Eleven : Welcome

The days were passing rather quickly on the little Island and Yuna found herself in her eight month of pregnancy. Lulu and the others had been working on a plan ever since she had arrived on the island that night after Tidus and she had escaped from Zanarkand, almost three months ago.

She had thought that the feelings she had started to feel for the blonde were just temporary, but she still felt kind of excited every time he was near. Guilt was starting to nibble on her conscience and she preferred to keep her distance. She knew what it was... but she didn't want to give it words... afraid of what it would mean...

Do you enjoy suffering, or what? Have you forgotten about all the things he did to you?

"Seymour..." Yuna whispered, opening her eyes and slowly sitting up in her bed. "I haven't... but..." she sobbed, incapable of stopping the flood of emotions that boiled up in her heart. "I don't know anymore..."

The facts were that she still loved Seymour, but that her hope of seeing him again slowly faded each passing day... and seeing Tidus with his Lenne made her long for the things that she and him had together... She had been happy with him once... and he had changed... He had become more serious and grown up... but he had gotten over her...he had Lenne now...

"I don't want to come between them... they both deserve their happiness..." she whispered, laying herself back on her bed, staring at the ceiling, caressing her belly. She felt a soft kick and smiled, despite her tears. Soon she would have someone she would have to take care of other than herself... but would she be on her own to do this?

The soon to be mother started to cry and rolled herself on her side, her tears wetting the pillow. All the others around them had someone to love... but what about her...?

"I need you here..." she suddenly sobbed, "I don't want to lose you... again..."

That's when the door to her room opened to reveal a worried Tidus.

"Hey, Yuna? Are you alright...?" he started to say, but his voice faded as he saw her lying sideways on her bed, hugging her pillow tightly, the tears flowing non-stop from her eyes. "Yuna?"

He approached her and sat next to her on her bed. She didn't even move to look up at him.

"Go...go away..." she softly whispered, her voice shaking from her held back sobs.

"No. Tell me what's wrong. Talk to me, Yuna." He softly spoke, looking at her worriedly. His heart ached when he saw her fully break down in tears, her sobs piercing through his very core. Immediately he helped her to sit up and embraced her comfortingly. Her cries were heartbreaking. It had to stop, he couldn't take it anymore.

"Yuna, please." He pleaded, "What's wrong? Yuna?" He kept asking, trying to look at her face. She kept avoiding his gaze and he started to think that he had maybe done something wrong.

"Just go away, Tidus...I—just go..." she whimpered, trying to push him away from her. "Go away! P-please!" she insisted.

"Not before you tell me what's wrong and why you're crying like that, Yuna." He replied, letting go of her and standing up to go and close the door. "Now tell me."

Yuna stood up from her bed and shook her head, "You won't understand. It's..." she was searching for words, "It's too complicated..."

He smirked, "Try me."

Why wasn't he just giving up? She was starting to get annoyed from his behaviour and her patience was starting to wear thin on her. "No!" she said, raising her arms in exasperation. "Please...just go..." she wouldn't tell him about it. She would keep it to herself.

He sighed and shook his head, "Come on."

"Which part of 'no' you don't understand?!" she screamed, unnerved from his persistence. "I don't want to talk about, ok?!" she yelled and suddenly gasped in pain, grabbing her lower belly.

"Yuna!" he exclaimed, as he saw her sit herself down on the bed, face contracted in pain.

"Tidus," she whispered, "I think… I think my water just broke."

For a moment he just stared at her with a blank face, the meaning of her words not sinking in. It was only when she screamed in pain that he snapped back to the present.

"Go get Lulu for Heaven's sake!!" she cried and grabbed her sheets tightly, starting to breath deeply in and out.

"But… you sure? You're only eight months..." he shakily whispered, watching her in horror.

"GO GET LULU!" she hollered, cursing his stupidity. "Just go get her, quickly..." she then moaned as she felt the pain come up again. He left in a daze.

"Don't forget to breathe, Yuna, breathe." Lulu whispered from between her sister's legs.

It had been going on for hours now. How much longer would it take? She was already exhausted from the constant pain. Taking a shaky breath, she felt another ache coming up.

"Lulu, I can't take it anymore..." she moaned, feeling Lenne wipe of the sweat from her forehead with a moist cloth.

"Be strong, Yuna. You're almost there." The other brunette comfortingly whispered as Yuna screamed in pain once again.

"I can see its head, Yuna. Push now!" Lulu said, "Push!"

Yuna took a deep breath and pushed with all she had, crying within the process. She collapsed back on the bed when she couldn't push more, breathing heavily.

"Come on, Yuna! One last push!" Lulu encouraged, "Your baby is almost there!"

She shook her head in abandonment, "I can't anymore..." she whimpered, "I can't..." she cried and felt Lenne grab her hand.

"I know you can do it Yuna, don't give up now. You're so close. Think of the baby." She softly whispered in her ear, "Think of Seymour."

Yuna started to sob and nodded. She sat up a little and took a deep breath to push.

"Yes, that's it, Yuna! Push, push...yes! Oh he's beautiful!"

"H-he?" Yuna shakily whispered, trying to sit up and look at her baby, "It's a boy?"

Lenne softly laughed, "Yes, and he is beautiful, Yuna. Congratulations!"

Ignoring the pain and looking with a burning heart towards the bundle Lulu was carrying to her, Yuna cried tears of joy, while squeezing in Lenne's hand.

"Here he is, Yuna." Lulu softly whispered, giving the baby to his mother. Yuna's lips trembled from the emotions as she took her child in her arms, pushing the fabric that was covering its face aside.

"He's so beautiful..." she shakily whispered, caressing her baby's cheek with one finger. As if on cue, it opened its eyes and looked up at her with its clear grey eyes. Then, he opened his tiny mouth to suck on her finger. "Very eager are we..." the mother whispered, tenderly looking at her child.

"He has Seymour's eyes, but he looks like you." Lulu whispered, gazing lovingly at the newest member of their family.

Yuna nodded and wiped the tears away that were rolling on her cheek. "He's so small." She whimpered. Lenne wiped her tears away as well and sniffled.

"Have you come up with a name yet?" she whispered, softly smiling as she saw him suckling on Yuna's finger.

Yuna stared at her child for a moment and then nodded, "What about...Edan?" she whispered, "It means zealous and fiery, like his father is."

"Welcome to the world then, little Edan." Lulu whispered, smiling at her nephew.

"May joy and prosperity be part of your life, little Edan." Lenne wished, looking at him.

Yuna kissed Edan on his little forehead and smiled, "May the love I have for you envelop you anywhere you go, Edan. Welcome."

"May we give our blessings too, or is this a girl thing again?"

The three women all laughed and looked at the door where Wakka and Tidus were waiting for entrance.

"No, you can come." Lulu whispered.

"Oooooh! He's so little!" Wakka enthusiastically exclaimed, "Look at them tiny fingers, ya? Think they'll grow big enough to hold a blitz ball?"

Yuna laughed, "Blitz ball?!"

Wakka nodded, "Yea, he is going to play blitz, ya? What's his name?"

Lenne chuckled as she felt Tidus wrap his arms around her, "Edan. You're really something, Wakka. He's only a couple of minutes old, give him a break." The redhead shrugged.

"It's best to start early with blitz, ya?" he innocently said, looking at Lulu.

"You're not going to do that to our child, Wakka." Lulu seriously whispered, looking at him with a warning gaze.

"But really, it is really important to start early, ya? Oh wait... does that mean you're considering starting a family with me?"

The mage shrugged, "Maybe, only time can tell..." she said, barely able to hide her smile. Wakka smiled broadly.

"In those things it is important too to start early, ya know?" He said wiggling his eyebrows.

"Wakka." Lulu groaned in embarrassment. All the others laughed.

Yuna looked at the people surrounding her. She wouldn't be alone in raising Edan... they would all be there to help...

That night, Yuna took little Edan to her balcony and sat in her rocking chair. She breastfed him while she enjoyed the sight of the stars in the sky and the tropical breeze that passed by.

"That's nice." She sighed, looking at her baby, "Don't you think so too little one?"

Edan put a little hand on her breast. Yuna smiled and caressed his brown hair with a finger.

"Little one is coming with daddy, now." A voice said from behind her.

Yuna recognised the voice, gasped and turned around in her chair. "Oh god...Seymour!"

"Just give me the child and you won't get hurt." He said calmly, taking out a gun from his long coat.

Yuna stood up slowly, still holding Edan in her arms. "Seymour," she whispered, scared to death but refusing to let him know that she was about to panic. She wanted to try and reach the trapped soul of her lost boyfriend, if it was still there... there was only one way to find out.

"Seymour, please listen to me... you can't do this... you need to stop..." She softly said, hoping that her words would reach him.

"Be quiet!" Jyscal snapped, silencing her instantly. "It doesn't matter anyway... you can try, but Seymour isn't there anymore. Believe me, that's the truth. It's impossible for two souls to share one body for more than 48hours..." a maniacal grin appeared on his features, making Yuna take a step back in terror. The newborn started to cry in her arms and she felt her own tears come up. Seymour... her Seymour was no more...?

Slowly he started to approach her. "He died along with my old body, almost three months ago." He laughed as he saw her gasp in horror. "What? You were hoping on saving him?"

For a moment there it was difficult for her to breathe... This just wasn't possible... She looked down at Edan's tearful face and felt all of her hope smash into pieces...

Edan would never know his own father...

All the plans Seymour and she had made would never be carried out... all the sacrifices he had made to keep her and the baby safe wouldn't have meant a thing... yet, there was no way that she was going to give up Edan to Jyscal. Whatever plans Jyscal had with him, it just couldn't be good...It was obvious that the man had lost his wits... She would die before he would lay a hand on her little boy.

"You're crazy, Jyscal." She whispered, voice slightly shaking, tightening her hold on Edan. The baby stopped crying and seemed to fall asleep in her mothers soothing arms. "I won't give him to you! You'll have to kill me first!"

"Now that is not a problem," He simply said, raising his revolver and pointing at her, "I promise that it will hurt for only a short moment." He put his finger on the trigger.

Yuna took a deep breath and turned her back towards him, sheltering Edan with her body. "Your mother and father love you Edan, don't forget that. We'll always be watching upon you." She softly whispered, kissing Edan's forehead lingeringly, a tear rolling on her left cheek.

Tidus awoke with a start, realising that Lenne wasn't lying next to him in the bed. He scratched his head and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. Where had she gone off to? Standing up slowly, still in his regular clothes, he walked towards the door. It was still night time so the room was pitch-black. Stumbling over a chair that stood next to the bed, he regained his balance and continued his walk to the door, this time without tripping over anything. As he opened the door, his ears caught the sound of what seemed to be a crying baby.

"Lenne must've heard it and gone to help Yuna... But still..." He needed to know for sure where she was, so he made his way to Yuna's bedroom. When he rounded the corner leading towards the corridor to her room, he saw Lenne lying on the floor.

"Lenne!" he exclaimed, kneeling down beside her. Lenne moaned something and started to sit up, rubbing the back of her head.

"I was just about to go check upon Yuna when something hit me from the back..." she explained while he helped her standing.

"Something hit you?" Tidus repeated, looking at Yuna's closed door. Suddenly Edan's crying stopped and the blonde decided to go and check for himself what was going on. Stepping up to the door, he heard Yuna's voice. "Wait here, Lenne."

Was she talking to Edan, maybe?

"I won't give him to you! You'll have to kill me first!"

Apparently not.

Opening the door carefully he glanced in and gasped at what he saw. Yuna was holding Edan in her arms on the balcony and ... Seymour was threatening her with a gun, about to pull the trigger!

Soundlessly opening the door further and slipping inside like a cat, he slowly approached Seymour from behind in an attempt to seize his gun. Just when he was about to pull the trigger over, Tidus grabbed the taller man's arms from behind, making him shoot nothing but air.

"Yuna! Yuna, run!" the blonde cried as Jyscal turned around to face his disturber. Yuna raised her head in confusion and didn't understand what was going on. Edan started crying again.

"I should've got killed you a long time ago..." Jyscal whispered, raising his gun towards Tidus. "This will be the last time you interfere in my plans, boy." The blonde barely had the time to dive out of the way of the bullet when he shot.

"Tidus! No!" the frightened brunette cried as she saw Tidus get shot in his leg. "Oh god, please stop." She pleaded, letting go of her fear and moving towards the wounded blonde on the floor. But Jyscal turned around and pointed his gun on her again, preventing her to take another step.

"I will stop, if you give me the child, Yuna. Give me the baby or watch one of your loved ones die!" he commanded, holding out an arm towards her.

No! How cruel could one be?! Holding the crying baby in her arms tightly, Yuna felt her body tremble out of anxiety. "I..." she shakily whispered, unable to maintain her voice steady. Tidus groaned on the floor, dragging himself away from Seymour's form so he could lean on the wall next to the door. "Tidus..." she whispered in horror.

"Don't... don't do it, Yuna." He whispered back, gritting his teeth in pain. "Don't." he soundlessly repeated watching her in the eyes, shaking his head and then ticking with his right little finger on his right temple and then putting his index finger on his lips.

Yuna recognised the sign immediately... it was a sign that blitz ball players used. He had a plan... but what was she to do? She slowly nodded anyway; any chance at surviving this was welcome.

"Well?" he demanded, those once peaceful grey eyes she had known as Seymour's watching her with such coldness it made her break down in sobs. She carefully laid Edan down on the floor and turned around to face him, her arms open to plead him to stop.

"Don't do this... stop!" she whispered as he approached her. She stepped back until she was with her back against the parapet, trapped between him and the sea behind her. He laughed and shook his head, continuing his approach.

"Wrong answer."

Returning from their late night beach walk, Lulu and Wakka were just entering the house when they heard a gunshot coming from upstairs and then Edan start crying.

"What the..." Wakka growled, alarmed, speeding up the stairs to the first floor to see what was going on. Lulu followed him closely behind. "Lu, you better stay here just in case, ya?"

"No." she just said and continued her way up the stairs, "This is our beach house, I also want to know what is going on, Wakka."

The redhead just sighed and looked at her worriedly, "Stay close to me." He grabbed her hand and together they got to the first floor. As they rounded the corner they saw that Yuna's door was open and Lenne kneeling at the entrance at the other side.

"What is going on?" Lulu whispered, but immediately silenced as she heard a voice that she didn't recognise as one of Lenne's, Tidus' or Yuna's. Wakka started to run towards the chamber.

"Lenne." He whispered as he entered the room and looked down at the brunette. "Where is Yuna?" The room was empty except for a weeping Lenne on the floor. Lulu entered too and walked over to the balcony.

"Wakka. Y-Yuna...and Tidus... they...s-she is... he...oh god..." Lenne whimpered while pointing with a trembling finger at the parapet

"Oh god, Wakka!" Lulu cried from outside. The blitz player walked over to his love to find her crying on the floor with a whimpering Edan in her arms. "Oh god no...Y-Yuna...no..." she softly sobbed. Wakka went to see for himself and leaned over the parapet to see nothing but calm waves on the dark surface of the sea.

"They are gone..."

Sorry for the long wait… My computer recently crashed and I've had to wait for it to get fixed with all the consequences for my work… I hope you enjoyed this chapter ! The end of this story is in sight and I'll do my best to work as fast as I can to produce the next chapter !

To be continued…

-BDP-