Chapter 6: One Revelation, A Thousand Questions

  Dominique didn't go to the next period class. She didn't go to the one after that either. In fact, she skipped out on the classes for the rest of the afternoon. She hid herself in the room she shared with Rinoa and slept in between crying fits and contemplative moments. Selphie wasn't suprised when Dominique didn't meet her and Zell in the Quad for break as previously planned. Zell was a bit more curious as to her whereabouts. Although his wounds had healed for the most part, his eye was still a rich purple color and his shoulder still ached when moved too quickly. His ribs had patched themselves up pretty cleanly, and only hard coughs and sneezes caused him mild discomfort.
"So where's Dom?", he asked, taking a bite from the hotdog he had quickly put on his tab at the cafeteria. Selphie bit her lip and looked at the scuffed brown leather of her boot toe.
"You mean you didn't hear?", she asked aprehensively.
"Here what?", Zell replied dumbly. Selphie looked more anxious.
"Well...she had a little problem this morning..."
Selphie quickly relayed the events that Irvine had relayed to her to Zell, who in the end, was left fuming with anger.
"Th' hell!! That bastard...I'll rip his nuts off!!!!", he shouted as he stormed up the Quad stairway, catching the startled looks of a few students who were quietly studying on various benches. Selphie jumped after him, throwing her small body infront of his path.
"NO!", she said forcefully, causing Zell to pause for a moment. "Where are you going!? What are you gonna do?"
"Well...first I'm going to check on Dom...then I'm paying that ass a visit.", he snarled.
"No...please.", she pleaded, pushing him back with her hands on his chest. "You can't. Not now."
"But...well...I mean, if she can't defend herself right now, then I'm gonna do it for her! Move Selphie!"
"No Zell, I won't move.", Selphie retorted rather calmly, staring deep into Zell's eyes. "I hate to say it but...with the way you get when you've got a temper or something you really really wanna take care of...you're the last thing she needs to be bothered with right now. So please...for Dominique's sake...don't do anything right now."
Zell's determined expression dropped from his face like a heavy mask. So he was a bother to Dominique? Did...did she feel that way about him? A doubtful, crushed look clouded over his features as he hung his head in defeat. In attempts to keep his enthusiasim from dying out completely, Selphie reassured him of the situation.
"Irvy and Quisty said we should let everything calm down a bit. Rinoa's checking in on her every once in a while, so she'll be safe. You can visit later tonight, okay? I'm going so you can come too, alright?"
Zell silently nodded his spiked head. Was he really a bother?

  Dominique stepped from the steamy shower. She threw her thick, dark hair over the towel wrapped around her shoulder and settled down onto her bed in her sweatpants and that black t-shirt Seifer had given her. It was much to large for her, and his scent had pretty much disappeared completely from repeated washings, but she was fond of the tiny cactus printed in a running motion on the shirt; she thought it was silly. Across from her, she could see her reflection in the mirror. Her hair hung wetly around her heart-shaped face, casting shadows around her eyes. Even through the shadows though her golden eyes glowed like embers. She had liked her eyes before but now she wasn't so sure. People that she had wanted to get close to pushed her away because of them. Right now she hated the way she looked. She hated who she was. She knew who she was; amnesia hadn't erased those memories. Those wings would burst from her back when her guardian, her "inner self", was pushed too far or when she as a human was physically incapable of protecting herself. When those students had been taunting and jeering at her, she could feel the anger and rage boiling inside her. She told it to calm down, to not create a scene, that they didn't mean what they were saying. She knew that they meant it all, every word of it. She was a freak, and that was all there was too it. Her guardian had tried to bring her from her melancholy all morning and into the late afternoon, but when its attempts proved useless, it quitely departed for the innermost recesses of her mind. Sighing, she rubbed her face and looked from the mirror.
"Am I really that terrible? Dangerous?"
Dominique looked over at the cork board above Rinoa's desk. It housed many photos, but even from the distance she could read them as clearly as if they were five feet from her face. She wondered if it was her uniqueness that inabled her to see so sharply; her night vision wasn't half bad either. There were a few pictures of a beautiful woman in a wine colored dress leaning next to a piano. She was very lovely and looked somewhat like Rinoa. More pictures of people Dominique didn't know... unfamiliar faces to her existing memory. She saw a photo of Squall. He was smiling as he leaned over the railing of a fishing pier, looking back at the camera as a breeze blew through his hair. Dominique smiled slightly at the picture; whatever he was smiling at was truly making him happy. There was a picture of Irvine and Selphie (Selphie was wearing Irvine's hat and they were near a train yard) and next to that was a picture including Zell, Quistis, Irvine, Selphie, and Squall. They were all at the beach...Irvine was attempting to rub sunlotion on Selphie's back as she and Quistis sunned themselves; Squall was laying on a towel, propped up by his elbowes and Zell was shouldering a bodyboard and grinning at the camera. Dominique studied the picture on the wall, taking more time to examine Zell than the others. They didn't think she was a freak, none of them did. But they DID try too hard to protect and shelter her, as if her amnesia had made her handicapped in some way. She could function fine on her own; her memory didn't hamper her at all. She was good in class and picked up things quickly. True, she was a little vague on some things, but she didn't think too much of it. It was no big deal to her anyway. But...he didn't treat her like that. He didn't see her as something to be taken care of and handled with care. Zell treated Dominique as more or less an equal.
"But there was that time when he yelled at me for being in the Training Center...", she thought with a grimace. So did that mean he really was like the others? Maybe they acted the way they did because they cared more for her than Zell did. So Zell didn't like her because he didn't shelter her? The thought was numbing and Dominique shook her head to clear it away. She continued gazing at the picture, her thoughts roaming about on their own, her eyes scanning whatever they saw. The picture must have been taken last summer or a few back. They were all sunkissed, some more than others. Zell's hair looked even more blond against the rich, dark tone of his complexion. His blue eyes stood out on his face, overpowering the jagged, black tattoo he wore. His grin was wide and happy; Dominique actually giggled when looking at his silly expression. She looked down from his face to the rest of his body. He was sporting nothing more than a pair of swimming trunks, the rest of his body exposed. Toned and tanned, his muscles were lean and defined. Dominique suddenly felt her cheeks heat up as if she had stuck her head in an oven. Slapping her hands to her cheeks brought her out of her reverie, their coolness calming her face down.
"What was that all about?", she frowned to herself as she swung her legs over the side of her bed and rose to grab a comb from her dresser. It was like butterflies in her stomach, that feeling she had experienced as her face flushed. She had never experienced anything like that before. It intrigued her, excited her, as well as frightened her. A soft rapping from the door caught her attention as Rinoa entered in carrying a cardboard carton. She grinned heartily at Dominique as she set the box on the table in the far corner of the room.
"Hey! Feeling better?"
Dominique smiled a little and nodded her soggy head. Rinoa began unpacking the contents of the box.
"That's great because, you know, I didn't know if you'd eaten much today so I thought I'd bring you back something from Balamb. I had to make a little trip there this afternoon. Hope you like take-out.", she said as she handed Dominique a little white carton full of fried rice, drizzled in soy sauce and sprinkled with bits of vegetables and tiny shrimp. She handed Dominique a pair of chopsticks next, but when she saw the puzzled look Dominique was giving the twin twigs of cheap wood, she handed her a simple and slightly more efficient fork instead. Rinoa plopped on her bed and grasped a sliver of teriyaki chicken between her chopsticks.
"Are you still wearing that shirt?", she asked, referring to the black tee that Seifer had loaned to Dominique on a more permanent level. Dominique shrugged, looking down at the shirt.
"I like it. I only wear it to sleep in anyway."
There was silence for a few moments before Rinoa spoke up again.
"Um, Dominique...look," she said, placing her carton on the bed between her knees. "I know you probably don't want to talk about it, but I know what happened this morning."
Dominique looked down at her rice, avoiding Rinoa's sympathetic gaze as she continued speaking.
"Irvine and Quistis told Squall and me the whole thing. And I just want you to know that we're all totally against what happened to you. They had no right to treat you like that!"
"Yeah...well...stuff happens, I guess.", Dominique replied sullenly. Rinoa balled her hands up into fists and popped them against the bed.
"But that doesn't make it right! No one deserves to be talked to like that, especially to their face! I just want you to know that we're all here for you. We'll stand by you when everyone else is turning away."
"Why?", Dominique asked quietly, finally looking over at Rinoa. She didn't understand why they were so willing to stand by her. Those students were right - she WAS a hazard to anyone around her. After she had sprouted wings the last time, she had no control over herself. It was her guardian who was in control until it decided it had completed its task. Rinoa smiled softly at Dominique.
"Because that's what friends do for eachother. We trust eachother. It's completely mutual. We all want you to know that you can trust us...we can help protect you."
"But...but I don't need to be protected, Rinoa.", Dominique replied with a hint of agitation in her voice. Rinoa bit her lip, sensing she had struck a sore nerve. Dominique scowled into her rice, absently twirling her fork in the remains of the meal. "All I need is..."
What did she need? What was her greatest desire? Dominique had turned this thought over in her head several times before. That gaping void in her memory was the only thing that she ever thought about. The gruff voice of her mental guardian beast was a constant reminder of her physical nature, but even it couldn't explain why it was so; it seemed like it was effected by the amnesia as well. Even still, Dominique was always asking herself why she was the way she was. Sometimes she felt as if she'd give anything to know the anwsers to her questions. Lately she had been having a strange reoccuring dream. Night after night, she'd dream that she was underwater and as she looked through the murky atmosphere, she could see lights and occasionally hear a muffled and disorted voice as shadow flickered by. Dominique paused in her thoughts and listened to the chirping of the crickets outside. It was dusk already? She glanced over to the window and saw a bright moon waxing in the sky. A pang of dispair and guilt struck her suddenly as she turned back to meet another sympathetic look from Rinoa.
"I-I'm sorry, Rinoa. I didn't mean it like that. I...I do really appreciate your loyalty. I really need...friends right now..."
Rinoa smiled and ate some more chicken. "Anytime you need anything, just ask anyone of us! We'll do everything we can."
Anything? They'd really do anything for her? Hmmmm....
"Well...there is something I've been thinking about for a while...", Dominique started but was suddenly interrupted by a hard knock at the door. Rinoa jumped up with a grin to anwser it. She flung the door open wide to reveal Squall and Zell, followed by Irvine's tall frame and the smaller figures of Quistis and Selphie.
"Hey!! Looks like we're having a party in here!", Irvine laughed loudly as they entered, taking available seats on empty desk chairs and the floor. He removed his hat and stratched his head while picking up a fortune cookie and ripping open its wrapper. Quistis crossed her knees in the chair she was sitting on.
"How are you feeling Dominique?", she asked politely. Dominique nodded that she was fine and then glanced quickly over at Zell who was sprawled on the floor. He had the most unpleasant scowl on his face as he stared at her. A pang of hurt shot through her as she wondered why he looked so upset.
  Zell scowled at the shirt Dominique was wearing. Wasn't that Seifer's shirt? She still wore that peice of shit's shit? Zell forced back a growl of disgust as he dug his knuckles into the plush carpet. Why the hell did she even keep that thing? It wasn't like they had anything going on or anything. Suddenly Zell's disgruntled mood vanished, replaced by realization. Why was he getting so worked up over a stupid t-shirt? He looked at Dominique. Her hair was still wet and hung in tiny wringlets around her shoulders and face. She was stirring her rice with the tips of her chopsticks in a very pensive manner. She glanced over at him and then quickly looked away again. She rose from her bed and threw the carry-out carton in the trash. The black cactuar tee hung loosely on her, one side of the collar drooping off her right shoulder. The shirt itself came down to about her knees and Zell suddenly found himself wondering what she'd look like in one of his shirts. He felt himself blush a bit as she returned to her bed, crossing her legs under her body.
"Yeah, one of my shirts would look better.", he thought with satisfaction. Then he realized why the sight of her in Seifer's shirt had made him so agitated. He was jealous. The sound of Rinoa's voice brought him back to the present.
"You were going to say something Dominique?", she asked. Dominique crinkled up her nose in concentration, trying to remember what it was she was going to say. Her face relaxed as she found the desired memory.
"Well, it's just that...I have this idea...but I may need some help with it."
"An idea?", squeaked Selphie. "Ooohh, sounds like fun!"
"Well, see...um, it's kind of complicated.", Dominique murmured, running her fingers through her damp hair. "I'd have to tell you everything, but I'm...well..."
She blushed slightly as she said this. "...I'm a little scared of what you'll think...like maybe you won't understand it...I mean I really don't even understand it, but that's why...that's why I need help."
"You can tell us Dominique.", replied Squall from the other desk chair.
"Yeah, like, you can trust us.", Irvine stated, giving her a wave with his hat. Dominique smiled a bit and cleared her throat.
"Um, okay...well I guess I should start from the beginning. Do you remember what happened in the Training Center...Squall...Zell?"
Zell felt his skin grow clammy. It felt like the temperature in the room dropped thirty degrees as he looked over at Squall, who refused to meet his gaze. The others were looking from Squall to Zell and back again in confusion.
"What happened?", Quistis asked quietly. Zell looked down at his hands. He couldn't look at any of them. He felt strangely ashamed. Dominique soothed the situation.
"It's alright if you don't want to say it Zell. I know you saw what happened. It's okay.", she said quietly, giving Zell a small smile. He returned her guesture with a curt nod of his blond head. "What Zell saw probably scared him really badly. That's alright...I'd expect it to scare anyone.", Dominique said softly, twirling a lock of dark hair around her fingers. "See, I'm not exactly...um...well, I'm not exactly what you'd call 'normal'."
Rinoa looked to Squall with a question on her lips, but he sushed her, requesting that she let Dominique explain it for herself. He was actually curious to see if what Zell saw had really been the truth. Dominique continued.
"I don't know how it happened or why, but...you know that voice I have that's in my head? Well, it's kind of like my other self."
"I don't understand.", Selphie said with a puzzled look eminating from her violently green eyes. Dominique nodded, sending a sparkle of water spray around her head.
"I'm getting there. I say it's my other self because it's what Zell saw in the Training Center, that day with the T-Rexaur. See, I have this...beast inside of me. It doesn't hurt me...it protects me in a way. When I came to this Garden and started learning about GFs, I realized that's what it was."
A orchestra of heavy breathing echoed in the tiny living space. Six sets of startled and confused eyes focused completely on Dominique. It made her a bit nervous that she was being studied like this, but she took a deep breath and cleared her mind to keep herself focused on her topic.
"What kind of GF?", Squall asked from his seat. If his hunch was right (and if Zell was telling the truth), then this GF beast Dominique was talking about would have to be some sort of dragon, or something with dragon-like wings. Dominique tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
"Well...when I concentrate hard enough I can see it. It looks something like...uh..."
Zell's card!! Bahamut! It looked like Bahamut! Dominique scrambled suddenly for her satchel and dug out the card.
"Hey, my card!", Zell stated bluntly, reaching for it as Dominique pulled it from her bag.
"I just need it for one second Zell. I promise I'll give it back after that.", she pleaded, her golden eyes begging him for his cooperation. Zell slowly dropped his hand, his eyes still fixed on Dominique's. Her eyes always looked so "other-worldly" to him. He guessed that's why he liked looking at them so much. He nodded and Dominique passed the card around for everyone to see.
"It looks like that, only a little smaller in the snout.", she stated. Selphie studied the card.
"It's a Bahamut?", she asked before passing the card on to Irvine. Dominique shrugged.
"I don't really know if that's what it is but---it calls itself Tiamat."
"Tiamat? I've read about that name before.", Squall said. "It's a cousin of Bahamut. We fought one in Ultimecia's castle."
"That explains why they look so similar.", Quistis breathed, studying the Bahamut card. Dominique nodded.
"Yeah, but Tiamat can be really moody sometimes. I think it likes to get me into trouble.", she said with a slight laugh at the end of her sentence. A nervous chuckle passed around the room, cutting the tension momentarily.
"So...how did you...ya know...", Zell tried to ask, motioning to his back to indicate the wings Dominique sprouted. She chewed her lip in thought before she spoke.
"That's what I'm not sure about. See, sometimes when I - meaning my human self - am in danger or am too weak to defend myself, Tiamat takes over. It's not like a summon, it's more like a...transfer of conscience. Instead of him seeing the world through my eyes, I see it though his. We kind of switch places. When that happens, I get the wings. I don't really know what is going on. I can only see it, I can't control it."
"That's because Tiamat is doing all the controlling?", Rinoa asked.
"Yeah, right. When I get the wings, the rest of me stays the same. I'm not sure why...but Tiamat says he feels like he'd be more powerful if he could come out more. I don't think he knows how. I'm kind of glad too, because I don't think my body could handle it."
"So the rumors were true...", Selphie whispered to herself outloud. Irvine nudged her, attempting to tell her not to say anything that may upset Dominique again. Dominique shifted nervously in the silence of the room as everyone's minds chewed on this new information. Zell spoke up first.
"No...they weren't true at all.", he said quietly, looking at the floor. "Those rumors were sayin' that Dom was a monster...but we all know that's not true.", he finished a little more firmly. His confidence returning, he managed to glance at Dominique and hold the gaze for a moment. "There's no way you could ever be a monster, Dominique."
He thought he saw her blush a little, but her hair was covering most of her face and it was difficult to see her expression clearly. Selphie shook her head, ashamed at herself.
"I'm sorry Dominique! I didn't mean to say that."
"It's alright.", Dominique smiled fully at Selphie, the words Zell had spoken touching her in a peculiar way.
"So, like, what's your big idea?", Irvine asked, stretching his long legs out on the floor. Dominique chewed her lip.
"Well, that's what I'm not sure about. I have a lot of questions I'd like anwsers to, but...I don't really know where to begin looking. That's why I need some help."
"Hmmm...like what sorts of questions, Dominique?", Quistis asked.
"Like why Tiamat and I are connected, for starters.", she replied. "I'm almost certain human beings aren't born with monsters in their bodies."
The group chuckled a little and Dominique continued. "I'd also like to know how I can cast magic when I'm never junctioned to anything."
"Do you think you may be a sorceress?", asked Rinoa. Dominique shrugged and shook her head.
"I don't know. I guess that's a possibility...but it still doesn't explain why I've got Tiamat."
"You've got plenty of clues to start on.", Squall said calmly. "Do you still have that bag you had with you at the Orphanage?"
Dominique nodded and replied that it was in her closet, tucked away in a shoe box. Rinoa got out a piece of paper and a pen and began jotting down the clues they could come up with. She furiously scribbled notes as they continued counting out evidence.
"So you know that the Deep Sea Research Center is important.", Squall reiterated as Rinoa continued writing. "What else?"
"Well...Tiamat has his own vague memories.", Dominique replied. She closed her eyes for a moment and was still and silent. Seconds later she opened them and smiled. "He says he doesn't think it will help out much, but he says sometimes he'll have these dreams where he's outside of me and he's looking at me from a distance."
"He can dream?", Selphie asked in amazement.
"Yeah, he can sleep and talk just like your GFs, I assume.", Dominique shrugged. Rinoa quickly recapped all the information they had. Dominique thought a little longer and came up with one last clue.
"Remember how I just said that Tiamat has dreams? Well...I sorta have them too, except they're different. I have them almost every night, the same dream over and over. Each night, though, it changes a little bit and there's little details in it that I didn't notice before. It's so strange it doesn't make any sense though.", she shrugged helplessly. Her eyes unfocused as she stared at a poster on the far wall. "Somehow, I feel like it's something I should know. Like, something I should recognize, but I can't remember."
Rinoa wrote down Dominique's reoccuring dream and stated that she'd run out of paper. Squall examined the sheet.
"You've got a lot to go on right now. If you need any information on GFs, I've got plenty of articles."
"Yeah, and the Library's got tons of books about Battle Ship Island and sorceresses and stuff.", Zell stated with a nod. Irvine agreed.
"Yeah, like, we can help you look for books and articles."
"This sounds like so much fun!", Selphie squealed as she rose to follow Irvine as he exited the room. It was nearly 11:30 PM and everyone was tired and ready to go to sleep. "It's like a giant scavenger hunt!! Or a big riddle!!"
"We'll start looking with you as soon as you're ready. Just let us know.", Quistis said with a smile as she left the room. Dominique gave a grateful smile to their backs as they walked down the hall. She turned around just as Zell was pushing himself up from the floor and Squall was breaking away from Rinoa's hug. He nodded a solemn good night and made his way out. Rinoa noticed that Zell seemed to be lingering behind a bit, and in attempt to give him a private moment with Dominique, she trotted out behind Squall, stating that she'd walk with him to his room. Zell adjusted the waist of his shorts and stretched. When he relaxed he saw that Dominique was holding the Bahamut card out infront of his face.
"Here, you wanted this back?", she asked, waving it at him slightly. Zell laughed nervously.
"Uh, no you keep it. You won it fair and square, remember?"
"Buuutttt...I don't want it?", Dominique replied in a quickly thought up excuse. Zell scratched his tattooed cheek and felt a grin pulling at his mouth. He grabbed Dominique's hand and pushed it back at her.
"Like I said before, Dom - you keep it!"
He wasn't wearing his gloves at that moment and Dominique could feel the warmth of his hand as he grabbed he own and pushed it towards her. That same tingly, flighty feeling surfaced in her stomach once more and she noticed her cheeks rising in temperature again. Shaken by the sudden surge of emotion, she could only smile nervously. Zell coughed ackwardly and rubbed the back of his neck, stating that he'd better get out of there; he had to get up early for his morning workout. Dominique watched his stocky frame disappear through the doorway as she attempted to calm the fierce pounding of her heart.

  For the next week, Dominique spent all of her free time in the library. She dug through encyclopedias, records, articles, magazines, and anything else she could get her hands on. Selphie was the greatest help at finding information on the Internet; she had done most of the research about Battle Ship Island. Squall's GF articles and reports helped bring greater understanding about Tiamat. Restless nights still plagued her, however. Nearly each night, she'd have the same dream over and over again. She was in water, but there were clear walls around her. She didn't have to struggle for breath; something was allowing her to breathe. Sounds were picked up easily by her ears, the water providing the perfect transmitter. Lights blinked all around her as shadowy figures shuffled about. She could hear their deep voices but couldn't make out what they were saying. A surge of aggrivation flashed through her and she struggled in her aquarium. The shadows rushed about quickly and urgently, shouting to eachother and checking the flashing lights. Suddenly a soft melody echoed through the water and Dominique felt herself calming down. Her body went numb, her head and neck first and then her torso down to her legs. She felt so relaxed. Before her eyes would close, she looked to her left. There were others incased in water like she was, but the figures were much bigger...
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
The alarm clock jolted her awake. Dominique sat up, rubbing sleep from her eyes and stifled a yawn with her fist. She saw that Rinoa was still asleep. Dominique quietly went through her morning routine so she wouldn't wake Rinoa. When she was finished, she left to start off her Saturday in the library. She usually did this, rising up early before classes to arrive at the library just as it opened. Throwing her hair back in a low pony-tail, Dominique grabbed her bag and exited the room. As she stepped out of the door, a sharp pain stabbed the back of her neck. It was so intense that she struggled for breath as her bag slipped from her grasp to the floor. Dominique's knees buckled and she grasped her head in her hands and squeezed her eyes tight, breathing through clentched teeth although it caused her extreme discomfort. The pain subsided slightly, allowing her to breathe without discomfort. She opened her eyes, only to have the flourescent lights make her head throb again. Another bolt of pain shot through her. She felt like her brain was on fire and she let out an agonized moan. Dominique collapsed to the floor as a groggy Rinoa appeared in the doorway. Gasping at the sight, Rinoa stooped and supported Dominique as they walked slowly back into the room. Rinoa immideately gave Dominique several intense pain asprins and had her lie on her bed. Dominique tried to argue that she'd be fine and that she had to get to work in the library.
"No way!! You just collasped out there from a migrane and you're telling me you want to go out and read teeny tiny book print? It'll only make it worse Dominique!! You've over worked yourself...that's why your head hurts so bad."
Dominique's head was throbbing to much for her to come up with a decent reply. Instead, she requested for the lights to be turned off, seeing how they only made the pain worse. Rinoa had to get dressed in the dark that morning.
  Squall dropped by Rinoa's room later that afternoon, wondering why Dominique never came to get the GF articles she had asked for earlier that week.
"Rinoa? Are you there?", he asked as he softly rapped on the door with his knuckles. THe door slid open slowly as Rinoa peeked her head out. She looked a little frazzled as she stepped out of the door frame.
"What's wrong with you? You look like you haven't slept in days.", Squall commented as Rinoa closed the door behind her. She smoothed her hair down with her fingers and sighed.
"It's Dominique. I haven't been sleeping because she keeps waking up every night from nightmares. Plus she's having really bad migranes."
"Is she alright? I was wondering why she didn't come to get these articles.", Squall said as he handed folder of paper to Rinoa. Rinoa took them and held them to her chest.
"She had a bad spell this morning. I found her outside the door; she nearly collasped. She's sleeping it off right now. She should be better tonight. I think she's taking it too hard Squall. She's over working herself! She spends all of her time in the library!! Zell even came to me a few days ago, complaining how Dominique blew him off when he tried to speak to her."
"Maybe she was reading a book?"
"She was. He said she only waved but didn't say anything. I'm worried about her, Squall. She's obsessed."
Squall put his hands on Rinoa's shoulders and pulled her into him. Resting his chin on top of her dark head, he inhaled the scent of her hair. It relaxed and calmed him.
"She'll be alright. Take her to Dr. Kadowaki if it makes you feel better. Just make sure she gets plenty of rest. She'll be okay."
Rinoa leaned back and kissed him on the lips. She pulled away, smiling.
"Alright. I'll take care of her."
"You know I'm going into Balamb today with Zell and Irvine, right?", Squall asked as he ran a set of fingers through his hair. Rinoa nodded.
"Yeah, I remember. It's Zell's laundry day and you and Irvine need more ammo for your weapons."
Squall smiled as her and kissed her cheek.
"I'll be back later tonight.", he called over his shoulder as he walked away. Rinoa looked down at the folder of papers she was holding. She thought it'd be best to tell Dominique about these after she was back on her feet.

  "C'mon Zell! We're doing this for you, remember?"
Irvine shouted impatiently at the martial artist over the blaring metal rock music that was thumping through the speakers of Squall's jeep. Zell picked up the last bag of laundry from the curb and tossed into the back of the vehicle. He climbed in and strapped himself in the middle seat of the back row.
"Thanks for doing this, Squall. I owe ya, man.", Zell said as they started the drive to Balamb. The sky was clean and clear that day, and they had let the top down on the jeep to let the wind whip around their faces.
"You're forgetting I'm doing this for myself, too.", Squall called back to him, raising his voice over the music and the wind.
"Hey! What about me?", Irvine pouted jokingly. Squall just ignored him and turned the volume up on the stereo a little more. Zell was in the back seat singing along with the lyrics as best he could. Irvine decided to join in, and Squall did his part by simply drumming the beat out on the steering wheel with his thumbs. They pulled into Balamb minutes later and parked infront of Zell's house. He enthusiastically jumped out and grabbed his laundry bags, slinging them over his shoulder. Walking down the steps to his front door, he kicked it open with his foot.
"Ma!!! I'm home!!!!", he called through the house. The greying head of a middle aged woman peeked out from the kitchen area. Smiling brightly, she dropped what she was doing and moved quickly to the door.
"Zell!", she exclaimed, grabbing her son in a tight hug. "It's so good for you to visit!!"
She looked down at the sacks of dirty clothes by his feet and shook her head.
"Looks like you're here for other reasons than to just see your poor old mother."
"Ma! C'mon, give me a break!", Zell said in exasperation. Squall and Irvine entered in, Irvine having to stoop so he wouldn't hit his head on the unusually low door frame.
"Howdy, Mrs. Dincht.", he cheerfully drawled, removing his hat and dipping his head courteously. Squall nodded a silent greeting of his own. Ma Dincht grinned as she ushered the men to the table. She picked up Zell's bags and threw them into the laundry room for later.
"Hello boys! Would any of you like anything to eat? I just finished baking some German Chocolate cake."
Irvine and Squall replied that they'd love to have some, much to Zell's astonishment.
"Hey! That's the cake you said you only make for me, Ma!", he whined as his mother passed out two large chunks of cake to his friends. Ma Dincht tisked.
"Zell Mortimer Dincht, where are your manners!? They're your guests, so you should treat 'em good.", she said, clicking her tounge. Zell scowled at the table top. How he hated his middle name. Irvine stuck a large fork-full of cake into his wide mouth, sniggering at finally hearing Zell's full title. Ma Dincht busied herself by finishing up the dished she was washing in the kitchen.
"So Zell...", she called out. "How's school?"
"It's alright.", he replied, leaning back on the rear legs of his chair.
"It makes me so happy when you decide to bring your friends over.", she said wistfully. "What ever happened to that sweet little girl you were seeing?"
Zell let his chair fall forward with a dull thud. "We broke up.", he replied bitterly, his mother's question bring up a nasty memory.
"Oh I'm so sorry, Zelly! I didn't know!!", she apologized quickly. Zell shrugged even though she couldn't see it.
"It's no big deal.", he said nonchalantly.
"That wasn't what you were saying after it happened. You were like, all depressed for days.", Irvine argued. Zell gave him a swift kick underneath the table.
"But I'm cool now, Irvine.", he growled under his breath. Squall rolled his eyes as an amused smile found its way onto his face.
"So does that mean you've found somebody new, Zelly?", his mother called from the kitchen. A pinkish glow immideately found its way to his cheeks. Squall raised a skeptical eyebrow and Irvine grinned slyly.
"Looks like he's embarassed about something.", Irvine laughed. Ma Dincht stuck her head out of the kitchen.
"When will I meet this girl? Is she nice? Smart? She'd better be good enough for you, Zell. I don't want you dating any of those hussies you call 'women'."
Zell's face grew a brighter shade of red. "No!! Ma!! It's not like that!!!!!!!", he cried, knowing that he was already knee deep in embarassment. A random image of Dominique in nothing but panties and one of his t-shirts flashed teasingly in his mind. That was NOT what he needed to see right now. Still, she did look rather hott like that----
"NO! Stop! Go away! Go away!", Zell chanted to himself. The image of her had caused a signifigant increase in his body temperature, and he was positive it was showing up on his face. This was way too obvious for comfort and he coughed loudly and rose quickly to grab a glass of water. Ma Dincht dried her hands off on a towel and smiled.
"So, what's she like?", she said in a pleased voice. Zell had difficulty swallowing his mouthful of water.
"Ackkk," he coughed, "Uh, what was that?"
He pretended not to hear his mother's question at first, but before she could repeat it, he interrupted.
"There's no one new, Ma. I'm okay on my own. I don't need some girl lookin' after me all the time."
Another flash of Dominique appeared in his head. This time she was leaning over him, casting a spell like she did that day in the Training Center. A hint of guilt surfaced in his stomach after uttering those words. If Dominique hadn't have been there, then...
"Oh alright. I'll quit asking.", Ma Dincht said in a huff, tossing the moist towel over the faucet to dry. They lingered there just long enough for Irvine and Squall to finish their cake before they decided to head to the weapons shop. They needed to kill time anyway since Zell had so much laundry that needed to be washed, all by his mother of course. After Irvine and Squall spent a good chunk of their earnings on high-tech ammo, they decided to head next door to the book store since there was still time left to kill. Irvine buried himself in the riflemen's themed section after a hard internal debate between guns and a cheerleading magazine (he wasn't looking through that particular book to see how to do a split, either). Squall headed towards the rack that held the popular Timber Maniacs' and Occult Fan magazines. While flipping casually through a Timber Maniac's issue, he spotted an article about Esthar. Immideately, he grew bored with the magazine and tossed it aside for a Weapon's Monthy issue. Zell's blond spike could be seen peeking out over the tops of the bookcases and magazine racks. He, unlike the other two, was on a mission. After seeing Dominique in such a state a few nights ago and then hearing how she'd overworked herself, he really felt immense pity towards her. When she looked into his eyes that night she tried to give him back his card, he suddenly had the urge to prove himself to her. He wanted to prove to her that he would be there for her, he would help her all he could, he would be the person she could rely on the most. Zell silently walked back towards the rear of the shop. He found what he was looking for; it was tucked away on a small shelf in the corner. He knew Irvine and Squall would question his motive for buying such a thing, so he picked up a cooking magazine on passing to use as a decoy.
"Hey, you guys ready?", he said in his most cheerful, innocent voice. Squall pulled out some change from his pocket and nodded.
"Yeah, I just want to get this before we leave.", he said, indicating to the weapon's magazine he held in his hand with a flick of his wrist.
"That's cool. I had something I had to get anyway.", Zell replied, motioning at the cooking magazine. Squall cocked an eyebrow at the fighter as Irvine strode up.
"Great Recipes of the World? I didn't know you liked cooking, Zell.", Irvine observed after seeing the magazine Zell was holding.
"No no," he replied, "It's for my Ma. Her...uh, birthday is coming up and she wanted a new cookbook. Kinda needs one, anyway.", he stated in a quick lie, handing the magazine and the hidden item over to the cashier to ring up. Luckily, the suprise was small enough to casually slip unnoticed into the folds of the cookbook. Zell hid it there carefully after he'd purchased it. He was certain no one saw the action. Luckyily for him, no one did.
  They bought their goods and returned to Zell's small home. He grabbed his cleaned laundry, kissed his mother good-bye, and then followed Irvine and Squall to the jeep. Zell felt a corner of the small gift stabbing his thigh through the lining of his pocket. He pushed it deeper into the fold with his thumb, shifting around in his seat behind Squall. It was a good thing he was sitting caddycorner to Irvine. If it were Squall there, he would have definately spied the movement and then questioned Zell on what he was hiding in his pocket. Zell breathed deeply, feeling the cooling dusk wind whip his face. He just had to keep it a secret just a little longer...just long enough until he would see her again.

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