Disclaimer: I don't own any of the FF8 characters. I only own Akira and Terra.

Prologue

Seifer sat in front of his television set, mindlessly flipping through the channels. It
was nearly two in the morning and he was beginning to get sleepy. The reason he was fighting falling asleep though was because he couldn't get someone off his mind. A girl to be more precise. He'd met her at least four months ago in Timber, the same place he'd met Rinoa even before that, and they'd spent a night together at a hotel. Why exactly Seifer couldn't really be sure, but since being run out of Garden, he didn't seem to have many morals lately. He knew of one-night stands and all, but he couldn't help but worry about why he'd never heard from her again. He sensed something was wrong, but wasn't sure what. The only thing he knew was her name: Terra, and that she had light cinnamon hair and beautiful blue eyes. He wasn't even sure if she lived in Timber. He'd gone looking for her once, but never found her. It was like she had just... vanished.

The phone rang and caused him to jump in surprise. He was yanked back to reality as he
picked up the phone and said "Hello."

"It's you, isn't it?!" came a shrieking female voice. He recognized it immediatly.

"Terra??" he exclaimed. "Why are you calling me?"

She scoffed. "I bet you'd like to know, wouldn't you?! Well maybe you can stop by and
visit, or will I have had my baby by then?!"

Seifer's heartrate increased and it felt as though a drum were being beat on inside his
ribcage. "Baby?? What the hell are you talkin' about?!"

"I'm pregnant Seifer!! And it's all because of you!!" Seifer slowly backed up and fell
into the chair heavily. What was going on? Terra couldn't be pregnant. They had only been together once.

"What are we gonna do?" Seifer asked quietly. His usual cocky attitude had completely
left him for the moment.

"We??" Terra laughed despite her anger. "You are going to take care of this baby,
not me!"

"Me?! Hey, I'm not the only one involved in this! You were there too in case you don't
remember!" Now Seifer was getting angry as well. He wasn't sure if he actually was mad, but it was an easier emotion for him to convey than anything else.

"Seifer..." Terra began. She was hesitant, but finally continued. "I can't take care of
another baby right now," she told him gently.

Seifer blinked. "Another?" He shook his head. "What do you mean?"

"I already have two kids," she said with a sigh. She sounded embarassed now. "They both
have different fathers, and neither of them want the responsibility of taking care of a child."

Seifer didn't respond immediatly. Terra had two kids already, each with a different guy?
The one she was pregnant with now would be the third. How could he have gotten involved with someone like that? Not that anyone he knew would be surprised by it... "I can't do it alone either," he told her firmly.

"Well you are. That's all there is to it." And she hung up on him.

Six Months Later

Seifer had started to forget about Terra. She would've already had the baby by now, and
she still hadn't called or visited him. Maybe she forgot as well? Ha, not likely Almasy, Seifer told himself. The sudden blaring of his doorbell caused his heart to flutter in his chest. Somehow he knew it was her. He held the cool doorknob in his fist for a while until he finally built up enough courage to open the door.

In front of him stood the beautiful girl he'd met a great number of months ago. She had
gained quite a bit of weight, but she was still the same Terra he'd remembered. In her arms, sheheld a small infant, merely two weeks old. She only nodded and he stepped aside to let her in. She sat on the couch and he sat next to her. "Her name is Akira," Terra told him. He nodded. He wouldn't say anything, but he liked the name. "She's beautiful, isn't she?"

Seifer was surprised to hear Terra not angry. He thought she would still be ornery with
him. "Yeah..."

"Seifer I'm really very sorry, but... you know how it is," Terra told him with sympathy
in her blue eyes.

Seifer narrowed his emerald orbs at her. "No, I don't." He stood up and paced in front
of her. "Why didn't you say anything? About your other children."

Terra sighed. "I don't know... I just liked you so much that I... I guess it just
slipped my mind."

Seifer furrowed his brow. "It slipped your mind?" he echoed. He reached down and
plucked the infant from Terra's arms. "Then maybe it is best if I keep her here with me.
She's obviously not important enough for you to care about her, as well as your other two."

Terra looked shocked. "That isn't true!"

Seifer just shook his head and opened the door. "I want you out of here," he said firmly.
"And don't come back."

"But Seifer..."

"Go!" Terra said nothing else as she gave Akira a final kiss goodbye and exited Seifer's
house for the last time.

Seifer sighed and sat down, cradling Akira in his arms gently. "Everything's so screwed
up..." He looked down at the infant's face and an uncontrollable smile crept across his lips. "Well, this certainly will be an experience neither of us will ever forget... But I promise to do my best to raise you... Akira Almasy."