Disclaimer: Same as before.
Warning- Refer to Prologue.
Chapter 4- Kiss me Good-bye
The newly formed group of Alyss, Echo, Balthier, Fran, Larsa, and Basch headed off to Rabanastre taking the stone with them.
"Well this is Stella our airship. Feel free to look around and I will go make something to eat before we go." Echo said walking off to the small kitchen area.
"Well this is an impressive ship I will give you that. Do you do all the repairs your self Alyss?" Balthier asked looking around at the ship.
"Of course, Echo helps out of course but I am the one dealing with all the parts and things like that."
"Well you have done a fine job. Where is the room I will be staying in?"
"Down the hall, we had the storage space cleared and bunk beds put in."
"A bunk bed, I guess it beat a hammock or the floor. I will be resting until the the food is done."
Alyss felt bad for putting him on a bunk and and grabbed his arm and lead him to the room she shared with Echo which had a king sized bed they shared. "We aren't using it now so feel free to nap on it. If you need anything feel free to ask."
"You would give me your bed to rest on so I didn't have to suffer sleeping on a bunk bed? Thank you."
Alyss blushed a bit and left the room to go see if Fran, Larsa or Basch needed anything.
She found Larsa reading a book so she looked to Fran.
"I think we should talk." Fran said leading Alyss to one of the bedrooms with a bunk bed.
"I know many people think Balthier and I have some kind of love between us. To an extent we do but it is the love a partner not a lover. You share the same love with Echo. I have seen how you look at him and how you brightened up when you saw him after all that time just as I saw how upset Echo become when Vayne's name is mentioned. I am not your competition for him."
Alyss nodded and was thankful for that. It had been a worry of hers that Fran may have loved the man.
What came next Alyss didn't expect at all. She walked past the kitchen to see Echo stirring a pot of soup but that wasn't the shocking part. The person cutting the vegetables was Basch and he was wearing Alyss' pink apron that had frills on the bottom of it.
Alyss burst out laughing as seeing this and Echo turned to glare at her.
"Alyss he just wanted to help. In fact we had a nice talk about Landis while putting together the meal. Really I don't think he looks horrible in the pink apron at all and for some reason it doesn't amuse me. Thank you for your help Basch it was much appreciated."
"Anything for a woman in need. I would feel wrong if I didn't help you out Echo. You have grown up a lot since you where a child. You are a beautiful woman now and I am sure you father would be proud." Basch leaned over to put vegetables in the soup and took a little spoonful in to taste it. "It seems your cooking has gotten better as well."
Echo laughed a bit a got an embarrassed blush on her face and took a spoonful as well.
"You are right, I am a way better cook then when I almost caught the house on fire because I wanted to make cookies. Anyway we should be done soon Alyss so why not go speak with Larsa?"
Alyss was a little shocked those two where acting so friendly with each other. The thought entered her head what they would be like as couple but she quickly negated it because Basch and Echo where too homely for each other. They made great friends but they would make a horribly dull couple, they seemed to have a brother/sister relationship budding if anything.
Larsa was still reading his book and Alyss didn't want to disturb him so she went back to her room to grab a spare apron to help Echo and Basch out and possibly die laughing at a guy like Basch in a pink apron.
Balthier was curled up in the bed and Alyss walked over to pull the cover up when Balthier rolled over with his eyes open.
"I am so sorry! I just thought you looked cold so I was just trying to help."
"It is no problem really, I haven't slept right since I had to kill my father. I knew he was obsessed to the point he would never be the man I knew as a father but to kill your own father...he raised me single handedly after my mother died when I was a child."
Alyss wrapped her arms around the man. "No one should have to kill their own father. I am sorry you had to do that and I am sorry your mother is dead. You have my condolences."
Balthier gave her a weak smile and shook his head a bit. "Everyone has lost someone in this debacle. As hard as it may seem I will live and go on with my life and I know that. Thank you for your condolences."
"No problem we are partners now right? Come on if you go to the kitchen you can see Basch in a pink frilly apron and that should cheer you up."
Balthier followed her and was also amused by the man in the pink frilly apron taking bread out of the oven.
"You where right that did cheer me up a bit."
Echo glared at him as well as she was setting the table. "Really he just wants to help out is that such a bad thing?"
"This from the woman who's father was named Basil? What was your mother's name Echo?" Alyss asked wondering if the plant theme would hold true here.
"My mother's name was Galabana."
"Galabana as in Galabana lilies? No wonder she doesn't find this funny her whole family was named after plants." Balthier stated as Echo sighed and finish setting the table.
"I am going to go wash my hands and then we can have dinner." Echo said walking off to the bathroom to wash her hands.
While there she looked at the mirror and shook her head at the thought of her previous life with talk of her parents. "This is my life now. I am sorry father and mother for the fact I am not the daughter you both wanted me to be. I am sorry I married in a forced action and not for love...I am sorry I-"
Fran was listening outside the door and had opened it to see the woman. "You are no disgrace to your family. I abandon my home and I am an outsider to them who is not allowed in their Wood anymore. I feel though this stretches past that."
Echo looked away from Fran and Fran knew she was right. "You do not want to admit that you loved a man like him, a Hume who craved power."
"I did not love him! Any feelings I had where because even in a situation where I had no choice he didn't mistreat me."
"If you didn't love him you would have sold the ring when you where working to get an airship. You do not chose who you love sadly and that is perhaps the greatest ordeal some have to go through. I hope yours isn't a huge battle."
Fran was right, she could have sold the ring long ago but she never did. She felt horrible upon hearing Vayne had died so much she cried herself to sleep many nights after it had happened but she always just took it for the fact they where married once and he was nice to her and she could even say they where friends.
"We should be getting to eat with the other's Fran. It doesn't matter anyway he is dead."
In the dining area connected to the the kitchen Basch had already served the food and put the apron in the things that needed to be washed basket. Alyss and Balthier where sitting together talking about types of airship while Larsa and Basch carried on about Queen Ashe and their previous adventure.
"I just wish he would have kissed me goodbye." Echo said under her breath to where Fran could hear her.
"You loved him enough to let him be free, you gave him the wings to fly and he flew into the sun." Fran respond which went unnoticed by those eating for they where in their own conversations.
Echo nodded and pulled out the ring from her pocket and put it back on her ring finger. Vayne no matter how power obsessed he was would remain close to her forever and for now the ring would be the reminder of the man who was nicer and not desiring power even if that man only existed for a moment.
Echo walked over to sit down with Basch and talked about her childhood with him.
After dinner Basch offered to wash the dishes and Alyss went to her room with Echo for the night.
"You are wearing the ring?" Alyss asked as she slipped on her nightgown.
"Yeah, there should be a reminder that Vayne wasn't all evil somewhere in the world even if it is just a ring."
Alyss was a bit shocked at her words. She knew one day Echo would admit she love Vayne but who knew that day was coming anytime soon.
"Echo...He loved you, you know? Remember that book I was reading at the palace, it was his journal. You walked out of the bathroom right as I got to where he said he loved you. I should have told you sooner but I just thought it would burden you until you could admit you loved him."
Echo began to wonder how everyone else saw this love she had except herself. She put that aside and smiled at the though Alyss had given her. Vayne had loved her and that for now was all that mattered.
Echo laid down on the bed with Alyss and turned to look at her. "Thank you, that gives me some solace. Now what about you love story? You should be concerned with a tragedy when you are living a romantic comedy."
"He has some things to get put in the past first. Anyway not all of us get married before we fall in love with the guy Echo." Alyss joked as she turned the lamp off.
"Oh come on that is a low blow the marriage was forced and you know it. It was marry Vayne Solidor or be found a traitor and killed. Personally I loved the option that had me live."
The bickering continued until the two had been to tired to continue and they fell asleep. Each dreamed of their situations and what could be done with them. Alyss was waiting for Balthier to be ready to open his heart after his father's death and for Echo it was learning to acknowledge and let go of the past at the same time. Each task in it's own right would be hard to achieve.
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A/N This chapter title comes form the ending theme for the game "Kiss me goodbye". Also most of the line during Fran and Echo's talk reflect lyrics of the song.