honor, of course, but he's forced to watch the ceremony from elsewhere."

Setzer moved his eyes back to the horizon as he adjusted his hold on the wheel. "I don't know what to say, Edgar, besides 'yes'. I'm honored."

"Wonderful." Edgar chuckled. "You realize of course that the plot behind the request was so that you would bring the lady that stands on the other side of the open window?"

Setzer laughed. "I should have expected that of you."

"Now, now. I can't help my curious nature. Oh." Edgar reached out and cuffed Setzer on the arm. "And you must come with Terra, Celes, Locke, and myself to the new show at the Opera House. Terra will be allowed out of bed for an entire evening within the next day or so. I plan on reserving a box at the Opera House to make an outing of it. Haven't been there since we battled the earth dragon. Remember? It will be a nice change."

It was then Setzer realized he hadn't asked Maria about the operetta and her new role. His eyes darkened with a momentary scowl before he looked to Edgar. "A trip to the Opera will bring back certain enjoyable memories," he said with a smile and a twinkle.

Edgar laughed outright. "Yes, but this time restrain the kidnapping of the star until the show has finished. I'm sure Terra and the rest of us would appreciate a resolve."

Setzer looked away, the smile firmly in place. "I assure you that I will be on my best behavior."

"Glad to hear it, as I'm sure the Impresario will be." Edgar paused, gauging the gambler's profile. "Have you visited Maria since the failed attempt to kidnap her?"

"Once or twice," Setzer confessed vaguely.

"No hard feelings shared?"

Quite the contrary. "No hard feelings shared." And Setzer's spirit seemed to relax a little more into the possibility.

"Well that's a pleasant end to a botched kidnap of one's true love," Edgar teased with another cuff on the arm.

Setzer only smiled.

» § «

"Impresario. Just the man I needed to see."

The Impresario closed the double doors leading to the ground-floor seating of the Opera House to approach Setzer with a smile. "Mr. Gabbiani! What can I do for you?"

Setzer came up to the man and encircled his broad shoulders with an arm as he led him toward the front entrance of the Opera House. "I wondered if you'd be so good as to make sure King Edgar of Figaro and his soon-to-be bride were given complimentary reservations of a private box for a performance within the next few days. He's told me that he has plans to contact you to do so, and I don't want him to be charged. If that puts too much of a strain on your budget, let me know and I'll cover the cost."

The Impresario smiled as he gave a slight bow. "Of course, Mr. Gabbiani. The king coming here? What an honor."

"He'll also be bringing a friend, who will be bringing his fiancée. I'm to be their guest, so I want no mention of my participation in the arrangements of the box. Understood?"

The Impresario nodded with a serious expression. "Of course not, Mr. Gabbiani. Secrecy is of the utmost importance."

"And have a bouquet of Veldt blossoms presented to Miss Terra Branford and Miss Celes Chere respectively at the end of the performance."

The Impresario's expression brightened with his returning smile. "Wonderful idea, Mr. Gabbiani. Simply wonderful.

"Again, no mention of my involvement."

The Impresario shook his head, the smile vanishing yet again. "No, Mr. Gabbiani."

Setzer smiled broadly and clapped the man on the back. "Thank you, Impresario. Now." He looked over his left shoulder toward the stairs leading to Maria's dressing room. "Is Maria available for a brief walk? Or no?"

"I'm afraid not, Mr. Gabbiani. The performance this evening has only just recently finished. Miss Maria always rests after the performance before being taken to her private residence in Jidoor."

Setzer's smile waned as he looked back to the Impresario. "Ah well, such is to be expected. Tell her that I wished her well and will try to stop by tomorrow afternoon for lunch."

"Of course, Mr. Gabbiani."

Setzer hesitated, tapping his lips with a finger before looking down at the Impresario. "How was the performance this evening? Did it go well?"

"Extremely so, Mr. Gabbiani. Miss Maria was in exceptionally rare form. Several of the regular attendees commented on the stark difference between tonight's performance and their previous attendance."

Setzer's expression showed relief. "Offer her my congratulations when you see her next, but don't tell her of my plans to attend a performance in the next few days. I wish to surprise her with a visit after the curtain lowers."

"Of course, Mr. Gabbiani. My lips are sealed."

"Good man."

He clapped the Impresario on the back yet again before striding from the Opera House with a smile and a slight spring to his step. Allowing the apparent romantic 'nonsense' of his relationship with Maria so much power was ridiculous, but the adventure of it proved an irresistable temptation. After all, he hadn't resisted a passionate side-venture with Marée. Setzer knew he had fully intended to take the intoxicating sea captain to his bed, though he knew nothing about her save she held an intense fascination for air ships and a love for power. Why shouldn't he follow the same desire for Maria? Didn't he know much more about her than anyone else?

Setzer gave a brusque nod and strode aboard his airship.

"Sir?"

Setzer halted with his hand on the door of the main room to face the guard that had stepped forward. "Yes? What is it?"

"Captain Marée is in your private office."

Setzer's heart dropped to the soles of his feet, disappearing through the floor to submerge into the earthen ground below. "Thank you," he said in a quiet voice as he opened the door to the main room.

Setzer took in a slow breath, then another, and a third as he crossed the main room toward the door of his office. What he expected from her was a mystery. What he thought or felt of her presence on his ship yet another. Neither one he wanted to solve, though now it seemed he had little or no choice.

Edgar had been right; Lady Luck was a tease.

Setzer gave a deep sigh as he reached out for the handle, twist and push, and then he stepped into his office. Marée had lounged back in the seat behind his desk with her long legs propped up on the desk blotter. She lifted her head at his entrance, and her aquamarine eyes zeroed in on his silver ones as she paused her play with his dagger letter-opener.

Her expression was guarded. "Captain."

Setzer's pace to the desk was steady and deliberate. His mind remained distant, surprisingly insulated. "Marée. To what do I owe the honor of this visit?"

Marée's eyes gauged his stance and expression. "First, I wanted to say 'I'm sorry' for hitting you in the face. Twice. I've got a bit of a temper when I don't get what I want, when I want it."

Setzer's eyebrow twitched. An apology had been the last thing expected. "While I appreciate it, I understand your reaction. I deserved it."

Marée pointed the dagger at him. "Yes. You did." Then she lowered it as she continued to watch his face. "Second, I wanted…" Her gaze darkened as she moved it back to the dagger. "I wanted you to give it another go. I'd hate myself 'til the second coming of Kefka if I didn't try. We felt damn right together, Setzer. You know it, too. We clicked." She pinpointed his eyes with hers. "People like us don't click with just anyone."

Setzer lowered himself into the chair across from his desk. His eyes couldn't release hers. Oh gods… "No, I suppose we don't."

Marée submerged the tip of the dagger into the desk blotter and leaned slightly forward. "You said you were tired. Maybe that's the problem. Relm said you and a bunch of others had just got Terra out of a fix and it was touch-and-go with her for a while. Maybe that was it. Maybe you think I'm the one who gave the guy his stuff. I don't know. Maybe I'm just after you because you're the first man to say 'not yet' and then 'no'. I don't know that either. All I know is I want you, Setzer. Like a storm on the ocean, you make my blood roar."

Setzer finally lowered his eyes from hers, those compelling and entrancing reasons to lock the door and surrender… "And what then, Marée? After the roar has quieted and the fire has waned; when I've become yet another face on your wall of conquests and adventures, what then?"

Marée kicked back again. "Who gives a curdled care? We'll have had the adventure. Besides, who says it'll fade? Didn't I tell you I would have dropped any other man who pushed my buttons like you did? I haven't, have I? Here I am. My tight little ass in your chair asking you to show me what you're made of."

Setzer raised his eyes to hers, but his soul balked. "There's more to this gambler captain than the pleasure I give to a woman in bed, Marée."

One side of her lips tilted. "Let's find out just how much more. I'm up to the adventure. What about you?"

Setzer actually frowned with a flash of annoyance. "And after I satisfy that need? What next? A quick fix here; a snatch of passion there; a planned day with whispered encouragements at the height of passionate moaning? Shallow snatches of conversation as we strip off our clothes and fulfill the other's lust for meaningless intimacy? What is that but sallow and empty adventure— adventure? Bah! More an addiction than an adventure, in my mind."

Marée's face hardened as her eyes sparked. "You better watch what you say and how you say it, captain."

Setzer pulled at the reins of his temper. "I don't mean it as an insult, Marée. We must each live our life as we feel we need to live it, but as for me? Distractions and futureless ecstasies are pointless. I thought perhaps you could be a haven of sorts for me when I'd had enough of the wandering, but I see now that you aren't finished with your own wanderlust. There are more adventures waiting for you." He stood. "I'm sorry, Marée, but my ship and I need a home port. A haven to rest our weary souls. It's unfair of me to expect that from you."

Marée gauged him for a long and intense moment before standing and making her way close beside him. Her eyes sparkled with a chorus of desires and promises, just as her lips did. "One last chance, captain. I heard what you said, but I think it's dragon piss. You've an adventurer's heart. Your soul longs for freedom. Why would you willingly anchor--"

"No anchor," Setzer corrected. "Only a place to call home. A dock to return to at each journey's end. A welcoming port."

Marée took hold of the lapels of his coat and pulled him close; so close each breath tickled the skin of his face with memories. "I can be pretty damned welcoming, captain. And I think my ship could be a hell of a good home."

Setzer covered her hands with his and pulled them free from his coat, resisting the itch of temptation. "It isn't enough, Marée. I thought it would be at one time, but…" He shook his head and stepped back. "I'm a gambler, Marée. It's all or nothing. I've placed my bet. I want it all."

Marée's eyes sparked with temper. "You want what? Three screaming brats grabbing your legs when you try to escape to the air? A woman that doesn't trust you out of her sight and questions every little thing you do? Time schedules and rules? Demands and--"

"Yes." And the answer shocked Setzer to the core.

Marée blinked and leaned slightly backward in surprise. "What?"

"I want the woman who cares enough to question. I want the children that symbolize a family begun with love, trust, and intimacy. I want the responsibility that would come with the family I chose to have. Can't you see the constant adventure of that, Marée? The newness each day? The challenge to surprise those that know you so well?"

Marée closely scrutinized his face as her eyes narrowed. Finally, the expression on her face relaxed and she passed him to the exit. Setzer turned and watched her. "You've spoken yourself into certain doom, captain. Good luck."

"And to you, Marée. I will never regret our time together."

She scoffed and slammed the door closed behind her. Setzer, however, lowered himself carefully into his chair and clutched at his desk as the pictures of his 'doom' began to solidify. The adventure he'd chosen would be more terrifying and more challenging than any other in his life.