DISCLAIMER: I do not own SQUARE, SQUARESOFT, SQUARE ENIX or the characters, places or ideas from their games. They own me.
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Stretching languidly, Jecht wandered out into the lobby of the travel agency. He found himself listless already, regretting his decision to remain there while his comrades scouted out where the large fiend was. They had managed to climb out of the deteriorating ruin, Jecht suffering the worst of it with a sprained ankle. Thankfully they were near one of the various Al Bhed outposts spread across Spira, and they had stopped there to wrap Jecht's ankle. While they were waiting for the poultice to boil Auron had overheard one of the chocobo trainers telling of a beast that was terrorizing the highroad and eating chocobos.

"It won't take that much time! Besides, it's the right thing to do." Jecht's argument had swayed the other two and Braska had assured the management that they would do what they could to rid the All Bhed of the fiend. Auron wanted to try to find the monster as soon as possible but that was not likely considering how night would fall in a few hours, so instead they went to see the lay of the land leaving Jecht to rest his injured foot. While waiting for them to return, the blitzballer had succeeded in sitting down in their shared room for a whole five minutes before becoming bored.

He noticed two of the Agency employees, a petite Al Bhed and a taller, older looking girl rearranging furniture. Shrugging, he walked to the door careful to stay out of their way. He leaned against a wall and gazed out the entrance, even in the sharp light of the afternoon the highroad was a beautiful place, so different from the buildings and machine he was used to seeing against the skyline. He contemplated this journey he was undertaking, as he did often in the past weeks while the noises of the girls moving things broke the quietness of the room.

"Ooh, this is heavy!"

"Just set it down there – carefully!" Something thudded to the ground.

"It looks fine the way it is Shel, I'm going to go get some lunch."

Jecht's ears pricked at the lighthearted conversation behind him. What had the Al Bhed called the other? And where had he heard that name before? Was there any possibility that it could be...?

Frantically he looked out onto the road, willing Braska and Auron to reappear a bizarre ten minutes after they left. No luck there, he would have to do something himself to prevent this chance slipping away. He turned back to examine the girl just in time to see her younger friend wave goodbye and disappear in the general direction of the kitchen. She looked athletic, her modest garb completing the appearance that made Jecht file her under the category of 'not really desirable'. Dull ash-colored hair pulled back in a pragmatic ponytail, sturdy mud-stained boots; he couldn't recall hearing Auron describe her at all, he probably had the wrong girl.

Noticing his perusing stare, she frowned at him. Taking a step towards him she queried, "Did you need something?"

Ah. There. Golden eyes. Auron had said she had golden eyes. Had to be her.

"Yeah. Uhm, Come with me!"

With that the former blitzballer grabbed her wrist and took off in the direction of the trio's shared room, trailing the disgruntled worker behind him. When they were almost to the door realization hit her and she started to resist.

"Let me go!" She punctuated this with a painful kick to Jecht's shin.

"Ow, hey!"

"Stop it!" But it was no use, Jecht, fed up with her struggles, easily hefted her over his shoulder and pushed the door open with his elbow. The poor victim of Jecht's sudden epiphany was dazed as she felt herself carried into the unlit room and dumped on the bed. Preparing to give this maniac the fight of his life, she centered herself and as the door slammed shut and the lock clicked into place sat up to find herself alone in the large room.

Apparently 'maniac' couldn't even begin to describe him. She chewed on her lower lip as she surveyed the room; she felt oddly vulnerable in the large space, wishing for some kind of comfort. She knew she couldn't get out without the key; there was nothing to do but wait. Drawing her legs up to her chest and hugging them tightly, she prepared to do just that.

-----

"..it's true about this place but I never knew just how long the road really – oh, hello Jecht." Braska turned from his conversation with Auron and beamed at his other guardian who stood leaning against a wall near the front desk. He seemed very agitated.

"What took you so long?"

Braska looked at Auron and, seeing his puzzlement mirrored in his comrades expression, shrugged. "What's going on, Jecht?"

Not answering, the shirtless guardian scampered to where he was behind Auron and started to forcefully push him towards the rooms. Auron, resisting on principle barked out an angry command to stop and found himself already at the door of their rented room.

The girl heard the sounds of a scuffle outside the door and quickly got up. She prepared herself to rush at whoever came in and hopefully get out the door before they could grab her. Poising to flee, she braced her foot against the floor ready to push off as the door opened.

Braska hadn't been able to keep up with his guardians and turned the corner to see Auron, who seemed angrier by the second, shoved by Jecht and sent reeling into their unlit room. Jecht then slammed the door shut and locked it. Braska wondered if this was effects of alcohol again or perhaps hallucinations – Jecht wasn't the most mentally sound person in Spira; it was what made him want to help the man.

So much for her plan. She had managed quite well, getting a running start and, heart beating, speeding towards the door and freedom. She hadn't counted on the man coming at almost the same speed towards her. They had collided and ended up on the floor each not knowing how the other was just as frightened and confused. Chella shuddered, the man was large and muscled..he could easily overpower her and yet…a memory was dredged up from a place kept hidden.

Auron grunted and as they untangled he pushed himself up, standing shakily. Blast that Jecht! He did not need to be so..so..helpful, trying to fix things that were not his business. Almost afraid to look, he glanced down at the still prone girl and realization hit hard, hard enough to make his heart skip a beat.

"Chella!" The sound came out as something more than a croak but Auron did not care, too fast for her to fully comprehend what was happening he grabbed her arm and pulled her into a tight embrace, clutching her against his chest.

"Auron?" she gasped – it couldn't be, could it? It was him..hugging her. Head pressed into his cloak, she breathed in his scent and let the tide of memories wash over her. Too well trained in that particular masquerade, she didn't hug him back. Auron loosened his grip and held her at arms length, looking her over. He grinned, some things never change. He felt so happy he could have hugged Jecht. Granted she did not seem likewise enthused to see him but Jecht had managed to solve his biggest problem: actually finding her.

Chella relented and let a soft smile slip through her exterior, "It's so good to see you." He certainly was a sight for sore eyes, he had thinned somewhat and he carried himself with more assurance and confidence than before. He was so handsome when he smiled. She almost chuckled when she saw the same two strands of hair that still would not stay in his ponytail. Even noticing all this, there was something else different about being near him, something fundamental that she couldn't put her finger on.

"How have you been?" He asked before she had a chance to, "Still keeping busy with your experimenting?"

That was it. Chella finally realized what had changed: this time he had remembered her.

-----

"Ow!" Jecht glanced up from the floor and saw the end of Braskas staff, which he had just been poked by. Almost immediately he looked back into the small crack in the wall, trying to see into the dim room.

"It's rude to spy, Jecht." Braska chided laughingly, "So you got some girl in a room and you think this will help Auron how exactly?"

"It's not just some girl, it's her – Chella, the one he told us about."

Instantly the summoner was next to him on the floor vying for a better view through the small gap. "You don't say."

-----

"I am sorry about Jecht."

"Oh." She arched her eyebrow "You mean that creep with the red headband?"

He smiled, that was certainly one way to describe him.

"Did you know he grabbed me, picked me up and threw me on the bed before locking me in here?"

Auron's eyes widened. No he had not.

At his expression of horror she reached out and patted him on the arm, "That's okay, nothing I can't handle."

A look that could have been relief replaced the other and an uncomfortable silence descended, each of them unsure of what to say. Chella broke the silence first.

"I should get back to work, they will be wondering what happened to me." She trembled, knowing she had to walk away. "It was nice seeing you again."

He saw the troubled look on her face and wanted nothing else but to comfort her and see her happy.

"Chella…" The tenderness that was in his voice surprised her and she wavered. Very well, let the truth come out; it had certainly plagued her long enough.

"Auron," she savored saying his name like a dying man savors his last meal, "There's something you should know – about why I was serving Kinoc."

He nodded at her and sat down on the edge of the bed, reminiscent of the time she listened to his own dark secrets. He was decidedly curious about this – and apprehensive at her serious expression. She pulled up a stool and sat, steeling herself for whatever his reaction might be.

"I…Kinoc held someone captive – the man I love; He blackmailed me into helping him or else harm would come to him. I had to." The words tumbled out, disjointed and Auron's heart sank. So that was it, apparently love was a strong bond. At least there was no chance that she could have been his if only he had acted sooner, no lost opportunities. It was small comfort.

"Auron," her voice was urgent, bringing him back into the moment, "It was you." It was said so quietly he was not certain he had heard it. His heart pounded as he slowly digested this information. All this time…

Mistaking his look of shock, she quickly got up, embarrassed. Not about to let yet another chance slip away he rose and caught her arm, drawing her close. She shivered; would he take advantage of her? She would let him.

"Oh Chella…" Suddenly her actions at the Mushroom Rock camp all began to make sense, the pieces of the puzzle fit together so well that Auron was confused as to how he did not realize it before. She loved him. "Marry me."

"What?" She couldn't help but sound incredulous. Chella looked up and unreservedly searched his face for a clue of what was going on. He merely gazed longingly down at her, wonder shining in his eyes.

"Marry me now." He pulled one of her hands up and kissed the back of it. "Please?"

He wanted her to marry him? Things just weren't making sense. She wanted to ask 'why?' but it seemed like such an uncouth thing to say in reply to a proposal of marriage.

Auron saw her confusion and knew he could never fully explain it but he had better start trying before she lost her mind attempting to figure it out.

"I love you Chella. That is why Jecht locked you in here, because he knew about it. I should not have left you, I should have taken you with me but I did not realize. I am sorry…"

She put a finger on his lips and smiled, slowly realizing what he was saying.

"You will have to tell me all about that someday."

Oh he wanted nothing more that to just take her in his arms and kiss her but first…

"Come with me." Similar to Jecht's actions earlier he grabbed her arm and strode out of the room and towards the main door of the travel agency, giving a startled-looking Al Bhed a nod.

"I am going to borrow your employee for a while. I need to marry her."

The man stared as the two of them half ran out the door, knowing that nothing was amiss from Chella's smile and gesture but shaking his head nonetheless. Admittedly he had seen stranger things but this was definitely amongst the foremost.

They were married during a Highroad sunset, Braska performing the simple ceremony with Jecht interrupting every so often. They all knew they had many things to work out, but for this moment, everything was right