Disclaimer- Final Fantasy VIII belongs to Squaresoft, ya know.

Author's Notes- I am truly sorry this chapter took so long to get out. This was seriously the chapter from hell. lol Over 7,000 words and I couldn't seem to make anything sound right. After spending nearly two weeks editing it I hope it's satisfactory.

JadeAlmasy- You are truly my most loyal reader/reviewer. Thanks for your continued support.

Investigations and Proposals

Dak doubled over on the floor; his chest burning with every breath he forced himself to take. He coughed in agony, every bout of wind tearing at the ragged tissues of his throat. Giving in, Dak let himself slowly collapse into a little ball on the floor.

A few hours later...

He awoke to a sharp stinging sensation on his cheek. Painlessly raising his head up off the cold metal floor proved to be impossible as his blood and facial tissue had dried to it and was sticking. Gritting his teeth, he continued to pull his head up, tearing open the damaged skin. The horrible feeling it gave sent violent shivers throughout his body. After a moment, Dak slowly opened his eyes and tried to look around. What vision he had seemed dark and blurred but he could tell someone had finally turned on a light. Raising a hand to massage his temple, he closed his eyes and opened them once again. His vision wasn't much better but he didn't expect it to be. His head felt like it'd been run over by a truck. After a moment, his eyes cleared and he was finally granted a glimpse of the rusted floor beneath him. He stared at the battered metal beneath him, recognizing the scrapes and dents in the metal. There was no doubt he was in a train car but wherever it was, it wasn't moving. How he got there he still wasn't sure. Even the mission seemed blurry. Taking a ragged, burning breath, he pushed himself up on his palms and into a sitting position.

Dak stared down at the backs of his bloody hands. His mind hadn't registered any pain coming from them but then again he couldn't really feel anything over the horrid headache that seemed to grow worse with every heartbeat. In a daze he lifted his hands up and turned them over. He couldn't see any sort of abrasions or lacerations but the blood was unmistakable. Slowly lifting his hands to his face, he jumped when his fingers brushed up against the partially dried, newly torn open gash on his right cheek. He carefully ran his hands across the rest of his face, checking for any other injuries. His fingers stopped at a clumped up portion of his hair that stuck plastered to his head. Outside he could hear a few unintelligible voices and then the creak of one of the doors opening.

Heart pounding, he slowly fell forward and returned to his original place on the floor. The hinges continued to creak and then stopped with a click. Whoever had entered his makeshift prison had locked them both in. Two pair of footsteps slowly approached him. Daring not to move, Dak closed his eyes. One pair of steps halted behind him while the other continued on until it had stopped right in front of him. He could hear the two men shifting their weight around as if they were waiting for him to acknowledge their presence. After a moment, the man before him groaned, scooted his boot up under Dak's chin and then tilted his face up. Dak opened his eyes and squinted up at the figure before him.

"Morning Sunshine," Jalen spoke as he stared down at him. "Have a nice little nap?" Dak didn't answer him. Jalen leaned his foot back and further tilted Dak's chin up to face him. "Doesn't look like he remembers a thing Boss. Well…that or he just hasn't learned who here is running the show." A crude sneer crossed Jaden's thin lips as he slid the toe of his boot down to Dak's collar bone and then pushed him back up against the wall.

Dak cried out as his back popped in a few places and body fell back against the wall. Still too shaky and weak to really do anything, his body slumped down and quickly slid down to the floor. He stared up at Jalen and waited for him to do something. When he didn't, Dak found what was left of his voice and forced himself to speak. "Where am I?" He asked in a raspy voice. "How did I get here?"

"The question isn't how, but rather why you're here," Audley spoke as he stepped in front of Jalen. Dak stared up at Audley in confusion and slowly pushed himself up into a sitting position. Audley held up a hand to silence him. "I couldn't help but notice that you didn't pull your weight today," He continued as he pulled a pair or tattered and bloodied fighting gloves from a utility belt on his hip.

Dak stared wordlessly at the blood that still laced the knuckles on the left glove. With part of his memory still hazy he couldn't remember what all had happened since the raid ended but some part of his subconscious was panicked. Whatever had been done to him had to have been done by those gloves. Without realizing it, he'd begun to plea, "Boss-"

"Speak when you're told to," Audley's voice was harsh and sharp as he tightened his gloves. Dak stopped talking immediately and nodded nervously. Whatever he had done he was fairly certain he was about to be reminded of. "Lucas is a very valuable member of my team. Do you know what happened to him?"

Dak nodded, afraid to speak.

Audley grinned bitterly. "He was knocked off the train while fighting one of the SeeDs today…an unusually large SeeD at that. I'd say he was a good six and a half dare I say seven feet tall. Jalen went back and retrieved him once the train was out of sight. Amazingly enough poor Lucas only suffered a few minor injuries. It should've been a lot worse. That fall should've killed him," Audley's voice lowered. "Where were you during that fight?"

Wrapping his arms around himself nervously, Dak played with the tattered material of his sleeves. He opened his mouth as if to speak and then closed it again when no words came. Jalen watched with an amused smile while Audley stood stoic and waited for a response.

"Mr. Piper I am a patient man," Audley's voice took on its normally soft, pleasant tone and sent the hairs on the back of Dak's neck standing on end. "I have all night and tomorrow and perhaps even the day after that to question you about today's raid. I had your father's assurances that you could do this job." Dak watched wordlessly as Audley held out his hand and Jalen handed him a thick book. "Do you recognize this author? A man named Odine…from Esthar I believe." Despite his question, Dak didn't move to answer. Audley ignored him and flipped the book open to a page somewhere near the middle and read silently for a moment. "Seems Lucas wasn't the only person you abandoned today. Ross engaged a pretty strong SeeD himself. The SeeD he fought used magic didn't he?" Audley tossed the book back to Jalen and made one last adjustment to his right glove.

Dak leaned back against the wall as his boss approached him. "T-T-T-There's n-n-no way…..u-unless he's a sorcerer."

"SeeD soldiers use magic quiet often. And the Garden's were created with the sole purpose of participating in the second sorceress war," Audley replied coolly. "Therefore, it wouldn't make sense for the organization to harbor them and allow them to fight."

Dak raised a hand to protectively cover the throbbing gash on his face as Audley continued to come closer. "T-The Commander of Balamb Garden is married to a sorceress."

"That's right. Ben said she was President Caraway's daughter," Jalen spoke from behind them.

Audley paused, a hint of confusion flashed in his eyes. "Caraway eh? That's very interesting. The Commander still Kramer?"

"No, some kid named Loire."

"Find out what you can on him, I'll be here if you need me," Audley spoke without sending Jalen as much as a glance.

"Yes Sir."

Although Dak couldn't see him past Audley's form, he could hear Jalen's retreating footsteps and the sound of the door opening and closing. Fear, Dak was quickly learning, was a catalyst. When sensed by certain people it tended to give them a confident, creative, malicious boost in knowing that their victims felt inferior and helpless. Now left alone with Audley, Dak closed his eyes and silently prayed that his boss couldn't hear his pounding heart.

"Apparently things have changed a bit since I was last institutionalized," Audley broke the silence. "Regardless, the SeeD that Ross fought today was indeed male and obviously not the Commander's wife. Even so…he used magic quite deftly." Dak made no move to answer his unspoken questions. "Dak, I know you are well studied in Dr. Odine's studies. You understand these junctioning techniques that he uses." Dak surrendered and nodded meekly. "Explain it to me."

"I-I can't," Dak strained his voice to answer. "I-I o-only read his stuff. You have to have guardian forces to use junctioning."

"Yes I know," Audley crossed his arms. "The thunderbird used against Ross today...That was the Quezacotl was it not?"

"Yes Sir," Dak answered. "It's the most recognizable."

Audley seemed to ponder a moment before he continued. "Although I did hear stories of soldiers using these powerful beasts from some of the other prisoners, I'd never actually seen one until today. I've only read part of this one book. It really only covers different types of general spells, it doesn't say anything about guardian forces."

"The Art of Junctioning Magic and Elemental Forces. That's Dr. Odine's second book. His first one explains how to bond with a guardian force."

"Tell me how."

"I can't. I didn't get to read it. I just know from the second book, that you have to be able to have a lot of concentration and discipline to still your mind while the guardian force comes in."

"Comes in?"

Dak shrugged his shoulders. "I don't understand what it means. I never really got to study how the guardian forces worked."

"I don't want to know how they work I want to know how to acquire a guardian force."

"I don't kno-" Dak's words were cut off by a blow to the face.

"Don't lie to me boy!" Audley yelled.

"I don't!" Dak begged from where he now lay on the floor. With an almost primal growl, Audley lifted Dak up to a standing position by his shirt and then held him while he drove his knee into stomach. The wind was forced from Dak's lungs as he fell gasping against the chest of his boss. Audley let Dak's body lean up against his for only a moment before he took hold of Dak's hair and pulled him unceremoniously back a few inches.

"You've read all of Odine's books. You know what it is I want to know. Now tell me," Audley whispered into Dak's ear. Still in Audley's grasp, Dak shuddered violently as the pain from his scalp and already injured head began to sting. "You answer me or you die. Your life is expendable." There had never been a time where Dak had believed anyone as much as he believed Audley in in that moment. Still coughing, he forced his lungs and vocal chords to try and work together. "Unless you're ready to die, you're going to tell me what I want to know." Before Dak could even try to talk again, he was forced backwards onto the floor. He landed on his side and rolled awkwardly over as he tried to stand. His efforts were fruitless as Audley leapt over to where he was and delivered a powerful kick to his chest. Dak hit the wall of the train car and then the floor before the cracking in his chest ever registered to his brain. In Dak's disorientation, Audley took him again by the hair and dragged him out into the middle of the floor. Audley let go and watched as he fell to his knees and elbows. Stepping his right leg over Dak's hunched form so that Dak lay under him, Audley quickly dropped to his knees to pin Dak to the floor. "Look Piper. I have spent years of my life planning this operation. I will not chance you messing anything up. You tell me how I'm supposed to get a guardian force or you die. Simple as that," Audley spoke as he tightened his right hand around the back of Dak's neck and swung down with his left hand.

Dak screamed as the blades lacing the back of Audley's gloves sliced through his back. He clenched his jaw as his body began to heave and writhe under Audley's weight.

"That was just the tips of my blades. You don't cooperate and I'm going to carve out your kidneys," Audley said as he leaned down and whispered in Dak's ear.

"Okay, okay! Please…." Dak cried from where he was pinned. "Unless you find one wandering around in its physical form, you have to draw guardian forces from other people!"

"Draw is a skill given to those who can use junctioning….meaning I would have to already have a guardian force," Audley corrected him. "There is another way to transfer them. Tell me."

"I don't know!" Dak professed. "I know that if the user's mind is willing to give it up, a guardian force can either leave the mind and take on its physical form or go to someone else who's trying to accept it."

"What if the user's not willing to part?"

Dak took a pained and ragged breath. "Then the only way to take it is with the draw ability," Dak whimpered. "The only other way I could think of would be to shake the mental state of the user and use their disorientation as a window."

Releasing his hold on Dak, Audley rose to his feet and moved away from him. "What was the title of the first book?"

"The Mastering and Understanding of Guardian Forces and Their Abilities," Dak answered. "I can't walk you through how to physically bond with them. I've only read about it, never actually experienced it."

"So you have read the first book after all," Audley spoke as he pulled his gloves off.

Dak didn't even have the chance to prepare himself for the kick that landed under his stomach and then chest. His entire weight was rolled a few feet to where he landed painfully on an uneven seam in the metal flooring.

"You'll learn not to lie to me. Because you see, I already knew everything that's in Odine's books. I myself studied them decades ago when he first published them. I also knew that you knew everything in his books too. Tonight was a test for you. I wanted to see if you were a true, willing part of my organization, or if your loyalty is going to have to be beaten into you." Dak laid his head against the hard floor as he stared blankly up at the ceiling. "You'd better rest up. After the next raid you'll get the second part of your punishment. Something fitting considering your poor mission performance and lying."

"Sir-"

"Do not talk to me Piper. My business with you is done for now." Eyes never moving from the ceiling, Dak listened to Audley's footsteps as the exited the room.

On the outside, Jalen sat waiting next to a guard. Audley stepped down from the rusted train car and fell a few feet to the concrete below.

"So what have you found on Loire?" Audley asked as he looked the small train car over.

"His mother's dead-"

"From what?"

"Complications during child birth."

"And his other family members?"

"An adopted half sister named Ellone Leonhart Loire, who coincidentally seems to have been very near the center of the second sorceress war."

"She a sorceress?" Audley asked as he checked to make sure all the doors save for the one he'd exited were welded shut.

"In a sense. I don't really understand it. She has a different type of power. She doesn't cast spells, she just has a very powerful mind."

Audley nodded to show he was listening as he finished his examination of the car. "Any other siblings? How about his father?"

Jalen laughed smugly. "That's where it gets interesting." Audley turned and cocked his head to the side.

"Oh?" He asked with a grin. "Please indulge me."

"It appears Commander Loire's wife is the daughter of the President of Galbadia," Jalen held up a hand to keep Audley silent. "And Commander Loire's father…..are you ready for this?" Jalen grinned.

"With all this suspense this had better be good," Audley crossed his arms as he waited anxiously.

"His father is a man named Laguna Loire."

Audley's face looked crestfallen and then hopeful. He knew Jalen had a knack for the dramatic. "You mean that crazy tourism journalist from the Timber Maniacs?"

Jalen rolled his eyes knowingly. "He's a little more important than a journalist now. Seems he got promoted after his article about Esthar….He's their President now."

"The President of the Timber Maniacs?" Audley frowned. "So what."

"No!" Jalen practically shouted. "Not President of some stupid magazine company. President of Esthar!"

"No Fucking way," Audley stared at him wide-eyed and excited.

"Yes Sir," Jalen grinned as he put an arm over Audley's shoulder. "What are the chances of their kids hooking up and making them so vulnerable?"

"Forget the kids. Aim bigger."

"Sir?"

"I just devised a backup plan," Audley flashed Jalen a wicked smile and then started for his truck. Left behind, Jalen watched him for a moment and then turned to the guard.

"That door stays locked. No one goes in or out unless it's me or the boss."

A gentle late night breeze made her hair dance around her face. It didn't bother her, she loved the wind. Taking in the scent of the salty ocean breeze she turned her attention to the man beside her. Noticing her eyes on him he looked over at her and flashed her a smile. She grinned shyly in response. They stopped walking when they reached the platform overlooking the Dolletian Beach.

"So, umm, how was dinner?" Zell asked.

"GOOD," Fujin answered as she brushed back her hair.

"That's good," He replied as he looked nervously out towards the water. She watched him curiously as he leaned against the railing.

"PROBLEM?" She asked.

"Huh? Oh no," He answered quickly. "I was just thinking." She nodded and waited for him to continue. When he didn't she started to say something but was stopped by his kiss. She smiled at him as he wrapped his hands around her waist and held her there close to him. They stood there alone on the platform, their foreheads touching as they continued to hold one another. He leaned in closer to kiss her again but bumped noses with her. Fujin bit her lip to keep from laughing but holding her so close, Zell could feel her body rocking with her contained laughter. With a broad smile he began laughing at his clumsiness. She ended up joining him as he pulled her to his chest and looked out past the sandy shores and the breaking waves. Some thirty meters from the shore, Balamb Garden sat docked in the Dolletian harbor. Fujin stared at its light reflecting off of the dark water. It danced on the waves, illuminating the water just enough to allow it to act as a mirror and reflect the image of the Garden back at it. "You look really lovely tonight," Zell spoke quietly, startling her out of her silent fascination. She turned her face away from him so that he couldn't see her blush.

"BIASED," She argued as she took to studying the metal platform beneath their feet.

"Maybe just a little bit," Zell agreed with a smile. "But you are beautiful," She grinned at the compliment as she pulled her hands free of him and straightened out the ends of her navy skirt. "Umm Fuu," Zell started. She looked up at him quickly. "Umm Fuu, how do you feel about me?" He asked as he once again pulled her close to him.

"I love you...why?" She asked as he kissed her shoulder and placed a gentle hand on the back of her head. He ran his fingers through her hair as he held her as close as their bodies would allow.

A grin spread across his face. "Just checking." Fujin continued to eye him suspiciously as he lowered his hands and took a step back. He grinned some more as he dug in his pocket. "I got somethin' for ya."

Clearly confused she leaned against the railing and watched him out of the corner of her eye. He stepped behind her and wrapped his arms around her. She closed her eyes as she relished the warmth and comfort that his close proximity granted her. He kissed her shoulder again. She turned her head to glance at him giving him the opportunity to lean closer and kiss her cheek.

"Umm this is for you...if you want it. I-I mean if you want to..." Zell stumbled over his words dumbly as he released his hold on her waist and opened up his hand.

"What?" Fujin asked as she looked down at the small, glistening ring in his hand.

"It's ruby and white gold. I made it myself a few months ago," He said as he played with the ring in his palm so that it reflected the moonlight. "I love you so much Fujin. Will you marry me? I promise I'll take good care of you," He said quick, nervous tone. She stared at the ring he held in front of her in pure shock. With a nervous swallow, she shook her head no.

"No," Her voice came out small. Zell's face dimmed as he looked at her in disbelief. "No I can't," She broke free of his arms and took a step back.

He stood there in utter shock for a heart breaking moment. "But why?" He begged as he reached for her arm. She twisted away from his grasp and wrapped her arms around herself. "Fuu I love you more than anyone in the world. What more do you want?"

She looked up at him for a brief instant and regretted it immediately when she saw the tears in his eyes. "You deserve more," She stated.

"What are you talking about?" He asked as he gently cupped her face with his hands. "You're everything I want."

Fujin stared at him with tear stricken eyes, behind a curtain of hair that whipped violently in the wind. "I'm not as beautiful as you think I am. You deserve more than me," She protested. "I'm sorry," She cried as she turned around and quickly left.

"Fujin!" Zell cried out as he reached out for her. His hand caught nothing but wind and he watched helplessly as she left.

The next afternoon...

She had hardly spoken all day. He couldn't understand what was wrong. She always spoke to him; especially in private. When it was just the two of them alone they could talk about anything. They were best friends.

He'd brought doughnuts bright and early that morning and they'd eaten in silence. Now he watched as she continued flipping through pages of an old newspaper like she had been for the past few hours.

"You sure nothin's wrong? Ya seem pretty upset ya know," He asked for the third time that hour.

"FINE," She insisted bitterly.

Raijin watched her numbly as she fumbled through yet another stack of newspapers. Her once neat and organized room had become a chaotic mess that quite possible rivaled her boyfriend's.

"Umm Fuu?" Raijin asked as he lifted a section of paper and sat it aside absently. "I've never seen your place this messy before ya know. Are you sure there's nothing wrong? If there is, maybe I could help by doing something ya know?" At his words she sat up and, for the first time in half an hour, made herself visible above the mountain of newspapers.

"TAKE," She said as she thrust a wad of papers in his direction. Raijin stared at the newspapers with disgust and then horror.

"This is some sort of research project isn't it Fuu. Ya know how much I hate doing research ya know." Fujin rolled her eyes and dropped the papers in his lap. "What's wrong?" His question was answered when she pulled a clipping from a buried folder and handed it to him. "What's this?"

"READ," She ordered.

"Grand-daughter of Westman's Stiller loses husband to gruesome mechanical accident," Raijin paused after reading the headline. "This someone we know?"

"Kyp Dincht," She answered as she handed him another article.

"Dincht? As in Zell Dincht? They have to be related or somethin', that's not a very common name ya know," Raijin said as he took the article from her hands and draped it across his lap. "Gruesome tragedy?" He asked as he read the article to himself. "What happened to this guy? It sounds really bad ya know."

"From what I can tell, he was repairing some piece of machinery when someone turned it on," Fujin answered as she dug around for the box of doughnuts. Finally finding it, she tore a glazed doughnut in half and fingered it slowly. "In order to repair certain types of machinery you have to be inside it."

"...Oh."

"He was crushed alive and then pressed into the grooves of one of the weapon molds," She paused to take a bite of her doughnut and continued. "I've dug around and found records of many attacks and sabotages directed towards Westman's Stiller and nearly all of them are thought to be organized by the same man."

"Who's that?" Raijin asked as he leaned forward.

"Gunther Audley," She answered as she finished off her doughnut and licked her fingers clean. Once she was satisfied they were no longer sticky, she picked up another folder off the floor and tossed it towards Raijin. He caught it and gave the articles inside just a brief glance before looking up at her.

"Maybe I'm missing the point here but why did you feel compelled to do all this research?" Raijin asked as he leaned his head against the bed behind him. Fujin rubbed her temples slowly. "Hey Fuu I'm sorry. I just don't get what's so important about all this stuff ya know...wait a minute. Those shipments from our train mission were from Westman's Stiller ya know...You think this is all related somehow? Seems pretty coincidental ya know?"

Fujin nodded and took a deep breath. "Zell is afraid of fire. He always has been since his mother told him his father was burned alive in an accident at work."

"I didn't know that. That's awful ya know."

"I didn't really happen!" Fujin quickly corrected him.

"But you said-"

"COVER UP!" She exclaimed. "Kyp Dincht was Zell's adoptive father. He was crushed purposefully by one of his employees right before the facility mysteriously caught fire." Raijin stared at her in confusion. "Westman's Stiller isn't an assembly line kind of manufacturing plant. It's more like a guild or alliance of individual craftsmen who teach each other different skills and techniques. They're only bound there by a contract that they sign every so many years; it provides their guaranteed wages, benefits and peace of mind. And from what I can tell, the only employee at the plant that night was Kyp's apprentice, a man named Dustil Soong. He disappeared before any sort of investigation took place and was later identified as Gunther Audley in disguise."

"Hang on," Raijin reopened the folder in his lap. "Is this the same Audley that used to have a trafficking and terror empire in Galbadia? Boss Audley who used to kill off his competitors and for years was actually thought to just be a myth because no one law enforcement officer had ever actually seen him?"

"AFFIRMATIVE," Fujin paused. "How did you-"

"My adoptive father was an investigator out of Deling. I grew up watching him review his cases and stuff like that ya know. He had posters and pictures of criminals all over his office. Audley was the most wanted fugitive in Galbadia for years...that is until the authorities started doubting whether or not he was really a real person ya know."

Fujin listened to him with interest and remained silent after he finished talking. Raijin took the silence as an opportunity to flip through some more of the articles in Audley's folder. "It's so obvious," Fujin shattered the silence and quickly stood up to pace around the room. Raijin jumped at her voice and then watched her curiously.

"What's so-"

"Audley killed his boss, the man who just so happened to be running the grandest weapons manufacturing company in the world, and got away with it." Raijin said nothing as he tried to figure out what she was hinting to. "There were articles that criticized the law for being pressured into backing off and closing the cases against Audley."

"So no one would know it was him?"

"So an investigative team would have to be sent to Westman's Stiller and thoroughly investigate every possible safety hazard. He shut the place down for nearly seven months-"

"Giving himself enough time to start up another weapons manufacturing company with an alias," Raijin finished her sentence.

Fujin stopped her pacing and looked at him. "Very close. He used a girlfriend to sign her name to the factory's papers. Rumor has it he threatened her life to keep her from turning on him. The woman that told authorities ended up dead less than twenty-four hours later. Turns out, she was his wife and had been promised protection from the authorities. They obviously did nothing."

"Really?" Raijin asked. "Why would the law do nothing? That defeats the whole protecting and serving motto they have ya know."

"FEAR," Fujin answered. "They couldn't find him and he launched an attack on innocent people every time they started searching for him."

"Yeah I remember my old man saying something about that. I mean that was right after they'd confirmed he was a real person."

"AFFIRMATIVE."

Raijin pulled an article out of the folder in his lap and studied it silently. "Whoa," He said unexpectedly.

"What?"

"Have you seen a clear picture of this guy?" Fujin shook her head. "There's one with this article. I mean it's not really that clear but I've seen other pictures of him ya know. But if you really look at it you'll see that he looks just like Zell ya know." Fujin snatched the article from his hands and slowly stared at the picture. "The picture's kinda bad, but look at his mouth and nose. He looks just like him ya know." Fujin continued staring at the picture and then collapsed in her desk chair in shock.

Zell fidgeted in his chair in an effort to shake the nauseating feeling that was growing in the pit of his stomach. Clasping his hands nervously in his lap, he stared at the clock on the wall and listened to its rhythmic ticks. Squall had called him to his office half an hour ago to ask a few questions about his mission.

The questions asked had been standard, general questions. It was nothing Zell had any difficulty answering. Most of them had been about how many hijackers there'd been and what fighting techniques they'd used. It was basic stuff, the kind of stuff that shouldn't have warranted a one-on-one meeting between the two of them. Something was up. Squall knew something and was trying to get him to confirm it. Zell couldn't help but feel nervously distrusted. Whatever was going on, whatever Squall was looking for in his answers, it was all lost to him. He almost felt as if he was being manipulated and it wasn't a feeling he enjoyed. Keeping his gaze down to avoid the icy glint in Squall's eyes Zell decided that he preferred Squall being his friend over him being his boss.

A cold hard silence befell the room as Squall tossed his pen onto his desk and slowly found his feet. He stretched his arms back, letting his SeeD issue jacket slide off of his shoulders and then down onto the seat of his chair. Zell looked up silently as he put his right hand on his hip and his left on the hilt of Lionheart. Squall's fingertips seemed to tap handle of the weapon subconsciously as he slowly sat down on the edge of his desk. Groaning softly, Zell leaned forward in his seat and waited for Squall to speak again.

"So," Squall spoke as he redirected his gaze towards Zell. "What's the possibility that Fujin knows something about the men we've been hired to stop and didn't say anything about them?"

Zell shrank back into his chair. "It's a very real possibility Sir," Zell mumbled.

"Did everyone hear this over the comm system?"

"Yes Sir."

Squall stared at him for another long moment making Zell wish he could just melt into his chair and disappear. "You may leave," Squall dismissed him with a wave of his hand.

"Yes Sir," Zell responded gloomily and rose from his seat. "Hey umm, Squall, I mean Sir…have you talked to any of the others yet?"

Squall stared at him for a moment and then at the door. "I said leave Zell."

Zell nodded and then quickly stepped outside. Once the door was shut, Squall picked up his phone and then paged his secretary. "Hey Heidi, contact Galbadia Garden. I need to speak with Headmaster Cid."

Having long since put away all the newspaper in the bottom of her closet and taken a long shower, Fujin dressed and allowed herself to fall back onto her bed. She took a few breaths as she enjoyed the coolness of the sheets on her skin. Her relaxing moment was interrupted by a knock on her door. Standing up and silently hoping it was and wasn't Zell at the same time, she walked to the door and pushed the release button. The door hissed open and Fujin took a step back in surprise.

"Hello Fujin," Ben smiled warmly at her. She took another step back and eyed him suspiciously. "I'm so glad you're happy to see me."

"BEN," Fujin frowned as she crossed her arms over her chest. He gave her an injured look and then stepped into her dorm room.

"Fujin dear, I've asked you repeatedly to call me Dad."

"DROP DEAD," She gritted her teeth. He grinned at her rebellious nature.

"Fujin Piper, my poor confused little girl. Why are you here? Do you really want to spend the rest of your life fighting for a living? Don't you want a normal life? With a family?" Fujin cocked a curious eyebrow.

"LEAVE," She ordered after a moment of deliberation.

"No Fujin, I don't believe that I can," He spoke casually. Fujin stared daggers at him. "I was able to overlook your irrational behavior in the second sorceress war as you being possessed. That was the only logical reason I could come up with given your reclusive nature." He watched as she pulled out a pair of boots and began furiously lacing them up. "I was never prouder of you." She stopped and looked up at him. "You were so strong by Almasy's side. You have a compelling sense of loyalty and I was very proud of you."

"PLEASE," She said, clearly annoyed with him.

"You're a very loyal person. I have to acknowledge that much. But Fujin dear, no matter how hard you try, you weren't meant to be a fighter. You were too influenced by your mother-"

"NEGATIVE. NO MOTHER."

"Fujin! It'd break her heart to hear you say that. She adored you."

Fujin pulled on one of Zell's button up t-shirts to cover her tank top. "IRRELEVANT."

"Irrelevant?" He asked. "Why do you pretend to take things with such stride? Why do you pretend like nothing affects you?" He paused at the picture on her nightstand. "And why are you hanging all over this boy in this photo?" He snatched the picture frame up before she could stop him. "I've seen him before," Ben spoke as he held the picture just out of her reach. His face lost all color and he turned to look Fujin in the eyes. "You're seeing Dincht?" His voice came out panicked.

"AFFIRMATIVE," She said as she quickly took the picture from his hands.

"Why?"

"What happened to having a normal life? A family?" She asked.

Ben rubbed his temples. "This boy…this boy isn't going to give you what you want Fujin." She tilted her head to the side and stared at him angrily. "Fujin…He has a bad history. I can't begin to explain it, and I can't tell you how I know it. Just trust me Honey. He's really bad news even if he seems like a good guy right now."

"LIES!" She shouted at him. "LEAVE!"

"I'll leave if you'll come back home with me. Leave Balamb Garden and this boy. I know I made a huge mistake when I didn't come after you when you first left. But trust me when I say you need to leave."

"NO! I will not leave everything that is my life and go back to that empty prison you call a house. What is so wrong with my life? I happen to be quite happy with it! I also happen to be quite happy with my boyfriend!" She shouted some more.

"Fujin! This Garden and its missions will be the death of you! And this Zell, he's just using you. He's a fighter! He lives for the adrenaline and the excitement. He's like every other mercenary out there. Once he got his first true heart stopping adrenaline rush that was it. He's hooked to it like a drug. That's why he's never going to leave this place. Balamb Garden gives him the opportunities and situations that he lives for. Fujin, anything else he does is just something to hold him over until his next mission comes along. He's just using you to occupy his down times."

"You don't know him!" Fujin screamed as she pushed him back a few feet.

"What are you getting out of this relationship Fujin? What is he doing for you? Is he taking care and supporting you? Obviously not if you're still working here as a merc."

"He cares which is more than you did when I ran away. I don't need you or him or anyone else to take care of me."

Ben looked her over and then sighed in resignation. "You two are serious."

Fujin stared at him wordlessly as the previous nights' events replayed in her mind.

"Look, I know I have no right coming here and telling you what I think you should do with your life, its just I've had a bit of an epiphany of sorts. I made a lot of mistakes raising you and your brothers…I think I'm making a big mistake now. But that doesn't involve you. I'm just here because…I just want to make sure you aren't making a big mistake."

"LIES!" She shouted.

"No its not!" He shouted back. "You're just too damned stubborn and bull-headed to listen to me anymore."

"NEVER LISTENED!"

"And it's never been more apparent than now!" Ben ran his fingers through his thinning hair as he paced the room. "Look I'm trying to warn you-" He jumped, startled by the shrill ringing of her phone. Fujin reached past him to retrieve it but he pushed if off the nightstand and out of her reach. She watched as it slammed against the wall and fell to the floor. "I came in here and tried giving you my best 'I'm a concerned father' speech. But you hate me so much its obvious nothing I've said today will even penetrate your thick skull. I don't know how to reach you."

"CAN'T," Fujin seethed.

"Yeah," Ben said more to himself than anyone. "Alright, you win Fujin. You'll never see or hear from me again. I just pray that you heed my warning. Get out of this Garden. Fighting really isn't a career path you want to follow."

Fujin stared angrily at the cracked phone on the floor and then back up at him as realization hit her. "This has to do with those train raids doesn't it?"

"Train raids?"

"Don't play stupid. I saw Dak and Lucas. Ross was there as well wasn't he?" She stepped towards him in an intimidation attempt. "Where you there?"

Ben fell silent and looked around. "I've been in Deling. Your brothers took on a job working at some train yard a few months back. They seemed excited because apparently their jobs had the potential to make them engineers. I didn't even give it a second thought. They were too excited about it. I haven't heard from any of them in weeks, but if you're suggesting they're part of these raids, you have to be mad. You know as well as I do that they wouldn't get involved with something like that. They're good boys. I guess I just saw them doing something they enjoyed with their lives and I wanted to make sure you were happy with yours."

Fujin crossed her arms and gave him a disgusted look.

"But you've always done what you've wanted."

"WHATEVER," She said as she opened the door. "GET OUT."

Squall pulled the phone away from his ear and stared at it for a moment before hanging it up. His gaze fell to the flashing yellow light next to line two his phone. With a sigh, he picked the phone back up and pressed line two's button.

"I'm going to put you on speaker," Squall mumbled as he pressed another button and sat the phone back down.

"Squall son, you sound devastated," Cid's naturally good-natured voice filled the room. "What's going on?"

Squall leaned back in his chair and stared at the bright white ceiling above him. "I'm trying to handle these train raids. But the team I sent came back with nothing. At least they claimed they came back with nothing."

"Claimed?" Cid asked.

"Yeah," Squall spoke as he rose and walked over to his window. "Fujin thought she recognized two of the raiders but then said she was mistaken."

"Is that all you learned?"

"Aside from that you know everything I do about this case," Squall answered. "I take that back. These two raiders she thought she recognized, were two of her brothers. I don't really think that a family member would be easily mistakable."

"Fujin….She was part of the disciplinary committee right?"

"Yes Sir," Squall replied.

"With the exception of few training trips and that whole escapade during the second sorceress war, she hasn't left that Garden since she first arrived. You can try and run a check, but I don't believe that she's had any visitors either."

"She had one today. I tried to call her and the phone must've been knocked off the hook or something because I heard her arguing with someone."

"What'd you hear?" Cid asked.