Why yes, yes I am back. I apologize for the extremely long wait for this chapter, but for some reason I found it hard to write, not to mention picking a fiance up on the way took some time away. The next chapter should be much easier to write because it'll be getting the ball rolling.

Disclaimer: I own nooooooooothing.

--

The next few days had been blurs of light and darkness, white lab coats, and needle pricks for Seifer. He couldn't remember anything clearly because he was so heavily medicated and thought most of it was a dream. A nightmare, really.

Squall had ordered that Seifer be left in the cargo bay, alone, for three days. When none of the others objected to the order, Dr. Kadowaki chided them and overruled his decision. The old woman had finally pulled rank and it was for Seifer Almasy. She and her medical staff had been the ones tending to him all three days.

First, they had to purge his system of the alcohol so that they could properly sedate him without risking injury. Then, because he was so malnourished, Dr. Kadowaki ordered for an IV with the needed nutrients to be administered.

Seifer had managed to tear the IV out four times even in his drugged state. Dr. Kadowaki put the fifth line in personally and duct taped it to his arm so he couldn't tear it out no matter how many times he rubbed it against the straps that bound him. She had 'fixed his little red wagon'.

The fourth day had finally come and Seifer no longer was sedated. He wasn't quite aware of that though, having no clear memories of what had been going on the last few days. He slept peacefully on his little cot, his body no longer fighting the restraints. Somehow, he even managed to look worse than he did when he was first brought there, now having a bruise where Squall had hit him and rub burns on his wrists from the restraints.

The overhead lights hummed, and then flickered to life, drowning the area in white. It was the sound of the door opening and the familiar sounds of boots thudding against the ground that roused Seifer. He awoke in time to catch a glimpse of a blonde figure coming towards him.

Quistis stopped a few feet away from him. She was in her SeeD uniform, that had been neatly pressed, glasses were in place, and her hair was flawless. Trepe like he always remembered her. Except for the bruises that made a line over her delicate neck, a shadow of where his fingers hand been.

"Instructor," he said, unable to draw his eyes away from the bruises. He had done that.

"Oh, Seifer, you know I'm not an Instructor anymore. You made sure of that." Even though she tried to make her tone as matter-of-fact as possible, a trickle of bitterness still came out.

Making a 'hmph' sound, he narrowed his eyes and turned his head away. He didn't want to look at the bruises anymore. "Whatever makes you sleep better at night, Trepe."

Quistis seemed to straighten with his words, her face an expressionless mask. It was only her eyes that showed she was angry, but Seifer didn't need to look to know that. He could just feel it.

"I'm here to inform you as to what will become of you. If you'd rather I leave and have Squall deliver the message himself, I can." The way she said it made it sound like she would love to send Squall down there.

Seifer turned his head to look at her, eyes still narrowed. "Say what you've fucking got to say, Trepe, but don't threaten me with your Hyne damned crush!"

Quistis made an insulted noise in her throat when he called Squall her 'crush'. That was a mistake from the past, but she wasn't going to discuss her love life, or lack of one, with him. "Don't assume foolish things, Seifer." Her tone had an edge of warning to it.

"Whatever, Trepe, just tell me why you're here. I don't got all day." Seifer laughed at his own joke, smirking to himself. Even he could be a good sport about being chained to a bed.

Quistis, on the other hand, looked more annoyed than amused. "You've been brought here for a reason, it's up to Squall to tell you why though. I'm simply here to tell you that you'll be released from that cot if you behave yourself."

"Behave myself? I've been fucking kidnapped and tied to a cot for Hyne knows how long! Behave my ass!" He snarled at her, fists clenching at his sides.

"Yes, it was unfortunate how the situation was handled in bringing you back, but, you left us with no other choice." The woman sighed, already tired of the conversation.

"Oh pull that stick out of your ass, Trepe, you're no fucking saint." Seifer tried to shift enough to look over at her without straining his neck, but it was a futile attempt.

"You all enjoyed dragging me here and roughing me up. Made you feel all fucking fuzzy inside, didn't it?"

Quistis made a face, and it wasn't pleasant. "Perhaps there was some joy, but that's beside the point,"

"And that point is?" He snapped.

"You're here, to stay, whether you like it or not, for a while." She put it simply, thin smile in place.

"You can't keep me here. I do still have some fucking rights." Briefly, Seifer wondered if that statement was actually true.

"Unless you can fly, you'll be here." It was true; Balamb Garden had taken flight yesterday. Where they were headed? Well, that was another of Squall's secrets.

"Son of a bitch," Seifer scowled and closed his eyes. How could this be happening? It was like a nightmare, except she wasn't in it. "Give it to me, Trepe." He sighed, also growing tired of the conversation.

Quistis seemed to perk up, pleased that he gave in. His struggles would have been pointless anyway. "I've arranged for you to have your old room back, along with the things you left at Garden," she made it sound like he had just taken a vacation rather than ran away and tried to destroy the place. "But, due to your behavior, a guard will be posted outside your door, also for your protection mind you, and your access around Garden will be limited."

"Try not to sound so pleased, will ya', Trepe?" He interrupted with a sneer.

"My apologies," the woman chuckled despite herself. "Continuing on. You will be granted low class healing magic only, and will be allowed access to only the infirmary, and at times, the third floor office as of right now. Meals and any reading materials you may require—not that kind—" she had caught the look he gave her. "Will be delivered. If you fail to stay within your bounds, well, you'll be enjoying the wonderful view this cargo hold offers. Do you understand and agree to these guidelines?"

"I'd give you the finger if I could, but I guess I'll settle for saying it. Fuck you, Trepe." He still tried giving her the finger anyway.

She just beamed at him with wicked glee. "Great, I'll take that as a yes! I'll go get the officers." With that, she headed back to the doors.

"Yeah, yeah. Soak it up, Trepe. It'll come back to haunt you later!" Seifer called, grumbling a few lewd comments under his breath.

--

Several minutes later Quistis returned with a group of young, blank-faced cadets in tow. One was pushing an empty wheelchair, while another held a set of shackles. The rest of the soldiers all had guns they were carrying at their sides.

Quistis was the only one willing enough to step up to his bedside. She turned back to hold her hand out to a redheaded soldier. "Give the key here, Armont," she wiggled gloved fingers at him impatiently.

"Sure you want to test your luck again, Instructor?" Seifer smirked when Quistis flinched from behind at the word 'instructor'. "I mean, I did knock you around the last time you got too close."

Quistis snatched the keys from the boy and turned back around, unconsciously bringing her hand up to her neck. "If you hadn't noticed, the soldiers are armed," she leaned in just a bit closer to him so he could hear her but the others couldn't. "And they're new so I'm sure they have an itchy trigger finger, especially for traitors of Garden."

"Now-now, Trepe, I'm sure you'd miss me if I was gone." Seifer sneered, watching a muscle twitch in her cheek. He was getting to her, while that threat she'd given didn't do a damn thing to him.

"I haven't yet." She quickly went to work at removing the several restraints that held him to the bed, all the while avoiding his gaze.

--

"We'll all get homes of our own someday. Even you. I don't know why you're so angry that I have a family that wants me. It's not like I'll never see you again." The young blonde sat with her legs tucked under herself, her knees continuously being soaked by the tide as it gently rolled in and out on the sea line.

Seifer was quiet, probably the most quiet he had ever been in his young life. His eyebrows were knotted, his lips pursed, and his jaw clenched so tight it hurt. He was trying his best to look angry. "They don't really want you. There must have been a mistake. They're crazy."

"That's not true! You're just mad someone wants me and not you! But someone will want you. You'll see. Don't be mean to me because they can't take you along with me." After growing up with him so long, Quistis was finally learning to not let him get to her as much.

"Why would anyone want you? You're stupid, Quisty, just a stupid, smelly girl. They only want you because you looked like that little girl in the picture that died. Maybe they'll start calling you by her name too. Yeah. They don't want you."

"Don't say that! It's not true. Don't say that ever. They want me because I'm nice and smart, and not a big jerk like you! No one will want you if you keep acting like such a brat." Perhaps she hadn't learned after all.

The boy smirked, knowing he was making her doubt the reasons the people wanted her. Maybe if he pushed it enough she wouldn't go away. Maybe she wouldn't go away like everyone else always did. Maybe he wouldn't be alone. "I'm not a brat. I'm telling the truth. No one would ever want a little girl like you. You're funny looking and you cry too much. You're first parents didn't want you; these won't either. You'll see, I'm right. I'm always right."

Tears were starting to well up in the girl's eyes, but she sniffled to keep them from falling. She would not cry. She couldn't. Not after what he said. Instead, she sucked in her lower lip and glared at him.

Seemingly satisfied, Seifer grinned at her and stood, brushing the sand off his shorts. He was at an age where he understood the damage of words, and also knew he liked the affects his had on others. Though, his words then weren't as nearly as effective as they would become later. "Have fun at your new home, no one will miss you here."

Quistis rubbed furiously at her eyes as she watched him walk away, keeping the tears back. "Yes you will! You will too, Seifer Almasy! You'll miss me! I'm the one that won't miss you. I'll never miss you!" She shrieked, but it was too late, Seifer was already half way back to the house and too far away to hear her.

--

It took longer than it usually would to remove his restraints, as Quistis' fingers kept fumbling with the keys, already causing her to drop them twice. She frowned at her own inhibitions, unsure of why she was having such problems.

"Not nervous are you, Trepe?" Seifer chuckled, watching her as she tried to fit the key into the lock at his ankles for the third time. To make it worse, he jerked his body against them so that they rattled.

There was the sound of several guns cocking, the soldiers behind Quistis having taken their ready position. Quistis narrowed her eyes at Seifer and turned to look back at them. "Stand down, stand down! He's been laying in the same position for three days with only fluids in him, do you honestly think he can do anything?"

Several of the young men frowned; even one of them blushed. Nonetheless they returned to their former positions with their guns at their sides. They looked more nervous than before though, as if they didn't trust her word. Or perhaps it was the wicked grin Seifer was giving them.

Finally getting the restraints on his legs unlocked, she eased them off of his ankles, finding he had rubbed his skin so raw that the blood had dried and crusted to the inside of the metal cuffs, pulling skin and hair off his legs as she let it drop to the floor with a clank.

Seifer had hissed with the pain, clenching his jaw so tightly he thought he might break his teeth. Apparently Kadowaki had stopped administering painkillers too. "Careful, will ya'? I'm delicate, you know."

"Shut up, Seifer." She said without looking at him as she started on the restraints that held him round the middle. They were easier to get off, but made her soldiers jumpy. She could hear them moving closer, the rattle of their guns as they shook in their hands. Maybe she had become fearless, or maybe they were stupid.

Moving up to his arms, she first had to remove the locks that held him at the wrists, seeing they were just like the ones around his ankles. The sight was so grotesque that Quistis couldn't help but be thankful that she had skipped breakfast. "You'll also be needing further medical attention, obviously. I'll have Dr. Kadowaki come to your room first thing, you can also apologize for injuring her."

"Old woman shouldn't have gotten in the way." Even though the past events were foggy, he remembered he had hurt the good doctor somehow, but apparently it wasn't enough to kill her. He did feel bad, slightly.

"Yes, because then I'd be dead and you'd be facing murder charges the government could finally hold you on, rather than being in the cargo hold." Quistis snapped and unlocked the last of the restraints. She pulled them off of him and let them fall to the floor with a metallic thud.

Completely flustered, she moved back and motioned with a hand for the soldiers to step forward. They did quickly, all guns pointed towards Seifer. The cadet with the wheelchair cautiously pushed it forward to the side of the cot, awaiting further instructions.

Seifer had scowled at Trepe's comment and lay there, unsure of what to say in return. She was right. He would have killed her. It would have been all too easy for him. Extinguishing a life had become like a high to him; watching the light fade from his victim's eyes, it was a rush.

"Get him in the wheelchair and take him to his room. Make sure no one but staff members with permission from Mr. Leonhart are allowed to enter. You will assist the medical team if they need it when caring for him." Quistis barked these orders to the soldiers, saluted, turned and left without so much as a last glance to Seifer.