 
~**~

The Reluctant Knight

A Bookworms and Booya Book

© 2004 By Nona Mae King

Inspired by the characters Seifer Almasy, Quistis Trepe,

and other characters from

Final Fantasy VIII © SquareEnix

Published by Mintfield Books at Smashwords

Cover design by Fury Publishing

Discover other titles by Nona Mae King at Smashwords:

Fantasy:

To Save A Soul

Romance:

My Fair Princess

Searching for Sara

Fan-Fiction:

Bookworms and Booya (series)

Few Words

The Reluctant Knight

In Theory

A Rose By Any Other Name

Terra (series)

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to the site and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

~**~
_The following is a work of Fan-Fiction based on the world and characters from the video game_ Final Fantasy VIII _by Square-Enix. Additional information about the game and characters can be found at_ Mintfield.net _and_ Wikipedia _._

~**~

**Glossary of** Characters **:**

 Fujin 'Ahndra' Kelley\-- a young woman with pale skin, short silver hair and an eye patch. She was a member of Seifer's Disciplinary Committee and is now part of Garden's Security Network. Fujin prefers to speak in terse sentences, often with only a single word.

 Seifer Almasy\--Head of Network Security and long-time rival of Squall. He is hard on his team and demands nothing but the best. The head of the Disciplinary Committee before the second Sorceress War. He is often seen as a bully rather than a true law enforcer.

Janine Larabie\--(property of Nona Mae King) Outspoken and highly opinionated, she is not above questioning orders if it means saving the life of innocent civilians or her squad. On her own since the age of 13, she and her brother lived on the street until she was taken in by a missionary and his wife. She is the only female gun-blader.

Marshal Beita\--(property of Nona Mae King) a calm individual who thinks before acting, generally only behaving irrationally when protecting those he cares about. He has a tendency of using sarcastic humor to alleviate tension. He witnessed his younger sister's rape and murder.

 Zell Dincht\--an impulsive martial artist who is loyal to his friends. He also has a passion for hot dogs, a recurring gag of the game being they are always sold out by the time he reaches the cafeteria. He grew up at the same orphanage as Selphie, Irvine, Quistis, Squall and Seifer, who gave him the nickname "chicken-wuss". Zell was adopted by "Ma Dincht" from the city of Balamb.

 Sally Regal (the Library Girl)-- a timid individual who has a knack for solving puzzles and a fierce loyalty to Zell Dincht. She was originally enrolled at Garden by her parents to help her with her extreme shyness and lack of social aptitude.

 Quistis Trepe\--Head of Instruction at Balamb Garden. She grew up at the same orphanage as Zell, Squall, Seifer, Selphie and Irvine. She was adopted at a young age, though never grew close to her adoptive family.

 Selphie Tilmitt\--an instructor at Balamb Garden who originally transferred from the now destroyed Trabia Garden. She is active and energetic, although slightly clumsy. She participates in many extracurricular activities, such as planning the Garden Festival and running the school's website.

 Squall Leonhart\--Commander of the Garden Network. He rarely speaks and is known as a lone wolf who always focuses on duty. He grew up at the same orphanage as Quistis, Zell, Seifer, Selphie, and Irvine, though he was never adopted.

 Rinoa Heartilly\--the daughter of General Caraway and singer/pianist Julia Heartilly. She is a member of the Forest Owls, a resistance faction seeking to liberate the small nation of Timber from Galbadian occupation. Squall and Rinoa are romantically involved.

 Irvine Kinneas\-- one of the Garden's elite sharpshooters. He acts like a carefree, but misunderstood loner; however, this is merely a façade to charm women and hide his lack of confidence. He grew up at the same orphanage as Quistis, Zell, Seifer, Selphie, and Squall.

Jaxon Crest\--(property of J. Seay) Entered Trabia Garden at the age of fifteen and quickly progressed through the ranks. Studied battle theory and practiced swordsmanship since the age of ten. He is easy to work with and is often requested for missions outside of the Garden Network. He still feels guilt about the death of his fiancée.

~**~

Setting

Most of Final Fantasy VIII is set on an unnamed fantasy world with one moon. The game primarily consists of modern elements, but does contain some futuristic elements. The planet comprises five major landmasses, with Esthar, the largest, covering most of the eastern portion of the map. Galbadia, the second-largest continent, lies to the west, and contains many of the game's locations.

The northernmost landmass is Trabia, an Arctic region. Positioned roughly in the middle of the world map lies Balamb, the smallest continent, the island on which the game begins. The remaining landmass is small and mostly desolate, riddled with rough, rocky terrain caused by the impact of a "Lunar Cry", an event where monsters from the moon fall to the planet. The southernmost landmass includes an archipelago of broken sections of land that have drifted apart. Islands and marine structures flesh out the rest of the game world, and a handful of off-world locations round out the game's playable areas.

What is "Balamb Garden"?\--Garden is a prestigious network of military academies for elite mercenaries known as "SeeDs". There are four Gardens as of this series: Balamb, Galbadia, Trabia, and Deling.

What is a "GF"?\--GF stands for Guardian Force and is a magical creature able to be summoned in battle. There are a wide variety of GFs in the Final Fantasy universe. A side-effect of consistent use is loss of long-term memory.

~**~

Backstory

(Compiled from the Final Fantasy VIII Wikipedia,  IGN Plot Analysis, and the Mintfield.net Database)

Legend has it that a being called the "Great Hyne" creates the World and Mankind. Sorceress powers are said to derive from fragments of the Great Hyne, passed down from generation to generation.

Civilization flourishes first in Centra. As time goes on, mobile shelters leave Centra and end up in Trabia, Galbaldia and Balamb (these are now known as Gardens). Monsters fall from the Moon every few hundred years in an event known as the "Lunar Cry". A mysterious Crystal Pillar is discovered and is believed to originate from the Moon and to have some link with the frequency and focal points of the Lunar Cry's.

Both the Dollet and Esthar Empires flourish first. For reasons unknown, Centra scientists begin experimenting with the power of the Crystal Pillar, bringing it to the main Centra continent. Years later, a Lunar Cry strikes Centra, destroying all traces of civilization and leaving only a massive crater, into which sinks the Crystal Pillar. Soon thereafter, the Dollet Empire collapses, eclipsed by the rapidly growing Galbaldian Empire centered around Deling City.

The Esthar Empire eventually falls under the rule of the malevolent, power-hungry sorceress Adel, manipulated by a sorceress from the future: Ultimecia. The Sorceress War begins as the now powerful Galbadian Empire clash with Esthar forces. Esthar discovers the Crystal Pillar, moving it within the great box, Lunatic Pandora, to Esthar where Doctor Odine begins studying the pillar's relationship to Tear's Point and the Lunar Cry.

Using the Sorceress War as an excuse, Galbadia invades and occupies Timber and, a decade later, attempts to invade the Dollet Dukedom. Dollet in turn hires the assistance of the Balamb Garden branch of "SeeD", Garden's elite mercenary force (SeeD uses the mission as a final exam for its cadets). SeeD halts the Galbadian advance.

When assigned to help Rinoa's resistance faction in Galbadian-occupied Timber, Squall learns a sorceress named Edea is behind Galbadia's recent hostilities. Under orders from Balamb and Galbadia Gardens, Squall and his comrades attempt to assassinate Edea. The sorceress thwarts the attempt, and Seifer abandons Garden to become Edea's second-in-command.

In retaliation, Edea launches a missile attack on Trabia Garden. Fearing that Balamb Garden is the next target, the team splits into two units, one to warn Balamb of the attack while the other attempts to stop the missile launch against Trabia. The mission fails and Trabia Garden is lost with only a handful of survivors.

While investigating Trabia Garden's wreckage, it is discovered that Garden and SeeD's primary mission is to defeat corrupt sorceresses. After this revelation by Headmaster Cid, the forces of Balamb Garden and the Galbadian Army, led by Squall and Seifer respectively, engage in battle. After Balamb defeats Galbadia, Edea loses a decisive battle against the SeeD, forcing Ultimecia to transfer her powers. Squall's team then infiltrates Lunatic Pandora, travels to Ultimecia's era and defeats her.

A few months after the end of the second Sorceress War, Squall proposes the idea of joining all Gardens into a single Network. This would establish a broader base of military knowledge and experience, monetary support, and fuller utilization of combined resources. He also proposes that Seifer Almasy be re-instated and then assigned the position Head of Garden Network Security upon graduation. This position was suggested based on Seifer's past performance with the Disciplinary Committee and personal reasons Squall would not volunteer.

Upon the final proposal of the Garden Network, all administrators unanimously agreed they would not approve unless Squall be promoted from Commander of Balamb Garden to Garden Network Commander. He accepted.

As the intra/inter Garden Network is finalized, Squall proposed the building of a high-risk Garden in Deling City to separate those candidates and See-Ds that had a collection of serious infractions on their record. An emphasis on rehabilitation, counseling, and discipline was proposed.

Squall later initiated an undercover unit of See-D to track terrorist groups. It operates under strict secrecy, often being classified as "Black-Ops", and has an unknown number of high-ranking See-D at its core. Last known number of See-D specifically trained for this unit was twenty. They are dispersed throughout the world.

~**~

_Author's Note:_ _If you have not read_ Bookworms and . . . Booya! _, I would recommend doing so before reading_ The Reluctant Knight _. The following book is a side-story which takes place during books 3 and 4 of the_ Bookworms and Booya _series._

The Reluctant Knight

Chapter One:

Hell's Morning

Janine smelled the coffee before she rounded the corner of the second floor hall, but it wasn't enough of a warning. Not that morning, the morning from hell.

Corner turned--and coffee everywhere, staining her uniform, burning the skin of her left hand, and raising her temper to an even higher degree. Especially with the vocalized "Shit!" from the tall, muscular blond with the facial scar and the menacing green eyes.

The man glared at her the same as she glared at him. His black-silk shirt was soaked, as was the front of his black slacks and the report in his hand.

"Pull your head out of your ass!" he barked.

Shaking the hot coffee from her hand, Janine rubbed it onto her uniform skirt as her brown eyes darkened to the black of Hell's most shadowed corner. In fact, she practically felt her spiked black hair bristle. "If you'd pulled your head out a little faster, we wouldn't be in this situation, now would we?" She looked down at her soiled uniform. "Damn it. First impressions are officially shot to hell." Janine once more lifted her gaze. The man worked on shaking the coffee from his report and his other arm. "Now that I've helped clear your tunnel vision, can you tell me where Quistis Trepe's office is?"

"So you can shove your head back up your ass?" He scoffed, easily holding her annoyed gaze. "What happened to SeeD survival skills?" Pushing his now-empty coffee mug into her hand, he commanded, "Get me a refill while you're looking. Black. Hot," and then stepped past.

Janine looked down at the coffee mug slack jawed--'Death is answering 'no' ' brought a scoff--and turned to watch with narrowed eyes as the man strode away. She arched an eyebrow, a smirk overpowering the irritation. _Nice ass._ Then the frown returned. _Figures he would be one._

Looking again to her soiled uniform, Janine uttered a few choice phrases of authority and needed cranial-ectomies as her glare darkened. _And the morning of hell continues._ She hesitated to wonder what else could go wrong. After all, she didn't want to tempt the fates. _Hell. I'll just spit in their eye. Makes life more interesting anyway._ She shook her head and lifted her gaze to an examination of the many doors on each side of the hall. Finally, she shrugged and stepped to the first door, his coffee mug still in hand. _Yeah. I'll get you your coffee._

When Hyne's ass blew sparks.

Janine had made it halfway down the hall before she found Head Instructor Quistis Trepe's office on the right. Taking in a deep breath, she visibly straightened her posture before tapping on the office door, opening it, and stepping inside. Quistis Trepe was a slender blonde with blue eyes and a somewhat smug expression. _Great. Just great._ But Janine wanted this position. Badly. And she was willing to put up with assholes and smug princesses both to get it.

"Quistis Trepe? I'm Janine Larabie, Ma'am. I'm here for the Instructor position."

Quistis stood from behind her desk and accepted Janine's hand, returning a firm handshake that instantly raised Janine's respect-level. "Janine." Then Quistis motioned to the front of Janine's uniform, eyebrow raised. "What happened to you?"

Janine waved it away. "A case of mistaken right-of-way."

Quistis' eyebrow twitched as she sat back in her chair. "Oh?"

"I would have changed, but I didn't want to be late."

"I appreciate it." Quistis' gaze momentarily focused on the mug held tightly in Janine's hand, but she didn't comment. Setting the mug onto the floor by the front-right foot of the chair, Janine's gaze continued to focus on Quistis' face. Quistis had lowered her gaze to a report pulled from a stack of papers on her right. She opened it and scanned the information within. "Impressive. Perfect score on your Field Exam. High honors in all your classes. Hm. Gunblade expert. Squall and Seifer will love that."

"Will I be able to meet them?" Janine asked, probably a little too eagerly, but she had heard a lot of things about both men and looked forward to the opportunity to cross blades with them. _Gunbladers._ Damn good gunbladers. The best of the best.

She practically felt giddy.

Quistis looked up. "Squall will want to meet whomever I choose for the position, yes." She examined Janine a moment before setting aside the report and leaning forward on the desk. "Why should I give it to you?"

"Because I'm hell on heels when it comes to Battle Theory. And because I want it," Janine informed simply.

Quistis acknowledged the statement with a slight nod and then lifted another collection of reports and records. "Why you over these?"

Janine looked to the fistful of records and momentarily clenched her jaw before focusing again on Quistis. "I've wanted to be an Instructor at Balamb Garden since I became a candidate, Ma'am. I worked my ass off at Trabia as a SeeD and Instructor both, doing everything I could to get pluses on my record that would make it possible." Janine leaned a bit forward. "You should hire me because I am what you need."

Quistis regarded Janine while slowly lowering the other records to the desk. Then she stood and presented her hand. "Congratulations. You have it."

Standing, Janine smiled brightly as she firmly shook Quistis' hand. "Thank you, Ma'am. You won't regret this."

Quistis' lips twitched slightly as she released Janine's hand. "Oh I'll make sure of that. Now, go down to the security division for your I.D. and passcode to the Network."

Janine saluted. "Yes, Ma'am."

"And don't forget Seifer's mug," Quistis added, motioning to the mug at the leg of the chair.

Janine's smile vanished. "Pardon?"

"The mug. 'Death is answering 'no.'' It's Seifer's." Quistis smirked and crossed her arms. "Mistaken right-of-way? Yes, that would be Seifer."

_I plowed over the Head of Network Security?!_ Janine rolled her eyes. _Shit!_

Quistis sat and retrieved a few papers. "Welcome aboard."

Janine gathered the mug as she said "Thank you," and then turned to exit the office and close the door behind her. After performing a small circle of a celebratory dance and sounding a squeal, she composed herself, straightened her coffee stained uniform, and headed back the way she'd come, tightening her hold on the coffee mug. _'Death is answering 'no',' huh?_ She smirked. _We'll see about that._

~*~

CLUNK

Seifer's gaze focused on an empty mug. He looked up--and leaned back into his chair, arms crossed. The black-haired, brown-eyed, tight-ass'd SeeD from before stood there, arms crossed, lips tilted slightly upward, and eyes bright with a 'What are you going to do now?' expression. He smirked. _Hot damn._

Gesturing to his mug with a slight lift of his chin, he innocently offered, "Forget something?"

"No." She leaned slightly forward. "Will it be painful?"

Seifer raised an eyebrow.

"Death," she prompted. "Now that I've said 'no', will it be painful?"

His smirk returned. "Pain is the life of a SeeD. If you can't take it, run home to mommy."

She rolled her eyes. "Oh brother. 'Pain is the life--' Hell. Even my baby brother could come up with something better than that."

Eyebrow twitching, the thought _button pusher_ vaguely drifted through his mind as he stood and picked up the mug. He presented it to her again. "Great. Bring him in. In the meantime... I like it hot."

"You probably like it wet, too." Then she turned and walked casually out.

Seifer stared after her in actual shock before irritation flared and he frowned and firmly set the mug down to follow after her. He caught up to her in the hall outside Ahndra's office, catching the black haired SeeD by the arm to turn her to face him.

"Name. Rank. Position," he ordered stiffly.

Obviously unimpressed, she informed "Janine Larabie. Rank 20. Instructor of Battle Theory." She pulled her arm free. "Female. Human. Anything else?"

"Disrespectful. Smart-ass."

Janine Larabie crossed her arms. "You really shouldn't label yourself that way in front of your grunts. It's not healthy for morale."

Seifer minutely scoffed as he mirrored her stance. "I.D."

"That's your job, not mine." Larabie presented him a Trabia I.D.. "Quistis just hired me to fill in for her. I need an I.D., a passcode, and quarters."

Slowly accepting the I.D., Seifer tapped it lightly against the palm of his hand as he continued to regard her with his infamous hard stare. She held it without a problem. _Hm._ Then he smirked and turned to step back for his office. "This way."

Larabie followed.

Seifer waited by his office door for her to pass into his-- _musk_ \--office. Then he ordered her to "Sit," and closed the door.

Larabie sat down and crossed her legs.

An eyebrow twitched as his gaze traveled up the tone and smooth calves to where her skirt stopped mid-thigh. Shapely. Athletic. _Nice._ Seifer sat at his desk and turned his monitor more toward him. "Security clearance will be the same, until notification from Commander Squall. Passcode is assigned by me. As are quarters."

"Damn. And here I thought I was only here to not bring you your coffee."

_Definitely a smart ass._ "You can not do that later." _Garden needs a little more life in its veins._ Seifer finished entering the information and then faced her. He presented back her Trabia I.D. "This is valid until the end of today only. Another will be delivered to your quarters via secure delivery. Activate it via the control panel in your quarters." He noticed her intense scrutiny of his lips and raised an eyebrow. "Problem?"

"Not yet." She smirked. "I'll give it five minutes."

Seifer's lips twitched. He stood and went around his desk toward the door. "Follow me."

"Noo problem."

He exited and headed toward the elevator. "Regal. New I.D. on file. See my desk monitor," he ordered as he passed a petite brunette sitting at a far desk.

She looked over her shoulder and bolted to her feet. "Y-Yes, sir." She headed toward his office.

"She's a bit of a rabbit, isn't she?" Larabie observed, watching Regal hurry the way they'd just come.

A lip twitched. "Best damned cracker-hacker in the Network."

Larabie moved to stand beside him and again watched his face and lips. "Really. Hm."

Seifer sent her a hard stare. She again held it. Unflinching, like Ahndra. He smirked and looked away. _Note to self: Pull file of Janine Larabie._

They stepped onto the elevator and Seifer pressed the appropriate button. Once the elevator began its journey to the main floor, Seifer again noticed her intense sidelong scrutiny. He filed it away and let it slide. The elevator stopped on the main floor. Seifer exited and strode forward, making his way to the dorms. Larabie followed close beside him, again sending him intense sidelong scrutinies. As if she watched something.

"Question?" he prompted.

"Yeah. Why are you still here?"

Seifer raised an eyebrow and met her sidelong glance. "Meaning?"

"Give me a dorm number. I can find my way there."

Seifer stopped and faced her. "Like Trepe's office?"

One side of her lips tilted upward. "My fault. Couldn't read my writing." She lifted her left hand, still red from the hot coffee, and showed the palm and the now-smudged office number. "Coffee doesn't help. Speaking of which. . . ." She crossed her arms, motioning to Seifer's change of clothes with a slight lift of head. "I smelled you coming, but it didn't register. Not exactly the best way to meet Head of Network Security, huh?" She smirked. "So I'll try to pull my head out faster next time. After all, you probably have enough to pull out of your ass."

Seifer regarded her with his usual intensity, hands on hips and one leg slightly forward as he filed reactions and expressions and tone of voice. _Hm._

"So. . . room?" Larabie pressed.

Tossing a key in the air the same moment he turned back the way he came, he heard the catch and the adjustment of it within her hand.

"Oh. By the way," she called after him. "It's a nice ass."

Seifer didn't turn, but he smirked.

~*~

Janine opened the door, immediately smiling down at the petite brunette seen earlier that day. "Let me guess: Passcode and I.D. delivery?"

The brunette shyly smiled and offered forward a sealed package. "You might want to check it. I'll change it if it's wrong."

"Sure." Janine took the package and presented her other hand. "Janine Larabie."

The brunette accepted the shake. "Sally Regal. Welcome to Balamb."

"Thank you." Janine stepped back and motioned into the room. "Come on in. I'll check everything and activate it now. That way you don't have to come back."

"It's not a problem," Sally offered as she entered. "If you're busy. . . ."

Janine made her way to her computer and sat. "Just getting se--"

"You use a gunblade?" Sally exclaimed.

Glancing up to watch the petite brunette in the mirror on the wall above the desk, Janine smirked and swiveled around in her chair. The gunblade case had been left open on the bed. "Nice, huh?"

The gunblade wasn't as big as Squall Leonhart's was reported to be, mainly because Janine wanted something lighter and faster. But she liked the idea of having imagery on the blade. So, etched into the frosted charcoal metal were flames climbing from the base of the blade near the pommel to the tip.

Sally looked down at the gunblade with open mouth and wide eyes. "It's gorgeous!"

"Thanks. Designed it myself. I call it 'Vengeance'. Took a year. Built it, too. Now that was a damn fun thing to do." Janine pulled the gunblade from the case. "I've upgraded it here and there, but I'm really hooked on the style. I've seen pictures of all Commander Squall's, but I think I like the idea of sticking with one. Why change if it works?"

Janine put the blade away and shut the case, sending Sally a sidelong examination as she asked "What's your specialty?"

"Duel." And the girl flushed.

Janine arched an eyebrow. "Huh. Never woulda thought. No offense."

Sally shook her head while sending Janine a timid smile. "No offense. I didn't even know until Zell told me."

"Dincht? Damn. He's the best--Sally Regal?" Janine pointed. "'Quicksilver' and 'Hell Strike'! Of course!" Janine smiled wide, laughing as she gave Sally's hand another shake. "Damn! Those moves in Combat King were righteous!"

Sally flushed darker. "Thanks."

Janine released Sally's hand and motioned to her as she again took up the package, gaze never leaving Sally's face. "You think you and Dincht could help me come up with a sweet move for my gunblade? I've been wanting to learn another Limit Break but can't come up with anything. It's annoying the hell out of me." Janine retrieved the I.D. from the package while occasionally glancing toward Sally.

"I could ask, but you should probably talk to Commander Squall or Sub Lt. Commander Seifer for that. Shouldn't you?"

Janine shrugged. "They're probably busy." She finished checking the information on the I.D. and then looked fully up. "Thanks, Sally. This looks fine. I'll try the passcode, activate it, and let you know if I have problems."

"Okay." Sally headed out, pausing at the door. "Isn't that a motion detector?" she asked, motioning to a small piece of technology fastened to the outer side of the door.

Janine nodded as she came to stand beside Sally. "Sure is. Damn. You know your shit."

Sally met Janine's gaze. "Was that approved?"

"Sure was. Commander Squall. I brought it with me from Trabia. Modified it myself."

"Additional security?"

"Nah," Janine said, chuckling. "Security in the Network is tighter than my favorite leather skirt. This is so I know someone's knocking."

Sally looked confused. "I don't understand."

"Oh. Right." Smirking, Janine reached up to the area behind her right ear, loosened something, and then held out her hand. It was a piece of technology little larger than her smallest fingernail. "This helps, too. I'm deaf."
Chapter Two

The Rush

Janine tapped her foot, arms crossed as she waited for the elevator. Her fingers began a rhythmic tapping, and she pressed her lips together. _Hyne's ass! Does everything wait until the A.M. to make me late?_ Another morning from hell. Another meeting with an authority. Another damned hold-up.

The elevator finally began its journey upward... from the basement. Janine's expression relaxed to a smirk. Sure enough, when the elevator paused at the first floor, SLC Seifer Almasy stood in the back of the elevator. Coffee mug in hand, report in the other, and intense green eyes focused down. She didn't remember black-silk dress shirts and slacks looking so damned good on a man.

Janine straightened as the elevator doors opened. Seifer glanced up and immediately back down, continuing reading while sipping his strong-smelling coffee as Janine boarded. She faced front and pushed the already lit third-floor button. The elevator resumed and Janine remained silent, arms crossed, smirking as she watched his reflection in the elevator doors. The aroma of his black coffee filled the elevator. It smelled stronger than the coffee she'd had in the cafeteria.

It smelled damn good.

Her lips twitched as she remembered their last meeting over coffee. The quips. The damned awesome, sarcastic, smart-ass quips. _Hyne, I love pushing buttons!_ And it wasn't often she found someone who pushed back without getting so damned huffy and personally insulted.

Adjusting her crossed arms, she continued to watch Seifer's reflection. He didn't look up from his report, but she noticed his lips twitched upward. _Hell. Why not._ Janine faced him, taking the coffee mug from his grasp to sip a swallow or two while holding his amused more than surprised gaze. Then the elevator stopped, the doors opened, and Janine handed him back his mug with a lopsided smile and a sultry "Thanks."

She turned and walked off toward the secondary elevator. Janine felt the reverberation of his steps as he followed; or maybe she felt his eyes. Her brown ones twinkled as she stepped aboard the elevator leading to Cmdr. Squall's office. Controlling her expression, she turned within the elevator.

Seifer stepped aboard, taking the little bit of room she'd left and standing closer--well within her personal bubble, if she had one--to stare down at her with that intense green gaze that must have scared nearly everyone at Garden. It reminded her of her own. _A damned relief. Hell. Damned sexy._

The elevator halted, and Janine's lips twitched. _Too bad._ She about-faced and stepped off, giving Cmdr. Squall a salute as he turned to face her. "Janine Larabie, Battle Theory Instructor, reporting for duty."

She noticed the movement of Seifer stepping to her left, but she didn't move her focus from the Commander. He had a similar scar, but opposite in direction to Seifer's. _Nice looking kid. But too clean around the edges. No harshness._ Though he seemed a little. . . moody. Janine liked the more bladed and jaded people. A lot more fun to play with.

"At ease." Squall presented a hand. "Welcome aboard." They shook. "Everything settled?"

Janine clasped her hands behind her back. "Yes, sir. Everything's working fine. Thank you again for the permissions."

Squall waved it aside. Then he looked to Seifer. "What do you need?"

Seifer crossed his arms, report still in hand. "A moment. I'll wait."

Nodding, Squall refocused on Janine. "How much time do you need with Quistis before you can take the classes yourself?"

"I met with Headmaster Cid earlier, and I feel I can handle the curriculum now. I taught something similar at Trabia. If you're worried about the candidates and me getting along, I'll deal with that." Janine smirked. "I'm charm itself, you know."

Squall's lips twitched slightly. "All right. Quistis will supervise starting Monday. You'll be responsible for the lesson plans. You and Quistis should work out details if the class times don't work for you."

"They're fine, sir."

"Good. Let me or Headmaster Cid know if you have any problems."

"I will, but I won't."

Squall's lips tilted slightly yet again. He motioned to the elevator. "You can go."

Janine stood at attention and saluted. "Thank you, sir."

She about-faced and stepped aboard the elevator, making a point of meeting Seifer's gaze and giving him a slight smirk just as the elevator headed down. _Show me what you got._ His response was a similar smile before he stepped up to Squall and the elevator moved her out of view.

Janine adjusted her hands behind her back, her smirk widening to a smile. _This will be fun._ And she hadn't had fun since the Galbadian missile attack. They had been too busy re-building Trabia from the ground up. _Not that I didn't take a sec to remind myself I was still alive._

Janine had always been about living life for the thrill of the moment.

She stepped off the secondary elevator and made her way toward the main one. _Maybe I'll have him show me how he got the scar._ Janine chuckled and boarded the elevator, facing forward and pressing the button for the second floor. _Maybe I'll show him my own scars._

It could prove to be an. . . interesting exchange.

~*~

Seifer presented Squall two reports: one containing Marshal and Ahndra's investigation in Winhill. They discovered the location of an illegal arms sale, its main source of supply believed to be Deling Garden. "Nipped," he reported.

Squall accepted the reports and looked over the top-most one. "It should give Quistis and Zone some extra time." Squall smiled and gave a slight shake of his head. "Damn, Fujin. Good job."

"It's Ahndra," Seifer corrected, glaring slightly. She had finally faced 16 years of hell and five years of denial. Fujin was finally gone. _About damned time._

Squall set the top report aside. "I know." He refocused on Seifer. "Security-check on Larabie pan out?"

Seifer crossed his arm under the one still holding his quickly cooling coffee. "Still waiting on the Security Chief at Trabia to send me her sub-file." He motioned to the other report. "That is what Quistis had, from Larabie herself and her references."

Squall returned it. "Read it. What do you think?"

He accepted the report. _A deaf gunblade expert that designs and builds her own weapon?_ "Won't until Trabia contacts me." _Maybe I'll give her another little push._ He smirked. Janine Larabie pushed back. And that was what he counted on.

"See what you can find out in the meantime," Squall was saying. "I want to make sure everything's the way it's supposed to be."

Seifer's smirk widened a bit. "No problem." He turned and stepped aboard the elevator. It headed down. _Gunblade expert. We'll see._

He hadn't yet met anyone other than Squall who could handle the weight of it as well as the buck of the blast. Janine Larabie didn't look to be any more capable than Selphie, and Selphie damn-well couldn't handle a gunblade without looking a blasted idiot. Seifer scoffed as he stared down at his coffee mug, slapping Janine's report on the side of his leg while waiting for the main elevator to return. 'Thanks.' He smirked and tossed back the remaining coffee. _Damn._

Yeah. A little damned fun.

The elevator returned, but with an extra passenger not expected. Seifer's smirk remained. Janine Larabie's brown eyes held the same expression as when she'd ridden the secondary elevator down. "Lost?"

She adjusted her crossed arms. "Had so much fun riding it, thought I'd have another go."

Seifer stepped aboard and turned, pushing the appropriate button while noticing no others were lit. The door closed and the elevator headed downward.

Larabie continued to watch him. "A bit of a rush. Didn't have one at Trabia."

"I'm sure you found other rushes to ride."

The elevator passed the second floor.

Chuckling, Larabie's focus remained on his mouth and face. "Yeah. I'm all about the thrill of the moment."

Seifer's lips twitched.

"Speaking of thrills, where can a girl pick a fight around here?"

"I'm sure any hall will do."

Larabie laughed, and the elevator passed the first floor. She motioned to his empty mug. "No coffee? Too bad. It was good."

Seifer's lips twitched. "You should know." The elevator stopped at the basement level. He faced her, pulling her hand out to push his empty mug into it as the elevator door opened. "You know where to take it. Don't get lost."

Larabie smirked up at him. "Look in the elevator if I don't show. Thrills, you know." She hung the mug off her finger. "Unless I find a different one."

Seifer turned and stepped off the elevator.

"Hot and wet, right?" she called after him.

Seifer chuckled. _Damn._

~*~

Janine stared down at the steaming cup of coffee, chuckling and shaking her head while trying to convince herself the fun would probably be short-lived. _But who gives a damn how 'short-lived' it is? It's about the thrills!_ And it was then the mug's inscription once again caught Janine's gaze. 'Death is answering 'no'.' _Life motto? SeeD motto?_ She had definitely lived her life by the same. _Only way to fly._

She chuckled again and pushed the button for the basement. The elevator lowered, opening up onto the security level. She stepped off and headed forward, immediately recognizing Sally Regal.

Sally looked up from her paperwork at Janine's approach and smiled. "Hi. Finding everything okay?"

Leaning against Sally's desk, Janine absently fingered the coffee mug. "Basically. Finally found the Training Center. Hyne, does that look like fun." She motioned to Sally. "You and me need to get lost in there and beat the shit out of some things."

Sally nodded. "Okay. Zell's been teaching me some new moves, and I'd love the chance to show you."

"Hell yeah!" Janine sipped the coffee before she could stop herself. _Oops._ She smirked. "I would love the chance to meet him again."

"Again?"

"Yeah. We bumped into one another at Trabia soon after the missile attack. That was how I found out about Squall and Seifer being gunbladers--"

"Regal."

Janine and Sally both looked to the slender, silver-haired, no-nonsense woman standing to Janine's right.

"Yes, ma'am?" Sally asked.

Janine didn't say anything. She only held the woman's penetrating stare--an interesting thing to do when one eye was marbled--while sipping Seifer's coffee from his mug and enjoying the guarded expression on the silver-haired woman's face.

The woman motioned very slightly to Janine. "You are?"

Janine straightened and produced a hand, which the woman shook very firmly. "Janine Larabie. Instructor of Battle Theory. Filling in for Quistis come Monday."

She slightly raised an eyebrow. "Ahndra Kelley. Chief Special-Ops Investigator."

"Ahndra." Janine motioned to the security offices while again sipping Seifer's coffee. "You have a nice set-up."

Ahndra didn't comment; she only turned and walked away.

Janine raised an eyebrow. "Damn. Miss Ice Queen." She looked down to Sally while gesturing to Ahndra's retreating figure. "What's up with her?"

Sally continued to watch the silver-haired woman. "That's just who she is. Although she used to practically shout at people all the time. Only spoke in one-word sentences, too." Sally met Janine's curious gaze. "Zell says she's had a hard life. So does Marshal, the Chief of Security at Galbadia Garden? I believe them, too. But she's never let it keep her from doing her job."

Janine leaned against the desk again. "Good, is she?"

Sally nodded. "She's the best investigator/interrogator we have, and I'm glad I've had the chance to work for her. I've learned so much. That's why I wish. . . ." Sally looked down at her desk.

Janine examined the shy girl's face. "What?"

"I just wish I knew how I could get her to respect me," Sally admitted, meeting Janine's gaze.

Janine absently nodded while lowering her focus to the coffee. "You do your job don't you?"

"Yes."

"You do your best?" Janine noticed Sally's nod. "Then that's all you can do. She more than likely already respects you."

"You think so?"

Janine smirked and straightened. "You could always ask," she observed as she moved toward Seifer's office. And something told Janine that Sally really needed to take that step. _And if she's anything like who I think she is, she'll ask._

Pausing long enough to lightly knock on Seifer's door, she immediately opened it to step inside. Seifer's desk was covered with reports and records, some neatly stacked and some not-so-neatly. He looked to pour over them with a fine-tooth comb, comparing data within three different reports at the same time.

"Set it down there, Regal," he informed absently, waving his hand toward his inbox.

Janine smirked and moved to stand beside his chair to the left. Then she held the coffee mug under his nose.

Seifer sharply sat back and looked to his left.

"As ordered," she said, setting the coffee down on the most level section of the collection of reports. Then Janine moved to lean her left hip against the side of the desk and motion to the litter of records and reports. "Looks like you need a break."

Seifer lowered his gaze to the reports and moved the coffee aside.

Crossing her arms, Janine arched an eyebrow as she regarded him. His entire attitude had changed from earlier. It returned to the harsh aggravation and irritation from their first meeting. _Hm._ She absently tapped her fingers against her upper arm. "So whose head was rammed up their ass this time?"

Seifer actually grunted some unrecognizable answer before motioning to the door with a clearer "Dismissed."

Janine shrugged and straightened. "Fine. I'll just go be bored somewhere else." Turning, she made her way to the exit. Another unrecognizable mutter was heard, so she turned and faced him. He had looked up this time. Shaking her head, Janine once more stepped toward him. "Didn't catch that." She reached up to tap a specific pattern on the inserts behind her ears. They crackled as they tried again to focus on the dialogue and translate it to her brain. "Mind saying again?"

"How good are you with that gunblade?"

Janine's smirk twitched upward as her brown eyes twinkled. She pressed her hands against his desk and leaned forward. "Challenge me to a fight and find out."

Seifer regarded her as he slowly crossed his arms. "I don't hold back."

"Neither do I." Janine leaned even closer. "Up to being beat by a woman?" _Hyne, I hope so._

He held her gaze a moment longer before lowering his eyes to the reports on his desk and taking a sip of his coffee. "I'll think about it."

Janine watched him, a slowly growing frown darkening her face and eyes. She'd seen that look before, every time a guy held back because she was deaf. Every time she could tell a person spoke in simpler terms because she was deaf. She slowly straightened. "What the hell was that?"

Seifer looked up again. "What."

"You ask how good I am and then blow me off?"

"I didn't blow you off. I said--"

"You'll think about it." She scoffed and then roughly pointed at him. "I took the same tests as you, asshole, and I'm damn good. Deal with it."

Seifer's expression hardened moments before he stood and strode to his office door. He closed it and immediately lowered the blinds. Then he strode up to Janine. "Sit."

She sat back on his desk, arms crossed.

Seifer pointed at her. "You are an Instructor." He pointed to himself. "I am Head of Network Security. I rank you by default, so you call me 'sir'. Clear?"

Janine tightened her crossed arms and didn't say a word as she held his gaze.

He pointed to his scar. "See this? This is what happens when I spar. You want one?" He lowered his hand again when she didn't respond. "So I'll think about it. Clear?"

Janine uncrossed her arms and unbuttoned her uniform jacket, still holding Seifer's gaze. She pushed the jacket aside and lifted the pale blue tee beneath to show a jagged scar on her midriff. "See this? Got this going toe-to-toe with a Galbadian soldier outside Trabia. Gunblade. Pretty damn good, too. But I got him."

She turned slightly and showed another scar on her back near her left shoulder blade. Seifer lowered his gaze to the scar. "This one? A shuriken from a rogue ambush." She faced him again and pointed to her ears. His gaze lifted, and the glare was different. "First started losing my hearing when a Wendigo boxed my ears. Ear drums ruptured. But I got him. Like I said, I'm damn good."

Janine jabbed Seifer in the chest. "So don't you dare patronize me with an 'I'll think about it' just because I can't hear as good as you. I worked my ass off for this 'Expert' insignia," Janine snapped as she pointed at the embroidery on her uniform jacket sleeve. "And I bet I can put your ass in the ground!"

Seifer smirked and stepped closer, backing her against the desk as he pressed his palms onto the desktop on each side of her. "Anytime, Larabie. Bring it."

Janine leaned slightly back, frown gone as she stared up into his face in surprise at the sudden change. Then her lips tilted upward. "Name the day, sir," she said in a low tone. "I'll be there."

"Make sure you're good and ready."

One side tilted higher. "Oh I'm always good, and I'm always ready."

Seifer chuckled and straightened. "I bet." Then he motioned to the door while saying "Dismissed" and going around to his side of the desk.

"Where's the fun in that?" Janine asked as she watched him.

Seifer sat and began reacquainting himself with the reports before looking up and saying "You want fun? Go find Dincht."

Janine motioned over her shoulder toward the main security office. "And have shy girl on my ass? No thanks."

Seifer chuckled and focused again on his reports. "She could take you."

Janine gave a one-shoulder shrug. "Probably." She straightened and faced him. "I guess I'll go start a fight in a hall somewhere."

"Be sure to take the bodies to Dr. Kadowaki's office," he said, not even looking up from his work. "She'll give me the report later."

Janine watched him as he worked--She leaned her palms against the desktop. Seifer looked up. "You work all the time? Or does Seifer know how to play?"

Seifer raised an eyebrow.

Janine smirked. "I guess that's my answer." She straightened and started backing for the door. "Don't blame me for what I do." She pointed at him. "You're a challenge. Can't pass it up."

He lowered his focus back to his reports. "Anytime, Larabie. Bring it."
Chapter Three

Thrill Seekers

"Did you need anything else before I go, sir?"

Seifer looked up from the recently received transmissions from Trabia and Deling security chiefs. Sally Regal stood in the doorway of his office, uncertain and timid as always. Seifer smirked. Regal thought she wasn't good at confrontations, but she faced him every day while doing her job better than anyone had ever done it.

Regal was damned good at confrontations.

"What did I tell you about asking that question, Regal? You ask and I'll give you something."

Regal nodded. "I-I know, sir. I just thought I could help, so you didn't have to stay so late all the time."

Seifer's smirk widened. "Go home, Regal," he ordered gruffly, waving her away as he focused again on the reports littering his desk. "Or I'll call Dincht to come and drag your ass out."

"Yes, sir. Good night, sir. See you Monday."

Seifer waved her out, restraining the plotting and planning of the pranks and sarcastic quips he'd never be able to do without Dincht breathing fire and Squall yanking Garden's best asset from security. Sally Regal was as easy a target as Dincht and Squall had ever been. Only one problem: she took it a little too personal. Even for Seifer.

Tears from someone like Sally Regal took all the fun out of it.

Seifer gave a slight scoff as he set a report aside. _Even Rinoa takes it better than Regal._ She even dished it back. Seifer smirked. _Not like Larabie, but enough to make it fun._ Seifer's smirk molded to a frown, and he absently lifted his coffee mug for a--it was empty. Seifer swore and set the mug firmly down, reminding himself--again--to purchase a coffee-maker for. . . his office. . . ? The scent of strong coffee made Seifer look up. The smirk returned as he leaned back in his chair, tossing a report back onto his desk. Janine Larabie entered his office, two mugs of coffee in hand, wearing a tight-ass pair of black leather pants and a sleeveless black-silk tank. _Damn._

Larabie kicked the door shut. "I hear the tell-tale signs of an empty mug. Good thing I had to come down here anyway to complain about lax security."

Seifer slowly accepted the coffee mug. "Lax?"

One of Larabie's lips twitched as she leaned one hip against the left side of his desk and slowly sipped her coffee. "Yeah. Shocked me, too."

"Explain."

Larabie's brown eyes held laughter as she rested one hand on the desk and leaned her weight onto it, twisting her body in just the right way. "It seems there's a restricted area in the Training Center where any little ass can go and do gods-know-what without any fear of capture or consequence."

Seifer's eyebrow rose. He knew exactly--

"Come on," she said as she slowly straightened from the desk. "I'll show you."

_I bet._ He sipped his coffee, but it didn't wash down the curiosity to see just what she'd show him. Seifer's lips twisted in a lop-sided smile as he lowered his mug again. "File a report. I'll look into it tomorrow."

Raising her chin, she vocalized an "Ohhh. You know about it but take bribes to look the other way. Riiight."

He lifted his cup. "Oh no. You found me out."

Larabie chuckled. "I see I'll have to take this up with Commander Squall." She leaned against the desk as before. "Unless you can offer me an. . . incentive not to?"

Seifer lowered his gaze to his reports. "I'll let you know if I think of something that isn't illegal."

She laughed. "Hey. What's the fun in that?"

Lips twitching higher, Seifer watched out of the corner of his eye as Larabie straightened and moved to stand behind his chair. She leaned her full body against it while wrapping her arms around the top of his shoulders. Musk burned the smell of coffee out of his nose and memory.

Then Larabie traced her lips very lightly along his jaw before whispering "I can think of a couple things that aren't completely illegal" in his ear.

Seifer could visualize more than that, especially when she continued her lips back along his jaw to tease the corner of his mouth-- _Hell. Why not_?--and he pulled her around to sit across his lap as her mouth accepted his, her arms around his neck and the musk and the silk.

Larabie very slowly pulled back, nipping at his lower lip with her teeth before smirking up at him. "Hellooo, security," she said in a low tone.

Seifer chuckled and attempted to lift her out of his lap. She resisted, pushing him back into the chair with hands on his arms as she held his amused expression with her laughing gaze.

"I don't think so," she countered firmly. Then she moved closer, again wrapping her arms around his neck as the chair tipped back.

Seifer's hands rested on Larabie's hips. Felt damn good, especially when she settled into his hands and his lap with that sexy smirk that reeked of arrogance. "You going to explain this to the people out in the security office?" he asked.

"Explain what?" She kissed his cheek to the side of his mouth. "I'm sure they get it." She chuckled against his lips. "More than you maybe."

Seifer pushed back, pushing her completely out of the chair to stand. "I'm not your joke," he stated in a low and calm voice, face hard.

Her smirk vanished as she stared up at him. When he moved to step past, she caught him by the arm. His green eyes sparked as he looked down at her. "Seifer, it's not like that." And her voice sounded. . . soft.

Seifer didn't look away as he clenched his jaw. "Fine. Dismissed."

"Okay," she said, still holding his gaze.

Seifer pushed past and opened the door, glaring to the left as she approached, paused in front of him, and then passed into the security office. He slammed the door shut.

~*~

Janine paced in front of her computer desk, hands alternating between hips and running through her spiked black hair. "Shit," she hissed again and again, even though she couldn't hear it. Irritation and aggravation always made her take her assistant devices off. Janine liked stewing in silence, hearing only her own thoughts. Of course, tonight she heard the simulated and assisted voice of Seifer saying 'I'm not your joke.' Janine released an exasperated breath. That was one danger with pushing buttons as a hobby: Pushing the wrong damned one.

"Shit!" Janine kicked a dress shoe across the room as her fingernails dug into the material of her black denims. She threw her hands up in frustration and grabbed up her gunblade, muttering "damned, big-mouthed bitch" as she hooked the gunblade on its scabbard.

Turning for the door of her room, Janine purposefully forgot to re-attach her assistant devices as she jerked open the door and strode down the hall toward the main corridor. It had been a harmless joke. Innocent. Unintentional, if nothing else. _I should've known._

But how? She didn't know anything about Seifer Almasy except for what everyone else did. Seifer was the reason all the Gardens had agreed to begin working together. He had been the instigator. Seifer Almasy's life had been rough, making him one of the most jaded people she'd ever met. _And he's damned hot!_ Janine gave another shake of her head as she clenched her jaw. Then she turned left into the main corridor and headed for the Training Center hall. _Damn it, Seifer. I didn't mean anything! Ever heard 'All work and no play?'_ But it was too late.

Janine stopped, hands on hips as her fingers tapped and her eyes glared. "Like hell," she mumbled.

She stepped forward again, striding past the hallway to the Training Center to continue around and then up the stairs to the main lift. She pressed the call button and then resumed the tapping of her fingers against her hips. Seifer Almasy was a helluva lot of fun, and that hadn't been expected. Sure she wanted to fool around, but she wanted to have fun!

The elevator arrived and opened, revealing Seifer leaning against the back. When he looked up from glaring at the floor, he continued to lean, arms crossed. Janine stepped aboard and up to him as the elevator doors closed. Sally Regal would likely have fallen all over herself in an effort to apologize for living.

Janine's frown deepened as she held his gaze. "So now what? Did I slit my own throat? Was that the only shot I got at you?"

Seifer minutely adjusted his crossed arms as he held her gaze.

Hands on hips, Janine continued to regard him. "Well? I'm not begging. You don't want it, fine. I'll move on. Rather not. Don't think anyone else will be this much damned fun. I'm like that. I click and that's that."

"You lisp."

Arching an eyebrow, Janine leaned slightly back. "Huh?" She focused on his lips as she leaned more toward him. "Say again."

"You lisp."

Confusion muddled the frown. "What the hell are you talking about? I'm talking about you and me getting it on and you're talking about some damned lisp? What lisp?"

Seifer watched her face, hard. Then he motioned toward her with a slight lift of chin. "You're not wearing them, are you?"

Irritation flared. "And what the hell does that have to do--"

"Can you hear me?"

Annoyance made irritation burn brighter. "What the--what part of '96% hearing loss' do you not understand from my report? No, I can't hear you!" Janine's voice broke, and she gave a blink of surprise as she stepped back, just staring at him.

Seifer didn't look away.

Janine had been deaf or nearly deaf for more than five years, and she had thought all the loss and mourning that came with losing a part of oneself had been dealt with. Apparently not, and now Janine began to understand why he held the position he did. He had a natural instinct about people.

He straightened, lowering his arms to his sides as he stepped toward her. "Find someone else," was all he said before again moving to pass her.

Janine stepped into his path, holding him back with hands on his chest. "Why? Because I'm deaf?"

He lowered his gaze to hold hers. "Garden is my life."

"And what the hell does that have to do with you and me?"

"Everything." Seifer pushed her hands from his chest and moved past, pressing the 'doors' button and then stepping off.

Janine turned to watch him, gauging him with crossed arms and--She followed. "Seifer. Wait." He halted and faced her, eyes guarded. Expression calm. She moved to stand across from him. "Give it a try. What can it hurt?" Seifer said nothing. Janine released a quick breath. "Seifer, I'm not trying to oust Garden. It's my life as much as it's yours. I just want a break. A laugh. A release from the damned seriousness." She smirked. "I want a thrill."

Seifer held her gaze; still serious, still intense, still guarded. Then he stepped forward so fast and kissed her so hard she barely had a moment to think before the thrill had her full-force. Then Seifer pulled his mouth so very slowly from hers that it felt like it was still there. Even when she could feel his breath against her ear, his mouth continued to burn hers... and then . . . .

. . . she heard "Bring it, Larabie" hummed against the area behind her ear.

Janine's eyes snapped open and she stumbled backward, staring at him as her chest heaved with passion and shock. He stood there, arms at his sides and expression as guarded as before. "How--" She tried to ignore the burning of her throat. "I haven't heard anything for three years--"

Seifer didn't respond. He only stood there watching her.

Janine stepped forward, and she grabbed firm hold of the front of his black-silk shirt. "I heard you! How, damn it?"

Seifer slowly reached up to touch the area behind her ears. That place she always attached her assists. "Vibration. There. Uses the bones like . . . an amplifier."

Janine stared up at him with wide eyes.

"Your assists. Same principle," he continued, still carefully guarded and controlled.

And Janine had been wearing them for so long that she forgot how they worked. Wearing them since the Wendigo attack. Trying to fight the inevitable. The coming silence.

Janine closed her eyes and tilted her head as she leaned closer. "Do it again," she whispered. "Say something. Anything."

Seifer's warmth surrounded her, and then his lips were again behind her ear, humming words that she heard. Her arms surrounded his neck, her hands in his hair and pressing his lips tighter against her skin as she moved closer . . . hearing. Hearing. Hearing.

But then the humming stopped and she felt only his rough breath against her skin and the deep rise and fall of his chest pressing against her. Janine knew where she wanted this thrill to take her. Sex with a man who understood how to make her hear? Hearing her name in his voice and not an amplified--

Seifer gripped her arms and pushed slowly back. Janine kept her eyes closed. She didn't want to see or hear the refusal to what she knew they wanted. That insane desire to experience an almost absolute stranger. The thrill of the risk and the 'after'. But Janine knew there waited a deeper thrill at the end of a more subtle chase. The thrill of having a proud man like Seifer Almasy pursue her.

Janine slowly opened her eyes, immediately focusing on the guarded emerald of a man always in strict control. Her lips tilted upward. "You are one damn sexy man, Seifer Almasy."

Then she kissed him, slow and deep, while giving him one last taste of the prize at the end of the hunt. Once she pulled back, she caressed the lipstick from his mouth with her thumb while sending him an inviting glance and a lop-sided smirk. Then she turned to walk away. Her smile widened when she could feel his eyes on her. _Show me what you got._
Chapter Four

A Different Invitation

Janine tapped her pen against the pad of paper while sending another glance to the entry of the cafeteria. _Come on, come on. I_ _know_ _you have a room in the dorms. I checked._ She re-read her lesson plan for Monday while taking a sip of her coffee. She grumbled. Janine hated waiting, but she was determined to keep her ass in her chair until Seifer came for his morning coffee.

Her fingers tapped a quick rhythm as she sent another look toward the entry. He wasn't in the Training Center. Janine went early that morning in hopes he would be training. More than anything she wanted a chance to cross blades with him. No such luck. It had been Zell Dincht and Sally Regal working out the details of their newest submission prospect to Combat King. So Janine stayed; offering her opinion, pointers, and expertise when asked.

Seifer was right: Sally could take her. Or, at least give her a glorious battle.

Janine smirked and added another project to the syllabus. Then movement caught her eye and she looked up--But Seifer wasn't the one coming toward her. Janine released a breath and a mumbled "Shit" as she lowered her gaze to the pad yet again. _Maybe he had a meeting with Comman--_

"Hey there, darlin'."

Janine arched an eyebrow the same time she lifted her gaze to the smiling face of a tall and slender man in leather chaps, a heavy brown trench coat, and a cowboy hat.

He tipped said hat back with a finger as he nodded, winked, and smiled at her; all at the same time. Then he looped his thumbs on the waist of his chap-covered denims. "Haven't seen you about before," he commented in an easy drawl. "New?"

"No." And Janine lowered her gaze back to her lesson plan, oh-so-tempted to turn off her assists. The man would commonly be classified as a 'lover, not a fighter'. _No fun at all._

Mr. Cowboy chuckled and straddled the chair, crossing his arms over the top of it. "Well now, isn't that strange. I thought I'd seen all the pretty ladies in this here establishment."

"You'd like to fantasize. Reality would never be that good to you."

He chuckled again. "Why so hostile, darlin'? Just being friendly."

"Disgustingly so, and I haven't finished my morning coffee to dull the effect. Try again later." She glanced up to momentarily meet his gaze. "Better yet, don't. I like it jaded and hard, not sweet and soft."

The man's eyes twinkled, but Seifer entered--coffee mug in hand--just as Mr. Cowboy started speaking again. Janine's focus shifted entirely to Seifer, willing him to notice her. A few moments later, those emerald eyes glanced her direction. His previous attitude of focused calm sparked to something else as he altered his direction to her table mid-step toward the counter for his coffee.

Janine's lips twitched and she shifted her gaze to Mr. Cowboy. "In case you hadn't noticed, I'm trying to plan a syllabus. While I should be flattered and flutter my lashes at you for the attention, I'd sooner flush my head down the toilet. In other words, you're annoying the hell out of me." Just as Seifer walked up from behind she said "So, if you could put your head back into your pants, I would appreciate it."

"Kinneas." Mr. Cowboy twitched and looked over his shoulder to Seifer. "What did I tell you about coming here without notifying me first?"

Janine's smirk widened slightly as she watched 'Kinneas' slowly stand. Seifer still towered over him at least two inches.

"I was in the--"

"Kinneas," Seifer interrupted, voice calm but cold, "I don't care if you were six inches outside Garden perimeter needing medical attention. If you don't notify me, you keep your ass at Galbadia Garden. Clear?"

A lopsided smirk teased the corners of his mouth as he touched the brim of his hat. "Clear."

Seifer motioned roughly to the cafeteria exit. "Get the hell out of here."

Tipping his hat to Janine, Kinneas vocalized an easy "Ma'am" before sauntering away.

Seifer frowned after him.

Janine leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms. "My hero." He adjusted his hold on his coffee mug and focused once again on her. To her surprise, the glare remained. Her lips twitched upward. "From your look of death, it seems your morning from hell has already begun." She gracefully motioned to his coffee mug. "You better get your morning juice, big guy."

Seifer held her gaze, his jaw muscle twitching wildly before he about-faced and stalked to the counter. He slammed down his mug and barked at the cafeteria lady, who barked back while grabbing up his mug and going to fill it. Janine arched an eyebrow and absently tapped her fingers against her upper arm. _Hm._

Gathering her pad and pen, Janine stood, keeping also a close watch on Seifer as he accepted the coffee from the furious cafeteria lady. Then Janine headed for the exit just as Seifer turned. She could feel the reverberation of his steps as he approached.

She pushed through the doors and continued forward, slowing her pace a little more each second. She finally heard the simulated sound of the doors swinging open and closed again and felt his steps again pound on the marbled floor. When he stepped parallel to her, she reached out a hand to catch his arm and pulled him to the side.

Janine stared unflinching into his hard glare. "Who shoved the rod up your ass this morning?"

Seifer wrenched his arm from her grasp. "Step off, Larabie."

"'Step off'? I haven't even stepped on." She scrutinized his hard expression. "You need to take a turn in the Training Center? Bash some heads. Kick some ass--"

He clenched his jaw, and his hold on the mug tightened. "Step off."

Janine frowned. "Like hell I'm going to 'step off', you big jackass," she hissed as firmly as possible. "You look like you're about to explode, so I'm trying to give you a chance to blow some steam. Damn."

Seifer leaned toward her. "Blow some steam?" he hissed back at her. "I don't need to blow any god-damn steam!"

An eyebrow twitched, and she slowly crossed her arms. Seifer fisted his free hand so tight his knuckles popped, and Janine could have sworn she heard a growl.

Smirking, she observed, "It's all about being in control and keeping your focus and doing your job, isn't it?" Seifer's countenance hardened. "Don't you ever let it go? How are you going to do your job when you can't see straight for--"

He pointed in her face. "Don't."

Janine lifted her hands. "Fine. I won't say it, but I'm telling you--" she thumped on her chest with a hand, "--bring it. Sparring in the T.C., yelling about some dumbshit who doesn't know his head from his ass, hell. I don't care. The thrill and rush behind the clash brought on by a completely pissed-off gunblader? Shit! I won't be passing that up, and I'll take you on without breaking a sweat."

Seifer stepped forward fast, forcing her back against the wall while one hand firmly held her upper arm. "Don't open this box."

Janine smiled and leaned toward him, tone low and threatening a multitude of thrilling possibilities. "Why not? Afraid I might stick around?"

Seifer lowered his head but kept his mouth from touching hers. "Damn it," he grumbled, and there was a mere hint of skin against skin.

Janine chuckled. "I bet you say that to all the girls."

He vocalized another growl and then pushed back. "Last warning. You don't wa--"

"Like hell I don't." Janine grabbed his shirtfront and pulled him into her kiss, her mouth speaking the promises of all sorts of thrills if he would just open the door _._ Then she pushed roughly back, her fingers still curled into the black silk. "Don't you tell me what I do or don't want, Seifer Almasy. I'm a big girl, and I can handle whatever you chuck at me."

Seifer stared down at her with that emerald gaze--He smirked. "I bet."

Janine's lips twitched. "Damn you're hot when you smile." Then she pushed him gently away, fully releasing his shirtfront to smooth the front of the wrinkles. "You better take off before I take it off."

Seifer chuckled and handed her his mug of coffee. "Hold this."

She arched an eyebrow at the coffee mug--Seifer pulled her against him, intercepting her mouth as she raised her head in surprise. Those large hands settled warm and heavy on her hips and drew her closer. Janine very nearly purred.

Then he pulled his mouth away and took back his mug. "See you around, Larabie," he said gruffly.

"Is that a threat or a promise?"

He chuckled as he moved past. "Whatever gets it done."

Janine licked her lips and watched him move away.

~*~

"S-Sir?"

Seifer looked up from the collection of reports on his desk. Sally Regal wrung her hands and gnawed her lower lip while standing in the doorway of his office. He raised an eyebrow. "What, Regal?"

"Um, well, I. . . ."

Frowning, Seifer waved her in. "Shut the door."

Regal closed the door and then shuffled forward to slowly sit in the chair across from him. Seifer leaned back in his chair and grabbed firm hold of his coffee, his patience, and his tongue as he prompted "Problem?"

Regal clasped her hands in her lap. "Sir, I don't think Fu--I mean . . . I don't think . . . she likes me."

Seifer raised an eyebrow. "Regal, Ahndra only 'likes' two people. Don't take it personal."

"But . . ." Regal slowly raised her eyes from her clasped hands. "But... She doesn't even respect me."

Seifer regarded her as he slowly set down his mug. He had no idea where Regal came up with some of her ideas about people. Sometimes he believed she was as dense as chicken-wuss.

"D-Does she?"

Seifer absently tapped his desk. Normally he wouldn't give a flying fuck what people thought about who or why, but Regal was a. . . special case. _Damn you, Squall._ He stood and made his way to his office door, opening it to catch Ahndra's attention and direct her inside. He opened the door wider as she cautiously entered, casting him a guarded glance. "Sit."

Ahndra made her way to the other chair and stiffly did as she was told. Seifer continued to grip the doorknob for a brief moment before stepping forward and leaning back against his desk. This was one of the major aspects of his job he could live without: encouraging communication between co-workers.

He crossed his arms. "Regal," he prompted.

Regal paled as she stared at her hands. "S-Sir . . ."

"Regal, now."

A tear trickled from her eye, but she quickly wiped it away and asked "Ma'am, do you . . . Can I . . ." She sniffed and finally looked over at Ahndra. "What should I do to make you respect me?"

Ahndra blinked in complete shock, which Seifer could understand. But only because he knew she had come to respect Sally Regal since the mission in Winhill with Marshal. Only because Marshal confessed certain things about Regal which Ahndra hadn't known. Things Regal never told anyone. Facts not open to casual viewing, regardless of Ahndra's high security clearance.

Ahndra looked to Seifer. "I don't understand."

Seifer motioned to Regal. "So tell her," he snapped. Hand-holding should not have been part of his job description.

Regal actually held Ahndra's returning gaze. "I can do this job, Fuj . . . I-I mean, Ahn . . . Ma'am, I can. Really." She sniffed again. "I try not to make mistakes. And I try to do what you want as fast as I can, but . . . But . . ." Regal wiped the tears from her face. "Is it just me? Because I'm so scared of everything? Because I'm shy?"

Ahndra was at a total and complete loss. Seifer smirked. He loved to watch her squirm.

"Your work is acceptable," Ahndra finally said.

"Ahndra, damn," Seifer hissed. Even he could have done better than that.

She shot him a glare.

"Oh," was all Regal whispered.

Ahndra tightly crossed her arms. "I do not . . . I . . ." She pressed her lips together and sent Seifer another glare before looking away. "I respect you, Regal," she confessed in a tight tone.

Regal looked up at Ahndra with wide eyes. "Y-You do?"

"You are fast. You are thorough. You do not complain. You do more than what you are assigned."

Regal smiled, tears coming faster. "Really?" she squeaked.

Seifer shook his head, smirking. She really had no idea.

Ahndra adjusted her crossed arms and briefly glanced toward Regal before looking away again. "Yes."

Regal smiled at Ahndra in silence for another collection of very uncomfortable seconds--at least for Ahndra--before calmly wiping the tears from her face and standing. "Thank you," she said softly. Then she focused on Seifer. "Thank you, sir. I appreciate it."

Seifer waved it aside. Always made him damned uncomfortable. "Leave early, Regal. That's an order." He was running low on things to assign her anyway, _she works so damned fast._

Regal giggled. "Yes, sir." Then she hurried out of the office with another smile at the duo as well as another round of "Thank you"s before she closed the door behind her.

Seifer scratched at his scalp. "Damned if I get people like her, falling over themselves to apologize for living." He shook his head again. "She should've just called you out and beat your ass." Seifer barked out a laugh. Ahndra didn't join in. He met her hard stare. "What."

"Janine Larabie."

Seifer smirked and re-crossed his arms. "Yes?"

"Hothead."

And damned if he didn't know that already. "Point?"

"Troublemaker."

_Hell yes!_ She was already making trouble for him because the minute he clocked off, he couldn't focus. He smirked wider. A twisted part of him knew that fact was the best part of the whole thing. Mostly because he knew she was likely having the same problem.

"Disrespectful."

_Don't I know it?_ And she wasn't scared of him, either. Made his skin crawl all the time thinking about what that could mean. "Your point, Ahndra?"

Ahndra smirked and finished the list with "Perfect," as she stood and headed for the door.

"You forgot 'smart ass'," Seifer called after her. _And tight ass. And sweet ass . . ._

"No, I didn't." She closed the door after her.

Seifer chuckled and straightened, going around to his desk just as his door opened again. He looked up as Quistis stepped forward. Seifer sat and leaned back in his chair. "What."

Quistis crossed her arms. "I heard something I didn't like."

Seifer scoffed and sat forward in his chair to again work on reviewing the reports on his desk. He had a meeting with Squall in the morning. "Surprise."

"It's about you and Janine Larabie."

Seifer's entire body went rigid. "None of your business," he snapped without looking up.

"Like hell it's none of my business." Quistis' tone was sharp. "She's my fill-in. My temporary fill-in. What the hell do you think you're doing?"

_Having some damned fun!_ "My job."

"Your job?" Quistis scoffed. "Feeling up an Instructor is your job now? Since when?"

Seifer very slowly lifted his gaze to hers. "Trepe, step off," he warned under his breath.

"Then back off. She's here to teach my classes and make my story believable. She's not here for you to get your--"

Seifer stood. "Get out."

Quistis held Seifer's hard glare. "Back off, Almasy, or I go to Squall." She turned and strode from the office, slamming the door behind her.

Seifer clenched his jaw. _Bitch._ She had always used her position to boss and push people around, and she only got worse the closer Squall got with Rinoa. Seifer wouldn't wish Quistis on a dead dog if and when the two got married. He scoffed and slumped back into his chair. He couldn't wait until Quistis left on her mission, and she had only agreed to it because Squall asked her. Seifer scoffed again, wishing it were Monday so that she'd be off his ass and with Zack Regal in Timber. _Poor shit._

_'Back off, or I go to Squall.'_ Seifer gripped the arms of his chair. _Back off?_ He pressed his lips together. _I always back off, you little_ and the words filled in faster than he could think them. Day after day. Month after month. Year after damned year he backed off and did his job. Now he wanted a little fun and she told him to back off? _Like hell!_

'I'll take you on without breaking a sweat.'

Seifer stood, pushing his chair back so fast the casters caught on the carpet and tipped it over. He didn't care. He strode from his office and headed past all the cubicles and side-offices to the elevator, stepping aboard and pressing the button for the main floor. He strode off almost before the doors opened, heading down the main corridor and around toward the dorms. But his steps halted outside the corridor to the Training Center.

His job.

A conspiracy.

A traitor in Garden.

He fisted his hands. _Fuck._ Seifer turned sharply, fully intent on returning to his office. Then he vaguely heard the report of Squall's gunblade inside the Training Center. 'Back off, or I go to Squall' There sounded another gunblade report, but it wasn't Squall's.

Seifer about-faced strode down the side-hall and into the Training Center. Squall, Janine, and Zell all exited from the right-hand steel door, animatedly discussing something that happened inside.

Seifer halted, again fisting his hands.

Janine glanced ahead and focused on Seifer while Squall spoke. Her expression shifted, those he couldn't classify how. Then Squall and Zell noticed Seifer and headed toward him.

"Yo, Seif," Zell greeted. "'Sup?"

"Anything wrong?" Squall prompted.

Seifer tightened his fists as he forced himself to focus on Squall from Janine. _Quistis is a controlling bitch._ "No."

Janine studied him a moment. "Thanks, guys, for the fun. Commander, I'll keep that suggestion in mind. Right now, I need Almasy's help, so. . . get together later?"

"Sure," Squall agreed.

"No prob. I'll bring Sally this time," Zell promised.

Janine saluted and then focused on Seifer. She motioned back toward the main corridor and fell into step beside him. "I'm having problems . . . reading what's up," she finished once they had entered the side-hall to the main corridor.

Seifer's jaw muscles ached.

"You look pissier than Ifrit himself. Who bit down on your ass and chewed?"

"Trepe."

"What for?"

"You."

Janine caught him by the arm. "What? What the hell did I do?"

"Me."

She scowled, those chocolate eyes sparking. "And what business is it of hers what we do? It's not against code to fraternize. Shit." She glared. "So what's she threatening to do? Tell Commander Squall?"

Seifer's jaw twitched.

Janine scoffed. "Oh brother. Squall won't give a damn. He's more concerned about the Garden in Deling than anything."

"I know."

"It just pisses you off she's pushing you around?" Seifer clenched his jaw. Janine smirked. "Kind of figured. You like doing the pushing." She motioned back to the Training Center. "You want to grab your blade and meet me in there? Or . . ." Her smirk changed. "Or do you want a little more hands-on?"

Seifer held her gaze. He wanted both, or neither. He didn't know anymore. He just wanted what he wanted. But there was a traitor. _Fuck_. He turned and strode back toward the main corridor.

Janine hesitated a moment longer before jogging up to walk beside him. She regarded his profile. "Seifer."

He didn't answer.

Janine caught him by the arm and pulled him to a stop by a bench near the intersection of the main corridor and the side-hall. She sat him down and then stood behind him. "You just sit here and stew. I'll work a little magic."

Janine's hands dug into Seifer's shoulders so hard it hurt, but damn it felt good.

"Let Quistis do whatever, big guy. Like I said, Squall won't care. But I don't get why she thinks he might. I mean, damn, you're all grown up. You can make your own decisions."

Seifer could only grunt as the muscles within his back and shoulders began to loosen and relax; Janine's hands and fingers and elbows continued to push and knead and work at them. Seifer couldn't help but relax his head forward and close his eyes.

"Let me guess: You give everyone the look of death before they can get close enough to give you one of these?" Janine began working at his neck, leaning forward and pressing herself against him as she did. "Got you now," she purred.

And 'relaxed' had to be the best damned drug on the planet. Seifer was immediately addicted.

Janine nibbled at his ear and then pulled back, her hands lingering only a fraction of a second. "Sorry, big guy. Can't finish. A lesson-plan calls my name, and I don't think you want an audience for what I have in mind."

Seifer chuckled and stood as Janine came around to stand in front of him. He could hear Squall and Zell approaching while talking about Winhill--Seifer grabbed the waist of her jeans and pulled her into a hard kiss. When he lifted his head, she smirked up at him.

"We'll continue later, Larabie."

"Yes, sir."

Seifer briefly tightened his grip on her jeans before releasing them and turning away. He looked down at his watch. For the first time in his life he wondered if he could risk a lunch.

~*~

Janine knocked and entered Quistis Trepe's office, still fighting back her temper in order to have a somewhat diplomatic discussion about something that wasn't any of the woman's damned business. Janine didn't want to slit her own throat and the possibility of increasing her hours there at Garden. But she'd be damned if she let the woman twist Seifer up in knots and not do something about it.

Quistis looked up and then set down the paperwork she looked over. "Need some help with the lesson plan?"

The woman sounded like she genuinely wanted to help! Which of course pissed Janine off even more; it meant she had a personal vendetta against Seifer. _The man does his job and gets nothing but hell!_

Janine saluted and then stood at-ease. "We need to have a dialogue."

Quistis arched a damned slim eyebrow. "Oh?"

"I'm an Instructor here now, correct?"

"Yes," Quistis acknowledged slowly.

"I'm not just some floater here for a brief holiday before getting my ass kicked back to Trabia, correct?"

Quistis crossed her arms. "Janine, what's the problem."

"The problem is that you're butting into my personal life without coming to me to ask if I had a problem in the first place." Janine clasped her hands behind her back, still standing at-ease while doing her damndest to stay under control. "I initiated the relationship with Seifer, and now I understand you have a problem with that? At the extreme risk of sounding insubordinate, it's none of your business, so you need to back the hell off . . . Ma'am."

Quistis regarded Janine for a tense and silent moment before calmly asking "Do you have any idea what kind of man Seifer Almasy is, Janine?"

"He's an arrogant asshole who likes pushing people around," Janine countered easily. "A damned prick who is all about how much fun he can have pissing people off while laughing his ass off. But." Janine leaned forward, brown eyes flashing. "But he's a helluva good man who puts Garden and his duty here above every other damned thing in his life. And you know what? That's put a fire in my britches." Janine pointed hard at Quistis. "If you want to stand between Seifer and my business, then you better be prepared to step up to a fight. I started this, and I'm going to finish it." Janine straightened, hands again going behind her back. "Ma'am."

Quistis' eyebrow arched yet again, but this time her perfectly colored lips tilted upward. Janine clenched her jaw. There should have been a law against 'perfectly' beautiful women being in the military. _They make the rest of us look bad._

"I won't hold your taste in men against you, Janine, but only because I seem to have the same problem." Quistis pointed at Janine and sat forward in her chair. "But I will tell you this, if you act inappropriate in any way that effects your duty here, or his, your ass is gone. Yours wasn't the only name on the list of prospects, and you certainly weren't the only SeeD I considered for the position."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Remember, Seifer Almasy is Head of Network Security. You don't question him on his duty or anything which might be classified, I don't care if he has a bleeding ulcer because of it. It's classified and you don't ask."

Janine clenched her jaw. _Like hell._ "I understand."

Quistis leaned back. "You're putting your career on the line with this one, Janine. I hope you realize that."

"If there wasn't a risk, it wouldn't be such a thrill."

Quistis scoffed. "A twisted idea of 'thrill', Janine, but I'll leave you to it." Janine bit back a retort. "If there's nothing else?"

"No, ma'am."

"Dismissed."

Janine about-faced and stalked out of the office, trying her best not to slam the door closed behind her as she muttered a few choice phrases under her breath. _Problem solved, big guy. Show me what you got._

~*~

Seifer looked at his watch and then his nearly empty desk. He smirked. It was amazing how motivated one got when someone like Janine Larabie told him to 'Bring it.' _But she sure as hell won't appreciate what I'm bringing._ And the thought of the look on her face brought a chuckle. Grabbing his keys as he stood, Seifer left his office and locked the door behind him.

Ahndra straightened from where she looked over a SeeD's shoulder to check up on something. She raised an eyebrow. "Leaving?" she asked.

He said "Appointment" while stepping past her and down the hall to the elevator beyond.

Seifer stepped aboard the elevator and pressed the button for the main floor, again stepping off before the doors could completely open. 'Bring it.' Never heard those words before. He was an ass. He knew it. He loved the challenge of pushing people until they cracked and blew up in his face.

Pushing and being pushed by Janine was an utterly different thrill.

Seifer smirked until he strode past the Training Center. Her insistence at a sparring match brought to mind her scars, and his smirk slowly vanished. Janine Larabie had a hardness about her--like him--but scars on a woman? It seemed wrong while, at the same time, giving him a rush at her daring. She was tough, and he knew how to handle 'tough'. He could handle anyone that was 'tough'.

And she wanted to be handled.

Seifer fisted his hand around his keys as his chest tightened and his step widened toward the dorms. _Go to hell, Trepe. I'm not backing off of this._ Then he turned down the side-hall toward the dorms, taking the steps two at a time as he continued toward the room number burned into his brain.

He barely came to a stop outside the door before it opened and Janine had him inside, her hands working at the buttons of his shirt as her mouth met his. Seifer chuckled, enjoying the rush and the fumble for a few heart-racing seconds before taking a firm hold of her wrists and halting the tug and the pull.

". . . the hell?" she whispered, her quickened breath fanning his face.

"Came by to see just what exactly you're wanting me to bring," he admitted gruffly.

Janine laughed that damned awesome throaty growl, her hands fighting at his firm hold as she stepped a little closer. "Slick son of a bitch, aren't you?"

Seifer adjusted his hold on her wrists, accepted a few more kisses, and then stepped back. Janine followed. "That's what they say."

Her lips twitched and she moved even closer, following with each one of his backward steps. "I bet they love it."

Kisses, a slip of hold on wrist, and then he again moved away. "I'm sure."

This time her brown eyes sparked and she grabbed a firm hold of the front of his shirt. "What're you playing, Almasy?" she asked, tone low but not angry. "You in or out?"

His smirk widened. "Out. Early meeting."

"Ah." She released her hold, but only to run her hands down the front until her nails teased the belt of his slacks, eyes holding his. "Do that again, Almasy, and you won't be getting any more coffee."

His green eyes twinkled as he again gathered her wrists before they ventured lower than sanely possible to handle. "It's all about control, Larabie. Remember?" He leaned in, barely touching her lips with his. "This is me, in control," he whispered gruffly. And the kiss she gave him had him cursing his decision to keep her at arm's length for a while.

Then she pulled slowly back, opening her eyes to meet his. "Control is a dangerous thing, babe. You might think you're the one who has it . . . but do you?"

Smirking, he tugged her closer, relishing the fit of her hips. "I always have control, Larabie."

She sounded a low laugh as her hands were released to the freedom of entwining themselves behind his neck. "Do you now? Seems to me that's a two-way street we're sharing at the moment. A damn thrill, if you ask me." She kissed him again, her mouth doing a helluva good job at persuading him to do a lot more than what he'd gone there to do. "How about you surrender?" she mumbled against his lips. "Just this once?"

Surrender and Seifer just didn't mesh.

Instead, he pulled her hands from behind his neck and pushed her back. Not so harshly that it would piss her off. Just firm enough to let her know he meant what he was about to say. "SeeDs don't surrender, Larabie."

Her lips twitched. "But no advance to victory tonight . . . Sir?"

"Not this time, Larabie." And what the hell was he thinking?

Saluting, she voiced a sultry, "Your loss."

_Damn straight_. "I'll see your sexy ass tomorrow, Larabie," he informed as he about-faced and made his way to the still-open door of her room.

She caught him by the arm before he could exit, turning him to face her as she purred, "Any time, big guy. Any time," while pressing those luscious curves against him.

Resisting the urge to perform a test of SeeD endurance, he simply gave the aforementioned 'sexy ass' a squeeze and stroke-- _damn gray shorts_ \--and then turned to make his way down the hall toward his own room.
Chapter Five

Buttons

"Yo, Sei--"

Seifer looked up from the collection of reports on his desk to Zell Dincht's approach. He had stopped in the doorway. "Dincht, you're either in or out."

Zell grinned and stepped the rest of the way in, closing the door behind him. "Dude, you got some skin!"

Seifer frowned and pointed sharply at the door. "Get your ass out of my office!" The fact that he hadn't gotten as much skin as he wanted was a growing sore spot.

"Hell no!" Zell sat in the chair across from Seifer and leaned forward. "Janine? She looked about to jump you when you came in to the Tra--"

"Dincht, what the hell do you want?"

"Oh! Right." Zell's expression grew serious. "What's up with the whole Winhill Garden situation? Is it on or off?"

Still amazed at how easy Zell could be distracted off a subject, Seifer set aside the transcripts. "We're waiting on the city council. They have to vote on it before we can begin building."

"But it's a go? The Network's okay with it?"

Seifer leaned back in his chair, arms crossed. "The Network is okay with it."

"Is it going to be a Garden or just a security facility?"

Seifer smirked. He almost forgot about Regal's suggestion of the two working security at Winhill as a regular assignment. "Security Station. Population doesn't rate a full Garden facility."

"So . . . we're not going to buy the land there?"

Seifer shook his head. "No."

Zell grinned and stood. "Booya!" he exclaimed, and then the serious expression returned. "Oh. Seifer, dude, keep me and Sally on the list for working at Winhill. I'll turn in the transfer request as soon as the council gives the go ahead."

Nodding, Seifer sat forward to again focus on the reports and transcripts. "Fine." He heard the 'squinch' of Zell sitting back down and almost audibly sighed. "What." A card was set on his desk. Seifer picked it up. "What's this?"

Zell sat back in the chair, crossing an ankle on a knee as he laced his fingers behind his head. "It's an invite to Sally's party."

"Party?" Seifer opened the card and raised an eyebrow. "You're shitting me."

"She's turning the big 2-0 and wants you to come to the party we're having at the hotel in Balamb, don't know why. Said something about you being her boss. It's next month. You gonna come or not?"

Seifer closed the card and tossed it aside. "I'll check my schedule," he said as he went back to work.

"Which means 'no'." Zell leaned forward. "Damn it, Seifer. She wants you to come, beats the hell out of me why. Can't you pull your head out of your ass long enough to just show up for five minutes?"

Seifer frowned and lifted his gaze. "Dincht, in case you hadn't noticed, I have a job. It's called: Head of Network Security. I seriously don't think an asshole with a grudge against Garden is going to say 'Oh look. It's Sally Regal's birthday. I better not blow Garden up until tomorrow. Damn. Almost screwed up that one.' I'll check my schedule. If I can go, I'll go. If I can't, I won't. Now get your ass out of my office."

Zell laughed as he stood. "Dude. You so got skin."

Seifer glared and pointed at the door. "Get out!"

Zell continued laughing, saying "Score!" as he opened and closed the door.

Seifer's expression relaxed, and he slightly shook his head as he focused again on the reports on his desk. "You have no idea," he mumbled.

~*~

Janine looked over her right shoulder as her classroom door opened. She smiled and took her feet down from her desk, sitting up in her chair. "Hey, Sally. How's life in security?"

Sally was all smiles. "Good. I talked to Seifer about Ahndra and found out that she really does respect me. She just didn't know that I needed to know that." Sally came to sit in the straight-back chair to the right of Janine's desk. "I mean, she thought I already knew because of all the high-priority things she assigned to me. That and she said she's really nice to me." Sally giggled.

Janine's lips twitched. "Sounds like you love your job now."

"Oh I liked it before. I just wasn't handling the stress very well. Zell already gets on me about taking things too personal. I'm getting better, but sometimes I can't help it."

Janine chuckled. "Sal, you are too cute for words."

Sally flushed and then presented a card. "I wanted to give you this before I forgot. I meant to give it to you yesterday, but then the whole thing with Ahndra came up."

Janine accepted the card and opened it. "Birthday party? Of course I'll be there!" She looked up. "Can I hitch a ride with you and Zell? I'm not really sure where everything is yet."

Sally nodded. "Sure. And it's not until next month, so you have time to make sure you don't have anything else to do."

"Thanks, Sal. I appreciate the invite."

Sally smiled. "You're welcome. I'm just really glad you can come." Her smile melted a little. "I don't know how many people are really going to answer my invitation. I don't make friends very easy. Comes from being shy."

Janine stared at her in shock. "You're kidding, right? Sal, you're a doll! Everyone at Garden knows who you are and can't wait to find out if they're invited to your party!"

Sally's eyes widened. "What?"

Janine laughed. "Oh my gods! You really have no idea how popular you are, do you?"

"Popular? Me?"

Janine laughed at the expression of shock on the poor girl's face. "Damn. That is the funniest thing I've heard all day," she howled.

Sally flushed red. "Hey. Stop teasing me," she protested feebly.

Janine smiled at the girl. "Sorry, Sal. Really. But, yeah, I'll be there. Who else are you inviting?"

Sally counted them off on her fingers while looking at the ceiling in concentration. "Marshal, Val, Mark and his mom Francine, Ahndra, Quistis, my brother Zack, my parents, Zell's ma, Commander Squall, Headmaster Cid, Selphie, LC Xu, SLC Seifer--"

Janine arched an eyebrow as she repeated "Seifer?"

Sally nodded. "He's my boss, Janine. Shouldn't I invite him like everyone else?"

Janine smirked. "Of course, Sal. I'm just wondering if a busy guy like him will go." _Damn, I bet he looks hot in a tux!_

Sally lowered her gaze. "Yeah. I know. Zell already said that Seifer told him he was really busy. At least he said he would check his schedule."

_That usually means 'no', hun._ Janine smiled. "I'm sure he'll do his best to come. He's not all bad."

Sally lifted her eyes and giggled. "Of course not. He's just got a hard job."

_Spoken like a true sweetheart._ Janine nearly shook her head. "Tell you what, birthday girl. How about you and me make a date of going to Deling to get you a hot dress to wear to the party? Something that'll make that man of yours drop dead."

Sally giggled again. "That sounds like fun, only we better keep it a secret from Zell. He likes going shopping!"

Janine laughed.

Sally motioned behind her. "I better go. I was up here anyway dropping off some reports for Quistis, so I thought I'd stop in and say 'hi'."

Janine lifted the card. "Thanks again, Sal. How about we get together next weekend to go shopping?"

Sally nodded as she backed toward the door. "Okay. Can we bring Selphie and Rinoa? They'll kill me if I don't at least ask."

Janine chuckled. "Sure, sure. The more the merrier."

Sally smiled brightly and pushed the button. The door slid open. "Oh. And Janine? You look really pretty today."

Janine softly smiled. "Thanks, Sal. I feel really pretty today."

Sally sent her another unique smile before turning and exiting the classroom. Janine stared at the closed door for a moment before moving her focus to the classroom window. She sat back in her chair and kicked her feet up onto the desktop again, then she reached back and disconnected the assists, closing her eyes as she once more remembered Seifer's sound.

Janine sighed deep, opening her eyes to stare again out the window. _Damn_. Yeah. She'd muttered that several times the night before, cursing Seifer for having more control than she did. Cursing him for being strong enough to resist what other men hadn't blinked twice at. Cursing herself for enjoying the whole damn button-pushing thing more than she'd ever thought she would.

Men like Seifer appreciated a challenge. A hunt. A fight. Being with him those few moments last night gave both a taste of what waited. How could she get him to take that next step without taking away his control? _Raise the bar, Larabie. Intrigue him on a different level. Draw him in while making him think he's pursuing you._ Janine smirked. _I'm not done with you, big guy._

~*~

Seifer absently took up his mug as he moved some reports from one pile to another. He lifted the mug to his lips and "Shit!" It was empty. He stood and strode from his office, mug tightly held in his hand. "Regal, order a coffee-maker for my office," he ordered as he stalked past to the elevator. "I'm getting damned tired of hoofing it to the cafeteria a dozen times a day."

"Yes, sir."

He stepped aboard the elevator and pressed hard on the button for the main floor. The door closed and the elevator surged upward. Seifer frowned at the seam, damning his anality with control and his sadistic need to imagine what could have happened last nigh. He scrubbed at his scalp until it stung.

The door opened and he stepped off and down the stairs for the cafeteria. 'Dude. You so got skin.' _And how the hell would you know, Dincht? Regal's more innocent than some of the junior classmen._ He laughed--an etched gunblade suddenly blocked his path, the flat of the blade pressed against his chest. Seifer looked to his right. Janine stood in the opening of the side-hall to the Training Center with a smirk and a 'Bring it on' expression. She had dressed in her usual black-leather pants, but this time she wore a white tank that caressed every curve.

Seifer's lip twitched as he lifted a hand to push the blade away. It returned. "Larabie."

"Sir." Her smirk widened slightly. "Classes done. Bored." Janine lifted the blade so that the line of it caressed his neck. "Time to play?"

His hand fisted tighter around his mug. _Oh hell._ He set it down on the nearest wall. "Maybe."

Janine drew her other arm out from behind her. She held his gunblade. She tossed it toward him, and he caught it. "Please?" she asked, and her tone was that same sultry softness as last night.

Seifer tightened his hold on the haft of the gunblade. "Bring it."

But she didn't turn to enter the Training Center. She brought it right there in the middle of the corridor. It was against protocol. Against every rule listed in Garden. His duty to stop, but damned if he wanted to. The thrill and the rush had him by the throat as candidates and SeeDs alike rushed out of the way of their progression around the corridor, over benches and around flower pots and waste-bins. Up onto short walls and then down again, Janine smiling and laughing as her eyes twinkled every dare her gunblade acted on.

She was aggressive. She was fast. And she was-- _Damn!_

Somehow they made it up the stairs outside the elevator and Seifer was able to pin her back against the wall, her breath hot and heavy in his face; staring up at him with that damned sexy smirk and dare. She snarled at him with a sultry growl and then pushed back to come at him again, gunblade meeting his with more force than he'd thought possible.

Her blade bit him as often as his bit hers, and she barely flinched with each one. She took it. She dealt it. The passion made Seifer's desire for her fan almost out of his control. He disarmed her, slamming her against yet another wall, this time his hand at her glistening throat. She only smiled at him, lips parted and yet another dare unspoken in her brown eyes. _Hyne_... And he fought himself back from dragging her to the nearest lockable room.

"I win," he said gruffly.

The SeeDs and candidates that had gathered roared and applauded.

Janine's tongue flicked out to lick the perspiration from her upper lip. "Hell yeah," she purred.

Seifer's fingers caressed her throat as he slowly released her. "And you're on report."

Janine's red lips tilted upward. "Wouldn't have been worth doing if I wasn't."

He continued to breath deep, grabbing at his control as she held his gaze. He fisted his hands. "Bring me coffee," he ordered.

She leaned very slightly forward as she said "Hot and wet."

Seifer growled and then turned on his heel and strode up the stairs to the elevator. It opened and he strode inside, his hand still fisting the haft of his gunblade. The door closed and waited for his command, but it couldn't give him what he wanted.

Shaking his head, Seifer scrubbed at his neck before turning and slamming his fist into the basement floor button. The elevator surged downward. He adjusted his hold on the haft yet again, still hearing the ringing of blade against blade and feeling breath in face and hearing her damned sexy laughter echoing in the halls. She enjoyed the pain and the skill and the challenge as much as he did. She craved it.

Dropping his head back, Seifer thumped it against the back of the elevator several times as he clenched his jaw and his fists and took in a ragged breath. "Damn," he muttered. But 'damn' didn't cover it anymore. 'Damn' had stopped being enough to categorize Janine Larabie the minute she'd stepped into his office with an empty coffee mug asking if it would be painful.

No. No it didn't cover her at all.

The elevator stopped and opened, and Seifer forced himself off and down the hall to his office. He ignored the questioning glances and the whispers about the cuts and tears and the gunblade and the sweat. He just went to his office and slammed the door shut.

Seifer gripped his gunblade a moment before stalking to his desk and slamming it down, then he pressed his palms against his desktop and lowered his head. "Shit," he hissed, and again, and again. And he had never been so damned pissed in his life. Pissed at the fact he knew she controlled him as much as he controlled her. . .and he liked it.

He beat the desktop hard with his fists and then straightened to pace back and forth, scrubbing his scalp and swearing under his breath. She wanted him to hunt her. To her the fun was the challenge of that hunt. The chase. The ploy. The cunning twist of body and trill of voice. The door to his office opened, ushering in the scent of strong coffee and a hint of musk. Seifer clenched his jaw. Yeah. He loved the damn hunt and chase.

The door clicked shut. "Your coffee, sir."

Seifer turned to face her. She leaned against the door with a lopsided smirk and one arm crossed under her breasts supporting the one holding out the coffee mug. Still sweaty. Still bloody and bruised. Still damned hot.

He stepped close, holding her back against the door with just his body as her laughing brown gaze held his glaring green one. "Damn it, Janine. What the hell were you thinking pulling that shit?"

"I told you; I live for the thrill, babe."

A trickle of blood from a cut near her temple caught his attention as it rolled down the side of her face. He lifted a hand and touched it away with the tips of his fingers. Then he refocused on her gaze. "A thrill? Getting your ass scraped to hell is a thrill?"

Janine leaned closer to nibble at his mouth with her teeth. "I heal fast," she whispered.

Seifer pushed her back. "Damn it, Larabie, we have rules against sparring in the corridors for a reason!" Her brown gaze held muted surprise. He pointed at her. "I'll cut you slack this time, but you pull that shit again and your ass is mine."

The smirk returned. "Promise?"

Seifer's glare didn't lessen. "Don't give me that shit, Janine! You want to cross blades with me? We do it in the Training Center or not at all! You respect my rules or your ass is gone!"

The smirk and twinkle warped and faded as she stared up at him, regarding him with that intense stare that didn't miss a damned thing. She nodded, once. "Copy that."

Seifer grabbed the coffee mug from her, sloshing coffee all over his shoes and the carpet as he slammed it down on the endtable to the left of the couch in his office. Then he pulled her into a tight embrace and kissed her mouth as he'd wanted to do since leaving her the night before.

She responded. Janine always responded.

Then he lifted his head, holding her gaze once her eyes slowly opened. "Now get out of here before I change my mind," he ordered roughly.

Janine smirked up at him, her hands stroking lines of fire up and down his back. "I'm a little light-headed, sir," she said in a laughing tone. "You think you could take me to the Infirmary?"

Seifer examined her eyes a little deeper--He pressed his lips into a thin line as he scooped her up into his arms. "Damn it, Larabie." He opened the door to his office and kicked it further open. Guilt grabbed him by the balls.

~*~

Janine rolled her eyes as Dr. Kadowaki continued to fuss and fret over her, patching up the scratches and lecturing her about the dangers of gunblading. "Doctor, I'm fine," Janine insisted. "I was a little light-headed for all of five damn minutes!"

"Like hell you're fine," Seifer snapped at her. He stood against the far wall of the examination room with arms crossed and a hard glare aimed her direction. "Head wound, Larabie. So shut up and let the doctor work!"

Janine crossed her arms and glared to the side, all the while loving the idea of being pushed around. _Damn!_ But she didn't like the look of guilt she saw in Seifer's eyes. The cut on her head wasn't his fault. They'd crossed blades and she hadn't been fast enough on the defense at one point. She held herself to blame, but she could clearly see he didn't view it that way.

Impatiently tapping her fingers against her upper arm, Janine couldn't fight the smirk as she relived the fight. She gave a shiver and assured the doctor she was fine when Dr. Kadowaki asked about it. _Hyne!_ Seifer Almasy was damn good with his gunblade. Fast. Aggressive. Hard core. And it had been a helluva thrill to hear the crash and ring of their blades in the corridors. His breath in her face. The sweat on his forehead. The spark of desire in his eyes.

Now, Seifer minutely adjusted his position as he watched her, and Janine moved her focus to intercept his gaze. She smirked at him. _Bring it, big guy. I told you. I can take it._ Sure, she hadn't been so right about the 'without breaking a sweat' part, but what the hell did it matter? The sexiest thing in her memory so far was sharing sweat with Seifer Almasy.

Janine chuckled and looked away.

Dr. Kadowaki straightened and put her fists on her hips. "Bedrest for you, young lady. I don't want to see you out of bed for 24 hours."

Janine's mouth dropped open. "What? Hyne's ass I'm going to stay--"

"Larabie, shut your hole!"

Her mouth clicked shut as she glared at Seifer.

Seifer approached the doctor. "I'll see to it, doc."

"You better," Dr. Kadowaki said sharply, "since you were the one responsible for putting her in this position in the first place."

"Like hel--"

Seifer sent Janine a warning glare. She shut her mouth with yet another click. He looked back to the doctor and gave a slight nod.

"This is the second time I've treated a patient brought here by your gunblade. What will it take for you to stop? A dead body?" The doctor pointed at him. "Control this temper of yours, Seifer, or next time it might be a lot worse."

He clenched his jaw as he gave yet another slight nod.

Then the doctor focused on Janine. "No physical activity for at least 16 hours. Not until I know for sure that everything's fine. You hear me?"

_'No physical'--Shit._ Janine frowned and crossed her arms. "Yes, doctor."

The doctor motioned to the two of them and then the exit of the infirmary. "Go on. Get."

Janine slid down from the examination bed and turned on her heel to stride from the infirmary. She could feel Seifer's hard steps reverberating behind her, and when she felt the dizziness and light-headedness approach, she stopped and waited for him to catch up to her. _Don't you let on, Janey._

Seifer halted beside her and just stared down at her with that damned awesome hard stare.

"It wasn't your fault," Janine said in a carefully controlled voice. Silence was his only answer, so she faced him. Guilt was guarded, but she could see it. "I knew exactly what I was doing when I challenged you to a fight, Seifer. It was a helluva duel. Damned awesome. And this?" She pointed roughly at the bandaged wound near her temple and then at her chest. "My fault for not blocking when I should have." Her vision fuzzed, but she fought it back. "You hear me? My damned fault!"

"Shut up, Larabie." He picked her up, same as before, and strode forward. "Just shut the hell up."

Janine clenched her jaw and her body went rigid. "Seifer, I'm not some cripple. If you don't put me down, I swear I'll beat your ass."

"I'm following doctor's orders."

"I didn't hear her order you to carry me to my room!"

"'No physical activity'," Seifer quoted.

Janine opened her mouth to retort, but then shrugged and crossed her arms. "Oh hell. Why not? This's as close as you'll be able to get to me for the next 24 hours anyway."

Seifer's lips twitched. "Haven't you had enough of me yet?"

Janine focused on his face. He continued to look ahead. "Hell no!" She wrapped her arms around his neck. "I'm not done with your buttons, Seifer Almasy. Might as well get used to seeing this thrill-junkie's ass around."

Seifer adjusted his hold on her but continued staring forward.

Janine examined his expression and filed it away. "It's a damn good thing I don't have class tomorrow," she continued. "The last thing I need is a bad report from Head of Network Security and Quistis Trepe on my ass about no-showing a class."

Seifer turned down the side-hall toward the dorms, still not saying a word.

"Something chomping at your head, babe?" She pressed her lips together. "And if you say 'Trepe', I swear I'll beat her ass right now. I already warned her to step off unless she wanted some of my gunblade in her face."

Seifer halted in the middle of the stairs. He looked over at her. "You what?"

"I called her ass on getting in your face. You have a problem with that?"

Seifer's green eyes hardened. "It was my issue, Larabie. Not yours."

"Like hell. I took the first step in this dance we're doing, Almasy, and I'll be damned if I was going to let her get up in your face for accepting the dare. You know as well as I do there is no rule against fraternizing, so the rod up her ass is of her own making and she can damn-well pull it out."

Seifer held Janine's gaze a moment, then he threw back his head and laughed. Janine's expression relaxed at the welcome shiver that followed the vibration of the deep rumble.

He stepped forward again, still chuckling as he slightly shook his head. "Damn."

Janine smirked. "I've been saying that word all day.

Seifer laughed again.

They arrived at Janine's dorm room, where she presented him her key, and then slightly adjusted her position to make it easier for him to unlock and open the door. Upon entering, he kicked the door shut and headed toward her bed. It was still rumpled from her tossing and turning most of the night.

Seifer's lips twitched, but he didn't say anything as he lowered her onto the mattress. He removed his arms from under her, his hands instead going to her wrists as she adjusted her arms around his neck.

He held her gaze as he pulled her arms free. "Bed rest," he ordered.

"I know, damn it. I heard her." Janine smirked and caught his hands as he straightened, drawing him closer and putting his hands on her hips. "You sure you can't at least help me out of these pants? They're damn tight," she purred, all the while hoping he'd opt for the chase.

Seifer pushed her back into the bed, kissing her mouth as he did. Then he drew himself back and pulled his hands from hers. "Bed rest," he repeated.

Janine slowly opened her eyes, her breathing a little fast. _I love the fast!_ She smirked as he stepped back and turned for the door, drawing herself up onto her elbows to watch him. "Seifer." He halted at the door but didn't turn, and she could practically feel his body tense. "Don't make me wait too long, babe."

The tension eased and Seifer opened the door and passed through, closing it quietly behind him. Janine's smirk widened to a mischievous smile. If she knew Seifer, he would make her wait until they were both ready to crack.

Janine chuckled. _Bring it. Let's see who cracks first._
Chapter Six

Bed Rest

The lights flickered.

"Come on in," Janine called as she marked her place in her book. She looked up as Sally Regal peeked her head around the corner. Smiling, Janine pushed herself up in bed. "Hey, Sal gal. How's it going?"

"Seifer ordered me to come up here and make sure you were staying in bed," Sally offered, uncertain. Then she gasped and scurried forward. "What happened?"

"Carelessness," Janine said vaguely. "I've had nastier scrapes than this, Sal. Don't worry about it."

Sally sat on the edge of the bed. "Did you need me to get you anything from the cafeteria? Coffee? Ice cream? Anything like that?"

Janine smirked. "I'm fine. Really. It's not as bad as it looks. I just get a little dizzy sometimes."

Sally wrinkled her nose. "I really hate that feeling."

Janine arched an eyebrow. "And where in the world would you have been handed a wound like this, Sal gal?"

"Oh, well. . . ." Cheeks flushed, she shook her head and looked away. "Never mind."

Janine crossed her arms. "Never mind? Like hell. 'Fess up."

"What? I've never gone on any missions except for my Field Exam. I don't have anything to confess." Sally peeked up at Janine very briefly. "Really."

"Fine. Then you won't mind telling me about this 'dizziness' you had. Come on, girl! Don't leave me hanging bored to death by reading books when there's a story to tell!"

Sally giggled. "You're so silly, Janine. It's nothing majorly exciting."

"Nothing majorly exciting my ass! You're talking about dizziness, which usually always comes with a head wound or a concussion. Now talk!"

"Okay, sheesh." She released a deep breath. "You remember when that Galbadian missile-base attacked Garden?"

Janine clenched her jaw and crossed her arms. "Yeah." The blast had completely negated any chance of her ears healing from the Wendigo attack.

"Well, um." Sally twisted her hands in her lap as her face flushed. "After that, Galbadia Garden, well, they attacked Balamb Garden and I was, uh, in the wrong place at the wrong time. . . and uh. . . ."

Janine tilted her head as she watched Sally's face. "Sally, why don't you like telling people about what happened?"

Sally released a soft breath before meeting Janine's gaze. "Why don't you like telling people you're deaf?"

Janine arched an eyebrow. "Hm. I think I get what you're saying."

"I don't like telling people about it because they treat me different. I was hurt, sure, but I'm better."

Janine regarded Sally for a second before asking "So what happened? Just for shit and giggles."

"I got caught by a falling bookcase."

Janine smirked. "I bet my scars are better than yours."

Giggling, Sally looked at Janine with twinkling eyes. "Bet they aren't."

"Like hell." She pulled down the blankets, lifted her shirt, and pulled her pajama shorts down to show a wide burn pattern on her right hip and across her right buttock. "See?" Sally's eyes widened as her jaw dropped. When her eyes began to glimmer, panic shot through Janine and she quickly covered up. "Damn, Sally," she said uncomfortably. "No need to get teary. It never did hurt." _Yeah. The nerves are shot to hell._ Janine motioned to Sally. "Where's yours?"

Sally wiped the wetness from her cheeks with a timid smile and stood, turning her back to Janine to pull her uniform-top from her skirt and show a surgery scar which spanned almost half her spine.

Janine actually cringed. "Damn." She forced a smile as Sally tucked her shirt back in and sat back on the side of the bed. "Okay. So you beat me."

Sally giggled, reluctantly it seemed to Janine. "No, I don't. You lost your hearing. The only thing I lost was full use of one of my lungs."

Janine laughed. "Hey. As long as I win."

Sally snickered. "You like winning at everything, don't you?"

"Hell yes! Finishing second is never the way to prove anything."

"Janine," Sally giggled, slightly shaking her head. "Second place isn't so bad."

She scoffed. "Well, it sure as hell isn't first, and I damn well can't get ahead if I'm dead last." Sally smiled and shook her head again with a 'You silly' expression. Janine regarded her. "'Course, how the hell did you get into the Special Security Office? I know you don't push and shove to first place, that's for damn sure."

"I just do my best," she admitted softly, flushing. "And I try to ask the right questions to learn stuff. You know what? I think people like teaching things to others. I know Zell loves it when I ask him to show me things." She giggled and glanced up at Janine. "He stands at least six inches taller."

Janine motioned to Sally. "Makes you feel damned important, I bet."

"I love it when people ask me for help."

"Never really thought about it," Janine finally said, absently tapping a rhythm on her upper arms. "It's always been about winning and being on top for me. Ever since I can remember. Absolute control. Leading the pack."

Sally's smile remained. "I bet you're a great leader, too. I know I wouldn't hesitate to follow your orders."

Janine chuckled. "Brown-noser."

Sally giggled. "I'm serious."

"Yeah. I know." She regarded Sally for another moment. "I guess I'm an arrogant ass to think I should always be at the front of the line, huh?"

"No, you're not. You're just assured. It's good for leaders and Instructors to be that way, isn't it?"

Janine smirked. "Yeah. I guess." She motioned to Sally. "What about you?"

Sally's brows twisted. "Me? What about me?"

"How do you find out how to get people to do what they should? I know for a fact being an SSO means you have to give orders, or at least damned strong recommendations to Seifer. How do you get them to listen?"

Sally flushed and glanced away. "Well, I've learned a lot by just standing back and. . ." Sally cleared her throat, "listening and watching. Asking questions helps, too." Sally's smile returned as she looked up. "You'd be surprised how much you can learn about people doing that. They like answering questions if you ask them right."

"Know from personal experience, do ya?"

"Yes, well, I, uh. . ." She flushed. "I watched Zell for about three years before actually talking to him."

Janine laughed. "The hell ya say!"

"Yeah. I know. Pretty pathetic." Her expression softened as she focused on an intriguing ring decorating her right hand. "But I learned so much about him doing that. I learned the subtle things. The little quirks that hinted at moods and emotions. The clues that help me know how to talk to him." Sally's smile widened, and she met Janine's gaze. "Once I started talking to him, I learned even more. It was a different kind of. . . understanding."

Janine regarded Sally with a thoughtful expression. "Yeah. And you two are pretty damn close. It's eerie how easily you two pick up on what the other's about."

Sally hugged herself. "I like being that close to Zell. The only people I've ever trusted that much were my parents. . . maybe my brother."

Janine absently nodded. _I'll be damned if I've trusted a person that closely._ The ultimate thrill. "Where you two going from here?"

Sally's smile faded a bit as she again lowered her gaze to the ring. "I'm not sure."

Janine watched Sally's face. She smiled. "You're going to marry the spaz, right?"

She slightly nodded. "If he asks." She sighed and lifted her eyes to meet Janine's. "I really hope he asks," she whispered.

Janine chucked Sally lightly on the chin. "He'll ask, Sal gal. The way he looks at you when you're not looking? It's a wonder he hasn't asked already. He's wilder about you than... than... Hell. I don't know." Yet another thrill Janine craved.

Sally flushed. "He's a real sweetie."

"And he kicks ass in a fight."

Sally giggled as she shook her head. "I don't care about that," she protested.

Janine smirked and tapped her chest. "But I do. Strength and power are what I look for."

Sally's lips twitched. "I guess I can understand that." She stood. "But there's different kinds of power and strength. Like Headmaster Cid and his wife. Commander Squall. Quistis. All of them, don't you think?"

And the comment had Janine regarding the timid girl in a new light. "Yeah. I guess you're right," she said. "Never thought about it before."

Sally's eyes crinkled at the corners with her giggle. "Sorry, Janine. I didn't mean to lecture you."

She scoffed. "Lecture? Just a couple girls having a spit-spat. Leave it."

Sally nodded and then motioned to the door. "I better go."

"Hey. Thanks for coming, Sal gal. I was about to go nuts from all the quiet."

"Sure, Janine. I really like talking to you."

Janine smirked. "Yeah, I bet."

Sally giggled. "Janine."

She gestured to the door. "When you see Seifer, could you have him stop by after work?"

Sally's eyes widened slightly. "Is something wrong?"

Janine waved a hand. "Nah. Just want to yak at someone who swears as much as I do."

Sally smiled and giggled. "Oh. Okay. I'll tell him."

"Not about the swearing part, Sal, if you don't mind. Just let him know I want him to come on over after work."

Sally nodded. "Okay." She turned and headed for the door. Before she exited, she turned and said "I'm glad you and Seifer are getting along okay. When you first met him, I was afraid you guys hated each other."

Janine smirked. "Just sizing each other up, Sal gal. It's what we aggressive types do."

Sally smiled and waved. "I'll try and stop by this evening with dinner and Zell. Maybe we could play a card game or something?"

Janine's lips twitched upward. "Sure, Sal. Thanks."

Sally waved again and then closed the door behind her. Janine chuckled.

~*~

"Sir?"

Seifer sent the email and proceeded to the next report on his computer. "Yeah."

Regal stepped into his office. "I checked up on Janine Larabie for you, sir."

He pushed the monitor away. "And?"

"She seemed fine, and it didn't look as if she had been out of bed at all. We talked for a little bit and she didn't slur her words at all, or anything like that." Sally smiled. "She's so fun to talk to, sir."

Seifer smirked.

"Oh." The serious expression returned. "She wanted me to ask you to visit her after work."

Seifer raised an eyebrow. "Reason?"

"She... um..." Sally focused on her hands.

"Regal?"

"Well... she said she wanted to talk to someone." Sally timidly smiled. "Being in bed under doctor's orders isn't very fun, sir."

_Hell no!_ "I'll see what I can do."

Sally saluted and then turned and left his office. Seifer absently tapped his pen on the desktop. _Talk._ He tossed the pen aside and pulled a report from his left, frowning down at the comparisons and warnings and whatever else was listed. _Talk._ He tapped his thumb against his desk as he continued to filter through the report with his other hand. He cleared his throat.

Seifer glanced to his watch. _Shit._

~*~

"Ahndra, I'm leaving," Seifer reported as he locked his office door.

"Appointment?"

Seifer turned and headed for the elevator. "Request."

Ahndra's eyebrow twitched.

He boarded the elevator and pressed the button for the main floor. He stared hard at the seam of the elevator doors--He stepped off and proceeded down the stairs and around the corridors to the side-hall which led to the dorms. Up the stairs and down the hall to her room.

"Come on in!"

Seifer momentarily gripped the doorknob before stepping inside. Janine lay in bed reading a book and dressed in a black tank-tee. Seifer's chest tightened as he approached.

She glanced up and then smiled and lowered the book. "Hey."

Seifer pulled her computer chair from her desk and wheeled it to the side of her bed. He straddled it. "Larabie."

She tossed aside the book and motioned to the bed. "This is why I hate following orders." Janine crossed her arms and smirked at him. "Damned boring."

"You'll survive."

"Oh hell," Janine responded, grimacing. "I know that. Just don't like sitting on my ass for hours on end. Sure, you do it all day, but at least you get to go on a coffee run every once in a while."

Seifer's lips twitched. "Sitting on your ass takes skill and discipline. Apparently you don't have what it takes."

"Oh come on. Cut me some slack. I've done some of my best work flat on my back."

Seifer chuckled. "Such as?"

"Hey now. I told you about that engine rebuild I had to do at the front line to get our ass out of the line of fire. Didn't I?"

"No. I don't believe you did."

"Shit. Some of my best work, too. Had the transport up and running in five." Janine's brown eyes twinkled as they regarded him. "Of course, I can do more than engine rebuilds. Seems to me I passed-up on performing in the line of duty just the other day."

Seifer adjusted his arms across the back of the chair. "How so?"

"Okay. So maybe it was a personal issue, but I still did a damned good job communicating with a superior officer." Janine pointed at him. "I don't usually respect authoritative figures. They usually push the wrong damn buttons and have me all over their ass." She lowered her hand, and the smirk returned. "You know? You and Commander Squall are the only higher officers I can stand talking to. Sounds pathetic."

Seifer regarded her with a nagging twitch of confusion. "Larabi--"

"I know. I'm mouthing off more than a drunk parrot. Guess it's the tight quarters. I told you: I don't like sitting my ass in one place for very long. Not unless I like what the hell I'm doing. Otherwise I get jumpy and fidgety and can't shut the hell up."

His smirk returned as he watched her. Occasionally her hand would lift and make a motion as she spoke in a clearly agitated tone, crossing and adjusting and re-adjusting her arms as she continued to speak. It was damned amusing.

"I remember I was trapped in a bunker one time on a training mission outside Dollet, some privately owned island or some such shit-hole, and I nearly drove the men in the bunker nuts with chattering and spouting. They said they were inches away from hog-tying me in the corner and stuffing a week-old sock in my mouth. Luckily the transport came before it got to that, but shit. It was damned embarrassing. You ever been in a situation like that? I heard you were at the Galbadian invasion of Dollet when the communication tower was opened up. What the hell was that like? Who was in your party? I bet it was damned exciting to be on the edge of something like that and not knowing what the hell was going on."

"Larabie."

"What?"

Seifer regarded her a moment. "Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why are you making yourself talk about your past?"

Janine examined the nails of her left hand. "What the hell are you talking about? I told you. I get like this." She glanced toward him.

"Janine."

She looked fully over at him, slightly frowning. "What?"

He adjusted his crossed arms over the top of the chair. "You don't volunteer information about yourself."

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing. It's a fact. You don't."

"So? I am now. You got a problem with that?"

"No. I want to know why."

Clenching her jaw, Janine held his hard stare for only a moment before looking away again. "Hell. I don't know." She adjusted her crossed arms.

Something minutely changed in her profile. Seifer tightened his scrutiny, confusion still tweaking at his mind. People like them held personal info closer than security secrets. It was safer.

Janine frowned and rubbed at a portion of her scalp behind her right ear--she wasn't wearing her assists. _Why the hell didn't I notice the lisp?_ Seifer clenched his jaw and then reached out to touch her knee under the blankets. She focused on him. "What happened to the chase?"

"What chase?"

"Don't give me that shit. You and me. I chase. You chase. What happened?"

"It got boring," she snapped.

"Try again."

Janine pressed her lips together. "Fine. I'm after a different thrill."

His eyebrow twitched. "Such as?"

"Getting to know you."

His jaw clenched. "What?"

Janine nodded, motioning toward him. "I know. People like us don't do that. We chase, we challenge, and we move on. But you know? Sally and I were talking and she fed me another tidbit of a thrill I think is damned exciting. It sure as hell looks damned fun for her."

Intrigue bashed him over the head. "Sally--Regal?"

Janine frowned at him. "Sure 'Sally Regal'. Don't give me that shit. You wouldn't believe some of the things she and Dincht do that sound glorious!"

Seifer stared at Janine in unguarded shock.

"What? Quit gawking like a boy staring at his first nudie pic. So I want to find out a little more about you. What's the big deal? Aren't you curious about me?"

Seifer frowned. "This isn't funny, Janine."

"Who the hell says I'm making a joke? What's so bad about talking?" She pointed at him. "You can't sit there on that nice ass of yours and tell me you haven't been curious to know what the hell I do when I'm not at work, or before I was here, or before I joined Garden." She pointed at herself. "And I sure as hell won't say I haven't wondered about you. So why not? Why the hell not talk about it? Trusting someone with shit we haven't told anyone else? Damn! No greater rush than that!"

His eyes narrowed as he regarded her. Janine held his gaze without a problem this time. "You're serious! Larabie, I'm Head of Netw--"

Janine grimaced as she said "Hell. I know that, babe. I'm not asking you to tell me the secrets about your work. I know how that toilet flushes anyway. I want to know about you."

Seifer stood. "What the hell does it matter?" He stalked toward the door, trying to ignore the sound of her slipping out of bed and stepping after him with bare feet on the floor.

"See? There's the rush. The thrill of the confession and the risk of the trust. That is what I'm talking about."

Seifer stared down at the doorknob as he felt Janine wrap her hand around his upper arm.

"I know it. People like us don't do things like this. The 'Sally Regals' and the 'Squall Leonharts' and 'Zell Dinchts' open their hearts or their flies and risk it all. And you notice something? They've got a different kind of thrill every day of their lives." Janine pushed and pulled at his arm until faced her. Seifer stared down into those brown eyes flashing a challenge he didn't want to read. "So why not?" she asked. "What the hell are we so scared of that we can't do the same thing?"

He wrenched his arm free. "I'm not scared of anything."

"Then you're doing a helluva lot better than me."

A first confession. Fear. People like them didn't admit to fear.

Janine held his gaze. "I dared you once to 'Bring it', and damned if you didn't. Best not-yet-sex dare and thrill I can remember, too." She crossed her arms. "Now I guess I'm daring you again. Are you going to 'Bring it'? Or bow out?"

Seifer clenched his jaw.

"If you bow out," Janine continued, "that's okay. Don't blame you one bit. I'd do it myself except the thrill's got me so much by the throat I know I'd regret it." She made a slashing motion with her arm. "It won't change a damn thing between us, either. You're still one helluva sexy man, more because you haven't given in to what we both want, and damned more exciting than anyone else I've met at Garden. It's just that I want to try a different thrill, and this happens to be the one I want to try."

He could only glower down at her, thoughts completely blocked off.

"I know. At least think about it. Bring me some coffee tomorrow morning and you can let me know then."

Seifer turned and grabbed the doorknob to open the door.

Yet again, Janine's grip halted his exit. "It won't change anything, babe; you saying 'no'."

\--Death is answering 'no.' Seifer's grip tightened on the doorknob. He shot her a sidelong look. "Personal stories, Janine. You're asking me to tell personal damn stories!"

"I'll tell you one of mine for each one of yours."

Seifer glowered at the door again. He wanted to know. About the burn on her hip. The scar on her neck below her left ear. The scarring on her scalp on the back of her head. The discoloration on the inside of her thigh. The surgery scar on her right knee. "Shit."

Janine moved to stand between him and the door, her fingers curling around the belted waist of his black slacks. "My baby brother calls me Janey because he could never get the second 'n' in there. He's mentally handicapped."

Seifer stared down at her. For the first time he felt the cold hardness of sheer horror. "Don't, Janine."

"Why not? We're SeeD. We keep top-secret information to ourselves every day of our lives. Classified missions. Need-to-know facts." She leaned in until he could feel her slight breath on his face. "My baby brother calls me Janey because he can't get the seco--"

Seifer pressed his lips against her mouth to stop the repeated confession. Garden was his life. How could he be held responsible for their secrets and hers? He pulled back. "Don't."

Janine held his gaze, and he saw the fear. She knew the risk in trusting him. He was an ass. He could use this information she offered for his own jollies; he'd done it before. But she gave it anyway. He lifted a hand to cup the back of her neck and caressed her mouth with his, teasing a line from her cheek and along her jaw to her neck. She pressed herself closer, her arms surrounding him as her breath feathered his skin.

Then Seifer pulled back, only far enough for her to be able to read his lips, and his eyes closed as he said "I was scared of the dark until I was twelve."

...and damn was it a thrill.
Chapter Seven

The Wrong Question

"What the hell are you doing?"

Janine pressed her forehead against the door of her room before meeting Seifer's irritated expression. "Babe, I told you: I can't ta--"

Seifer pushed her firmly but gently aside, taking her keys and unlocking the door again. "Doctor's orders, Larabie. You're in bed until she re-examines you." He opened the door and pushed her inside.

Janine let him push and nudge her over to her bed and then down to sit on the edge. "Damn it, Seifer. Don't make me stay in here. I'm about to go nuts. Can't I veg in the library or something?"

He lifted her feet and tugged off her sneakers one by one--she still wore her gray pajama shorts--and then guided her legs up onto the bed. "No." He put his hands under her arms and lifted her back, then lifted the blankets up and over her. "You're staying here."

"I bet if it had been you or Squall with a head-wound you'd been up and around yesterday without a damned negative word against it."

Seifer straightened. "Larabie, quit bitching."

"And why the hell should I do that? I want to have fun and you won't let me because of some crazy doctor's orders that I have to stay in bed for 24 hours!" She tossed off the blankets and slipped out of bed, standing directly in front of him. "I'm fine. I'm telling you I've had worse scrapes than this and been up and around in less than two!"

Seifer pushed her down onto the bed again, lifting her feet and legs up and then covering them with the blanket. He pressed his fists into the bed on either side of her as he stared into her frown. "You're staying here."

Janine crossed her arms. "I'm not some tender flower that needs to be coddled and cooed over. Shit."

Seifer's lips twitched. "Did I say it?"

"Didn't have to. Why the hell else won't you let me out and down to the doctor's to prove I'm fine?" She pointed at him. "I nearly got your ass, so why the hell do you think I should still be here?"

Seifer reached up to press hard on the bandage. Janine's face paled and her eyes glazed. He lowered his hand. "That's why."

"Ow." She glared at him. "Asshole. You didn't have to do that. All you had to do was strip and get in bed and I would've gladly stayed."

Seifer's lips twitched again as he straightened. "Can't. No time."

"Like hell. You're the Head of Network Security. Surely you can call in sick once in a while."

"I'm the Head of Network Security. I can't call in sick."

"So I'm just supposed to hole up here bored out of my mind?" Janine crossed her arms again. "So what the hell are you doing here, then? Rubbing my face in the fact I barely scratched you and you've got me flat on my back? Where's the security keeping your ass in bed?"

"I rank them."

Janine scoffed. "Hell. You rank everyone in your twisted mind."

"Damn straight. But." He pulled his shirt out of his slacks, unbuttoned it, and pulled it aside to show a bandage on his right side. "Ten stitches. Feel better?"

Janine stared at it with wide eyes. "You were going back to work and then carrying me around with that oozing under your shirt?" She looked up.

Seifer refastened the buttons, smirking down at her. "Adrenaline. Natural pain-killer."

"Hell, I know that. Why do you think I was able to get you your damned coffee, which I noticed you slopped all over your shoes and the carpet. Maintenance is going to be thrilled with that little present." Silence. "Seifer, will you get your ass over here and kiss me already? Damn."

He leaned in, pressing his fists against the bed on either side of her. "You don't rank me, Larabie."

Janine wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer. "Who said a damn thing about rank?" She teased his mouth with hers, drawing him closer until he could fell almost every one of her curves.

Seifer tried to pull back and chuckled against her mouth when she resisted. "Janine."

She smiled against his mouth, nipping and nibbling. "Shut up."

His arms surrounded her, drawing her close before he completely lost balance--He gripped her arms and pushed back. "Damn it, Janine," he protested gruffly. "I don't have time.

"Hey. You can't blame a girl for trying. I mean, hell, you left out of here last night just when it was getting interesting, kissing me like that and then taking off like a bat out of hell." She kissed him again, albeit shorter. "Damn control freak."

Seifer chuckled and pushed her back into the pillows, tucking the blankets around her. "Controlling someone like you is a rush, Janine. Can't pass."

She smirked and grabbed the belt of his slacks to tug him closer. "Don't know what the hell you're talking about. I'm a kitten." And she purred for effect.

He pulled her hands from his slacks and straightened, glancing to his watch as he pointed at her. "You keep your sweet ass in that bed."

"Can't promise a thing unless I have something to keep me occupied."

One side of Seifer's lips twitched upward. Then a serious darkening to his green eyes warped his expression and he slowly sat on the edge of the bed.

Sirens flared in Janine's brain. "What."

"You're going to have to push hard, Janine."

Janine slightly nodded as she lowered her gaze to the nails of her left hand. "Yeah. I know. You, too." She released a quick breath and looked up to meet his gaze. "Like I said, people like us don't do this. That's why I want to."

Seifer's gaze held hers for a long moment before lowering to her hip. He stared at it for ages before almost hesitantly reaching out and pulling the blankets down. Janine focused on the burn as he eased that portion of her pajama shorts down, lightly stroking the scarring with his thumb. The stroke tightened her throat and sent a spark that made her hands clench. But she knew it was all in her mind. The doctors told her the nerves were burned beyond healing.

Janine briefly pressed her lips together. First opportunity. First risk before the thrill. She cleared her throat. "Missile blast. Moved too damn slow." She cleared her throat again. Seifer continued to stare down at the burn. "Finalized my deafness, blasting any chance of healing clear to hell."

_'Beyond healing'._ Doctors said that to her a lot.

She lowered her hand to cover his. Seifer's hand remained, his thumb continuing its steady stroke. Janine sighed deep. "Oh well. Makes life interesting. Although the weeks of surgery were boring as hell. Flat on my back with skin grafts and nerve therapy and who the hell knows what else. Damned lucky didn't blast my hip apart." Her hand tightened on his before she could stop it.

Seifer looked up. "Fellow SeeD caught the majority of the blast?" he asked carefully.

Janine's throat tightened. She pulled her hand away and crossed her arms, again trying to clear the tightness from her throat as she stared down at her knees. "Yeah. Jennifer. Friend since junior classmen." She felt her voice break, but only adjusted her crossed arms and cleared her throat of the tears as she continued to stare at her knees. She didn't talk about it. Hadn't since they'd buried her. Wouldn't have done any good. Wouldn't have brought her back, or shoved the Galbadian missiles down the person's ass who fired them.

And now the rage and regret and guilt burned as hot as before.

"She was a nice kid," Janine forced out, voice tight. "A lot like Sally." She blinked several times. "Saw the missiles coming."

He pulled his hand slowly from the burn, drawing Janine's gaze. "And threw you out of the main blast radius," Seifer finished. He slightly nodded. "It's what SeeDs do," he said as he eased himself closer.

Janine swallowed hard. "Damn fool thing to do," she whispered. _Damn awesome to talk about._ Finally. She lifted her gaze to his as he pressed his fist into the bed on the other side of her; his body hovering over hers like a shield. "Damn fool thing."

"You know you would have done it first if you could."

Janine could see a difference in the hard stare. A near gentleness. Again, it felt damned good. A rush at the confession and a thrill at the acceptance and attempted soothing. Who the hell had she ever told? Who knew besides those at Trabia who saw it happen?

Janine blinked rapidly as she tilted her head back against her headboard, staring at the ceiling. "Hell yes," she whispered. "She deserved her life."

Seifer nudged her side with his arm, drawing her gaze yet again. "And she deserved her death," he said. "Giving her life for a friend. Any one of us--"

"I know." Janine closed her eyes and covered them with a hand. She released a deep breath. "I know, Seifer."

He pulled her hand down, and her eyes met his. "So you wish your ass had been in her place, any one of us would. Now you've got to let it go. It's done. She's a hero and you've got your life to dedicate to your duty. Her life and death gets meaning each day you do it."

Janine looked away and gave a slight nod. Then she released a long and deep breath, feeling as if she floated. Her lips tilted slightly upward. "Do you have any idea how damn good it felt to tell you that?" She rolled her head slightly to the right to meet his gaze. "I haven't told anyone anything about that day. Didn't want them shoveling pity at me like some--Hell. I don't know. I buried her, and that's where I buried everything I felt about it." Janine reached up with one hand to lightly scratch and scrub at his hair and scalp. "Thanks."

Seifer smirked and brought his watch up. He frowned. "I'm late."

Janine grabbed him by the shirt front when he made a move to stand. "You owe me a story, Seifer," she reminded.

He pulled her hands from his shirt. "I know, Janine. Push it later."

"Damn right I'll push it later." Janine pulled her hands from his and smoothed them down the front of his shirt, her left hand pausing on that area with the bandage. "I actually feel bad about this." She looked up and met his gaze. "I never feel bad about anything, but I regret that slash. I actually want to apologize for it."

Seifer scoffed and pushed her hands from his chest. "Don't. Had worse."

"I know that." Janine actually squirmed. "Hell. Feels damned uncomfortable."

Seifer suddenly chuckled as he shook his head. "Don't get soft, Larabie." He leaned down to place a firm kiss on her mouth. "Don't get soft," he said gruffly.

Janine smirked. "Why the hell not? You might like it."

Seifer sounded another slight scoff and then straightened. He pointed at her. "Keep your ass in bed."

Janine saluted. "Yes, sir."

He exited her room. Janine leaned back into the pillows and then covered her face with her hands. She didn't know what the hell she was thinking, opening herself up to a man like Seifer who took people's secrets and used them to guarantee the safety of every SeeD in Garden. She took in and released another deep breath. _Damn._ The thrill of the risk had her right where she knew it would; waiting to see what he would do. Waiting to see if she would survive the vulnerability.

Janine lowered her hands from her face and stared at the ceiling. "Damned if you weren't right, Sal gal. Shit."

~*~

Seifer stared down into his coffee mug with an absent scowl, feet propped up onto his desk. The hustle within the security office of the changing shifts was easily ignored as his mind blankly examined the black liquid that had long since cooled. He saw brown eyes filled with fear at a confession.

Seifer's glare deepened as he absently tapped his thumb against the desktop, palm flat. _Hell._ He set aside his coffee mug and let his head fall back to stare at the ceiling, his thumb yet again tapping an absent rhythm on his desktop. _Damn it._ Seifer sat up and scrubbed at his scalp. The rush had him. The thrill. The risk. The mystery at what would come next. What secret to be revealed. But there hid a terror in the corner of his mind. He had revealed one secret. One confession that would have humiliated him in front of those who saw him as the man with no fear. And she hadn't laughed in his face. She smiled and purred 'I'm still afraid of the dark. Wanna stay?'

Seifer scrubbed roughly at his scalp with both hands before running them down his face as he released a deep breath. He owed her a personal story. _A damn personal story!_ Seifer Almasy didn't tell stories. He didn't have stories. He didn't want to have stories. There was duty. There was Garden. That was his story.

'I haven't told anyone anything about that day.' Seifer fisted his hands as he lowered them from his head. 'Didn't want them shoveling pity.' He lifted his head and glared at his closed office door. 'Thanks.' _Thanks. Thanks? I told her to pull her head out of her ass and she says 'Thanks'?_ He scoffed and sat back, kicking his feet back up onto his desk. 'Do you have any idea how good it felt to tell you that?' He had no idea. He had no stories. He wouldn't have stories.

...'scared of the dark...'

The thrill and the rush punched him in the gut, causing him a flinch. Seifer fisted his hands and crossed his arms as he glared at his shoes. _Push it later._

'Damn right I'll push it later.'

Seifer moved his glare to his still-closed office door. _Push it._

'Damn right.'

His knuckles popped. Seifer twitched and then forced his hands to open. He shook them out and then re-crossed his arms. _You're going to have to push hard._

'Yeah. I know.'

He tightened his jaw until it ached. "Shit," he muttered as he sat up. He pulled a stack of transcripts and reports close. But the story still waited to be told. . .and it refused to wait much further into the evening than just after dinner.

Seifer continued to clench and unclench his jaw as he straightened the reports on his desk, filed certain ones into the appropriate inboxes on his desk, and then took up his keys from his desk's center drawer. He slowly exited his office, locking the door with deliberate motions as the demand of the story weighed down his brows.

He turned and nearly ran over Ahndra. "What."

"You fine?" she asked, even though her expression proved she wouldn't believe any answer he gave.

Seifer stepped past her. "Yes."

A story waited to be told. A story he didn't have. How could he tell it? He tightened his fisted hands as he stepped aboard the waiting elevator. He stared at the changing number with a darkening glare. A story. A confession. Another rush that would heighten the addiction to the next one. _Damn it._

The elevator stopped on the main floor and opened its doors. Seifer stepped out and halted. Janine straightened from where she leaned against the wall near the elevator control-panel. The bandage on her head had been changed to a smaller one, and she now wore Balamb-blue sweats with the Garden symbol and her usual white tank-tee.

Her brown eyes searched out his green ones, but he didn't accept the chase. Seifer moved his gaze to the keys in his hand as he searched for his dorm key. "Larabie."

Janine regarded him for a silent moment before asking "How hard do I push?"

He clenched his jaw and said "Hard," through clenched teeth.

"I don't know how to push hard without pissing people off," she warned.

"Fine." He sent her a dark stare. "Push it." They made a bargain, and he was a man of his word.

Janine gave a slight and thoughtful nod. "Okay." She stepped forward and gave a firm push. "Come on. Let's go."

Seifer fought back the flare of temper and allowed the push. He stepped down the stairs, hearing Janine's firm and steady steps behind him as they made their way down the main corridor and to the left. Once they neared the Training Center, Janine stepped past and grabbed firm hold of his arm to pull him into and down the side-hall. The urge to pull his arm from her grasp was strong, but he fought it back as they entered the Training Center and made their way to that portion that was--for all intents and purposes--restricted. Janine pulled him inside and then pushed his back against the wall, pinning him there with a hand on each of his arms as she held his gaze with hers.

"When was the first time you were here?"

Seifer pressed his lips together. "Fourteen." He fisted his hands to keep from pushing her back.

"So that's... um... Five, six... Seven years ago?"

"Close enough."

Janine watched his face a moment. "The first time Sally came here, she met Zell. Well, not really. He stared out at Garden while she just watched him. "What about you? Why were you here?"

Seifer's brain screamed at him to stay silent, almost as if Janine were a spy attempting to force Garden secrets from him. "A dare."

Janine's lips twitched as she arched an eyebrow. "A dare? That sounds like fun. I love playing truth or dare. Took the dare each and every time. Shocked the hell out of everyone, too. Pissed my parents off, though."

Seifer pulled his arms free from her hands and turned to grip the wall as he stared out at Garden.

Janine stepped beside him, still watching his profile. "So what was the dare?"

"Quistis Trepe."

Janine leaned back against the wall, resting her elbows on the top as she examined his face. "And what the hell did you have to do? Or should I hazard an easy guess?"

"To quote the bastard who dared me: 'I dare you to score with Quistis Trepe in the forbidden zone at the Training Center.'" Seifer clenched his jaw. "I didn't think she'd come." He scoffed. "I didn't think she'd let me touch her, either. Too bad it wasn't more damned fun." Seifer met Janine's gaze and slightly sneered. "My first time having sex and in the middle of it I daydream about going off to war."

Janine smirked and lowered her gaze. "Hell. That explains a lot between you two."

Seifer scoffed again as he moved his focus back to Garden.

She heaved herself up onto the wall. She tugged Seifer to stand in front of her, wrapping her legs around his waist. "My turn. What do you already know from my file?"

Seifer settled his hands on her hips, fingers deftly shifting beneath the obstruction of her tee to the silky softness of her midriff. She smirked but said nothing. "Haven't received it yet from Trabia. Regal's tracking it down."

"Heh. That likely pisses you off. Trevor never was quick on paperwork. He'd rather beat the shit out of bad guys. Not bad in bed, though."

An eyebrow twitched at a slight internal cringe as he focused on her profile. "You and Hillman?" He scoffed. "The guy's an undisciplined prick."

Janine chuckled, but didn't meet his gaze. "Tell me how you really feel." He briefly clenched his jaw. "But you're right. He is." She shrugged. "I was bored, I guess. Don't you do anything like that when you're bored?"

"I don't get bored." Her continuing scrutiny caused a slight twitch to his jaw muscle.

"Okay. Fine. Don't you do anything like that when you're so horny you'd hump a chair?"

Seifer barked out a laugh. "Damn, Larabie."

"What? You're telling me you don't ever get an itch to hop in the sack with the nearest sweet-assed candidate or SeeD? I don't believe that for a minute. You're one hot and sexy man, Almasy. You can't tell me that you don't need a little action every once in a while to settle your nerves."

He would have pulled away, but her hands flashed to his wrists, keeping his hands where they were until they remained of their own volition. "I don't have time for distractions." Correction: he didn't allow himself distractions.

"Ten minutes here and there to blow off steam a distraction?"

"'Ten minutes here and there' grows, Larabie, and like I said before: Garden is my life."

Her thumbs caressed the skin of his wrists. "You've been around the bend a couple times."

"I have."

"She ditch ya for another guy?"

The smirk that twisted his lips was a near sneer. "Something like that."

Her hands framed his face, tilting his gaze to meet hers. Her lips tilted up in a lop-sided smile. "You're not making this any damned easier."

"Would you?"

"Hell no. This story-telling shit isn't as easy as it looks. I don't know how Sal-gal does it day in and out."

Seifer's hands drifted from the warmth of her skin and dropped to his sides. For years he worked at getting secrets for Garden's safety, but to give them up? What the hell was he trying to prove? He did an about-face with a mumbled excuse he couldn't even understand and stepped away.

As expected, Janine caught his arm and jerked him to a stop.

"SeeDs don't surrender, Seifer. Remember?"

Seifer fisted his hand, body tensing. _Shit_.

"Maybe we're trying too big? Too serious?"

But a secret was a secret. Big or serious, small and simple, what did it matter? It was still something better kept to oneself. He pulled his arm from her grasp and headed once more toward the main portion of the Training Center.

"Why 'Death is answering 'no''?"

Again, Seifer halted.

Janine softly cleared her throat before stepping up beside him and intensely watching his profile. "I just don't see it as a smart-ass quip anymore. Every time I do I get a pinch in the back of my brain. So, why that? Why that one statement?"

But how did he explain that statement, said by Headmaster Cid, which made him accept life with Garden? How did he tell her he wouldn't be here, putting his ass on the line every day for thousands of SeeDs, if it hadn't been for that one phrase said to him when he thought his life had lost all sense of a previously had purpose?

"Is that your truth?"

His head sharply turned, eyes focusing on hers. "What?"

"'Death is answering 'no.'' Is that. . . is that your mission?"

Seifer couldn't answer.

"Me? I'm a thrill junkie. Whether it's in a battle, class, exam, or lecture, it's all about the rush and the thrill. It's about pushing myself to the limit of what I can do and then stepping a little more out." She slowly crossed her arms as she held his gaze, her brown ones almost thoughtful. "How does 'Death is answering 'no'' change things for you? What does it make you do?"

It made him stay in a place surrounded--"My job," he said curtly, unable to look away from those brown eyes.

"A damn hard job. One that's all guts and no glory."

"There's glory plenty," Seifer scoffed. "Each damn day some dickhead doesn't blow the shit out of some military or civilian establishment. Each power-hungry prick whose ass gets handed to him in the brig is my glory, Larabie, so don't shed a tear for this jackass."

She smirked and then laughed. "Me? Waste water on tears? Hell. You don't know me very well, do you, Almasy? The only time I cried was the day they lowered Jen in the ground." Janine stretched her arms over her head, saying, "Haven't had time for it since," as she yawned. "Takes too much damned energy." Then she lowered her arms, casting him a sultry smirk as she motioned toward him. "You done, then? You seemed ready to book ass out of here a little while ago."

Seifer frowned, glaring at the exit as he balled his hands into fists. But go to what? The desk in his room filled with reports and transcripts he'd already sorted through four times already? Or stay with a damned sexy hard-ass who put up with his shit?

"Come on." Janine led him back to the wall. Then she heaved herself up and patted the cement beside her. "Get yourself up here. I've got a helluva story. It'll have you laughing your ass off."

Sending one more look behind him to the exit-- _Oh hell_ \--and then pushed himself up beside Janine.

"You like pulling pranks, don't you?" Janine asked. She kicked her feet up onto the wall and shifted to plop her head into his lap. "You know the ones. The pissier it makes them the better?"

An eyebrow twitched. "Your point?"

"My point is that I pulled a pisser on a friend of mine when I was a candidate that had me howling for years after. I really think you'd appreciate it. It was one helluva prank. And it came right off the top of my head. Had no idea I was going to pull one when I showed up. Pure and simple inspiration." She chuckled. "Damn. I got the prick good. Still amazes me what he did, though, and as cool as anything." She laughed.

"Larabie, I've got better things to do than sit here listening to a one-sided reminisce."

"All right, big guy. Keep your boxers on. So, here I am a spunky little bitch of a candidate getting ready to start the first wave of heavy training before doing the exam qualifier. Well, that's all fine and dandy but I've never been one to enjoy stressing over anything. So the minute the stress starts, I start freaking a little bit and need to beat some shit up. I go to the Training Center, get all wet, wild, and freaky-icky and then go to the showers--co-ed showers, you know--only to find one of my friends doing the same exact thing." She howled. "The guy's singing in the shower as if he thinks he's the male version of that Julia chick with the 'Eyes on Me' hit. Actually, he doesn't sing so bad. Anyway, it hits me like a--"

"Larabie," Seifer grumbled. "Will you tell the damn prank?"

"I'm getting there. Chill. So, I step into the shower, hear the one-date-wonder singing his heart out, and walk straight up to his locker and take his candidate uniform, all the towels available--including the dirty ones--and then make sure all the other lockers are either secured tight or empty. I even made sure all the wastebaskets didn't have anything bigger than a gum-wrapper." Janine chuckled, brown eyes twinkling. "There was no way in hell I was going to leave him with something to cover up."

Seifer's lips twitched upward. "Poor bastard."

Adjusting her position slightly within his lap, Janine reached up to wipe at a corner of his lips with her thumb as she continued. "Hell no. Pranks and this guy have always gone hand-in-hand. Him and Dincht have great stories. Anyway." She tucked her hand back under her arm. "So here the poor guy's got nothing but what Hyne gave him, and I've gone to lunch with another friend of mine in the cafeteria. Now, what you've got to know is all this is happening at Trabia Garden in the middle of the busiest lunch session. Instructors, SeeD, candidates, and even the Headmaster is in the cafeteria getting something to eat and drink. In fact, I think the chief of security was there refilling his coffee. And what do you know? Some buck-naked guy about 6' 4" tall comes walking in all pink and flustered and holding a strategically placed plant leaf. A rather large plant leaf."

"You're shitting me."

"It gets better," Janine promised. "Not only does he walk straight through the center of the cafeteria, the poor bastard strides directly up to me and my friend at the table as we're trying to eat--not that it's easy to do when you've got a 6'4" hottie walking toward you without a stitch on but a bit of greenery. My imagination was painting a very different picture--but he simply sticks out his hand and says, 'Very funny. Now, may I have my clothes back, please?'"

"You didn't just give them to him, Larabie. Please."

"Hell no! I gave him a key, but I didn't tell him what the key was to, or where it was located, or even what was there. Believe me, he took the key faster than a dying man grabs water. Then he put the key in his teeth, grabbed my tray while smiling weakly at my friend, and then turned and calmly walked off, hiding his sweet ass with the tray. My friend and I must have howled for hours and days after. Hey, you know what? I think he and my friend started going out after that." Janine laughed. "Figures. Who wouldn't with that body burned into their head?"

"Poor bastard," he said again.

"Yeah. I guess it was rather harsh, but damn was it funny to see him all red and pissy. I think every muscle in that tight-ass body of his was as taut as a coiled spring, he was so damned embarrassed."

"Note to self: Put better locks on the lockers," Seifer commented, chuckling.

"Hey, what's the fun in that?"

"You should never do the same prank twice. Ruins the thrill."

Janine's eyebrow arched upward. "Good idea. Damn. Would never have thought of that. Of course, I've never done the same prank twice on the same person, so I guess that's close enough." She put her hands behind her head, lacing her fingers together as she smiled up at him with the same sultry smirk he'd come to expect from her. "So, now what?"

Seifer shifted his focus to the stars. He had never shared anything with anyone. What cause did an orphan have for sharing? And a soldier? They took life and gave back nothing but a supposed sense of security and safety.

"Hey." Janine lifted a hand to tickle the skin of his partially exposed chest beneath his black-silk shirt. When he didn't react, she snapped her fingers and once more crossed her arms. "Damn. Not ticklish."

He absently adjusted his balancing hold on the retaining wall as he slightly frowned. Janine took nothing, and he didn't understand that. The chase was shared between the both of them. The secrets were shared. Seifer's frown darkened. No taking. And he didn't understand that.

Janine left him wanting more. More of her. More of her past. More secrets.

Seifer released a quick breath, feeling her scrutiny as she adjusted her crossed arms. She continued to watch him, reminding him how he'd never done anything like this before. Being with a woman as hot as Janine meant sex, maybe a thrill, and then it was over. With Janine, each time she accepted his 'no' the thrill was like a Firaga in the back of his skull, and it kept him coming back for more.

He reluctantly smirked. _Who knew?_

"I lost my virginity when I was thirteen."

Seifer's gaze focused on hers somewhat sharply.

"My parents were killed the previous year by Galbadian soldiers, so I'd been living on my own with my brother, Danny, for so long I'd forgotten what it felt like to have a home. Odd jobs, stealing, whatever I could do to keep him fed and warm."

Janine squinted her eyes at the stars, swallowing somewhat hard as she tightened her crossed arms. "Some missionary and his family took me in that second winter, and their oldest boy was damned good to look at." She shrugged and then looked over at him, meeting what was likely an oddly serious gaze. "I guess I just wanted to be with someone again. Being alone sucked shit, and he was a nice kid. A little naive. Didn't know what hit him when I made the move. I was only with them for a month before joining Garden. Danny's still there. They adopted him years ago. I get letters from him sometimes. Get cards from them every birthday and holiday."

Silence was Seifer's only answer, mostly due to the fact he didn't know what was expected from him by way of response. _What the hell am I thinking?_ But, to be honest, he didn't give a rat's ass.

Janine cleared her throat and shifted her head against him to again meet his eyes. Those damn sexy eyes of brown that set his brain on fire. Those sparkling depths of arrogant desire that hid a SeeD who cried at her best-friend's funeral.

One side of her lips twitched upward as she sat up to hop down from the wall. "You're the first man to say 'no' to me, Seifer Almasy, twice." She stepped close, between his legs, and leaned in, staring up at him with a half-lidded gaze that sent his heart pounding. "I'll be damned if that doesn't make you all the more a thrill I want to have."

"I guess there's only one thing to do."

She smirked at him, giving the belt of his trousers a tug and encouraging him from the wall. "What's the risk-factor of getting interrupted?"

"Let's find out."

His hands followed the supple curve of her backside and tugged her close, pressing her against him as her lips teased his mouth with a seek and chase that had him by the balls. Her quick breath as his hands slipped beneath her tank-tee, the way her back arched as his fingers explored those luscious curves, her moan sending a dizzying spike of desire to his core. There was no daydreaming. Just pursuit of the thrill as it led them straight to the brink of a promised next. Testing each other's discipline and control to the very limit.

"You know all the buttons," Janine moaned, her hands tracing fire along his back.

"A few," he admitted, his voice gruff.

She chuckled, her lips nibbling at his as her breath fanned his face. "Wanna go to my room to find the others," she purred, "or just chase them around a bit."

His fingers teased the hooks of her bra until it gave. "A chase."
Chapter Eight

Green Eyed Monsters

A chair was pulled out and straddled. Janine looked up from the correcting of her papers and smirked. "Hey, Dincht. Did I say you could sit your ass there?"

Zell grinned. "Don't see anyone else's ass in the chair, so it's mine."

Janine pushed her papers away as she leaned back in her chair. "What do you need?"

He motioned toward her. "Wanted to see how it's going. Fitting in okay?"

_Oh yeah_ , she purred, and her toes nearly curled _._ Making out just to the brink with Seifer the night before had set her skin aflame, and it still tingled with the promise of a soon-coming sharing. She stretched and rested her hands on top of her head. "I wouldn't give a damn if I wasn't." But it was a non-issue.

"Made any friends?" Zell pressed, laughing.

Janine's lips twitched. "One or two."

"Yeah. Sally doesn't stop talking about ya. Damn. I think she sees you as a long-lost sister or something."

Chuckling, Janine gave a shake of her head. "That girl of yours is a doll, Dincht. You twist her up and I'll hand you your ass."

"Tch! You think I'm gonna screw with the best thing I've got? Hell no!"

Janine chuckled again and then briefly motioned at him. "So how in the hell did you get involved with someone like her anyway?"

Zell absently twisted a ring on his right hand, moving his gaze to it. "I helped her get ready for her Field Exam qualifier; the Fire Cavern?" He shook his head, chuckling. "She'd failed three times already, poor thing. Probably thought she was going to be forced out of Garden. Even I could see it."

When Zell looked up, his expression was so serious Janine nearly died laughing.

"Only thing was," he continued, "she'd trained on the quarterstaff; totally wrong for her body style. You should've seen her face when I told her. I felt like an ass. I mean, she'd been training hard for years. She was pretty good, too. Just not great." Zell shrugged. "So I taught her some of the basic Duel moves. She caught on really quick. 'Course, I could tell she would. Just in the way she moved. Total and complete control over her body."

"I bet," she mumbled, smirking. "I've got a question that'll likely piss you off. Why'd you go after her? Sal gal doesn't seem your type."

Zell grinned. "Don't I know it? But it was one thing after another. Hell if I know how it happened. First I was helping her study for the Fire Cavern, then we spent the day together to celebrate when she passed and I took her to meet Ma and I met her parents and saw where she grew up..." He shrugged. "Then she was telling me she liked me as a 'boyfriend'. Shocked me off my ass. I mean, I was going to ask her out, I just needed to think about stuff Ma had told me the day before."

"What was there to think about? You liked hanging out with her, didn't you?"

"Sure! She's a riot, and she actually laughs at my jokes. Hell. She understands my jokes!"

"So what was there to think about? You thought she was cute. You liked hanging out with her." She motioned to him. "Why didn't you just--"

"Make out and not worry about it?"

Janine's smirk widened. "Basically."

Zell adjusted his crossed arms along the back of the chair and gave a one-shouldered shrug. "I would've, but hanging around with Sally, well, she's not like that. You know how she is. I just felt better taking it at her pace. Finding out about her and hanging out with her family. Just laying back and letting her push me along."

Janine examined Zell's face. "You like being her friend, huh?"

Zell smiled. "Being friends with Sally is a rush. I mean, dude, we talk about everything. She pushes me to do stuff, too. Things I usually just yak about. You know? All talk and no action?"

Janine thoughtfully nodded.

"She makes me want to show off and do things. And I know she won't laugh if I screw up. I guess you could say I trust her, but it's more than that." He shrugged. "Can't explain."

Janine smirked. "I think I understand."

"So how're things with you and Seifer?"

_Shit._ "Me and Seifer?"

"Oh. You're not telling anyone?"

"Telling anyone what?"

Zell laughed and stood. "Okay. I get the hint. See you around, Janine. And feel free to show up at the Training Center for Meg and my sparring sessions. I'm sure we can figure out a Break for you."

"Thanks, Dincht."

"No prob. Gotta jet. Gonna surprise my girl down in the security office."

Janine sat forward. "Have fun." She watched him exit the cafeteria, absently taking up a pen and tapping the paper. 'You and Seifer.' But how the hell did someone like Zell pick up on that? She knew for damn sure no one saw them last night. She tossed the pen away and leaned back--She sat up as her eyes focused on Ahndra Kelley approaching.

The silver-haired woman pulled out a chair and sat. "A moment."

"Sure." Janine relaxed into the chair and crossed her arms. "What can I do for you?"

"Explain a pursuit."

"Okay. Which one? Galbadian? Radical? Black-market? I've been involved in a lot of high-profile pursuits in my career as a SeeD. It's all in my file, which I'm sure you have clearance to read what with being Sei--"

"That pursuit."

"And what business is that of yours?"

"What is your goal?" Ahndra pressed.

Frowning, Janine grabbed hold of her rising temper. "That isn't any of your damned business." _A thrill? A rush? A distraction and a bit of fun?_ She didn't remember anymore. "And even if it was, you can blow it out your ass. Anything that happens there is between him and me. Period."

Ahndra inclined her head. "Yes, but as second in command it is my duty to report change in job performance; to Seifer and to Commander Squall."

Janine's gut twisted. _Change in job performance--_ She pressed her lips together. She refused to believe it. Seifer wasn't the kind. Janine leaned slightly forward. "The day that man lets personal relationships effect his duty is the day I get my hearing back. If you've got a problem, take it up with him. Because I sure as hell won't stop anything without hearing it from him first."

Ahndra held Janine's gaze, thoughtful consideration within the hard stare. Seifer's job was the one thing about him she hadn't wanted to touch. That's why she never asked about his responsibilities. She knew how closely Seifer had to keep the information to himself. She also knew how important his duty was to him. She felt the same about her duty as Instructor and SeeD.

Finally, Ahndra slowly stood, still holding Janine's gaze. "I am his second in command, but I am his friend. Tread carefully. I will react accordingly."

Janine's frown deepened. "Bring it."

Ahndra smirked and then turned to exit the cafeteria. Janine followed her with narrowed eyes. _Now why in the hell do I feel like I was measured up?_

~*~

Seifer tossed a stack of completed reports into his outbox and grabbed another handful, a frown of concentration hardening his expression. His office door opened and closed. "Yeah."

"Seifer," greeted a male voice.

He looked up, smirking as the Chief of Security at Galbadia Garden sauntered into the office. "Beita."

LC Marshal Beita sat back in one of the chairs opposite Seifer's desk. "Just waiting for chicklit." He motioned to Seifer. "How's life?"

_Watching Ahndra try and handle a relationship with you? Life is damned amusing!_ "No complaints."

"That's good." Marshal crossed his arms. "You going to Sally's birthday party next month?"

"Haven't decided yet." Seifer regarded the man across from him with a suspicious examination. "You?"

"Yeah. Me and Ahndra are going together. You should see the dress." Marshal whistled. "Hot. I'll likely get slapped half a dozen times on the way to the party."

Seifer chuckled. "Watch for her right."

"Heard about that." Marshal's silver-eyes hardened. "Almasy, you should have told her about me. Hell. You should have told me about her. Why do you have to be a dickhead all the days of your life?"

Seifer laughed. "And miss the fun? Hell no."

"Only fun to you. Damn sick bastard."

"Look, the mission had to be done, and Ahndra needed to fight her way back. It was the only thing left I could think of to make that happen."

Marshal scoffed. "I guess the reasons don't matter anymore. I've got my second chance." He released a fast breath. "Thanks for looking out for her, Seif, when I couldn't. I appreciate it."

Seifer met Marshal's gaze. "You leave her again and I'll beat your ass."

"I don't plan on it. You know how Ahndra and I clicked back then. We could talk about everything. We did, too. Letters and emails every damn day talking about shit we never told anyone else. It's like that all over again. Sure, she's more withdrawn and controlled than she was before, but it's still Ahndra. I can still trust her."

Seifer frowned at his desktop. Trust. Talking. A click.

"I hope you click with a woman like that someday, Seif." Marshal chuckled. "I'd love to see the fur fly when you get in her face to try and push her around. 'Course, knowing you, she'd probably think it was damned hot and come at you wanting more." Marshal laughed. "When you find a woman like that, Seif, grab her. There's no more out there. Believe me, I looked." Marshal laughed harder. "You know what's really funny? I thought you had the hots for Sally a while back, before I knew about Squall ordering you to take it easy on her. I swear Dincht must've thought the same thing."

Seifer scoffed. "Regal? Like hell. Sure. She has a nice bit of ass and fills the uniform in just the right way, but--Regal?" He scoffed again.

"Hey. There's nothing wrong with Sally. She's a sweetheart."

Seifer leaned forward. "Do you see me with someone like Sally Regal? I scare her shitless."

Marshal pointed at him. "But she comes to work anyway." He couldn't help but acknowledge that with a grunt. Marshal stood. "Nice yakking at you, Seif. Take it easy. And try having a little down time. Take a vacation. Kiss a girl. Hell, jump into bed with one! It's great fun."

Seifer smirked and motioned toward the door. "Your woman's calling."

Marshal chuckled. "See you later, dickhead."

He shut the door. Seifer's smirk smoothed into a smile. _'When you find a woman like that, Seif, grab her. Hell, jump into bed with one.'_ It sounded the best advice he'd heard all day, and his fingers tingled at the prospect.

~*~

Janine set aside another corrected essay paper and breathed deep. She closed her eyes and rubbed at her neck. 'Being friends with Sally is a rush. I mean, dude, we talk about everything. She pushes me to do stuff, too.' Janine slowly opened her eyes, still absently massaging her neck as she stared down at the next essay paper. 'I guess you could say I trust her, but it's more than that.' Janine pinched the bridge of her nose as she took in and released another deep breath. _You're addicted to the thrill, Dincht. Admit it. Some people call it love, but it's all the same. A thrill that can fade if you don't work at keeping it new._

Opening her eyes, Janine drew in her focus to the essay paper as she pulled it closer--Seifer sat in the chair to her right and leaned back, kicking his feet up onto the table with a hard clump that rattled everything at least ten feet outward.

Janine cast him a promising smile--' _Change in job performance--_ 'her expression blanked and she looked away.

"Problem?" Seifer asked after a moment's silence.

Frowning, Janine slammed down her pen. "Yeah, I have a problem: People getting in my face about my business."

A blond eyebrow twitched upward.

Janine swore and sat back heavily in her chair.

"Larab--"

Janine leaned forward. "Just what's your story with Ahndra 'Ice Queen' Kelley?"

Seifer regarded her a moment before pulling his legs from the table and leaning forward, arms resting against his legs. "Problem?"

"Hell yes there's a problem." Her hackles rose. "I've got bitches coming out of my ass telling me to back off or watch my step where you're concerned. What the hell kind of place is this? Can't even trust a fellow SeeD--"

"Larabie," and his tone felt like a slap. "Cool off."

"Like hell." Janine pointed at him. "If one more person gets in my face about my chase with you, I swear I'll go up one side of their ass and down the other. And that includes you and your 'friend' Ahndra Kelley. She wants me to tread carefully? I'll 'tread carefully'. All over her ass!"

Seifer's green eyes flashed a warning. "You step off from Ahndra, Janine. She and I go back, and she's the only one with any right to get in your face. Trepe. Dincht. Regal. Any other SeeD in this damned Network I don't have a problem with, but you keep off from Ahndra."

"You want me to--" Something within Janine flashed so hot that she practically saw red. "Fine. I'll keep off." She stood and gathered her papers and pens and schedule book. When she made a move to turn away, Seifer stood in her path. "Get the hell out of my way."

"No."

Janine's eyes sparked. "If you don't get out of my--"

Seifer grabbed her papers and slammed them onto the table. Pens scattered like rats. He faced her again. "You'll what?"

The 'something' popped and Janine struck him hard in the face. Seifer actually staggered backwards. His shocked expression did nothing to quell the rage, even as he rubbed at his jaw. She snatched up her papers and books yet again. He blocked her path just as before.

Janine could feel her muscles trembling, the rage building until there would be nothing but a hell-bent release--"Back off."

"Why are you so pissed, Janine?"

She scoffed and attempted to shove past. He pushed back with tight grips on her arms. Temper boiled, each seething moment closer to breaking. Janine wrenched her arms free from his grasp and slammed her armload back onto the table.

"At ease, Larabie," he warned.

"Fuck you," she snarled. "You ruffled my feathers, sir, and now you've got one pissed chic on your ass!" Seifer smirked down at her. Janine grabbed his shirtfront with one hand and drew back the other. "You want me to wipe that smirk off your face, sir?"

Seifer jerked her hand from his shirt and had her turned with her arm held up tightly between her shoulder blades before she could even gasp with surprise. A wave of curses exploded, tables kicked over and chairs careening across the hard floor as Seifer barked orders for everyone to clear out.

Everyone moved for the exit, clearing out the cafeteria in less than 30 seconds. Once everyone was gone, Seifer released his hold and blocked the immediate right-hook.

Janine's temper went solar. "You ever pull shit like that again--"

"Why are you pissed, Janine?" he asked again.

"You want to know why the hell I'm pissed, Seifer Almasy?" She jabbed a finger into his chest so hard her finger threatened to break. "Because you want me to step off from someone I want to mess with; I don't like that. It makes me see red. You want to know why? Because she's the only person you've told me to step off from. Why do I give a damn? Because that makes me think you're banging her right alongside giving me the 'no'. Why do I give a damn about that? Because I don't want to share you!"

He stepped close, hands on her hips to pull her up against him. "And why the hell doesn't Janine Larabie want to share?" he asked gruffly.

Janine's anger flat-lined as she stared up at him and that sexy smirk. "What."

Seifer's lips twitched higher. "You heard me, Larabie." He adjusted his hold and drew her closer, his lips teasing the skin of her throat.

Janine's eyes nearly rolled back in her head. "Shit--" Her arms snaked around his neck--Change in performance--She dragged her focus back, fighting against the thrill and the warmth, that damn cologne and his sultry chuckle--She shoved him away.

Seifer regarded her with narrowed eyes. "What the hell was that, Janine?"

But she didn't know how to explain the problem without blowing up in his face. But if she just walked out, he would think she walked out on him. _Damn you, Ice Bitch._

He crossed his arms with deliberation. "Larabie."

"Forget it." She looked away, and her frown darkened.

"Larabie," he pressed, harder.

Janine could hear the irritation and annoyance.

Then Seifer reached out and grabbed a firm hold of her arm, his thumb lightly stroking her through the material of her shirt. "Janine. Problem?"

She swore under her breath and faced him, arms hanging her sides. "Seifer, you'd drop my ass if there was a problem, right?"

His eyebrow twitched. "Such as?"

"With you. Garden. The job. The whole damn nine yards."

"Who reported a problem?" he asked, calmness itself.

Janine pressed her lips together. "Later," she said sharply, snatching her stuff up from its chaotic tumble onto the floor before making her way to the exit of the cafeteria.

"Like hell." He grabbed her by the arm and roughly turned her to face him.

Janine held his gaze, but this time she couldn't hold the anger. There was such a turmoil inside that she actually felt sick.

"If there's a problem with my performance, Ahndra would let me know. She hasn't, so who's been talking to you?"

No. There wasn't a problem now, but what if the pushing and the thrill and the telling of secrets brought up a problem later. Seifer Almasy was all about his job. His duty. That was one of the sexiest things about him. Janine didn't want to screw with that.

She pulled her arm free. "Don't ask. We'll talk later." And she turned and strode away, pushing through the doors of the cafeteria to the side-hall beyond. Again she felt the reverb of Seifer's steps following. "Shit." She didn't know how much longer she could put him off.

He stepped in front of her, his face like granite. "You better report what the goddamned problem is, or you'll spend a night in lock-up."

Janine could only stare at the top button of his black-silk shirt.

"Damn it, Janine--" Seifer grabbed her arms and shook her, freeing her gaze to his face. "What the hell is the problem?"

And the odd look of desperation cracked her hold on the words. "Why does everyone think I'm going to screw with your job here?" She wrenched her arms from his grasp. "I'm SeeD, not some damn waif off the street who doesn't know her ass from her finger. Security check panned out. Psych test, fine. I'm in better physical condition than most of the higher ranked officers in the Network! So why are they coming after me just because I want to do the H.O.S.?"

"Because no one ever has." A statement, and just as cold and harsh as the Trabia landscape.

"What are you talking about?"

Seifer scoffed. "Janine, I'm an ass. An arrogant bastard who loves screwing with people's minds. You think women want to do me on a regular basis?"

Janine ignored the occasional darting glances from passersby. "So because I want to, that makes me a spy or something? It's about you, not your damn job! The minute I think there's a problem, I'll back off. I don't want to be responsible for you losing the only thing that's ever meant anything to you!"

Seifer blinked, shock pausing any immediate response. Then he leaned forward so fast she thought he might take her there in the hall. "The hell you will, Janine Larabie. If and when you back off, it's because you're tired of the chase. I can do my job--"

"But can you do it and me?" Seifer clenched his jaw. Janine pressed a finger into his chest. "You said yourself no one has tried to get in those pants of yours, and now Dincht's thinking there's something between us and Ahndra's asking about my 'pursuit'--It makes me think something's changed."

Seifer's jaw muscle twitched wildly.

Janine lowered her hand from his chest as she watched him. Then she let her arms go slack, almost freeing her papers and books to the ground for a countless time. "I know. Sure, the thrill I get is all you and not your job, but--but you said it. Garden is your life." Janine slightly shook her head. "I can't be responsible for making you lose that." She sighed deep. "Seifer . . . Babe, do you have any idea how much an ass I would feel if I made you lose your life here?"

Seifer's jaw worked. "There isn't a problem, Janine."

"Fine. There isn't a problem. All I know is that if your performance changes, I will feel a damned thrill-hungry bitch who couldn't pull her head out long enough to see what she was doing to the man--" He stalked off. Janine stared after him. When he turned into the main corridor, she slumped against the wall. "Bastard, Seifer," she whispered, "you weren't supposed to leave."

No. He was supposed to take her in his arms and say 'I can do my job and you, Larabie' and then kiss her as hard as he had ever done. That was the thrill she waited for. The rush she wanted. The rush of being 'enough' for a man like Seifer.

Janine pressed her lips together and straightened. There hadn't been any final good-byes, and she sure as hell wouldn't write him off. Seifer Almasy was hot, and a rush she never had before. She not only 'clicked' with him, she didn't know where he stopped and she started!

Sighing deep, Janine brought her papers and folders up and started forward again. _Just remember what I said, babe. I said 'if' there was a problem. I never said there was. If there isn't, then they can push all they want; I've got your back._

~*~

Seifer slammed the door to his dorm room, and the walls shook. Scrubbing at his scalp and neck until they stung, he paced in front of his bed. 'You'd drop my ass if there was a problem, right?' _Problem? What the hell is she talking about? Who reported a problem?_ Ahndra sure as hell hadn't talked to him about one. 'And now Dincht's thinking there's something between us and Ahndra's asking about my 'pursuit'--It makes me think something's changed.'

Seifer halted and fisted his hands so hard the knuckles popped. _There isn't a problem! Ahndra's probably pushing your buttons just to see what you'll do. She's like that! And Dincht?_ Seifer scoffed. _Who the hell knows what he thinks about anything!_

'Do you have any idea how much an ass I would feel if I made you lose your life here?'

"Damn it, Janine, there isn't a problem!" he hissed. He took a hard step toward his door--'The thrill I get is all you not your job, but--' Seifer halted. 'I can't be responsible for making you lose that.'

_I can do my job and you, damn it!_ Seifer clenched his jaw and turned sharply for the empty bed. Sure the job had been different since that day she'd spilled hot coffee on him. Sure he knew the thrill and the chase made it different. The damned expectation of the 'after work'. The craving of the next secret. _Shit!_

Seifer slumped onto his bed and fisted his hands in his hair. He did his job different. But was there a problem? He scrubbed hard at his scalp. "Fuck."
Chapter Nine

The Problem

"S-Sir?"

Seifer raised glaring eyes to Sally Regal as she hesitantly entered his office. "What," he asked sharply.

Sally twitched, wringing her hands after she saluted. "Sir, do y-you remember that report I gave you this morning about that arms raid o-outside Esthar?"

"What about it?"

Sally twitched again as she stepped a little closer. "I . . . I needed to have it back."

Seifer moved his glare to his watch and swore. He searched his desk and pulled it out from under a pile of transcripts. "I'll bring it out in five," he snapped.

Sally twitched yet again. "Y-Yes, sir."

She scurried out and closed the door behind her. Seifer scrubbed hard at his scalp as he wrestled with his focus.

~*~

The door to Seifer's office opened. He lifted his glare from a collection of transcripts. Squall entered, scratching at his head as he read a report with a twisted expression of concentration. Seifer tossed down his pen and crossed his arms. He wasn't getting a damned thing done.

"Seifer, this graph doesn't go with this report." Squall pulled it apart and then offered it forward to him. "And I have a question about a section here."

Seifer grabbed the graph, examined it--He swore and searched the transcripts the graph belonged to.

Squall watched him with a slight raised eyebrow. "Actually, forget it. I'll just make corrections and have Sally re-work it." Squall left the office.

Seifer glared at the closed door and began softly cursing under his breath.

"Yo, Seif--"

Seifer slammed down his pen and lifted a glare to Zell. He stood in the doorway, leaning slightly back with an expression of surprise on his face. "Dincht, what the hell do you want?" His was the third interruption in five minutes that morning, and Seifer had barely been able to organize his 'to-do' piles.

Zell hesitated before stepping into the office and closing the door behind him. He stepped forward while saying "Dude, what happened?"

Seifer clenched his jaw. _What happened? Some son of a bitch is screwing with my thrills!_ "Dincht, you either have business here or get your ass back above."

Zell dropped a report on Seifer's desk. "I came down to give you this. Something I found when I was surfing the Net for research on a move Sally and I--"

"Dincht."

Zell regarded Seifer a second before leaning his palms against the desktop. "Seifer, what the hell's wrong? Did Quis' cover get blown? Did Zack leak something without okaying it through you?"

Seifer clenched his jaw.

Zell's eyes widened slightly. "Dude. Was it what I said to Jani--"

He stood, his chair bucking against the carpet. "Get out."

Zell slowly straightened. "Sure, Seifer. My bad." The scrapper made his way to the office door, where he turned again before opening it. "I didn't mean to--"

"Dincht," Seifer lowered his gaze to his report-littered desk. He sat back down in his chair. "Get out."

"Yeah. Okay. Sure." He opened and closed the door behind him.

Seifer glared down at the reports and transcripts and requests, his expression hardening with each passing moment. 'You'd drop my ass if there was a problem, right?' Seifer swore and sat heavily back in his chair. The problem was the addiction to having her push for a secret. The problem was wanting another button to push. The problem was smelling her musk when she wasn't there. The problem was he wasn't done with the thrill--Seifer pushed it away and leaned forward again, pulling some reports roughly toward him while wrestling with his focus as he scrubbed roughly at his scalp.

~*~

Seifer's computer chirped. He tightly clenched his jaw as he glared at the monitor and the 'Accept Message?' screen that flashed at him. He fisted a hand and then roughly pounded the enter button. A secure web cam window opened on the screen, showing Marshal's face. "What," Seifer asked in a dangerously calm voice.

Marshal raised an eyebrow. "Well," he started slowly, "you sent me a report meant for the security chief in Deling" Seifer ran a hand hard and slow through his hair "and I just wanted to let you know. I destroyed it," Seifer lowered his hand and fisted both as he glowered at his desktop "so you don't have to worry about it getting seen--Seif, what the hell is wrong with you?"

Seifer slowly focused a glare on Marshal's face in the web cam window. "I'm not feeling well," he said slowly, firmly controlled.

"Damn. I can see that." Marshal leaned forward in his chair. "I really think you better take a break."

He nearly grabbed a fistful of hair at the thought of the possibility. "No time."

"Make the time. You do any more screw-ups like this and I know Ahndra's going to be in there busting your ass. I can only cover you so many times."

Seifer clenched his jaw until it ached. "It's fine."

"Like hell. You've never made mistakes before today."

_Then who the hell is telling Janine there's a problem!_ "Get back to work," Seifer grumbled as he punched the 'Terminate' button. The window and Marshal's face disappeared. Seifer rubbed at his forehead for a long time before dragging his focus back to reports and transcripts--"Hell." Seifer strode to his office door just as it opened. The musk hit him full force in the face, making his chest tighten. He clenched his jaw. "Larabie."

Janine's brown eyes weren't angry, much to Seifer's shock, but he saw something else. Something that she probably saw in his eyes.

She absently pushed and teased at her spiked black hair as she motioned into his office with her other hand. "Can I have a second?"

Seifer's hands clenched the doorknob a moment before he released it and motioned inside. She passed, sending him another sidelong glance as her movement left a trail of musk bidding him to follow. He did--after shutting the door and making sure the blinds were closed. Seifer approached his desk as she sat in the chair across from it. He remained standing, leaning back against his desk with his arms tightly crossed. It was the only way to prevent a reach for that musk kissed, silky softness. 'Can you do it and me?' He'd like to try the thrill of finding out.

Janine shook her head. When she looked up, her brown eyes were nearly black. "It's not working."

"No. It isn't."

"I've screwed two classes."

"No comment."

Janine smirked, a damned sexy sight after laying awake in a cold bed--Seifer lowered his gaze and adjusted his crossed arms.

"So what do we do, big guy? Didn't sleep a wink last night for wondering what secret you'd give up next." Janine scoffed. "And forget about focusing in class. Tried all day yesterday and most of today and it just... The entire day went tits-up the minute I didn't see your tight ass in the elevator this morning."

Seifer continued to breath deep of her musk as his body seemed to absorb the warmth of her closeness and intensity.

"Seifer." He looked up to meet her wide brown gaze. "I didn't tell you about the supposed problem to make you walk out. I just wanted to make sure there wasn't one. The last thing I want to do is screw up your job here but, damn it, after yesterday and today I keep thinking that might happen whether I'm in your life or out of it." She tightly crossed her arms as she leaned back in the chair, her knees touching his as her body slid slightly forward. "So what the hell do we do?"

Seifer leaned down, firmly gripping each arm of the chair as he held her gaze. "Next time, Larabie, I'll tell you when and if there's a problem. Security is my issue, not yours. You teach your classes and give your exams. I keep everyone's ass safe and yours in my bed."

A slow and sultry smirk spread across Janine's face and twinkled in her brown eyes. "And next time someone gets in my face about your job performance?"

"Send them to me. It's not your issue."

Janine sat up to drape those tone arms around his neck. "Like hell. It's as much my issue as yours. I started this thrill chase."

Her breath and the musk and her warmth--"Damn," and his mouth very slowly met and moved with hers.

tap-tap-tap

Seifer groaned same as she as their mouths parted. He swallowed hard, fighting back the desire as the deep rise and fall of her chest pressed against his. "Dismissed, Larabie," he said gruffly. "I will let you know when this thrill chase is done. Understood?"

Janine nibbled at his mouth. "Yes, sir." She freed her arms from his neck, lifting one hand to lightly rub and scratch at his scalp. "Damn, I missed that mouth."

tap-tap-tap "Sir." It was Ahndra.

"Second," he called. Seifer caressed Janine's mouth again with his before straightening and drawing her to her feet. "We'll take this up a later date."

Janine smirked, running her hands down his chest to curl those fingers around his belt. She purred "bring it." Then she turned and made for the door, her hips nearly persuading him to follow.

"You're on." Then he leaned back against the desk, chuckling as Janine opened the door and greeted Ahndra with a wise-ass remark about performance being just fine. He released a deep breath, and the tension flowed out like a river of fire. _Damn._

Ahndra stepped inside. "Sir, we need to talk."

Seifer motioned for her to close the door. "Yes. We do."

She proceeded inside, standing across from him at-ease after giving him a somewhat questionable salute. He held her gaze, arms tightly crossed as he silently waited for her to begin. _Ahndra, I swear, if you're the ass who messed with Janine, you will be lucky to leave in one piece._

"You know why I'm here," she said simply.

"Enlighten me," If Janine and he hadn't resolved issues, he probably wouldn't have been so calm.

"There seems to be a dispute with your focus and performance," she said. "Multiple mistakes have been reported. Mistakes that are inappropriate and uncharacteristic."

"And why do you think that is?"

"Janine Larabie."

He continued to hold her stare, giving her nothing by way of reaction or intonation. Seifer knew it annoyed the hell out of her. "How so?"

"There was a reported disturbance in the cafeteria yesterday during the lunch hour. You and Janine Larabie were reported as having an intense debate. Soon thereafter, performances were seen to decline."

"And do you know what the 'intense debate' was regarding?"

"Subject matter is irrelevant. The discussion and its effects have rebounded into your performance. It isn't acceptable."

"No. You're right. It isn't." Ahndra's eyebrow slightly twitched upward. "Janine was jealous of you."

The eyebrow twitched higher. "Pardon?"

"The 'intense debate'. Janine was giving in to a moment's jealousy because you were warning her to 'tread carefully'. She wanted to do so all over your ass, due to the fact you were getting in her face about our business. I told her to back off from you, hence the 'jealous moment'." Seifer adjusted his crossed arms, completely enjoying Ahndra's non-plussed expression. "Janine doesn't like being told what to do, especially by those who do not rank her, and certainly not when she suspects there might be something going on. I'll be sure to tell her we are friends and friends only."

Ahndra could be visually seen to file the information away. "Her jealousy is a perfect example--"

"I haven't finished." The eyebrow raised again, but Seifer ignored it. "Did you tell Janine that it was your responsibility to inform me and Commander Squall of any change in job performance?"

"Of course."

"Why?"

"So that she would realize there was a consequence to her pursuit."

"Her 'pursuit' is none of your damned business as my second-in-command, Ahndra. Your responsibility is to support me as Head of Security. Your responsibility is to report my actions and responses to Commander Squall as an adjunct to my own reports. Your responsibility, after hours, is to be my friend while minding your own damned business."

And Seifer could feel his temper spark.

He grabbed it with a firm hold. "The minute you went to her with that warning, she backed off from me. Why? Because she knows how god-damned important my role with Garden is. She understands that if anything jeopardizes it, she must back off. She's fine with that. But you hinting at a problem that wasn't there caused hell and jeopardized my job. You screwed up, Ahndra."

Ahndra clenched her jaw and lowered her gaze from his.

"If you think there's a problem, you come to me. Because if you ever go behind my back again . . . ." He let the words settle. "Dismissed."

Ahndra saluted and then about-faced to stride from the office. She slammed the door closed. Seifer released a quick and deep breath and scrubbed at his scalp. A corner of the mess of his desk caught his gaze. He swore.
Chapter Ten

A Control Issue

Janine stared down at the brief note, pushing her lips to one side as she read it a third and fourth time. _Oh hell._ She released a quick breath and stood, making her way from her dorm-room and the stacks of exams she'd taken from her classroom that afternoon to head toward the security section. Sally was nowhere to be seen, and there were very few people at their desks. When Janine looked to her wrist-watch, she vaguely noted it to be nearing eleven in the evening before frowning again at the note and the request. _Shit._ She knocked on the opened door, drawing Seifer's gaze from his perusal of a rather thick folder.

Seifer's eyebrow twitched, and he closed the folder and set it aside. "Larabie."

"Sir." She cleared her throat and lowered herself into the chair across from his desk before offering forward the note.

He took it with a cautious motion. "Problem?"

She made a face. "No threats or dumb-ass shit like that. It's a note from Danny." She gave a lopsided smirk. "He's basically asking me to come for a visit. It's Raymond's birthday. Ray being Danny's new dad," she offered.

Seifer lowered his focus to the note, his face twisting into a look of near-disgust. "This? It looks as if someone rammed a crayon up their ass and sat down."

Janine laughed. "Yeah, well, he hasn't quite gotten the hang of the whole grasp-on-a-pencil yet. He's still working on it."

Tossing the note aside, Seifer then leaned back into the chair. He crossed his arms. "You're still on probation with us, Larabie. I can't authorize your exit from Garden without a security escort."

"I know. That's why I'm coming to ask you to go with." When Seifer's eyebrow rose once more, Janine nodded. "Tell me about it, but there's no way in hell I'm taking anyone else. Danny's hard-to-please when it comes to friends. But I figure he'll be so used to me that he'll take to you like a fart to flame."

"People don't take to me, Larabie." He sat forward again, retrieving the folder he had perused before. "Take Regal."

"I don't want to take Regal, Seifer." The comment drew his gaze, which she held. "Do you think it's easy for me to ask you to come and see my baby brother? Sure, I know Sal gal would love him to pieces, but--" Janine leaned forward. "Don't ask me why, Seif, but I want you to meet him and him to meet you. Hell. Maybe it's another rush. What if you don't like the little shit? What if he hates you and takes a knife to that damn sexy smirk of yours?"

Again, Seifer pushed away the folder and leaned back in the chair. "Larabie, why the hell would you want to drag my sick and twisted ass to meet your brother? You know how I like to push buttons."

Janine gave a one-shouldered shrug. "Like I said, I don't know. Call it a gut instinct."

Seifer didn't respond. Janine released a slow breath and stood, moving to stand beside Seifer's chair and wrap her arms around his shoulders and nibble his ear. "Come on, big guy. You know you want to get away. Miss Thang can handle the office, and Sal gal can take messages. Just for the day. It'll only take a few hours. I just need to show up for a meal and maybe a little television."

"Larabie." Seifer pushed away the report and turned to face her, green eyes harder than what she'd seen before. As was his expression. "What part of 'no' did you not understand?"

"I understood the 'n' and the 'o' just fine, sir, but it's the two together that are pissing me off." She moved to stand somewhat more in front of him. "I want you to go. You want to go, even though you won't admit it. So, quit being a prick about it and just come on. You'll have a blast."

"Being Head of Network Security has its perks and its shits. Deal with it." He motioned toward the door of his office as he focused again on the report. "Dismissed."

Again, the eyebrow twitched. Especially when her instinct kicked her in the gut and pinched at her brain the same time her temper tried to flare. "Fine." She strode somewhat stiffly to the door of his office and firmly closed it, almost immediately stripping out of her SeeD uniform jacket and tossing it onto the couch to the right of the door. Then she strode back to his desk and leaned her hands against it, noticing that he didn't look up. "Quit purposefully trying to piss me off, Almasy."

Seifer scoffed and sat back down, again retrieving the report.

Janine fought back her temper with a harder shove, swearing several new and not-so-new-words before once more leaning forward with her palms on the desk. "This is a secret as big as any other for me, Almasy. So if you're serious about this damn thrill-chase, then prove it. At one o'clock tomorrow, pick me up in front of Garden and take me to a little house just outside Deling city limits. Ray has a place there where he and his fam raise some kind of animal. He thought it would be good for Danny."

When Seifer didn't look up, Janine reached out and wrenched the folder from his grasp. He met her gaze, eyes narrowed.

"If you aren't there--" She clenched her jaw and then shook her head, straightening as she shoved the report back toward him. "Damn. This kind of pressure is nothing but bullshit. So forget that 'if you're serious' crack. It's a thrill chase. A button to push. Nothing more. If you aren't there, you aren't there. Don't sweat it."

Then she turned and stalked out, wishing she could believe the 'nothing more'.

~*~

Squall set aside the report from the scouts in the Centra region, looking up when the main elevator opened and Seifer stepped off. At the deep scowl on the Security Network Chief's face, Squall breathed deep with a brief thought of _Now what_ and then simply waited.

He came to stand across from Squall's desk, hands behind his back as he stood at ease. "A word, Commander."

Briefly frowning, Squall said "What," before focusing again on his desk and the next report in his priority folder.

"Larabie has requested personal time off. Permission to leave the security section under Ahndra's command and act as security escort?"

Squall blinked and then looked up. "Wouldn't it be better to assign Sally?"

Seifer momentarily clenched his jaw. "Order, sir?"

While Squall had a thought of one particular question to ask, instead, he lowered his gaze to the report and said "Permission granted. Sally can't handle Larabie."

"Yes, sir." Then he simply turned and walked out.

Squall very slightly smiled. No, Sally definitely couldn't handle Larabie. _Not like you can anyway, Almasy._ He liked the thought of someone pushing Seifer's buttons, and he didn't even care if they all pissed him off or not. Just as long as they got pushed.

~*~

Janine looked down at her watch. 12:55. _Get your ass in gear, Seifer._ And when she felt more than heard the heavy-booted step behind her, she smirked and turned to see the man approaching dressed in a light gray trench coat, black military-issue trousers, and a blue vest with a white cross that spanned the width and length of it. He also wore a thick ID tag on a choker-chain around his neck.

Arching an eyebrow, Janine crossed her arms. "My, my, my. You look good enough to eat in your rebel-wear from the good ole days."

Seifer didn't quip back. He only strode past and made his way to the car waiting off the side of the road.

She tapped her fingers against her upper arm a moment before following after, her door barely closing before he jammed the car in gear and peeled out. Janine decided against mentioning the obvious and just turned on the radio and tried to find a good station. Every once in a while Janine could have sworn that she heard his teeth grind, but she didn't comment, which surprised her. It was what she did. Instead, Janine released a deep breath and crossed her arms before moving her focus out the car window.

"Larabie, what the hell?" Seifer grumbled, almost indecipherable.

Smirking, she didn't look away from the passing scenery. "I don't know, big guy. I've never taken anyone but my friends to meet Danny. Selphie loves him to death. Jax tries to stop by whenever he can to play ball or whatever. Same with Dincht, believe it or not. But the pricks and bastards?" Janine's smile twitched. "Hell no. They just don't get Danny." She felt his sidelong glance but only continued to stare outside. "Maybe I've been wanting to push this button for a while," she admitted. But what button? What rush was she hoping for with this?

Seifer grumbled a bunch of things she couldn't make out, causing a chuckle as she finally focused on him. "Suck it up, Almasy." Then she leaned closer, reaching out to give his inner-thigh a pressure and stroke in just the right location to cause a twitch before he tensed. "I'll make it worth your time, big guy. On my honor as a SeeD."

To her surprise, he pushed her hand from his leg and remained silent.

Annoyance flashed in Janine's mind, but she only briefly clenched her jaw before sitting back and once more crossing her arms. "All right, so you're going to be a pissy old woman."

The entire trip was like that; the drive to Balamb, and then the train trip to Deling. Janine had to keep fighting back the temper-spikes at his continued silence, and as the train drew closer and closer to Deling City, Janine began to think she may have screwed up. _The jackass is going to have Danny in tears._ And she couldn't understand why Seifer would be acting this way at just going along to meet her brother.

At the station in Deling, Seifer barely waited for her to step down beside him before striding forward toward the car rental. Janine released an annoyed breath, frowning as she followed after him, her fists clenched while grumbling about dickheads who couldn't pull their head out and relax.

Danny would either like the guy and want to be around him 24/7, or he'd hate him and go hide in a corner. Either one wouldn't be a big deal. Seifer was an ass. He had people hating him every day of the week. Sure, this was a kind of surrogate family to her and Seifer had never had one of those outside Garden, but again, there wasn't any pressure to be 'liked' or to 'fit in'. And a guy like Seifer wouldn't care about things like that anyway. He had Garden. He had his job.

Janine halted, blinking as she watched Seifer's slightly rigid form continue to proceed down the sidewalk toward the car rental. _'Garden is my life.'_ In fact, Garden had become his family the same as it had become hers. No one else but Headmaster Cid and his wife had stepped forward to welcome him anyplace. And now to be taken to a family like Danny's? He had to be scared near shitless. She had been.

And Janine still remembered when she'd first been taken in. Certain that she'd wake up one day to have them gone, or that they would order her out of the house and onto the street, Janine had finally left first, so the choice to be alone would be hers and not left to someone else. But Seifer? Seifer Almasy never had that opportunity or choice.

Rubbing the back of her neck, Janine hissed "Damn stupid bitch," and then stepped forward.

Seifer had rented the car and now tucked his wallet into the pocket of his trousers as he strode toward the lot where it waited. Surprisingly, her 6' frame didn't make it any easier to catch up to him, so she had to wait until he stopped at the vehicle to unlock her side before she could stand next to him.

"Seifer--"

"Save it, Larabie," he warned in a low voice.

She reached out and smoothly separated the keys from his grasp, pushing him back from the car using a firm pressure on each of his shoulders. Seifer's expression went stony as his eyes narrowed. Janine lowered her arms to her sides. "You don't have family, do you?"

His jaw clenched. "Relevance?"

_Almasy, don't be an ass,_ was what she wanted to snap, but instead, she jerked in her attitude and said "You know as well as I do that makes all the difference in the world. I've always been able to be myself around Danny, and the fact that I know he'll love me no matter what fool thing I do makes me feel damn good. A safety, I guess. You not having something like that changes a helluva lot. Garden's been your safety. Am I right? Damn right I am. And you know what? I've been scared shitless myself in the face of something like this. Why else do you think I left after only a month with them? I wanted to be the one to abandon them."

Seifer fisted one hand. "Larabie, you don't know a damn thing."

"But now here you are," she continued, holding his gaze while ignoring the dangerous tint when his jaw muscle clenched, "getting ready to stride into a place where you can't control what they think of you. Here you're going to see the whole 'family' thing and know you're not really a part of it. That you never have been but with Garden, and you almost screwed that to hell--"

Never before had she seen eyes as dark and dangerously hard as when he so very slowly warned, "Larabie, I won't warn you again," in a voice as chilled as death.

"Remembering how you've been left to yourself all these damn years without one person giving a rat's ass whether you lived or died? Hell yeah I know what you're going through because I've been there myself since I can remember, but--" He shot out a hand and took a firm hold of her throat. Janine immediately reacted, her training not allowing anything else, and brought his hand from her throat to immediately catch him by the shirt and pull him closer. She held his gaze, his breath felt on her face. "Babe, some day you need to shove that hell in a box and put it aside. You don't, and you'll never be as good as you can be. I know. I've lived it."

Seifer clenched his jaw so violently Janine could have sworn she heard each and every action. But the look in his eyes behind the rage kept her attention from anything, for she'd seen that look only a few times before. And on men tougher than Seifer Almasy. In fact, she'd seen it in her own eyes more than she cared to admit.

Terror.

Janine slowly released her hold on his shirt and his hand that had gone for her throat. "Let it go. Spit in Fear's eye and just come along. Nobody's expecting anything but that. And I damn-well guarantee you'll see 'family' isn't as terrifying as you think it'll be. It's a pisser, hell yeah, and it makes you feel a whole helluva lot more than you'd like, but it's not bad to see what coulda been. Not one damn bit."

Seifer pushed away from her. He'd never done it before, and she'd expected it a lot sooner. And a helluvalot rougher. So, she let him push her back, immediately stepping forward while still holding his gaze and acknowledging the flash of a warning in his eyes with a slight nod and a whispered, "I know, big guy," before taking his face in her hands and giving him the kind of soft and slow kiss she had always scoffed at before.

Seifer didn't respond the first time, she knew he wouldn't, but when she pulled back slightly and then kissed him the same way again, the tautness of his lips softened and he almost grudgingly responded. Janine smirked and kissed him again, a lot more tongue and force this time as she continued to coax him out of the harshness and near-rage of before. But as in the car, he pushed her hands from his body and stepped back, his face still taut and his eyes dark as he glared down at her. It was completely unexpected. Being pushed back like that, forcefully distanced when she knew that he enjoyed it. It didn't make any sense, but Janine couldn't get pissed at it.

Something just wasn't right.

So instead, she took a moment to wipe the lipstick from his lips and mouth, purposefully not focusing on his expression. Especially not when he again pushed her touch away. _What the hell?_ Seifer roughly took the keys back from her, shoving her out of the way and then unlocking her door before striding around to his own.

Janine hissed, "Shit, Larabie," while getting into the mid-size car and vowing to think twice before pushing those buttons again.

~*~

When they pulled into the driveway of the one-story home with the attached garage, Seifer finally realized that he'd been clenching his jaw since leaving the car in Balamb to board the train. His jaw ached, his hands ached from so tightly clasping the steering wheel from the station to the house, his brain still wouldn't focus on anything, and Janine hadn't said a word since calling him on the whole thing in Deling City.

Damn it.

Seifer slammed the car into park--he hated automatic transmissions--and roughly opened the door. He heard Janine's door open and close, too, but he could only glare at the white picket fence, the blue shutters on each side of the windows, the porch swing, and the dog house on the left side of the large front yard.

Everything pissed him off.

Janine came to stand beside him, her silence as she stared at the house pissing him off even more. And when he made a move to step forward, she caught him firmly by the arm. It made him see red.

Moving his glare from the house to her brown eyes, he jerked his arm from her hold. "Larabie, if you touch me again . . ." and let the threat speak for itself.

But she didn't comment on the threat. Didn't take the bait or the challenge like he wanted her to. There was no spike of temper in her eyes. No irritation in the tightness of her lips. She only looked up at him and said, "Here are the things to know when meeting Danny, One: He doesn't talk much, doctors call him 'non-verbal', but he knows enough words to get the idea across of what he wants. He mostly points and makes noise. Or physically drags you there. Ray says Danny's gotten worse at doing that instead of trying to 'use his words', as their popular saying goes.

"Two: He loves shiny things, so he'll probably want to touch and hold that ID chain around your neck. He'll obsess about it. Three: Danny has a bad habit of farting and belching in order to get attention." Janine chuckled. "He's a guy, fifteen, so I guess it's not that different from every other guy. It's still damn twisted, though, the way he laughs at it. Fourth and final: If he likes you, he'll be like a wart on your ass. If he's not too thrilled, he'll hide in his corner and just glower at you while giving you raspberries or the finger. He did that to Dincht one time. Then the sick bastard farted and Danny was all giggles. Funniest damn thing I ever saw."

Seifer scoffed and once more stepped forward, Janine's firm touch again felt on his arm.

"You don't have to go in, Seifer," she said simply. "The little shit is my brother, not yours."

Seifer didn't mean to twitch, but it came, heightening the glower aimed down at her. "Like hell, Larabie. You're on probation."

"Yeah, yeah. We all know how dangerous I am. I've got a warhead in the garage that I plan to use on that monstrosity of a Garden to the south."

The smirk was fought back by a deeper frown. "That type of humor isn't wanted."

She didn't scoff or call him a prick or jackass. She only smirked and crossed her arms as she focused ahead. "I thought it was pretty damn funny." Then Janine shrugged. "Okay. Fine. Be a pisser, but keep the button pushing to low-normal. If I think you're doing it just to piss me off, I'll pull your ass out--sir," she added with a sidelong glance his direction.

Before Seifer could respond, there sounded the slamming open of a door and then a squeal of "Janey!" Dread jammed Seifer in the chest, as powerful as when he had gone to accept the position of Chief of Security for Balamb Garden from Squall. That pissed him off. Seifer Almasy didn't dread anything--He shoved it aside and turned to watch the somewhat short kid run down the flower-bordered walk from the house.

But the black-haired and scrawny 'Danny Larabie' had only gone about four steps when he halted, tilted his head, and then pointed to Seifer and said "Chicken-wuss," as clear as day.

Seifer glowered and looked sharply to Janine when she howled out a laugh. "You're shitting me."

Janine could only shake her head, covering her mouth with one hand as the other held her stomach. She doubled over with laughter, causing a scoff from Seifer as he focused once more on the approaching kid. Danny was grinning and, for all intents and purposes, seemed excited to not only see Janine, but Seifer, too.

That pissed him off.

"Watch your mouth, kid," he said harshly, pulling his arm clear of the firm punch from Janine.

It seemed to Seifer that Danny tried to do just that, going slightly cross-eyed and causing a twitch of eyebrow before Seifer could restrain it. Then Danny again focused on Seifer with those same bright and disgustingly happy hazel-brown eyes and informed, "Nose."

Seifer scoffed and looked away, again dodging a punch from Janine.

"Hey, Danny," Janine greeted, sending Seifer a murderous glare. "Give me some sweetness." Danny gave her a kiss and then licked her face, causing an "Ew, you little shit!" from Janine and another barely hidden cringe from Seifer as he clenched his already sore jaw.

Finally, revenge taken, Janine pointed to Seifer as she straightened, still holding Danny's hand. "This jackass over here is my boss, Danny, so you've got to be nice to him. Don't call him chicken-wuss. He hates that. Call him 'hoss', or 'sir'."

Danny nodded, and Seifer focused on him in time to catch his admirable salute and greeting of "sih."

Briefly clenching his hands into fists, Seifer gave a curt nod and a brusque, "Larabie."

Which Danny apparently found extremely awe-inspiring, for his eyes grew twice their size and his mouth dropped slightly open.

"Uh-oh. Here we go," Janine mumbled moments before Seifer found himself forcefully grabbed by the hand and dragged toward the house. The last thing he heard before the front door swung closed behind him was Janine laughing.

The initial shock vanished and temper sparked just as a man in his forties halted Danny's progress forward into the living room with a laugh and a "Whoa there, Dan. Hold up," and his hands gripping the boys shoulders. The man met Seifer's carefully guarded hostility with an easy smile that reminded him of Headmaster Cid. "Welcome. I'm Ray, Dan's father." He presented a hand. "You are. . . ?"

Pulling his hand from Dan's firm grasp, Seifer accepted the man's grip, jaw clenched. "SLC Almasy. Head of Garden Network Security," he finished as he heard Janine shut the door behind her entrance. At his title, she sounded a quiet scoff and mumbled, "Arrogant s.o.b."

Seifer's jaw twitched, and his brow temporarily furrowed before he forced it away.

"Ah. You must be stationed at Balamb Garden with Janine." He released Seifer's grip and motioned farther inside the house. "Come in, come in. Amy is working on dinner, so she'll be out in a few minutes. Coffee?"

Janine smirked as she came to stand beside Seifer. "You betcha."

Ray nodded, offering Janine a smile and only a grip of hand to shoulder. "I'm glad you could visit, Janine. Peter, unfortunately, couldn't make it."

Looking away, Janine shrugged and crossed her arms. "Oh well. His loss."

Ray chuckled and then again motioned into the large living room. "Make yourself at home. I'll be right back with the coffee."

And he exited the room to the left and what was likely a large kitchen, with an island counter, white-washed cupboards, oak counter-tops, and myriad of other images Seifer had seen from images and home-videos viewed for security purposes. Burning into his mind a collection of images he would--Seifer swore as he pushed it away, striding farther into the room and almost throwing himself into the far right of the large, leather couch.

Danny followed and sat close beside him, grinning up at him and pointing at the television with a somewhat recognizable request of "game."

Seifer tightly crossed his arms, fisting his hands as he glowered at the television.

Janine stepped forward. "Not right now, Danny boy," she said, drawing his focus. "Mr. Hoss is only here to make sure I stay out of trouble. In other words: He's working." She sat down beside her brother and shoved him out of the couch, even against his resistance and planting of feet while his hands clutched the cushions. "Go help with the coffee, monster boy. Mr. Hoss likes it black. Shoo."

Danny frowned and pouted, but he stomped out of the room just the same. Janine watched him go before focusing on Seifer. His jaw ached to the point of needing to pop a pill.

"You really hate this shit, don't you?"

Seifer remained silent.

"So why'd you ask Squall for permission to leave? You could have assigned someone else. Like Regal, or Miss Thang, or one of the other dozens of SeeD in the security office."

Glower deepening, Seifer kept his mind silent even as he said, "Considering your reputation," he met her gaze, "no other was suitable."

"Bullshit, but whatever." She shifted her position to lay her head in his lap and stare up at him as she kicked her feet up onto the couch's arm. "Don't sweat Ray and Amy. If they can put up with me for all this time, they'll see you as nothing new. And they never expect anything but me from me. No angels or saints or shit like that. Jus--"

Seifer pushed her off his lap and sharply stood. "Larabie, if I wanted some damned lecture, I would check into the house doctor at Balamb." He sharply pointed at her, noticing her arched eyebrow. "I'm here to keep your ass out of trouble, so shut the hell up and let me do my job."

She raised her hands. "Fine, fine. My bad." Then she stood and headed toward the kitchen. "Come on and get your own damned coffee then."

Seifer glowered after her, fists clenched at his sides as he kept his eyes away from the pictures of family. Each one added another stone to his stomach, another knot to the rigid muscles of his lower-back and shoulders, another burning to the back of his brain. He shifted his focus to the five images over the mantelpiece and tightened his fists, glaring hard at the laughing faces before harshly swearing and striding outside to slam the door behind him.

~*~

Janine heard the slam and couldn't help the slight twitch, especially when Ray lifted his gaze from the coffee mug for Seifer and looked toward the living room. When he focused on her, she lowered her gaze to the mug in her hand. "He'll be back." _He's got to focus is all._ And shoving twenty years of things into a box wasn't all that easy to do, and definitely not when having to be around a family like this one. Happiness was hard to swallow when a person hadn't had anything but harshness and hell. She softly cleared her throat and sipped her coffee. _Don't I know it?_

Danny tugged on her sleeve, drawing her focus. "Sih gone?"

Smirking, Janine shook her head. "Nah. Had to put something away. Give him a second."

Amy sent Janine a sidelong glance, her green eyes thoughtful. Janine didn't meet it, though. She had learned a long time ago to not do that. Amy could read a lot of things just by looking someone in the face and eyes. Ray could, too. It scared Janine shitless at times.

"Janine, why don't you and Dan set the table," Ray said, sending another glance toward the living room.

"Sure thing."

The table was set and the meal just being placed onto serving trays when the front door was heard to open and close, Seifer's heavy steps approaching the kitchen/dining room a few seconds later. He was completely and totally under control when he entered, expression guarded and form a little stiff. Janine looked away, helping Danny with the ice and water to make sure he didn't spill.

Ray introduced his wife, and Amy greeted Seifer with more reserve than what was usual for her, which Janine classified as a good thing considering Seifer's attitude. Even the woman's smile was slight as she gripped Seifer's hand and then invited him to the table. Danny very quickly made sure Seifer sat beside him, and he didn't argue. He simply sat and rested a fisted hand on each side of his plate.

Janine sat across from him but kept her eyes carefully away from his.

At first, the meal was very silent, with only Danny humming during bites, as was his custom when enjoying himself. Janine had to keep herself from clearing her throat nearly a dozen times. She had never been one to enjoy silence, and this was the worst. After the meal and over coffee, Ray started a conversation that had Janine completely shocked for only the second time in her life.

"I was reading an exposé article by Zackary Regal the other day which had me intrigued. It was regarding those black-market missiles stolen from the Galbadia and Trabia Gardens and hidden by a Purist resistance faction in Winhill. Quite an interesting read, but I'm not sure what to believe and what to file as sensationalism."

Seifer actually smirked. "Sensationalism pisses Regal off."

"That's good to know, I suppose. But then again, that means everything happened as written, and that's rather disturbing. Which, of course, is an understatement."

Seifer's smirk twitched, and Janine arched an eyebrow.

"I was relieved that the situation was handled so quickly and quietly, and with so few casualties." Ray cast Seifer a nod. "You've quite a well-trained staff, sir."

"Damn straight," was all Seifer said.

"I suppose you're unable to answer, security reasons I understand, but this situation has me wondering just how much of the Purist faction was dealt with and whether or not they're ingrained somewhere that hasn't been noticed yet. Radicals have a tendency of being like lice on a dog: very hard to get out once they've settled themselves. And there's usually always one or two left behind to start the issue all over again."

Seifer sounded a slight scoff. "Pain in my ass."

Ray chuckled. "Yes, I imagine it is. Don't they know you have better things to do than deal with their fanatical ideals?"

"Their heads are too far up to know anything."

"You've got me there," Ray said, nodding. "And it's always the fanatics that seem to know just who to approach to back them, and what to bother in order to cause the most damage."

"If there was a program to track idiocy, I wouldn't have another damn problem," he observed.

Laughing, Ray nearly choked on his coffee. "Unfortunately, that would reveal a lot you'd rather not know about those you employ."

Seifer barked out a laugh, causing Janine to blink in surprise as she watched him enjoy himself. _I'll be damned._ But it was bound to happen sooner or later. And just to push a button, she sent him a smirk while moving her foot to rest on the chair-seat between his legs and give his inner-thigh a rub. _Told you so,_ she thought when he briefly met her glance.

She so loved being right.

~*~

As Janine figured, Danny was attached to Seifer's hip, so to speak. After eats and coffee, and while Janine and Ray and Amy caught up, Danny took Seifer to his room where he pointed out all his Garden paraphernalia--which included news articles, pictures, t-shirts, and action-figures. Soon after, Seifer was taken outside and shown the dog, a puppy Labrador that Danny had named Lack--who knew why?--and the black and white horse serving as part of Danny's therapy to teach a bunch of things Janine didn't get how a horse could teach.

Danny and Seifer were outside for a long time, to her surprise, and when they finally returned, he ordered, "It's time to go, Larabie," with his usual brusqueness and guarded expression. Ray and Amy both thanked him for coming but didn't make a big deal. They just gripped his hand and then wished the two a safe and fast trip. Which caused another twitch of Janine's eyebrow. She remembered them as physically affectionate to a fault.

Never good with "good-bye"s, Danny was near tears and wouldn't let go of Seifer--whom he had very firmly embraced with eyes tightly closed. Seifer obviously had no idea what to do, for he stood there with lifted eyebrows as he held his hands away from the distraught fifteen-year-old. If Janine hadn't been busy trying to help Ray and Amy persuade Danny to let go, she would have laughed her head off.

In the end, it was Seifer who succeeded. "Attention, Larabie," he ordered brusquely, but not as harsh as Janine had heard him in the past.

Danny hiccupped as he stepped back and stood at attention, holding a much-improved salute as he blinked away his tears.

Seifer clasped his hands behind his back, looking every inch the superior hardass. Janine crossed her arms and smirked. _He's drinking this up._

"Security detail, Larabie," Seifer commanded. "Understood?"

"Sih, yuhs, sih," Danny acknowledged, voice teary and somewhat choked.

Janine hadn't seen a cuter scene in all her memory, and those involved in the whole thing surprised the hell out of her.

Curtly nodding, Seifer returned the salute and then about-faced and strode to the car, muttering "Shut the hell up," as he caught her smirk.

After she said her own 'farewell's, getting yet another lick from Danny, she waved a final good-bye and then closed the car door, crossing her arms and simply staring out the window as Seifer put the car in gear and headed toward Deling City. To be honest, she didn't know how to react to what she'd seen, Seifer interacting with her brother and a one-time family. It made her feel funny to think back on it, and she wasn't so sure the 'funny' was a bad thing.

It was simply different.

In fact, she had been trying to categorize the 'different' for a while when she realized that Seifer had taken a wrong turn on the way to the car-rental. She blinked, her eyebrow twitching as she examined her surroundings and saw they traveled through a not-so-wonderful part of Deling. They had entered a slum, for lack of a better word, home to hookers, pimps, dealers, and a collection of other dark characters. When she sent Seifer a hidden, sidelong glance, she noticed his grip on the steering wheel and decided against comment.

Not so very many minutes later, Seifer pulled off to the side of the road in a somewhat cleaner section of the slum and turned off the engine. Then he rolled down the window and rested his arm against the door, his other hand gripping the gear-shift as he stared out and across the street. Janine looked from his guarded and slightly stony expression to the streetwalkers and dealers a collection of yards away, wondering if there had been a security breach while he had been outside with Danny and no one else was close enough in the vicinity to deal with it.

When a tall red-head exited from the brick building on the right, Seifer pointed. "There."

Janine focused on the woman with the painted face dressed in black lace and red satin, spiked-heels, and her own skin, watching as she walked to the corner of the street and lit a cigarette.

"Sadie. Two months, once or twice a week. We'd meet there." He pointed to the brick building, third floor. "Room 306. Midnight." Seifer lowered his hand as he continued to watch the woman and the memories that apparently lived on that corner. "A way to let off steam, at first. Get my mind to let go of things. Then it started being something more. Started controlling me. I never came back."

After several silent moments, Seifer turned and met Janine's gaze, expression still somewhat blank and yet stony. "It was the same way with alcohol. I was never a drunk. Never had a problem with it and my job. I only drank to relieve stress, and that after hours. To let go and sleep. But then it began to have too much time in my head. So, I stopped. I have the control. Nothing else. No one else."

He held Janine's gaze for another moment before looking ahead and starting the car, putting it back into gear and then driving away. Janine kept examining his profile, remembering the pushes away. The shows of control. She focused out her window, not saying a word. She only reached over and rested her hand on the back of his neck while doing something she never thought she would do, softly and lightly stroking the skin.

The simple act felt funny, different, and damn good.
Chapter Eleven

The Last Secret

Janine released a deep breath as she ran the oiled cloth down the blade of her weapon, staring down at it with an almost regretful half-smile. The crafting of this weapon, her gunblade 'Vengeance', had been the only duty that kept her sane after Jennifer's death. Each minute and hour that had gone into its planning and design had been a very deliberate involvement, and she had done her best to pour every thought and feeling of despair, sorrow, and rage into the shining blade and the etching of fire.

"One day, girl. One day you'll get your baptism of blood." It was a promise she had been whispering to the weapon for three long years. Ever since--

"Hello, Janine."

Looking up, Janine's hand paused the working of the cloth as she offered Cmdr. Squall Leonhart a smirk and a nod. "Commander. I'm afraid I only left you a grat here and there. All the T-Rexaurs are afraid to come out. Believe me. I tried everything."

Cmdr. Squall only returned a very small smile, and she'd come to notice that while her initial impression of the Garden Network Commander had been 'moodiness', she hadn't seen him display any extreme emotion. That made her begin to wonder if he was a bit more jaded than she had given him credit for. Unfortunately, because of security, the history on Cmdr. Squall was pretty choppy.

He came to stand opposite of where she sat upon the large rock in the outer section of the Training Center. "It doesn't matter," he said simply. "They usually come out when I go in."

Janine perked up. "The hell ya say!" Then she motioned to the great metal doors on the right. "Mind if I go with ya? I'm itching for a fight, and the grat's die if I sneeze."

This time Cmdr. Squall's smile looked a bit fuller. "Sure. Whatever."

And she bit back the smart-ass quip of being a 'charmer and a ladies-man'. Instead, she stood and walked beside him into the T.C.

As noticed before, he was a tall and lanky kid. _Well, maybe not a kid_ , but he certainly didn't seem nearly 21. Janine smirked. She herself was about to turn 23, and sometimes it rubbed her the wrong way that a squirt like Cmdr. Squall Leonhart should be commander of the entire Garden Network while she was only an Instructor of Battle Theory, with the occasional lecture on weapon-smithing. Of course, he had been part of Garden since the age of seven.

She sent him a sidelong smirk and raised eyebrow, which he seemed to ignore as he freed his latest creation from the scabbard at his waist, the sun glinting off the shimmering light-blue adamantine of the blade. As before, she noticed the scar on his face, remembering again the rumor that his was given by Seifer--and vice-versa--during a sparring session before both had taken their Field Exam. And after watching Cmdr. Squall fight in the T.C. the week before, Janine could tell he was just as good as Seifer. Only, there was something a lot different in their style of attack. Something Janine hadn't been able to pin down yet.

Her smirk twitched, and her eye wandered down, observing the athletic build and confidence in his step. She withheld the urge to give his butt a smack. _Nice._ Though it likely wasn't as tight as Seifer's. And she'd heard rumors that the Commander didn't . . . fraternize with fellow SeeDs. _Too bad._ She was curious, more than anything. Though she doubted anyone or anything could surpass the rush she got from Seifer.

Giving a slight shiver, she focused ahead. _Damn._ Yeah. Definitely.

"Janine."

Janine met the commander's gaze, her smirk present even though she felt a hint of surprise at the somewhat serious expression in his pretty blue-gray eyes. "Sir?"

He seemed to debate with himself rather harshly before giving a slight shake of his head and looking away again. "Never mind."

That arched an eyebrow and made her watch him a little deeper than a moment before. "Problem, sir?" she prompted. "If someone's complaining I'm working them too damn hard, I'd like to know so that I can tell them to pull their head out of their ass."

The desired affect of a smile came, followed by a barely heard chuckle as he once more focused on her. "They're complaining, but I tell them to take it to Headmaster Cid. If you haven't heard from him, then don't change what you're doing."

Janine saluted. "Yes, sir."

Then Cmdr. Squall's smile faded again, back to the serious expression. This time he halted and fully faced her. "Janine."

Halting, she crossed her arms, doing her best not to look a smart-ass. _Here we go again._ "Sir?"

"I noticed it's been a year since your last visit with the psychologist."

Janine nearly grimaced. "So?"

"Make an appointment."

Her temper rustled as she adjusted her crossed arms, still holding his still-serious blue-gray eyes. "Is that an order, sir?"

"It's a suggestion. A strong one. If you won't without an order, then I'll make it an order." He paused, and the intensity on his face didn't lessen, giving Janine a slight glimpse into why he was Garden Network Commander. "Don't make me make it an order," he told her, voice as calm as before.

Momentarily clenching her jaw, she curtly nodded and then motioned deeper inside the T.C. "Now I really need to beat shit up. Sir."

The intensity in his expression lessened somewhat. "Give them a second," he told her as he faced forward, looking into the deeper greenery. "Sometimes they try and sneak up on me."

The thought sounded so ludicrous that Janine couldn't help but laugh.

~*~

Seifer continued to smirk as he sipped from his coffee mug on the way up to Squall's office. _Damn._ A week. An entire Hyne's holy-awesome week of sharing secrets and strokes and secret rendezvous at the 'Forbidden Area' in the Training Center, pushing the thrill to the very edge and then backing off. And each time was a rush because she always did something different--slow-dancing to music being his favorite--making Seifer begin to wonder if she had worked as a stripper before enrolling at Garden.

His control and her patience both amazed the hell out of him.

The thrill of confessions had fallen to the wayside, sacrificed to the one of keeping their fling a secret. Occasionally Janine would reminisce about candidate mishaps she'd had, but that was usually only to try and one-up him. Seifer's lips twitched higher. She always let him win.

Most of the time now they argued about Garden politics, Seifer's newly acquired policy of 'tread cautiously but carry a big god-dammed gunblade' catching her totally by surprise. Janine, like everything else about her, leaned more toward the aggressive side. The discussions, heated debates, or very-vocal arguments--whatever the hell they really were--were damned fun, and the two usually found themselves laughing by the end because of some smart-ass quip the other launched right in the middle of the hottest part.

Seifer chuckled and stepped off the main elevator to move to the secondary. It came down, Squall aboard.

"Seifer," he greeted, "I was just coming down to security to talk to you."

He took another sip of coffee as he crossed his arm under his other. "Regarding?"

"Larabie. Did you ever get that sub-file on her from Trabia's chief of security?"

"No, and it's annoying the hell out of me. Contacting him today. Can I threaten?"

Squall's lips twitched slightly as he gave a one-shoulder shrug. "Whatever." Then his expression grew serious. "You okay now?"

Seifer raised an eyebrow. "With what?"

"I noticed a few mistakes last week," Squall explained. "Not like you, only I didn't get a report from Ahndra. Is it handled?"

Seifer's smirk returned. "Completely."

Squall nodded. "Good. I don't have anything else. Just let me know about Larabie's sub-file. What you've reported so far is fine, but I'd like to have a complete record."

He curtly nodded. "I'll get on it."

Squall turned and boarded the secondary elevator again as Seifer about-faced and returned to the main. He pressed the button for the basement level and again sipped his coffee with a slight smirk and a chuckle. _If this is what Dincht and Marshal have every damn day_ . . . Seifer cursed himself for missing out this long.

The elevator opened and he stepped out. Sally was just sitting down at her computer with a handful of reports. "Regal."

She looked up as he approached her desk and timidly smiled. "Good morning, sir."

He nodded a reply and then asked "Any response on that record request sent to Trabia? It's been nearly two weeks."

Sally motioned over her shoulder, half-turning while pointing to his office. "It came while you were with the Commander, so I put it on your desk."

Seifer headed for his office. He securely closed the door before picking up the file and scanning it. He paled and slowly leaned against his desk. ". . .fuck."

~*~

"Oh you're kidding."

Janine shook her head. It amazed her some of the answers the candidates gave to explain basic Battle Theory. Some of them were quite ingenious. Others were downright strange.

Chuckling, Janine wrote out the explanation as to why the answer was wrong. "Try again, dear. And this time read the assigned chapter."

Her computer in the second-story classroom chirped, waking from stand-by to show 'Accept Message?' for a secure webcam window. Janine noted the I.D. and smiled. She hit return and Seifer's face appeared.

Janine lowered her pen. "Hey, babe," she greeted in her favorite 'come-hither' tone. "How's my favorite Head of Security?" The smirk and smart-ass quip didn't come. Janine's smile wavered, and when he didn't look up, she turned toward her computer. "Seifer? What's wrong?"

"Report to my office," he said in a guarded tone. "Immediately."

He didn't sound pissed. In fact, he didn't sound anything at all. "Sure, big guy," she acknowledged slowly. "I'll be there in five."

Seifer absently nodded, and his gaze still didn't meet hers. Then he terminated the connection and the monitor returned to the operating system screen. Janine tapped a rhythm on the table with her fingernails. She hadn't seen Seifer like this since day one. Janine slowly stood and headed out of the classroom and into the corridor to the main elevator. The week with Seifer had been incredible; nothing but a collection of arguments, thrills, sarcasm, and damned awesome nights of passion taken to the brink and then cut off. Janine had been around the bend quite a few times before, but Seifer was the first man she didn't mind waiting for.

Stepping aboard the elevator, Janine pressed the button for the basement level and then crossed her arms. There wasn't anything wrong with their relationship. The thrill burned just as bright. The chase had just taken on a different focus. One that Janine didn't know how to explain. But it was a rush.

The elevator stopped and opened. Janine stepped off and headed down the hall past Ahndra's office and toward Sally, who was positioned on the corner of the entry hall and the path leading to Seifer's office. Sally gave a shrug in answer to Janine's silent 'What's wrong?' Janine gave a slight nod and continued on. She tapped on the door and then opened it.

Seifer briefly looked up from a report before gesturing her inside. "Shut the door."

"Sure." Janine clicked the door shut and then stepped forward.

"Have a seat."

Janine lowered herself into the chair across from his desk while examining his face. He continued to focus on a folder on his desk. His expression looked . . . shaken. It almost frightened her. "So, what's going on?"

Seifer slowly closed the folder before lifting his eyes to meet her gaze. He leaned back in his chair. "It's been a wild week, Janine. We haven't given over deeper secrets."

And his expression wouldn't let Janine believe this was foreplay. "I didn't mind all that much," she said carefully, still watching his expression.

A single finger on Seifer's right hand began to tap a solid rhythm on the arm of his chair. "Give me a secret, Janine."

Janine crossed her legs as she leaned back a little in her chair. "Sure. How juicy you want it?"

He lowered his gaze to the folder on his desk. "Whatever," he said, and his voice was uncharacteristically tender.

"Sure." Janine cleared her throat and crossed her arms. "Um, let's see--I'm afraid of the water."

Seifer's lips twitched and he lifted his gaze to meet hers. "You? Afraid of something?"

Janine smirked, but his teasing still didn't ring right. "Yeah, well, don't expect me to admit to being afraid of anything else."

"Why water?"

Janine adjusted her crossed arms. "I nearly drowned a couple times when I was a kid. It was only in a couple inches, but it was enough to scare me shitless. Now I can barely stand the sight of water. I have to be drunk off my ass before I'll set foot in it."

Seifer's lips twitched upward again as his gaze lowered back to the folder. "It seems we're all talk."

Janine scoffed. "Hell. Everybody's afraid of something. It's just whether or not they let it control their life." He expression went blank. That made Janine lean forward. "Babe, what's wrong?"

"What would you say if I gave you the opportunity to speak to the one responsible for the Galbadian missile attack on Trabia?"

Janine leaned sharply back. "Wha--"

He lifted his gaze again.

Janine shook her head. "That isn't funny, Seifer."

"I'm not joking."

"What would I say?" she repeated, frowning. "What would I say? I'd storm down to weapon lock-up and see if we had a missile I could ram up their ass. I'd burn the hell out of their friends and see how well they deal with it! I'd blow the shit out of their ears and leave them begging for mercy! But what would I say?"

Janine glared at Seifer with clenched jaw and sparking eyes--and then noticed the dark look in his eyes and the pale color of his cheeks. Her anger dwindled, but only because of the dread once he looked back to the folder.

"Oh shit, no . . . ." Janine clutched the chair. "No."

"I gave the order."

And Janine felt as if she'd been stabbed, and her stomach twisted so violently she vomited. Seifer moved to her side, making a motion as if to comfort or console her--rage launched her to her feet, where she staggered.

Seifer held her gaze, eyes a dark emerald. "Jani--"

She grabbed his shirt and slammed him against the nearest wall. "You fucking bastard," she hissed. "You took away my chance to ever hear again." She slammed him again. "You killed my friends." And again. "You killed Jennifer!" Then she punched him so hard in the face that she felt and heard her knuckles cave. He didn't even raise a hand to block.

"You feel like a big man now? Jerking around the one you stole everything from? Huh? I'm talking to you, soldier!"

Seifer didn't answer. He only stared at her with dark eyes, blood oozing from his mouth.

Janine pushed away and spat in his face. "You don't deserve to wear the uniform." He held her gaze, still silent. Janine reached behind her ears and detached the assists to throw them in his face. "Go to hell," she hissed, and she slammed out of the office.

Seifer lowered his emerald gaze to the small black pieces of technology at his feet... He slowly bent to pick one up, fisting it in his hands moments before he turned to slam his fist into the wall. "Fuck!"
Chapter Twelve

Twisted Dreams of Romance

Janine reloaded her gunblade, pausing the action long enough to wipe the sweat and blood from her face with her arm. Her white tank-tee and Balamb-blue sweats were wet with the same. Her arms and legs showed cuts, welts, and bruises. She clicked the cylinder back in place and rotated her shoulder, wiping still more sweat from her face before striding farther into the Training Center. _'I gave the order.'_ Janine clenched her jaw, absently noticed a rustle of leaves to her right, and slashed the grat before it realized it had offended.

Janine kicked the limp carcass aside and again moved forward. Rage flared and boiled. She didn't understand why he told her. From his expression he knew what her reaction would be. Knew she would be mad as hell. 'Mad' didn't cut it. 'Pissed' didn't cover it.

Janine felt the reverberation of the crash and halted, readying her stance and adjusting her hold on the haft of her gunblade. The ground shook and the vibration of the snapping trees warned of its coming--the culmination of her rage. The embodiment of her desire for revenge.

T-Rexaur broke through the line of trees as Janine glared up at him. Fighting back the hate for a man she had come to desire more deeply than anything. Choking on the need to forgive--Janine pushed it away, her glare deepening as the T-Rexaur lowered its head and bared its teeth with a ground trembling roar.

She curtly lifted her chin. "Bring it."

~*~

Janine felt the doctor's examination of her profile as she tightened the bandage around her ribcage. But Janine didn't move her glare from the opposite wall.

"Why are you trying to kill yourself, Janine? One-on-one, unjunctioned, with a T-Rexaur?" Dr. Kadowaki shook her head and fastened the bandage firmly in place. "Not smart. And I know you're not like that."

Janine took up her stained white tank-tee and slipped it on over her head, adjusting it over the bandage. "Forget it." She slipped off the examination bed, taking up her gunblade as she moved toward the exit to shove through the doors.

She strode down the sidehall and made her way down the main corridor toward the Training Center. _'What would you say if I gave you the opportunity to speak to the one responsible for the Galbadian missile attack on Trabia?'_ Janine clenched her jaw as she adjusted her hold on her gunblade. Her burn itched with the memory of his touch, trying to soothe a pain he caused. _Fuck you._

Janine turned sharply down the side-hall of the Training Center, stalking past the exiting candidates just released from class and slamming past the metal doors to the greenery beyond.

"Yo, Janine! 'Sup?" She didn't respond. "Janine! Hold up!"

Janine halted, turning on Zell with flashing eyes as he approached. He stopped and leaned away from her, hands raised. "What do you want?" she hissed.

"Nothing," he assured quickly.

"Then leave me alone."

"Sure. Sure," Zell said, backing off.

She stalked deeper into the Training Center. _'I gave the order.'_ Janine choked back the tightness in her throat. _Why did you tell me? Why didn't you tell me?_ It was a secret he shouldn't have told. A secret he had to tell. A secret that shouldn't have existed. A secret that made him who he was.

"Damn it," she choked out.

~*~

tap-tap-tap "Hey Seifer? Gotta sec?" Zell peeked his head around the office door.

Seifer raised his unseeing gaze from the reports on his desk, one hand still clutching a small bit of technology. "What."

He closed the door after him and lowered himself into the chair across from Seifer's desk. "What's up with you and Janine?"

Seifer's hand tightened around the assist. "What do you mean?"

Zell leaned forward, expression unusually serious. "You can play dumb all you want, but I know what I saw, and it wasn't no simple H.O.S. new-Instructor beat-down. You and Janine were tight; like Fujin only different." He pointed at Seifer. "So if you want to be an asshole and deny anything's been screwed to hell, go ahead. I still want to know what happened so I can keep Janine from bashing her brains in at the T.C."

Seifer's mind focused. "What?"

"Yeah. She's in the T.C. wailing on as many T-Rexaurs and whatever hell other things have been put in there as she can, by herself."

Seifer strode around the desk, but Zell blocked his exit. Seifer's gaze hardened. "Step off."

"I'll step off and go with you as soon as you tell me what's going on."

Seifer shoved Zell away. "None of your business."

"I'm making it my business," Zell once again stepped between Seifer and the door. "You're an ass and Janine can be a bitch, but you're still SeeD. When SeeDs are having shit thrown at them, others go help. So that's what I'm doing."

Murder flashed in Seifer's gaze, but Zell didn't back off. "You want to help, Dincht? You want to help?" He grabbed Zell up by the shirt. "Give me a way to take back an order," he hissed. "Tell me how the hell to make her forget that I killed her best friend!"

"What?"

"Janine was at Trabia, and now she knows what I did. She knows that I gave the order!" Seifer pushed Zell back. "I don't need your help, Dincht! Now back off!"

Zell did, eyes slightly wide as he lifted his hands in the air. "Okay. Sure."

Seifer slammed from the office, hand still clutching the assists.

~*~

Janine leaned against a tree, right arm so exhausted she could barely lift the gunblade. She wiped the sweat and blood from her face with her arm before adjusting the leather gloves on her hands. Her muscles ached. Her vision was blurred. Dizziness made it difficult to walk. But still she pushed herself from the tree and staggered forward, wiping more sweat and blood and tears from her face. _'I gave the order.'_ And she saw Jennifer's broken and bloody body. _'I gave the order.'_ And she saw the dozens of graves of fellow SeeDs. _'I gave the order.'_

Janine choked on a sob, again wondering why the bastard held the position of H.O.S. when he murdered so many. Again wondering why Selphie hadn't already beat his ass to shreds. Again wondering why Sally said _'He's not a bad guy. He just has a hard job.'_ He murdered SeeD. He turned against Garden. Surely they knew!

Janine stumbled and fell to her knees. "Damn it." She submerged the blade-tip of her gunblade into the ground and used it to push herself to her feet. "That all you got?" She glared at the greenery around her. "Bring it! I'll take you all!"

A firm grip turned her around. She glared into the emerald gaze of the one man she didn't--she wrenched her arm free and staggered backward. "What was it like, soldier? Giving the order to murder SeeDs. Give you power? Give you a rush?" She forced her aching and exhausted muscles to raise her gunblade. "I'll give you a rush you won't soon forget."

Seifer just stood there, arms at his sides.

Janine sneered. "All talk and no action." She spat and then lowered the gunblade until its tip touched the ground. She clenched her jaw to keep from leaning her weight against it. "How do you sleep at night, asshole? Huh? How do you sleep with their voices screaming in your mind? Screaming for revenge. Screaming in pain as their half-burned bodies still smolder--"

Seifer's gaunt features actually paled.

She nodded several times as she swallowed the tears back. "Yeah. Yeah, that's what I thought. Easier to do it from miles away. Blast them to hell and all you've got to do is give the order." She staggered up to him and said "Don't sleep too heavy, babe. I'll gut you the first chance I get," before pushing roughly past him, gunblade tip still dragging on the ground.

~*~

The lights flickered. Janine cringed as she forced her stiff and aching body to sit up. "Yeah."

The door opened to reveal Selphie. "Hiya, Janine." Selphie came in the rest of the way, Sally on her heels. Both were dressed in jeans and sweatshirts. "Wow. You look like crap. What happened?" Sally gave Selphie a push and a meaningful look, to which Selphie said "What?"

Janine would normally have found the situation amusing. "What do you girls need?"

"I thought you said she asked you to go?" Selphie asked Sally.

Janine cringed as her muscles began to twitch. "I asked who to go where?"

Sally wrung her hands. "I thought we were going shopping this weekend."

Janine would have slapped her forehead but for the pain. "Sorry, Sal gal. Forgot."

"Now that we've reminded you . . . ." Selphie turned for one of the dressers in Janine's room and started searching through the drawers.

"Selphie--" Sally hissed. "What are you doing?"

"Getting her clothes," Selphie said, matter of fact.

Sally looked about to protest again. "Sal." The girl looked over at Janine with a flushed face. "It's okay. Shopping might be just what I need."

"Oh. Okay."

Janine carefully pushed herself to her feet, grunting and cringing with the pain of the effort as Sally watched in concern. "I'm fine, Sal gal." Janine motioned to the left side drawer of her desk. "Can you get me the pain-killers in the red bottle? Thanks."

Sally gathered the pills as Selphie turned with a pair of black jeans and a Balamb-blue t-shirt. "Here you go," she said, smiling.

Janine changed, putting on her secondary pair of assists before accepting the pain-killers and the glass of water from Sally. Janine tossed a couple back, finished the water, and then said "All right, girls. Let's go." as she ushered them out of her room.

They set out toward the parking lot, Selphie directing the conversation to possible places to visit in Deling in order to find the perfect dress for the birthday evening the following month. Janine noticed that Sally only listened half-heartedly while sending occasional glances her direction. _Don't ask, Sal gal. You're liable to get an ear full._ Especially since Janine couldn't understand why Seifer had been accepted back into Garden.

He should have been court-martialed.

He should have been executed.

Selphie ushered the girls into the car, designating herself as the driver, and then set off toward Balamb and the train station. Sally kept watching Janine, even from the back seat. Selphie only continued to chatter about classes, final exams, and some of the funnier essays she'd had to correct that week.

_I found the killer of my best friend,_ Janine wanted to say. _And I found it's the same person who blew our Garden to hell, Selphie. Only, he's your H.O.S. and you act like he hasn't done a damned thing!_ Janine clenched her jaw and fisted her hands as she glared out the window. Maybe they didn't know. Maybe she was the first one he told. Maybe it was a true secret.

I'll make damn sure it's told. And I'll screw your life as much as you screwed mine.

The trio arrived in Balamb. Selphie parked the car and they headed toward the train station, boarding after purchasing their tickets. The conductor/stationmaster urged them aboard and then shouted "All aboard" as they entered and used their tickets to gain entrance into the train car.

A few minutes later, the train headed out of Balamb for its first stop: Timber.

Selphie giggled. "It doesn't matter how many times I ride the train; I love it."

Sally kept sending Janine sidelong glances. Janine leaned back in the seat and crossed her arms as she stared down at the carpet at her feet.

"So." Selphie sat down beside her. "What's the matter?"

Sally watched Janine in silence.

_Oh I don't know. Seifer Almasy is a mass-SeeD-murderer?_ "Leave it."

Selphie and Sally exchanged glances. "Janine," Sally began hesitantly. Janine clenched her jaw. "Zell said you--"

Janine turned on her, and immediately felt a pang of guilt. "Said I was mad as hell? Said I wanted to thump his ass? Said I looked like shit? What, Jennif--" Janine paled and looked away, covering her face with a hand. "Leave it," she hissed.

"Wow. You're right. Sally is like Jennifer," Selphie said after a moment's pause.

"Who's Jennifer?"

Selphie rested a hand on Janine's back, who cringed but didn't move away. "Jennifer was a friend of ours at Trabia. She was a sweetie. Kind of shy, too. Is that what's wrong, Janine? You're still blaming yourse--"

"Hell no! I don't have to blame myself anymore! You want to know why? Because the bastard told me he did it!"

Selphie's expression showed disbelief. "He . . . he told you?"

Janine turned on Sally, recognizing the scared expression but not allowing a reaction. "You want to know who told me who blew our Garden to hell? Seifer! You want to know who did it? Seifer! He gave the god-damned order to blow my friend to hell!" Janine turned on Selphie, finger pointing hard in her chest. "And you knew! You knew and didn't tell me, you little bitch!"

Janine made a move to punch Selphie in the face, but she blocked the hit and the one that directly followed.

"Janine!" Sally cried. She leaned forward and quickly wrapped her arms around the woman, holding her arms at her sides. "Stop!"

Janine swore, struggling against the arms around her and the hands holding her wrists. Her brown eyes flashed as she held Selphie's gaze. "Why haven't you done anything about it, Selphie! The bastard's sitting practically untouchable, and no one gives a damn that he murdered SeeDs with one order!" Janine pulled against Sally's hold, but the girl wouldn't budge. Janine's throat tightened, and she choked on a curse. "He murdered Jennifer, and Timothy, and Andrew... and Colby and Andrea... and Debra and Elle..."

Janine stopped fighting against the hold as the sobs racked her body, tears burning down her cheeks. Sally slowly adjusted her hold, instead wrapping her arms around the woman in a tight embrace. Janine raised her hands to cover her face, still listing names of those SeeDs and friends that would never again see the Trabia snowfields.

Selphie watched the woman with a sad expression. "I know, Janine. I watched the missiles go."

Anger flashed and Janine lowered her hands. "Why in the hell didn't you do something?" She gestured roughly back toward Balamb. "He's sitting his ass there at Balamb and no one gives a shit that--"

"You don't know the whole story, Janine," Selphie interrupted.

"He gave the order! What the hell else do I need to know!"

Selphie stretched her hands out toward her. "Janine, do you really think that Seifer Almasy is the kind of man to murder SeeDs? He's Garden through and through! You know--"

"Then why the hell did he give the order? Huh? Why the hell did he launch those missiles at Trabia and Balamb if he's so damned loyal to Garden?"

"He was controlled, Janine!" Selphie said passionately. "Remember? You know as well as I do he was under the control of a Sorceress! I know you know!"

Janine felt as if she'd been kicked. "Oh my god."

"During that whole thing he was being controlled and manipulated and forced to do things that Seifer wouldn't do." Selphie pointed in Janine's face. "That's why we don't talk about it. Because we know that he beats himself about it every day. Every time he looks in a SeeDs face he knows he might have killed them. He knows that one day he might find out that they lost a sister or a brother or a close friend to something that he ordered to happen."

Janine covered her face with her hands, cursing herself for losing herself to the rage and lust for vengeance. "Damn it." Everyone knew Seifer and Matron were controlled during the second Sorceress War.

"Do you know what that's like, Janine? To live with that every day? To remember giving the order that annihilated an entire Garden. To hear yourself giving the order to kill fellow SeeDs and not be able to do anything to stop it?" Selphie released a deep sigh. "I don't know why he told you. He doesn't talk about it, to anyone. Especially not if he knows they're from Trabia."

Janine took in a ragged breath. It had been a secret Seifer hadn't needed to confess, and now she needed to find out why he had.

~*~

Seifer glared at the deep and fresh indentation patterns in the rich soil and grass of the Training Center. Then he lifted the gunblade to begin the cycle again. His glare deepened. He didn't understand his confession. He didn't talk about that secret. It countermanded everything he ever stood for. Everything he ever believed in. Rumors already ran rampant about the depth of Seifer and Matron's control by the Sorceress, but that one fact Squall insisted he keep to himself.

Seifer cursed. And he didn't revisit that past. That command. The weakness that allowed his anger and rage to be manipulated and used--the gunblade lowered, pressed into the earth as Seifer rested both hands on the pommel and pressed his forehead against them. Her friend's death. Her scars. Her deafness. When he saw her file, he knew what he had to do.

Janine deserved the release from the hate.

Seifer rose to his feet, pulling Hyperion from the ground to stare down at the blade. The final battle was coming for them. A battle she needed to fight. A battle he couldn't win. Janine deserved her revenge, and what else could a man like him give her? He had taken everything else.

He heard the crisp ringing of blade leaving scabbard and tensed, his grip momentarily tightening on Hyperion's haft. Then he slowly turned. _Janine_ in black jeans and another white tank-tee. Gunblade drawn. Expression guarded as dark brown eyes examined the etched design on her weapon.

She opened the cylinder and checked the rounds within before clicking it back into place, motions deliberate. Then Janine's gaze zeroed in on his. "This's been a long time comin'," she said in a low tone. She began forward, steps slow.

Seifer kept his weapon lowered, even though his instincts raged against it. A battle he had to wage; one he couldn't win. Janine deserved her release from the hate--Janine halted, fist on hip as gunblade whipped up to touch the skin of his throat. Seifer didn't move, and her expression didn't change.

"So you gave the order." Janine began stepping around him, gunblade still lightly touching his skin, and then scratching across the back of his head and around--She halted in front of him yet again, tip still barely touching. "I've waited for this day a long time. Waited for you."

Seifer adjusted his grip on the haft as he clenched his jaw. He continued to hold Janine's gaze, knowing that nothing he said would be enough. Vengeance was never found in words.

Janine slowly withdrew her gunblade from his throat, but kept it aimed toward him. "Let's dance."

Janine attempted a single, quick strike. Seifer blocked, but the strength wasn't there and the blade bit into his upper arm. Janine frowned and struck out again. He blocked, just, and again felt the bite of metal.

She cursed and lowered her blade to stride toward him, toe-to-toe, angry breath tickling the skin of his face. "You know I can take your ass," she snarled. Then Janine pushed him roughly back a step. "That's why you told me, isn't it?" She stepped up and pushed him again. "So I could beat your ass and finally get my revenge?" She jabbed a finger hard into his chest. "Don't you do me any favors," she hissed. "You put up a fight."

Seifer only stared down into her sparkling brown eyes. Remembering the thrills that would never come again. The damned awesome nights and mornings. The promised rush of skin against skin working together--Seifer clenched his jaw.

Janine held his gaze for a long moment more before taking a few steps back and again presenting her gunblade. "You want to give me a taste of vengeance, soldier? Then you bring it!"

And she came forward again; as in the corridor within Garden but different. Tenacious. Angry. Slashing and beating at his defenses with that recognizable rage he himself used against Squall so many times before--while under the manipulation and control of a Sorceress that played on his weakness. But Seifer didn't attack. He wouldn't. He fought against his instinct and only defended and blocked, parried and stepped aside. He let her vent the rage with every stroke against his blade. Let her slash against him to satiate her thirst for revenge.

It was what he could do. The only thing she would ever accept from him now.

Janine slammed him against a tree and pressed the cold metal of their crossed blades against his throat. "Fight back, you bastard," she huffed in his face; cheeks flushed, perspiration glistening, and brown eyes sparkling. "If you want to give me my revenge, then you fight!"

She pushed back and slashed again. Seifer ducked and heard the splintering of the blade submerging deep into the tree as he stepped aside. Janine shot off a round, blasting the blade free of the trunk and immediately turning on him. He met her blade for blade, but continued to take and absorb each agony-filled stroke. She yelled at him and cursed, raging at him to fight back, but he continued to defend and block. Even as his instincts demanded retaliation. Even as his arms began to ache and groan with each powerful blow.

He wouldn't. He murdered her friend. He had taken everything away from her--

Janine struck a hard blow, submerging Hyperion into the ground and then kicking him hard in the chest. He fell backward, momentarily dazed by a strike to the back of his head. When his vision cleared, Janine stood over him with Hyperion aimed at his throat and her brown gaze guarded. Seifer didn't blink or swallow, he only held her gaze as he waited for the battle against the voices to finally end.

Janine submerged her blade deep into the ground, her gaze never drifting from his. "Do you have any idea how long I've hated the man responsible?"

As long as I have.

She nicked the skin of his throat under his chin, but he didn't lift it away. "Do you have any idea how long I've waited to kill him with my bare hands?"

Janine moved Hyperion away from his throat, submerging it into the soil next to her own gunblade. Then she lowered herself to sit on his abdomen, knees bent and on either side of him as she leaned in and circled her hands around his throat. Her breath lightly fanning his face. Her warmth. . . her musk. Her.

Seifer held her gaze. "Do it," he whispered gruffly.

"'Do it'?" she queried as her hands ever-so-slightly tightened around his throat. Janine lowered her face toward his. "Kill that man? Kill the bastard who took everything?"

He lifted his head enough to press tighter against her thumbs. Air pinched off. "Yes," he hissed. He never wanted to be that man.

Janine pushed his head back against the ground and covered his mouth with hers as hands moved from neck to hair, coaxing a reaction as her warmth and softness adjusted itself against him. Seifer groaned her name against her lips, surrounding her with his arms as he rolled her to her back.

"Shut up and die" Janine pressed her mouth hard against his and then pulled slightly back. "Die soldier." And again. "Give me my Seifer."

Janine pushed him onto his back, mouth still moving with his as hands reminded him of her and her of him--Then Janine pulled her mouth slowly away, breath quick and heavy against his face as her warmth burned him with memories and regrets and damned awesome thrills.

Seifer opened his eyes at the gentle caress of a single finger down his scar. Her brown eyes glimmered and laughed at the same time, darkened to black with something he hadn't ever seen for him. Agony.

"Seifer, damn you," she said in a tight voice. "Why in the hell did you do this? Telling me one twisted fact instead of the whole secret?" Her voice choked and she covered her eyes with one hand, elbow resting against him as he just stared up at her. Her chest began to do the recognizable quick shudder of restrained tears, and guilt grabbed him by the balls.

Janine lowered her hand, and her eyes flashed. "How in the hell were you going to give me revenge? By letting me kill the only man who's given a damn?" She grabbed him by the shirt front and gave him a shake. "Letting me kill you wouldn't have solved anything!" Janine choked back another sob. "Garden needs her knight, Seifer," she struggled out. "Hell! I need my knight!"

Shock punched him in the face hard, and he was left silent as he stared up at her.

Then Janine pulled him tight against her, body quivering with the tears she wouldn't let completely out as her lips teased his skin and his senses. Seifer could only stare up at the sky as he held her, his dazed mind only able to vocalize _...the hell?_

"You didn't need to give me that secret," she choked in his ear. "It was too much. Too much." She kissed his neck and his throat. "Damn it, Seifer. Now I owe you a secret." She choked back a sob, her fingers caressing his face and then holding it so tight, pushing slightly away to caress her lips down his scar. "I love you."

His brain exploded and his mouth met hers, drinking in those words that he hadn't ever had. The secret no one ever wanted to confess.
Chapter Thirteen:

The Next Thrill

flicker-knock-knock

An eyebrow arched as Janine looked up from tying the laces of her workout shoes. Of all the knocks she recognized--luckily she'd put her assists on already--that was Seifer's. She smirked and straightened, taking up her gunblade as she made her way to the door and opened it. Sure enough, Seifer stood there looking damned sexy in black, holding his mug and a deep red one that said 'I put the 'sex' in 'sexy'' in white letters.

Her lips twitched, and then she lowered her focus to the duty of hooking her gunblade onto the scabbard at her hips. "Sorry, babe. Can't fool around. Promised Sal gal I'd spar with her and Dincht this morning."

Seifer waited for her to finish with the gunblade before stepping close and presenting her the mug. _He always smells so damn good,_ she thought, hand encircling the warm mug as her half-closed and sultry eyes met his.

Seifer's smirk tilted upward on one side. "You have one hour, Larabie. Then you're to report to the dorm-supervisor's office for a little one-on-one."

Nodding, Janine leaned in close as she held his emerald gaze. "Yes, sir."

~*~

Seifer buttoned up his black-silk shirt and tucked it into his slacks.

Janine came up behind and wrapped her arms tightly around him. "Incredible, sir. As always."

Chuckling, Seifer adjusted his black-silk tie. "I'll have to remember to catch you every time after a sparring session with Sally." He turned in her arms. "Or spar with you myself."

Janine lightly scratched at his scalp. "Bring it."

He kissed her mouth. "Don't tempt me, Larabie."

She returned the kiss with more tongue and insistence before pushing back. "Don't forget to tell Sal gal you're taking me to the party this weekend. You've put it off long enough, coward."

Seifer opened his mouth to protest.

Janine raised a finger to his lips. "Seifer. You're going."

He smirked and bit down lightly on her finger. "Yes, ma'am."

She ran her finger down his scar before placing another kiss on his lips. "See you tonight, babe. Forbidden Area or Training Center?"

Seifer smoothed his hands down her back to her butt and drew her closer. "Come to my office after hours and we'll discuss it."

Janine's smirk widened, and she pushed his arms away with hands on wrists. "Yes, sir." Then she leaned in and nibbled at his lower lip. "Go to work, big guy."

He kissed her mouth with a whispered "Damn" and then turned away to open and close the door behind him.

Shaking her head, Janine adjusted her uniform jacket and straightened her skirt, amazed again at how many wrinkles and twists could come to a person's uniform with wandering hands, and the rush of pushing it to the edge was just as addicting as it had been when she'd first met him. Days, weeks, a month? What did she know about time with a man like Seifer Almasy? Each day was different. Each day and night of kissing that mouth and feeling those hands staying just out of reach--it was damned awesome. Thrills, rushes, arguments, make-ups, secrets.

"Damn."

Janine smiled as she pinched and crunched at her hair, spiking it in those areas needing a bit of help. _'Damn'? Like hell._ Seifer moved past 'damn' a long time ago. Why else had she fallen in love with him? And the fact he hadn't said 'love' to her didn't matter. For the first time in her life, it didn't matter at all.

Giving her reflection a wink, she stepped outside and down the side-hall to the main corridor. Janine smiled when she saw Sally heading down the main corridor toward the cafeteria.

"Hey, Sally."

Sally looked up and smiled, her brown eyes twinkling with it. Janine chuckled. Sally Regal had to be the cutest shy-girl in Garden. "Good morning again, Janine," Sally greeted cheerfully. "Thanks for working out with me so early."

Janine waved it aside. "Sal, it was a pleasure. Sorry I couldn't stay the entire two hours." She smirked. "Appointments, you know."

Sally nodded. "I wouldn't want you to miss anything important on my account. Did it go okay?"

Janine restrained a laugh. "The appointment?"

"Uh-huh," she repeated with another nod. "It was a good one, right?"

Janine gave a slight nod as she remembered the withheld passion and the whispers and the... _Damn_.... "Most definitely. Every time."

"Oh." Sally's innocent expression was adorably true. "Tutoring someone before class?"

Janine chuckled. "Something like that." Although she didn't know who was learning more.

Sally smiled. "You're so nice." And then her smile faded to annoyance. "Most Instructors just tell the candidates to go study on their own in the library, or find a study partner. It doesn't really help if your study partner doesn't know how to find the answers either." She stretched her hands toward Janine. "I mean, how would I have known the quarterstaff was all wrong for me if Zell hadn't offered to help?"

Janine suddenly started laughing.

Sally blinked. "What?"

Janine shook her head as she waved it aside, desperately trying to hold back the laughter. "Nothing," she struggled out. "I just realized that you've never--" And she broke off with another fit of laughter.

"Never what?"

Janine took in a deep breath and let it out slow. "Nothing. Never mind. You're fine." She motioned down the corridor. "I better git. I'll try and show up tomorrow morning, but I don't guarantee anything."

Sally nodded. "It's okay. I understand about how important the tutoring can be. I don't know what I would have done if I hadn't had the time with Zell before my Fire Cavern exam."

Janine smirked. "I'm glad he was there for you, Sal gal. Now I better scoot. See you 'round."

Janine stepped past, her smirk widening. _Tutoring._ The smirk blossomed to a chuckle. _Tutoring?_ That was one way of looking at it. Janine burst into another fit of laughter.

~*~

Janine chuckled. "Sal gal, if you don't stop bouncing up and down, I'm going to bop you."

Selphie nodded and giggled. "No doubt. Calm down. The boys will think you're high."

Sally's eyes twinkled as her smile outshone the lights of the parking structure where the trio waited for the boys to pick them up and take them to Sally's 20th birthday party. "I don't care," she cried in an excited tone. "I am! It's my birthday and I'm going to a birthday party and all my friends and family are going to be there." She bounced over to Janine and Selphie and pulled them into a hug.

Janine laughed and pushed back. "Please. Watch the hair. It took me an entire fifteen minutes to get it like this."

Selphie giggled. "Janine, I wish my hair took only fifteen. I had to wrestle it into these curls for three hours!"

Janine scoffed. "I woulda shaved myself bald before spending that much time on hair. It took me nearly that much time to get into this dress. Damn thing's like a second skin!"

Janine looked down at her dress as she spoke. Well, if it could be called that. It was an absolutely skin-tight black leather dress with long sleeves, a low neckline, and a zipper that went all the way down. Well, to mid-thigh anyway, because that's as far as the dress went. She looked damn good.

Sally giggled and Janine looked up. The doll had dressed in pale orchid. Silk, like Selphie's dress, it had short sleeves and went down to her knees. It also had a slit on the left side that Sally hadn't been all that excited about, but Janine insisted and Sally caved. Her hair was down, making her look even _more_ like a dress-up doll from Janine's childhood, and little pearldrops had been twisted into her hair.

Zell would drop dead the minute he saw her.

"I think I hear it coming," Selphie squealed.

Janine looked over at the girl, dressed in pale yellow silk, and grimaced. "About damn time. I couldn't believe it when Seifer told me he was dragging me to this thing in a damn--"

"There they are," Sally squealed.

And three white carriages drawn each by a pair of white horses pulled up into the parking structure. Sally and Selphie squealed. Janine just smirked and crossed her arms while raising a single eyebrow. Sally hopped and bounced until Zell came up to her in a black tux with a matching bow-tie and presented her with a white flower as he bowed. Sally took the flower with another squeal and threw herself into his arms with a giggle and an "Oh Zell you look gorgeous I love the matching bow-tie and the carriage" and "Is it the same one you rented before I hope so that would be so romantic Did you see Selphie Isn't she pretty" all the while that he laughed and tried to answer Sally's questions as he led her to the carriage and helped her up.

Janine chuckled, shaking her head as she turned away--"Damn."

Seifer leaned against the carriage in a white tux as he watched Janine with a smirk and an all-too-recognizable glint in his emerald gaze. "Larabie."

Janine stepped up to him, wrapping her fingers around the lapels of the tux coat. "Damn you look good," she said in a low tone.

"So do you." Seifer drew her closer, and then his eyes were drawn to Zell and Sally when she giggled. "Shit. Better move this somewhere else."

Janine chuckled. "Fine by me."

Seifer lifted Janine into the carriage with hands under arms. Then he stepped in after her, following her into the corner of the carriage and drawing him against her as lips caressed against neck and throat.

She chuckled. "That tickles..."

Seifer's breath tickled against her throat as well. Then he raised his head. "You're not wearing them," he said, and his expression held surprise.

Janine's eyes twinkled. She raised a hand to his face to caress the scar and his lips. "Nope. Like watching that damned sexy mouth."

The smirk returned. "And how the hell are you supposed to hear what I'm saying when I'm doing this..." He nuzzled her neck.

"Just don't . . . say any--oh Hyne." And Janine's eyes fluttered as he hummed her name against that sensitive area behind her ear.

He chuckled and nipped at her ear before slowly pulling back and sitting close beside her, arm draped around her shoulders and fingers caressing her skin.

Janine slugged him in the ribs. He laughed. "Damn tease. Don't kiss me like that and then pull back."

Seifer turned toward her, a hand venturing to the zipper and easing it slowly down. "You want me to keep going, Larabie?"

Janine smirked. "Yes and no, sir. I don't think Sally would appreciate it."

He laughed, a finger caressing the skin between her breasts before leaving the zipper and lightly touching her jawline. "True. She has definite ideas about things like that."

Chuckling, Janine snuggled in against him while still watching his mouth. "Just imagine how shocked she will be on their honeymoon--If he actually asks her."

"Oh he'll ask. Why the hell do you think he's been driving me damned insane about Winhill and the council decision on the contract for the security office."

"Speaking of that--" Janine snaked a finger to the zipper of his slacks and gave a teasing tug. His eyes spoke the dare. "Have they approved the recent contract submission? Seems to me they need some ass-chewing by either you, Commander Squall, or President Laguna."

"No word yet, but Squall already informed them that if they didn't approve this contract, they'd be considered reluctant allies with all Gardens."

Janine chuckled. "That'll make them damned nervous, especially after the shit Ahndra and Marshal discovered with that black-market arms trafficking."

"That's what we're hoping."

Janine persuaded another several ticks to the zipper. His muscles tensed and twitched as his lips curved upward. "And if they don't take the hint?"

Seifer chuckled "Janine . . ." and grabbed her wrist just before her fingers could claim victory. "Squall and I will have a meeting if it comes to that."

She curled a lug up and over his, pressing herself closer. "I volunteer for presenting the ultimatum to the council. Damned exciting."

"Submit a request and I'll talk it over with Squall."

"Yes, sir."

"But I'm not sure I'll approve it." His hand stroked a blissful line from back to ass.

"And why's that?"

"I haven't finished training you on all matters of security," and any other conversation consisted of mouth, tongue, and well-placed hands.

~*~

Seifer watched Janine with a slight smirk as she laughed and teased Regal and Dincht off in the distant section of the Hotel in Balamb. But when he heard the words again--'I love you' His smirk faded, and his hold on his club soda tightened. The thrill had changed. Everything about their secrets changed by those words.

Janine laughed before sending him a seductive glance the same moment the tip of her tongue flicked out to lick her lips. Then she lifted her beer slightly toward him and winked. His smirk returned, and he lifted his glass in a return, all the while asking _Why do I keep after her? Seifer Almasy doesn't need anyone._ He had Garden. He had his job. Garden was his life. So why did he--

People like them didn't fall in love. They just didn't. 'I love you'

Seifer lowered his gaze to his glass, lifting it when the scent of her lifted the hairs on his entire body as she drew close and kissed his neck. "Hey, big guy," her tone practically purred. "You've been hiding here in this dark corner almost all night. No play?"

Looking down into her damned sexy brown eyes, he kept thinking how Garden was his life, but he ventured as close to hell as ever when she hated him. "Not in the mood," he murmured, and his voice sounded a mix between gruff and harsh. He wanted her, but it was more than that. And as she once more caressed his neck with her lips and whispered his name, for the first time in his life, he wondered if he--"Shit." he hissed, drawing her closer.

Janine chuckled, her breath tickling his skin. "I bet you say that to all the girls, you big romantic, you." Then she pulled slightly back, half-closed eyes meeting his. "Having fun watching and being cynical?"

Seifer smirked, teasing the zipper down and then up and then down a bit more. "Trying to figure how you got into this damned thing."

Chuckling again, she took hold of the lapels of his tuxedo. "What a coincidence. I was trying to figure out how to get out."

He teased her lips with his. "I could help with that, Larabie." His lips migrated down her jaw and to the area just below her assists. He never wanted anyone to keep coming back before. Never wanted another life to be responsible for. Now he fought to keep her where she was.

Janine pushed back to take another firm hold of his lapels and guide him after her seductive backwards stalk. "I spy another dark corner requiring investigation," she purred.

And he couldn't move fast enough to the balcony behind the Hotel, not caring about the somewhat hazardous climb downward. Her low laugh had him by the throat, and desire wouldn't let him hold her at arm's length for another moment longer. Seifer grunted as he followed Janine up and over the balcony railing to drop to the ground those several feet below. She was actually giggling, and _damn_ was all he could think as he ducked under the support beams after her. It was the sexiest sound he'd heard yet.

She tugged him to the furthest corner, drawing him down onto a blanket as hands and mouth resumed their seeking. She didn't ask him for a return of those three words. Her mouth and body simply responded to a like desire. To be free with passions. She loved him, though he was a bastard. An asshole. A button-pushing dickhead.

She moaned his name and those hellish three words which shuddered clear to his soul. He never had it to say before. Never gave it a second passing thought. Larabie freed his jacket and shirt from his back, racking her fingernails across it before digging at his belt and zipper the same as he did with her.

Again, his name and those three words, breath fanning his skin with fire.

He never thought he would want it. But he couldn't pretend. As his hands freed her of the black leather and the thrill and passion near swallowed them whole, he knew he couldn't lie to either one of them anymore. "I love you, god-damn sexy bitch."

And that sultry laugh plummeted him the rest of the way into glorious oblivion where hands, mouth and the caress of sweaty skin was all they knew.

### The End

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Other Bookworms & Booya Saga Books Referenced in this Installment:

_Bookworms and . . . Booya!--_ book 1 of the series

_Few Words--_ of Fujin & Marshal's mission to Winhill

In Theory, by Nona Mae King & J.Seay--Quistis's mission to Deling Garden

About the Author | Nona Mae King

Writing has been my passion since I was a child when I began creating skits and songs. My life would be empty without this call. There would be no purpose. No ending to guide my daily struggle. No story toward which to strive. Each day something beckons, and that--I know--is the waiting tale. One last happy ending.

Connect with Me Online:

Twitter: <http://twitter.com/writersprite>

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My site: http://nonaking.com

My blog: http://wordobsession.net

