DISCLAIMER : Final Fantasy Series belongs to Square-Enix.

RULE IN READING THIS: DROP YOUR LOGIC AT HOME; enter the world without questions coz THERE WOULD BE SOO MUCH (too much) odds here; just prepare!^^ coz I'm just too lazy to fix it ; no details, lack of rationale.

Chapter VI

"One word, Sir!", a reporter halted him, holding his trench coat. "for the number one criminal in case he hears this…"

He pushed his hands arrogantly and waved his trademark trench coat.

"Well, you'll surely die this time, Leonhart. Alexander or what…..I'm not afraid. I'm going to pursue you to death. Use your GF….I'll catch you…. The place where you can't use your GF is the place you'll die by my hyperion…! Times when I couldn't see the sunset freely….payback!", he smirked smugly as hell.

"It's about your days as prisoners, sir? what's the meaning of it? can you elaborate, sir? Sir…?"

And Seifer went inside a black luxury car, leaving those reporters behind.

-O.O-

OOOO

-O.O-

"but….Mr. President, I have- a plan, sir."

",,, I'm busy right now. just make it realization then report to me directly.", he said.

"Sure, sir."

"I always regard you as the most perfect person for the job… don't make me think to replace your position to someone more competent, Almasy.", the president tapped his shoulder gracefully, smiling warmly.

Then he strode out off the place, followed by elite guardians of president.

"Mr. Caraway! Long time no see!", a squeak friendly voice then heard.

"It's such a good time to see you again, Mr. Loire. Have a seat, then…"

Then Seifer couldn't hear the conversation again as he left the two presidents there in the elegant guest room of the Presidential Palace.

Seifer knew exactly what they would talk about and he's not going to show himself right now as the president wouldn't appreciate it.

Going out from the back door, he followed one of the elite guard to exit the Presidential Palace where his car was parked to run his plan.

-O-

Seifer Almasy walked from the train station of Dollet to a certain place he had left years ago. He didn't wear his F.A.S.T uniform or his legendary trench coat. He just wore a simple white collar shirt with black pants and a pair of dark sunglasses. As he arrived at the slum area, he realized that the orphanage was unusually quiet. The door was closed too.

He knocked at the door patiently.

"GO AWAY!", a familiar voice of an old woman yelled from inside.

"…Teressa…, it's me."

"WHO are you? GO TO HELL!"

"It's me, Seifer…open the door, I missed you."

She peeked from the window which made Seifer smiled and closed again the curtains.

"I don't know you!", her hoarse voice replied.

Geez… she's really old now…

"I'm sorry for leaving just like that…..it's me! …. My friend was supposed to be here….. a brunette?"

Sigh… no use.

"Hey, are you there?", he then shouted, hoping if Squall was there he'd answer him. He wouldn't yell up his name; too idiotically risky.

It was getting dark.

A little girl ran toward the place, several boys following her. He knew some of them, but they didn't seem to recognize him.

"Grandmaaaa…open the door! It's us!"

The raven hair girl stayed back while the others had already went inside, eyed him suspiciously and looked at his scar in interest.

"…who are you, Mr? Lilia has seen you somewhere before…."

The door clicked and it opened.

"Lilia! Get in!"

"Teressa, let me go inside, too!", Seifer asked.

But the door clicked again.

Shit!

Everybody had gone inside.

Seifer wasn't realized that one of the boy, the oldest boy was still there hiding in the back.

Then the boy ran toward him.

"Seifer…..! I knew you'd come back!", he hugged him.

"Bill?" he was quiet amazed how the boy had grown up. "Bill? You've just-"

"…almost 6 years…I'm twelve right now." The boy grinned widely. "so, you're truly a F.A.S.T leader then? Seifer? They don't believe me!"

He just smiled.

"How could I? F.A.S.T ? Hey, tell me, what's with Teressa? She doesn't know me."

"Everybody wouldn't be… look at you now, Seifer! …..but as for Grandma, she's sick… her memory is decreasing… dementia or what.. some difficult words I can't understand. And it's government!"

"What's about it?"
"Dunno. Don't have license… several men had come to us these days… but grandma doesn't want to give up. They said they would clear the place forcefully and use violence if they had to. Maybe that's why she's been a little too paranoid for strangers."

"What?"
"City plan. Clear the slum area…. Pop it into elite residential place for government officers… but it won't be a problem, right? You're the famous F.A.S.T leader! Do something about it!"

" Hey…hey… I'm not…" this is Dollet anyway, I don't have any authorities here. "where's Sarah, Jim, Puff, and Fick?"

"A-dop-ted. It's just me the old one here. They don't like me I guess…"

"and Flame?", now his heart raced fast.

"Inside. Grandma never let anyone adopted him. now grandma is sick-"
"bring me to him, Bill!"

"Why everyone treats him special?"

"Don't be such a cry baby…. Hey! Tell me, did a man with a brunette hair visiting you all these days?"

"Yes!", a high pitch voice yelled excitedly.

"LILIA?", Bill yelled too.

"Ssst….", she smiled. "Grandma had already slept. Lilia is a brave girl, right? I hear the voices outside…"

"Lilia, it's not a place for girl. It's boy thing. It's already night too. Go inside. It's time for children to sleep.", Bill said.

"An uncle named Lucas was visiting us. His hair looked like you, brought a big sword and-"
"had a scar like this?", Seifer asked interesting.

"mm,`yeah… and a glasses too!"

"Where is he, now, good girl?"

"Dunno… and who are you, Mr?"

"He's the f-bzzzt-!"

But cut off by seifer who held his mouth. "I once lived here, girl.", he said.

DAMN! How could Squall go without him?

"Don't tell others about my visiting here, Bill. Bring me to Flame, now."

"Will you pick me out then? ? Promise?"

Seifer just nodded slightly.

The children helped him at last. He sure knew how to sneak well but he didn't know how Alexander Flame looked like right now, and he didn't want to risk to bring a wrong person. Now he had ignored the children and sneaked professionally to Teressa's room where he expected to find Flame.

Lilia was about to react but halted by Bill who held her arms.

"ssst….."

Then the little girl nodded.

She looked frightened right now.

Seifer just held the 3 years old sleeping boy and looked at his black spot on his back (his nevus) when the old woman who slept in the same bed realized in shocked. But before she could scream, he had held her mouth.

"Teressa, it's such an unfortunate meeting we have now."

"hhh…mmmmfffff!"

"Thank you."

He cast a sleep spell and jumped off the window, bringing the little boy safely in his hands. Now the boy had already awakened, gibbered some infant language, and cried.

"Oh…..not now…", Seifer tried to calm him. To his surprised the boy quiet suddenly as he heard Seifer's voice.

The green eyes boy looked at him and let out a cute chuckle instead of cry, feeling the radiant safety naturally. He smiled and his green eyes shone n curiosity, gazing directly to the older man's eyes.

While in the other hand, the two children outside the room just stiffened in horror. Both of them were afraid and couldn't let out a voice.

As Seifer disappeared, Bill felt extremely disappointed realizing that he's been tricked by his lie. Not in the world his idol would pick him out of this place, not since he's actually such a famous man.

Holding the child in his hands, Seifer thought fast. He's surely not expected to this. He sighed. Only one person… her.

"Who aree you? Are you a bad guy? Why do you take Xander from home? What did you do to Granny? Is she safe? I thought I heard a scream….Where are we going? Huh ?"

That stopped Seifer for a moment. Yes. A 3 year old boy… should have already started talking…

"you're not a bad guy…"

Seifer still lost at words. Does every three years old boy talk so smoothly like this? He didn't know since he's never been a parent, a doctor, or took lesson of child growth and neurobehavior development. He thought what he brought was baby. He couldn't really differentiate between baby and infants.

"Why is it?"

"Xander have seen you before.", he giggled.

Seifer rose an eyebrow.

"Xander feel safe with you. Much safer than in home. Hey! Actually I can walk. Wanna me show it to you? So we could run faster to wonderful places…"

Ignoring the child he kept running. He's going to that place as soon as possible: Trabia.

"could you be my Daddy?"

Seifer looked directly to those small green orbs which mirrored his.

"Granny Teressa told that my daddy still alive. Could you be my daddy? Where's mommy? Is she dead too like other's?"

"It's night. You should sleep…so we could run faster to a safer wonderful places." , he kissed his forehead. "right… good boy…"

"Don't regard Xander likee that…it's-"

"Ok, little man, it's time to sleep."

The child smiled at that word. So silly, thought Seifer, almost felt shameful as if he saw a much younger little himself who wanted to grow faster, gained power faster, and become important- special- person faster. He cast a sleep spell so the child fell in deep slumber instantly. Seifer couldn't help but doing it before he suffered unnecessary headache.

Seifer then managed to sneak to one of Estharian goods airplane which was the fastest plane he could find there; the one that had the usual route to Trabia mining area near Trabia city. Since Dollet had already been an international dukedom, it was a common thing to see such an international ships went in and out of the country. These plane were the vessels to transport copper and ore from Trabia mining area of Esthar territory to Dollet to redistribute to other areas in this continent; and only high technology nation like Esthar could provide such facilities while others tend to use conservative methods via ships through the ocean. Casting sleeps to the boy he was holding along the way, he prayed not to be found. It's actually different when going not only by himself.

-O.O-

Quistis was on her bed, counting the money. She let out a sigh. She's going to talk to Barbadoz this evening. This place might be not safe again…

A knock on the door.

"Maron?"

"Claire, someone is looking for you… I thought you'd want me to ask your opinion first…"

Her muscle stiffened as she heard it. ...are they here already?...

"he's waiting at the pub…"

She got the bait…. He's already known my place…

"Claire?"

"Just tell him you don't know anything…..", she shut the door spontaneously in anxiety. She locked then held the door with her back tightly and held her breath.

"It was the handsome rich man!"

She then ran toward her room to desperately looking for her precious old weapon deep down in her cupboard.

But as she knew that it's too late. There! Found it! No way he'd like to sit there waiting in the pub. It's just a simple bait for Maron to point the place directly.

The window was opened. He must- Now he must be…

"HHh!"

"CALM DOWN, Instructor! No magic!", he took the hit almost voluntarily as Quistis saw it. "no attack! Hear me out first!"

To Quistis surprised, a high pitch soft cry then heard- a shocked scream of a scared infant.

"What the….?"

"Xander… calm down….", he said.

Quistis was surprised to see him in such a serious face. Anxiety reflected in his face and he's certainly didn't hide he was in a hurry.

Then her eyes looked at the handsome little boy. "mumm?", his eyes stared Seifer full of hope. He still looked incoherent, probably due to too many sleep spells, thought Seifer.

"Yes….Xander….be a…. good boy."

Then the child spoke un-understandable speech like kids used to, in a cheerful manner (much more like talking to himself in his own world with his owns vocabularies).

Green eyes…

Black hair…

There's something too familiar about his giggling.

"Please take care of Alexander. I'll explain later."

"…"

"I don't have any options left. Please? I promise I'll come to get him again. A week at most."

"Rinoa's?"
Seifer nodded as he gave him to Quistis's hand.

"get the son of the bitch off me!", she yelled hysterically.

But then to her shocked, he kissed her. "I'm sorry, Quis. Just you the one I could think of."

"SEIFER!"

But the man had already gone through the windows. She looked at the bag he purposely left on her and found it was full of gills. She looked at the innocent boy who was now smiling and giggling. The soft side of her couldn't just let the poor boy.

-O.O-

Now where is that Leonhart?

Seifer was walking at Dollet street to the train station. He took the ship to Dollet and was about to take the train to Deling city. But something caught his attention then.

Isn't it?

A battalion of Dollet army was unusually seen busy in the harbor.

Looking at their equipment, Seifer could guess, they were about to go to extreme cold weather.

They're heading to the north….

? could the words spread that quick?
…..she's in danger!!

Tit! Tit!

"Where are you?", General Terry voice came.

"Dollet, sir."

"Good. Our intelligent found something interesting…"

Then the phone hung.

Tit tit!

A message received.

Shit!

He was inside the car now, dressed in his F.A.S.T uniform again, sitting in the backseat, heading to Galbadia military base to get on some F.A.S.T airplane, heading to the Trabia with mission in his hands. But he had different things in mind.

-O.O-

OOOO

-O.O-

"Come!" he pulled her forcefully. "no questions. They are already here. Follow me!"

Quistis could hear steps outside.

Then without thinking, she followed Seifer through the window by instinct.

But then they were surrounded. And her house shot like crazy.

"Damn it! Hold him!"

He then reached his hyperion and wielded it madly.

"…noo GF!"

"…right."

Seifer killed the 7 Dollet soldiers.

"Thanks God… it's only seven…"

"-not yet, Quis. Follow me."

"HEY! No more sleep spells… he's just an infant! He could be intoxicated… or damaged…" Quistis then re-grabbed the sleeping child protectively. "let me handle this. …poor boy…ssh…"

They then somehow successfully managed to flee unnoticed.

As they arrived at galbadian soldier training camp, Seifer entered. "wait here."

Then he found the thing he looked for. The helicopter.

He killed the only man guarding it silently and signaled Quistis to sneak in.

After took off the poor guard's uniform, Quistis got in. To her shocked, Seifer jumped out instead.

"From here, I leave this to you, Instructor. I'm going to clean out the mess…..", he smiled confidently.

"….Why are you helping me? Dollet?"

"Well…."

"….."

"Contact me as soon as you reach a safe place. Stay away from Dollet, there's something funny going on there. Here. Take this." he gave her his phone and some written information.

Then he kissed her deeply, surprised that she didn't reject this time.

"I… I don't want to involve in any kinds of these matters again, Seifer."

But Seifer had already gone through the forest.

She sighed, looking at the innocent Xander who just awaken and looked confused and pale, extremely scared and was about to cry. And then she flew the heli as she witnessed fire had already been spread all over the Galbadian soldier trainee camps.

"Just a nightmare….. don't worry. Everything is OK…. I'm here with you…", she said soothingly.

"Sleeps.", she chanted. Poor boy…

Not too long after that, a battalion of F.A.S.T special force arrived too.

A white light, then it took only few minutes as a man stood alone in the sea of dying Dollet and Galbadian armies.

-O.O-

[end of chapter VI]