Third chapter. Shopping with Fran. Don't you just hate the crowds? How much can Basch really take?

AVOIDING THE CROWDS

"Will he be okay?" asked Penelo.

Basch almost fell over as Balthier latched onto his white shirt and fell to his bed. Basch stopped himself from toppling over by wrenching the younger man's fingers off one of the few shirts Basch owned that wasn't made of metal. Balthier was a little drunk, but he had still been capable of walking. Most of the time.

"I am fine!" The Sky pirate said as he buried his head beneath one of his pillows. "I need a little rest and then I'll be back to work!"

Basch looked at the crumpled cotton shirt he was wearing. Balthier had nearly ripped it a couple of times as he tried to hold on and there were some smutty alcohol finger prints on the sleeves. The waft of alcohol now hung around him but the horrible scent of the perfume had gone. For which Basch was grateful.

"I thought you said you couldn't come with us because you were busy." said Penelo, addressing the tall Viera standing with her arms crossed in the doorway, rather than Balthier.

"It is not what you think." said Fran, her soft voice still sounded godly to Basch. She hadn't changed at all over these years. There was not a wrinkle on her face or imperfection on her mocha hued skin, the fur on her tall ears still shone with a youthful healthy glow and as ever all her right proportions were still…she was perfect.

"Thanks to Balthier, he and I are now able to go and hunt one of the toughest marks open to fiend hunters. The reward is quite…substantial and no one has ever managed to defeat it. We are confident in our success. However…Captain…you appear to have a much more difficult task ahead of yourself."

Basch's mouth hung open in shock. Fran knew as well?

"The gift for the Queen." A sly and rare smile came to Fran's lips. "From a Knight so enamoured…"

"I am not enamoured!"

"From a Knight besotted with his Queen, this gift to celebrate the day of her birth must be exact and true."

"I am not besotted…"

"Infatuated? Smitten? Or more precisely…in love with?"

She was teasing him. Fran was actually trying to get him to openly declare his feelings for Ashe, (no doubt Penelo had been talking to her) but Basch wasn't going to fall prey to her Viera wiles. No more so than any hot blooded male already did at the sight of her.

"In love with, is far too inappropriate." said Basch sternly.

Fran and Penelo gave each other a look which said "But it is right."

"You both know that it is impossible for me to…"

"Excuses again!" Penelo moaned. "Why do you keep denying it?"

"Perhaps, we should just accept that he won't reveal his feelings for the Queen and help him find a present for her." said Fran. "As best we can.

"That would be more beneficial." said Basch bowing his head in gratitude.

"Then I shall take you to the Muthru Bazaar. We shall find what Ashe might like there."

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The Muthru Bazaar, a market of stalls selling wares of such variety that Basch it found even more perplexing than the shops of the city. It was packed in close together and even in the later hours of the day, people still came here in crowds. Strange foods cooked on open stoves, scenting the hot sticky air with aromas to make even the fullest man still lust to gorge. There were cries of the stall owners shouting above the buzz of the shopper's chatter and somewhere music played.

Basch had been here several times, he hated it then and he did so now. He felt so uncomfortable, as every step he took, someone managed to knock against him. Though Fran, on the other hand, seemed to be able to clear a path before her, no one dared to get in her way. She strolled casually along the narrow aisles, her dark red eyes scrutinizing every stall they passed and still not a single person touched her in this mayhem.

"Do you have any ideas?" she asked as a group of excited children ran around her and into Basch. Each child just laughed and sped on through the crowds. Instantly after, a Seeq barged into Basch, sending him in a full turning circle on staggering feet. Then, a hume woman caught his arm with her shoulder. He growled in frustration.

"Not really." he said. His eye caught a weapons stall and for a moment he longed to browse the fine display of swords and spears…the only true shopping he did like. For that distraction, a small Moogle collided with his shins. With a squeak of a startled "Kupo!" the Moogle carried on.

"Do you know what Ashe is fond of?" Fran asked. A group of large Bangaa, (in midst of a conversation and in their own little world) completely avoided the Viera, but instead caught Basch on either side of him. This was getting ridiculous.

"Erm…"

"Other than armaments?"

Basch had no idea. He had known Ashe all her life, he had been her protector and Knight since she was a child and for the life of him, he couldn't think of one thing that she liked. It infuriated him and he was angered even more when a man stumbled and spilt his hot cup of Rabanastre Jav all over him.

The man apologised, but then only began to complain about how much gil he had wasted and walked away. Basch felt the liquid soak through his shirt and scorch his skin, yet he prided himself on not screaming in immense fury. His breaking point was close.

"This will be a problem." said Fran totally oblivious to the constant bumps and knocks Basch was receiving. "How can a gift be exact for the Queen when you do not know what she likes? Or if you don't even want to admit that you…"

"This was not my idea." A woman's huge bundle of bags clouted against his back.

"There are many rare items here." Fran announced as the same bundle of bags from the woman missed her completely. "Books…jewellery, scents and perfumes…ornaments…is there nothing that catches your eye?"

How could anything catch his attention, when everyone seemed to be catching him? A couple of teens rudely shoved him aside, straight into the path of another Seeq who was in a rush. That collision sent Basch staggering straight into the wooden table of one of the stalls.

"Hey!" cried the owner. "Watch it fella!"

The breaking point was approaching.

"Perhaps this will please Asheila." said Fran as she picked up a beautiful and intricate glass carving of a flower. The very flower than the Queen was named after. Basch was tempted. It would make a very fitting gift but deep down and for some unknown reason a memory stirred.

On some quiet summer nights, the young princess had made Basch tell her stories and he recalled at how happy she was when he did so. Ashe would listen so intently through many hours of tales only to have him repeat her favourites once he had done so. Basch now struggled to remember what ones she had liked. Damn his memory and damn the cart that clipped his ankles as it trundled by.

"Captain?"

Fran asked him again and Basch looked more closely at the glass ornament. It was very beautiful, it captured everything that Ashe was…but it wasn't right. He felt it.

Basch also felt something poke him hard in the back. He spun round and saw that a tiny hume man was struggling with an arm full of spears. The weight of them was causing him to turn and every time he did, the spears impacted against the poor Captain.

Whack. Thud. Whack.

"I am standing right here!" Basch yelled. The hume man became frantic with worry and apologised, but he still wouldn't stay still and so the spears hit Basch again and again.

Whack. Thud. Thud. Whack.

Fran, as usual, was not touched at all, despite the fact she was standing right next to him.

The breaking point was reached.

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"He did what?!"

Penelo wasn't sure if she wanted to laugh or be totally horrified by what Fran had told her. She looked at Basch in the next room, her hands trembling round her mouth.

He had taken his shirt off and Penelo could see new cuts and scrapes bleeding on his back, chest and arms. He was tending to them as best he could, but Penelo couldn't ignore the heavy frown on his face. She had never seen Basch angry before and to hear what happened at the Bazaar made her worry.

"He snapped them all." said the Viera. "His behaviour was….alarming. It was not like him."

"Basch completely lost it, grabbed those spears and snapped them all?" Penelo couldn't believe it.

"With his bare hands."

"Oh my god!"

Fran nodded.

"The owner of the spears was extremely upset for he feared that Basch would do the same to him. Fortunately for him, Basch decided to leave the Bazaar. It wasn't easy for him…it wasn't until after he was swarmed by an escaped flock of Chocobo chicks that he finally managed to get out. Penelo…I know the Emperor Solidor suggested this for him, but perhaps….it wasn't the wisest of ideas."

Penelo knew that Fran was right, but her desire to finally get the Queen and Knight together was stronger than Basch's immense fear and hatred of shopping. The gift had to be found, Ashe and Basch's joining together had to happen. In the end, Basch would thank her for this.

"Ladies…perhaps you should leave this matter to me?"

Balthier appeared out of nowhere. He looked a little worn, but that grin on his mischievous but handsome face was now one of clear sobriety.

Penelo recalled the words Larsa had written in his letter.

Don't take Vaan or Balthier for that matter. Their contributions to the Queen's birthday presents on previous years, were only slightly better than Basch's card

Penelo had always thought Larsa wrong with that statement. Balthier's presents for Ashe had been so much worse.

NEXT: Shopping with Balthier.