Jessica's Point of View

I still joined my friends at the Clock Tower and watched as the others left for their missions, but I didn't go on any for a while. Xion never came to the Clock Tower anymore, and she left before I was even up most days. One day, I tried to confront her, but she wouldn't give me any answer other than, "I'm sorry. I have to go."

The day following my confrontation, while I was in the Grey Area, I overheard Luxord tell Roxas that Xion was unconscious. I bolted from my seat and went to Xion's room with him. Saix tried to stop us before we could leave the Grey Area. "And where do you think you are going, Roxas?"

I was about to tell him off, but Roxas beat me to it. "To see Xion."

"But you have a mission," Saix pointed out.

"The mission can wait. Out of the way, or I'll move you," I huffed.

"I don't care what you do, Jessica, but I do require Roxas to leave for his mission. It will make no difference whether or not he goes with you. Xion will not wake up," Saix remarked.

"That's not the point! We should still be with her," Roxas argued.

As we continued toward Xion's room, Saix said something more detestable than anything I had ever heard him say. "What do you care? The creature is broken. Defective."

Roxas and I turned around, ready to defend our friend. "Don't call her that!" Roxas shouted.

"I'll call that thing whatever I want. How we deal with Xion is no concern of yours," Saix remarked.

I ran at him in anger and attacked him with my keyblade. He summoned his Claymore and blocked quickly. He glared at me with warning eyes. "Don't start." I sent a flurry of attacks his way in another rush of anger. "Look at you. Up in arms over a Nobody."

"What's happening here?" I heard Luxord ask.

"Should we do something?" Demyx wondered.

It was Xigbar who pulled me away. "Alright. That's enough of that. Go with Roxas to see your friend. Then you'll come with me and do something productive for a change."

"Xemnas said I don't have to go on any missions if I don't want to," I objected.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Did I leave out the part where I don't care?" Xigbar scoffed.

"Jess, we'll sort it out later. Xion needs us," Roxas said, grabbing my hand and gently pulling me away.

We went to Xion's room, where she was lying on her bed. Roxas set a seashell down next to her pillow and stayed with me for a while before leaving for his mission. Xigbar appeared shortly after.

"Get out of here," I snarled.

"Gladly, with you in tow," Xigbar replied.

I left Xion's room to talk with him. "Just leave me alone."

"Nope. You're coming with me," Xigbar insisted.

"Why should I come with you?" I grumbled.

"Just come with me. If you won't do anything else, keep me company," Xigbar sighed.

"Fine," I relinquished. I walked with Xigbar to the Grey Area. I had expected some sort of reaction from Saix, but it was as though nothing had happened.

"Finally going out, I see," Saix commented.

I didn't say anything as he gave us our mission. It was recon in The Land of Dragons again.

"Oh, boy. This better not be anything like the last time. You stay close, Rabbit," Xigbar insisted.

"Whatever," I mumbled.

He opened a dark corridor and stepped aside. "Ladies first."

I walked past him and into the pool of darkness.


"What you did today wasn't good, Rabbit," Xigbar commented as we made our way up the snowy mountain.

"Say what you want, but he crossed the line first," I argued.

"I'm not saying he didn't, but you don't go attacking people whenever you feel like for whatever reason," Xigbar scolded.

"Are you going to keep going, or will we get this done?" I snapped.

"Rabbit, you've been down this path before. Don't shut me out. Let me help you." Xigbar offered me his hand to help me up the mountain.

I swatted the extended hand away. "I don't need your help." With terrible timing, I misstepped and slipped. He caught my arm before I took a tumble.

"Sure. Whatever you say," Xigbar replied as he helped me get back on my feet. I had the urge to find Mulan again but pushed it down. I didn't need them to think that I was taking steps back instead of moving forward. "You're going to come out of this stronger, you know. Take it from someone who's been there."

"Been where?" I questioned.

Xigbar laughed. "All sorts of places, Rabbit. You have no idea."

"I don't know what you think you know, but what I'm going through, you have no idea," I snapped.

"Oh, I bet I do, Rabbit. I bet I do," Xigbar commented.

I was angry at him for making light of my situation and assuming that he could even begin to put himself in my shoes. I let him get ahead of me and gathered some snow into a ball, making sure to pack the cold substance together tightly before throwing it at Xigbar with all my fury. I braced myself as Xigbar stopped and turned to me, realizing I hadn't planned for what would happen next.

"Huh. That's funny. Almost felt a tickle. Must have been the wind," Xigbar smirked. He was goading me. Daring me to try again. Rationality left me once more as I gathered more snow into a ball, but something cold was propelled at my face when I was about to throw it. I let out a shriek. "Never pick a fight with The Freeshooter. I may only have one eye, but my aim is just as good as ever, as you know."

I threw my snowball at him, and before I knew it, we were trading shots. I began to enjoy myself and found myself giggling, though I tried to stop when I remembered that I didn't want to be there. A few well-timed snowballs pushed me back down the mountain until suddenly, there was no more mountain, and I fell off a cliff. I screamed as I slipped and fell. Only I didn't fall. Not completely. Xigbar was there on the mountain above me, grasping my arm.

"I win," Xigbar remarked, pulling me up to safety.

I hugged him, still in shock from nearly falling to a severe injury, if not death.

"No more attacking other members. You hear me?" Xigbar ordered gently. I was too shaken up to reply. "Alright. You'll catch a cold if we don't get you home soon. Let's get out of here." Xigbar helped me up and opened a dark corridor.

"What about your mission?" I asked.

"I'd rather suffer the consequences of skipping than get you sick. Besides, it was just recon. I'll make it look good on paper," Xigbar assured me.

I shakily followed Xigbar back to the castle.


"You're back early. I hope you didn't think just because Jessica was with you, you could-" Saix stopped when he got a better look at us. "What happened?"

"Avalanche. Nearly wiped our little Rabbit out. She would have gotten seriously injured if I hadn't caught her as she fell off that cliff," Xigbar replied.

I held back my giggles and fought to keep a serious face. "I tried to tell him that I didn't want you and Xemnas to be even angrier with me, but Xigbar insisted that you both would rather have me back safe than not at all," I added, trying to appeal to the ghost of Saix's pity. Even if there was a shred of the emotion left in Saix, I had a feeling it would be enough.

Saix didn't disappoint. "Xigbar was entirely right. Are you hurt?"

"Just my pride," I replied honestly.

"Go get into some dry clothes and then come to the dining room," Saix ordered.

The sooner I left, the sooner I could snicker about having pulled the wool over Saix's eyes. I changed into my soft pink pajamas rather than a heavy unforgiving black coat. After that, I went to the dining room as Saix had demanded. I sat across from Saix and noticed a cup of steaming brown liquid in front of me. "What?" I muttered, confused.

"A warm drink may help you to avoid getting sick," Saix explained.

I hesitated. I avoided food made by anyone but me since I had been drugged with sleeping spells. While I seriously doubted that Saix would do that at that moment, I still froze up in fear. I sniffed it cautiously. The corners of my mouth perked up. "Is that hot chocolate?" I asked.

"What did you think it was?" Saix scoffed.

I didn't have a response. My fears didn't stand a chance against my gluttony and sweet tooth. I drank the liquid with contentment, forcing my reservations down with the delicious warm drink. "Thank you," I smiled.

"You're welcome."

As I indulged in my beverage's creamy, rich taste, I began to consider Saix's true motives for being nice to me. "If you're looking for an apology for this morning, it won't happen. I stand by my decisions."

"I'd rather not dwell on the events of this morning. I don't much care to be on the subject of that thi- Nobody either. All that matters is you're home safe and sound. I didn't know what to think when I heard you had nearly died. If I had a heart, I'm sure I would have been fit to be tied," Saix commented.

While that wasn't exactly what happened, I still had to play along. If Saix knew what was really happening in The Land of Dragons, I would have been in for an extra long scolding. "It was pretty frightening," I mentioned with honesty. When I fell over the edge, I didn't know that Xigbar would catch me. I could have even used my glider to catch myself. Instead, I had been frozen in fear.

"I haven't told Lord Xemnas yet, but he will know. Are you prepared for that?" Saix wondered.

"Uhh..." Was my only response. I hadn't even thought about what would happen if Xemnas were to get involved. When it came to anybody except him, he was overprotective enough. Of course, those same rules didn't apply to him. He could abuse me all he wanted, and no one would stop him. All anyone could do was delay him at best.

"You had best prepare yourself for such a thing," Saix warned.

Axel came into the room. "Hey, I need to talk to you," He growled.

I jumped at the sternness in Axel's voice. "What did I do?"

Axel's face softened as his attention centered on me. "Hey, Jess. Not you, kiddo. Why don't you go check on Xion. Can you do that for me, sweetie?" I knew something was up as he used those terms of endearment. He only called me things like "kiddo" and "sweetie" when he needed me out of the way. It was his way of saying I was too young to be in the room for the conversation he was about to have. I didn't know what he thought I was too young for, but he was wrong.

"Sure thing, Ax. I'll head out," I agreed. Of course, I just stood outside of the room.

Axel waited for a few seconds. "I don't hear those footsteps, Jess!" Axel called, clearly not in the mood for games.

"I'm going!" I groaned.

When I reached Xion's room, I found that another seashell had been added to the first.


Thank you 3bodyjaa for following, favoriting, and for your review. It's been a while since anyone has shown any interest in this one, so I'm glad someone is reading it.