Reluctant Knight, The

  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."