Promises Woven in Red and Gold

I'm not really used to writing with deadlines other than self-imposed ones (because of course those can slip with no one but me catching any heat for it.

So hopefully my writing doesn't suffer too much for it.

Part 2: I'll Be There For You

Prompt: Family

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

As she stepped through the doorway of the diner, Faye almost instinctively took a deep breath. The aroma of freshly backed pastries mixed with the scent of roasted chicken and gravy to create a potent smell that was almost unique to this place.

"Faye, over here!" She saw Gray waving at her from a booth at the far end of the diner and waved back before she started to head over as well.

"You come here often?" She heard Celica say from behind her, her voice barely audible above the din of the evening crowd.

"Oh yeah. I think Tobin was the one who discovered this place, and it turned out the food here is pretty good! And their apple pie is to die for." She looked over her shoulder. "Anything the matter?"

"Not at all. It's just a new experience for me is all."

In moments she had slid into the booth, Celica moving in smoothly beside her. It was only then that Faye realized that her friends were all guys. Okay, obviously she had realized that but it was only now that she became aware of the potential implications of bringing Celica out to meet them.

Well, they were all adults. So it would be fine. Right?

"Yo! Nice to meetcha! I'm Gray!" And the boy gave Celica a lazy wave. "And you're Anthiese, right?"

"It's Celica now," the girl said. And even as Faye was busy with greeting the rest of her friends and apologizing for being late, something about the way she said it put Faye on edge. It wasn't that she seemed troubled or unhappy about the statement. If anything, it was that the line, so short and simple, came out a little too smoothly. Like it was a rehearsed statement she'd said to plenty of people before.

She shot a quick glance at Celica, but the moment passed and she'd already turned to greet Tobin and Kliff as well. Faye shook her head and tried to let the matter drop. Most probably she just got that question a lot from people who used to know her.

Celica turned to say hi to Alm as well, and then a quizzical smile came across her face. "Have we met before?"

Alm frowned slightly as he sipped his drink. "You do look familiar... But I can't quite place it... Oh!" He snapped his fingers. "The animal shelter! You were a volunteer there too, weren't you? I remember you working with the cats alongside me."

"'The Novis Greatport Animal Sanctuary? That's the one!" Celica smiled with delight. "I remember now! You were the one who adopted the gray tabby, weren't you?"

"Yup! Sir Purr's doing just fine, by the way. Maybe one of these days you could come visit him."

"Maybe I will. And of course he would be. I very distinctly recall you spoiling him rotten from the day you two met."

"Small world, eh?" Gray smirked as he leaned over to snag an extra napkin. "Faye wants to bring an old childhood friend of hers to meet us, and it turns out she already knew someone else from our gang!"

"And it's the two old lovebirds! Who would've guessed!" Tobin said with a laugh.

"Wait, lovebirds?" Celica asked, and Faye's grip on her glass of water tightened.

"Oh, yeah, you don't know," Tobin pressed on, utterly oblivious to how the mood at the table had soured the instant he brought the topic up. "Yeah, Alm and Faye here used to be a thing, but then – what? Wha-" He broke off as Gray yanked hard on his sleeve.

"Shut up, Tobin." His best friend hissed.

A glance around the table and the glares aimed his way apparently clued Tobin in on what was wrong. "... Oh. Er, sorry."

"I..." Celica glanced around the table. "My apologies, I didn't mean to bring up an unpleasant topic."

"No, it's fine! It's fine." Faye shook her head. "It just... well, things didn't work out. We just don't like talking about it."

"Right," Alm smiled. "Leave the past in the past, and all that. We're friends now. That's what matters."

"Uh-huh!" She nodded, just a little too enthusiastically. "We came out of it with our friendship intact. That's more than enough for me!"

"If we're done with introductions, maybe we could order? I've been sitting here listening to the grumbles of Tobin's belly for the last ten minutes." To punctuate his point, Kliff handed a menu over to Celica.

The discussion quickly turned to what food they wanted to order, leaving more unwelcome topics behind. As much as they could be, at least. Faye glanced up, catching Alm's eye, and his smile towards her was rueful.

"I hope you enjoyed yourself." The night air was cool which made for a pleasant walk back home. Faye closed her eyes, taking a deep breath.

"I did," Celica nodded back. "The food was every bit as good you said. And your friends are certainly a lively bunch."

"That they are," she nodded, "sometimes it feels like I'm doing all I can to keep up with them, even though we grew up together." Faye smiled as she said that, and tried not to think of old fears she'd had of watching their backs grow smaller in the distance, moving further away.

No. That was all in the past. And she knew – beyond the shadow of a doubt – that their friendship for her was unshakeable.

"But at the same time," she continued as if her thoughts hadn't been interrupted. "I guess I know even if that ever happened... they'd slow down to wait until I caught up again."

Celica had a thoughtful expression on her face as she nodded to show that she understood where she was coming from.

"So yeah, they can be inconsiderate, and sloppy and careless at times, but when the chips are down... they'll be there for me. I know they will."

"It's a nice feeling, isn't it?" Celica's gaze was now distant. "To know that someone will always be watching out for you, no matter what?"

"I'll say!" She nodded in fervent agreement. But the way Celica had said it, it wasn't just some passing observation. It was something deeply personal for her.

They continued on in silence for several more steps before Celica spoke up again. "Say, Faye? Are you free this coming Saturday?"

"Hm..." Faye ran through a mental checklist and shook her head. "Sure, there's nothing that I can't procrastinate on even more than I already have. Why, anything on your mind?"

"Oh, nothing much." She shrugged and smiled. "You invited me out for dinner to meet your friends, so I thought I'd return the favour."

"Well, sure!" Faye laughed. "Where's the place?"

"Hm..." her friend's smile held a hint of mischief now. "Now, where's the fun in spoiling the surprise so early? But, er, you're fine with seafood, right?"

"Well, I don't like crab, but aside from that, yeah, I'm good." Faye raised an eyebrow. "You do realize you just gave me a pretty big clue about the place, right?"

"Well, feel free to search up a list of the seafood outlets in town." Celica laughed. "I don't think it'll narrow it down that much."

She folded her arms and rolled her eyes. "Okay, have it your way, Celica. I'll play along."

"Great. Trust me. You'll love it!"

"Saber's Seafood Shack?" Faye read the words painted on the sign over the entrance, her tone growing more dubious with every syllable.

"Yes, I know how it looks." Celica couldn't hide the smile on her face or the laughter in her voice. "But trust me: This is as good as seafood gets."

"Well, if you say so." Celica's eaten on Faye's recommendation before, so she supposed she could trust her on this one.

The furnishings of the place were simple, but everything was clean and the place was well-lit. The chairs and tables came in all shapes and sizes, with no consistent design that Faye could spot. The walls of the restaurant were bedecked with all sorts of bric-a-brac as decorations. Some of it fit the nautical theme one would expect of a seafood restaurants, such as the giant anchor hanging on the far wall, but the other items were far more eclectic than she would have expected, such as what appears to be a small collection of swords proudly displayed near the entrance.

While Faye was busy admiring-slash-gawking at the decorations, Celica had already stepped in the direction of the kitchen. "Uncle!" She called out. "We're here!"

"If I've told you once I've told you a thousand times," an annoyed voice floated out from back and a man stepped through the double doors. Faye has a moment to register that he's wearing an eyepatch before he walked up to the two of them, "don't call me that in public! 'Specially on the busy nights!"

The place was half-full at best, and anyway the way the both of them were behaving indicated it was more of an old joke than anything else. He came to a halt several feet from her and gave her an appraising look.

"How've you been, lass? The city treating you right?"

"I can't complain. And how's business, uncle?"

"Same old, same old. Just enough to keep the kids drawing a paycheck and me in the black." The man turned to regard Faye. "So she's the friend you told me about, huh? Faye, right?"

"T – that's right!" Faye said a little hastily as she stepped forward and extended a hand. "It's nice to meet you, er..."

"Call me Saber. What, you didn't see my name scrawled up above the front door?" His handshake was a single enthusiastic pump that sent a jolt all the way up Faye's arm. "It's nice to meet you at last, girl. Celica wouldn't shut up for the longest time about running into her old friend she'd thought was gone for good."

"Uncle!" Faye could spot a slight flush on Celica's cheeks.

"Hey, what're you mad at me for? You're the one who kept talking my ear off. And where's the wait staff? They should've been here ages ago to get your table." Half-turning, he cupped his hands over his mouth. "BOEY! GET IN HERE. WE'VE GOT CUSTOMERS WAITING!"

"Sorry, sorry!" The double doors swung open again, and a boy stumbled out. "I didn't hear the – oh, Celica! How have you been?"

"Get 'em a table! You can chat when you're not on the clock." Wiping his hands on his apron, Saber shook his head and started to head back into the kitchen. "Swear to the Mother, you can't find good help these days..."

Boey and Celica shared a chuckle as Saber vanished, but then he grabbed a couple of menus from the stack and indicated for them to follow her, which they did.

"So, you're Faye?" he said as he smiled at her and pulled out a chair for her to sit. "Celica's told me a lot about you."

"She did?" It hadn't really crossed her mind that she would be subject of Celica's discussions with other people. Not that she minded, really, but still.

"Yeah, it was all she could talk about for a while. How she found her childhood friend again after so many years. It's good that you can make her so happy, you know?"

"Boey..." Celica frowns slightly in an affected gesture and the boy laughs.

"Okay, okay. I'll go get your drinks. Lemme know when you're ready to order!"

As Boey left, Faye smiled at Celica. "So you know the people here! No wonder you wanted to bring me to visit this place. "

"Yes, this place is filled with memories for me..." Celica's gaze lingered on the walls and the decorations. "But I wasn't kidding when I said the seafood is great! Uncle – Saber – is amazing in the kitchen."

"I see." Opening the menu, Faye began looking down the list of what they had on display. "Well then, let's see what they have to offer..."

Celica had been correct. Saber was apparently a great cook, and in between that and frequent visits from the rest of the staff, all of whom apparently knew Celica, time passed quickly.

After the meal, and after bidding farewell to the crew of the restaurant ("Don't be a stranger, lass!"), the two of them agreed to take a walk before heading back, to better let the food digest, and also to let enjoy the pleasant weather of the night.

"So... Saber," Faye began as they walked down the pier. "I didn't want to ask while in the restaurant, just in case it's a sensitive issue, but what happened to his eye?"

"Oh, it happened before I met him." Celica tilted her head to the side, and a slight frown crossed her face. "Uncle... well, he's got a past he doesn't like to boast about, so it's probably for the best you didn't mention it. But he got that injury in a bar brawl, and... well. I think getting that injury was part of the reason why he decided to clean up and run a more respectable business, but I never wanted to pry."

"Wait," Faye frowned as she picked up something in Celica's choice of words. "Before you met him? I thought he was your uncle?"

"Oh, no, he's not actually my..." Celica trailed off. There was silence, with Faye letting her take her time to sort her thoughts out. "Faye... you know I used to be called Anthiese, right?"

"Yeah." Faye raised and lowered her shoulder. "But... well, I always got the feeling it was something you didn't want to talk about. I decided not to pry."

"Well, thanks for that." Celica was now keeping her gaze locked on the ground ahead of her. "The truth is, I wanted to leave my old life behind. To cut all ties with... him."

"Him? You mean... your father?"

"That man is not my father." The statement was drained of any emotion, but delivered just a tad too quickly to be completely impersonal. Faye winced, involuntarily.

"Sorry... I didn't know."

"No, it's all right. Of course you didn't." Celica heaved a sigh. "A few years after we first met, I decided to start digging into my family tree. He was... he wanted to remarry, and I didn't mind – not at first. But then I learned that my mother's marriage to him was..." She broke off, bit her lip, and Faye suddenly realized that Celica's shoulders were shaking.

"It's okay," she said quickly. "You don't have to talk about it if you don't-"

"No, I want to do this." Her voice was quiet. "I... want you to know."

Faye fell silent, but after a moment, she stepped closer to hold Celica's hand, giving it an encouraging squeeze.

Celica bit her lip for a moment, and then she nodded. "He never loved her. He just wanted a trophy wife to hang on to his arm when they attended social events and parties and made business deals. She refused, at first. But then... he found some scandal from her family's past and threatened to unearth it. I can't even remember what it was now, but it was damaging enough that my mother ended up agreeing just to save her family's reputation."

There was a silence for a moment and Celica shook her head. "After I found this out... I knew that I didn't want anything more to do with that man or his family. So I left. Changed my name. Moved back to this country. I don't know if he ever searched for me. If he did, he didn't try very hard."

"...Wow." Faye breathed out into the night air. "That must have taken a lot of courage." If it were me, would I have the – what am I saying? Of course I wouldn't. I'd be too weak to let go, ever.

"Well, I guess anger and disgust can be a good substitute for courage." Celica seemed calmer now, as if telling her story had helped unload her burden. "And at the end of the day, it was still incredibly reckless. Leaving him was all well and good, but I was still alone with no plans and no money. To be honest, after a while I felt lost.

"It was Uncle. He was the one who rescued me. Took me in, gave me a place to stay. He let me know that he would look out for me no matter what." One hand clenched into a fist as she brought it close to her heart. "I owe him... everyone at the restaurant... more than I can ever repay."

"Huh. That's so sweet. I saw you were really close with everyone there, but I didn't know it went that far."

"The job I have, the apartment I was able to rent..." Celica paused and turned to gaze back in the direction of the restaurant, long since vanished in the distance and the gloom of night. "The life I'm able to live now. It's all because they were there for me when I didn't have anything. When I was at my lowest."

When I was at my lowest.

Faye took a deep breath, and half turned to face Celica as she was walking. "Celica."

"Mm?"

"Well, this is coming a few years too late, but..." Faye swallowed once and nodded, trying to look confident. "I want you to know that I'll be there for you too."

Celica stood in silence for a moment before a smile came onto her face. "Faye..."

"I'm serious!" Faye insisted. "I... wasn't there to help you back when you were at your lowest, but I'm here now. And... and I'll be there for you, no matter what. I may not be all that much help, but I'll never leave you again! I swear." After all, I know. I know what it's like when you feel all alone... and when you feel like no one's there to help. And I know how it feels when you realize you had people on your side all along.

"I know you mean it, Faye." Celica's smile grew deeper. "And I wasn't smiling because I didn't think you were serious. I'm just... so touched. It's been so long, but in some ways it's like we never left each other at all."

"Well, we didn't have a choice back then." Faye sighed, more for the theatrical effect than anything else. She reached down to grasp Celica's hand in her own again. "But we do now! And I'm not letting you leave me behind any longer."

"And I won't leave again." Celica promised and she squeezed hard on Faye's hands briefly, a sign of reassurance. "So... whatever happens to either of us, we'll face it together."

"That's right." Faye nodded in affirmation. "Together."

Chapter End

Author's Notes: Oh boy look at all that dialogue.

Initial story ideas was that this would story would almost be 100% WAFF. Not... really how it turned out in the end. You can probably see some hints of issues that might crop up later in the story. Anyway! Hope you all enjoyed this. Comments and critiques are always welcome!